It had long
been a subject of dispute between the two nations, until a friendly
understanding was at last come to in November, 1846. Queen Pomare,
who had fled to another island, had returned to Papeiti five weeks
before my arrival. She resides in a four-roomed house, and dines
daily, with her family, at the governor's table. The French
government is having a handsome house built for her use, and allows
her a pension of 25,000 francs per annum (1 pounds,041 13s. 4d.).
No stranger is allowed to visit her without the governor's
permission, but this is easily obtained.
Papeiti was full of French troops, and several men-of-war were lying
at anchor.
The place contains three or four thousand inhabitants, and consists
of a row of small wooden houses, skirting the harbour, and separated
by small gardens. In the immediate background is a fine wood, with
a number of huts scattered about in different parts of it.
The principal buildings are - the governor's house, the French
magazines, the military bakehouse, the barracks, and the queen's
house, which however is not quite completed. Besides these, a
number of small wooden houses were in the course of erection, the
want of them being greatly felt; at the time of my visit even
officers of high rank were obliged to be contented with the most
wretched huts.
I went from hut to hut in the hopes of being able to obtain some
small room or other; but in vain, all were already occupied. I was
at last obliged to be satisfied with a small piece of ground, which
I found at a carpenter's, whose room was already inhabited by four
different individuals. I was shown a place behind the door, exactly
six feet long and four broad. There was no flooring but the earth
itself; the walls were composed of wicker work; a bed was quite out
of the question, and yet for this accommodation I was obliged to pay
one florin and thirty kreutzers a-week (about 7s.)
The residence or hut of an Indian consists simply of a roof of palm-
trees, supported on a number of poles, with sometimes the addition
of walls formed of wicker-work. Each hut contains only one room,
from twenty to fifty feet long, and from ten to thirty feet broad,
and is frequently occupied by several families at the same time.
The furniture is composed of finely woven straw mats, a few
coverlids, and two or three wooden chests and stools; the last,
however, are reckoned articles of luxury. Cooking utensils are not
wanted, as the cookery of the Indians does not include soups or
sauces, their provisions being simply roasted between hot stones.
All they require is a knife, and a cocoa shell for water.
