The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-04-20
MUL|NUU and NATAUTU.
THE BIG BAY AT UPOLU. SAMOA,
DESCRIBED
What is Meant by Apia and How 9th
err Villages are Situated Along the
Sweeping Crescent.

The stranger reaching the Samoan
capital, sees from the deck of
the steamer a crescent bay opening
in wide sweep before him, a crescent
so unguarded that it seems to be no
harbor at all, but a mere roadstead,
open to the swells of the Pacific. From
point to point the width of the bay is
about one mile, while from the mid
die of the line which would connect
these points the bay cuts into the
shore about one-half mile. Imagine
the crescent beach to be a bow and the
line from point to point the string.
where the string is imagined there is
a line of coral reef sharp as knives,
and but a few feet below the surface
of the water. The long swells of the
Pacific change on these reefs in calm
weather into a whirl of foam, and in
storm into breakers that Will be re-
membered There is one narrow op-
ening in the reef, and into that the pi-
lot steers straight away, with a moral
certainty that there will be one more
wreck added to the long list of this
"harbor" if anything goes wrong. Once
inside there is good anchorage in all
weathers except hurricanes a little less
than half mile from shore.
The entire circuit of the bay from
point to point by the beach road which
is the one street of the settlement is
less imam TWO miles. 1t is pODuldltu
throughout it's whole length, and to
the visitor this is what is known as
Apia. But Apia is a far more restrict
ed term in the native application, and
it is this fact that accounts for some of
the obscurities of the kilograms The
westernmost point of the bay is Null
nuu, the historic home of the Samoan
kings. Next comes Matafele, where
the German interests have Concentrat-
cd hrinUa
over a little river, the Mulivai, and
Apia proper is reached, where the
American and British influences have
gathered. Crossing another little riY
err, the VaisinganO, one leaves Apia
and enters Matautu, named for the
easternmost point of the bay to which
it extends. Passing this point the road
runs along the shore line of the island
and open sea past the British and the
American consulates, passing four viii
lagos named as distinct by the natives
within two miles.
Just as it was in Chicago a few years
ago an impossiblity for a stranger to
tell that he had crossed a municipal
boundary between Lake View. Chicago
and Hyde Park, so it is in Samoa. To
the stranger, it is all Apia, but to the
resident the villages and their respeC-
tive rights in every district. 1t is
Apia that has been subject to the au
thOrity of the consular board of the
three nations, under the treaty of Ber
lin Except as to land titles and the
supreme court and the Interpretation OF
the right of succession to the throne,
the foreigners are virtual interlOpers
everywhere else.
The cablegrams tell us that Admiral
Kautz ISSUED a proclamation calling
upon Mataafa and his chiefs to return
to their homes Mataafa evacuated
Mulinuu," this being the westernmost
point of the bay shore and the place
where Samoan royalty always dwells.
Then as a result of proclamation is
sued by the German consul, UNFOLDING
the Mafaatans, the latter assembled
in large force and hemmed in the city,
this meaning Apia, the foreign conces
sion. THE Americans then fortified
Mulinuu. The rebels barricaded the
roads within the municipality" mean
ing Apia, land seized the British hous-
es" The rebels ignored a threat to
evacuate with a threat of lombard
ment and commenced an attack in
the direction of the British and Amerl
can consulatesS' thus turning from the
American forces at the west and direc-
ting their attack eastward. Then be-
gan the bombardment of the native viii
lagos.
1t will be seen that these movements
occupied a very small range of dis
lance. The bombardment of the ram
bling villages along the water front
would be entirely effective, for no re-
sistence to modern guns could be eX-
pected from the native houses.
TRUMBULL WHITE.