Chapter XVIII
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leaving, however, he simply said these words: "Do your duty!" We at once made preparations to go on this trip. My husband and Arii-paea were to accompany me. The governor had ordered the steamer Phaeton to be prepared, and we were to leave at twelve o'clock that day for Huahine. Orders were given on board the steamer to the commander of the vessel that he was to follow my orders in everything concerning where the vessel should go. On the next day we arrived at Huahine, where I was very well received by my old relations. We stayed there a few hours, and continued on our route for Raiatea, where we safely arrived. A boat was at once sent with a message, and our letters, to the queen. These were sent by Ariipaea, who, however, was obliged to return, as he was fired upon. In a little while, however, a man named Moemoe seemed to have recognized us from one of the islands, and pulled off in a canoe. He became then the bearer of our letters. In a short time we received a reply from the queen Pomare, who wrote me to say that Tamatoa, her uncle, and Tehaapapa, her aunt, would not allow her to receive us on shore, as we belonged to the French side, but that if we would go on to an island and let the vessel go back to Huahine at once, we might then come ashore. This we would not hear of, as we were afraid that as soon as the French vessel left we should all be murdered. We, however, continued at our anchorage during that night. Early in the morning, an old nurse of ours named Ino, and a relation of ours, Tahitoe, came on board and met me. In a little while there came off a boat from the shore, sent by the queen to bring us there. They had changed their minds at a meeting held the evening before. We were then taken to Vairahi, where we found the queen Pomare, with all of her relations about her. She cried very much when she saw me, and very soon the whole place was filled. Tamatoa and Terii maevarua were also present.
Ariipaea spoke for us, and told the queen that the object of our visit was to take her back to her island, and submit to the French; that we were authorized by the governor of the French to tell her that all of the past and her own action in breaking up the agreement which was entered into with the French would be overlooked for this
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© Derived from the revised Paris edition of 1901 page 189, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/-marua-189.html