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MARQUESAS

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Originally appearing in Volume V17, Page 751 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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MARQUESAS or MENDANA ISLANDS (Fr. See also:

Les Marquises), an See also:archipelago of the Pacific Ocean lying between 7° 5o' and o° 35' S. and 138° 5o' and 140° 50' W., and belonging to See also:France. It extends over 250 M. from S.E. to N.W., and has a See also:total See also:area of 490 sq. m. The See also:southern or Mendana See also:group consists of the islands Fatuhiva or Magdalena, Motane or See also:San Pedro, Tahuata or See also:Santa See also:Christina and Hivaoa or See also:Dominica, the last with a See also:coast-See also:line of more than 6o m. With these is often included the rocky islet of Fatuhuku or See also:Hood, lying in See also:mid-channel to the See also:north of Hivaoa. The north-western or See also:Washington group is formed of seven islands, the four largest being Huapu or See also:Adams, Huahuna or Washington, Nukuhiva (70 M. in circumference) and Eiao.' Along 1 Most of the islands have each three or four alternative names. the centre of each See also:island is a See also:ridge of mountains, attaining an See also:altitude of 4042 ft. in Huapu, whence rugged spurs forming deep valleys stretch towards the See also:sea. The volcanic origin of the whole archipelago is proved by the See also:principal rocks being of See also:basalt, See also:trachyte and See also:lava. Vegetation is luxuriant in the valleys, which are well watered with streams and, from their seaward termination in small bays, are themselves known as " bays." The See also:flora includes about four See also:hundred known See also:species, many of them identical with those belonging to the Society Islands. The See also:vegetable products comprise bananas, See also:bread-See also:fruit, yams, plantains, See also:wild cojton, bamboos, See also:sugar-See also:cane, coco-See also:nut and See also:dwarf palms, and several kinds of See also:timber trees. The See also:land See also:fauna how-ever is very poor; there are few mammals with the exception of See also:dogs, rats and pigs; and See also:amphibia and See also:insects are also generally scarce. Of twenty species of birds more than See also:half belong to the sea, where See also:animal See also:life is as abundant as about other sub-tropical Polynesian See also:groups.

The See also:

climate, although hot and See also:damp, is not unhealthy. During the greater See also:part of the See also:year moderate easterly See also:trade-winds prevail, and at the larger islands there are often both land and sea breezes. The See also:rainy See also:season accompanied by variable winds sets in at the end of See also:November, and lasts for about six months. During this See also:period the thermometer varies from 84° to 910 F.; in the dry season its See also:average range is from 77° to 86°. The archipelago, which has some small trade in See also:copra, See also:cotton and cotton seeds, is administered by a See also:French See also:resident, and has a total See also:population of about 4300, nearly all natives. The natives, a pure Polynesian See also:race, are usually described as physically the finest of all See also:South Sea Islanders. Their traditions point to See also:Samoa as the colonizing centre from which they sprang. Their complexion is a healthy See also:bronze. Until the introduction of See also:civilization they were remarkable for their elaborate See also:tattooing. Their See also:cannibalism seems to have been dictated by See also:taste, for it was never associated with their See also:religion, the sacrifices to their gods ,being always See also:swine. Of these and fowls they See also:rear a See also:great quantity. Their native drink is See also:kava.

Their houses are unlike those usual in See also:

Polynesia in being built on platforms raised from the ground. In disposition the islanders are friendly and hospitable, brave and somewhat bloodthirsty; and, although naturally indolent and morose, they have proved industrious and keen traders. As among their kinsfolk the Tahitians, debauchery was systematized and infahticide an organized institution. A population which at the See also:time of the See also:annexation by France (1842) was 20,000 has been reduced to little over 4000. Latterly the natives have for the most part outwardly adopted See also:Christianity. The Marquesas Islands were discovered on the 21st of See also:July 1595 by Alvaro Mendana, who, however, only knew of the south-eastern group, to which he gave the name by which they are generally known (although they also See also:bear his own), in See also:honour of See also:Don See also:Garcia Hurtado de See also:Mendoza, See also:marquis of Canete, See also:viceroy of See also:Peru, and See also:patron of the voyage. See also:Captain See also:Cook pursuing the same track rediscovered this group, with the addition of Fatuhuku, in 1774. The north-western islands were first sighted by the See also:American Captain Ingraham in 1791, and given the name of Washington by him; the French Captain Marchand followed in the same year, and Lieut. Hergest in 1792. The See also:Russian explorer, See also:Adam See also:Ivan See also:Krusenstern, made an extensive investigation of the archipelago in 1804. In 1813 the American See also:Commodore See also:David See also:Porter failed to establish a See also:colony here; and in May 1842, after French See also:Roman See also:Catholic missionaries had prepared the way, Rear-See also:admiral Dupetit-See also:Thouars took formal See also:possession of the archipelago for France. A See also:complete See also:settlement was not effected without bloodshed and about 186o–187o the colony was practically abandoned.

See Vincendon-See also:

Dumoulin Iles Marquises (See also:Paris, 1843) ; E. Jardin, Essai sur l'histoire naturelle de l'archipel de Itlendana (Paris, 186o) ; Clavel, Les Marquisiens (Paris, 1885) ; Dordillon, Grammaire et dictionnaire de la langue See also:des Iles Marquises (Paris, 19o4j.

End of Article: MARQUESAS

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