Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-03-17

eNAf1A AA8E NAsak ~ $50 f@
s a fact. In this lovely climate the
III lessnsss OF what We Christians call
c.otkes. is so apparent. and h people
ale SO modest in behavior and graceful
r manner thai scanry coverings sug-
SIS no thoughts or feelings OF indecen-
~, ~vulgarity or even improperly. We
quickly rcconc.led to the manifest
.-aess Of things
These people have the strictest no.
+ tons of etiquette, their expressions of
friend ship are sincere and cordial and
in their social ceremonies no prince
could De more punctillious. The Tepau
Is a kind OF continual May Queen"
She NOT only leads the social circle, but
she leads the soldiers to battle as well,
and her person during the contests is
held as sacred as the cross of st. George
or the yellow flag. She leads in the en-
tertainmeIit of strangers also
After the interchange of ~salutations.
all were seated, squatting cross-legged
like tailors on the mats that almost en-
tirely covered the ground floor Of the
hlbitation. AS | vas the NOTED stran-
GER or big chief" being introduced
by the consul general, an extra mat was
spread before me. on which 10 fold my
legs. All were seated in a circle, and
during the chat the kava was ordered,
49, ~ VI NA0llOIS nus 0E lRN
pitably treated. To pass the kava
among these amiable savages is like
passing rhe pipe OF peace among the
Indians, the wine cup by the French,
the lager beer by the Germans, the
whisky and soda by the English, or the
cocktail by the yankees.
But this kava, | don't care for kava.
My readers may not have heard all
about il Well, it is made of Il peculiar
root, in this wise: Four pretty young
girls. wearing little but an expression,
sit down cross-iegged round a shallow
bowl, called the "tanca, fiji their ample
mouths with slices OF the root, chew il
fine and spit 1t into the bowl. III is not
a slow process. for the ladies Of Samoa,
as elsewhere, work their mouths with
alacrity. Quite 10 the erist is ground
and the bowl set before the tapau. She
takes n wad or swab of tough fiber
which looks like fine, narrow shavinGs
and as an attendant pours in water
from A coco1nut bottle. he process is
began. TIE swab or gaub is plunged into
the fluid, with the clean hands of the
tapau and filed and frequently wrung,
as Il housewife would scour yarn. After
some little time the fiber is wrung as
dry as possible and handed to an at
tendant. who takes 1t to the edge of the
tent Ike house and sha kes IL Wig 3rously,
for the purpose of expsIling the dregs
or solid portions OF the material used.
The process is repeated over and over
again, until the or powder OF
the roots are gone. The fluid then pre-
sents the appearance of o a suds
When finished the tapau takes the hipu,
or cup made of ~cocoanut shell. n dips
out the beverage. This her attendant
hands 60 the most important parsonage
present and as he raises It to his lips all
clap their hands in unison. The hipu,
at Mr.. C~hurchilTs suggestion, came first
to me. and etiquette demanded that it
be emptied at a single draught. + don't
care for kava. OF course II is good,
very good. but / don't rare for It; / am
polite, I yield to no barbarian in polite
ness. SO l gulped il down, but | don't
care for kava.
The drinking OF the kaya ended this
visit and very o all arose for final
talcfas. Etiquette requires that all Wis
itors retire from the house and the pres
ence Of the host, backward, and soon we
were out in h Burning sun again. AS
we were just leaving and waving a final
talofa. the chieftain's Wife, Vaa, or
Mrs. T~ofacona. came from the house
and presented me with two fans and the
modest and graceful tanau sent me a
beautiful It'll by one of her attendants.
This call being ended we hurried to
the other village. Apia, proper, to visit
the great chief, Saumanutafa, who rem
dered such signal service during the
trouble Of March, 1889 and for which
he was rewarded and complimented by
u government. A splendid, dignified
fellow, Saumanutafa, and he well
coined us with as much ease and dig
nifty as did his royal master. or as co:Ild
any prince in Chrlstendom. Here /
was introduced to Jiaaja Zukanou, high
chief and ex-premier of Tonga.
/ found in this Tonga chief a rare and
interesting parsonage. He was fully SIX
feet tall broad shouldered and superbly
built. with commanding but modest
presence. fine head and q brow and a
face expressive OF rare intelligence and
gentleness. He was like his host. the
great Soumanutafa. very little encun-
bered with clothes, but these omissions
impress us as Of little Importance when
we observe the naked truth that
shines forth in these afniable barbara
ans. Only to impure persons does the
Samoan attire convey impure thoughts.
The Tonga chief with a retinue of fifty
persons was the honored guest of Seu-
manutafa, and royalty is the chief en-
tertained. After being introduced and
having shaken hands with these grand
personages, we joined the circle, sitting
again On our heels like a Turk and once
more participated in tossing OFF, the
- ga: I S1yy ( aoTf ( care Tor kava.
To entertain a noble and his retinue in
Europe or America. means to dip deeply
IN the taxpayers pocket, but the great
chief Seumanutafa entertains for a month
this half hundred noble guests with no
more inconvenience than Tor his depend
ents to pick a few extra ~cocoanuts. ba-
nanas and mangos per day, which to them,
for u an occasion Is always a great
pleasure.
These people are wonderfully hospitable.
In every village there is erected a large
Pablo house. or ~carayansera, for the use
and accommodation OF strangers and trav-
cling parties. Here strangers Is a holy
name and during the stay OF visitors or
tourists, they are we'll supplied with ev-
cry necessary of life. and usually depart
loaded with presents. Few things strike
a tranger more agreeably han the clean
Illness OF the samoan natives, the APP
parent health of all classes. / am i'm
formed that their notions of morality are
very peculiar, but In the observance of
their moral code they are strict and con-
sistent. They have no leprosy or other re-
pulsive diseases, save the ~elephantiases,
which is so frequent as 10 mar the pleas
ure of every call. though the disease rs
neither painful or fatal. However, II II
about the most ~unsightly malay that
ever afflicted humanity. To frequently
sons with an arm or leg as large as a
persons body, sends a chill through ones
blood. even IN a INNATE like Somoa-
The ommerc of Somoa is OF very little
Importance, and about al the real lndns-
What interests the English or americans
have to Justify extensive meddling or ex-
! pensive participation In ruling, Is Q
easy for d casual observer or q criucai IN
\ Quirer to understand.
| But the four busy hours have past. the
ecenes of Apia are but pictures on mem
ory's walls, the sturdy oarsrnen leave the
/, shore behind, and T seek rest on the cool,
| shady deck or the Alameda"
can cbnceiye OF no spot on earth where
I could spend a few hours more pleasant
~. or d few years more unpleasantiy man