The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-10-11
A GLIMPSE OF SAMOA
Life at Page Pago
: Mary Sydney Herald
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! The United States has greatly i'm
proved the harbor of Pago Pago, or
Tutuila, which is one of the finest in
the Pacific. The islets of Tau, OLE
singa and Ofu are also included in the
/ American cession. All along the dan
gerous coast lighthouses have been
placed at close intervals, and the en-
trance to the harbor IS SO narrow and
at right angles with the land-lOcked
stretch of water that the view of the
ocean is cut off completely. The noun
tains by which it is encircled are very
lofty, clothed with heavy forests of
breadfruit and other tropical trees, so
preeipitous in many places that they
would defy the most seasoned noun
tain climber; while their crests are SO
sharp that not even a goat can make
its way along them. Within these inn
pregnable, natural ramparts is stretch
Of water so deep and so great in extent
that it has been thus described by the
former Chief Justice Chambers:
naval force of the United States, and
is so perfectly arranged that only two
vessels can enter at a time The coal |
ing station, being enclosed by high |
mountains, can not be reached by |
Shells
! Ny first view of Page Page was in |
the month of February. We cast an
chor at 'clock-a cloudy, moonless |
Nil ha al 70 ha
harbOr was beautiful beyond descrip- |
ton. The sea, without ripple, re-
fected the after glow following the |
sunset, it's CLASSY surface disturbed |
only by the leaping of the bonita, a
fish dear to Samoan epicures. The i
lights began to CLEAN from the light
houses here and there, giving one
strange impression of approaching ia
miliar shores 1t was quite dark, how
ever, before we anchored, and we were
Immediately surrounded by the natives
in their outrigger boats, offering their
baskets, mats, neck
laces of shells, tapas and fruits-to the
passengers on board the steamer, the
conducted over the rail, and
the purchases being drawn up by long
lines, after the money had been thrown
down to the native.
Tutuila being American territory. no |
duty was charged on these wares, and
baskets and pieces of tapa, which are
sold in Honolulu for So 12s.) each,
were eagerly disposed of for 2s., or
soc. {
We left the steamer and paid a call s
upon Governor Moore, as he was ordi- &
narily addressed, on board the anti |
quated Adams, an old wooden ship. so '
obsolete as to be almost a curiosity. I
A dance had been given that evening '
in the absence of electric light the
deck was dimlv lighted with lanterns (
n honor of two beautiful native girls '
from Apia, well educated, well bred, g
md charming. They were the guests S
IF Captain Charles B. T. Moore, then a
'Ommandant of the station. and Mrs. t
Moore. Captain, or. as he was more f
sften called, Governor Moore, had been n
n command of the station for some t
lime, and his great object had been to d
initiate the SamOans into the art of
elf-government. He was very proud o
If the fact that they had paid for the g
construction of their roads and the h
of their schools, the head N
master having been brought out, not a
rom the United States, but from Lon S
lon. G.
Shortly before my arrival a dispute C
lad arisen over the price of copra be- p
ween the traders, always on the alert o.
o take advantage of the natives, and b
he chiefs of islands within the Gov W
rnOr's jurisdiction. The Samoans sent a
deputation to him asking that he ly
ecide the case on its merits This he Il
efused to do, but suggested that the
illages each select a delegate to a al
ouncil when they themselves could ar W
ange satisfactory terms with the ia
raiders. tr
They endeavOred to do this. but as CT
ne days passed and no agreement was 81
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