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Chapter 278: France's First Colony in the Pacific

Only after the Maori chief had meticulously reconfirmed the transaction details with Dufresne and conferred with High Priest Matero, fully convinced there were no hidden traps, did he finally give his solemn assent to France's land purchase proposal.

Furthermore, Chief Tuhoe seemed to feel that the French had been so exceedingly sincere that he was, in a sense, 'obliged.' He agreed to sell Dufresne approximately 165 acres of land with full French ownership, on the condition that it wasn't too close to the Tainui tribe. Dufresne was free to pick any location.

Dufresne was ecstatic. He immediately claimed the very spot where he had first landed. This location was ideal for establishing a future port, with a town built slightly further inland, making it incredibly convenient to ship wool from New Zealand's interior back to France.

With the deal struck, the two parties became significantly more amicable. Tuhoe departed to instruct his tribesmen to prepare a welcoming ceremony for their French guests. Meanwhile, the priests Dufresne had brought along were already deep in conversation with the Maori high priest.

“Indeed, there is one supreme God in this world, who governs all,” Matero declared devoutly, raising his hands. “Io Matua Kore, we worship him, revere him, and offer him everything!”

A priest from Reims immediately smiled and nodded. “Respected Father Matero, in reality, God's name is Jehovah, and he truly governs everything.”

This rather cunning priest had noted in the Crown Prince's "New Zealand Guide" that Maori people favored facial tattoos. So, he took a pen and drew a few lines on his own face. While the Maori found these 'tattoos' rather ambiguous in meaning, they certainly seemed more agreeable than the stark, unadorned faces of the others.

Matero looked at him intently. “How can this be? Our ancestors taught us this, and our ancestors would not be mistaken.”

Father Dietrich, mindful of the "Guide's" instructions, refrained from refuting Maori beliefs. Instead, he smoothly interjected, “You see, names vary between different languages.”

The translator beside him promptly uttered the Maori word for 'sweet potato'.

“And we, however, call it sweet potato,” Dietrich continued. “Similarly, our name for God, though perhaps pronounced differently, undoubtedly refers to the very same Lord.”

He watched the high priest with a touch of nervousness, until the latter thoughtfully nodded. A wave of relief washed over him. 'His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was indeed correct,' he mused. 'These Maori seem highly likely to convert to Catholicism. The Church's significant investment shouldn't be for naught!'

Joseph had seen this documented before. The Maori believed in a supreme god, and their own religious theories were relatively primitive, making them easily swayed by Christianity, a faith that had evolved over nearly two millennia. Historically, British colonizers had swiftly convinced the Maori to convert to Protestantism.

Now, however, the Maori were destined to be claimed by Catholicism. In the future, should the British attempt to sway them, an additional religious barrier would stand in their way. Though both Protestantism and Catholicism were Christian denominations, the animosity between them ran far deeper than that between them and any pagan faith.

Sure enough, by noon the very next day, Matero had already been swayed by a few seasoned church veterans, beginning to make the sign of the cross. Yet, he steadfastly believed he had never altered his religious faith, merely gained a deeper understanding of God and His divine works.

Before sunset, the formal signing ceremony for the "Map Purchase Agreement" between Dufresne and Chief Tuhoe commenced.

The Maori possessed no written language, nor paper. Their method of "signing contracts" typically involved a ritual akin to a sacrifice, where marks drawn on animal skins were considered binding. Their profound reverence for ancestors and unwavering piety toward their gods ensured they would never breach the terms of an agreement. Indeed, any Maori who dared to violate such a pact would find themselves ostracized by their entire people.

As the agreement concerned tens of thousands of acres of Tainui tribal land, the ceremony was exceptionally grand. Nearly every tribesman who could attend gathered to witness the event.

Dufresne, meticulously adhering to indigenous traditions, remained busy until past nine in the evening, finally finalizing the purchase agreement for approximately 8,235 acres of pasture land and 165 acres designated for "self-use."

Port Cafia readily handed over dozens of Matchlock Muskets to the Maori as a deposit.

Tuhoe's face immediately broke into a wide smile, his goodwill towards his French friends deepening further.

A few days later, the French royal flag was raised at the spot where Dufresne had first landed. This port, later known as Port Cafia, was officially named "New Marseille Port."

From there, Dufresne and his exploration team pressed on without pause towards the central North Island of New Zealand. With introductions facilitated by the Tuhoe tribesmen, they secured a meeting with the chief of the Atira'i tribe.

A few days later, as Dufresne was escorted out, surrounded by the Atira'i tribesmen, he couldn't help but inwardly marvel, 'Thank heavens I took on this colonization mission; it's practically a goldmine!' The task was proving almost effortless, and at this rate, he could secure agreements with all the major tribes on New Zealand's North Island in two months at most. After that, he could simply sit back and collect his rewards.

Concurrently, near "New Marseille Port," construction had already commenced on a rudimentary town.

Employees of the Gemini Company and the accompanying priests were directing over a thousand Maori natives in leveling the land after the slash-and-burn clearing. Not far off, neatly cut timber was already stacked in large quantities, ready at any moment to be transformed into houses.

These Maori weren't laborers hired by the Gemini Company; instead, the chiefs of various tribes, filled with goodwill towards their French friends, had dispatched their people to assist.

When Dufresne returned to New Marseille Port over a month later, carrying contracts for nearly 49,410 acres of land, he could already discern the copper bell atop the newly constructed small chapel in the distance.

Three flat, rammed-earth roads connected to the pier, with over a dozen houses already erected along their sides. Numerous natives and company staff were busy constructing additional dwellings.

A satisfied smile spread across his face as he began to envision the thriving scene that would unfold here in a few months, once the company dispatched thousands of laborers.

And of course, sheep. The company's ships would bring vast numbers of them. They, not the Maori, would become the island's new masters.

...

Southeastern France.

The Port of Toulon.

The moment Joseph stepped off the ship, an officer presented him with documents dispatched from General Staff Headquarters.

Having dismissed the officials who had greeted him at the port, Joseph settled into a carriage and began to review the documents.

The foremost item detailed General Staff Headquarters' decision, following their assessment, to deploy ten thousand troops from Montpellier, Provence, and other regions to Tunisia. Their mission was to cooperate with the Moulins Legion in stabilizing the situation there.

Of these ten thousand troops, nearly half were drawn from the recently reorganized Montcalm Legion—now officially renamed the Montpellier Legion—while the remainder comprised garrisons stationed in Provence.

This initial deployment represented the first wave of troops allocated from the two provinces adjacent to Toulon, following the principle of proximity. General Staff Headquarters planned to dispatch another ten thousand personnel to Tunisia in due course.