The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-08-26
THE PIT OF MAOTA
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Climax Of a Mercifess War Between Samoan Tribes.

two-thirds Of It's defenders, including msnrl
women and children, were slaughtered
Among those who died were the two whit,
men. They fell with thirty young man
who covered the retreat Of the SURVIVOR
Of tho defending force. ~
The extraordinary valor which the peopla,
OF A'ana had displayed exasperated tha
Manono warriors to deeds Of unnamabII
violence to whatever prisoners fell into their&
cruel hands. One man, an old Manono chiehi
who had taken part In the struggle, told mss
with shame that he saw babies impaled on.
bayonets and carried exultingly from ond
village to another.
Broken and disorganized, the beaten A,ana =,
people dispersed In parties large and small
Some sought refuge In the mountain forests,
others put to sea In frail canoes and nearly
all persisted. but n party Of seventeen In
three canoes succeeded In reaching Yea
wallis Island), 800 miles to the westward OF
Samoa.
Among them was q boy Of 7 years Of age
who afterward sailed with me in a labor
vessel. He well remembered the horrors Of
that awful voyage, and told me of seeing
his father "take a knife and open a vein in
his arm so that a baby girl who was dying
OF hunger could drink
Relentless In their hate OF the vanouished
foe, the Manono warriors established q cor.
don around them from the mountain range
that traverses the centre OF Upolu 10 thu
sea, and at last, after many engagements,
drove them to the beach, where a final
battle was fought.
Exhausted, famine stricken and utterly
disheartened by their continuous reverses,
the unfortunate A'ana people were easily
overcome, and the fighting survivors sur.
rendered, appealing to their enemies at
least to spare the lives Of their women and
children. But no mercy was shown.
As night began to fall the Manonoans be.
gan to dig a huge pit at a village called Ma.
ota, q mile from the scene Of the battlel
and as some dug others carried an enor.
nous quantity Of dead logs Of timber to
the spot. By midnight the dreadful funeral
pyre was completed.
: In case It might be thought by my readers
pit Of Maota, / will here relate not only
what I personally was told by people who
were present at the awful deed, but repeat
the words of Mr.. Stair, an English miss
sionary Of the London Missionary Society,
whose book entitled odd Samoa tells
the story In quiet yet dramatic language,
and, although In regard to some minor de-
tails he was misinformedJ his account on
the whole IL correct, and u the ,sams 40
was told to me by men who had actually
partictpated In the tragedy.
Tbe awful preparations were coum,tstsd,
and then the yictors ssised chose Of theta
oantivea VIM vere bound On anoounb az
their atrmpth land had 4 few hours treS
yioualv r,rrendered1 Observation-Disclosures
fatal nah In which thu buee pfs Of 1trahArE
had hean he. And A TIA 6smee roaredj
and saoended and thu daxaneas II the1t
surrounding foreat WA xnadA - EfahA ~
dav: the frgt ten viuttneof tA5pemie Nsrss
cast IA 10 burn; amid sha howis sndL1sAK
NJ their savaae oantornA =
Mr.. Stair sThihs4ssadfd tbusrheria
was continued drrfnp una ar &vo dayS,
and NIGHTS, fresh timber bsRup heapod od
from time 10 TINA: A n vns VIM difficulty
the IRE could be kspA burning frorn
the number Of yiotbns-vho Were ruthlesalJt
sariAced there,
sThe captiyes from FssitetotA vera,
selected for the first ofertnrs, and after
followed others IN quick guocessioni
nipht and dav: earlv and lta: until thef
vretched Victim had been consumed.
Most heortrendine were the descriptions T.
received from persons who had actually
looked on the fearful scenes enacted there.
sInnooent children skipped joyfully alonH
the pathway by the side OF their con.
ducsors and murderers q was told that the
poor children were led away as they thought
to be given 81 n,sa al rela-' something hot
to eat), deceived by the cruel lie that they
were to be spared and we're then on their
way to battle, when suddenly the blazing
pile In the pit Of 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 deadful tito (pit, OF
Moata 1t was at the close of a calm, MINDLESS
day. I had been pigeon shooting in the
mountain forest and was accompanied by
a stalwart young Samoan warrior.
As We were returning to Fasito'otai no
asked me II I would come a little out Of the
way and look at the tito, a place he said