Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-04-29
HOW THE SAMOANS FEAST
after A BATTLE.
lie Their Happy Custom to indulge Feastns Dancing
Whether They Have Been Victorious or MOI.

Apia. Samoa, via San Francisco.
had not been here three days before I
discovered that the samoans are a
cheerful people. who refuse TO know
when they are beaten. They absolutely
know no such thing aa depression and
the Samoan spirits rise like yeast under
the influence OF warmth and favorable
surroundings. He can be very cheerful
indeed under circumstances that would
make an Englishman or an American
very much depressed.
The Samoan forgivcs his enemies and
expects them 10 forgive him. lie cher
ishes no evil over the setting OF the sun
and for that reason II II hard to make
him keep up a campaign OF fighting. A
rIft OF a roast pig from the enemy viii
turn his party principles oompleteiyi
and II puzzles him TO understand how
people can continue to nEht men who
are kind and generous.
ON the other hand the Samoan II cx-
cltable and demonatrative. II you
afouse him he Ia easily led 60 cxtrcmc
deeds. and he thinks no more of nring
Into your camp than he does Of shooting
at flock " blackbiriH. Aftcr the
sun has set he will shake hands With
you. and smoke with you. lie Is not
treaoheroua but his anger II quick and
soon over.
Tho samoan has not dealt recently
with encmlsa Of tho American stamp.
and he does not understand why cam.
paign should be organized against hin.
To-day he helps the Germans and To-.
morrow he helps the Americans. ~
least he would do ~ II he could, He
sincerely regrets that the Germans have
him In their power and. could he ea-
cape and shake hands with the svi,nen
81 the Philadelphia. he would do u. lie
does not rccosnis" how hcinous " MS
| offcnae and he does not appreciate how
sincerely the United States feels the
loss 81 a single marine.
After a battle the Samoan u at his
| hnppicat. lie has f0uEht ana he II rcady
To celebrate. whether q victory or dc.
| feat. II II immatefial ~ him. Down IN
| his heart he probably prufcfn victory,
but az q samoan chief said 20 a friend
| Of the writer, what n victory 10 US
| when we arr not fighting Tot the
| Mntahfa or Tamnacae. We know that II
Il for another nation even " the Ma.
thhfa II on the throne We do not get
the benefit. 20 what matter. We feast
after We have fought and our allies pay
| U.S."
a samoan battle feast Ia a marvellous
spread. The last one took place April
!, In homer Of the rklrmish which the
samoan- had the week before. II took
| q week 10 get the feast ready although
| tho natives worked hard for a.. The
| Taupo Or fayofite Of each family had
her young girls working and the We
men, A. well az the men. got ready for
the battle feast.
When tho feast was spread u was n
marvellous sight II lay upon the
| ground. for they DO not have tables In
Samoa. and II looked like one OF the
feast % the tropical fairy tales which
ono. reads Of In those strange Arabian
| books.
The table which was three hundred
feet long was made % banana leaves 81
enormous size. The leaves wsrv laid
| side by side. on top % each other upon
the ground. until they formed n thick
| covering three hundred feet long and
ten feet wide. This would seat two
hundred and nifty guests, n guest being
allowed only little more than foot
o. space. Each place was marked by q
fresh cOcoanut which was broken 20
that Its contents could DO drunk. There
| was no water upon the table, aud, a.
the guests Med around. each seated
| himself at a cocnanut which corrc-
sponded 20 cover" Hiey sat at the
table orosH-leggcd and very pietur-
enquc sight they made with their little
short skirts, and giiHteninE bodies
rubbed with cocoanut oil until they
| Hhone.
Al every ak covers there was whole