New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-22

,be, nm all sses are seen natives with pari-colorea
faces some in stripes some with one side tatoOcu'
the other clear: and somc with odd and singular ue
signs mapped out In ink upon their skins
All the natives male and female young and ou, are
splendld swinmers seeming to be nearly as much a.
home in the water as land. They SWIM V1' ~. ~
ships from tho shore, and any time they Wen , ~
leave the ship, quietly jump over the sioe anu ~ az
canoes. In fact. the islands are known as the Nay
igator Islands because of the prohcienc5 , VI 20
natives in this direction This name was S9p was
struck With admiration at the skful handling OF thel
canoes by party Of natives far out at sea EveaS
wave threatened TO enguf them, but they oonI h1
on IN safety Their canoes are very narrow, pelng
made from logs, followed out, and are neu Win a., S
entie length Of the canoe and extends out from the
side two three feet tho outward exuemty res.nS
In the water 1t serves 10 keep the canoe steady ana
are built up boats many logs being USED IN ,neir c9
strucon, and are large enough 70 h0a
natives singing songs and keeping time by strlk
ing their paddles on the gunwales Oh tho canoe, tey
present formidable appearance.
One of the most curious things and rather anus
Ing too is their formation OF triendships" VITA tne
strange white man who comes in ships TO visit them
No sooner does ship come 70 anchor IN The hsroor
than dusly faces appear at The alrpcrts ana Voces
In soft accents genorsly girls INQUIRE lou ieioIS
this Is meant that you are requested to form sort OF
society of two for mutual benefit You are 40
knives or anything else in the ships stores or your
own possession that your friend may fancy ana you
cere TO part WITH and In return your friend VIII DR
OF daily unlimited cocoanus. bananas, oranges, etc.
Will make you a fine club. give yon yards OF
tapa cloth, and such other articles a. you oe', nr
And you must be faithful TO this friendship once en-
tered into Almost without execution. you VIII nnu
them So and to their friends and their f1ends Only
do they attend. Should you on the other mana, snow
favor to any one else, you will, when discovered Do
treated with infinite scorn and contempt by the In
iuIed one The breach once made can never be
healed and excessive GOODNESS VIII take inc place OF
former warmth.
The Samoan language Is very musical every WORD
ending in a vowel The grammar Is simple anu
easily mastered Like the Spanish, every WORD IS
pronounced exactly 1t is spe, and the vowes nave
always the same sound. Their woIu OF sautauon -
~Ta-lo-fa.s and good-by is "Tofa-"
The chief product Of the isands-in fact, the only
staple Is copra,s which is the dried meat OF me
cocoanut and from which cocoanut oil Is expresseu'
Hundreds of tons of this are annually shipped 10 Ger
many. -. =, a., ,.,.5. that at
pango Pango, where the United states has coaing
station being particularly 1t Is landlockeat ana
once within ITS shcterng arms IL Is imposiole 10
detect the enrance-hgh, verdure-clad hills shuuhg
on all Sides and for the most part rise abruptly from
the water to height Of 800 or 1000 feet, covered
from base summit with luxurlant tropical vegetaOn
The islands abound In rich level lands, on which cou
be raised tropical productions OF every hnn such Hs
sugar cane rice and cotton Tho climate is generally
fine though rather disagreeable during the rainy
ApIa is the commercial port, and only settlement
of any size on the islands Its population Is ABOUT
l. 500 and there is large sprinhing OF Europeans
frame houses abound There is a hotel some lev
general stores, and numerous drinking saloons Two
or three merchant vessels, and one or two menofWa
almost always in port