. The earth and its inhabitants ... Geography. EQUATORIAL POLYNESIA. 485 The whole of Samoa except Tan, easternmost member of the group, forms a constitutional state modelled on that of England, with a king and upper and lower houses. The capital is Midinuu in Upolu, Apia forming a special municipality under a triumvirate of the English, American, and German consuls. Tau constitutes an " independent kingdom," whose sovereign is sharply looked after by his half-pagan subjects to prevent him from drinking water or bathing in the sea, events which would involve the state in ruin. The gr
. The earth and its inhabitants ... Geography. EQUATORIAL POLYNESIA. 485 The whole of Samoa except Tan, easternmost member of the group, forms a constitutional state modelled on that of England, with a king and upper and lower houses. The capital is Midinuu in Upolu, Apia forming a special municipality under a triumvirate of the English, American, and German consuls. Tau constitutes an " independent kingdom," whose sovereign is sharply looked after by his half-pagan subjects to prevent him from drinking water or bathing in the sea, events which would involve the state in ruin. The groups stretching south-eastwards from Samoa, though thinly peopled, had formerly great historic importance as stations along the lines of migration. Raratonga {Borotonga), in the Hervey or Cook Archipelago, is pointed to by the Fig. 216.—Tahiti and Mooeea. Scale 1 :1,000, Vyast or breenwich I49°40' I49°20' Depths. 0 to 1,000 Fathoms. 1,000 Fathoms and upwards. 18 Miles. natives of several other groups as the home of their ancestors. The present Rara- tongans have completely accepted the rigid administration introduced by the English missionaries. They have schools, libraries, and even a newspaper in their language. Farther east, Tubuai or the Austral Islands, of which Rapa is the most important member, have recently been annexed by France. Tahiti, or the Society Archipelago, lies at present far to the east of the main Pacific highway. But whenever the Panama Canal is opened, this group will be situated exactly midway between Central America and Australia, and must then take a foremost position in the Polynesian World. Papeete, residence of the representative of France, is a pleasant little place on the north side of the large island, with a spacious and deep harbour sheltered by a barrier reef pierced by three navigable openings. The trade of Papeete is mostly in the hands of English. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have bee
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectgeography, bookyear18
