Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XV.djvu/153

 SOCIETY ISLANDS SOCINUS 145 reached Tahiti in 1767, and named it King George's island. Bougainville touched at it in 1768, naming it Nouvelle Cythere, Capt. Cook reached it in 1769, discovered most of the islands in the N. W. cluster, gave to the whole group the name of Society islands, in honor of the royal society of London, and restored the native name to Tahiti, The Spaniards attempted to colonize Tahiti in 1772-'4 ; and about that date Cooke visited the group a second time, and again on his last voyage in 1777, when he found a house and cross which the Spaniards had erected carefully preserved by the natives. After this 11 years passed without any communication between the So- ciety islands and the rest of the world, when the Bounty arrived to transport plants of the breadfruit tree to the British West India isl- ands. The interest excited by these voyages resulted in the formation of the London mis- sionary society, which fitted out a ship to car- ry missionaries into the islands of the Pacific. This vessel arrived at Tahiti early in 1797. For a long time the labors of the missionaries were fruitless, till Pomare II. embraced Chris- tianity about 1815. Pomare died in 1821, and during the minority of his son the missionaries acquired great influence ; but the son having died before he attained manhood, he was suc- ceeded by Queen Aimata or Pomare, the lat- ter being the surname of the reigning family. From the conversion of Pomare II. the power of the missionaries continued increasing, till it became paramount in Tahiti. The success of the French Catholic missions on the islands to the east induced two priests to go to Tahiti. The English missionaries opposed this, and the priests were forcibly deported. The French government then sent a frigate to demand liberty for all French subjects, and $2,000 as the expenses of the voyage to France of the expelled missionaries. In 1843 a strong force landed on Tahiti and hoisted the French flag, taking possession in the name of Louis Phi- lippe. (See Du PKTIT-THOUARS.) The queen made her escape to a neighboring island, and several skirmishes took place between the na- tives and the invaders. There was also a protracted diplomatic dispute with England, which ended in the payment of an indem- nity by the French government for the ex- pulsion of the British consul Pritchard and the seizure of some of his property. In 1846 the French power was completely established in Tahiti. Pomare was recalled, and a treaty was entered into, by which she was restored to authority, and the whole of her domin- ions placed under the protection of France. Capt. Cook, from the crowds which collected on the coast, supposed the population of Tahiti to be 80,000; but the first missionaries esti- mated it, along with that of the neighboring island of Eimeo, at 10,000. A census by the French in 1864 made the population of Tahiti, Mania, Tetuaroa, and Maiaoiti, 13,847. The reduction from former years is due to infanti- cide, venereal disease, smallpox, and rum. At- tempts have been made to increase the popula- tion by immigration. A few hundred Chinese coolies have been introduced, and the French deported convicts from New Caledonia, but were obliged to withdraw them in 1864, on account of their demoralizing influence upon the natives. By the labors of the missionaries the moral and social condition of the latter has been much improved, and education is extend- ing. In 1865 school districts were established, with two schools, one Protestant and one Roman Catholic, in each district. SOILMS (Ital. Sozzixi). L Lselius, an Ital- ian theologian, born in Siena in 1525, died in Zurich, March 16, 1562. His studies led him to doubt some of the fundamental doctrines of the church, including that of the Trinity, After various travels he resided in Switzer- land, Germany, and Poland, finally settling in Zurich. In Wittenberg he gained the friend- ship of Melanchthon, and in Geneva of Cal- vin ; but the favor of the reformers was with- drawn when his peculiar doctrines were dis- covered. His life was written in Latin by Ill- gen (8vo, Leipsic, 1814), who also published in 1826 two parts of another work in quar- to, entitled Symbolce ad Vitam et Doctrinam Lcdii Socini illustrandam. II. Faustus, nephew of the preceding, born in Siena in December, 1539, died near Cracow, March 3, 1604. By his skeptical spirit he had early made himself obnoxious to the authorities of the church, and at the age of 20 was compelled to seek safety abroad. After the death of his uncle, whose property and manuscripts he inherited, he re- turned to Italy, After spending 12 years as an attendant upon the luxurious court of Flor- ence, he resolved to be a religious reformer, and in 1574 took up his residence at Basel, where he busied himself in elaborating into a system the scattered hints and views in the writings of Lselius. In 1577 he appeared in open debate, maintaining that the Trinity was a pagan doctrine, and that Christ was a cre- ated and inferior being. This made him un- popular with the Swiss church, but gave him fame abroad. He was called to Transylvania to oppose Davidis, who had taken the extreme ground that all adoration of Christ was idola- trous. His efforts being unsuccessful, he passed into Poland, where the Anti-Trinitarian party had gained a strong foothold. But his moder- ate opinions made him unpopular here, and he was coldly received. After four years of resi- dence in Cracow, his marriage with the daugh- ter of a nobleman in the neighborhood gave him new influence. He found a comfortable home, and made proselytes from the noble and wealthy classes. But his wife and her father died, illness prostrated him, his lands in Italy were confiscated, and a few years bef ore^ his death he was assailed by a mob, dragged into the street, and exposed in the market place ; his furniture was broken and his manuscripts were destroyed. His works, contained in the