The other chief repeated pretty nearly the same words. Those, however, who represented amongst this group my own district, said: "As you are my head, my eyes, my hands and my feet, what more can I say? what you have decided, we accept and will carry out."

One man amongst them then got up, a man named Haururu, and turning around to the other chiefs, called out, in a very loud voice, and said: "Why have you decided upon this peace so soon? Tahiti is not broken asunder. We could play with the French until we could get aid of Great Britain, who has formally promised to help us through in this war. I think you have all done wrong, and if Great Britain hears of this new state of affairs, she will altogether withdraw her help from us."

My speaker replied to him and said: "Where were you, that consider yourself such a fighting man, in the fights that have already happened? I have never perceived you ahead of the others. You do not excel the youngest of our men in all of these battles. What have you got to say? What are you known as in the annals of the country, which allows you to get up and speak when your chiefs have already given the word? If peace had not been declared here amongst us all, your blood would have to pay for this insult."

The meeting then broke up. It was then about two o'clock in the afternoon, and as I had to arrive in Papeete before midnight, the time allowed me by the governor as a limit to which he would wait in giving out new orders for taking these forts, I had to make all haste to prepare for the journey. We had hardly finished when the Teva, represented by two of their chiefs, arrived. These, however, being

Indigenous Histories