Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-12
UNDER OUR CQMRQL
Establishing Protection Over Tutuila
and Manua.
QUALIFICATION OF THE NATIVES
FIag-Raising Ceremonies at Pago-
Page.
NO CHANGE IN GOVERNMENT

nected with the formal acquisition Of Tutu-
ila and Manua and adjacent islands of the
Samoan group are contained in a report
from Commander B. F. Tilley, comman-
dant of the naval station at Tutuila. The
report is dated at Pago-Pago. April 10. and
contains the full account of the ceremonies
Incident to the establishment of the sover-
eighty of the United States over the island
mentioned
Commander Tilley says he was ordered to
assume command of the Naval station.
Tutuila,'' and furnished with copy Of the
Presidents proclamation assigning the
Island Of Tutuila and the other islands Of
the Samoan group east of III degrees OF
longitude. west of Greenwich. to the De-
partment of the Navy. to be used as a naval
station. He received this order April i.
while at Apia with the Abarenda. and made
arrangements to hoist the American flag
at Pago-Pago Tutuila, April II. Desiring
that there should be appropriate ceremonies
upon the occasion he issued. through the
United States consul general. invitations TO
all the prominent officials in Apia to at
tend.
Meeting of Manua Chiefs.
Believing it desirable to have the natives
of the islands of Manua participate in the
ceremony" says Commander Tilley. Il pro-
ceeded to Manua with the Abarenda. April
II, taking with me all high chiefs of Tutuila
for the purpose of extending to the people
of Manua the cordial invitation to attend.
Immediately upon my arrival sent letter
to the TUT Manua Qking), requesting
meeting of the chiefs on the following day,
as L had something important to cOmmun1-
cate to them. l received courteous an
swer from the TUT Manua. and a phono
was appointed for the following day. March
II, at 10 am. 1 attended this phono. &C
NF -,
Abarenda and Consul General L. w. Osborn
of Apia. whom l had invited to come down
from Apia. The phono was conducted with
great ceremony. and. before any business
could be conducted two hours were taken
up with drinking kava.
description of Manua and its people.
and what took place on the occasion In
question. Is given in report prepared by
Assistant Surgeon Blackwell as follows:
I'VE left Pago-Pago harbor in the United
States steamer Abarenda about I am. on
April H. and about pm. We cast anchor
OFF the village Of Tau. the seat of govern
ment of the islands. upon an island of the
same name These beautiful islands lie in
the South Pacific ocean, about sixty miles
almost due east of the Island of Tututla.
The group consists of three islands-Manua
or Tau, Ofu and Olosega. Tau is the most
eastern and the largest containing twenty
square miles The other two are about six
miles to the west. and contain four or five
square miles. They are of volcanic origin,
surrounded ny cnrai reefs ana rise poiodH
feet and the others about 800 feet. In Ofu
ara oiostsa ohiy d shitii strip Oh iahd along
the sea shore ana extending up tne noun
tam side a snort distance can be cultivated.
nearlv the whole Of # can he cuItivated
even to the mountain tops.
hese islailus appear 10 nave oeen tne
and the resi- war, settled from them Eron
whence the original inhabitants came is still
a matter of conjecture. but authorities gem
orally agree that they came from the East
Sunda n is tbnuebt that most ,f tha po,v
resian Islands We're sstt,ed fr" on 't The ~
,n"an ero'n a. tharo l.. I'm e,1 81
~ rnannar Is.o.sr -. q d {. 20. ny
~ CUSTOMS anu lang
The First Settlers.
The population of the Manua Islands ia
ahou, . no A. th.,, o, ~, g.. -.
" ZIG " 'e''ieo'
'he INHABITANTS consioer themselves superior
TO the people or the other Islands. When
ever the high chiefs of all the islands meet
toeeth IT in council the lava 10 n,ssad =, ~.
biyb chief or 1.-Two, ~ NJ, e..
an non,i.drnt s Isl WHICH ~
1h.sa isio"a h'n oi nus preceoence.
n,o "a e ietaueu ,neir hatVe
the raat. snr ba;nn s,,oii a,5 tnah any OF
fror, r. 49, thn I al" wen removed
,ndar ~ jos' ~ na e no come 30 much
ersl ''o Vi ING oou'h sea trad
..,,, 1, ,,.,
can Arft
az - -, us; res there IN iS5o mas
tbair ah,,rah Wiz .. among them. Ihey have
ava naaaaf,,1I 80 .HuoiS. anu iiVe happily
NJ thoi ,,; uuei ehe wise ruiershlp or
iooLina "a INC, t,. 3l Nihs' VINO Is flne-
i'on''e anu very hteHsent man.
Conference With the kim.
After anchoring a beat was sent ashora
with the Interpreter and an officer with let
ters for the king. and a request that a boat
be sent off for the Tutuila natives we had
brought along. among whom were tn.
three high chiefs, Tuitele. Manga and IT,
mali. The boat was son, ard tio -.
went ashore The neyt ,nornir,. o,t .
o'clock Cant ,TiIlav NJ on, nt.i, ANU !,
American cons,,, cc,,raI - "e' ,i1
wife and sevar.I e H. ~, a. - pia anu ms
tn Ynaat ,be kira a., IN M went ashor5
to inform tbem that ,ba 49,; a, Io G, an,
assumed controI nf ,ha i,s states haA
I've ,rant IT, = -
natives viii Chis Ts; o"', manned ~
Tbnre ,,,a 80 orre huieae as c4xs"a'h:
80 tho., - -, p"naaSI III Tue coTai
- - 81 W" 49,, tiie "oat Had 70 GO IL
- 80 .ui ~. jug tiie SUR anu oeached,
~, VIZ men nv, Sd!iieo ashore on TN.
o"Ihs " i.dli'es. lhtJ ulsp!ayed remark
apie shill III hdi;diihS the BOAT IN the mar
it through the surf They we'll daSarva
the name Of Navigators' Islands, given to
f,oatinp over the heamtif, 'm ,,il,s samoan nag