New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-21
"THE MAY" OF THE SAMOANS.
A RELIGIOUS FESTIVAL THAT HAS LOST
ITS MOORINGS.

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.
About this time OF the year a fete or fesuVai u
in progress in Samoa, which was established oy
the foreign missionaries and which has the e1ece
Of bringing the different villages together in mar
monious accord 1t is supposed to be Wholly re-
ligious in character, and is called THE May, from
the fact that IL was first held in the month OK
May The time changed eventually for the
convenience OF the missionaries. but the original
name still clings 20 II. Are you going to 'rne
May?" one Is asked constantly weeks before t"s
festival takes place. and all Samoa Is busy prepar
ing for 1.-THE young girls with their costume"
and the older people collecting food ana turning
their available family heirlooms into money Inc
money they give to the missionaries both native
and foreign TO further their work. The food they
exchange with friends and acquaintance whom
they chance to meet at the festival.
The day before the fete proper, canoes ioaoed
with natives begin to arrive at specihed village
leach one has it's turn. Some of the canoes hoio
as many thirty or forty people, and OFTEN twenty
will be using - paddles which, by the way are
short and shaped Xix, pointed shoVei vi iea.'
Samoans always sing when they row or paoois
their canoes, and they keep perfect time 10 'ne
music The effect is very picturesque, but so -
o,,orv,bipg On the lovely island. do you not feel
as II YOU were attending continuous performance
at the theatre" remarked man, one Day as ne
stood watching native. who' arrayeu III 'a
lava of tapa. garland OF flowers ABOUT mo 10
and red hibiscus stuck behlnd each cal ""'
gagged in chopping down tree. yes was 'ns
answer land | wish sometimes that they "ou'o
ring down the curtain, so that we might envy
cessation OF surprises for while.
But to return TO the May. Ihe meeo"s "o
hold in AHA. the largest and most important town
~ the Samoan group. All day long the ha''eS
from the different villages were arriving anu ""e"
night came on the neghboring huts were hiea %
OVERLOOKING Samoans, as rule are very po'.e "
each other and are most courteous 10 ,he'' ',''o
on this occasion. All the villages ABOUT Ap'a "ie
called upon assist In providlhg io' INC e
who have come from a distance -.
When the morning OF the fete AT iast ai'''
first thing heard by visitors was the singing IN
neighboring huts, where the occupants were "o'0-
ing their morning devotions There WAS a sup
messed excitement in the air and an uhusua' Pa1C
INC 70 and fro a little later, until finally every.
thing and everybody were in readiness ana d,
o'clock the procession from vale tormea Oh INC
,avn or opening back or the American 'ohsuia."
and started for the malae or square near inv ~
residence where all the villagers were 10 asse''''
Tho Viale men we're all dressed In whi'e ave
,,,as md shirts The chief of the village ana tho
village missionary alone had aspired 10 tie oisy
OF coats The Viae women In white "oo"o-1
"uother Uubbards" wore garlands OF no"eis
draped about their waists. as wen as al Jun
necks-like feather boas All the men VAN"
gether In couples their chief and missionary 49,
inc The women walked behind, and lot OF i'-
la
no covering, but all had "'e"''' -
their heads. . -, IN.
AT the maae foreign strangers were met Wy ~
| German and English consuis. ana i'h"euS
shown 10 seats which had been reserved io' ~
a,,v and guests mat was spread Tor the ni"s
a,d his family under a canopy OF tapa' ''ie ""'~
cloth ~ r.o ma.
N,,Ietoa. the King. made an address Inc M
lives sitting on the ground were groupeu y. '',s.'
uoorent villages. and 1t was not difficult 70 az
ttnguish TO what village each indiViuuai oe''"e~'
as every one had its particular costume
The girls and women OF Apia wore feu "
ht,s bolokous and black hats trimmed WIN
! nro,,s,on OF feathers Some OF them wore snoe.:
hut in every the greatest a',e''io'.
70 the headgear. The costume OF aho'he' '',.a n
| ,,s ~ mink tapa A kind OF shaving or pacAi"s
nm ~ q lghtgray color was twisted ABOUT 'ne'.
80. uro turks turban and stuck with RED
/ huh,scus Another wore wreaths OF mosso or-.ho
! h,ossom which furnishes one OF ther 'a'o'
| perfumes- hanging over ana arouNu nv 80,
/ like a frame There was, In fact ever! vo"Ss, ="
/ able combination OF color and material ms
! King had finished other native speakers ioiio"e.'
'.,e au ,hore was an address by an Englsn
! missionary who had worked for thirteen years
among the New Guinea Islanders he ,oia us toms
thing OF these people. the ,opr Them and though
he smoke in English and was obnseu ~ en- onnor-
few TO s what he said the all
Maid the stricest attention, ana seemed oS then,
,erIaned amq of nsverfang and pleas
ure watch the play o, erooT That there are
native Samoans to-day laboring Tor ,me Of New
Christianity the benish h psy region np CSalmerss
: anneai VAS not lost upon them Between Sava
address talk prayer was ss'u fa ami such
sInid the Fort OF course all the words were
Every village in Samoa has its Taupo or hut
maiden. She Is usually hss Siss rank and COM
mands the respect and admiration OF the oiner Ser
OF her village and they treat her wrn a the Tau
pn is aways dressed more deliberately than ner I'M
panions. and on this occasion , OF Her skirt was
Of fine mats trimmed with frnges ana n bnnehe With
ne red feathers pTGeur re re G0 ian trimmed in
pendicular rows Of kind OF musk sO nre nIIable
s EasS rS. ended in oup forming rpehng r.
the low neck There were no ssevss sh strps Of the
MAX %aJ 'e ON her head there an ARRANGEMENT OK
husks combined with light blue satin ro Ui,h eli
SSaSs strung on wire In front they were lomgss
and had o. ssns p ns s ns
Mas 70 say ~ e real arstocracy evidently very
of her peoa snd his Queen ali The
grace and dignity of grande aa, mr. simnly in a
lns Cue I rcd striped holokou. Like most u 'ns
others she wore a hat. but no SHOES shoes with HYMN
AMI nonedcton and the natives were soon
rp over the maac like bees There were hx ex
and sree"s r e. eTss me-. with
the Utmost corday and every yer a one nome They were
~ making 1.-THE strangers Zee. d. hSrmi; cocoanuts
,oadea with presents OF food breadtru' awn when
bananas THE line line r HN~ eTsssntsd "
vsry one was with S onsr SIDE S
Taupo from one OF the yase, n@ with this favorits
peTfnms had her hair sened to sus nrey covered
IL stoou ou u,ais Of many-colored flowers a..
not the interesting event o, Ihe f He ss with
neeI.ns r,issonar les during the service he was
cordial and pleasant IN and aoes not give
qu0n mr. resslon OF such invalid as ne mas 1ecn
pepresented His complexion Is the P,nS wn a"I now
Somewhat gray and he wears Il long AZ sw.veT lies
III IT. ms nrPncnal charm OF fascinating personanty;
Rriuiant and changing they, one h,omen q, AZ
dark as 20 instant in all the blue OF an azure sky