316 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE 



Hawaii, and Australia had brought us the news of the world, and 

 had kept us in constant touch with our home office. As an in- 

 stance to show the faithful services of these enthusiasts, we might 

 mention the operator of station W6DZY. He transmitted a 

 two-hundred word technical message for us and finished by 

 stating that he had just broken three fingers, due to the fall of a 

 heavy piece of machinery. 



Entering Pago Pago Harbor in the early afternoon of November 

 19, we did not have darkness to contend with as we did in the 

 spring, when we nearly piled up on the reef. But this time the 

 little engine was pushed to the limit in bucking the powerful wind- 

 squalls that swooped down from the mountains surrounding the 

 bay. Time and again we were stopped dead in our tracks by 

 these sudden gusts, almost losing steerageway at times. Be- 

 cause of the danger in tying up to the wharf under these con- 

 ditions, we made fast to a buoy until the following morning. 



The landing this time was almost a home-coming. Our friends 

 of the spring were on hand to welcome us, with here and there 

 a new face among them. The hospitality of the Naval Station 

 was extended to us, as before. Since we were to remain here over 

 a week, we had a better opportunity for observing Samoan life 

 and for making collections on shore. Once the records and speci- 

 mens were forwarded to headquarters, we found time to make 

 several delightful excursions to native villages and into the 

 mountains. 



A native chief from the Leone district invited the party to make 

 a "malaga," or overnight outing to his village. So on Saturday 

 evening we chartered a bus, and drove along the palm-shadowed 

 shore road to the western end of Tutuila. We found the chief's 

 own "fale," or house, dressed up in fresh coconut-leaves and 

 ginger-blossoms for our use. The party was at once seated on 

 mats, inside the circle of pillars supporting the thatched roof, for 

 the Samoan "kava"-ceremony. 



The old chief, with his talking-chief beside him, relayed to us 

 his flattering words of welcome, while the village virgin with her 

 two maids went about the task of preparing the national cere- 

 monial beverage. Large pieces of kava-root are powdered be- 



