Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-10-15
REV. RAWEI TELLS OF VISIT TO
ONE OF U. S. TROPICAL
POSSESSIONS.
Home Of Bananas, cocoanuts, Bread
Fruit and Picturesque Natives DE.
scriptive Songs and Dances--Whites
Not Considered Good Eating.

group. acquired Oy me OnlLSu states
government in 1899 is the home OF
bananas. bread-fruit, cocoanuts and
picturesque natives. Rev. Wherahiko
Rawei, a native Maori who concluded
e. series of lectures in this city at the
First Baptist church last night, visited
the island on his way to the. United
States and prepared the following
sketch of his impressions of the ma
tives and the island.
"The earliest impression one gets
Of Tutuilla is that it is land of con-
tentment and joyous hearts. Before
the steamer which brings him has cast
anchor the air is ringing with the
songs Of canoe girls as they row or
paddle to welcome the newcomers.
Later. when wandering among the
strange surroundings of semi-savage
life. the impression is confirmed by
the sound Of happy voices swelling in
chorus from this native hut and that.
Samoan melodies are probably as old
as the life of the people for like the
Maoris, almost all their knowledge of
the past has been preserved in song,
and handed down with music.
Descriptive Songs.
"The 'meke-mekes' or descriptive
songs and dances Of the people are
particularly impressive, such, for in.
stance as o party of warriors giving
the wave meke' describing the move.
ment of the sea on the reefs.
THE hands sweep the ground slow.
ly, with waving motions of the fingers
to initiate the ripples crisping in the
wind. Then the bodies sway in unison
to show the roll of the ocean; other
movements Of rising and falling fig
ures show the leap and fall Of the
breakers. Action then grows more
violent and confused, the performers
rise from their knees to their feet; fin.
ally with spring and clapping OF
hands the wave is described overleap.
ing the barrier Of coral reef. and as 1t
falls into the still lagoon the dancers
crop to the ground in unison with a
long cry and softly diminishing cad.
ence--then the meke' is over.
Natives are Clearly.
can island like Tutuilla, with its co.
pious rainfall is naturally full OF
water courses. and the mountainous
character of the land gives opportun.
ity for numerous waterfalls. which
are among the most charming features
Of the place. Nothing can be more
beautiful than these silvery cascades
situated as they are in dense jungle
of towering trees variegated shrubs
and knotted crotons. or in rayines
where enormous orange colored spiders
swing in webs that glitter like dia.
monds from the spray of the falls, and
where the flight of the orange and
rainbow doves, and crimson and green
paroquets give movement and shift.
ing color to the scene The natives
are a Clearly folk and spend much OF
their time in the water of the inland
streams, or in the sea within the coral
reefs, where the sand is of dazzling
Wilderness and the water shows every
shade of the opal. turquoise and sap
phire. Along the edge of the sea, ant
extending for several miles on bott
sides of Page Pago harbor, runs {
smooth and level path, which, built ur
on the wall of coral rock that rises {
few feet above the water, leads by gen
tie curves around projecting pronnon
tories into avenues OF cocOanut trees
and picturesque banana glades. where
sleepy villages browse under the rus
tie and shade they afford, and in hear
ing Of the perpetual symphony of the
waves.
Beautiful Scenery.
From this path the eye extends t.
the encircling coral reef against which
the ponderous waves of the Pacific
burst in huge clouds of foam. The
heavenly blue Of the water inside the
reef forms a beautiful contrast with
the purplish indigo eNpanse without
and the drowsy air is made brewster
still by the incessant reverberant roal
Of the distant breakers. This sound is
heard nowhere else in the voice of the
sea. 1t has no intervals, but resem
bles the continuous passage OF heav
lily loaded railroad train the hollow
seini-elastic structure Of the coral Civ
ing it metallic ringing quality tha
is as noticeable as it is difficult to de
scribe.
Whites Not Good Eating.
"If you will launch a boat at noon