The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1900-01-18
TUTUILLA.
Something About the Island Re-
Gently Coded to q. S.

Since hearing of the annexation of
the Samoan island of Tutuilla to the
United States, / have been made to
remember scene that / witnessed
there nine years ago. What wonder
full changes have taken place in so
short time. Then the words Hawaii,
Philippine and Samoan were hardly
understood by the average reader
while now they are on every tongue.
In order that the reader may better
understand the bit of history / am
going to relate, shall tell how hap
pened to visit the Samoan Islands. i
had been at work in Honolulu for IL
weeks watching for chance to work
my way around the world on some
vessel bound for Japan and China;
but no chance appearing, decided to
try it by way of New Zealand and
Australia. $50 learning that the
Mariposa bound for Sidney was ex-
pected IMPORT lnext morning, was
down atithe wharf before day with
eager expectancy of what might de-
velop in my case. AS soon as it was
light enough to clear the reefs, the
great ship came slowly steaming in.
In those days, it was gala day when
a vessel arrived in port, for the peo-
pie were sometimes three weeks with
out the mails or any communication
with the outside world, so the wharf
was lined with people. When the
mate came ashore, / asked him for a
job; but received no encouragement.
After hanging around the vessel all
day and part of the night, pressing
my suit with every officer that came
ashore, / finally got my case lobbied
through; and about midnight was told
to come aboard. They turned on the
steam and slowly sailed out past the
great white hull of the Charleston,
the warship that was recently wreck
ed in the Philippines. 1 lay down on
the deck aand was soon fast asleep.
The most delightful place to sleep in
the world is on the deck of ship
with a calm sea in the tropics. In
the morning the land had disappear
ed, and we were greeted with one of
those glorious sunrises at sea, the
granduer of which it is useless to try
to desc ribe. l was put to work in the
engine room and soon become ac-
quainted with the head engineer who
was an old Southerner, and one of
the most sociable and agreeable men
l ever met. He told me that the first
land we should see was the Samoan
Islands 1900 miles away.
In order that the reader may better
appreciate what follows will give a
little description of our ship: The
Mariposa was 800 feet long and 40
feet wide. She carried 5000 tons of
freight andiwas propelled by an en-
CINE of $4,000 horse power; had six
boilers 4feet in diameter, and it kept
II men shoveling coal all the time to
feed her great furnaces. On the
morning of! the eighth day, the ship
came suddenly to stop. The engineer
said we were at the island of Tutulila,
and for me to hurry up on deck and
take in the sights. About two miles
away, the island arose from the sea
into high mountain, covered to the
very top with great palms, ferns and
banana trees. 1t is without doubt
one of the most beautiful islands /
ever saw. On level space, by the
sea, stood large mission house sur
rounded by the grass huts of the
natives. Three canoes, full of natives,
had come out to meet us. The people
wore very little clothing, but the de-
ficiencykwas made good by their
bodies being heavily tatooed. They
had brought out many things to sell,
such as fans, beads and war clubs.
AT our end. of the ship was canoe
containing man and two women.
We would throw pieces of money in
to the sea, and the women would
dive after them. The water was SO
clear that we could see the nickel
many feet below the surface. The
women would watch the coin for a
moment then dart after it like an
arrow. Out of half a dozen they only
missed getting one. These people
look very much like the people of
Hawaii and no doubt are of the same
race. They have fine physiques. and
human flesh was certainly never built
into more beautiful forms.
In their eagerness to drive bar
gain, three or four of the women had
climbed. onto the ship and when we
started the people in the canoes
hurriedly padded Eaway to avoid be-
ing capsized by the great waves
caused by the ships screw. l wonder
ed what was to become of the women,
but they kept right on trading and
paid no attention to the new turn of
affairs. After we had got under full
Roadway and gone perhaps half a
mile, one. of the women gathered up
her fans and .other stock of trade,
and made leap of about Is feet down
into the sea. She sank several feet,
but bobbed up like cork, and began
to swim off towards the island. After
awhile another jumped off, then an
other and another until they were all
gone and were scattered about over
the sea. ! suppose they were all go