Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-03-10
HOME OF STEVENSON.
DIR. EDWARDS VISITS HOME AND
GRAVE OF FAMOUS AUTHOR
Description of Romantic Burial
Place and 1.-THE Road of the
Loving Heart

Apia, Samoa, March 1 1:-Samoa is
country of most Fascinating in
terest but it's charms cannot even be
guessed at by day or two of hurried
driS ., about the port and it's neigh
borhood. Do not forget that this
is a land of delicious idleness, and
that hurry is as impossible as it
is undesirable. To all readers Of
Stevenson's delightful fiction first
interest cepters about his former
home andihis grave. Vailima, as
his home is called, is about an hours
drive from Apia, over ho"~t'frl
road shaded by cocoanut, bread
fruit, mango and other tropical
trees. The house is especially built
to meet the requirements of the
tropics, and is fronted by immense
Verandahs. A thousand feet above
the town rises the lofty hill where
Stevenson's grave was dug at his
own request. He even selected the
exact spot. He had always wished
to rest on that airy summit over
looking the blue harbor and palmy
shores he loved so we'll.
The climb to the grave is long
and hot, and one wonders how a
coffin was ever carried up, and the
wonder increases when it is remem-
bered that at the time vi steven
sons death no path existed 1t was
the love of his Samoan friends that
overcame all difficulties. On the
day that the coffin was closed the
chiefs called out five hundred men
and set them to work. In a few
hours pathway was cleared to the
top of the hill. The chiefs them
selves, who as a rule shun all man
ual labor, carried the coffin on their
shoulders to the grave. Such was
Stevenson's funeral. and the road
to this day is called "The Road Of
the Loving Heart"
The people of Samoa are the real
attraction OF the place, but they cam
not be known by remaining in the
vicinity of the capital. One must
go inland or visit another island
to know the Samoan character 1
left Apia early in the morning, on
horseback, for carriage roads dis
appear short distance from Apia,
and soon white population suddenly
ceases. All the villages are Samoan
and all speech is native. Handsome
bronze figures clothed in bright lava
lavas and flowers, called out to see
us as we passed, 'talofa," the uni
versal greeting here, meaning ex-
actly the same as the "aloha" of
Hawaii. At every house we were
invited to stop and partake of hos
pitality, and as we went along,
men would rush from houses and
call eagerly for us to come in and
eat. At one place we stopped and
mat was placed for us to sit on.
In front was small dinner mat
with a plate of a banana leaf. On
this was a smoking hot fresh water
crayfish and a pigeon, surrounded
by breadfruit, tare and green drink
ing cocoanut.
Hospitality is supposed to be free
to all, and in the early days even
the suggestion of present in return
would be taken as an insult, but
white influence has changed condi-
tions here as everywhere else and
present is always expected. This
must not be money but something
for wearing. A bath towel makes
the most acceptable present. The
amount and value of the present
should be regulated by the length
of stay and by the number of pigs
and chickens which have been kill
led for the guests. We followed
the Samoan custom and threw our
gifts down before the host, who
scarcely looked at them. This is to.
signify on our part that the gifts
are of no value and only fit to be
thrown away. We were told that
it was against etiquette for the host
to examine the gifts until we were
away. When a white person stays
with a Samoan without offering an
equivalent in gifts. he Is not blamed,
but they consider that such conduct
is below the dignity of one who "is
chief at home" OF course was
glad to learn that / was considered
chief because Of my gift.
Bird life is plentiful on the lsk
and, and in the early morning thous-
and of paroquets keep up a con-
stant chattering in the trees. Bril-
liant plumage is rare, but a few of
the birds have gaudy coloring.
There are no animals here except
those which have been introduced,
and as in all other South Sea ISL
ands, there are no snakes.
Tomorrow / shall leave for Fiji,
regretting that | cannot stay longer,
and also that I cannot go into de-
tailed description Of the various od-
dities of Samoa.
CLARENCE E. EDWARDS.