St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-03-25


scribe to the general opinion of travellers that
the people of Samoa are the handsomest and
kindest of all the uncivilized races of the
world.
L expressed to Mr.. Roberts, an English
gentleman, whom met at Apia, my delight
with the natives, and he replied
Eyes, they are a fine race but contact with
the whites is, l fear, spelling them here in
Apia. If you want to see the Navigators'
Islanders in their primitive simplicity, come
with me to Pongo-Pongo, in the Island of
Tetuiia, a days sail east of here I have
chartered a schooner with native crew, and
will be back in ten days.
''And Mrs. Roberts and your little daugh-
ter, Nellie. You will, of course leave them
behnd?"
''On the contrary, I shall take them along:
they will enjoy the trip quite as much as we
do. These people never harmed white
man, and their regard for children is akin to
idolatry," replied Mr.. Roberts
Pongo-Pongo, the finest harbor, it is said,
in the South Pacific was ceded by these
islanders some years ago to the United States
as coaling station for war ships, and being
anxious to see place of which I had heard
SO much, 1 eagerly accepted my friends invi-
tation.
Mr.. Roberts was agent for a large firm in
Sydney, Australia, that did a prosperous
trade with these and other islands, princi-
pally in the way of bartering gaudy cotton
prints, glass beads, knives and such like for
cobra, dried cocoanut, pearl shells and wild
cotton.
The following morning, with a grip sack
containing a change of clothes, 1 went on
board the Ala, where found Mr.. Roberts, his
charming wife and his daughter Nellie, ready
to welcome me, The girl was about twelve,
and one of the prettiest, winsome little things
that it was ever my good fortune to meet.
The Ala was trim two-masted schooner,
built with the fine, sharp lines of an Ameri-
can yacht, and with comfortable cabin quar-
ters for our little party.
With the exception of the cook, who was
Chinaman, the crew of four men including
Captain Law and his handsome young son,
Upola, were islanders, tall, 1.-THE men, with
long biue-black hair, gold bronzed faces and
excellent eyes and teeth. Although on shore
the natives of both sexes wear only girdle,
called lava-lava, about the waist, the cap
ltilu anu cI0W Vi lle Aid llitu on cOtCOn SDlrCS
and trousers and large palm leaf hats shoes,
1 am certain, they would have regarded as
torture.
l have great fondness for wholesome boys
boys that are boys and not premature men,
and Upola won me from the instant l first
set eyes on him. Neither his father nor him.
self knew his age, for in that land of perpet-
ual summer there are no seasons to mark the
years, but from his appearance l should say
the youth was fourteen or fifteen. He was as
tall as most men, slender, active and erect,
with regular features, teeth as white as
hounds, and eyes as soft and gentle as those
of tame antelope.
Upcla did his full duty as one of the crew,
and it was an actual pleasure to watch his
quick, graceful movements, as in obedience
to his fathers orders he flew over the deck,
adjusting the ropes, or up to the mast head
to shake loose a snarl in the jib halyards.
The captain and his son must have been
very popular in Apia, for as the anchor was
being weighed scores of outrigger canoes,
crowded with young people, swarmed about
the Ala, all shouting 'Ha lofa," my love to
you, and ''San omai," good luck. The Ian
guage of these people is very musical, every
word ending in a vowel; and they gave
further evidence of their good will and kind
hearts by raining flowers and fruit on the
deck.
All these islands are surrounded by coral
reefs that act as a breakwater, and through
the openings, which are not many, ships can
enter and find an anchorage, as at Apia.
The sails were up and we flew out through
''the gate in the reef as Apola called it,