Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1910-09-24


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
Samoan wishes to build a house he
utilizes the services of ali his "aigas,"
or relatives, and everything Is manu-
featured from the crude material
gathered from the hillsides. The foor
plan Of the house Is of an oval shape.
This space is leveled of and covered
with broken bits of coral which are
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 4
height of about six feet. In the cen
ter two or three large upright poles,
usually about one foot in diameter by
fifteen to twenty feet In length, are
secured, and from these to the tops
Of the outer supports the framework
OF the roof Is built.
AS the Samoans have no nails they
have devised q method of making 4
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 tito 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 suficient number OF these
are ready the roof is matched with
them after the method of shingling a
house, allowing the caves to extend
over q distance of two feet. This
forms a most efficient protection be-
tween the Samoan and his country's
prodigious rainfall
A Samoan house has the advantage
over an American home, inasmuch az
1t can be opened on all sides or on
any one side ut the discretion Of the
family. The posts surrounding tho
floor space are set at a distance Of
about "a 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 they
overlap and will readily fold UP 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 up the
curtain and securing it or by unloos-
ing It with light pull at bow knot
and letting 1t drop
Mats are then spread over the coral
floor and the house IL complete. It
Is generally the custom to celebrate
the completion with "fia-fla." 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" 10 q mosquito protec.
ton. box shaped and about Ga feet
IN length by four feet in width by
six feet In height. To this small loops
are fastened along the tops OF the
two sides and through these loops
two cords are stretched. allowing sew
eral feet extra at each end OF the
'tainamu" to extend and tie to the
sides OF the house. at level with the
tops OF the uprights. thereby suspend
ing the "tainamu" directly over the
sleeping mats. During the day the
sleeping mats are rolled up and set
aside and the bottom OF the "taina
mu"'is twisted and thrown over the
taut top. The sleeping mats differ
from those used during the day. in
asmuch as they are softer, finer
woven and much larger.
The bamboo pillow strongly re
minds me Of the days OF the Spanish
inquisition. but custom and natural
inclination have taught the Samoan
to LAY me down and sleep" in any
old place and at any old time. TIC
make these pillows. piece oil
straight bamboo about two feet BY
three inches in diameter is obtained
into which are driven two small
pegs at each end in the manner OF
an inverted ~" The pillow IL then
complete and when used in sleepins
throws the neck into an angle Of
about forty-five degrees from the
body. This may be comfortable to q
Samoan, but think an American
used to bodily comforts when he doe
rest, would prefer some scrap iron.