Graham guardian. [volume] (Safford, Ariz.) 1895-1923, 1897-08-13
IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC.
Another Interesting; Letter From the
Samoan Islands.

customs and habits peculiar TO
the race, / shall endeavor to be
brief and avoid extremes that your
many readers mav form at least a
vague idea, in gene,al way, of
this very interethg people. Re-
alizing that it would take volumes
to render in full an ethnology of
the race, my article will necessari-
ly preclude many interesting points.
Samoa was discovered little
more than one hundred years ago
by Captain Cook and given the
name of Navigator Islands, from
the fact that be found natives some
fifteen miles from shore in their
small fishing canoes, with which
the natives are very expert.
~ the time the London Mission
airy Society landed on Samoa, in
1880, it is asserted that the ten
inhabited islands Of the groupe had
a population of $4,000, The state
ment, however, is disputed and no
census was ever taken until recent
ly when there was found to be a
population Of nearly 10000. There
is no doubt but what the people
are decreasing.
Four regularly organized church
es look after spiritual develop
ment, viz; The IL. NJ. S." known
in Samoa as the Tahiti church from
the fact of having been established
by missionaries from TaLiti. The
wesleyan" known in Samoa as
the "Tongan," the "Roman Cath
Ollie" and the Church Of Jesus
Christ of ater.day Saints"
The natives are large in stature,
musclar, very proud, and the type
Of a noble race. Their complex
ion is light brown with a redish
tint. The common dress Of both
sexes is plain piece Of cloth made
by themselves from the paper null
berry, which is doubled and fasten.
ed about the waist with a tuck
reaching from waist to knee, called
"lavalava." In addition to this
the women generally wear a piece
of cloth about A feet long by eigh.
teen inches wide called ''Tiputa"
which when slipped over the head
hangs loose before and behind.
On church days the women often
wear loose dress Of the mother
Hubbard style. They are begin.
nlng TO use great deal of foreign
cloth and take 9, fancy TO high
colors. In reference to their scanty
dress il must be remembered that
they live in land of perpetual
summer and much clothing would
be burdensome.
Both male and female wear their
hair clipped short and combed up
ward from all sides in such a man
ner as to render it nearly square
on top, (some women and especial.
" the school girls wear their hair
liong.) They literally oil their
bodies and hair with scented cocoa
nut oil, and adorn themselves with
garlands Of flowers and other fix
lures. They are very clean with
tleIr persons. and battle .e &C -, ,.,,,
every day. All men are tattooed
| from waist to knee.
! "Maliatoa" their King |. man.
tlcally poweriess, the government
being disrupted by insurgents.
Each town or village has a regime
of its own with a strong chief to
rule, not one chief, but several
chiefs and talking men from the
governing power of the town, who
receive their title by heritage.
Each high chief in town keeps a
large house for the accommodation
of visitors, strangers and travellers
in general, and parties travelling
on entering town have q perfect
right to take up their abode in one
of these large houses and make use
of all of its appurtanences and in
fact become ITS bona fed owners
pro tenn, and the people of the
town make feast for them and
they are treated in first class STYLE.
The "taupou" (Village Virgin
make their Java" Ga drink made
from the root of the kava plant
chewed by the maid or pounded
fine and mixed with waterl and sba
and her maids carry their water
spread their food, roll their oic.
arettes, make their beds, etc a
Samoan bed consists ola mat spread
upon the gravel floor, bamboo
pillow and mosquitoe net. Your
correspondent has both indul0ed
in drinks Of "Avit7 chewed by a
pretty "tanpou" and experienced
livery often) a Samoan bed
All the widows, old maids and
young ladies, dwell together in on.
or more OF the large houses and
are fed by the village and their
duties are to carry water, wash
clothes, weed the yards, braid mats
make clothes and serve the noonIo
in general. They use mats for
money in trading among them.
selves, and some Of the very f;na
mats are valued al hundred dol.
lars each. 1t is contrary to the
custom of the people for a young