The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-10-04
IN FAR-OFF SAMOA.
Wandermgs and Experiences OF a
Utah Boy.
THE PRODUCTS OF THE ISLANDS.
"a Waving Vegetation of Perpetual Green
The Extinct Craters and Their lnhab-
itants-UocOanut Industry.

ID. L
group inhabited, three comparatively large
and seven smaller ones; commencing at the
farthest island west and running in an
easterly direction, the names of the islands
are respectively, Savaii, Apolima, Manono,
Upalu. Nuu, Tutuila, Aunuu, Ofu, Olosega
and Tau. The latter three, being close to-
gether, are always termed Manua. Samoa
lies between 10 degrees and IA degrees
south of the equator, little west of south
and 300 miles from the Sandwich Islands,
1900 miles from San Francisco, and hence
about 200 miles from Salt Lake city.
THE POPULATION OF NATIVES
is $4,000 The islands comprise an area OF
1850 square miles and run in an easterly
and westerly direction distance of 265
miles.
We will begin our sail at the little island
Tau, and after jotting down a word or two
in our note books about Tau, we will SET
sail for the west
This little oasis in the ocean desert is the
largest island of the Manua group, it being
miles long by ~ miles wide and rises
$3.50 feet out of the sea.
We leave Tau under full sail, cross q
three and half mile channel going west,
and arrive at Olosega, a small and unim-
portant island. We again hoist sails and,
with good trade wind, two hours brings
the little island, Ofu, in sight.
We go as close to the ever rolling break
ers as we dare, and then drop sails. The
oarsmen get into position, the man at the
helm takes off the rudder and substitutes
an oar tall small boats used for going over
dangerous reefs are made to be steered
with an oar), the lookout man standing in
the bow of the boat shouts "An right
Pull ahead boys, and be ready to back
water.n
For once we caught the white caps nap
ping, and landed on the sandy beach with
out having any waves break over the side
of our boat and wet US all.
Among the 800 natives on Manua there
is one white man trader, who receives
cocoanuts from the natives for his calicos
umbrellas, combs and other notions.
The natives, not having heard any Other
creed, are
ALL ADHERENTs TO LUTHERANIsM,
Up to the present, as far as known, NJ
other religion has been preached on Manua
the natives having made laws against it.
From Ofu TO Aunuu we have asixty- mile
channel to cross, and we find there, as a
nearly all other villages on the Samoan
islands, the same dangerous and small
opening in the reef, called harhor.
Aunuu is about mile long and almos
round, has a population of 300, and is tn,
little island on which our worthy president
J. II. Dean, first landed in June. 1883.
Another mile by sea and we land on tn,
east end of Tutuila. This island is seven
teen miles long by from two to six mile
wide; has population of whites 10, native
BOO; Its highest mountain peak measure
2,340 feet above sea level. There is blu
very little level land; cocoanut is the onl
eXportable produce grown, although tn
natives raise nreadfruit, kalo, bananas
yam and a few oranges.
About half way down the island on tn
south side is the famous Pago -pago harboi
1t is mile or more wide at its mouth, an
narrows gradually as it runs in triangl
shape, nearly two miles inland.
The natives tell US of how Tonsan mar
of-war (Which is two canoe-shaped boat
fastened together with hut on top cam
to Pago-pago many centuries ago with
large crew of native warriors. They cal
tiously padded toward the head of the hal
Dor, but on turning around just previous {
landing
THEY WERE HORROR STRICKEN
and almost overcome with fear when the
could not look out to sea; nor, as the
thought, could they see the way they ha
entered the trap(g. They, in their super
stitious minds, thought the mountains o
either side had conspired against them an
closed the mouth of the harbor, not know
ing the triangle shape in which the harbo
lay. They did not at that time land, bu
at once set in motion their old reliabl
steam (muscle) paddles and hurried out /
sea.
The Tonga chiefs are said to be exceller
natural nayigators, and for many year
Samoa was controlled by Tonga chief.
l. A.
their large canoes, with braided cocoanu
leaves for sails, gave the name of ''Nav
gator" to these islands, The Samoan n,
tives are naturally good navigators.
Leaving Pago pago from pangopango
we have about six miles of rough coas
sailing and then arrive at Leone the lars
est village on Tutuila, having populatio
Of 600 natives and three white men.
From Leone we go about four miles an
arrive at Poloa, the western end of tf
island and the point where the mail steam
ers meet the schooner from Apia, and
the weather permits, stop long enough
bundle mail, baggage and passengers,
there be any, into the schooner's little BIO;
or dingy, which is rowed alongside Of Il
steamer. The sudden change from steamt
to this small boat, to a person not az
quainted with the ability of small boats
keeping above water, would, no doubt, I
felt that same 20-degree below zero chi
that one does when skating and breakir
through the ice; and after being safely D,
on the little cotton schooner one does NJ
feel that
LIFE Is A VERY PLACID DREAM,
but rather rolling wave. The distani
from Paloa to Apia to be endured on Il
schooner is about sixty five miles: fare 81
From Cape Paloa to the east end
Upolu the channel is thirty-six mil,
wide.
This end of Upolu, unlike the ends
points of the other islands of the group.
i've miles or more wide and is surroundS
by lagoon, the reef or line of breakers
in some places over mile from shore. ar
in several places a safe anchorage is foun
for small vessels. On the edge of tn
lagoon and running north and south al
four small islands, the largest one of whic
is inhabited by population of two hu
dred natives and is called Nuu.
While speaking of this little island al
lagoon, am reminded of the first trip v
made from Tutuila to Upolu in our lit
boat. We had had not been anchored lor
in this same lagoon when native on sho
saw us. and, not unlike other Samoans b
curiosity was excited and he at once pulle
his paopao (canoe) in the water and pa.
died out TO US. We said ''talufan and
answered Isl on alofa' chow DO you do
We asked him how far it was to Apia:
said il was about two or three mil
down the coast After having turne
however, the finger marked leaves of IL
good old book experience, we decide
that the distance was nearer twenty fl,
or thirty miles, and that the native kne
as much of the distance of a mile as Il
ant did the strength of an elephant. whel
as some one has metaphorically put it.
the time of the animals going down IL
gang plank into the ark, the AIT look,
back an6 said,