Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-03-17
PLEASANT HOURS AT SAMOA
A Characteristic Communication
From Geo. w Bell.
a Quaint and Interesting Descrip-
ton OF the samoan island
and His Visit 10 the
Natives.

ing people has been often painted in
gr~otesque figures Of speech. yet in this
bustling age so many worthy thoughts
and things impress US as but flittina
visions, 7 venture the hope that some OF
my friends may welcome the recital 81
a few hours experience in that enchant-
ing region.
For the benefit Of new readers and
those who have forgotten, It may not be
amiss to state that Apin, the port OF call,
commercial outlet and capital OF the Sa-
moan group--or, as viii be seen on old
maps, the Navigator's islands--is situ-
ated on the north side or the island OF
Upolu. In about 1880 south latitude and
longitude about I71-40 west of Green
witch, and Is about 1870 miles from San
Francisco, 2,270 from Honolulu, 1850
from Auckland. 1850 from sydney and
1910 miles from Yokohama. In the
group there are four Islands Of consider
able size and ifnportance-Savaii, the
largest and most western one: Upolu,
the second; Tutuila. the third. and Tau,
another still further EAST and the small
est OF the four. on Tutuila is the best
and only real hafbor in the group, Page
Page, which belongs to the United
States as a coaling station.
Sayii has q superficial area of some
$50 square miles. and contains about
one-third of the total population Of the
group, while Upolu Is but half that size.
and about forty-iye miles in length. The
islands are purely volcanic and very
mountainous and rough. though n soil
Is fertile and the whole surface. to the
very mountain tops, is covered with
forests, scrub and rich tropical vegeta-
ton. The weather in Samoa is always
hot In the day time. but the nights are
cool and pleasant. Usually there are
heavy rains during January, February
and March, but drouths are tno frequent
during the other months, and at inter
walls OF o few years the Stands are
swept with the most dreadful and dew
astatlng hurricanes.
Like the heroine of the modern novel.
the Samoan people have a past" and
like all primitive people who have
reached the stage OF family or tribal or
ganization, they have traditions. super
stitioD and religions. Like the Austria
Ian and other oceanic natives. the Sa-
means discovered, among the unseen
forces of nature, a devil and al evfl
spirit before they even dreamed OF a
God or good spirit. So, like the rest Of
humanity, they have always been con-
trolled more by their fears than by a
love of good or justice.
1t is said that nver 500 years ago the
ancestors Of these brave Samoans con-
ceived the idea OF chasing the devil
down, roasting him In his own fat and
ending the seemingly 'sirrepressible con
fict,' rather than trust a paid clergy u
preserve a doubtful compromise, and
with this laudable object in view they
took to their arms and boats, and, like
Jason, hunting the golden fleece" they
started from some enchanted tropical
island across the trackless seas. in
search OF the arch enemy" OF human
happiness. Months past, thousands OF
miles of angry waves were buffeted and
the Hawaiian isles were reached. bur
the devil was still In business at the old
stand. and his headquarters were yet a
mystery. After a long rest--I suppose
a century or so-they again set out. and
after many h%ardships they reached the
island Of Tau, of the Samoan group. and
without a formal command to that eff
feet. they began TO multiply and re-
plenish the earth Regarding the ac-
complishment of the original purpose OF
the enterprise, tradition is silent, bur
from other sources we may gather evil
deuce that the undertaking was a SAD
failure, for the devil Is yet to pay. Z
Notwithstanding the financial depres-
sion.
But / sat down TO chat with my Amer
lean friends about the things | observed
during my recent visit to Apia.
The harbor of Apia is not a harbor at
all. but an open roadstead. the so called
harbor being but a break IN the great 50
called coral reefs that stretch along the
island for many miles. the break being
caused by the fresh waters that flow
| from the mountains through the yarisI-
gayo river. In the so called harbor there
is little room for shipping, and the indi-
cation of a storm Is a signal for ships to
leave the harbor and seek safety In the
PEI seas. However, notwithstanding
this fact--the heroic struggle and the
loss OF six warships and 1i6 brave sea-
men. 50 American and IS German, as
now told by that grim monument, the
lark hulk OF the Adler. which lies on
her br0adslde on the reefs In the inner
harbor. the most conspicuous object Of
picturesque Apia. as the results OF the
appalling hurricane OF March. 1sSs--an
enormous amoun OF gascious nonsense
has been written about the beauties Of
Apia harbor."
But / pnrposed only TO write OF the In
habitants OF Apia, though | incline 10
the notion that people enjoy a little real
information. even where entertainment
is the chief object In view. / have seen
men and women from nearly all the un~
civilized countries. tribes or nations or
49, 10000 49, c4-.AA--IAA