User:Fabrickator/Queen Mamea defeats French invaders

Transcribed from:

• "Mamea is Plucky". St. Paul Daily Globe, April 12, 1896, page 9.
• accessed from https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn90059522/1896-04-12/ed-1/seq-9/

Cited in the following articles:

• Queen Mamea
• Uturoa

MAMEA IS PLUCKY

A BRAVE QUEEN RULING THE SOUTH SEA ISLAND OF HUAHEME.
DEFIES THE FRENCH FLEET
WITH A FEW HUNDRED WARRIORS SHE HAS HELD HER ISLAND FOR YEARS.
HAS AN AMAZONIAN ARMY
In Addition to Her Force of Fighting Men - Noted for Their Ferocity.

Queen Mamea, of the island of Huaheme, of the Society group, is a buxom ruler who for years has defied the power of the French authorities at Tahiti.

Mamea has often been spoken of as the handsomest woman in the South Seas, but whether her claims to this distinction are based upon substantial grounds residents of Raeatea are inclined to doubt, says the San Francisco Examiner. The fact remains undisputed that Mamea has held her islands against all comers, in spite of numerous expeditions that have been sent out to conquer the rebellious tribes over which her majesty reigns.

The barkentine City of Papeete, which recently arrived at San Francisco from the South seas, brought interesting news of the latest attempt to dethrone Queen Mamea, but, by her usual good generalship, the woman ruler managed to retreat to the mountains of Huaheme in good order, where she now awaits the advance of the enemy.

France, always jealous of her South sea possessions, has been for some time trying to annex Huaheme and Bolabola, both of which Islands lie in a northwesterly direction from Tahiti, and have long been coveted by the Germans. Under the tricolor a protectorate has been established on Bolabola, but to French aggression brave Mamea has been fiercely opposed.

"We will annex the island and you must submit," was the edict sent out by the governor of Tahiti to the queen. Her reply was a raid on the French missionaries near Uturoa and the SLAUGHTER OF SEVERAL TRADERS.

The French shelled Huaheme and landed troops at the queen's palace, but the wily lady led her forces by a rapid march into the mountain fastnesses of the Interior, and at the head of 500 natives held the foreign soldiers back, losing- but a few followers in administering the French soldiers a sound thrashing.

The defiance of Mamea is not altogether a matter of recent record. Seven years ago the governor of Tahiti dispatched a gunboat to the island, landed troops on the beach and tried to starve Mamea into subjugation. The queen fled to the mountains, whose caves and retreats she had stocked so well with provisions that, after ten months of siege, the French retired. Mamea then returned to the beach and remained there until about "six months ago, when news of the contemplated French protectorate over her domain was given to the world. Some of her subjects fell upon a French outpost and murdered the small guard stationed there.

A gunboat from Tahiti repaired to the scene and shelled the native village for three days. Mamea and her Warriors retreated to the mountains and REFUSED TO BE TAKEN.

Queen Mamea makes her headquarters at Uturoa, on the east side of the island, within easy marching distance of a range of mountains, the highest peak of which is 3,389 feet above the level of the sea. Swamps abound in the lowlands, and their dangerous surfaces are crossed by narrow paths, hidden by a dense undergrowth, known only to the natives. The mountains are natural strongholds. They are steep and rugged, cut up by canons [sic] and deep ravines. Small streams are frequent. Cascades of great beauty can be seen on every hand.

At the height of about 1,500 feet the mountains are almost inaccessible, but the queen's fighters clamber up their steep sides like goats, and once the top of the ridge is gained they are in a position to defy any army of civilized soldiers.

In the very heart of the mountains, the queen has caused to be erected a large storehouse, in which is kept a supply of provisions. Smaller storerooms are located in secret places, and food enough is kept in all the stations to feed a large body of people for several weeks. Stone forts of a crude but formidable character have been built at the entrance to all th« mountain passes.

MAMEA'S SUBJECTS are the most warlike of any tribe in the South seas. Her people seem to be devoid of the finer feelings often displayed in the natives of the Gilbert and Marshall groups. The men and women alike are exceedingly quarrelsome, and when not at war with the French are fighting among themselves. Thus the forces of Mamea have been reduced to about 500 fighting men and 300 fighting women.

The Amazon of Huaheme is not so cruel nor so heartless as her African sister, but she is capable of enduring great suffering, and in battle shows savage cruelty. She is "weaker physically than the Dahomeyan terrors, but her power of endurance is as great. Huaheme's Amazons can live days on a starvation allowance of food, and perform long journeys over the Huaheme heights without thought of rest.

Queen Mamea has not lived an altogether unromantlc life. A herder named Macello attracted the fancy of the woman, and she offered to make him chief among her tribesmen if he would marry her. The man was wedded to a half-caste girl of Tahiti, and left poor Mamea in the lurch. The queen never had any use for white men from that time.

The French have a large fleet of cutters cruising about among the Paumotu islands, and these were recently concentrated at Huaheme with the object of driving Mamea into the mountains and keeping her there until she surrenders.