Polynesia In 1846.

By G.H.V.

REALLY ancient records of South Sea it adventures, which are authentic, do not often come to light nowadays.

When some old papers, dealing with a trading ship to the Society Islands and other parts of the Pacific, dating so far back as the year 1846, were discovered in a Thursday Island pearler’s office, they were eagerly pounced upon by this correspondent as being of general and historical interest to Island readers. The author, Mr. A. J. Hockings, writes in an entertaining way of places and people as they were nearly a hundred years ago.

When Mr. Hockings arrived in Auck land harbour after a perilous trip across the Tasman sea from Sydney, he found the little settlement agitated by two widely differing events. The famous “Kauri Gum” bubble had just burst, with disastrous results to many mer chants and shippers in the new Austral asian colonies. A year or more previ ously some genius started the idea that the gum would be of great value in cer tain manufactures and, while samples were on their way to London, the price began to rise from a paltry 30/- a ton to over £70. Enormous sums were staked on the possibility of further rises, and hopes ran high, until intelligence was received that the gum did not fulfil re quirements. There were no buyers and many speculators were hard hit.

The other menace to the little set tlement came from the Maoris, and the fears of the Aucklanders were not with out foundation.

Quoting from the author, we learn that “The tribes round Auckland were said to number 10,000 fighting men, all picked warriors, known for their cour age, prowess and endurance —splendidlymade men, agile and clean limbed, scarcely any of them standing less than six feet high, well armed and good shots.”

The cause of the outbreak was, ac cording to the author, the “weak, vacil lating, temporizing policy of those in power”—a failing which has been re sponsible for many further troubles since those far-off days.

Newcomers Get Fleeced In

Papeete.

The French had just established the protectorate of the Society Islands when Mr. Hockings arrived there, and the newcomers found anything but a warm welcome.

Queen Pomare was in exile at Raiatea, where Mr. Hockings afterwards jour neyed to pay his respects; but a num ber of natives who opposed the French occupation in Tahiti were still maintain ing their independence in the hills.

The whole country was unsettled, which may account for the stringent regulations imposed by the authorities on all and sundry in Papeete. Strangers were not allowed ashore at night, while residents were compelled to stay in doors after gunfire, or if abroad to carry a lantern and give the password to the numerous sentries posted on the roads.

Any breach led to a speedy acquaintance with the interior of the calaboose, which was stuffy, not over clean, left in total darkness, and infested with rats, which bit the prisoners. It was by no means a pleasant place to put in a night.

In spite of the danger of being caught, some of the seamen from Hockings’ schooner chanced it, and went ashore.

They were caught, of course, and the owner paid a fine of 32/- per man next morning, to which was added an addi tional £3/4/- for the boat. This entirely unoffending- object was also seized and placed in the calaboose, where she was probably more comfortable than her late occupants.