Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-04-18
SAMOAN BEAUTIES.
Rule Of the Village Queens, Their At
tire and Graceful Dances.
Great is Royalty Whether Ciyilize
or Savage.

The women still love to dress la
mother Eve, in nothing but the natural
prooucts of the native bush, says writer
in the Sacrame nto Reporter. Around
their throat they wind necklaces formed
of dry scarlet berr! or shells sewed
upon strip of cloth. Sometimes
fringe made from the rib bones of a fish
is attached co this necklace, and often
spiral bears tusk forms q handsome
though barbaric ornament. Like their
civilized sisters the Samoan bellies will
endure any amount of pain and discom-
fort in order to be in the fashion, but,
unlike them, they enjoy leap year privi-
leges ali the time and exercise the right
of choice, for time or for eternity, with
perfect freedom from suspicion of I'M
maidenliness.
The Samoan women, as rule, are good
looking, but every village boasts its
"bes uty." "Tamp poo" is the Samoan
name given to the ruling village queen.
Generally she is the ruling chiefs own
daughter, or one adopted by him. She
is at all times girl of high rank in the
place itself, Or in that of her parentage.
from the first day of her installment to
the DAY of her departure, marriage, elope-
ment, or reinforcement for bad behavior
| (which in quite recent times vas effected
with club) she is virtually the queen of
| the place. It Is she who receives strang-
ers on arrival in her town, makes k8va
| for them and personally sees to their
comfort and entertain alent. Never from
! one years end TO the other Is she permit
| ted to be cut Of sight of her attendants.
When abroad she is invariably accom-
panied by as many of her youthful com
| panions as are available for the service.
They follow her in single file wherever
she goes. She heads all professions, and
visits and takes the leading part in all
| "sWas" or native dances.
| Her attire on gala days is of the gay
est description that her town can afford:
and everything is upgrudgingly sacrificed
that can aid to the glOriacatiOn Of her
| personal appearance. Il is she, on these
occasions, who has mainly upheld the
prestige OF the town. It is only when
dressing for any ceremony that she ap-
pears to have no will of her own. On
such occasions long sine before the
commencement of the cerem onial the old
| woman takes entire possession of her. On
| them devolves the exercise of the myster-
les of the Samoan boudoir. Everything
is done for the proud dansel, who stands
| patiently suffering any amount of Co
ercion, one 1.-THE of which she would
not perm it for second were it not part
of her duty as the beauty of the town.
| She is first taken in hand by two or three
of her attendants, who briskly shamboo
| her all over with sweet scented oil until
her warm colored skin shines like satin.
Anothers will energetcalIy brush her jet
| black locks, and afterward plait or other
wise arrange them in the manner that
| the combined wisdom of the old people,
assisted by the suggestions of twenty or
thirty of her youthful companions, may
dictate. She will then be ready to enter
tain "tbe stranger" and prepare for him
. the kava.
( Above all things the native women ex-
| Gel in the art of eancing and pOstLring.
| The most popular dance among them is
the ''slva," which is performed by fo1r
or i've maidens to the accom- antment of
tuneless song and drumming on the
tom tom. 1t consists of pOsturing and
movements of the body and hands, W hitch
are made in unison and III time with
music. Some of the figures arc executed
while standing erect upon the feet, but
in most of them the dancers sit cross-
legged upou strips of mating spread
upon the ground. The postures are many
and varied. Sometimes the right hand
rests upon the neighbours left shoulder,
and left hand upon the dancers knee,
and sometimes this motion is reversed.
One position is with the right hand
spread upon the ground in front and the
fingers of the left hand touching the BIZ
reps of the dancers right arm. Another
is more thoughtful attitude. The right
| hand supports the left elbow, while the
left cheek rests upon the index finger of
the left hand. Of all the graceful Sa-
moan dancers none can compare with the
daughter of Patua, one Of Maiaafa's most
prominent chieftains. Her movements
are so exquisitely graceful and full of
such dreamlike motion that Europeans
| and natives alike have com pinned in nam
ing her 'sThe Dream"