The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-04-18
SMALL TASTEOF WAR
A Nights Experience on the
Island of Tutuila.
THE SCENES IN APIA HARBOR.
The Herald's Samoan Correspondent Views
the HorrOrs-Ill-Fated American Yes
sels-Riding the Reefs.

HERALD. Since writing my last to you
from Aunun, we have moved to Vatia, a
small village on Tutuila, containing about
one hundred and twenty natives and about
twenty huts; also very ancient looking
concrete meeting house with moss-covered
walls. Wewere taken to the chiefs house,
and with our own household effects, which
consist of small table, two chairs and
box, we were soon as comfortable as posi-
BILE.
We have neither board floors nor win
doYs or doors in our house, but instead;
we have mats on a pebble rock hoor, and
the house being round in shape and open
between posts all around, we have all door
ways.
We live almost entirely on native food,
cooked by themselves, and since our arrival
here we have been very fortunate IN get
ting cocoanuts and bananas TO eat, also
plenty of oranges. We have been here
over two weeks now, and we
HAVE HEARD OF NOTHING But WAR
on Tutuila. There has been a very strong
party feeling existing between the Tame
sese and Maleatoa men ever since the war
began on Upolu, and when the Maleatoa
chief Leiato, was taken and imprisoned at
Leone by the Tennessee crowd, the Malea-
toa side declared vengence, and have been
preparing ever since, until the day before
Yesterday when word came to this village
for the Tennessee people to leave at once,
lest they should all be killed; so the men OF
this crowd were not long getting ready TO
move their families to safer quarters. In
times of war the old women are always lett
behind to be murdered by the enemy. We
were at the beach when the parting OF
these friends and relatives took place.
The scene was quite touching to us, Tor
they would kiss each other by rubbing
noses, and crying as if they would never
meet again. One of the men who went
took his family, and he being the owner Of
the house where we are staying, gave us
charge of his two houses, his pigs and all
of his land, and said we could live IN his
house and use what cocoanuts, etc, his
land produced We told him we did not
wishto be mixed up in their political affairs
whatever He said he would not hold US
responsible for anything that might be de-
stroyed when the enemy invaded, but that
he would rather US stay on his domains
than his Samoan brethren. We thought it
very kind of him to offer US a home and
food and told him we would do what we
could to save his property.
We thought this war talk and excitement
were like previous rumors we had heard;
but we were greatly surprised when our
neighbors called US about o'clock in the
morning and told US to get up immedi-
ately for
THE VILLAGE WAS TAKEN
by small army of men from Pagopago.
We soon heard shots from their rifles, and
were not long dressing. We were in
village where confusion reigned. Men
with guns were running IN all directions.
Women with their children were hurrying
from their houses to places of refuge, and
everybody terribly frightened. On account
of those men leaving here of the Tamasese
side, there was no blood shed nor fighting
done, only with pigs, chickens and dogs.
The armed visitors were not long setting
fire to the enemy's houses, and killing all
the live stock that could be found. They
would even cut down banana trees and pull
up tobacco patches and, in fact, ruin every
living thing on the premises. We per
suaded them not to kill all of our land
lords live stock, and also not to burn his
two houses They killed his largest pig
and his dog (the SamOan's best triend).
When they finished their plunderings,
which lasted for about three hours, they
gathered the dead pigs, dogs and chickens
together and carried them over a steep
mountain to Pagopago, distance Of three
or four miles, where they prepared the pigs
and chickens for a grand feast. The dogs
are killed for their skin, which are used
10 make drum heads.
1t is quite amusing to see
THE SAMOAN WARRIOR
when in the battlefield or on parade. One
will have an old sailor shirt on; another
viii have woman's short-sleeved wrapper;
while another will have nothing but the
genuine native dress which is merely
piece of native cloth or covering made
from braided leaves (killi) tied around
the waist; another will have an old pair
of pants cut off at the knees, and others
will be all dressed differently. Some have
a good rife, while others carry an old
broken musket and some are proud of an
old rusty sword. For music, they beat
death-like understanding drum and blow
a l0-cent tin whistle and when in a village
that is on the warpath, nothing can be
heard nor sleep had for this wonderful
band
All along we have entertained high hopes
that the great Samoan war would be con-
ii led to the one island, Upolu, where all the
iighting thus far has been done; but the
recent outbreak in this village, and from
the latest news from their camping grounds,
it seems that on Tutuila war is inevitable.
AT the present time of writing, great
numbers of men are building forts at the
villages Nunnli and Tafuga, which villages
are separated by long bay about one mile
across at the mouth. The MaleatOa en-
campments are at Nunnli, while Tamasese's
men are at Tafuga. Each side is waiting
for the other to make
THE OPENING ATTACK,
which is momentarily expected.
1t is feared that the victorious party will
visit and burn down the enemy's villages
and destroy their food, which will cause
much trouble and privation among the peo-
pie here, for a house and a small piece of
land on which grows their food is all they
possess, and when their trees are cut down
somebody will undoubtedly go short of
food.
No doubt it will be interesting to
some to know how these ignorant and sim
ple-minded people spend their Sundays on
these far off and uncivilized islands where
modern dress and customs are unknown.
Christianity was first brought here by a
white missionary from Tahiti Island, 1880;
he was, no doubt, Protestant missionary
but his followers call their faith Tahiti
church. There are also Catholics here and
/ understand, that on Upolu and Savaii
there are other sects and creeds. In every
little village there is an old fashioned hut
or house for a meeting house, and all the
Samoans are strict Sabbath keepers
They will not even cook food on Sunday
IN this village there is
4 VERY ANCIENT-LooKING MEETING HOUSE,
the concrete walls being covered on the
outside with moss and running vines. The
building IS of oblOng shape, about thirty by
twenty-five feet. The walls are concrete.
aud about eight feet high the roof is, like
their huts, made by tying arched poles to-
gether, then long thin sticks for sheeting,
and braided cocoanut leaves for shingles.