222 THE CORAL LANDS OF THE PACIFIC. 



have offended, and there was an institution of public recon- 

 ciliation (a great improvement on the peace-offerings of the 

 Fijians), whereby the life of a man could be saved even if 

 justly forfeited in consequence of some evil deed. More-over, 

 in all their wars non-combatants have been respected ; a 

 curious incident could be mentioned in support of this. 

 When there was a brush with the natives and the sailors of 

 H.M.S. Barracouta, a Lieutenant was walking with naval sany 

 froid in an open space at Mulinuu whilst the firing was going on. 

 The writer said to the Admiral Sotomi, who had a command in 

 the defending party, when this was related to him, ' Why didn't 

 you fire at the lieutenant f He replied, ' He didn't fire at us, 

 so why should we want to hit him 1- AVe only aimed at those 

 sailors who aimed at its.' Infirm persons, children, and women 

 were never slaughtered as in Fiji. The Samoans have never 

 been cannibals, rarely human sacrificers, or idolaters, and 

 perhaps the readiness with which they have embraced Chris- 

 tianity and the extraordinary aptitude some of them seem to 

 possess for a religious life witness the Samoan Sisters of the 

 Catholic Church, as well as the numerous native teachers 

 of the Protestant mission is due to their admirable conduct 

 for many years. 



In nearly every respect the Samoan is a totally different 

 being from the Fijian, and the difference is all on the right 

 side. Treachery is no part of their nature. Women arc 

 treated with the greatest respect, and children are regarded 

 with an affection that almost amounts to extravagance. 



Naturally a peace-loving and generous people, the civil wars 

 that have been devastating their beautiful island for years 

 have been mainly not of their own seeking. They have been 

 generally thrust on them by foreign adventurers, whose pro- 

 ceedings should long ago have necessitated the armed inter- 



