The sun., 1891-06-24

The leland Howe or Robert Letis stever
sen, Auther OF the Letters or . Leisure

ueht Autnor OF the Letters OF = LeteuFes
IL Traveller In The Sunday Sun. q ,A
Erom ne rnacsepnta ryea
Aria. Samoan Islands, May 20. lss1.-The
writer has Just had the pleasure OF spendink q
few hours In the homo OF Robert Louts 6tovsn-
| son here in Samoa Mr. Stevenson has bssn
away from Samoa much Of the time since the
first OF the year. having mads voyage to
Sydney being gone about two months. ana
trip to Tutuila. In this group. OF three weeks
duration. Much OF the time since returning
from Sydney he has been very feeble, In fsot,
he came back with bleeding lungs, and for =
time was not permitted to sec or talk with any
one. except for a few minutes. How he can
manage to accomplish the amount Of work he
does is mystery, for he looks SO delicate and
frail that 1t doesn't seem as II his organization
could stand the strain.
The first time saw him WAS at the wedding
dinner OF one OF the native bellies OF Apia. He
was sitting at tho head OF the table which was
spread on the ground. under canopy OF ma
tive cloth OF the bark Of the paper mulberry
tree. The incongruity OF the scsne struck mo
at once. Such marked individuality and deli
cacy amid such surroundings could not fail to
impress and rivst ones attention.
Selecting bright cool afternoon. started
out to walk up to the plantation clearing
wbere he is building his new house. A pleas
ant stroll UP tho winding road through the
cocoanut and bread fruit trees. and part Of the
way under the shade OF the dense forest,
brought me to Mr.. Stevenson's new house.
now about completed. Here everything was
In aturmoil Of confusion erecting
second building. painting going on. furni-
ture arriving. packed and unpacked, decofat-
ing Of rooms. and work IN all stages
We are all torn UP and very busy getting
ready to receive our relatives who are coming
In few days." said Mrs. Stevenson who was
engaged In superintt nding the many branches
OF the work. and" she continued in rueful
tone. we haven't place to.put them in"
1nQuiring for Mr.. Stevenson Was told he
would see me In his working room. Come
right UP here" he called in o CHEEKY voice from
the floor above. and promptly availlng myself
OF tho proffered invitation was soon seated
in the bright airy room on the second floor
facing the sea. which he uses for study.
In his genial. entertaining manner Mr..
Stevenson reviewed some OF the experiences
and circumstances through which he has
passed during the last few years.
The reason 1 selected Samoa for q resi-.
dence. in preference to any other group Of
Islands visited" said MIR. Stevenson. in reply
to question. was. first. on account OF Its
being an easy place to get land: secondly,
the communication Is extremely good with the
world. All my proofs como to mo here to be
read, for would not trust an angel to read
them for me- Ny third reason was because It
was not In the hands Of m European Govern
mont No red tape and petty arrogance as in
the case OF many islands ruled by European
Governments. In Tahiti 1t Is almost impos.
sible to get land at all. Very little is In the
hands Of the whites. and the motives arc not
allowed to sell any land"
A ~ h,,cf cfvo o<,,rA
ring at this point, gave tho visitor an oppor-
tunity to look about the place.
The new house is situated on plateau Of
land. about three miles back from Apia. at the
foot OF the mountains. and commands q
magnificent Wow Of the ocean. From the cool,
wide veranda extending completely around
the house. bo;h on the lower and upper floors,
the view is beautiful In tho extreme. 1mmedi.
ately in front is a broad. level expense covered
with grass. intefsperssd with giant trees.
These are festooued with living wreaths
and girdled with ferns and vines. Depending
from tho branches, or coiled in ereat serpen-
tine contortions about the trunks. are great
lines forming natural swings and stays Para
sites OF all kinds cover these huge trees. High
M among the forks OF the branches. and often
in some depression in tho trunk. are great
clusters Of forms and plants. looking like arti-
fetal flower vases placed there by man.
Looking through the archinR tops OF those
wonderful trees with their pendant decora.
tions, exquisite views Of ocean are obtained.
Here and there bit Of deep blue. picked out
with white tips-if the trade wind Is strong
enough to set the white horses running
and ono side tho harbor Of Apia with it's ship
ping. Beyond the grass plat the land drops
abruptly. disclosing the valley and slope be-
low covered with the cocoanut palms. those
t-.- F4n -
Stevenson calls them. Back Of the house the
land. which attains an altitude Of 700 feet.
rises gradually. falling away slightly on one
side toward o small stream. whose course is
broken by a fine waterfall. Just across the
stream towers Vaea Hill. covered with tre.
mendous growth OF Jungle. shutting out the
sun early In the afternoon. thus producing
shade and coolness. All about tho clearing is
dense folest and bush. containing enormous
trees. whose twisted and buttressed trunks
looks as IL cyclone had mad them In its grasp.
Now" said Mr.. Stevenson. lighting cigar
ette and resuminG the interrupted CONVERSE
toni suppose you want to know what We
have been doing here?" That was exactly
what was wanted. and Mr.. Stevenson contin-
ned: We'll. when my wife and came here
last summer. the place whore you see this
house now stand was entirely covered BY bush:
nothing but q small wooden shanty. no food.
nothing planted. Now We have cleared. I
should imagine. taking In the garden. about
twelve or fifteen acres. We have made gar
den. and planted quantities OF food bread,
fruit. cocoanuts and oranges: built a stable.
cook house. and the home we arc now in. be-
side having been required to make four times
over between one-half and two-thirds OF tho |
road from here to Aria.
"Now that's pretty good turn of work for
two people to get carried through In the hurrl- |
zane season. l assure you"-this lauRhinRly |
=" We were not overfed while we wero at It. |
In the first days communication was very dif- |
acult. The work here was 80 Immediately |
pressing that We were often unable to afford q |
and the wolf not only came In at |
The door but came In and sat upon the table. |
often made meal OF hard biscuit. and I re- |
member one day when the pair OF US sat down
to one alligator pear."
Mr.. Stevenson smiled. as II the recollection
was not entirely q dsagreeabe ono.
Before coming away Mrs. Stevenson very
Kindly spared time to show mo some OF the
urniture md decorations OF the house. Do