17

A.—3b

the soil. This is what, in the nature of things, must inevitably come to pass upon all the productive islands of the coral seas, seeing that the utilization of their products is to the profit of Europeans. It follows, as an inevitable sequence, that, either by the decay of the indigenes, or by conquest or cajolery, these islands must sooner or later pass into the possession of Europeans. Into the consideration of this question there enters one very significant element. The islanders I am describing, together with the whole branch of the great copper-coloured Polynesian family, to which they belong, closely resemble, in every respect but ferocity and cannibalism, what the natives of New Zealand wero. Their language, is so far identical, that they readily understand one another without the intervention of an interpreter. Their social customs are analogous, their traditions and habits of thinking are tho same. They have but one ancient name whereby they distinguish themselves from the rest of humanity —Maori. Does it not, therefore, seem as though Providence had intended such at least of the islands of the Pacific as are inhabited by this race, to be ultimately colonized by the British occupants of New Zealand, who enjoy in their adopted country such great facilities of familiarizing themselves with the habits and characteristics of this Maori race? Certainly, it is a race the members of which, in spite of all the evil with which heathen ignorance and many ages of separation from the rest of mankind have clouded their nature, possess many qualities amiable and worthy of preservation, and many of the elements of true usefulness. There are yet other reasons which ought to operate as an inducement to our countrymen to take the initiative in systematically extending their commercial civilization, and what must accompany it as an indispensable necessity, the protection of their flag, to a very great number of the islands of the South Sea. Throughout such of them as are inhabited by the copper-coloured races, the name of Englishman (or Beretani, as they call it) is generally associated with friendship, enlightenment, and protection. It has happened, without doubt, that in many places and in various manners, Englishmen, far removed from the restraint of law, and not having the fear of God before their eyes, have set these islanders an evil example or inflicted upon them shameful injuries ; but these instances have been very rare indeed when compared with the innumerable benefits which the Natives have received at the hands of British merchants, missionaries, and naval officers. Consequently, a feeling of gratitude and good-will towards us has become so general among them, that the occasional evil deeds of a few lawless and unprincipled ruffians have not operated to diminish it. The name of Englishman (which, of course, includes Americans) is associated in their minds with a feeling of familiarity and friendship ; that of Frenchman (Tangata Napoleon) is to most of them a word of fear; and that of Spaniard is a word of intense hatred. This is so, partly on account of the dangerous temper and disregard for human life displayed by seamen of Spanish race or extraction, of which the Islanders have had repeated evidence, but it is more so on account of the treachery and violence of Peruvian shipmasters engaged in the labour traffic, the story of whose misdeeds has been carried from island to island ; so that over the whole face of the Pacific, wherever the natives are sufficiently enlightened to distinguish by name one nationality of white men from another, the word Paniora (Spaniard) conveys a meaning which might be interpreted fiend, while Callao might be interpreted hell. Equally true it is that when threatened with injury to their persons or property at the hands of civilized man, among at least nine tribes out of ten of the copper-coloured peoples of the South Pacific, the drift of their thought is that the Queen of England will in some way help or avenge them. There are some solitary islands in this vicinity not upon the charts or otherwise wrongly placed, as Peregrino, about eighty miles south-east of Manihiki. It is in the form of a horse-shoe, presenting safe anchorage to the west. It is about nine miles in circuit, and has no inhabitants, but is covered with valuable timber. Eoggowein Island, still further to the east, is small, appearing not more than four miles in circumference, but it may be very valuable, forasmuch as it seems to be covered with guano. It has the aspect of a great mound of sand, inhabited by immense flocks of sea birds. North-east of Manihiki 400 miles, is Fararauga, or Penrhyn Island. It is about thirty-five miles in circuit, and contains a lagoon twelve miles long by eight miles broad. There are but few inhabitants now, the place having been almost entirely depopulated by Peruvian slavers, who carried away not less than 1,000 persons (probably more); the present inhabitants number about 150. It is one of the most famous pearl islands of the Pacific. There have been taken from it annually, for the last twelve years, certainly not less than 200 tons of pearl shell. It belongs to no one but the remnant of its aborigines, who must soon be extinct. Beche-de-mer is in vast •abundance. There are very few cocoa-nut trees upon this island, the natives having cut them down during wars in past years. If planted out again, the place could be made a valuable possession. The harbour is a splendid one for ships of any draught, being a lagoon with two entrances. Eastward of Penrhyn Island about 400 miles, lies an atoll, known as Caroline Island, very low, and about fifteen miles long by five miles broad. It has never, to all appearance, been permanently inhabited. It has been lately reported as containing a great deposit of guano, and it has been sold by one Captain Brothers, of Tahiti, to Messrs. Holder Brothers, of London, for a large sum. In this neighbourhood is Vostock Island, which, though spoken of as doubtful, does exist, and, from its appearance, should be in a great measure covered with guano. The archipelago of the Marquesas, which have been commonly spoken of as a sort of Paradise by navigators who have visited them, do not, in my opinion, deserve comparison with any of the Society or Samoan Isles, inasmuch as their general formation is exceedingly precipitous, and the area of valuable agricultural land which they present for colonization is less in comparison to that which consists of merely sharp ridges and rocky eminences. Nevertheless, weighing well what is to be said for and against them, they present many advantages for settlement. Notably, they possess a most delightful climate, well suited to the European constitution, as is proved by the robust health enjoyed by many aged men (English and American) who are still resident there, having been long domesticated upon them, and who are wonderfully vigorous in spite of the debauchery and kava drinking to which they are notoriously addicted. Elephantiasis exists here a£ in Samoa, and appears to be the only truly indigenous disease. In fact, what applies to the Navigator Isles applies equally to the Marquesas; with this difference, that the latter are of a more limited area, and present a much less 3—A. 3b.