Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-06
THE SAMOAN ISLANDS.
INHABITANTS ANDTHEIR CUSTOMS
Interesting Facts by an Observant Naval
Officer.
COMMANDER MULLAN TELLS OF THE PEOPLE WHO
DWELL UPON THE ISLANDS ABOUT WHICH THERE
has BEEN so MUCH DISPUTE, AND WHERE THE
RECENT DISASTROUS WRECK TOOK PLACE.

| The following is taken from a private letter
written by Commander d. w. Mullan, COM
handing the U. S. s. Nipsic, one Of the vessels
| wrecked at Apia, Samoa, and furnishes an
amount of information in regard to the Samoan
islands and the people who inhabit them which
viii prove of..great interest at this time:
The Samoan islands are situated in about 14o
\ south latitude, and 1852 west longitude. and
| WILL in the near future, be the center of great
commercial enterprise. They are on direct
line between California and Australia; and,
when the Panama and Nicaraguan canals are
| open to traffic, will be of more Importance.
| The town of Apia is situated on the shore,
and consists of a struggling line of European
| quilt houses, of all sorts and sizes, placed at
| intervals around the edge of the horseshoe
| pay inland Oh fair road running its full
length. 1t is the principal port in these islands,
| ana was formerly governed by municipal
board, consisting of the American, English and
German consuls, which is now discontinued
| Set far back in the hills, at a high elevation.
and thrown out wildly by contrast with the
| dark bush background appears a grand water
fall, flashing like silver in the bright sunlight,
| making most useful landmark for ships ar
rlvlng in port.
island Of .Upolu. The principal of the eight
Islands OF the Samoan group are Tutuila, Upou
| and Savii.
PRODUCTS OF THE ISLANDS,
On these islands are grown all the tropical
| fruits, cocoanut, banana oranges. lemons, pine
| apples, etc. Some coffee. sugar and cotton are
also grown. The chief article of native pro-
| ductlon exported is copra the dried kernel of
| the cocoanut. This copra is shipped to Eng
land and America in bulk. There the oil is
pressed out and the refuse made into cattle
| feeding cake or sold to the manufac turing con-
| fectloners, who convert it into that bvgone
| sticky delight of our YOUTH most gorgeously
colored pink and white, known under the name
"Cocoanut Rock" and many other juvenile del
! icacies.
THE ISLAND OF MANoNo.
Near the Island of Savii lies the Island of
Manono. which compared to the Others is
small From its position it is and always was
considered OF the greatest strategic importance
! IN war times, being convenient to Upolu and
| Savll, either for offense or defense From
| their lnsular position, necessitating more fire.
quent use OF canoes and boats, the inhabitants
| OF Manono have attained the reputation of be-
| ing the most proficient seamen in Samoa, and
| in fighting times the Manono fleet is considered
| to be of no small advantage to the cause il es
pouses. About two miles from Mannno, and
belonging to it, lies the small Island of Apolima
| (the hollow of the hand), a perfect natural
| fortress in itself
| SAMOAN CHIvALRY AND DIPLOMACY
| In all the Samoan wars they have never in
tentionally killed the women or children The
women, even when two opposing armies are
| facing one another with deadly intent, pass to
and fro between the belligerents without mo-
lestation, visiting their relatives and friends on
either side. The inhabitants of each town seek
| marital alliances in as many other towns as DOS
sible, the farther off the better, so that thew
| may have friends in any part they might wish
| TO go. and allies IN case of war; Some districts
on the approach of war, will agree to differ
among themselves, especially if the scene of
operation is in their neighborhood. They will
divide into two parties and join the fighting on
| opposite sides. Thus they preserve their lands
| and property which ever side may win and be-
sides that have friends in court when the war
! Is over.
| THE NATIONAL BEVERAGE.
In Samoa is produced what is called "the
kava root" pronounced karver) A drink is
made from this root, and is the national bever-
age. 1t does not matter what is the incentive.
whether it be in political or everyday life
| "kava" is omnipresent and Indispensable 1t
| even follows the working parties to the BUSH
| where. seated in the shade, the untring dam
| sells will preside over the festive bowl for the
| refreshment of their relatives working round
about them. In Samoa kava is invariably
chewed by young girls. None but they are
permitted to chew kava for strangers or guests
| or upon any public occasion. A native in his
own town requiring stimulant will, at times
| avail himself of the services of his wife, should
there be no girls at hand, but this would not
| be considered proper before strangers. Each
and any maiden in town NAV be called upon
without any chance of refusal, to make the
| brew, even strange girl passing by may be
| pressed into the service, and will obey without
| q murmur. The chief kava-maker is
ALWAYS THE BELLE OF THE VILLAGE,
who, by way of comforting distinction on ia
L 4 u
occasions worthy of such condescension. The
necessaries for the manufacture beyond the
| raw material are the bowl, cup, and the
strainer. The bowl is made of very hard red
| colored wood, either circular or oval in form
| more frequently the former. 1t is all sizes and
depths and is supported by four short thic K
| legs. The cup Is the lower half Of a cocoanut
shell, scraped thin and polished, sometimes
| highly ornamented. 1t is used for apportion-
| ing the kava. The strainer consists OF a bunch
| of vegetable fiber of mulberry, produced from
| the bark of tree of that name and is used for
| the purpose OF straining and separating from
| the kava IN solution all particles of woody fiber
| that will not dissolve.
| On special occasions kava drinking partakes
| OF the nature of a ceremony, and is carried out
on the most serious lines. Dressed in their
best, the belle Of the village and her COM
panlons will be perceived seated in a row in the
| center or at one end Of the house of assembly
| with the bowl, cup and strainer before her. At
the bidding Of the chief some pieces of kava
| root will be given her; after little dressing.
| to remove any worthless part she or one of her
fair companions will slice them into convenient
pieces for chewing, which, after carefully rims
| ing their mouths, they all proceed to do. Now
| Is the time for young man to show his polite
breeding, perhaps with the idea of inducting
| himself into the good graces of one of the
| lovely damsels sitting chewing the kava in a
! most unsympathetic, solid and business-like
manner, by stepping up and assisting the cut
| ting department Perseveringly he will con-
tinue to supply the ladies piece after piece of
| sliced root until in time it becomes a physical
| impossibilty for the most capacious mouth
| among them to contain any more, and the
| facial attractions of these dusky ones are con-
siderably distorted by the distended condition
! of their cheeks.
| WHEN SUFFICIENTLY CHEwED,
the kava is elected into the hands, carefully
held up before the mouth during the process,
and after two or three turns, in order to con-
solidate the Jumps, they are placed in the bowl
| with an audible thud, looking for all the world
! like SO many egg-shaped masses of the damp
| oat meal The attention of the chief is then
drawn to the work to decide whether there is
| enough material chewed to furnish kava for
| the company present, and for this purpose the
| bowl is tipped toward him. If, in his opinion,
there is not enough he sets the girls to work
| again, but. il he is satisfied, the proceedings
| pass on to the second stage of manufacture.
I Again the nice young man comes into play. The
beauteous damsel selected to continue the pro-
cess now holds forth her pretty, light olive