The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1899-10-21
GALLANT sAMoANs
Even In Time of War the Men Are
Respectful and Attentive
to Women.

samoa neither my mother nor myself
ever had the slightest fear of the Sam
oans, though we lived through more
than one war and very exciting panic.
During the troublesome times of
1S93-94 there were constant rumors of
an attack upon Apia by the rebels of
AtLa. Our house, vailima, lay on the
Ioad three miles behind the town, on
The mountainside of Vaea, between the
two opposing factions, and often on a
busy morning we could hear the drums
of war party; men of the Taumasaga
government party coming up to
Vailima to skirmish for the enemy in
the woods behind our house. Though
we were well known to be Mataafa sup
porters, the Taumasaga men would
greet us cordially and willingly accept
breakfast of tea and ships biscuits.
Then the family would assemble on the
veranda to hear the news, and there
would be much joking and lively ex-
change of badinage, for the Samoan is
cheerful person and easily moved to
laughter.
Though not afraid of the men, 1 must
confess to looking with considerable
alarm upon their weapons, rusty old
guns and rifles loaded to the muzzle
and pointing in every direction, as they
sat cross-legged on the mats Hospitality
spread for them and drank their tea.
When they finally departed, with a
friendly "Alofa," the feu de joie they
fired off in honor of the family was
truly terrifying, as the bullets few in
all directions.
During that time often went alone
or with party of native girls into the
forest to get certain plant. We would
cut of the leaves, and sitting by pool
OF water, strip the stalks into long
white ribbons that we afterward wove
into fans and baskets. During these
excursions we often encountered bands
OF warriors, hunting or travelling par
ties OF Samoan men. Instead of being
afraid, we made them useful, begging
them to carry our bundles of stalks or
borrowing their terrible head-kniyes
to cut more.
Late one afternoon / was riding up
from town alone and met war party
coming down the forest road. They
were in fighting trim; instead of the
graceful lava-lava that reaches to the
knee they wore little more than a
breech clout covered by a girdle of
leaves; on their broad brown shoulders
were garlands of green, which they
also twisted about their ankles; tall.
sinewy men they were, polished with
freshly scented cocoanut oil until their
bodies shone like bronze. On their
heads they wore scarlet turbans of the
Malicious, and they were armed with
rifles and dead tooth" knives.
l drew my horse to one side in the
shadow of the trees to let them pass.
saying: "Alofa ALL" Greeting, o
chiefs), to which they all replied with
the single word 'Sula," that the die
tionary defines as a term of admira-
ton for wealth or beauty, and smil-
ingly and courteously passed on.
Twice have visited Mataafa's camp
in wartime, and it is not surprising
that we should be well received there.
as 1t was known far and wide that our
sympathies were on that side, and Mr..
Stevenson and the grand old chief were
friends of long standing. But to reach
the camp we had to ride through
Malietoa villages crowded with armed
men, who knew our errand. On one
OF our excursions, as Mr.. Stevenson, my
mother and / reached the last town on
the outskirts of the Taumasaga, we
whipped up our horses and passed at
good pace. On reaching the turn of
the road i heard an exclamation from
Mr.. Stevenson, and looking back we
saw my mother far behind us in the
center of the village, surrounded by a
crowd of armed men. With some alarm
we turned and galloped back to find
that her saddle had turned, and that
these gentlemen had come to her as
sistance. Another time, during brisk
sklrmish between the two forces,
wanted to make some sketches, and nv
mother and walked over alone to the
camp of the Malietoa men. We wan
dered about without the least fear.
The native houses are like huge bowl
shaped roofs set on short stills, and are
open on all sides to the gaze of the pub
lie. We could see the soldiers looking
out at us, occasionally greeting us
with friendly ''Alofas' and invitations
to enter. We accepted the hand of
handsome brown girl, who ran out
and led us, like little children, into her
house, and offered us freshly gathered
cocoanuts to drink. A young man, /
remember, was sitting on the floor fill.
ing cartridges, and he looked at us
somewhat resentfully, but no remark
was made except the ironical one of a
passing soldier, who asked as we were
leaving if we found the Malietoa men
so much handsomer than the Mataafans
that we came here 'shadow-catching,"
as they call drawing and photography.