The Queen
p. 28 · Read in the full issue
How He Escaped From
From Our Own Correspondent
Noumea, Jan. 1..
ON the subject of old-time Tahitian- New Caledonian relations, I have heard a good story told of a fellow named Moriceau, who lived and died here very many years ago.
He was a naval officer in Tahiti at the time the French took possession there, a handsome upstanding youngster, over 6 feet tall, and agreeable with it, a regular man of the world. Queen Pomare took a great fancy to him and wanted him to marry her.
This so scared young Monsieur Mori ceau that he began to wonder what he could do. His fellow officers got him out of his dilemma by smuggling him on board the ship and hiding him —with the Admiral’s consent —in the Admiral’s cabin. At the same time a report was put about that he had suddenly died. A coffin, bearing his name and covered with the tricolor, was buried with public cere mony, including the firing of a salute.
In New Caledonia, M. Moriceau became head of the Government Immigration Bureau, concerned with bringing people here from the island of Reunion and other parts of the French Empire, to start sugar, rum, coffee and other industries.
A wag, learning the story of his escape from Tahiti, used to call him ‘Monsieur Feuriceau” (“the late Mr. Riceau”).