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Ebook has 692 lines and 91140 words, and 14 pages

MILTON.

The cloud and darkness are left behind, and a clear sky and smooth sea ahead greet the passengers. Did you ever see a rainbow at midnight? Such an unusual nocturnal spectral phenomenon greeted us in midocean: the full moon in the east, the delicate rainbow in its infinite colors painted on the clouds in the west. Our captain, who had lived on the tropic sea for a quarter of a century, had never seen the like before. It was reserved for us to see a rainbow painted by the moon. With such pleasant diversions, by day and by night, we soon forget the ocean desert, and yet on the last day of the voyage we welcome the sight of land.

Be of good cheer, I see land.

DIOGENES.

The vastness of the ocean and the smallness of Tahiti are in strange contrast. How the mariner, in setting the compass on leaving the harbor of San Francisco, can so unerringly find this little speck in the ocean nearly four thousand miles away, is an accomplishment which no one, not versed in the science of navigation can fully comprehend. We sighted Tahiti during the early part of the forenoon. The peaks of the two highest mountains in Tahiti, Oroheua and Aorii, seven to eight thousand feet in height, projected spectre-like from the surface of the ocean. These peaks appeared as bare, sharp, conical points in the clear sky above a mantle of clouds which enveloped the balance of the island. This misty draping of the two highest mountains takes place almost every day, as the clouds are attracted by the constant moisture of the soil, due to the dense forests and luxuriant tropical vegetation.

The next sight of land brought into view the rugged mountains of Moorea and a group of small atoll islands. Moorea is in plain view from Papeete, and is the second largest of the Society Islands. Before we look at Tahiti at close range, let us examine the group of atoll islands which the steamer passes close enough to give us a good idea of their formation.

THE ATOLL ISLANDS

The atoll islands, so numerous in the South Seas, have a uniform conformation, and are of coral, deposited upon submerged summits of mountains of volcanic origin. The floor of the Pacific, like many other parts of the earth's surface, is undergoing constant changes, increasing or diminishing its level. Here and there, at certain intervals, volcanic eruptions have created mountains, which, in Hawaii, rise to nearly fourteen thousand and, in Tahiti, to over seven thousand feet. Around each of these innumerable islands and islets in the great Pacific Ocean the coral polyps have a fringing reef of rock. As these minute creatures can live only at a depth of twenty to thirty fathoms, and die as soon as exposed to the air, their life-work is confined to the coast of volcanic islands. Whenever, as it often happened, the island upon which they had congregated was slowly sinking, they would elevate their wall to save themselves from death in deep water. It is evident that if this process continued long enough, the land would entirely disappear and leave a submerged circular wall of coral just below the level of the low tide. The effects of the waves in breaking off the coral formation, large and small, in elevating them, would, in course of time, produce a ring of sandy beach, rising above the sea surrounding the central basin, filled with salt water entering through one or many open channels. Upon the beach, cocoanuts, washed ashore, would find a favorable soil for germination, and, ere long, stately palms would fringe the rim of the enclosed lagoon. Every atoll island has a peripheral fringe of cocoa-palms and a central lagoon which communicates with the ocean by one or more channels. Such an island is an atoll, the final stage in the disappearance of a volcanic islet from the surface of the sea. Such islands are numerous in the Society Islands, and the Paumotuan Archipelago consists exclusively of such atoll islands.

