The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1897-03-02

one Of the progressive nations OF the
world.
Lieutenant Saffords talk on Samoa
was practically a story of his trip TO
I the Samoan group while serving on
I the United States ship Mohican in 1883
He had chart showing the location
/ OF the different islands of the group,and
I followed the course of his ship with an
I interesting narrative of his experiences
among the natives and study of the
I fora. The ship arrived on Saturday.
and the officers were surprised that no
; canoes came ont TO meet them, but aft
erwards found that the Samoans were
keeping Sunday with Australia. hence
/ the American Saturday was the Sa-
moan Sunday.
1 in his tramps about the different ISL
ands Lieutenant Stafford made a par
ticular study of the fora. and found
many plants of worldwide distribu-
/ ton The morning glory, which grows
there is held in great reverence by the
natives, as their legends teach that the
1 race rose from the leaves of that plant
! The natives live almost entirely on the
/ sea coast. although in some islands
they have been driven from their lands
] by the Germans. One old chief said:
By'n bye all Germans hold good lands.
Samoan all bad lands" The Germans
got possession by selling rifles and am
munition, requiring the natives to sign
a paper. This paper was mortgage;
the natives had no money and knew
nothing of the character of the paper,
and in a short time the white man came
and told the native TO get off the land,
as he had not paid for the rifle or the
interest on the mortgage.
Among the trees Lieutenant SAT-
ford found two species of the lau-
hala and also the kukui. which
was there called the lama or torch
tree. The geology OF the group
is simple, being volcanic chain with
all the peaks extinct. except small
submarine volcano. said TO be slightly
active when he was there in 1885,
Many CT the craters have lakes. which
are surrounded by rushes and vegeta-
ton, springing from seeds probably
brought by birds. Along the coast the
vegetation was entirely marine. The
Hawaiian MALE, two varieties, also
grows in profusion, and is used by the
natives in making leis. OF the birds,
4 the most striking were the doves and
pigeons of brilliant plumage The ma
tives hunt the pigeons with bow and
arrow, concealing themselves in the
trees, covered with an improvised net
work of leaves and branches. The Sa-
means, as rule, were fine physical
types. There are very few excessively
fat persons and outside of ADia practic-
ally no half-castes.
Lieutenat Stafford told of interest
ing incidents during the warship's
> stay at Pango Pango. The ship was
met by hundreds of natives who
came out in canoes, it being no.
! ticeable that there were none of
: the large double canoes known in
J Hawaii. The natives were covered with
/ leis, and Immediately on coming ON the
ship, each selected a friend. TO whom
presents were given, for which presents
=, were expected in return. 1t is char
acteristic of the native-that if he
{ doesn't see what he wants to ask for it
5 1t is no crime to ask for anything in
t sight, and according TO the custom OF
= the country, they expect to get it, TAX
C ing offense when refused. When ma
l tives expect visitors they sometime:
r stow away their valuable mats. ETC.
2 simply because if friend asks for any,
e thing in the hut it is given. Mr.. SAT
5 ford selected his friend and went OF
e shore to the native home, where ht
[ found an Hawaiian, deserter from tht
: KaimilOa, who acted as interpreter
T, The family seemed particularly inter
:. ested and pleased with the many ques
{ tions asked concerning the construc
e ton of the hut and the general para
{, phernalia of the place He was treated
S 10 ava, prepared by grating the roo
d on an improvised utensil made by max
: ing holes in a piece of tin, and dilutin.
i the juice with water. The beverag
5 was not unpleasant. During his sta.
e among the Samoans Lieutenant Saffort
Y did not see any natives who had BEEF
IS affected by the excessive use of ava
/ BE saw the native dance The first par
/ was very pretty but the finale was in
e decent.
d When leaving Pango Pango he wa
1. asked TO buy presents for his friend
If family, the list including pair Q
y crescent earrings, an iron pot, holuk
IS and cleaver something similar to tn
n cane knives. These he purchased. an
lie when presented were a source of famil
sr thanksgiving and joy. The talk of tn
y evening was closed by relating an eX
perience at feast given in honor c
/ the great American chief, Lieutenan
/ Stafford which wound up by the Who'll
ie party going to the ship. where the
d were presented with gifts, ranging froI
u pieces of calico to towels and pieces G
II soap.
z
ID Young Taxidern,ist.