Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-03-07

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mandatory which keeps him in far
charmingly writes to friend at home
under date of Jan. LIST at sea-"
Il have had a novel experience
since writing to you before in visiting
Pagopago in Tutuila, one of the Navi-
gator or Samoan islands. 1t was at one
of these islands, Apia, where two
years or so ago there was terrible
ed, among which were 10 U. S. war
ships, one German, and one English
warship, while one English ship es-
capped by steaming out to sea into
the very teeth of the gale, and for
nearly two hours with all the steam
that it could carry it could not see
that it was making any Roadway
Then little by little it began to gain,
and passing one of our ships which
was dragging anchors and going 20
certain death, the United States
sailors joined and gave the British
ship three rousing cheers as she
passed. l am told that at Apia now
can be seen the German ship, high
and dry on the shore, while there are
the wrecks of several others lying
along the shore of the bay Since
then the islands have been divided,
the Germans taking Apia, and the
United States have this island,
Tutuila, on which, at Pagapago,
they are now building govern
ment docks and making a place for
warships to take on coal
about $3.50 p. m. on Friday Dec
2Sth, we arrived in sight of the island
and by $3.50 were steaming along the
northeast side looking for the harbor.
1t was the first time that this ship or
it's officers had called here and there
was more or less uncertinty as to
where the entrance might be. We
had turned and were steaming back
towards the south end when, from an
opening between the larger island and
smaller one to the south, we saw
two white boats coming out In one
of them we could see the American
flag flying. This we judged to be the
pilot coming to us and SO steamed in
towards the boats.
Run Down.
The islands were rough with high
cliffs along the sea and high
mountains in the interior, but all
beautifully green and seemed to be
clothed with a heavy growth of
timber. About two miles from shore
we came to the boats. The steamer
Stacked speed and we took the pilot
on our ladder and more of the natives
in the boat wished to follow but the
officers of the steamer would not per-
NIT it. The engines started and they
were still clinging to the ships ladder,
when tie vessel rolled little so the
ladder caught the side of their boat
and in moment it was forced under
water and filled. Some jumped into
the water and swan towards the
other boat which was approaching,
while the others kept their places
sitting in the water up to their waists
and holding in their hands high over
their heads articles which they had
brought out to sell and which they
were trying to keep dry. We soon
saw them bailing out the water with
oar blades and cocoanut dishes and
the other boat standing by to help
them if they needed it. 1t seemed
cruel to me to go off and leave them
in this way after they had brought
the pilot out to us.
I'VE were now steaming towards
land and the pilot took our steamer
right in between the two islands and
over coral reef on which the water
was so clear that we could see the
bottom but where the lead as they
threw it showed 515 fathoms. For
two miles or more we skirted along
the south shore of the large island
and as we passed the small island to
the south we could see long low
stretch of land only little above sea
level, but covered with thick growth
of cocoanut palms. Among these we
could see the matched roofs of native
huts and one large white building
which we afterward learned was a
native church. At last we turned in
towards the center of the island
through narrow opening and, swing
ing around a headland to the left,
we were in the small but deep harbor
of Pagopago.
Wondering Aborgines.
"As we were the first west-bound
passenger ship to enter this place
and as only one east-bound passenger
steamer had been there before US we
naturally created quite a sensation
among the inhabitants. AS we came
along the shore they had gathered in
their boats from all the little native
villages and were coming in all direc.
lions towards us. By the time our
steamer had fastened to the buoy in
the harbor there were 20 or 80 boats
filed with people about US. There
was all kinds of craft-old style
whale-bosts, ship boats, long and
short, two or three lifeboats and
dozens of the native boats which were
queerest of them all These are a
dugout. or sort of a catameran, made
from the body OF a small, straight
tree. with an outrigger fastened to one
side to keep them from topping over.
These little boats were so narrow that