It is interesting to know how these minute coral polyps manage their work of island-building, or, rather, island-preservation. Coral formation is a calcareous secretion or deposit of many kinds of zo?phytes of the class Anthozoa, which assumes infinite and often beautiful forms, according to the different laws which govern the manner of germination of the polyps of various species. The coral-producing zo?phytes are compound animals, which multiply in the very swiftest manner, by germination or budding, young polyp buds springing from the original polyp, sometimes indifferently from any part of its surface, sometimes only from its upper circumference or from its base, and not separating from it, but remaining in the same spot when the original parent or polyp is dead, and producing buds in their turn. The reproductive capacity of these polyps is marvelous and explains the greatness of their work in building up whole islands and the countless submerged reefs so much dreaded by the mariners of the South Seas. The calcareous deposition begins when the zo?phytes are still simple polyps, owing their existence to oviparous reproduction, adhering to a rock or other substance, to which the calcareous material becomes attached, and on which the coral is built up, the hard deposits of past generations forming the base to which those of the progeny are attracted. The coral formation takes place with astonishing rapidity; under favorable circumstances, masses of coral have been found to increase in height several feet in a few months, and a channel cut in a reef surrounding a coral island, to permit the passage of a schooner, has been blocked with coral in ten years. Coral formations have been found immediately attached to the land, whilst in many other cases the reef surrounds the island, the intervening space, of irregular, but nowhere of great width, forming a lagoon or channel of deep water, protected by the reef from wind and waves. According to Darwin, this kind of reef is formed from a reef of the former merely fringing kind, by the gradual subsidence of the rocky basis, carrying down the fringe of coral to a greater depth; whilst the greatest activity of life is displayed by polyps of the kind most productive of large masses of coral in the outer parts which are most exposed to the waves. In this manner he also accounts for the formation of true coral islands, or atolls, which consist merely of a narrow reef of coral surrounding a central lagoon, and very often of a reef, perhaps half a mile in breadth, clothed with luxuriant vegetation and the never-absent cocoa-palms, bordered by a narrow beach of snowy whiteness, and forming an arc, the convexity of which is toward the prevailing wind, whilst a straight line of reef not generally rising above the reach of the tide, forms the chord of the arc. The reef is generally intersected by a narrow channel into the enclosed lagoon, the waters of which are still and beautifully transparent, teeming with the greatest variety of fish. Its surface is enlivened by water-fowl, and the depth of water close to the precipitous sides of the reef is almost always very great. The channels are kept open by the flux and reflux of the tide, the current and waves of which are often so swift and high as to become a menace to schooners attempting entrance into the lagoon. On the beach, soil most conducive to the growth of cocoanut-palms is formed by accumulation of sand, shells, fragments of coral, seaweeds, decayed leaves, etc. The giant cocoanuts planted in this soil either by the hand of man or by the waves washing them ashore, germinate quickly, and in a few years the narrow circular strip of land enclosing the lagoon is fringed with colonnades of tall fruit-bearing palms. These islands rise nowhere more than a few feet above the level of the sea. Sometimes the upheaval of coral formation by volcanic action results in the making of a real island, in which event the lagoon disappears. Islands with such an origin sometimes rise to a height of five hundred feet and often exhibit precipitous cliffs and contain extensive caves. I had read a description of the Paumotu atoll islands by Stevenson, and consequently I was much interested in the little group of atolls we passed before coming into full view of Tahiti. As these islands, like all true atolls, are only a few feet above the level of the sea, they can not be seen from the sea at anything like a great distance. When they were pointed out to us by an officer of the steamer, we could see no land; they appeared like oases in the desert, green patches in the ocean, due to the cocoa-palms which guarded their shores. As we came nearer, we could make out the rim of land and the snow-white coral beach. The smallest of these atoll islands are not inhabited, but regular visits are made to them in a small schooner or native double canoe to harvest and bring to market the never-failing crops of cocoanuts.

THE LANDING AT PAPEETE

As we left the atolls behind us and neared Tahiti, we could see more clearly the outlines of the rugged island, disrobed, by this time, of its vestments of clouds. From a distance, the carpet of green which extends from its base to near the summit of the highest peaks is varied here and there by patches of red volcanic earth, thus adding to the picturesqueness of the scene. What at first appears as a greensward on the shore, on nearer view discloses itself as a broad fringe of cocoa-palms, extending from the edge of the ocean to the foot of the mountains, and from there well up on their slopes, where they are lost in the primeval forest. Above the tree-line, low shrubs and hardy grasses compose the verdure up to the bare, brown mountain-peaks. The largest trees are seen in the mountains' deep ravines, which are cut out of the side of the heights by gushing of cold, clear waters, which drain the very heart of the mountains, bounding and leaping over boulders and rapids in their race to a resting-place in the near-by calm waters of the lagoon. As we came nearer to the island we were able to make out the white lighthouse on Point Venus, seven miles from Papeete. Here, Captain Cook, during one of his visits to the island, was stationed for a considerable length of time for the purpose of observing the transit of Venus; hence the name of the point.

