The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-05-08

!
Rathin@ nud Swimning-Prescnts
from Native Friends-Thc st"rf
-&m:! Str;pcs-A Signal Of Distress
ApIA, SAMOAN ISLANDS,
March Is, 1889.
Dear NeighJor:
MY duties necessitating my presence
ashore very much and considerable
travel about the island, | have, long
since, been obliged to take a cottage in
Apia, and purchase a horse. Living
ashore and riding about the country a
great deal have enabled me to see
much of real Samoan life, and some OF
my experiences and observations may
prove interesting to far-away readers.
But, first of all, I must relate my
troubles about housekeeping and look
ing after horse. Women do most OF
the household work in Samoa, and l
succeeded ut once in securing O faith
ful, though, to my notion, q somewhat
inefficient maid. Things worked well
for several days, and ] supposed my
self quite settled, when, 10 ! one morn
ing q new girl came in and tried 10 eX-
plain in "pigcon-English" that Tan
tafla had "takcn to the BUSH" When
suggested that she speak in Samoan,
she Immediately commenced long
family history,-which I, as quickly
cut short, and the plain truth was
that my servant had gone upon an in
definitely long visit to relatives in Ma
lictoa's camp, and that she would
probably remain TO participate in any
battle that might occur in the next few
weeks or months. ] have since learn
ed that such proceeding is not at all
unusual, and that the employee COLI
siderS it sufficient to obtain substi-
tute, of whatever kind she can, with
out personally notifying her employer
of her INTENDED departure, or consult
ing him as to the successor. Not being
pleased with the new candidate, L dis
missed her peremptorily. Just at this
time, too, my Samoan boy, Jack, left
without notice or substitute, and my
horse was without an attendant. Be-
lieving that could rely upon Une (of
whose family | wrote you some time
ago) to supply my needs, L made them
known, whereupon his wife, Sui, took
the entire contract, housekeeping,
laundry and horse. Now, all is set
tied, and 1 hope to run on smoothly
while 1 remain in Samoa; Sui does
the washing, Sueiga looks after the
house, and one OF their relations (of
whom the name is legion) attends to
"Gillie."
The descrtion of Jack brings to mind
very forcibly the nuisance, even the
curse, of cricket playing in Samoa. 1t
was for the sport of cricket that Jack
left me after two months faithful SER
vice. About ten years ago, the game
was introduced in these islands, and it
at once caught the fancy of the ma
tives. In little while they learned it
pretty well, and devoted great deal
of time to the playing, and considera-
bic money to the uniforms "a pair of
abbreviated swimming trunks.) AS
the passion grew upon them, for pas
sion it certainly became, and is yet
they abandoned all pretences of other
avocations and devoted themselves en-
tirely to cricket. So manifest were the
balcful effects, that the native govern
ment was obliged to restrict the play
ing to one day in II week, and to limit
the number of players in each game.
This was brought about by hundreds of
people going from one place to anoth-
er, or, perhaps from one island to an
other and from a hundred to a hum
dred and fifty of them engaging Oh a
side against an equal number of their
hosts. These matches sometimes last
ed as long as six weeks, in which time
the visitors lands were neglected, and
the hosts provisions quite exhausted.
BY degrees the evil was diminished,
but it has never been abated. Indeed,
it has been revived considerably dur
ing the unsettled state of affairs dur
ing the present war, and nearly every
time / pass through Malietoa's lines !
see game in progress. Boys and
girls eagerly follow the example OF
their elders, and every available plat
about Apia is occupied daily with
scores Of players and spectators.
Since the arrival of the u. S. S. Ifen-
ton with Admiral Kimberly on board,
March y the game has been entirely
suspended, however, as all parties are
anxious to appear as industrious and
wcIl-bchaved as possibld in the eyes OF
the "big Admiral, ,"as the natives call
him.
Riding through the cocoa-nut plan
tatons of the German firm very often,
| frequently meet squads Of warriors
laden with bananas, cocoa.nuts and
brcad-fruit, which they are carrying to
the camp. These burdens are lashed
to the ends OF Il stout pole slung across
the shoulders of the foragers.
| J,yo-lovas (Waist-rloth) are seen in
innumerable styles: sometimes the
orthodox cloth with gaudy pictures