[64] "It is not surprising," he writes in a letter to his superiors, "that on the arrival in this country, so long given over to the evil spirit of a child of the Sacré cœur (Divine heart), that enemy of all which is good should have raged with redoubled fury, and that the Protestant emissaries should have believed I came to overthrow their empire!!"—Vide Annales de la Propagation de la Foi, No. lvi. p. 204.
[65] "I am," wrote Queen Pomáre, to the then King Louis Philippe, "only the ruler of a small, insignificant island. May wisdom, renown, and power ever attend your Majesty! Cease then your anger, and pardon the error I have committed."
[66] This additional article ran as follows: "The free exercise of the Catholic religion is permitted in the Island of Tahiti, and in all the other possessions of Queen Pomáre. The French Catholics shall enjoy all the privileges accorded to the Protestants, but they shall nevertheless not be entitled to meddle, under any pretext, in the religious affairs of the country. Done at Tahiti, 20th June, 1839."
[67] These two letters are dated, "Waiáu, on the Island of Raiatea, 24th Sept. 1844," whither Queen Pomáre had withdrawn after the events of November, 1843, and whence she only returned to Tahiti in 1847.
[68] According to the laws of the country, each married resident contributes one franc per annum to the civil list; a widower with one child, one franc; a widower without children, two francs; an unmarried adult, two francs; an adult female unmarried, one franc; boys under sixteen, and girls under fourteen, as also criminals and persons incapacitated for labour, pay nothing. This is the only direct tax the inhabitants are called upon to pay. The revenues of the island do not, however, suffice to defray the expenses of the French occupation. Before the arrival of the Europeans the Tahitians had no description of currency, but had recourse in all business transactions to barter. The Protestant missionaries were the first to introduce about £2000 of copper money, which they had got struck in England for the purpose. This currency was based upon a coin of the value of one half-penny. On one side was a ship, and on the obverse the words "COPPER PREFERABLE TO PAPER." When the French came to the island they flung this money into the sea, and forbade their circulation under heavy penalties! At present the only coins used are francs and réra (about one-third of a franc = 3 1⁄4d. nearly).
[69] This State paper is couched in very brief and intelligible terms in both French and Tahitian, and runs as follows:—
"Her Majesty, the Queen of the Society Islands, and H.E. the Governor of the French possessions in Eastern Oceania:—
"1st. Considering that there are no 'projets de loi' (Bills) to be submitted for legislative enactment during 1859, and that assembly has further no budget to vote;
"2nd. Considering moreover the considerable expenses to which the members of the said assembly are put for their sojourn at Papeete during its session;
"3rd. Considering Article 7 of the Ordinance of 28th April, 1847;