Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-02-01

From Frank Lese's Illustrated Newspaper
there is general curiosity about the islands.
The narrative annexed is, therefore, quite
timely; but before reading what the officer
says it is well to note a little history.
In 1878 the United States made treaty
with the king and ruling chiefs of Samoa, by
which the former obtained the harbor Of
Pango-Pango as a coaling station, as the
islands are on the direct line of mail ships in
the Pacific. OF course similar privileges had
to be granted to other nations, and about
that time Bismarck began to introduce his
colonial policy; SO, on the I'd of September,
1879, treaty was made between Samoa,
Germany, Great Britain and the United
States, by which the three powers guaran-
teed the independence Of Samoa, but the city
of Apia and near vicinity were practically
put under control Of the consuls of the three
great powers. The proper construction Of
this treaty is really the matter in issue be-
tween Germany on one side and the
United States on the other. The Ger
mans have recognized and supported chief
who overthrow the former king Malietoa,
and claim the right to make new treaty
with the new king; the Americans in the
islands object, and in a very quiet way are
supporting the other side. Each party de-
nounces the native supporters of the other
side as ''rebels," and finally, encouraged by
an alleged American named Klein, the
party Of the old king have fought a German
expedition, killing some twenty and wound
ing thirty-six. Hence the present row. With
l.. ,,-.n A..
nexed talk Of naval officer who visited
Samoa in 1878, during the negotiation of the
treaty signed by England, Germany, the
United States and the Samoan government
He was stationed at Apia three months, and
had as he expresses it, glorious time.
Samoa is the most fruitful spot on the
globe" said he. Oranges, bananas, cocoanuts,
bread fruit and all other fruits common to
the tropics grow there in great profusion-
have ridden along roads covered with two
crops Of oranges, which were lying there,
rotting for want of some one to pick them up
King Malietoa is mighty nice fellow,
and treated us royalty In fact, the people
there are all hospitable, and did all they
could to make things pleasant for us. Some
times they carried it too far. remember on
one occasion l was invited, with some of the
officers of the ship, to go out into the country
a short distance and be entertained by a
chief. forget his name. We took along a
guard of twenty marines After the rude
ceremonies were over the chief made signal
and about eighty pigs were brought from a
short distance, where they had been corralled
and presented to us. The American consul,
who was with our party, said we would have
to take those pigs back to town or the chief
would be highly insulted. The marines pres
ented arms, got back Of the porkers, and they
were driven into town at the point Of the
bayonet The natives watched us out of sight
to see that we didn't lose pig. When we
struck town the consul came to our aid, and
we slowed away the pigs in his back yard
where they remained until we sailed The
crew lived on pork for three weeks after that
The most disagreeable thing encountered
in Apia was the cussed cocoanut oil 1t was
everywhere. The natives smear themselve.
all over with it. and after it has been on fol
about three days, phew! it got racid, and
how it would stink! They used to come
aboard and sit around ON the deck in the hot
sun. Wherever they sat they would leave
their mark, and it took us a month of hard
M kI