THE SOCIETY ISLANDS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1056, 30 June 1880, Page 2

THE SOCIETY ISLANDS.

EXTRAORDINARY SEIZURE BY THE FRENCH.

A Passenger by the schooner Ovalau, which arrived from the Society Islands at Auckland on Sunday morning, has kindly given tho following particulars to the Auckland Star, relative to some very strange conduct on the part of the French Commissioner at Tahite and the Pumatu group which belong to France, the remainder being under the joint protectorate of England, America, and France. About April the 20th the French Commissioner, actiug under the ordws of the Governors of Tahite and accompanied by a French man-of-war, proceeded to R liatea, one of the largest islands of the group, and to the astonishment of the residents hoisted the Frenoh flag there. A formal protest was at once entered by the English and American inhabitants, who also immediately forwarded an account of the affair to the English Consul at Tahite. The same day H. M. S. Osprey arrived from Valparaiso and the Consul sent her to Raraitea to object on behalf of England. This was done, and the two men of war (French and English) then proceeded to another island of the group Bora Bora, where the French also announced their intention ofc hoisting their flag. The native king of Bora Bora, however, objected very strongly, and claimed the protection of England. He even declared his willingness to hoist the English ensign if the captain of the Oaprey would only balk the French. That gentleman said he could not possibly give the king authority to hoist the English flag, but if he liked to do so without authority he might. The King then avowed his intention of rousing his people and resisting the French by force. When the French Commissioner heard this, he visited the Captain of the Osprey, and invited the Captain to hoist the English onsign on Bura Bora saying, his only object was to keep the Germans whom he heard were [coming there, out of the South Pacific. "If you will hoist your ensign," said the Commissioner, * ' I will kiss you on both cheeks. " — The Captain retorted that he might kiss him on any part of the body he pleased, but tha- he belonged to a nation that respected treaties, and consequently could not entertain such propoa ils. He protested formally against the action of tho French in seizing Raratea, which renders it impracticable to take Bora Bora without bloodshed. The French man-of-war, following the Osprey, proceeded to another island, Huahine, where tho same procedure was gone through. When the Ovalau left Tahite, the French Commissioner was threatening to return to Bora Boia with an armed force and make the inhabitants accept a French flag.