Near the harbor, a native pilot came on board, and, by careful maneuvering, safely guided the ship through the very narrow channel in the reef into the harbor, with the tricolor flying from the top mast. From the harbor, the little city of Papeete and the island present an inspiring view. A charming islet on the left as we enter the harbor, looks like an emerald set in the blue water. It serves as a quarantine station, and the little snow-white buildings upon it appear like toy houses. The small city is spread out among cocoa-palms, ornamental and shade trees. The green of the foliage of these trees is continuous with the forest-clad mountains which form the background of the beautiful plateau on which the city is built. The harbor of Papeete is land and reef-locked, small, but deep enough to float the largest steamers plying in the Pacific Ocean. As the steamer came up slowly to the wharf, hundreds of people, a strange mixture of natives, half-castes, Europeans and Chinese, old and young, dressed in clothes of all imaginable colors, red being by far the most predominant, crowded the dock. Many of the children were naked, and not a few of the men and boys were unencumbered by clothing, with the exception of the typical, much checkered Tahitian cotton loin-cloth. A number of handsome carriages brought the ?lite of the city to take part in this most important of all monthly events.

They come to see; they come to be seen.

OVIDIUS.

THE CITY OF PAPEETE

Papeete is the capital of Tahiti, the seat of government of the entire archipelago, and the principal commercial city of the French possessions in Oceanica. It is a typical city of the South Sea world, as it is viewed from the deck of the steamer and while walking or riding along its narrow, crooked streets. From the harbor, little can be seen of its buildings, except the spire of the cathedral and the low steeples of two Protestant churches, the low tower of the governor's palace, formerly the home of royalty, the military hospital, the wharf, and a few business houses loosely scattered along the principal street, the Quai du Commerce that skirts the harbor. The residence part of the city is hidden behind towering cocoa-palms and magnificent shade-trees among which the flamboyant trees are the most beautiful. It is situated on a low plateau with a background of forest-clad mountains, the beautiful little harbor, the spray-covered coral reef, the vast ocean and the picturesque outlines of Moorea in front of it.

Papeete has no sidewalks. The streets are narrow, irregularly laid out, and none of them paved. Most of the houses are one-story frame buildings, covered with corrugated iron roofs. There are only two or three large stores; the remaining business-places are small shops, many of them owned and managed by Chinamen. The present population, made up of natives of all tints, from a light chocolate to nearly white, six to eight hundred whites and about three hundred Chinese, numbers in the neighborhood of five thousand, nearly half of the population of the entire island. There are about five hundred Chinese in the island, who, by their industry and knowledge of business methods, have become formidable competitors of the merchants from other foreign countries. Their small shops and coffee-houses in Papeete and the country districts are well patronized by the natives.

Papeete is the commercial center of Oceanica. There are no department stores there. Business is specialized more there than perhaps in any other city. All of the shops, even the largest, look small in the eyes of Americans. There are dry goods stores, grocery stores, millinery shops, two small frame hotels, the Hotel Francais and another smaller one, both on the Quai, a few boarding-houses, two saloons, and no bank. The scarcity of saloons can be explained by the fact that the natives are temperate in their habits. According to a law enforced by the government, the native women are prohibited from frequenting such places.

The public wash-basin, supplied with running fresh water from a mountain stream, is a sight worth seeing. From a dozen to twenty native women, and a few soldiers, may be found here almost any time of the day, paddling knee-deep in the water, using stones in place of washboards in performing their arduous work. This primitive way of washing gives excellent results, judging from the snow-white, spotless linen garments worn by the Europeans and well-to-do natives.

