It seems that for some time back the French had been making repeated ineffectual attempts to plant a Roman Catholic mission here. But, invariably treated with contumely, they sometimes met with open violence; and, in every case, those directly concerned in the enterprise were ultimately forced to depart. In one instance, two priests, Laval and Caset, after enduring a series of persecutions, were set upon by the natives, maltreated, and finally carried aboard a small trading schooner4, which eventually put them ashore5 at Wallis' island—a savage6 place—some two thousand miles to the westward7.
Now, that the resident English missionaries8 authorized9 the banishment10 of these priests is a fact undenied by themselves. I was also repeatedly informed that by their inflammatory harangues11 they instigated12 the riots which preceded the sailing of the schooner. At all events, it is certain that their unbounded influence with the natives would easily have enabled them to prevent everything that took place on this occasion, had they felt so inclined.
Melancholy13 as such an example of intolerance on the part of Protestant missionaries must appear, it is not the only one, and by no means the most flagrant, which might be presented. But I forbear to mention any others; since they have been more than hinted at by recent voyagers, and their repetition here would perhaps be attended with no good effect. Besides, the conduct of the Sandwich Island missionaries in particular has latterly much amended14 in this respect.
The treatment of the two priests formed the principal ground (and the only justifiable15 one) upon which Du Petit Thouars demanded satisfaction; and which subsequently led to his seizure16 of the island. In addition to other things, he also charged that the flag of Merenhout, the consul18, had been repeatedly insulted, and the property of a certain French resident violently appropriated by the government. In the latter instance, the natives were perfectly19 in the right. At that time, the law against the traffic in ardent20 spirits (every now and then suspended and revived) happened to be in force; and finding a large quantity on the premises21 of Victor, a low, knavish22 adventurer from Marseilles, the Tahitians pronounced it forfeit23.
For these, and similar alleged24 outrages25, a large pecuniary27 restitution28 was demanded (10,000 dollars), which there being no exchequer29 to supply, the island was forthwith seized, under cover of a mock treaty, dictated30 to the chiefs on the gun-deck of Du Petit Thouars' frigate31.
But, notwithstanding this formality, there seems now little doubt that the downfall of the Pomarees was decided32 upon at the Tuilleries.
After establishing the Protectorate, so called, the rear-admiral sailed; leaving M. Bruat governor, assisted by Reine and Carpegne, civilians33, named members of the Council of Government, and Merenhout, the consul, now made Commissioner34 Royal. No soldiers, however, were landed until several months afterward35. As men, Reine and Carpegne were not disliked by the natives; but Bruat and Merenhout they bitterly detested36. In several interviews with the poor queen, the unfeeling governor sought to terrify her into compliance37 with his demands; clapping his hand upon his sword, shaking his fist in her face, and swearing violently. "Oh, king of a great nation," said Pomaree, in her letter to Louis Philippe, "fetch away this man; I and my people cannot endure his evil doings. He is a shameless man."
Although the excitement among the natives did not wholly subside38 upon the rear-admiral's departure, no overt39 act of violence immediately followed. The queen had fled to Imeeo; and the dissensions among the chiefs, together with the ill-advised conduct of the missionaries, prevented a union upon some common plan of resistance. But the great body of the people, as well as their queen, confidently relied upon the speedy interposition of England—a nation bound to them by many ties, and which, more than once, had solemnly guaranteed their independence.
As for the missionaries, they openly defied the French governor, childishly predicting fleets and armies from Britain. But what is the welfare of a spot like Tahiti to the mighty40 interests of France and England! There was a remonstrance41 on one side, and a reply on the other; and there the matter rested. For once in their brawling42 lives, St. George and St. Denis were hand and glove; and they were not going to cross sabres about Tahiti.
During my stay upon the island, so far as I could see, there was little to denote that any change had taken place in the government.
Such laws as they had were administered the same as ever; the missionaries went about unmolested, and comparative tranquillity43 everywhere prevailed. Nevertheless, I sometimes heard the natives inveighing44 against the French (no favourites, by the bye, throughout Polynesia), and bitterly regretting that the queen had not, at the outset, made a stand.
In the house of the chief Adeea, frequent discussions took place concerning the ability of the island to cope with the French: the number of fighting men and muskets45 among the natives were talked of, as well as the propriety46 of fortifying47 several heights overlooking Papeetee. Imputing48 these symptoms to the mere17 resentment49 of a recent outrage26, and not to any determined50 spirit of resistance, I little anticipated the gallant51, though useless warfare52, so soon to follow my departure.
