Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-09-14
PAoo PAoo AARsoR.


n NAVAL OMA00ra RouosbrAaM Akhp AFOuMN
the Beautiful Island.
A naval officer stationed among the
Samoan Islands writes in private let
ter: "The harbor Of Pago Pago, prop
erty of the United States, is long l.
shaped affair extending mostly in an
east and west direction, and surrounded
by tall. almost precipitous cliffs, that
run up into peaks from 1000 to 5000
feet high. these are densely covered
with the greenest foliage; one wonders
how the trees can ever grow so close
together. Below the bay is deep and
somber, edged with coral reefs dark
with the life Of the sea, with here and
there patches Of white, over which the
water is as a soft vail OF green, with
deeper depths Of blue. We have one OF
the canoes peculiar to the islands, and
my first paddle across the placid water
was revelation and delight. One is
constantly surprised by flashes Of
changing color, caused by the dimin-
utive fish of various tints, striped or
yellow, golden green or deepest blue,
darting here and there and leaving in
their wake sparkles of vivid hues.
"After week or ten days here, one
Of the natives the ships navigator,
and walked around the island to the
west end to meet the south-bound
steamer with our mail. The trip was
very pleasant one, though rather
tough from the subsistence point of
view, for we had to live on what we
found on the way, carrying with us
only the needful change Of clothes to
secure dry wearing apparel at night
The country is very wild, and our way
for the most part lay along the sea-
shore; at one time we had to ford la.
goon, which was anything but comfort
able, wading in bare feet over sharp
points of coral at every step. The
shore was succession OF points jut-
ting out into the sea, with reach Of
valley and sand beach between; one has
either to climb over the points or at
low tide pick his way around them.
At one place an overflow of lava in
| times gone by had made level stretch
: of porous rock which the sea, beating
against its outer face, had cut into fan
tastic arches and galleries extending
: under the cliffs, sometimes with open
: ings to the surface above, through
which the spray was tossed from the
frothing, seething mass Of water fleeing
into the caverns below.
: "a villager near Serne, the end oi
: our first days walk, received us most
Hospitality and we spent the night in
. his hut. Next day we pushed on and
, were caught in heavy shower which
3 ruined our path and made us pitiful
looking objects, but we struggled OF
. till late in the day over the worst road;
S l ever saw, with frightful pass at the
7 end, almost straight up and down and
. slippery as wet clay knows how to be.
, We were glad enough to reach the ma
: tive village. get into dry clothing and
0 take a rest. The Alert was lying of
. the end of the island, and the following
: day was spent or board very pleasant
ly.
. "a day longer in Serne, in which tt
0 read our mail, and then, about 2 1-2 a
: M, call to be up and away for Tan
!. gosa, and thence home. The night haC
: been dark and wet, and the moon, be
Q hind thick bank of cloud, promised
+ little aid. As we went out seawart
d through a narrow slit in the reef
L seemed as though the curling smoke ol
). either side would pour in and make al
It end of us. Our pilot was a tall fellow
It spare of limb for Samoan
l. with one eye which locke,
Q straight down his nose, but evidentl
Q alert with the other, for the chic
Q trusted him implicitly. We could onl.
see his tall, grotesque form against tn
sky as we cruised along outside lin
OF breakers, with a coast that rose Il
black headlands, impossible OF acces
from the sea and almost impossible b,
land. Soon the moon peeped fort
from between the clouds and the nigh
grew beautiful as we spsd on, alway
!, with the roar of the surf in our ears
i and occasionally the spectral form o
some misty waterfall shadowed agains
:, the black wall of the coast At on
. point we ran so close to the reef that
great wave picked us up and seemed t
break under us, while the crest of foaI
: rose over great rock. and then fe
= back, leaving black abyss below US
= y To say this was uncanny does not ez
- press it.
= 'Just as we entered Tangosa harbol
!. while the day was yet but gray light
!. the east, the men rested on their oars
!, and the chief Tamilili, who acted 9
\ steerer, bent his head and offered
= prayer, whether of thanks for the sal
F. trip or only the usual morning orisor
" know not; it was certainly very in
= pressive, and the skeptic who could nc
i 90 through the form doffed his hat i
7 respect to the savage who did. IN. J
a Sun.
% "A contractor In Birmingham, Ala
u was obliged to put of paying his me
Z for three days on account of the failur
l. of some of his creditors to meet the
g obligations. Finally he got his check
d and came to the city for his cash.
q was too late for him to get in banI
% and he took it quite philosophical
n and went to get shaved. The barbt
10 persuaded him to get his whiskers CT
> on. That shave cost him 81. 0O0 Pc,
3 nla mai him and failed To racnrni;