News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-02-14

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their places. This they keep up fo1
some time, their final effort being almost
frenzied.
One of their queerest customs is the
tattooing of the body. No one is exempt.
1t is mark of manhood, and the
youngsters are anxious to have it ac-
complished, SO that they may be con-
sldered men. 1t is terrible ordea!, and
many of them shrink from it until they
are 18 or 19 years old, or until ashamed
longer to appear without this decora-
ton. The tatooing on all the men is
the same pattern or design, but there
is some variation among the women, who
have much less on them. The men are
tattooed from their waists down to their
knees In an almost solid and unbroken
design, the edges being somewhat fanci-
full, though always the SINE. The VIC
tim lies prone on the ground and the
artists begin their work. Their instru-
ments are small sized combs made of
fish bones with teeth extremely sharp.
These they dip in the ink used-a prep
aratlon made from the SCOT of burning
candle nuts-and then drive them into
the quiyering flesh with little mallets.
They go over the surface quite rapidly,
which blackens under their artistic
touch, the blood flowing out at each tap
of the mallet. 1t takes several DAYS to
complete the work on one subject, it
being more than he can stand to have
it all done in one day, and for weeks he
hmps from the effect of his torture.
They do not tattoo the face, as in the
Marquesas Islands, where on all sides
are seen natives with parti- colored faces,
some in stripes, some with one side tat
tooed, the other clear, and some with
odd and singular designs mapped out in
ink upon their skins.
All the natives-male and female,
young and old-are splendid swimmers,
seeming to be nearly as much at home
in the water as on land. They swim
out to ships from the shore, and any
time they wish to leave the ship, quietly
jump over the side and swim away.
Equally skilled are they in handling
their canoes. In fact, the islands are
known as the Navigator Islands because
of the proficiency of the natives in this
direction. This name was given to them
by the captain of French vessel, who
was struck with admiration at the skill
full handling of their canoes by party
of natives far out at sea- Every wave
threatened to engulf them, but they
continued on in safety. Their canoes
are narrow, being made from logs hol-
lowed out, and are fitted with an out
rigger ON one side. This outrigger runs
nearly the entire length of the canoe,
and extends out from the side two or
three feet, the outward extremity rest
ing in the water. It serves to keep the
canoe steady, and prevents it from easily
upsetting. Their war canoes are built
up boats, many logs being used in their
and are large enough to
hold % or 80 mon. Propelled by about
20 stalwart natives, singing war songs
and keeping time by striking their
paddles on the gunwales of the canoe,
they present formidable appearance.
One of the most curious things, and
rather amusing, too, is their formation
of 'tfriendships" with the strange Wute
mau who comes i'll ships to visit them.
No soonor does n ship come to anchor IN
the harbor than duslly faces appear at
The air-ports. ard voices In soft accents
lgeneraIl 1. girls1 inQuira. f'You felengl
mo ?'' III other words, VIII you be my
friend? BY this is meant that you are
to form "a sort OF society of two
,Or mutual benefit. You are to give your
friend hardtack, tobacco, cotton ban
Ianas, knives, or anything else in the
ships stores or your own possession that |
7our friend may fancy and you care to
part with, and in return your friend will
BRING off daily unlimited cocoanuts, |
bananas, oranges, ETC., will make you |
inc war club, give you yards of tapa I
10th, and such articles as you desire.
And you must be faithful to this friend
hip once entered into. Almost without
you will find them so, and to |
heir friends and their friends only do |
hey attend. Should you, on the other |
land, show favor to any one eise you /
will, when discovered, be treated with !
infinite scorn and contempt by the injur
ID one. The breach once made can !
never be healed, and excessive coldness
will take the place of former warmth.
Tho Samoan language is musical,
every word ending in II vowel. The
,rammer is simple aud easily mastered.
Like the Spanish, every word is pro-
bounced exactly =, it is spelt, and the
gowels have always tho Same sound.
Their word of salutation is ''Ta-lo ia,
md good-by is ''Tofa."
The chief product of the islands-in
act, the only staple-is "copra, which
s the dried meat of cocoanut, and
rom which cocoanut oil is expressed.
of tons of this are annually
shipped to Germany.
There are many fine harbors in the
Islands, that at Pango Pango, where the
United States has coaling station, be-
ing particularly so. 1t is landlocked,
and once within its sheltering arms, it
is impossible to detect the entrance,
bigh, verdure-clad hills shutting it out
from view. These hills surround the
harbor on all sides, and for the most
part riso abruptly from the water to
height of 500 or l 1000 feet, covered from
base to summit with luxuriant tropical
vegetation. The islands abound in rich
level lands, on which could be raised
tropical productions of every kind, such
ns sugar cane, rice and cotton. The
climate is generally fine, though rather
during the rainy season.
Apia is the commercial port and only
settlement of any size on tho islands.
It's population is about 1900, and there
is q large sprinkling of Europeans and
Americans. The place is laid out in
streets, and frame houses abound.
There is hotel, some few general
stores, and numerous drinking saloons.
Two or three merchant vessels and one
or two men-of-war are almost always in
port.