Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-02-07
The Customs Of Samoa.
A Naval Officer Describes Some UNIQUE
Experiences There.
How the Natives Smear Their Bodies
With COeoanut 0il-HiSt0ry of the
Samoan Difficulty.

The people OF three nations at least
are now reading with interest the latest
reports from the far Pacific, where the
conduct is quite the reverse from pacific
After a year of squabbling the Germsns
and Americans in the Samoan Islands
have reached the point of actual fighting,
the government at Washington is takip s
vigorous measures and there is a genera,
curiosity about the islands. The narra-
| tive annexed is, therefore quite timely;
bat before reading what the officer says
it is we'll to note little history.
In 1878 the United States made a
treaty with the king and ruling chiefs of
Samoa, by which the former obtained
the harbor of Pango-Pango as coaling
station, as the islands are OIL the direct
line of mail ships in the Pacific. OF
course similar privileges had to be grant
ed to other nations, and about that time
Bismarck began to introduce his colonial
| policy; so, on the I'd of September, 1879,
| treaty was made between Samoa,
| Germany, Great Britain and the United
States, by which the three powers guar
anteed the independence of Samoa, but
the city of Apia and near vicinity were
practically put under control of the con-
suls of the three great powers. The pro-
per construction of this treaty is really
| the matter in issue between Germany on
one side and the United States on the
| other. The Germans have recognized
| and supported chief who overthrow the
former king, Malietoa, and claim the
| right TO make new treaty with the new
king; the Americans in the islands OBJ
Jeot, and in very quiet way are support
lug the other side. Each party denounces
the native supporters of the other side as
"rebels," and finally, encouraged by an
alleged American named Klein, the party
of the old king have fought Germen
expedition, killing some twenty and
wounding thirty-six. Hence the present
row. With these facts the reader viii
appreciate the annexed talk of naval
officers, who visited Samoa in 1878, dur
ing the negotiation of tho treaty signed
by England, Germany, the United States
and the Samoan government. He was
stationed at Apia three months, and had,
as he expresses it a glorious time.
Samoa is the most fruitful spot on the
GLOBE" said he. Oranges, bananas, CO.
coauuts, bread fruit and all other fruits
common to the tropics grow there in
great profusion. l have ridden along
roads covered with two crops of oranges,
of some one TO pick them up.
"King Malietoa is mighty nice fellow,
and treated Us royalty. In fact, the peo-
pie there are all hospitable, and did all
they could to make things pleasant for
US. Sometimes they carried it too far. L
remember on one occasion l was invited,
with some of the officers of the ship, To
go out into the country a short distance
hrs INV oh t
his name. We took along a guard of
twenty marines. After the rude cero-
monies were over the chief made signal,
and about eighty pigs were brought from
a short distance where they mad been cor
rallied, and presented so US. The Ameri-
can consul, who was with our party, said
we would have to take those pigs back to
town or the chief would be highly insult
ed. The marines presented arms, got
back of the porkers, and they were driven
into town at the point of the bayoDet.
The natives watched Us out of sight, to
see that We didn't lose pig. When We
struck town the consul came to our aid,
and we slowed away the pigs in his back
yard, where they remained until We sailed.
The crew lived on pork for three weeks
after that.
"The most disagreeable thing / CD
countered in Apia was the cussed cocoa
nut oil. 1t was everywhere. The natives
smear themselves all over with it, and
after it has been On for two or three
days, phew!ss it got rancid, and howit
would stink! They used to come aboard
and sit around on the deck in the hot
sun. Wherever they sat they would
leave their mark, and it took Us a month
of hard holy stoning to get the stain out
of the deck.
"Onoe l was invited with humber of
others TO a dinner given by one of the
chiefs. The girls, whose duty it is to
chew certain root and spit it into a
bowl until the concoction is of the right
thickness, were in charge of an old bag,
who made them stand around if they
didn't obey orders. After awhile the
bowl of chewed root and water was pass
ed around the circle.
"'Have we got to drink that stuff /
said to a brother Office who sat next to
me. Cant get out of it, said he. He
had been there before. Just then the
bowl came to him and he took gulp of
the horrid stuff. He turned slightly
pale and N stomach began to churn.
Changed if l swallow any Of itr L
whispered, but the old chief had his eyes
on me.
'Drink-yum, yumr he said.,to me,
and downed 1t.
''One thing I noticed in particular
about the Samoans. They were very
strict in their observance of the Sabbath.
Why, man couldn't hire a native TO row
him ashore On Sunday for love or money.
This is due, of course, TO the work of the
missionaries. There was one place near
pia that I often visited. 1t was Sa-
moan toboggan slide. That explains
what mean better than anything else L
can think of. There was large pool of
water, and on one side was a large rock.
It sloped down into the water, and was
as smooth as glass. Well, the natives
would strip-which wasn't hard task,
by the way - and get up on top of that
rock and slide down into the water. L
never shall forget the first time 1 went
out to that place. The natives, of course,
were covered all over with the detestable
cocoanut oil, and it was one of the fun
NEST things / ever saw to watch sleek
Samoan get up On top of that rock and
set himseif-that is, make himself rigid
and slide down into the water. Their
long black bodies would go down the
slide of the rock like CREASED lightning.
We were finally prevailed on by one of
the chiefs to indulge in this queer game.
Ii was great sport, and We often went
afterWarc."
Challenged to Fight Duel.
PARIS, Feb. IN. Laquerre, a prom
fr.a1 DF,T1fa let hoe oh oil