SOCIETY ISLANDS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XIII, Issue 3635, 24 June 1880, Page 3

SOCIETY ISLANDS.

Extraordinary seizure by the

FfiENCH. A PABSENOEE by the sohooner Ovalau, to Auckland, supplies the following partioalars relative to, the strange oonduot on tho part of. tho French Commissioner at Tahitelt will be remembered that of the Society islands, Tahite and the Pumatu group alone belong to Franoo, the remainder being undor the joint; protectorate of England, America, and France, About April the 20th the French Commissioner, acting under the orders of the Governors of Tahite, and acoompained by a French man-of-war, proceeded to the Earaitea, one of the largest island of the group, and to . the astonishment of the residents hoisted the Frenoh flag there, A formal protest waß 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.lf.S. Osprey arrived from Valparaiso, and the Consul sent her to Earaitea to object on behalf of England. This was done, and the two men-of-war (Frenoh and English) then proceeded to another island of the group Bora Bora, where the Frenoh also announced their intention of hoisting their flag, The native king of Bora Bora, however, objected very strongly, and olaimed tho protection of England. He even deolared his willingness to hoist the English ensign if the Captain of the Osprey would only baulk the Frenoh. That gentleman said he oould not possibly give the king; authority to hoist the English flag, but ifi he liked to do so without authority ha might. The King then avowed his intention of rousing his people and resisting the Frenoh by force. When the French Commissioner heard this he visited the Captain of the Osprey, and invited him to hoist the English ensign on Bora Bora, anyinghis 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 my part of the body he pleased, but that he belonged to a nation that respeoted treaties, and consequently could not entertain such proposals. He protested formally against tho action of the French in seizing tfaraitea, which renders it impracticable to take Bora Bora without bloodshed* The French man-of-war, following, tho Osprey, proceeded to another island Euahine, whero.tlie same prooeedure wa9 gone through. When tho Ovalau left Tahite, tho French Commissioner was threatening to return to Bora Bora with nu armed force and mako the inhabitants acbopUFrenchflag