Tahiti.

About 2200 miles to the north-east of Auckland, in the midst of the group known as the Society Islands, lies Tahiti, the pearl of the Pacific. With a length of scarce 35 miles, and a breadth of perhaps 12, it is not a large island, but its ten consorts in the constellation of the group are all of lesser size. Near to this cluster are three other groups—the Paumotu, the Marquesas, and the Tubuai, or Austral. All four in the division of the spoils of Polynesia have fallen to France. All might at one time have been ours. Tahiti, as everyone knows, was first evangelised by British missionaries, the first band being sent out by the London Missionary Society, in the ship Duff, in 1796, and the Tahitians in 1843 declared for British rule, but the offer of this almost priceless outpost was [unclear: spur] and this is the story of a great [unclear: many] islands in the Pacific where the British was asked for.

Although Tahiti and the other [unclear: in] that make up the Society Group [unclear: might] rendered immensely productive, [unclear: consis] as they do of volcanic ridges of [unclear: index] ible fertility and valleys watered by [unclear: able] dant streams, they have never [unclear: proved] much commercial value to France, and various times statements have been [unclear: and] that she is anxious to get rid of them, America, Great Britain, and Germany [unclear: had] in turn, been named as likely [unclear: purchase] But, though French colonisation in Pacific has not, so far, been a [unclear: sued] France is not likely to part with any of possessions in view of their [unclear: important] when Panama's isthmus has been [unclear: seved] On the other hand, she has shown [unclear: and] to secure more islands, and if the [unclear: New] rides do not ultimately fall into her [unclear: po] sion it will not be through lack of effort, persistency.

In addition to being the most [unclear: value] island in the Eastern Pacific in point off tility, Tahiti enjoys the exceptional [unclear: advan] tage of a regular steam sen-ice to San [unclear: fr] cisco, as well as to Auckland, and [unclear: thus] markets of the great American [unclear: Continude] in addition to those of New Zealand, available for her produce. But there are plantations and the colony makes no [unclear: he] way. The inhabitants of the place [unclear: seem] be infected with what Dr. Purdy has [unclear: call] the "taihoa bacillus," and idleness and [unclear: es] being the order of the day it is not [unclear: to] wondered at that Tahiti stands still.

The chief items of export are [unclear: co] vanilla, motlier-o'-pearl, and cotton output of copra in 1903 was 8500 [unclear: tons], 1905 6782 tons, and in 1906 6015 tons, trade of the Society Islands for 1906 [unclear: amount] ed to the gross sum of [unclear: £7.084], of which 46½ per cent, was absorbed by the [unclear: Union] States, 16¾ per cent, by the United [unclear: k] dom, 16½ per cent, by New Zealand! tralia, and the Cook Islands, 12½ per [unclear: cr] by France, and 6 per cent, bv [unclear: German] The total imports into Tahiti during 1909 apart from specie, amounted to £109,851, against £119,927 for the previous [unclear: ve] The United States heads the list with [unclear: g] to the value of £52,965. The United [unclear: King] dom sent goods direct to the value of [unclear: 655] while those from Australia (coal), and [unclear: New] Zealand, were valued at £28,449 [unclear: Import] from France and her colonies amounted [unclear: has] £15,072. New Zealand has practically monopoly in butter, salt and tinned [unclear: mean] and a good share of the trade in soap [unclear: sug] fodder, and miscellaneous articles.

Auckland merchants have allowed [unclear: mean] enterprising Australian firms to captare [unclear: that] Fiji trade, and must take care lest they [unclear: also] oust us from Tonga and other islands with page 19 [unclear: we] still do business. Why are we [unclear: ing] to take advantage of these oppor-[unclear: t] Merchants must answer this for themselves. These places wo [unclear: Scribed] are lands of promise, and if [unclear: on] fault that more of the milk and [unclear: dose] not flow our way.