Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-03-11
THE SINGULAR SAMOANS.
A People Who Have Aroused Public
Interest in America.
Handsome Men-Primitive Ideas As to
CIothing-BOth Sexes TattOOed.

Even the most distant prospect OF
war with the German Empire over
Samoa arouses the greatest interest
over these islands, concerning which
the general reader is not we'll in
formed. The Samoan men are
verv fine specimens of the genus
homo-tall, broad, well-developed,
and with prepOssessing, fine, agree
able features. They have the custom
of applying lime to the hair, which
makes them all red-headed. There
are various shades, from auburn to a
darker shade, which resembles seal
skin. The hair is trimmed close on
the crown of the head, leaving front,
sides and back long, which, sur
mounting a really fine bronzed face,
produces a handsome effect. In the
matter of clothing they are quite
primitive, as, for the most part, they
wear nothing but a strip of cloth
wound about the waist, falling half
way to the knee. The original ma
terial used was tapa, and many use
that now; but the majority have
substituted calico, and, as would oe
expected, choose large figures and
brilliant colors. All the men are
tattooed from the waist to the knees,
the pattern being identical and very
elaborate. A few wear garlands of
flowers across the shoulders, and
some head-dresses of leaves stand
ing up like feathers. These are
chiefs.
The great majority of women
wear nothing above the waist, and
nothing below the knees. A few,
perhaps from Difference to foreigners
prejudice, perhaps through vanity,
attempt waists, but it is a recent IN
nOvation and no well-defined fash
ion has been established, each
aspirant to better things in the way
of clothing following her Owa fancy
or that Of her particular set. The
most pleasing, perhaps because the
most simple, garment for upper
wear is straight striped material
with hole cut in the center for the
head, the ends hanging down over
the bosom and back.
The women are tattooed also, but
in more merciful manner than the
men; that is, there is not SO much of
it, only small figures some distance
apart. Many, both men and women,
have their names tattooed on the
forearm, the letters being the same
as ours.
The custom of putting lime on
the hair is not so common among
the women, but many do it. The
change of color is only incidental, |
the object being cleanliness. Cocoa
nut oil is freely used, both upSn the !
hair and body, and the odor of it |
prevades the air. The people bathe
Il great deal and seem generally to
be cleanly.
Here is neat description ofan in
terview by a visitor to that land,
with Tamasese, the sO-called usurper
whom the Germans are supporting:
"While we were visiting one of
the tents Tamasese approached.
The family saluted him by crossing
heir arms upon their breasts, re-
in that attitude until he
lad passed. He greeted us with
Kalofai, which greeting we re-
He is very large man,
1ut has less intelligent face than
many of the others. In his hand
le carried a handkerchief with
which he kept off the hies-these
Insects are very numerous, small
md pe'tiferous. His only com
,anion was his wife who walked a
ew steps behind. She was dressed
n the prevailing style"