Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-08-24
GLIMPSES OF SAMOA.
REV. DR.. TALMAGE DESCRIBES THE
ISLANDS AND THEIR CUSTOMS.

REV. DR.. TALMAGE DESCRIBES THE
ISLANDS AND THEIR CUSTOMS.
Scenes Of Battle and shipwreck-A visit to
the Royal Palace - 'Trade Gin" and
"Kavap- King MAlietOa's Missionary
F1ag-Beach Combers.
copyright, Louis Klopsch, 1891
AP1A, Samoa, July "A hundred
and sixty dead men in the angry wa
ters; one ship sunk out Of sight so that
not so much as a plank or rope has
since appeared; Of our three great Amer
loan warships lying In the harbor tho
Leipsic beached, the Trenton and Van
dalia demolished; Of the three great
German men -of-war the Eber and Olga
gone completely under; the Adler rolled
over on its side and cracking apart amid
ships; out Of all the vessels In harbor
only one saved, and that because 1t had
steam up and could sail out into the
sea; three days Of wreckage and fright
and horror which shook the island, and
by report Of next steamer transixed all
nations, all this brief putting OF what
an antipodean hurricane did for this
harbor in March, 1889. While all up
and down the beach Of this island are
pieces Of the wreckage OF that unpar'
alleled tempest, only one skeleton OF q
ship remains, the Adler, sufficiently
distinct to represent that scene Of cy-
clonic infernization. It Is rather unfor-
tunate that Samoa, in the popular mind
Of all nations, stands as a synonym oi
shipwreck, for the place is as fine !
specimen Of foliage and fruitage as the
world holds Indeed It's harbor is the
sea captains anxiety, for, though a
wide harbor, 1t has only small en-
trance, and rocks in all directions toss
the white foam. The captain told Us we
need not think we were left II we saw
him sailing out TO sea, FOR he would dc
20 il a squall came up, but he would re-
turn and take Us
After moro than seven days Of ocean
rolling, without sight Of ship or land,
the Samoan islands greet you like be-
attic vision. As we came on deck TINS
morning the waters were covered with
small boats Of natives bringing speci
mems Of coral and all manner OF flower:
and fruits, ready to sell these and trans
port to shore all the passengers who
chose to 60 A boat belonging to the
German legation, with four stout oars
men, took US three-quarters OF mile tC
the beach. From thence we went &c
King Malietoa's residence. But 1t Is
time Of war. The king had fed to the
forest. A few nights before he wa;
thought to be at village house, and II
was surrounded and shot il & and the
king would have been slaiE 4 no hao
been there. The whole island IL III
turmoil. We were shown the king
rooms and his pictures and bric-a-brac.
The walls suggested fondness for Ger
man and English royalty. but founc
not the face of any American president
or general. We saw the queen, and at
the invitation Of the warriors went into
the guards tent-about 10 dusky sol
diers, each reclining on a pillow Of
round wood upheld by two small sup
ports, a more uncomfortable pillow, Il
would seem to me, than that In Bethe
from the foot Of which Jacob saw the
angeles.
Each Of the warriors had gun with
in reach. At their invitation we So
down on q mat beside those who wer'
sitting and in scant vocabulary talked
over the Samoan troubles. We saw on'
soldier who had been shot in the foot
and he was limping along leaning OF
an assistant. Four men were killed las
night in a skirmish, and another skir
mish is to take place tonight There arr
natives who do not want to pay theii
taxes, and their various grievances hav'
been summed up, and young warrioi
wants to get tho throne and INTRODUCES
the millennium.
A long continued struggle is opening
Meanwhile German and English man
of-war Is in the harbor, and an Ameri
can man -of. war is expected soon. Wha
will be the result no one can prophesy
But this is certain-this island and al
the group Of islands are suffering from
foreign Interference. 1t Is a common
saying among the natives that frs
comes the missionary, then comes tn
merchant, thon comes the consul, theE
comes tho man-of-war, thsn-oh, my
Why should three great nations lik
the English, German and American
stoop to such small business as to b.
watching with anxious and expensive
vigilance these islands for fear that thi
or that foreign government should get
little advantage? Better call home you
warships and leave all to the mission
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