THE PIvANT WORIvD 191 



to pay adequate salaries to American teachers, but that we hoped to 

 have a fund from the taxes on land and on imports. It seemed hard to 

 pay duties on articles coming from the United States, but I could think 

 of no other way to keep enough funds on hand for the running expenses 

 of the island. Our justices of the peace and gobernadorcillos have to be 

 paid if they are asked to take their time from their regular occupations ; 

 and as for the native teachers in the villages, they were receiving only 

 three pesos a month and were obliged to work in the fields for their 

 subsistence. When the General questioned me as to the land taxes, I 

 told him that I had purposely taxed all land irrespective of improvements, 

 so that the few people who had gotten possession of large tracts which 

 they did not utilize in any way would not refuse to sell land to young 

 men anxious to clear and cultivate the soil. 



From time to time the secretary would ask me about the trees, flowers, 

 birds, and island products, putting down the information in a note- book.* 



After passing through the village of Sinahana our way lay for the most 

 part through woods. On the margin of a small lake the General's atten- 

 tion was attracted by the bright red leaves of Cordylhie ternmialis, which 

 led me to speak of the practice of the Hawaiians of planting this species 

 about the graves of their dead, to keep off the spirits. This suggested 

 the subject of the wide-spread belief in spirits, and I told the General of 

 the aitii of the Samoan forests and the aniti, or gente del inonte, which 

 haunt the banyan trees and the prehistoric stone pillars of this island. 

 The road beyond this was fairly good, except in a marshy place where 

 it was over-arched by bamboos. When we reached the tablet on the 

 crest of the hill half way across the island, Mr, Garrett, the secretary, 

 copied the inscription which Don Pablo Perez had caused to be placed 

 theret to commemorate his success in making the road passable for vehicles 

 in the year 1853. 



On reaching the opposite side of the island we rode out to the beach 

 at the mouth of the Pago River. There we saw a number of fish traps 

 consisting of wicker fences extending into the sea. These are constructed 

 of bamboo. Poles are driven into the sand, placed about four feet apart, 

 and around them is woven, basket fashion, strips of bamboo twisted into 

 a rope. The natives also fish with cast-nets, and at low tide visit the 

 tide pools with spears. Night fishing with torches is also practiced ; but 



*This information was afterwards published in General Wheeler's report. As many of the words 

 were unusual, it is not surprising that there were mistakes. Unfortunately I had no opportunity to read 

 the proof. The report, for instance, states that Anona reticulata, the custard apple, has a flower " like 

 a yellow hollyhock, which belongs to the same family, Malcaveae," a note which was intended to be 

 inserted in the succeeding paragraph under the description ot Hibisctis tiliaceus, a tree belonging to 

 the Malvaceae. It refers to the fruit of" .sycas" (Cycas), and, under farinaceous foods, to the Polyne- 

 sian "aryroot" (arrow-root, Tacca pinnatifida) \ and in the list of birds it mentions the white "turn" 

 (tern, Gygis alba) and "sand-peckers" (sandpipers). 



tSee General Wheeler's report, p. i6. 



