Kingdom of Tahiti Pomare was the Tahitian chieftain most friendly to the British. The additional British captains arriving at Tahiti accepted his claim to hegemony. They gave him guns in trade and helped him in his battles. Captain Cook gave him the advantage in a number of battles with rival forces during his last stay in Tahiti, circa 1779. British missionaries arrived, sent by a non-denominational Protestant group called the London Missionary Society. Pomare befriended the missionaries, and the missionaries favored both peace and Pomare, but, with the British unwilling to apply force to create order among the islands, the missionaries were unable
Tahiti and connected by a short isthmus named after the small town of Taravao which is situated there. The northwestern portion is known as "Tahiti Nui" ("big Tahiti"), while the much smaller southeastern portion is known as "Tahiti Iti" ("small Tahiti") or "Tai'arapū". "Tahiti Nui" is heavily populated along the coast, especially around the capital, Papeete. The interior of "Tahiti Nui" is almost entirely uninhabited. "Tahiti Iti" has remained isolated, as its southeastern half ("Te Pari") is accessible only to those travelling by boat or on foot. The rest of the island is encircled by a main road which cuts between