The little plaza or square in the center of the city is used as a market-place where natives congregate at five o'clock in the morning, to make their modest purchases of fish, plantain, pineapple, melon or preserved shrimp done up in joints of bamboo. This is the place to learn what the islanders produce, sell and buy.

The public buildings are well adapted for a tropic climate. The most important of these is the palace of the last of the Tahitian kings, now used as the office of the government. It is a handsome white building, surrounded by ample grounds well laid out, and beautified by trees, shrubs and flowers. The government schoolhouse is an enormous frame building, resting upon posts, several feet from the ground, with more than one-half of its walls taken up by arched windows, the best lighted and most thoroughly ventilated building in the city, an ideal schoolhouse for the tropics. Among the churches of different denominations, the Catholic cathedral is the largest and best, although in the States it would not be considered an ornament for a small country village.

The city is well supplied with pure water from a mountain stream, but lacks a system of sewerage. The gardens and grounds of the best residences of the foreigners present an exquisite display of flowers that flourish best in the tropic soil, under the invigorating rays of the tropic sun, and the soothing effects of the frequent showers of rain, which are not limited to any particular season of the year.

Papeete, like all cities in the equatorial region, is a city of supreme idleness and freedom from care. The citizens can not comprehend that "The great principle of human satisfaction is engagement" . This idleness is inherent in the natives, and under the climatic conditions, and I suppose to a certain extent by suggestion, is soon acquired by the foreigners. Contentment and absence of anxiety characterize the life of the Tahitian. He has no desire to accumulate wealth; he is satisfied with little. He is "shut up in measureless content" ; he is inspired with the good idea that "he that maketh haste to be rich, shall not be innocent" . The merchants open their shops at sunrise, lock the doors at ten, retire to their homes for breakfast, take their two-hour siesta, return to their business, suspend work at five, and the remainder of the day and the entire evening are devoted to rest, social visits and divers amusements. The social center of the foreigners is the Cercle Bougainville, a small frame building which serves the purpose of a club house. Bicycling is a favorite means of travel and sport for the Europeans as well as the natives of all classes. This vehicle has found its way not only into the capital city but also into the country districts throughout the island. The splendid macadamized road which encircles the island furnishes a great inducement for this sport. Two of the wealthiest citizens travel the principal streets in the city and the ninety-mile drive in the most modern fashion by riding an automobile.

There are few if any door locks in private residences, hotels and boarding-houses, the best possible proof that the inhabitants are law-abiding citizens. In the boarding-house in which I lived, the main entrance was left wide open during the night, and none of the door locks was supplied with a key. The native women wear Mother Hubbard gowns of bright calico; the better class of men dress in European fashion, while the laborers and men from the country districts wear a pareu of bright calico, with or without an undershirt. The average Tahitian does not believe in:

We are captivated by dress.

OVIDIUS.

TOPOGRAPHY OF THE ISLAND

Into the silent land!

Ah, who shall lead us thither?

VON SALIS.

There is no spot on earth more free from care, worry and unrest than the island of Tahiti. The abundance with which nature here has provided for the wants of man, the uniform soothing climate, the calmness of the Pacific Ocean, the pleasing scenery quiet the nerves, induce sleep and reduce to a minimum the efforts of man in the struggle for life. It is the island of peace, contentment and rest, a paradise on earth.

No writer has ever done justice to the natural beauties of this gem of the South Seas. The towering mountains, the tropical forests, the numerous rippling streams of crystal water, shaded dark ravines, the palm-fringed shore, the lagoons with their quiet, peaceful, clear waters painted in most exquisite colors of all shades of green, blue and salmon by the magic influence of the tropical sun, their outside wall of coral reef ceaselessly kissed by the caressing, foaming, moaning surf, the near-by picturesque island of Moorea, with its precipitous mountains rising from the deep bed of the sea, the flat basin-like, palm-fringed atolls in the distance, and the vast ocean beyond, make up a combination of pictures of which the mind never tires, and which engrave themselves indelibly on the tablet of memory.

