Democratic messenger., 1894-08-25
GLIMPSES OF SAMOA.
REV. Or. 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
"Kava" King MaIictoa's Missionary
Fiag-Bcach C"mbcrs.
Copyright, Louis klop>ch. ls,i.
AriA, Samoa, July "A hundred
and sixty dead men in the angry wa
tiers; one ship sunk out of sight so that
not so much rs u plank or rope has
since appeared; Of our three great Amer
lean warShipS lying i'll the harbor the
Lcipsic beached. the Trenton and Van
dalia demolished; of the three great
German men ofwar the Ebcr and Olga
gone completely under; the Adler rolled
over on its side and cracking apart amid
ships; out of all the vessels i'll harbor
only one saved, and that because il had
steam up and could sail ont into the
sea: three days of wrcckage and fright
and horror which shook the island, and
by report of next steamer transfixcd all
nations, all this brief putting of what
an antipodean hurricane did for this
harbor III March, 1889 While all up
and down the beach Of this island are
pieces of the wrcckage of that unpar-
allelcd tempest, only one skeleton Of 4
ship remains. the Adler, sufficiently
distinct 10 represent that scene of cy-
clonic infcrniZation. Ii is rather unfor-
tunate that Samoa, III the popular mind
of all nations, stands rs synonym of
shipwrcck. for the place is rs fine u
specimen of foliage and fruitage as the
world holds. Indeed its harhor is the
sea captains anxiety. for, though u
wide harlor, it has only small en-
trance, and rocks i'll all directions toss
the white foam. The captain told us we
need not think we were left if we saw
him sailing out To sea, for he would do
so if a 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 a be-
attic vision. AS we came on deck this
morning the waters We're covered with
small boats of natives bringing speci-
mems of coral and all manner of flowers
and fruits. ready to sell these and trans
chose to GO A boat belonging to the
German legation, with four stout oars
men, took Us three-quarters of mile to
the beach. From thence we went TO
King Malietoa's residence. But il is n
time of war. The king had fled to the
forest. A few nights before he was
thought To he at 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 i'll a
turmoil We were shown the kings
rooms and his pictures and bric-a-brac.
The 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 tcnt-about 10 dusky sol
dicrs. each reclining on pillow of
round wood upheld by two small sup
ports, a more uncomfortable pillow, it
would seem to rue. than that i'll 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 u mat beside those who We're
sitting and i'll scant vocabulary talked
over the Samoan troubles. We saw one
soldier who had been shot i'll the foot,
and he WAS limping along leaning on
an assistant. Four men were killed last
night in u skirmish. and another skir-
mish is to take place tonight There are
natives who do not want to pay their
taxes. and their various grievances have
been summed mp, and II young warrior
wants to get the throne and introduce
the millennium.
A long continued struggle is opening.
Meanwhile u German and English man
of-war is in the harbor, and an Amcri-
can man war is expected soon. What
will I've the result no one can prophcsy.
But this is ccrtain-this island and all
the group of islands are suffering from
foreign interference. 1t is a 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 rs TO be
watching with anxious and expensive
vigilance these islands for fear that this
or that foreign government should get u
little advantage: Better call home your
warships and leave all to the mission