Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-02-07
HE Customs Of Samoa.
y,yaI officer Describes some Unique
Experiences There.
the Natives Smear Their Bodies
with Cocoanut 0il-History of the
Samoan Difficulty.

81 Sg5nct is quite the reverse from pacific.
IA "a vear OF squab5liug the Germans
"a Am .ricaus IN the Samoan Islands
n ~. reached the point of actual lighting,
ID Government at Washington is taking
n irons M assures and there is q general
I'd ,o.ity about the islands. The uarra-
II We annexed Is, therefore quite Timely;
n y before reading what the officer says
"a /. well 10 note little history.
NJ In 1878 the United States made a
n r.otg with the king ard ruling chiefs of
II ,moq by which the former obtained
III barbor of PangO-Pango as coaling
"a tatIon. as The islands are on the direct
r- of mail ships il the Pacific. Of
- similar privileges had to be grant
20 other nations, and about that time
n B,.mslck began TO introduce his colonial
N ,5licr: SO. on the p OF September, 1879
n testy was made between Samoa,
%G4ruauY, Great Britain and the United
IN s.s-. b7 whion the three powers guar
spseed the independence of SauOa but
e ibe CITY of Apia and near vicinity were
Nprsc.icallY put under control of the con
8sus Of the three great powers. The pro-
ner construction of this treaty II really
the matter ia issue between Germany on
me side and the United States ON the
o.be-. The G3rnans have recognized
4 and supported a chief who overthrow the
former king, MalietoR, and claim the
\ right to make a new treaty with the new
Il king; the Americans in the islands OBJ
i-ct, and in very quiet way are support
iug the other side. Each party denounces
the native supporters of the other side as
"feues,n and finally, encouraged by an
alleged American named Klein, the party
Of the old king have fought a Germen
expedition, killing some twenty and
vouuding thirty six. Hence the present
row With these facts the reader will
appreciate the annexed talk of naval
officers, who visited Samoa in 1878, dur
ing the negotiation of tho treaty signed
by England, Germany, the United States
and the Samoan government. He was
stationed at Apia three months, and had,
as be expresses II glorious time.
Samoa is the most fruitful spot on the
globe" said he. Oranges, bananas, co
coauu's, bread fruit and ali other fruits
common to the tropics grow there in
great protusion. | have ridden along
roads covered with two crops of oranges,
which we're lying there, rotting for want
Of some one TO pick them up.
king MalctOa is a mighty nice fellow,
ana treated Us royalty. In fact, the PEG.
Pile there are all hospitable, and did all
they could to make things pleasant for
rs, Sometimes they carried it too far.
remember on one occasion | was invited,
With some OF the officers of the ship, to
60 ont into the country short distance
and DO entertained by chief. / forget
bis name. We took along a guard of
twenty marines. After the rude cery-
mcuies were over the chief made signal,
and about eighty pigs we're brought from
q short dis ance where they mad been cor
rallied, aud presented to us. The Ameri-
can consul, who was with our party, said
We would have TO take those pigs back to
town or the chief would be highly insult
&C. lhe marines presented arms, got
PACK OF the porkers, and they were driven
mo town at the point of the bayonet.
Inc natives watched Us out of sight, to
SEE 'hat We didn't lose pig. When re
struck town the consul came to our aid.
ana We slowed away the pigs in his back
YARD where they remained until We sailed.
Inc crew lived on pork for three weeks
after that
The most disagreeable thing / en-
coun'ered in Apia was the cussed cocoa
nut OIL 1t was everywhere. The natives
smear themselves all over with il, and
siier II has been on for two or three
u'!s' phew!s II got rancid, and how 1T
would SINK! They used TO come aboard
aHu -ls around on the deck in the hot
sun Wherever they sat they would
t"'e thelr mark, and it took US a month
o, nara holy stoning to get the stain out
OF the deck.
'unce / was invited with number of
o.oeL- 70 a dinner given by one of the
e.'eis' The girls, whose duty it is to
SNe" certain root and spit it into 2
oo"l until the cOucoctiuu is of the right
lU'ekness, were in charge of an old hag,
9"o made them stand around if they
IGN 2 obey orders. After awhile the
ov"4 OF chewed root and water was pass.
eoarnHu5 the circle.
nave we got 10 drink that stuff ]
.''1 TO q brother office who sat next to
.La5 Van get out of IT, said he. He
D'1 oetn there before. just then the
LOW came TO him and be took a gulp of
.uy norma stuff. He turned slightly
fa ..,, ana M stomach began to churn.
hanged If / swallow anv of ifrI
Oh me. "''u NE = 10
MA Dlrins-yum, yumr he said.to me,
1la dowLeG II.
:. one thing I noticed in particular
ABOUT the Samoans. They were very
J a., IN their Observance of the Sabbath.
" a loan couldn't hire netive TO row
T .-i ashore On Sunday for love OF money.
,'''s y cue, OF course, to the work of the
'o'aflts. There was one place near
F.1 'Aat often visited. II was Sa
49,. .1oogRsn slide. That explains
&c 90. ! mean better than anything else |
~, .N'AN ot. There was a large pool Of
ana On one side was a large rock.
0p'' down into the water, and was
-. o.A a. glass. Well, the natives
b. strip which wasn't hard task.
r..g ~ wy r and get up on top of that
r.--- slide down into the water.
g.. 'Aa1 forget the first time went
.sAi place. The natives, OF eourse.
~, 1.Fered an over with The detachable
81, '-'. gu, and il was one Of the fun.
Ag- / ever saw 10 watch q sleek
800. sgl up on top az that rock and
mat ls, make himself rigid
.g,.- noe aoTl into the water. Their
Il. ~'aSA bodies would 90 down the