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TAHITI.

We extract the following summary of Tahitian news from the * Australian,' of the 9th April, 1846, containing intelligence from the Ist January to the 20th March:—

The English Admiral had been at Tahiti since the above date, but could come to no settlement with the French and Tahitian Government. He sailed to the Leeward Islands and saw the different chiefs, and told Queen Pomare that she would be obliged to submit to the French Protectorate, in consequence of her signature to a certain paper, and that Queen Victoria had done all that could be done for her, conformable to the laws of nations. She said she was aware of her error in signing the paper, but she had been forced to sign it, and if Queen Victoria could do no more in her behalf, she still depended on the Protestant Missionary" Society doing something. The Admiral then saw tEe other chiefs, who having called a meeting of their people, declaring that ihey werealwajs independent of the Tahitian Government, and begged of him to see the French Protectorate Flag and troops were not forced upon them as they had been on the Tahitians. The Admiral told them to be quiet, and that the French Governor, Bruat, on that condition, pledged his word to the Admiral to be quiet until they heard again from Europe, which would be in about ten months, when he would see them again ; in the mean time he would not acknowledge the French Protectorate at the Leeward Islands. The commander of the French vessel boarded the Collingwood to state that the French were blockading Bolabola, and that the English Admiral was breaking the laws of nations to enter the port while the French flag was flying. The Admiral replied that the fl>ig of the French was not the flag of the island, and that the French were breaking the laws of nations by hoisting it there. He further observed, that he did not come with his vessel to speak to an inferior officer, but to see the King and Princes of the island j and as he was going in, if he wished for a tow rope he would let him have one. At Bolabola and Huabiue, as at Raiatea, everything was to remain quiescent until the English Admiral returned or sent, to let thtm know. J On the 17th, 18th, and 19th of January, the French frigate Uranie, and steamer Pnatton. with ' 700 men, were plundering and burning the Ik uses of the natives and residents, and firing upon those who would not go on board the French vessels. The steamer returned to Tahiti on the 22ud, from Kuahine, with a report of twenty killed and forty-

five wounded. The -French officers said, ' About twenty men, English and Americans, fought more like devils than men.' The natives say, 400 troops lauded ; the Uanie frigate-is lying-with her lowerdeck ports in, short handed, but with her m»indeck guns pointed for boats and canoes, in case, of boarding. The steamer is taking in coals, water, and ammunition, (shells and grape principally); und is to return to Huabine. They wanted 2I)0 ; more troops to be sent to their assistance, but the Governor could not spare more than fifty, in consequence of the alarm of the natives of this island (Tahiti) from the circumstance of tronps being sent to kill the princes of this island, who are the adopted sons of the Queen of Huahine, who in the late action took an active part in commanding the people at the onset. She was dressed with cockedhat and men's clothes, with gun in hand, and Pomare's child by her side cheering the na ives. Many natives from the other island succeeded in landing. It is said the cause of the disturbance was, because the Queen would not pay the money demanded by Governor Bruat; for pulling down the Feench Protectorate Flag, when it was put up last year. It is also affirmed, that instead of 20 being killed, there were 200 or 300 .French lying dead in the bush, where the action was fought. The French Pilot was the first man killed. An Englishman (John Murray) was robbed of all he had by the French, because he was not in his house when the troops arrived. The man had reason to be alarmed from the noise, and ran out. There was no English vesst'l theie to fly to, and any resident that went on board a French man-of-war for protection would not be allowed by the natives to go on shore, without being liable to meet thesmne fate as Harris, the French Pilot. A schooner and a sloop are now in port. The people on board say, the natives will <not let the Uranie people take water off Huahine, and that they intend to'fight the French to-morrow. They say there are not many people on board the Uranie, and the lower-deck ports are all closed. They suffered no one >to go on shore. Governor Bruat is making preparations for war on this island ; a new stock of ammunition was sent to the block-houses yesterday. Letters have been sent to the Patriot Governors bearing the names of Queen Pomare, and the Acting British Consul, supposed to be forged, praying the natives of this island to be peaceabhyfor if thej do not, and any British property is thereby hurt, they will have the ill-will of England, and have to pay for the damage done to foreigners. At the Huahine affair, the natives appear greatly excited, although they can only he«r of one Englishman, four native men, and one woman and child killedat present on their side. Provisions are dreadfully high, but there is plenty of.flour and salt meat in the market. The trade in general is very dull. We have had a few American vessels here, because they could not stop at Huahine. The French had demanded 600 dollars from the Queen of Huahine, for some claim their pilot had fur violating the laws of the French Protectorate, and enforcing the Huahine laws. The natives said ihey would die rather than pay the French Protectors any thing. The natives have ordered the French quarry men off, and told them the Tahiti folks did not like them to take their place.

We have -intelligence from Tahiti to the 20th March, brought last night by the Mary Ann. There had been no further disturbance since the last accounts, between the French troops and tbe natives, but the latter were determined totfrsist to the last. Queen Pomare had positively refused to leave Kiatea to have a conference with Bruat.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WI18460530.2.20

Bibliographic details

Wellington Independent, Volume II, Issue 66, 30 May 1846, Page 4

Word Count
1,103

TAHITI. Wellington Independent, Volume II, Issue 66, 30 May 1846, Page 4

TAHITI. Wellington Independent, Volume II, Issue 66, 30 May 1846, Page 4

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