The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-09-03
- aH11Oa
BY Eleanor R iVenburgh.
From Last Week.

on before with tidings of your APP
proach, and as you softly say "Talofa"
to a smiling woman who advances, you
are requested by mute signs to follow
her to a very large and pretentious
Samoan house standing higher than
any of the others on a smooth grassy
mount.
The woman precedes you and mo-
tioning you to sit down and wait, she
creeps out, leaving you to your own
reflections
You are now half way round the
harbor, and in a direct line with the.
entrance, hence the cool fresh breeze
which stirs the leaves of the young
palms growing near the house, and
you are indeed grateful for moments
respite, after your long walk,
Naturally you glance about the in
terror of the hut. 1t is round, with a
dropping matched roof, and upheld by
a complete circle OF cocoanut trunks
set Systematically apart, and between
every two of which are rolled up cur
tains of interviewer cocoanut fronds,
to be let down in case of wind or rain.
The floor is composed of thick lay
er of small smooth and perfectly white
pebbles, and over these lies huge
fine silky mat, which evidently was
made to fit the house.
Everything within the hut is imma-
culately clean and kept in perfect or
der.
Over by one post stands large new
camphor wood chest, wherein, no
doubt is deposited milady's wardrobe;
against other posts are other similar
chests, and also near your feet, in neat
array stands the kava outfit, which to
the Polynesian is as afternoon tea to
the Britisher, and as gracefully and
deftly prepared for every caller.
While you are wondering what mys-
teries lie concealed behind tapa cur
tain, which is drawn across one side
of the enclosure, you hear faint in
terrogative murmur of surprise and
turn to be met and greeted by Her
Royal Highness Princess Fa'a Mu
Sami, a descendant of the blood royal
who has but recently come up for her
vacation from Sydney where she has
been attending college.
She is dressed "faa Samoa" with
her black wavy hair hanging grace
fully about her slim shoulders, her
small bare dimpled feet just showing
beneath her black cashmere lava-lava
reaching modestly to her ankles, a
"pine" or throatloose upper garment
of pale blue china silk with elbow
sleeves of lace and square low neck.
She welcomes you back to Samoa
in the soft plaintive tones so charac-
teristic Of her race. and ripples on in
the most piquant English you have
ever heard. She is so sorry you are
leaving Page Pago so soon; and claps
her hands twice for her "mataabule''
who brings prepared kava, and pre-.
sents it respectfully to you in half
cocoanut shell.
Then the princess learning the in
tention of your walk, calls a bench
man, who runs on before with mes
sages for her uncle who lives in the
Catholic village at the far end of the
harbor and leaving g few hurried ms
tructions to her singing girls, accom-
panies you for the remainder of your
journey,
Dim, vague, twilight shadows are
beginning to descend over all the lane
bordered by dense groves, and the bay
is as a pool of quicksilver, without
even a ripple rufhing the surface o.
the water.
You, in company with the princess
followed for some distance by an un
kempt little army of children, who are
sternly dispersed by a glance from
their chiefess, pass on through severa
native villages separated by dense
brush and wooded rolling hills anC
crags, finally arriving at the Roman
Catholic mission on the farthest eX
tremity of that side of the bay; thu
largest and most flourishing, apparent
ly, of all the settlements which you
have seen. The white limestone
church stands in the midst of wei
kept, orderly groves, and is thanked
on either side by the long low refec
tory buildings of the priests and hol!
fathers. Here each native hut boasts
neat little garden with well trimmed
hedges of hibiscus and star flowe
bushes exhibiting careful training
and you halt your steps momentaril,
to listen to the silvery toned churcl
bell pealing forth the Angelus for tn