Tahiti is a typical mountain island, protected against the aggressive ocean by a coral reef which forms almost a complete wall around it, enclosing lagoons of much beauty, which teem with a great variety of fish. It is thirty-five miles in length, and on an average twelve miles in breadth. It is shaped somewhat in the form of an hourglass, the narrow part at Isthmus Terrawow. The circuit of the island by following the coast is less than one hundred and twenty miles. The ninety-mile drive which engirdles the island cuts off some of the irregular projections into the sea. The interior is very mountainous and cut into ravines so deep that it has never been inhabited to any extent. The highest peaks are Orohena and Aorii, from seven to eight thousand feet in height, the former cleft into two points of rock which are often draped with dark masses of tropic clouds. Numerous other peaks of lesser magnitude are crowded together in the center of the island, their broad foundations encroaching upon the plain. The people live on the narrow strip of low land at the base of the mountains and running down to the shore, where the soil is exceedingly fertile and always well watered by numerous rivers, brooks and rivulets. Numberless cascades can be seen from the ninety-mile drive, leaping over cliffs and appearing like silver threads in the dark green of the mountain-sides. The strip of arable land at the base of the mountains varies in width from the bare precipitous cliffs, without even a beach, to one, or perhaps in the widest places, two miles. The larger streams have cut out a few broader valleys. It is this narrow strip of land which is inhabited, the little villages being usually located near the mouth of a river on the coast-line, insuring for the inhabitants a pure water-supply and facilities for fresh-water bathing, a frequent and pleasant pastime for the natives of both sexes and all ages.

Wherever there is sufficient depth of soil, vegetation is rampant. The fertility of the soil and the stimulating effect of constant moisture on vegetable life are best seen by the vitality exhibited by the fence-posts. I have seen fence-posts a foot and more in circumference, after being implanted in the soil, strike root, sprout and develop into trees of no small size. The mountains, and more especially the ravines, are heavily timbered. There is no place on earth where the scenery is more beautiful and sublime than at many points along the ninety-mile drive. The lofty mountains, the fertile plain, the many rivers, brooks, rivulets and glimpses of foaming cascades, lagoons, of the surf beating the coral reef in the distance, the limitless ocean beyond, the luxuriant rampant vegetation, the beautiful flowers, the majestic palm-trees, the quaint villages and their interesting inhabitants, form a picture which is beautiful, and, at the same time, sublime. As a whole it is sublime; in detail, beautiful.

Beauty charms, sublimity awes us, and is often accompanied with a feeling resembling fear; while beauty rather attracts and draws us towards it.

FLEMING.

Let us see how Captain Cook was impressed with Tahiti when he first cast his eyes upon this gem of the Pacific:

Perhaps there is scarcely a spot in the universe that affords a more luxuriant prospect than the southeast part of Otaheite The hills are high and steep, and, in many places, craggy. But they are covered to the very summits with trees and shrubs, in such a manner that the spectator can scarcely help thinking that the very rocks possess the property of producing and supporting their verdant clothing. The flat land which bounds those hills toward the sea, and the interjacent valleys also, teem with various productions that grow with the most exuberant vigour; and, at once, fill the mind of the beholder with the idea that no place upon earth can outdo this, in the strength and beauty of vegetation. Nature has been no less liberal in distributing rivulets, which are found in every valley, and as they approach the sea, often divide into two or three branches, fertilizing the flat lands through which they run.

Tahiti is the same to-day as when Captain Cook visited it for the first time. The only decided changes which have taken place since are the building up of the capital city Papeete, and the construction of the ninety-mile drive. The beauty of the island has been maintained because the natives have preserved the magnificent primeval forests. Strip Tahiti of its forests and it will be made a desert in a few years. Nature relies on the forests to attract the clouds which bring the moisture, and assist in the formation and preservation of the soil. Remove the trees, and drouth and floods will destroy vegetation, and the latter will wash the existing soil into the hungry abyss of the ocean. Fertile and beautiful as Captain Cook found Tahiti, he deprecated the idea of settling it with whites.

