Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1909-03-05
TRIP TO THE Orient
Clarence e. EdwOrds Touring the
Eastern Countries.
HE IS OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.
INTERESTINGLY WRITTEN IN WEEK
LY LETTERS, WHICH WILL APP.
PEAR IN THE RECORDER.

LY LETTERS, WHICH WILL AP
PEAR IN THE RECORDER.
Apia, Samoa, September 26.-I
is as if | were in another world. Sa
moa is different from dainty, toy
like Tonga; it is different from wilc
and depressing New Caledonia; it i;
different from lazy Tahiti. There
is nothing in all the South Seas just
like Samoa, and no longer won,
der why Robert Louis Stevenson Sc
lected this island for his home, after
wandering all over the world. The
harbor of Apia is one of the beauty
places of the world. 1t is wide and
open to the sea, and is ovcrshadow-
ed by green and blue hills of soft
est outline and brightest color. On
the peak of one, darker and sharper
than the rest, CLEANS tiny spot Of
white like a pearl set far up among
the green. That speck is Steven
sons tomb.
When the ship came to anchor
dozens of canoes gathered about
and Samoans offered for sale fans,
shells, coral, arrowroot fibre and
innumerable fruits. Many climb
ed aboard to hear the news and to
talk with the visitors. They are of
magnificent physique, handsome
with their gold-bronze skins and
yellow hair. The hair, by the way,
naturally is black but they bleach
it with lime. Every Saturday the
~boln island is suddenly filed
with white nasr~a all the oa-
tives going about with lime pfasvO.-
locks to appear on Sunday morning
with freshly yellowed head dresses.
Samoan chief, with the manners
of grand dukes and carriage OF
princes, proudly walk the dock,
clad in nothing more than a heavy
bath towel girded about the loins.
The lava-lava, or loin cloth, is the
national garb of the Samoan, and
well hammered gentlemen though
they be Ssmoans never wear any
thing else. Samoan girls have long
been celebrated for their lovliness
and charm. They wear the lava
lava, like the men, but in addition
have a loose tunic, short-sleeved to
show the beautiful arm the birth
right of all Samoan girls.
Among the first to come aboard
was a fine looking girl, better dress
ed and of queenly bearing, who
welcomed us to Samoa. She was
singularly refined and aristocratic
! in her bearing and was attended by
an old woman. This was the tau
20 girl of Apia. The taupo girl is
mistress of ceremonies, andis select
ed by the chief to represent the
| village in all matters. She must
be young, a chiefs daughter, high
ly accomplished and of unblemlshed
character. She can lead chorus
with skill and invention, can make
all kinds of fanciful flower head
dresses and decorations, and dance
better than anyone else in the WI
lage. Her duties are to receive al
guests coming to the village, see tt
their comfort in the guest house, OF
| fer them food, make kava for then
and entertain them with songs an(
dances. She also takes part in al
the village festivities, and is tn
only woman entitled to wear tn
full dress of warrior when dane
ing in the great public festivals
When the chiefs lead their tribes tt
fight the taupo girl accompanle
them and carries food and water tt
the fighters. When the taupo gil
marries she at once takes her plac
| VIRGINIA.:
Tn the Clerk's Office of the circul