The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-01-23
TUTUILA AND ITS PEOPLE
CHARACTERISTICS OF UNCLE SANS
PARKWAY ISLAND SUBJECTS.
Canned Salmon, Salt Beef and Ships
biscuits Regarded Injuries
Umbrellas and Lanterns.
Wa shin gton Letter.

an absence of two and half years in
Samoa, where he has been engaged upon
government improvements in Page PagO
harbor. He has gathered many curios il
Illustrative of the life and customs of these
PARKWAY subjects of Uncle Sam. He was
one of colony of twenty-five Americans
who went to Pago PagO when the work on
the improvements began there. Mr.. Gay
Ter talked interestingly yesterday about the
island and the people.
I'VE have some very erroneous ideas here
about our Samoan possessions" said Mr..
Gayler, lin respect to the size and COM
mercial Importance of the islands and the
character of the people. We were at Tu-
tuila. which is the largest of the American
group of islands. Pago Page is one of the
cities Of this island. Tutuila is about the
area of the ground covered by my home
the city of st. Louis The island is rough
and mountainous. There is one mountain
200 feet high in the interior. This is very
rough and precipitous, and is covered with
a dense growth of trees, bushes, ferns and
vines. In the center Tutuila is utterly unin-
habtable, and only on the shore, on the
edges of the coves made by the spurs of
the hills is there any chance of habita-
ton. There are many of these coves in the
islands, and there the natives dwell and
cultivate the soil. They live in villages
from 600 to 500 in each, in fertile spots of
half a mile square on the edge of a sandy
beach, where fish are plenty. What they
raise on the farms and the fish they catch
in the give them subsistence
''The entire population of the American
islands is about $500 These are all Sa-
means except few traders and the mis-
siOnaries who have gone there TO instruct
eigners who have set up stores at different
points on the island. One of these is an
American sailor who deserted long ago.
CALICO PREFERRED TO BARK.
''The traders stores offer good oppor-
tunity of studying the character of the
Samoan. The most desirable article of
traffic is calico. This the native buys to
take the place of the rough bark garments
which they wore before Americans came.
Men and women buy it. The men wear it
wrapped around their waist, but the women
have learned to use it as a dress. Except
in the remote towns now it is not common
to see Samoan woman in native dress.
Next to calico the most desirable thing
In Samoa is canned salmon. The traders
carry good supply of this, and the ma
tives, who have plenty of fresh fish from
IL
a great luxury Salt beef is next in
favor They buy this in kegs for festal oc-
casions: When they are going to have a
feast they get a key of salt beef and a
case of ships biscuit, and then, with their
fresh fish and other native foods, they go
in for a good time. Umbrellas and Ian
terms come next in favor. 1t is strange
that they should want umbrellas, for they
go around with bare legs, and many of
them with bare bodies except the cloth
wrapped around their loins. If any people
could do without umbrellas IL would be the
Samoans, but they have taken a great
fancy to them. l suppose the reason is
that they do not like to get their heads
wet. They wear their hair pIastered up
well with cOcOanut oils, and perhaps a
wetting would spoil the effect.
They buy lanterns to keep off the ghosts.
They stand in great dread of the ghosts of
their ancestors, who, they say, visit them
to inflict punishment for wrongs done.
recall a case of q girl who had an awful
pain in her hip, which was due to a slap
she had received from one of her dead an
cestors. The ship doctor examined her and
called it sciatica, but the friends of the girl
knew well enough what caused 1t. They
| bury their dead near the villages, so that
they are within the circle of light from
their homes at night. Then, with a lantern
to protect them, they are safe, for no ghost
can come near light. They buy the COM
mon tin lantern. Once, when we were in
a boat at night, the native rowers were
greatly disturbed at a will-O'- the-wisp,
which could see on shore. They thought
| IL was the eye OF a SnOSt
HOW MONEY Is SECURED.
1.-The natives get money to buy those
things from the sale of curios to tourists
As soon as a ship enters the harbor they
flock around it in boats, offering fans, ma
| tive weapons and trinkets of every kind
| They are quick a bargaining, and as there
| are about six steamers a month they get
| good prices They also prepare and ship
| dried cocoanut, copra, as it is called
They crack the cocoanuts and then by a
| few skilIful strokes of the knife get out
the meat, which they expose for a few
! days in the sun. The sun is very hot and
| the meat dries quickly. These are the chief
! sources of income for the Samoan, but
| what he gets from them is not used for his
| subsistence. He lives on green bananas
! bread fruit, yams, etc, which are raised
! on the family farms. The money he spends
| for luxuries-calico, lanterns, umbrellas
etc. The natives at work on the improve
ments earned a dollar day. They usu-
| ally turned this money into the family
| funds, perhaps reserving a little for per
! sonal wants. The Samoans are communis-
| tic-that is, they live in families under a
| chief and all the relatives share in com
| mon fund and live on the products of a
| common farm.
| The Samoans are very fond of Ameri-
| cans. They are not eager to work for US
as they do not regard that kind of labor as
dignifled. They are not lazy by any means
| for they show much energy in their OWL
| affairs. Still, there are many of them al
| work on improvements. Chiefs as well As
| the ordinary natives work side by side
! there is no labOring class. They do MOI
learn our language readily, the cOnsO-
| nant endings bother them. They speak Of
| our language as suffering. When asked II
they can speak English they answer: No
| i do not stutter. They have adopted oul
| religion and are very jealous, especially a:
! to the observance of Sunday. They attend
| the meetings of the London Missionary
! Society and everybody goes. They put OF
/ their best and the women, who never veal
! ANYTHING on their heads at other times, al
| put on hats. These are woven hats, deco
| rated with dyed fbers woven into bands
and are bright and picturesque If they
| have some old garment given TO then
| by a sailor they treasure II carefully Il
! wear to church on Sunday.
| THE Samoan is tall and striking IN ap
| pearance. and many of the women are
| handsome Lately the Mormon missionarie!
| have been working among them Ihey arr
| Young women who follow the lead OF the
| other missionaries and open schools. There
! Is no teaching of polygamy, and II is well
| too for the SamOanS are very strict as e
| their family relations, and they would no
| tolerate such teaching if 1T We're attempted
| They are honest polite and dignifed They
! do not drink alcoholic liquors Of any kind
Since the prohibition by the government o
| the tariff at Samoa there has been no liquo
cold on the islands and the natives max
| no alcoholic drinks themselves.
Sailed q Million Miles at Sea.
| New York Press.
| One of the largest sailing vessels in tn