Our occasional visits may, in some respects, have benefited its inhabitants; but a permanent establishment amongst them, conducted as most European establishments amongst Indian nations have unfortunately been, would, I fear, give them just cause to lament that our ships had ever found them out. Indeed, it is very unlikely that any measure of this kind should ever be seriously thought of, as it can neither serve the purposes of public ambition, nor of private avarice; and, without such inducements, I may pronounce, that it will never be undertaken.

The island has been invaded and taken by the whites and the results to the natives have been in many respects disastrous, which goes to prove the correctness of Captain Cook's prophecy.

THE CLIMATE

The climate of Tahiti, although tropical, is favorably influenced by the trade-winds and frequent showers. The breezes from ocean and land keep the heated atmosphere in motion, and the frequent rains throughout the year have a direct effect in lowering the temperature. The entire island from the shore to the highest mountain-peaks, is covered by forests and a vigorous vegetation. These retain the moisture and attract the pregnant clouds, securing, throughout the year, a sufficient rainfall to feed the many mountain streams and water the rich soil of the mountain-sides, valleys, ravines and lowlands along the coast. The temperature seldom exceeds 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and during the coldest months, March and April, it occasionally falls as low as 65 degrees Fahrenheit. The atmosphere is charged with humidity, and when this condition reaches the maximum degree, the heat is oppressive, more especially when there is no land or ocean breeze. If a hotel could be built at an elevation of three to four thousand feet above the level of the sea, the guests would find a climate which could not be surpassed in any other part of the world. A prolonged residence in Papeete or any other part of the island near the sea-level is debilitating for the whites. Those of the white inhabitants who can afford it, leave the island every three or five years and seek recuperation and a renewal of energy in a cooler climate, usually in California or Europe. Papeete, partially enclosed by mountains, and only a few feet above the level of the sea, and on the leeward side of the island, is said to be one of the warmest places in the island. The village of Papara gets the full benefit of the trade-winds and the land-breeze, and is one of the coolest spots in Tahiti. Tahiti's summer-time is our winter. I was fortunate in visiting the island during the latter part of January. It is the time when Nature makes a special effort here to produce the luxuriant vegetation after the drenching rains of December. It is the time when the evergreen trees cast off, here and there, a faded leaf, to be replaced by a new one from the vigorous unfolding buds. It is the season of flowers and the greatest variety of fruits. It may interest the reader to know that one day seven different kinds of fruits were served at the breakfast-table, a luxury out of reach of our millionaires at their homes in the North at that time of the year. For a winter vacation, the months of January and February offer the greatest inducements. Those who are in need of an ideal mental rest, and are fond of a long ocean voyage, and enjoy tropic scenery and the marvelous products of the fertile soil of the tropics, should not fail to visit Tahiti, the little paradise in the midst of the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean.

HISTORY OF THE ISLAND

History is the witness of the times, the torch of truth, the life of memory, the teacher of life, the messenger of antiquity.

CICERO.

It was my privilege during my brief stay in Tahiti to meet Tati Salmon, chief of the Papara district. He is a direct descendant of one of the two noble families of the island, the Tevas, and one of the most prominent and influential citizens of the island. I asked him to what race the Tahitians belonged. To this question he had a ready reply. He said: "We belong to no race; man was created here; this is the lost Garden of Eden." There is much force, if not truth, in this assertion when we take into consideration the charming beauty of the island and the bounteous provisions which Nature has made here for the existence of man. Then, too, the Tahitian is a good specimen of manhood, intellectually and physically, far superior to the Negro race and the Mongolian. Ariitaimai , the mother of the chief just referred to and the authoress of the book mentioned in the preface, believes that the Tahitians belong to the great Aryan race, the race of Arii, and that their chiefs were Arii, not kings, and the head chiefs, Ariirahi--Great Chiefs. It was only the latter who were entitled to wear the girdle of red feathers, as much the symbol of their preeminence as the crown and sceptre of European royalty. The Tahitians are Polynesians, like the inhabitants of most of the South Seas and of Hawaii, and there can be but little doubt that the Polynesians belong to the Malay race, having migrated from island to island, from west to east, by way of Java, Samoa and the Hawaiian Islands. As these voyages had to be made by means of frail canoes, we can readily conceive the hardships endured by the bold navigators of centuries ago. A story current in Tahiti relates that it was thus that the great chief Olopaua of Hawaii, driven from home by disastrous floods, bore his wife Lu'ukia in the twelfth century, to find a new dwelling place in Tahiti, twenty-three hundred miles away. It is said that the chiefess was a poetess, a dancer famed for grace, and the inventor of a style of dress which is still made by the Hawaiians. Many of the primitive peoples trace their origin to a legend which is handed down from generation to generation.

