- end_line
- 11030
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-30T20:48:15.153Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 10963
- text
- prodigious hurry and perspiration, discharged minute fowling-pieces as
fast as he could load and fire the same.
The Tahitian princess leads her husband a hard life. Poor fellow! he
not only caught a queen, but a Tartar, when he married her. The style
by which he is addressed is rather significant—“Pomaree-Tanee”
(Pomaree’s man). All things considered, as appropriate a title for a
king-consort as could be hit upon.
If ever there were a henpecked husband, that man is the prince. One
day, his carasposa giving audience to a deputation from the captains of
the vessels lying in Papeetee, he ventured to make a suggestion which
was very displeasing to her. She turned round and, boxing his ears,
told him to go over to his beggarly island of Imeeo if he wanted to
give himself airs.
Cuffed and contemned, poor Tanee flies to the bottle, or rather to the
calabash, for solace. Like his wife and mistress, he drinks more than
he ought.
Six or seven years ago, when an American man-of-war was lying at
Papeetee, the town was thrown into the greatest commotion by a conjugal
assault and battery made upon the sacred person of Pomaree by her
intoxicated Tanee.
Captain Bob once told me the story. And by way of throwing more spirit
into the description, as well as to make up for his oral deficiencies,
the old man went through the accompanying action: myself being proxy
for the Queen of Tahiti.
It seems that, on a Sunday morning, being dismissed contemptuously from
the royal presence, Tanee was accosted by certain good fellows, friends
and boon companions, who condoled with him on his misfortunes—railed
against the queen, and finally dragged him away to an illicit vendor of
spirits, in whose house the party got gloriously mellow. In this state,
Pomaree Vahinee I. was the topic upon which all dilated—“A vixen of a
queen,” probably suggested one. “It’s infamous,” said another; “and I’d
have satisfaction,” cried a third. “And so I will!”—Tanee must have
hiccoughed; for off he went; and ascertaining that his royal half was
out riding, he mounted his horse and galloped after her.
Near the outskirts of the town, a cavalcade of women came cantering
toward him, in the centre of which was the object of his fury. Smiting
his beast right and left, he dashed in among them, completely
overturning one of the party, leaving her on the field, and dispersing
everybody else except Pomaree. Backing her horse dexterously, the
incensed queen heaped upon him every scandalous epithet she could think
of; until at last the enraged Tanee leaped out of his saddle, caught
Pomaree by her dress, and dragging her to the earth struck her
repeatedly in the face, holding on meanwhile by the hair of her head.
He was proceeding to strangle her on the spot, when the cries of the
frightened attendants brought a crowd of natives to the rescue, who
bore the nearly insensible queen away.
But his frantic rage was not yet sated. He ran to the palace; and
before it could be prevented, demolished a valuable supply of crockery,
a recent present from abroad. In the act of perpetrating some other
atrocity, he was seized from behind, and carried off with rolling eyes
and foaming at the mouth.
This is a fair example of a Tahitian in a passion. Though the mildest
of mortals in general, and hard to be roused, when once fairly up, he
is possessed with a thousand devils.
The day following, Tanee was privately paddled over to Imeeo in a
canoe; where, after remaining in banishment for a couple of weeks, he
was allowed to return, and once more give in his domestic adhesion.
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