Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-04-22
LECTURE on SAMOA.
W. o. Lee Speaks Of Manners aud Gus.
toms OF Strange People.

The Students Society OF the Latter
day Saints college met last evening.
Tho usual opening exercises were car
ried out, and tho following program
was listened to by large and atteu.
tive audience: Lecture by w. o. Lee.
The speaker said the subject OF his
lecture, Samoa, was derived from the
two native words sea-" meaning
sacred, md "nioa,D chicken, therefore
literally sacred chicken. IL Ia said that
the Islands received their name from
the following singular circumstances.
Some sailors once happened 10 land on
their coast Being In need OF food
they showed CHI lcken TO the natives
as n token Of their wants; but they only
received the answer, "saHoa so mod."
This was because there had been
famine in tho land and they had
been forbidden to kill chickens
TIL they again became plentiful,
a singular custom among them.
They are sometimes known as the
Navigator Islands, an improper term
since the people are not sea-iaring
race. II IL thought this name was firat
applied TO the Friendly Islands whose
people love the sea; and which has by
rome means been miaapplied TO this
group,
The climate OF tho islands would be
to us perpetual summer, hut there Is
u slight change Of season. Tho inhRbi-
tants are OF "a dark-brown color, close
ly resembling tho Indians Of Mexico.
Most OF the world advance the theory
that they came from the Malay Is-
lands, but the speaker believed they
came from America, and nre OF tho
House Of Israel.
TAese people have many good traits
about them. In their treatment OF
strangers they set the civilized world
n good example. They always prepare
enough food on Saturday to last over
Sunday. BY Monday this Ia all eaten
and they NIL 20 out and gather another
supply. When the food has been collect.
ed they make an oven, which is simply
"A hole In the earth. In this hole is
first placed hot roeke, then on these
banana leaves, next the things they
desire TO cook over which wild banana
leaves are spread, and lastly all is
covered by hot rocks upon which lire
isplaced. In this way 1t ~ lcft for
about an hour, WHEN the covering Il
taken off md the food IL exetl.snlly
cooked. Their staple articles OF food
are the taro, n plant resembling the
potatoj the cocoanut, the bread.fruit,
palusami, consisting of mixluio OF
oOcoauut leaves with milk and sea.
water; faial, u food resembling brains;
nnd IN times If famine masI, II cub.
stance that reminds one OF Limburger
cheese. They also eat pork, chicken.,
fish and ralted beet
They wear very little clothing, be.
cause Of the high temperature, and
they are generally dTenohed with
water three or four times day. Nearly
all Of their clothing and hats are
manufactured from the bark OF the
cocoanut tree. From the fibers OF this
bark which closely resemble horse
hair they make kind Of rope. They
are skillful In the making Of mat,
which they prize very highly, some Of
them selling for $500.
This people still show many barbar.
Gus customs. The father has such
power over his daughter that Le can
compel her to TO certain mans wife.
They are given to petty thieving, but
VIII not rob person. They think that
a person should always forgive them
for their evil doings.
Their language is simple, consisting