Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-25
SAMOAN BEAUTIES.
Rule of the village Queens, Their
AflIra and GracefML Dances.

!
Attire and Graceful Dances.
The women still love to dress la
mother Eve, in nothing but the natural
products of the native bush. Around
their throats they wind necklaces formed
of dry scarlet berry or shells sewed
upon a strip of cloth. Sometimes fringe
made from the rib bones OF fish is at
tached to this necklace, and often a
spiral boar's tusk forms handsome
though barbaric ornament. Like their
civilized sisters the Samoan bellies will
endure any amount of pain and discom-
fort in order to be in the fashion, but,
unlike them, they enjoy leap year pIivi-
leges all the time and exercise the
right of choice, for time or for
suspicion of unmaidenliness.
The Samoan women, as a rule, are
good looking, but every village boasts
its "beauty." '"Tampoo" is the Samoan
name given to the village queen.
Generally she is the ruling chiefs own
daughter, or one adopted by him. She
is at all times girl of high rank in the
place itself, or in that of her parentage.
From the fret day of her instalment to
the day OF her departure, marriage,
elopement or dethronement Tor bad be-.
havior (Which in quite recent times was
effected with club, she is virtually the
queen of the place. 1t is she who re-
ceives strangers on arrival in her town,
makes kava for them, and personally
sees to their comfort and entertainment.
Never, from one years end to the other,
is she permitted to be out of sight of her
attendants. When abroad she is invari
ably accompanied by as many of her
youthful companions as are available for
the service. They follow her in single
file wherever she goes. She heads all
professions, and visits and takes the
leading part in all 'fswss" or native
dances.
Her attire on gala-daysis OF the gayest
description that her town can afford, and
everything is ungrudginglys sacrificed that
can add to the gloriication Of her per-
sonal appearance. 1t is she, or these
occasions, who has mainly to uphold the
prestige of the town. It is only when
dressing for any ceremony that she ap-
pears to have no will of her own. On
such occasions, long time before the
commencement of the ceremonial, the
old women take entire possession of her.
On them devolves the exercise OF the
mysteries of the Samoan boudoir. Every
thing is done for the proud damsel, who
stands patiently suffering any amount of
coercion, one tithe of which she would
not permit for a second were it not part
of her duty as the beauty of the town.
She is first taken in hand by two or
three of her attendants, who briskly
shampoo her all over with sweet
scented oil until her warm
colored akin shines like satin. Another
will energetically brush her jet black
locks, and afterward plat or otherwise
arrange them in the manner that the
combined wisdom of the old people, as
sisted by the suggestions OF twenty or
thirty of her youthful companions, may
dictate. She will then be ready te enter
tain "the stranger" and prepare for him
the kava.
Above all things, the native women
excel in the art of dancing and postur-
ing. The most popular dance among
them is the "Siva," which is performed
by four or five maidens, to the accompa-
niment of tuneless song and drumming
on the tom-tom. 1t consists of postur-
ing and movements OF the body and
hands, which are made in unison and in
time with music. Some of the figures
are executed while standing erect
upon the feet, but in most OF
them the dancers sit cross-legged
upon strips of mating spread upon the
ground. The postures are many and
varied. Sometimes the right hand rests
upon the neighbours left shoulder, and
left hand upon the dancers knee. One
position is with the right hand spread
upon the ground in front, and the
fingers of the left hand touching the
bicep's of the dancers right arm. An
other is a more thoughtful attitude.
The right hand supports the left elbow,
while the left cheek rests upon the index
finger of the left hand. OF all the grace
full Samoan dancers none can compare
with the daughter OF Patua, one OF Ma
taafa's most prominent ehieftains. Her
movements are 80 exquisitely graceful
and full of such dream-like motion that
Europeans and natives alike have COM
bined in naming her 'The Dream. -
+ Exchange.