The times., 1898-09-04
SAMOAN CHIEFS.
They Take In Washing. But Are Not
Too Honest.
(From the New York SUM-

(From the New York SUM-
n Samoan chief has a ravenous hunger
for testimonials. Promptly on making ac-
quaintance with the hereditary ruler Of
any one of the island communities one
meets the request or demand for tusi, a
writing. No matter how slight or how
formal the association, the white man is
expected TO write a paper setting forth
the conspicuous virtues of the potentate,
dwelling with especial emphasis on his
capacity for letting horses, getting up Sa-
moan picnics or dances. and particularly
his reliability and promptness in the very
necessary matter of washing clothes To
each new arrival on the beach at Apia
are presented by batch of chiefs their
respective sheafs of testimonial tusis. con-
cerning the reliability of which there can
be no doubt.
Folau, who was the Samoan chief JUS
tice of the native supreme court until he
settled a personal dispute by a reversion
TO a method of practice antedating the in
stitution of law courts. in which he
dubbed an important member OF parlia-
ment, has a pocketbook filed with his
testimonials, a collection OF the auto
graphs of officials and globe-trotting Wis
itors, as we'll as proof of their willing
ness to oblige a friend and depart some
what widely from strict truth. Seumanu-
tafa, the chief of Apia and a man highly
honored by the American Government for
bravery al the time of the hurricane. uses
the letters with which he was honored by
admirals and high officials al that time
Once in while some tourist intrusts
himself for a month TO the baroness of
the Apia hotels; TO him comes the occa-
sion of having to read all these testimon-
ials before making the momentous de-
pf =sn of trttr tf,
largest harvest comes for the chiefs when
a war vessel makes it's first visit to the
harbor. Then Folau and half a dozen
other men of rank set briskly forth TO pay
their respects. Always among the first
Is the great whaieboat which the United
States gave TO Seumanutafa. and. as his
testimonials glis:en with seals and waste
OF wax, he claims the first consideration
On equal terms he pays his call upon the
commanding officer. and lays before him
the precious documents. which show what
great man the chief of Apia really Is
among the great ones of the earth. Seu-
manutafa will talk by the hour with the
newcomer on the high political themes
which the stranger vainly thinks are of
interest TO the local statesman. But at
the end broad hint, in fact, a blunt de-
mand, suggests that "Fa atulia he do
your wash cheap, he got plenty girl. -
Fa tatulia being, despite the masculine
pronoun, the chiefs wife. At the same
time there is always a pretty girl in a
canoe somewhere in plain sight of the
quarterback. A hail from the chief brings
her aboard for exhibition: she probably
improves the opportunity to beg a shiI-
| ling on her own account and she gets
the contract to wash for the commander.
and never fails to ask him 10 order the
wardroom to patronize her as we'll Few
commanding officers are quite at their
| ease in the role of soliciting agent for a
| colored washerwoman. But in some way
| folds away his testimonials in readiness
for the next opportunity for their dis
| play.
AT first it seems a little awkward to
| spend one day in discussing with a chief
! the affairs of state and persuade him not
| TO declare war, and then to summon
| him next day TO explain a discrepancy In
the list of pieces returned from the wash
! In either case, If he finds that he is be-
| ing held to a strict accounta bility he sud
| denly loses all his English and promises
| TO talk about IL later. when he has an in
| terpreter. The Samoans look upon II as
| the mark OF an inferior station if a white
man shows disposition to hold them to
strict accountability either in statecraft
| or laundry work. In politics a thing said
| is far better than a thing done In laun-
| dry accounts. if there is a shortage in
| the pieces returned. or If the articles are
| of varied ownership scattered all along
the beach, those little things are supposed
| to be wiped out by the enormous bunch
of flowers which the girl brings with the
clothes.