Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-09-14

il
ing Uea wallis Island), 500 miles t.
the westward of Samoa.
/ Among them was boy of sever
years Of age who afterwards SAILED
with me in labor vessel. He wei
remembered the horrors Of that aw
full voyage. and told me Of seeing hi
father take knife and open veir
in his arm so that a baby girl who
twas dying of hunger could drink"
Relentless in their hate of the van
! quished foe. the Manono warriors es
tablished a Gordon around then
from the mountain range that ira
verses the centre of Upolu to the
sea, and at last, after many engage.
ments, drove them to the beach
where a final battle was fought.
Exhausted, famine stricken and ut.
terly disheartened by their continu.
Gus reverses. the unfortunate A'ans
people we're easily overcome, and the
flghting survivors surrendered, ap-
pealing to their enemies at least tc
spare the lives Of their women and
children. But no mercy was shown
AS night began to fall the Mano-
noans began to dig a huge pit at 9
village called Maota, a mile from the
scene Of the battle, and as some due
others carried an enormous quantity
Of dead logs or timbers to the spot
BY midnight the dreadful funeral
pyre was completed.
In case that 1t might be thought by
my readers that I am exaggeratine
the horrors Of the pit of Maota,
will here relate not only what per-
sonally was told by people who were
present at the awful deed, but repeat
the words Of Mr.. Stair, an English
missionary of the London Missionary
society, whose book entitled "Old
Samoa" tells the story in quiet yet
dramatic language, and. although In
regard to some minor details he was
misinformed, his account on the
whole was correct, and is the same
as was told to me by men who had
actually participated In the tragedy.
The awful preparations were COM
pleted, and then the victors seized
those of their captives who were
bound on account OF their strength
(and had a few hours previously sur
rendered) and hurried them to the
fatal pit, in which the huge pile OF
timbers had been lit. And as the
flames roared and ascended and the
darkness Of the surrounding forest
was as light as day, the first ten VIC
tins of 462 people were thrown In to
burn amid the howls and yells OF
their savage captors.
Mr.. Stair says: This dreadful
butehery was continued during one
or two days and nights, fresh timber
being heaped on from time to time,
as it was with difficulty that the fire
could be kept burning, from the num-
ber of victims who were ruthlessly
sacrificed there.
"The captives from Fasito'otai
were selected for the first offerings
and after them followed others In
quick succession, night and day. early
and late, until the last wretched vic
tim had been consumed. Most heart
rending were the descriptions I re-
ceived from persons who had actu-
ally looked on the fearful scenes en-
acted there.
innocent children skipped joyfully
along the pathway by the side OF
their conductors and murderers Il
was told that the poor children were
led away as they thought to be given
81 mea al vela-something hot to
eat), deceived by the cruel lie that
they were to be spared and were
then on their way to battle, when
suddenly the blazing pile in the pit
Maota, with the horrid sight Of their
companions and friends being thrown
alive into the midst, told them the
dreadful truth, while their terror
was increased by the yells Of savage
triumph Of the murderers or the
fearful cries Of the tortured victims
which reached their ears"
When I first saw the dreadful tito
(pit- of Maota 1t was at the close Of a
calm, MINDLESS day. I had been pig
con shooting in the mountain forest
and was accompanied by stalwart
young Samoan warrior.
AS we were returning to Fasito'otai
he asked me If would come a little
out of the way and look at the tito,
a place he said that is sacred TO our
hearts and is holy ground" He spoke
so reverently that 1 was much i'm
pressed.
Following a winding path, we sud-
denly came in view Of the pit. The
sides were almost covered with many
beautiful varieties Of crotons, planted
there by loving hands, and 1t was
evident to me that the place was in
deed holy ground.
At the bottom of the pit was a
dreadful reminder of the pasta
large circle of black charcoal run
ming round the sides and enclosing
in the centre a space which at first
I thought was snow white sand; but
on descending into the pit with un-
covered head and looking closer
found it was composed of tiny white
coral pebbles Hardly a single leaf
or twig marred the purity Of the
whiteness of the cover under which
lay the ashes of nearly five hundred
human beings.
Every Saturday the women and
children Of Fastito' 'otai and the ada
cent villages visit the place and rev.
erently remove every bit Of the de-
bris, and the layer Of stones, care
fully selected of an equal size, was
renewed two or three times a year as
they became discolored by the action
of the rain.
All around the wooded margin OF
the pit were numbers Of orange, lime
and banana trees, all in fruit. These
were never touched-to do so would
have been sacrilege. for they were sa-
cred to the dead. And above us were
hundreds of doves and pigeons, and
their peaceful notes filled the forest
with a saddening melody.
mo one ever fires gun here,