At a period subsequent to my first visit, the island, which before was divided into nineteen districts, with a native chief over each, in capacity of governor and judge, was, by Bruat, divided into four. Over these he set as many recreant53 chiefs, Kitoti, Tati, Utamai, and Paraita; to whom he paid 1000 dollars each, to secure their assistance in carrying out his evil designs.
The first blood shed, in any regular conflict, was at Mahanar, upon the peninsula of Taraiboo. The fight originated in the seizure of a number of women from the shore by men belonging to one of the French vessels54 of war. In this affair, the islanders fought desperately55, killing56 about fifty of the enemy, and losing ninety of their own number. The French sailors and marines, who, at the time, were reported to be infuriated with liquor, gave no quarter; and the survivors57 only saved themselves by fleeing to the mountains. Subsequently, the battles of Hararparpi and Fararar were fought, in which the invaders58 met with indifferent success.
Shortly after the engagement at Hararparpi, three Frenchmen were waylaid59 in a pass of the valleys, and murdered by the incensed60 natives. One was Lefevre, a notorious scoundrel, and a spy, whom Bruat had sent to conduct a certain Major Fergus (said to be a Pole) to the hiding-place of four chiefs, whom the governor wished to seize and execute. This circumstance violently inflamed61 the hostility62 of both parties.
About this time, Kitoti, a depraved chief, and the pliant63 tool of Bruat, was induced by him to give a great feast in the Vale of Paree, to which all his countrymen were invited. The governor's object was to gain over all he could to his interests; he supplied an abundance of wine and brandy, and a scene of bestial64 intoxication65 was the natural consequence. Before it came to this, however, several speeches were made by the islanders. One of these, delivered by an aged66 warrior67, who had formerly68 been at the head of the celebrated69 Aeorai Society, was characteristic. "This is a very good feast," said the reeling old man, "and the wine also is very good; but you evil-minded Wee-Wees (French), and you false-hearted men of Tahiti, are all very bad."
By the latest accounts, most of the islanders still refuse to submit to the French; and what turn events may hereafter take, it is hard to predict. At any rate, these disorders70 must accelerate the final extinction71 of their race.
Along with the few officers left by Du Petit Thouars were several French priests, for whose unobstructed exertions72 in the dissemination73 of their faith, the strongest guarantees were provided by an article of the treaty. But no one was bound to offer them facilities; much less a luncheon74, the first day they went ashore. True, they had plenty of gold; but to the natives it was anathema—taboo—and, for several hours and some odd minutes, they would not touch it. Emissaries of the Pope and the devil, as the strangers were considered—the smell of sulphur hardly yet shaken out of their canonicals—what islander would venture to jeopardize75 his soul, and call down a blight76 on his breadfruit, by holding any intercourse77 with them! That morning the priests actually picknicked in grove78 of cocoa-nut trees; but, before night, Christian79 hospitality—in exchange for a commercial equivalent of hard dollars—was given them in an adjoining house.
Wanting in civility, as the conduct of the English missionaries may be thought, in withholding80 a decent reception to these persons, the latter were certainly to blame in needlessly placing themselves in so unpleasant a predicament. Under far better auspices81, they might have settled upon some one of the thousand unconverted isles82 of the Pacific, rather than have forced themselves thus upon a people already professedly Christians83.
