Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-08-30

SCENE ON A CORAL REEF ISLAND


1.-Two saints. 10 visit his farm some day
this week. and as we had u desire 10
see how the farming Industry was
conducted by Samoan natives we ue
cepted his kind invitation ana touuS'
"wednesday. was decided upon ha '"e
dnv that we should make the WISH,
This morning, almost peiore W. ,Tc"k
dawn of dav was beginning I" prt"N
upon this land OF perpetual AunllllsL,
we were startled from q sweet ulyus .t
Of home by a rapping on tins NWo"uvhI
window near where we were SltTpt"s
and a voice crying out In broken i.hs
llsh through the cracks oil tns V"'l,
hoo wall. Miss Olnsone ma rho. uo
vol, want to visit my farm today.
n was Moses, who had come TO as
certain If we We're still drslrous OIL
fuiallinE our promised Visit we r.
assured him that we would he pleaseu
to be honored as his guests Tor Httte
sightseeing and dinner AS soon as on
morning school was over, M hi hn,. an
LEFT he promised TO have MS BOY on
the ground to guide our footsteps IN
the right trails In order 10 arrive III
safety at his farm
school over and armed with a cocoa
nut wood cane with Telona, Moses
boy, as our guide, We coininehceu NY
tourney. Telona is boy Of about y
yenrs OF age. has shaved head one
black eye. the other having been re-
moved some years ago Oh account or
being diseased and big sore on one
foot which makes him walk IN q very
much crippled manner, ana WIN nv
'layalnVa" around his neck where you
will usually ind 1t instend of around
his loins where 1, belongs ne Is IN
deed n picture
Starting from the meetlng house
here. Telona hohbled along, lehulns
the way through IL part of the hlflos'
continuous ooconnut grove that tol-
lows the beach of the great Pacinc th9
entire distance around the island ana
after walking for probably 100 feet
over a very sandy trail we emerged as
It were from Jungle and beheld the
village Of Siupapu laying before us
This village consists of lust nine on
long und round matched rooted native
houses, having the usual cohblc rock
floors. and boasts of inhabitants
not to exceed hfty persons. The
houses are scattered along the beach
with seemingly no idea as Ia order Of
position and none of them are TO cN-
coed 100 feet from the waters edge.
Following our guide to the back of
these houses, being attracted on our
way by innumerable Samoan dogs,
where / use my cane to very good ad-
vantage by shaking It at one. and
making n lunge at another but miss
ing 1t by a good ten feet, we arrived
at an old rock wall about three feet
in height, which probably for ages has
served the double purpose to this race
Of people OF keeping the pigs which
run loose in the village out Of their
"umu" or cooking houses, which stand
Immediately behind II, and away from
their talo and banana patches. which
are all found inland. Climbing over
this wall we were led towards an al
fngTnQnhfRIIlur nrapipttR nrDl-
ably some 300 feet In height, and were
told by our guide that his fathers
farm was on top.
over this precipice and down cliff
OF volcanic stone for distance Of
some 70 aet trlckles small stream OF
water. having for its source small
spring on top. II falls into rudely
formed bathing pool of about 20Ni0
feet In size, in which the water stands
waist deep. 1t Is in this pool that we
have our daily bath and from which
we obtain our daily supply OF water,
us do also all the natives OF the VIII
lage. Nothing could be seen of this
preclpice from our position near the
wall but O solid embaukment Of green
trees and underbrush, which indeed
looks impassable but as We approach
nearer we ascend for q short distance
very steep slope and then there
opens before US a kind Of natural
stairway winding back and forth and
up the cliff. which we began to climb.
From rock to root and root to rock
we struggle up, seeking assistance by
giasplhs illenuly prhneh or root
whlch served us the double purpose of
helping US up ana securing our bal
anee from fan that is anything but
plehsNnt 10 contemplate, We at last
reached the Top out OF breath and
several pounds lighter from the loss
OF PerAplr9Vl ! " uown thls dan
gerous anu ullicu,t iran that the ma
LiNes carry ana nave carried their
dally iood Tor ages, but Sun the pres
Clineu 20 speHu a. ilttIe energy IN plac-
ing II IN condition OF safety and
ehnivt OF access
my we Wipeu the preparation on
our gripping races ana sought cool
ing preeze from our mats which we
htp' IN tanlu notion we looked down
mo the NlInEr we had Just LEFT ms one
from " h9usetop looking down into his
Earueh' inc ROOFS OF village houses
Clh ne seen mere ana there through
me thick growth OF cocoanut trees
thut surround them; next IS seen the
WINE SANDY heath' thcn the coral reef
hppehrs IeSs IMAM zoo feet from the
bnofe' against ana over which the
Etv"t waves OF the Pacific constantly
roIl' FORMING ono long and beautiful
me me OF white roam ana causing n con-
unuous rohr Whlrh sounds not unlike
tnat or an engine In the act OF dis
cnarElhg steam Next we saw the
gt0hd racine whose color Is of the
deepest lnu4ko' stretching to the south
Uhtil II JOINS hAnds with some gray
noauhg cloud and sight Is lost In
"s Sli CLOUDS ana SKY.