630 PROCEEDINGS OP SECTION G. 



there, and in a large measure direct tlie movements of the 

 Aana district. Other important villages are in like manner 

 distinguished by the heads of tribes or chiefs ruling there. 



It is evident that the heads of families of the original 

 possessors of the land l)ecame chiefs, whether they were so 

 prior to their occupation of the islands or were constituted such 

 on their settlement. Similar promotion is seen at the present 

 day in members of families forming new settlements. The 

 Rev. John Williams, the earliest Englishman who held close 

 intercourse with this interesting people, was struck with the 

 poHshed manners of the Saraoans, and wdth the fact of their 

 possessing a chiefs' or court-language, and concluded there- 

 from that among the first immigrants of Eastern Polynesia 

 Samoa was settled by the chiefs of these Maky settlers. 



The " Genealogy of Kings and Princes of Samoa," given 

 by Rev. G. Pi'att, and printed in vol. ii. of the Proceedings of 

 the Association, ])p. 665-()63, compares in many respects with 

 a Maori Genealogy, and sujiplies traces of the several Samoan 

 dynasties. From this Genealogy it may be gathered that, 

 in the early history of Samoa, Atula and Aana, the eastern 

 and western districts of Upolu,were pai'amount in the ruling 

 jjower. Sulisequently this position was reversed by conquest, 

 and, under the Malietoas, Manono and Savai'i became 

 supreme Malo (conquerors). The conquered tribes (toiktlo) 

 were treated much like slaves by the victors, and were for a 

 time held in intolerable subjection.* 



* In 1848-51, (luring a tlu'ee years' war, Aana and Atiira struggled to 

 regain their position. They were able to establish tlieir independence. On 

 the death of Malietoa, his brother, Moli, father of the present Malietoa- 

 laupepa, declined the honours of kingship, and an uncle, named Pea, was 

 chosen by the Savaii and Manono chiefs to be king ; but nearly the whole of 

 Upolu preferred the son of Moli. A war resulted, which was patched up by 

 an arniistic(\ with an agreement that the uncle and ne])hew should reign 

 unitedly, as an Augustus and an Antony, and that the young king Malietoa- 

 laupepa should rule supreme on the death of Pea. Owing to disturbances 

 occasioned by an American adventurer, ^^ ho, it was supposed, was supported 

 in his designs I)y the Unite<l States Government, great bitterness was 

 introduced into the family feud, and animosities engendered and intensified 

 among the several tribes throughout the group; this produced a succession of 

 intertribal wars. Through the intervention of the British and American 

 consuls and commanders of slii])s of war and of these nations peace was 

 restored, and a parliament formed somewhat on the basis of a House of 

 Lords and a House of Commons, and a municipality was instituted at Apia, 

 the chief port and foreign settlement. Another claimant to the dignity of 

 kingship was Tamasese, a son i of Moenga-ngono. He was put forward by 

 some tribes of Atua and Aana, and, during the contention, was recognised 

 by the German consul and other officials in opposition to Malietoa-laupepa. 

 On the arbitrary deportation of Malietoa-laupepa by the Gernans, Mataafa, 

 the recognised king of Atua, ■^■as supported by Atua and Letuamasanga (the 