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1 proceedings | |
n.进程,过程,议程;诉讼(程序);公报 | |
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2 narrative | |
n.叙述,故事;adj.叙事的,故事体的 | |
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3 rife | |
adj.(指坏事情)充斥的,流行的,普遍的 | |
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4 schooner | |
n.纵帆船 | |
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5 ashore | |
adv.在(向)岸上,上岸 | |
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6 savage | |
adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人 | |
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7 westward | |
n.西方,西部;adj.西方的,向西的;adv.向西 | |
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8 missionaries | |
n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 ) | |
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9 authorized | |
a.委任的,许可的 | |
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10 banishment | |
n.放逐,驱逐 | |
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11 harangues | |
n.高谈阔论的长篇演讲( harangue的名词复数 )v.高谈阔论( harangue的第三人称单数 ) | |
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12 instigated | |
v.使(某事物)开始或发生,鼓动( instigate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13 melancholy | |
n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的 | |
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14 Amended | |
adj. 修正的 动词amend的过去式和过去分词 | |
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15 justifiable | |
adj.有理由的,无可非议的 | |
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16 seizure | |
n.没收;占有;抵押 | |
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17 mere | |
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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18 consul | |
n.领事;执政官 | |
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19 perfectly | |
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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20 ardent | |
adj.热情的,热烈的,强烈的,烈性的 | |
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21 premises | |
n.建筑物,房屋 | |
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22 knavish | |
adj.无赖(似)的,不正的;刁诈 | |
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23 forfeit | |
vt.丧失;n.罚金,罚款,没收物 | |
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24 alleged | |
a.被指控的,嫌疑的 | |
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25 outrages | |
引起…的义愤,激怒( outrage的第三人称单数 ) | |
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26 outrage | |
n.暴行,侮辱,愤怒;vt.凌辱,激怒 | |
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27 pecuniary | |
adj.金钱的;金钱上的 | |
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28 restitution | |
n.赔偿;恢复原状 | |
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29 exchequer | |
n.财政部;国库 | |
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30 dictated | |
v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 );口授;支配;摆布 | |
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31 frigate | |
n.护航舰,大型驱逐舰 | |
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32 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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33 civilians | |
平民,百姓( civilian的名词复数 ); 老百姓 | |
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34 commissioner | |
n.(政府厅、局、处等部门)专员,长官,委员 | |
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35 afterward | |
adv.后来;以后 | |
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36 detested | |
v.憎恶,嫌恶,痛恨( detest的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37 compliance | |
n.顺从;服从;附和;屈从 | |
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38 subside | |
vi.平静,平息;下沉,塌陷,沉降 | |
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39 overt | |
adj.公开的,明显的,公然的 | |
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40 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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41 remonstrance | |
n抗议,抱怨 | |
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42 brawling | |
n.争吵,喧嚷 | |
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43 tranquillity | |
n. 平静, 安静 | |
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44 inveighing | |
v.猛烈抨击,痛骂,谩骂( inveigh的现在分词 ) | |
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45 muskets | |
n.火枪,(尤指)滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
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46 propriety | |
n.正当行为;正当;适当 | |
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47 fortifying | |
筑防御工事于( fortify的现在分词 ); 筑堡于; 增强; 强化(食品) | |
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48 imputing | |
v.把(错误等)归咎于( impute的现在分词 ) | |
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49 resentment | |
n.怨愤,忿恨 | |
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50 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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51 gallant | |
adj.英勇的,豪侠的;(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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52 warfare | |
n.战争(状态);斗争;冲突 | |
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53 recreant | |
n.懦夫;adj.胆怯的 | |
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54 vessels | |
n.血管( vessel的名词复数 );船;容器;(具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的)人 | |
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55 desperately | |
adv.极度渴望地,绝望地,孤注一掷地 | |
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56 killing | |
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财 | |
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57 survivors | |
幸存者,残存者,生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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58 invaders | |
入侵者,侵略者,侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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59 waylaid | |
v.拦截,拦路( waylay的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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60 incensed | |
盛怒的 | |
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61 inflamed | |
adj.发炎的,红肿的v.(使)变红,发怒,过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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62 hostility | |
n.敌对,敌意;抵制[pl.]交战,战争 | |
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63 pliant | |
adj.顺从的;可弯曲的 | |
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64 bestial | |
adj.残忍的;野蛮的 | |
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65 intoxication | |
n.wild excitement;drunkenness;poisoning | |
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66 aged | |
adj.年老的,陈年的 | |
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67 warrior | |
n.勇士,武士,斗士 | |
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68 formerly | |
adv.从前,以前 | |
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69 celebrated | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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70 disorders | |
n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 );凌乱;骚乱;(身心、机能)失调 | |
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71 extinction | |
n.熄灭,消亡,消灭,灭绝,绝种 | |
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72 exertions | |
n.努力( exertion的名词复数 );费力;(能力、权力等的)运用;行使 | |
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73 dissemination | |
传播,宣传,传染(病毒) | |
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74 luncheon | |
n.午宴,午餐,便宴 | |
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75 jeopardize | |
vt.危及,损害 | |
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76 blight | |
n.枯萎病;造成破坏的因素;vt.破坏,摧残 | |
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77 intercourse | |
n.性交;交流,交往,交际 | |
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78 grove | |
n.林子,小树林,园林 | |
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79 Christian | |
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒 | |
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80 withholding | |
扣缴税款 | |
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81 auspices | |
n.资助,赞助 | |
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82 isles | |
岛( isle的名词复数 ) | |
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83 Christians | |
n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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