The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-08-31
GLIMPSES OF SAMOA.
REV. DR.. ThLmAGE DESCRIBES THE
ISLANDS AND THEIR CUSTOMS.

-''''1S 'fHC ''l-lN SAHO SNfOs
Scenes of Eaitle and shipwrcck-A visit ia
the Royal Palace -- Trade Gin" and
"Kaya"- King Mniietoa's Missionary
Flag Beach Combers.
tCopyrisht. Louis Klopsch. 1911
APIA, 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 appemed of our three great Amer
lean warships lying in the harbor the
Loipsic beached, the Trenton and Van
dalia demolished; of the three great
German men-of-war the Ebcr and Olga
zone completely under; the Adler rolled
over ON its side and cracking apart amid
ships; out of all the vessels in harhor
only one saved, and that because it had
steam up and could sail out into the
sea; three days of wrockage and fright
and horror which shook the island. and
by report Of next steamer transilxed al
nations, all this brief putting of what
an antipodcGn hurricane did for this
hHrbOr i'll March, 1889. While all up
and down the beach Of this island are
pieces of the wrcckage of that unpar-
allelod tempest, only one skeleton of a
ship remains, the Adler, sufficiently
distinct to represent that scene of cy-
clonic infornizatiOn. 1t is rather unfor-
tunate that Samoa, in the popular mind
Of all nations, stands as a synonym of
shipwrcck, for the place is rs fine a
specimen of foliage and fruitage as the
world holds. Indeed its harbor is the
sea captains anxiety, for, though q
wide harbor, it 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 if We saw
him sailing ont to sea, for he would do
so if squall came up, but he would re
turn and take us.
After more 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 this
morning the waters were covered with
small boats of natives bringing speci-
mems of coral and all manner of flowers
and fruits, ready to sell these and trans
port to shore all the passengers who
chose to 20. A boat belonging to the
German legation, with four stout oars
men, took us three-quarters of "a mile t.
the beach. From thence we went TO
King Malietoa's residence. But it il a
time of war. The king had fled to the
forest. a few nights before he was
thought to bo at a village house, and it
was surrounded and shot into, and the
king would have been slain if he had
been there. The whole island is in Il
turmoil. We We're shown the kings
rooms and his pictures and bric.a-brac
Ghe walls suggested fondness for Ger.
man and English royalty, but found
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 pillow of
round wood upheld by two small sup
ports, n more uncomfortable pillow, il
would seem to me, than that in Bethel
from the foot of which Jacob saw the
angeles.
Each of the warriors had gun with
in reach. At their invitation we sat
down on mat beside those who were
sitting and in scant vocabulary talked
over the Samoan troubles. We Jaw one
soldier who had been shot in the foot,
and he was limping along leaning on
an assistant Four men We're killed last
night in a skirmish, and another sllir-
mish is to take place tonight There are
natives who do not want to pay their
taxes, and their various grievances have
been summed up, and II young warrior
wants to get the throne and introduce
the millennium.
A long continued struggle is opening.
Meanwhile German and English man
ofwar is in the harbor and an AmCri.
can man-ofw war is expected soon. What
will be the result no one can prophecy.
But this is certain--this island and al,
the group of islands are suffering from
foreign interference. 1t is common
saying among the natives that first
comes the missionary, then comes the
merchant then comes the consul, then
comes the man-of- war, then-oh, my!
Why should three great nations like
the English, German and American
stoop to such small business as to be
watching with anxious and expensive
vigilance these islands for fear that this
or that foreign government should get
little advantage? Better call home Your
warships and leave all to the mission