Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1899-08-10
tton OF the Biographies of these states
will be needed each year Memphis
Seimitar
STARTLING DRESS IN SAMOA.


In spite of the simplicity OF national
ATTIRE he single tapN lava-lava, or
loin cloth, worn by ALL both sexes
alike the Samoans spend great deal
of their time in identifying themselves.
The body is creased with cocoanut oil
ana the hair Is often plasterSi with
white lime and roached up pompadour
style, giving II when dry the effect OF
the judicial harristers, The lime Is
washed or at night and renewed from
day 10 day. The result Is a GRADUAL
change in the Color OF the hair which,
IN undergoing the bleaching process,
passes from coarse, coal black,
through brick red to u bright yellow,
The effect OF this brilliant contrast
with their shiny copper skins Is gro
! iesQue IN the extreme, but in their eyes
| surprisingly beautiful, Neither sex Ia
| ovcrhurdencd with clothes. The COM
mon dress for both men and women Ia
the already mentioned lava lava, a
Kind of Kilt or piece OF drapery wound
about the waist in a manner whose ad-
lNstment seems to foreigners nothing
short or miraculous. The adults, how
ever seem 70 have no difficulty In
keeping the lava lava In place, but the
children are less expert and careful OF
theirs, and often lose the scant scrap
of cotton stun that serves as an out-of.
door costume. Children or all ares
Indoors, and babies In arms eyery-
where, wear no clothing at all. This
| KIND of garment or drapery, pcrhaps.
would be a better word for it's, In
slightly varied form, common to most
South Sea- islanders, rs we'll as inhab-
tants OF the Indian aNhirelago and
tue southern countries OF Asia. II is
called by the Malays a sarong, and its
name differs In different groups Of
Polynesia, The Malays and Killings OF
SINGAPORE, Ceylon, and the Malaysian
peninsula wear II loose or straight,
while the Burmese aud Siamesc tuck
II up something after the manner OF
the well-known infantile accessory
The tinery and gtmcraok adornments OF
civilization are now gaining foot
hold In Samoa, rs elsewhere In tho
track of commeWe. particularly with
the feminine heart, and II Is not unus-
ull to see Samoan lady gorgeously
arrayod In One mat lava-lava com
/ hlncd with u ball gown waist or velvet
basque cut Wrecked, or with her hair
done up In empire style and wearing,
to complete her toilet. n string OF forms
about her waist and necklace OF
sharks teeth around her dusky throat
bust, arms and limbs hare~-prome-
nading with all the refreshing grace
aud conscious airs OF Bridget on her
Sunday outing. the observed of all oh.
servers, hut there Is one shackle of
civilization they positively refuse to
aeccpt~~shoes and stockings. Perhaps,
however, this is because they can find
no covering large enough for tho abor-
iginal Tribes" Nevertheless, in one
OF the fights In which our native allies
participated | observed ono warrior
proudly wearing a pair of 1G-button
black silk stockings extending above
the knees, with his huge black feet
protrnding beyond the soles. which
were worn through. He had doubtless
looted them from some European
house, whose owner fed when hostlli-
Ties began San Francisco Chronicle.