The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-10-06
SIGHTS IN SAMOA.
Surprised Utah Boys Who Get
Their First Man Kiss.
KING MALEATOA HAS RETURNED.
Home and Surroundings - The
Famine row On.


Smoot, Solomon and myself left Vatia,
Tutuila, at o'clock a. m. in our small boat
for Upolu. We had fair breeze all day,
and as evening came on the wind increased
in speed and the waves in size until we
made about nine knots an hour. When a
cross swell would
STRIKE OUR FRAIL BARQUK
it would nearly capsize US, and, to keep our
seats was almost impossible
We entered the lagoon which surrounds
the entire east end of Upolu, at 6 80 p. m.
Our boat was soon encircled by natives in
their paopai's native canoes), chattering
like so many magpies. Our native friend,
Ifopo, learned of our arrival and was soon
out to greet US. The Samoan greeting,
that of rubbing noses, quite surprised our
newly arrived friends, Smoot and Solomon,
from Utah; and | almost laughed when |
saw their heads drawing back from that of
the natives with ''i-would-rather- be -ex-
cused' sort of an air. They were not long,
however, taking in the situation, and their
first n an kiss was had.
On the following Monday, August 18th,
we went to Apia, a distance of about
twenty five miles down the coast.
We here learned that Maleatoa, the king
over two years ago, was brought back
August 18th, in the German man -of-war
Wolf. The natives here, and most of the
foreigners, are very iubilant over his ar
rival. He was given a reception on the
evening of his arrival, in a foreigners
house, and nearly every resident attended.
He expressed himself as having been
VERY KINDLY TREATED
by those in whose charge he had been.
The Samoan Times says the king was first
taken to Germany where, with his native
attendants, hewas kept from knowing any
thing of what awaited them.
They were finally taken from Germany
with, as Maleatoa says, the intention of 60
ing to their much-loved country, Samoa;
but instead, they landed on an island in
the Marshal group, where they have been
ever since, and where they despairingly
thought their days would end; and when
the word first reached the banished king
that he was to be restored to his own coun-
try, he was completely overcome; yet he
still entertained doubts for, he said, he had
once before been told the same thing
The much-lool1ed-for vessel finally came
and the king with his associates was taken
on board, and they were soon on their way
to Samoa.
They had only been out a short time
when Maleatoa lost hope, and every hour
he believed less and less of the long looked
for pleasure, and after a day or two had
passed and Samoa was not in sight, he lost
control of himself and attempted suicide
by jumping over the side of the vessel into
the sea. The alarm was Immediately
given, and he was rescued and not allowed
on deck again until he reached Samoa
He dresses in American costume and, at
present, is living with his chief magistrate,
Folan, here at Apia.
We having
PURCHASED a SMALL PIECE OF LAND
at Fagalii, village two miles up the coast
from Apia, Messrs. Dean and Solomon stay
ed at Fagalii to build a small house, while B.
Smoot and myself returned to the east end
of the island, our future field of labor.
Yesterday afternoon, being tired of study
and wanting a change from our native sur
roundings and having been previously in
vited, we got into our boat and rowed out
to small island about a half-mile from
shore to visit an old German by the name
of Peter Laban. AS we neared the island
the only signs of life we could see were a
few very ancient and almost featherless
ducks swimming lazily around in the
lagoon which surrounds this hermit's
world.
We anchored our boat and, after hunting
for sometime, found an old path which led
us to the old mans home on the side of an
almost perpendicular rock, the house be-
ing very nearly hid by cOcoanut and banana
trees, the breadfruit, the orange and
lemon trees.
We found him in native costume and eX-
ercising himself by pacing a well-worn
path on his porch with an earthen floor.
He seemed pleased to see US and took us
into the house 1t is a small lumber house
of two rooms, and has the appearance of
having stood
THE WINDS AND STORM OF MANY MOONS.
The only furniture is and old trunk or
two and few Samoan mats. He continued
mis- march from one side of the room to the
other during our stay His hair is white
and he has no hope of its youthful appear
ance ever returning. He was once a tall
and powerful man, but time and exposure
have done their work and left the old man
with an extremely care-worn and wrinked
face, and the once Stalwart frame is now in
a leaning posture. AS he walked the floor
he seemed delighted to reiterate his many
experiences and narrow escapes from death
in ship-wrecks and among the different
South Sea Islanders. He had a memory
like the photograph, and his tongue went
as if turned by steam.
A brief account of the hermit's life would
run something like this: He was born in
Germany away back in the '20's; went to
school and then to sea while but lad; re-
turned, and after receiving a fair educa-
again. In 1850, he left his home and rela-
tives never to return Che omitted giving
reasons); was wrecked off the coast here
in Samoa in 1852 and was the Robinson
Crusq Of the crew. The natives then, he
says, were more hOspitable than now. He
found
A FEW MISSIONARIES HERE,
but most of the white men were ''ticket-of-
leave'' men from Australia. He soon
Joined another sailing vessel and spent the
next fifteen years living on different
islands in these south seas and, conse-
quently, became acquainted with nearly all
the native languages. He seemed perfect
encyclopaedia of the South Pacific islands
and concluded by telling us that where he
was now he had been for nearly twenty
years, and that he had no desire to ever
leave it. He showed us many old curios,
and presented US each with one of the
original native hatchets of rock He found
them while digging at the back of his hut.
He showed us the place, about three and a
half or four feet under ground and in
formation which, at a very early period,
had been the floor of native hut. How
long it would take nature with thick vege-
tation constantly rotting to form a thick
ness of earth three feet through, is prob
lem yet to be solved. He promised to tell
us something about the Samoan natives
next time we came over
1.-THE famine here on Samoa, partly occa-
stoned by the war and partly b. the late
hurricane, will not be over for some time
Where we are the natives are blessed with
plenty of cOcoanuts, but in a great MANY
villages the natives have eaten all the
cocoanuts, and they say that the worst is to
come.
The breadfruit, kalo and banana crop
comes in the latter part of October and