The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-03-26

Some Impressions of His Visit-Simi-
larity Existing Between Present Sa-
moa and Ancient Hawaii.

Theodore WOres, the artist, was a re-
turning passenger on the Sierra from
Samoa where he has been staying since
the first of the year as the guest of
Gustav Kunst, painting and making flu
ture notes of the artistic possibilities Of
the group.
Mr.. Wores has been very successful
in gaining interesting insight into ma
tive ways, and customs and has come
back armed with some finished can
vases and many impressions for fu-
ture work. The weather was somewhat
against out of door work, being very
rainy, but the artist penetrated into the
interior and visited places little fire.
quened by the white man. being re-
warded with glimpses of primitive life
that are invaluable and open a new
field for art reproduction.
Mr.. WOres tells an interesting story
of the country and it's people doubly
entertaining on account Of the similar
ity between the present life of the Sa-
means to what in all probability life
must have been in Hawaii perhaps two
centuries ago The men are magni-
ticent. They come swinging down the
paths like superb Greek bronze statues
vitalized. Their torsOs, their limbs, are
all wonderfully and perfectly develop
ed and their strength is equal to their
appearance A man will casually carry
on his shoulder log that white man
would put a horse to hauling. The
white man is pigmy compared to the
average Samoan and he feels it as he
walks beside one of these modern
giants, whose massive muscles play up
and down his body as he walks.
Their houses, built Of grass are as
Greek temples to a brick building COM
pared with the grass huts of the Ha
Waiians. They are a very primitive
people in their simplicity of character,
. I.H0H Too.
and many unwritten but religiOusly
kept laws and codes of morality that
they are seldom given credit for. The
rain came down in torrents when l
was there and the heat is excessive.
Hawaii in it's dog days cannot compare
with Samoa for heat.
"Vailima, the residence of Mr..
| Kunst, has been completely rebuilt
since StevensOns time, it having been
practically destroyed with a shell from
| a war vessel when Samoa was going
| through her annexation period and is
the only place to live on the island,
that approaches anything like comfort
and luxury. Apia is a miserable look
/ ing place, almost all one street of very
unpretentious buildings and boasting a
population of only three or four hum
dred white folks.
/ The inter-island accommodation is
very primitive. The trip from PagO
PagO to Apia takes all night, and you
have to ship in little steamer without
cabin accommodations the passengers
sitting up all night on benches. When
it rains which it did when 1 was
/ there you have absolutely no shelter
and get wringing wet.
Communication between the smaller
/ islands is maintained by all sorts and
! conditions of craft and canoes. Com
ing back from one of the islands l had
a nF q
aud indeed you risk your life every
time you make a trip between the
smaller islands of the archipelago. The
natives can swim like fishes and think
little of an upset. The trip 1 had, three
of my native bOatmen got mixed VI
with the anchor chain and went over
board with it While another white man
and myself were left in cranky boat
with a tapping sail and a squally
wind The natives finally got on board
and we got out of the difficulty.
when l made up my mind to take
: the plunge and go over TO the little
island aforesaid l was dumped on the
shore by one of the open air steamers
and left to pay surprise party on a
trader who made me welcome. He did
a thriving trade with the natives. One
day a small boy would walk in with a
IcOcoanut under his arm and exchange
il for a small unsavOry, sticky looking
IlOllipOp One piece of candy to eacf
cOcoanut Another time a native sor
of Anak, over six feet, superbly bull
and clothed only in the lawalawa, the
loin cloth and apron reaching almOs
to the knees, swung in with tender
spring chicken under his arm, it woulC
have been worth a dollar in Honolulu
and commenced to chatter for two box
es of matches. I think the trader fin
ally beat him down to one box of tand