The earth and its inhabitants The earth and its inhabitants .. earthitsinhabita00recl Year: 1890 483 AUSTRALASIA. the gradual annexation of the archipelago by France. Here the French agent exercises absolute control, while till quite recently the Catholic priests governed on theocratic principles in the name of France. In 1880 the Tahiti group was declared a French possession, and is now administered by a Council General elected by all citizens speaking the French language. Souih-east of Tuamotu the last inhabited land is Pitcaini Island, where the English crew of the Bounty, after the mutin
The earth and its inhabitants The earth and its inhabitants .. earthitsinhabita00recl Year: 1890 483 AUSTRALASIA. the gradual annexation of the archipelago by France. Here the French agent exercises absolute control, while till quite recently the Catholic priests governed on theocratic principles in the name of France. In 1880 the Tahiti group was declared a French possession, and is now administered by a Council General elected by all citizens speaking the French language. Souih-east of Tuamotu the last inhabited land is Pitcaini Island, where the English crew of the Bounty, after the mutiny of 1789, finally settled with Tâhitian wives. When this little republican ' state ' was discovered in 1808 it awakened a certain sympathetic curiosity in England. The revolt was forgotten, donations Fig. 219.—PoLiTicAii Divisions of Oceania. Scale 1 : 150,000,000. Al. Germany. P. TJ. Portugal. United States. C. Chili flowed in, and the British Government even placed the fertile island of Norfolk at the disposal of the overcrowded community. Most of the islanders accepted this offer, but some have since returned to Pitcairn. Easter Island, or Rapa Niii, that is ' Great Rapa,' famous for its monolithic monuments and hieroglyphic tablets, lies 1,300 miles east of Pitcairn. After its occupation by some Tahitian immigrants, it was regarded as virtually a French possession ; but it has now been assigned to Chili, whose fleet dominates in these waters. The o<udno islets lying near and north of the equator are considered as British territory, although their only residents have hitherto been Americans engaged in workino- the guano deposits. The group nearest to Hawaii has even been named America Islands. Christmas, a southern member of this group, is one of the largest islands in Polynesia proper. A table of the chief Polynesian groups is given in the Appendix.
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