The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-08-11
S A M @ A.
A Geographical Description Of the Seat
Of Ihe New American Monarchy.
The IeIandGroups which Dot
the Southern Seas.
A CITY FOUNDED ON A VOLCANO.
The People--Tbeir chronological Classifi-
cation and Instincts.
A CITY FOUNDED ON A VOLCANO.
What Steinberger's Diplomatic
Conquest Is Worth.

puIg the past rev years ble attentlon Oh the moro
civilized States has been attracted to those isolated
groups Of islands dottng tho southern and known
genericaly Polynesia and Australasia and whether
1t has been tho spasnodc attempt OF adventures to
form governments in The more prosperous or the am
bilious scheme Of lana grabbers in less distant Of
these groups the record Is one of unvarying failure
almost always blurred and backened with villany and
corruption FIJI Is nov struggling in the throes OF an
abortve attempt at colonization and protective govern
ment and Samoa has htely been brought prominently
before the people Of our land by the landing Of new
Moses under the personality of Colonel stenberger,
aided and abetted by the executive and material
influence OF our government
COMING rHE INFLUENCE CIVILIZATION.
The progress of ideas brought these far islands OF
the Southern Ocean within the radal lines and in
auences OF civilization and tho romance of fierce man.
eating warriors and dusky maidens, CARELESS the
naked Pct OF song-cbthed only with modesty and
tattoos fast becoming thing of the past and should
Steinberger succeed the Samoan Of the future may
probably DO glorious in high hat and opera
tie and the dusky maiden ofT-colored brunette with
abnormal development of paner and possible ode
sire for a spherer
sAMoA-HsToRY THE
Samoa the latest scene Of the latest hhbusering on
the part OF non aggressive administration, h a
group Of islands, better known the Navigators and
lying between ATTITUDES Is deg 80 min. and IA deg 30
min south, and ongtudes 16s deg and 173 deg. west
consisting OF four principal and FIVE lesser islands,
they are known as Apolima, Manono, savai,
Rose, ofosingA Off, Manua Tutuila and
Annu. They first seen by Bouganyille in 1765
and La Perouse in pAstplabe in 17S7 though Krusen-
stein considers them TO be the same as the Bauman
Islands, discovered by Roggewen in 1721 They were
revisited at various times by the early navgators but
known until the United States exploring expedition
der Wilkes made the famous surveys that eliminated
the previous prolific chances of danger in the group
OF VOLCANIC ORIGIN.
All the islands excepting Rose are Of volcanic
origin and there still extant remains Of extinct vol
canoes, especially in ApolimA Savai, Tutua and in
Lake Lauo the ridge Of Upou and $50 feet above
the level
THE AREA
is about $50 square miles, and the population is est
mated roughly al 90 00o-a marked decrease from the
estimate of 1S4o which placed at So 600 and from the
still later Of Admiral Erskine in ls49 which gave
from missionary sources as 81 600
THE TEw GOVERNMENT.
Sava, Tutuila Manono and Upon are the islands that
tho greatest interest present. Upou being the
seat of the government, Savaii the largest
Manono from its possession of the balance of power
and Tutua the unrepentant and rebeious district
which refuses to enter the confederation, but
sticks with grim determination TO the flag and laws fur
nished by Commander Meade his visit the islands
in 1872 Sava is forty miles in length and twenty in
breadth and furnishes the largest quota the fighting
forces of the federation but the comparative untness
of its harbors its difficulty Of approach the absence of
permanent and its broken and irregular coral
barrier degrade to the second place importance
and yields the first to Upolu.
MASoNo.
The Crete de Coz OF Kotzebue and the smallest island
Of the group, lies inside the same reef Upolu and
between it and Savaii, seven miles distant II
is the Gibraltar of tho nation selected with
rare wisdom by some prehistoric Gebel al
Tarck Of those seas, and fortified by nature as
practically TO be mpregnable to the resources Of
Samoan warfare. II is simply the crater of extinct
volcano; periphery OF perpendicular rocks, fringed
with narrow habtabe belt, and broken only at the
northern point whore its natural entrance is narrow
that but a single canoe can enter at a time.
POPULATION
does not number than thousand but these are
skilled Sailors brave war; very vikings Of the ausra
land and feared that it is tradition of the people
that as 60 Manono and its sailor warriors so goes
Samoa
TUTUILA
is the wndward island and the probable port Of entry
volcanic appearance, and Of comparatively limited
value producing country It is the old Maouna OF
Bonganvie and for years suffered undeserved repu-
taton from the slaughter Of the Comte de angle do
Lamanan and a boats crew belonging to La Perouse's
expedition Later evidence proves that these murders
were repnsals for the shooting Of native on board
pAstroabe for some imaginary offence. The island is
seventeen miles long, and in its greatest breadth about
five miles, generally preciptous, diversified by
table lands and tortuous valleys.
HARBoR
The district OF Pango Pango possesses the best har-
bo selected by Mr. webb as the coal depot for
the Of the Australian and Intercoonial line
Its importance was highly appreciated by Commander
Richard Meade, Of the navy that he surveyed it in the
Narragansct and during his stay laid down the harbor
accurately selected the most available site for depos
and steamers framed code Of laws for the people,
founded local government, wise, judicious and emil
nenty suited TO the and climate and planted tho
seeds Of authority that so satisfactorily to
have hourished that It possesses inherent strength
enough 70 defy the batteries and threats of stenberger
and his cotcre This harbor If any, will probably be
the enrepo for the trade Of the group with the outside
world, and is by far the best not only in this group
but in Polynesia Evidently the crater of an extinct
volcano,
MS SHARP
approximates most nearly to chemists retort, and
perfectly is II andocked that after access il is
Of impossbity TO discover the The sides are
frowning, PERCEPTIONS mural walls clothed in ultra trop-
ica verdure TO tho submits then Strengthening into
row table lands that might bc made available with due
labor and energy, for plantations The shore line is
generally narrow, with steep approaches aordng faci
tics for docks and the loading and unloading OF ships Of
any draught with sufficient insh0re for store
houses and the modest villages that the trade would de-
mand.
THE NATIVES
are peaceabe and well disposed and far as could be
judged as much Chrstianzed DO hoped from the
average kanaka, be his island what it may.
UPOLU.
Upolu, tho capital, Is Of volcanic origin, and, unlike
sayai, preciptous, broken and except in occasional
places, not well adapted TO cultivation IL is high and
split and Insured, but yet rich and beautiful especially
IN the parts exposed 10 the trade winds The eastern
part ~ surmounted by ridge running east and west
with outlying spurs that tend In northwestern and
sonLheastern direction. II nnsanssns