the French mission here. He told me that twenty missionaries are
coming out for this group, about seven or eight of whom will be
placed on Lifu, others on Nengone, &c.; that the French Government is
determined to support them; that the Commandant of Nimia in New
Caledonia had sent word to him that any number of men should be sent
to him at an instant's notice, in a war steamer, to do what he might
wish in Lifu, but that honestly he would do nothing to compel the
people here to embrace Romanism; but that if necessary he would use
force to establish the missionaries in houses in different parts of
the island, if the chiefs refused to sell them parcels of land, for
instance, one acre. The captain of the "Iris," an English frigate,
called on him on Monday, and sent me a letter by him, making it quite
clear that the French will meet with no opposition from the English
Government. He too knew this, and of course knew his power; but he
behaved, I must say, well, and if he is really sincere about the
liberty of religion question, I must be satisfied with the result of
our talk. I was much tired. We slept together on a kind of bed in
an unfurnished house, where I was so cold that I could not sleep;
besides, my head ached much; so my night was not a very pleasant one.
In the morning we resumed our talk, but the business was over really.
The question that we had discussed the evening before was brought to
an issue, however, by his requiring from John Cho, who was with us,
permission to buy about an acre of land in his territory. John was
much staggered at this. It looked to him like a surrender of his
rights. I told him, at great length, why I thought he must consent;
but finally it was settled, that as John is not the real chief, I
should act as interpreter for the Frenchmen; and send him from Mu an
answer to a letter which he addresses to me, but which is, in fact,
intended for the chief.