The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-04-19

PA. Upolo, Samoa, March "a
After pleasant voyage of seven
= days on the Sonoma, early on the
morning OF March 18th we sighted Tu-
tuila-a heavy. black cloud. In an hour
o. so It was a sparkling emerald, daint-
lily embellishing the soft bosom OF the
blue ocean. Truly a land of greenness.
from the narrow strip of creamy sand
on the shore to the SUBMITS OF the
fantastic and abrupt mountains, proud
" raising their heads. as though con-
scious of their strength and graceful
ness. above the cosy harbor of Pago-
Page.
Inside the harbor. not much more
than half mile wide. little. oblong,
grass thatched houses nestled amid the
foliage.
The harbor is a fine one. apparently
from two to three miles long, the
green-clad mountains EMBEDDING it ris-
ing abruptly from the water. A few
vessels lazily basked therein, the train
ing ship Mohican, a gunboat, a schoon-
er and little island steamer about the
size of a rowboat, the "Kawau."
Brown forms emerge from the little
houses, and seen we are besieged by a
number of rowboats ard canoes, filed
with natives, remarkable for the brew
ity of their apparel, most of them clad
in the semi-altogether-a few feet of
printed calico or tapa from the waist to
the knees. A finely developed muscu-
lar crowd they were. some with leis
around their heads and necks. A smil-
ing, chattering group of big children,
so like the Hawaiians, but much more
primitive.
In their boats they had cocoanuts.
oranges with green insNripe-neck-
laces of shells and tapas. for sale.
Many came aboard. clambering up
the ropes the sailors laughingly held for
them. Two fat little Amazons danced
the siva-siva (the Samoan hula) to a
chant which sounded like
"a mi best, give me money, u fai ii, u
fai tai"
A very laudable melody I suppose
they considered it.
a sandy strip of road running around
the harbor constitutes the whole town
ship of Page Page, with a little land
besides. And this name, by the way,
is not pronounced Pehgo-Pehgo, or
Pahgo-pahgo. so often heard, but Pang
o-pang-o; the Samoans always sound
ing the 'g'' as ng, but with a very
sharp accent.
At D. m. we boarded the Hawai- for
Apia, in company with several Nor
mon missionaries and natives. She roll
ed like porpoise. In comparison the
notorious Kinau. in her worst moods.
is a becalmned vessel. But the evening
was entrancingly delightful. The de-
clining sun painted the clouds in rich
t;nts OF sapphire. opal and amethyst;
sweetness and softness filled all nature;
the world seemed to have been just
newly turned-out. bright and spark
ling. from the hand of the great Crea-
tor; gem in the crown OF the uni
verse.
Along the shore the waves leaped and
shouted among the rugged rocks and
little caves. kissing the foliage bending
low to them. from where the cocoanut
palms gracefully nodded above.
Then came an immense area OF palms
and beyond them a peaceful vision of
some white houses embowered in foli-
age. the spire of a church. with a large
building adjoining. the native school of
Atauloma. founded by the London Mis-
Society of Apia. Shortly after
the brilliant coloring of sea and sky
tie night came with her million eyes.
and the Southern Cross" softly gleam-
ing bringing thoughts of the genrlest
spirit the world ever knew. and the
sweeter and more fragrant life beyond
To which he sought to lead us.
When the day dawned Apia appeared
to us. Four hotels, coupled with as
many saloons. and an extra one thrown
in. several big warehouses. half dozen
or so decent sized stores. with no pre-
10 modern style, dwelling
houses strewn in between of common
type. government buildings, little one
story affairs. with native houses pro-
scattered about in the back
ground. looking out through the trees
and bushes; and all of it on the one
narrow street bordering the twisted
bay. But the foliage,
that is what inpresses you most, with
cocoanuts and cocoanuts, wherever
your eye wanders. In fact, Apia seems
a big village on the edge of the bush,
so wild is the growth of verdure.
In the center Of the harbor. close TO
the shore, is another interesting thing;
an inanimate. dead thing nova rusty
skeleton; all that remains of the proud
and mighty German battleship Adler
y rocked in the hurricance of 1889, de-
stroyed at 4 time when the wrath of
men Of different nations was turned
upon each other; and then Nature got
mad and showed man how puny he
was.
On shore scores of natives were stroll
ling about, in little groups and singly,