A PEEP AT TAHITI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2622, 15 June 1904, Page 72

A PEEP AT TAHITI.

■ The French colony of Tahiti is so little 'Jniown -to the average Englishman excepi through the charming books* of Ladj 'Brassey and the "Earl and the Doctor*,'' 'that "to this day it is more often than not confused with Otaheitee, in the Sandwich Islands. To the travelled) New Zealandei end American, however, Tahiti is bettei : known, for "the many attraction! of the Society Islands and the easy mode of access ifrom Auckland and San Francisco have drawn many tourists of late — tourists who, in some instances, "would have become »ettl«rs in the group were it not for the fact that in a French colony matters are so managed that there is literally no encouragement to invest capital. "JThe most comfortable method of getting to Tahiti is naturally by the steamboat lines from California and New Zealand ; but foi various reasons I found it more convenient to take passage from Sydney on a small schooner, the Serena Thayer, and to this I am chiefly indebted for getting my first glimpse of these lovely islands at daydawn. for, although we saw the lights of Papeete about midnightf, the entrance to the har bour (a poor "enough one at the best -ol times) is so narrow that ife is a mattej of considerable danger for sailing craft tc attempt ;to negotiate the passage at nig'lrl .time; consequently we held off outside the reef until the morning, whereas, had 1 been on one -of the regular liners, we should 'have steamed in at once. Papeete, viewec from the sea at early sunrise, isa veritable fairyland, " and would in itself more than repay the lover of scenery for the discom forts of the longest voyage. Cast anchoi where one will in southern latitudes, all is beautiful; but in Tahiti the beauty is intensified by the natural formation of vht Burrounding country. Here perpetual summer reigns and the foliage is ever of the greenest, and nothing seems to ever die but the unfortunate native inhabitants, who are dwindling awaj so fast that unless some stringent measures are adopted by the Government to checL the sale of bad liquor it is questionable ■whether, in another two centuries, there will be a single surviving Tabitian in th< group. Grove upon grove of cocoanut anc jpandanus trees stud the whole of the fore shore of Papeete, and in the background there are lofty mountains with trees anc Tvilcl flowers growing on every slope and plain. The town has been built at the fool of these hi 11.% and the streets are wel shaded, but narrow, even the Rue de Rivol: being insufficiently wide, although it is here that all the more important Governmeni buildings have been erected. Papeete car also boast several strong forts with guns of modern calibre, and would not be sucl: an easy place for an enemy to capture a* some people imagine. There are good reads all round the island, which is just over 30 miles in circumference and there is no lack of houses where rougb accommodation can be obtained by those who care to mak<* the circuit. In Papeet€ itself there is a dearth of satisfactory provision for tourists, for, with the single exception of the Hotel de France, there is not a hotel in the town worthy of the name, and the restaurants are very inferior, «c

■ I much so that those contemplating a length} stay generally locate themselves with som< French family as boarders. There is ai : excellent market, which is ope-n shortlj > after daybreak, and is immediately crowdec ', by a cosmopolitan throng of purchasers i for in Papeete everyone rises early, anc • to do one's own shopping is quite th© thing : Living, taken on the whole, is perhaps < ;' little less expensive than in England. Frai ; and vegetables are cheap, but meat of al kinds is dear, and, whether from elimati; . reasons or because it is the nature of tin r beast, very inferior in quality. Hou&< t rent is low ; but then there is the servan , difficulty, greater here i"han in England, fo: s no Tahitian will work consistently in an\ > form, and French and Chinese servants being quick to realise this fact, do no t hesitate to take it into consideration -whei j stipulating for wages. A large proportioi f of the French inhabitants (mostly Govern •ment officials), being bachelors, lead some . what Bohemian lives, living in sn.all, semi furnished cottages, and either doing thei: own catering or taking their meals a are&taurants. The married portion of thi community reside in more pretentious dwell j ings, some of them inclo&c-d in their owi £ grounds, and have their "At homes" anc , tennis parties in the orthodox style ; bu ' for some unaccountable reason the French k ' man out here takes his pleasures sadly, anc j is always discontented and homesick — h , fact, quite losas his national -chanicteristic: in these lovely islands ; and yet, for a smal , colony, there are many ways of enjoying 3 oneself for those who care to take an in 3 terest in life away from home. There is good boating and fishing, som< j rough shooting, principally wild pig, anc l the usual soci&ty amusements— picnics y theatricals, and dances, — and a band play; . on certain evenings of the week, so thai in a charming climate like Tahiti there ii little excuse for feeling dull. The natives I are kindly in disposition, and possess i ' certain natural charm of manner that fey . coloured races can affect, and many of tin i young girls are exceptionally handsome. J , large proportion of the inhabitants are half I castes, some of them lighter of hue thai "Europeans ; they seem to have inheritec g all the white m?n's vices without an/ o his virtues. I The fSociety Islands should offer man; r inducements to planters, for there i literally no tropical fruit or vegetabFe tha j. will not grow there ; but, as a matter o g fact, little advantage is taken of the fei j- tility of the soil, and there is a genera j stagnation of affairs, both at Papeete ani j the oittlying islands, which is not conipli B mentary to the colonising abilities of th x Frenchman. Even the trading is carriei on in such a desultory manner that bot] r exports and imports are steadily decreas s ing year by year, the French storekeeper showing such a total lack of business ca c pacity that the Chinese are slowly bu surely elbowing them out. — C. C. T., in th Field.