Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1910-09-07

you submit to extortion rather than
take any unworthy advantage over
an ignorant savage, you will be in
vited to come again.
The furnishings Of Samoan house
are simple In the extreme, and during
the day consist only Of rough mats
spread upon the coral floor When a
Samoan wishes to build house he
utilizes the services of all his "aigas,"
or relatives, and everything is manu-
factured from the crude material
gathered from the hillsides The flor
plan of the house is of an oval sl,apE
This space is leveled off and coveress
with broken bits of coral which ara
gathered in abundance on the beach.
by the women. Surrounding this
floor space a set of poles are secured
In an upright position, reaching to a
height OF about six feet. In the CEN
ter two or three large upright poles,
usually about one foot in diameter by
hfteen to twenty feet in length, are
secured, and from these to the tops
of the outer supports the framework
Of the roof is built.
have devised n method of making q
very serviceable kind of fiber cord.
The old men collect a quantity OF CO.
coanut fiber, which they roll between
hand and knee to the thickness OF
ordinary cotton string, after which
they braid and splice 1t together into
great rolls. These rolls are cut from
as needed. This. then, is the means
OF binding and flashing the roof to-
gether and securing it to the uprights.
Then sugar-cane leaves are gath.
cred. doubled, laced, braided and fin.
ished into little mats about three
feet long by fifteen inches wide.
When a sufficient number OF these
are ready the roof is matched with
them after the method of shin Cling n
house, allowing the caves to extend
over a distance of two feet This
forms most efficient protection be-
tween the Samoan and his country's
prodigious rainfall
samoan house has the advantage
over an American home, inasmuch as
1t can be opened on all sides or on
any one side at the discretion of the
FAMILY. The posts surrounding the
moor space are set at a distance OF
about 2h feet apart and curtain
is formed for each individual space
thus created by using small mats.
similar to the matching mats except
that these are made of cocoanut
leaves instead of sugar cane These
little mats are arranged over the
openings in such a manner that thew
overlap and will readily fold I'D shut.
terwise. In this manner any of the
spaces between these many posts can
be opened to or closed against the
weather by merely pushing I'D the
curtain and securing ID or by unloos-
Ing 1t with light pull at a bow knot
and letting 1t drop.
Mats are then spread over the coral
floor and the house is complete. It
Is generally the custom to celebrate
the completion with a "fafa." or
feast
Aside from chests, boxes. etc. for
the storage Of personal property. the
furnishings consist only of the pre-.
requisites of peaceful slumber. tai.
namus." sleeping mats, and bamboo
pillows.
A "tainamu" is a MOSQUITO protec.
tion, box shaped and about G1l feet
In length b. four feet I'm width by
| six feet in height. To this small looms
are fastened along the tops of the
two sides and through these looms
two cords are stretched. allowing sev.
eral feet extra at each end Of the
'tainamu' 20 extend and tie TO the
SIDES OF the house, at a level with the
| tops OF the uprights. thereby suspend.
! Ing the "tainamu" directly over tho
sleeping mats During the dav the
sleeping mats are rolled up and set
aside and the bottom Of the "tsina
mu' Is twisted and thrown over the
taut top. The sleeping mats ,<Fer
from those used during the day. IN
asmuch as they are softer epor
woven and much larger
The bamboo pillow strongly 70
minds me OF the days OF the Spanieb
inquisition. but custom ard natural
inclination have taught the samoan
to lay me down and sIeep" in anv
old place and at any old time IT.
make these pillows, piece o.,
straight bamboo about two feet nv
three inches in diameter is obtained
into which are driven tpo small
pegs at each end in the manner n,
an inverted W" The pillow fs tbon
complete and when used in sleerIno
throws the neck into an angle n,
! about fortyhve degrees from the
bofy. This may be comfortable 70 u,
Samoan, Ht ! think an American
used to bodily comforts when he d, @,
rest would Srefer some scrap iror