The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1901-07-12
THE "TANIFA" OF SAMOA. f:
BY LOUIS BECKE.
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MANY years ago-in 1s73-at the
Il close of an intensely hot day,
set out from Apia, the principal port
of Samoa, to walk to village named
Laulii, a few miles along the coast.
1 was bound on pigeon-shooting
trip to the mountains, and intended
sleeping that night at Laulii with
some native friends who were to join
me farther on. Passing through the
semi-Europeanized town of Matautu,
1 emerged out upon the open beach.
With me was a young Polynesian
half-caste named Alan, about % years
of age, and one of the most perfect
specimens of athletic manhood in the
South Pacific. For six months we
had been business partners in small
cutter trading between Apia and Sa-
vaii-the largest island of the Samoan
group. Now, after some months of
toll, we were taking a weeks holiday
together, and enjoying ourselves
greatly, although at the time the
country was in the throes of an in
ternecine war.
A walk of mile brought us to the
mouth of the Vaivasa river, small
stream flowing into the sea from the
ittoral on our right. The tide was
high; therefore we hailed picket
stationed in the trenches on the OPP
posite bank, and asked them in a joe
ular manner not to fire at us while
we were wading across. To our sur
prise-for we were both well known
to the contending parties and on very
friendly terms with them-half a
dozen men sprang up and excitedly
babe us not attempt to cross.
$50 farther up the bank and cross
to our olo Qines) in a canoe" added
young Manono chief, whose family
I knew well. 'There is tanifa about.
We saw it last night"
That was quite enough for us-for
the name tanifa sent cold chill down
our backs. We turned to the right,
and after walking quarter of a mile
came to a hut on the bank at spot
regarded as neutral ground. Here we
found some women and children, and
a canoe; and in less than five minutes
we were landed on the other side, the
women chorusing the dreadful fate
that would have befallen us had we
attempted to cross the mouth of the
river.
'E lima gaia lie umi!" ("'Tis five
fathoms long!'') cried one old dame.
'And a fathom wide at the Shout
ders," said another lady, with shud-
der. "It hath come to the mouth of
the Vaivasa because it hath smelt the
blood of the three men who were
killed in the river here two days ago."
We'll hear the true yarn present
ly," said my companion as we walked
down the left-hand bank of the river.
'There must be a tanifa cruising
about, or else those Manono fellows
wouldn't have been so scared at us
wanting to cross"
AS soon as we reached the young
chiefs quarters we were made very
welcome, and were obliged to remain
and share supper with him and his
men-all stalwart young natives from
the little island of Manono, a lovely
spot situated in the straits separat-
ing Upolu from Savaii. Placing our
guns and bags in the care of one of
the warriors, we took our seats on
the matted floor and filed our pipes;
and, whilst a bowl of kava was being
prepared, Lilo, the young chief, told
us about the advent of the tanifa.
Let me first explain, before giving
the chiefs statement, that the tanifa
is somewhat rare and greatly dread
ed member of the shark family. By
many white residents it was believed
occasionally to measure from 20 to 25
feet in length-as matter of fact it
seldom exceeds ten feet; but its great
girth and solitary, nocturnal habit
have invested it, even to the native
mind, with fctional powers of vo-
racity and destruction. However, al
though the natives accounts of the
creature are exaggerated, it is really
a dreadful monster, and is the more
dangerous to human life because of
the persistency with which it fire.
quents muddy and shallow water at
the mouths of streams, particularly
after a freshet caused by heavy rain,
when its presence cannot be dis
cerned.
Into the port of Apia there fall two
small streams-called rivers by the
local people-the Mulivai and the
Vaisigago. I was fortunate enough
to see specimens of the tanifa on
three occasions, twice at the Vaisi-
gago and once at the mouth of the
Mulivai; but I had never seen one
caught, or even sufficiently exposed
to give an idea of its proportions.
However, many INDEPENDENTLY
an old Raratongan named Hapai, who
lived in Apia and was the proud cap
turer of several tanifa-gave me re-
liable description. which afterwards