Diplomatic Correspondence: Letter addressed to H.M. Aïmata Pomaré, Queen of Tahiti

Summary

To Her Majesty Aïmata Pomaré, Queen of Tahiti, Ehimeo, Huahine, Raiatea, Bora-Bora, Tubuia-Manu and other islands, whose products have recently won the silver medal at the Universal Exhibition

Majesty, Gracious Queen,

Exhibition ending soon. Our friends, judges of international competition, well satisfied—I also.

Have suffered much, sweated much, to hear and judge musical instruments, pianos, organs, flutes, trumpets, drums, guitars and tamtams. Judges very irritated with international manufacturers of pianos, organs, flutes, trumpets, drums, guitars and tamtams.

International competitors all wanting be first, all insisting friends be last; offering us drinks of ava and presents of fruit and pigs. We judges furious, but even without fruit or pigs giving fair verdicts on best manufacturers of pianos, organs, flutes, trumpets, drums, guitars and tamtams. Then, when all fully studied, tested and heard, we proper judges having to find other judges, who not having studied, tested or heard musical instruments, and asking them if ones chosen by us really best. They replying no. So we again very irritated, upset, wanting get away from France and Exhibition.

Then becoming tayos (friends) again with other judges. They doing same thing in turn: after themselves fully studying and assessing meres (clubs), maros (grass skirts), prahos (canoes), tapas (mats) and crowns exhibited by people of Tahiti, asking us if they right to give prize to Tahiti-Una (Queen of Tahiti). We, good fellows, knowing nothing, at once replying yes. So judges deciding to award silver medal to Gracious Majesty, for crowns made of arrowroot bark sent by fair queen to poor Europeans who never seeing them before. Then everyone going kaï-kaï (having banquet); and during meal, international judges speaking much of gracious Tahiti-Una, asking if she speak French, if she over twenty. International judges, even ratitas (nobles), very ignorant; not understanding single word of Kanak language, not knowing Gracious Majesty named Aïmata, born in 1811 (I saying nothing of this), married third time to young arii (chieftain), favourite of your father Pomaré III, who giving him same name as mark of friendship; nor having any idea that po mean “night” and maré “cough”, since once your great-grandfather Otu having bad cold and coughing much in night, and next day one of his guards saying “King po maré” (King cough in night), which giving His Majesty inspired idea of taking name for himself and becoming King Pomaré First.