In all ages of the world there is nothing with which mankind hath been so much delighted as with those little fictitious stories which go under the name of fables or apologues among the ancient heathens, and of parables in the sacred writings.

BISHOP PORTEUS.

The Tevas of Tahiti have their legend and it is related by Ariitaimai, as it has been told for many generations. They take pride in the story that they are the direct descendants from the Shark God. The legend tells how many centuries ago a chief of Punaauia, by the name of Te manutu-ruu, married a chiefess of Vaiari, named Hototu, and had a son, Terii te moanarau. At the birth of the child, the father set out in his canoe for the Paumotu Islands to obtain red feathers to make the royal belt for the young prince. The legend begins by assuming that Vaiari was the oldest family, with its Maraes, and that Punaauia was later in seniority and rank. While Te manutu-ruu was absent on his long voyage to the Paumotus, a visitor appeared at Vaiari, and was entertained by the chiefess. This visitor was the first ancestor of the Tevas. He was only half human, the other half fish, or Shark God; and he swam from the ocean, through the reef, into the Vaihiria River, where he came ashore, and introduced himself as Vari mataauhoe, and, after having partaken of the hospitalities of the chiefess, took up his residence with her. But after their intimacy had lasted some time, one day, when they were together, Hototu's dog came into the house and showed his affection for his mistress by licking her face, or, as we should say now, kissed her, although in those days this mark of affection was unknown, as the Polynesians instead only touched noses as an affectionate greeting. At this the man-shark was so displeased that he abandoned the chiefess. He walked into the river, turned fish again and swam out to sea. On his way he met the canoe of the Chief Te manutu-ruu returning from the Paumotus, and stopped to speak to him. The chief invited Vari mataauhoe to return with him, but the man-shark declined, giving as his reason that the chiefess was too fond of dogs.

The legend proves that the natives regarded Vaiari as the source of their aristocracy. Papara makes the same claim, for when Vari mataauhoe left Hototu he said to her: "You will bear me a child; if a girl, she will belong to you and take your name; but if a boy, you are to call him Teva; rain and wind will accompany his birth, and to whatever spot he goes, rain and wind will always foretell his coming. He is of the race of Ariirahi, and you are to build him a Marae which you are to call Matava , and there he is to wear the Marotea, and he must be known as the child of Ahurei ." A boy was born, and, as foretold, in rain and wind. The name of Teva was given to him; and Matoa was built; and there Teva ruled. From this boy came the name Teva; but when and how it was applied to the clan no one knows. The members of the tribe or clan believe it must have been given by the Arii of Papara or Vaiari. To this day, the Tevas seldom travel without rain and wind, so that they use the word Teva rarivari--Teva wet always and everywhere. The Vaiari people still point out the place where the first ancestor of the clan lived as a child, his first bathing place, and the different waters in which he fished as he came on his way toward Papara. This legend is to-day as fresh in the district of Papara as it was centuries ago. It is but natural that the Tevas, one of the two most influential and powerful of the tribes of Tahiti, should be anxious to trace their ancestry to a royal origin even if the first ancestor should be a man-shark, little remembering that

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