Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-03-23

The Samoan group received the nam
by which it was long known, that Of tn
Navigators' islands, from Bougainville
who discovered the islands in the yea
1888, and named them, probably on &C
count OF the superior construction of tn
canoes Of the natives and of their sur
prising dexterity in the water" Tn,
group lies in the South Pacific, abou
two.thirds Of the way from the coast O
Central Peru to those Of Northern Aus
%tralia, and nearly $500 miles to tn,
Hawaiian islands. There are ten inhab
tied islands, entirely of volcanic origin
with peaks some 1000 feet high, and al
area Of about l, 800 square miles, or abou,
a third more than that of the state OF
Rhode Island. 1t has a population OF
about 30, 600, all of them aboriginal ma
tives except 800 or 400 whites.
Whence did the aboriginal people, ir
common with the other brown Polyne
slams originateY That they came into
Polynesia from some point in the MALAY
Archipelago is pretty clear from the evl
dence of language; that they were al
early offshoot of the ancient Aryan stock
before they reached Malaysia is probable
both from the evidence of their ~languag,
and of their physical and mental traits
In the Hawaiian dialect Of the ~languag,
which prevails, without any essentia
difference, in all the groups just named
the first four cardinal numbers, akahi
elua. akola, aha, are thought by compe
tent scholars to be identified with tn
corresponding numbers in English, Latin
Sanscrit and the other European
Languages. The argument from physica
likeness is a less conclusive one; "
Keane, an impartial student Of the sub
ject gives 1t much weight.
They are a handsome race. At the
Century club, in this city New York;, q
few years ago, a tall, ark-skinned Young
man was the object of much notice. His
hair was fine and waving, and Of a soft,
lustrous black; his eyes were dark and ex-
pressive; his teeth were of the brilliancy
of mOther.of pearl, and the only fault in
his features, at least according TO our
standards, was that his nose was slightly
flattened. But what natural grace there
was in his movements, what distinction
III hNo bCoiihS ~ was q NOubS DIlHCc VI
the Samoan Islands, visiting New
York in the course of his travels,
and he was a perfect specimen of the
Polynesian of the Chiefish caste. The
chiefs throughout Polynesia, it should be
remembered, attain finer proportions and
a higher degree of physical beauty than
the commoners, this is the natural result
of the better condition of their physical
life. The Ssmoan men, like their kindred
of the allied groups, are tall of stature,
averaging about five feet ten inches--the
second highest average of stature, after
that of the eastern Patagonians, that has
been anywhere accurately measured.
Their complexion is a light brown, grad
ing toword yellOw-the color of cafe au
lait. The women are handsomely and
even voluptuously formed, but are much
smaller and shorter than the men; and
while some of them are really pretty their
looks are injured by the fiattening of the
nose to which their fond mothers subject
them from infancy. Bat | must add, in
fairness, that the Samoans look upon our
aQuiline noses as a sad deformity. What
a pity" said a Samoan woman to one of
the earlier missionaries. that you white
people insist on pulling the noses of your
babies until tn y get to be 8 long and
peaked!' Perhaps the Samoan method
of affectionate salutation is partly re-
sponsible for the flatpcss of their noses.
Instead of kissing, which the Polynesian
regards as a mere waste Of valuable OPP
p%ortunity, he presses his face firmly up
on that OF the beloved object, and then
rubs noses. Only in this way, he CON
tnnAc nan fv,,a ofrocfinn ho avnroenI
What sort OF a character goes with this
not unpleasing exterior2 The Samoans,
so far as they have not been changed by
foreign influences, are Of a mild, cheer.
full, and generous nature, while they still
retain a good deal Of the old warlikc
spirit which made them, after the New
~Lealanders, the most warlike of all the
brown Polynesians. The recent &c.
counts of their resistance to the Germans
show a noble bravery in the defense of
their country. They are remarkable for
their generosity, giving up house and
home to their guests. Some of their old
usages of hospitality are still KEEP,
up, as, for instance, that of The
"kava' treat upon the arrival of guests
This root, which produces the favoritt
tipple of many Polynesians other thar tn,
Samoans, is first chcwed by scantily clat
young girls; then, mixed with water in
calabasb, the brew is handed arount
among the guests, and even white visitor
are expected to take a complimentary,
sip. When chiefs are present, as on tn
reception of distinguished guests, the,
appear in var costume, and perform feat
of deXterity with their clubs, axes an,
knives, and the night is passed in feast
ing and revelry.
Whence comes the light b%eartedpess O
the Samoan? 1t is in large part due L
the easy condition of living which b,
enjoys. The banana. the bread fruit, tn
yam, n the cocoaDut grow wild, as il
most other Pacific islands, and the taro
which he prefers TO any other vegetable
Is cultivated with little difficulty. Besides
these the islanders grow sugar, cotton,
corn, and rice, in the main for expectation
One of the staple products of the country
is the dried meat OF the c%ocoanut, calico
copra. OF this and of other Island prod
uc,s they export some 81, 800, 600 worth
yearly, importing about ss much in value
Among the imports the item of German
beer appears a little oddly; but the worlc
moves. ev en- for the ingenious Samoans
and doubtless the German beer is better
fer their health than that fiery kava
Still ii is with q certain regret that ON
turns to the description OF Samoan life
written some fifty years ago, by that ex
%cellcnt man and missionary, the Rev
John Williams: '"Tbe light. hearted Sa