1700 ISLAND DEPENDENCIES 



ISLAND DEPENDENCIES 



trade-winds, and there is abundant rainfall. The climate 

 is healthful, the volcanic soil quickly arbsorbing the 

 precipitated moisture. December, the warmest month, 

 has a mean temperature of about 87 F.; July, the 

 coolest month, a mean temperature of about 78 F. 



American Samoa is governed by an officer of the 

 United States Navy, detailed by the Secretary of the 

 Navy. The wisdom of the government in dealing with 

 the natives is shown by its methods of administration. 

 Ancient Samoan customs are followed as closely as pos- 

 sible. The villages choose their own chiefs from those 

 who have hereditary rights to the position, subject to 

 the governor's approval. The villages are grouped 

 into counties ruled by high chiefs and the coun- 

 ties are grouped into three great districts, Eastern 

 Tutuila, Western Tutuila, and the District of Manu'a, 

 each of which has at its head a chief appointed by the 

 governor. The customs officer is a naval officer and the 

 health department is under a medical officer of the 

 Navy, who has charge of the island dispensary and 

 the hospital, or sick quarters, of the station. At the end 

 of each year there is held a general fono, or assembly 

 to which all parts of the islands send delegates. In this 



1991. Samoan dwelling thatched with sugar-cane leaves, with side blinds of coconut-leaf 

 mats, on the sloping shore of Pago-Pago Bay, Island of Tutuila. Surrounding vegetation: 

 bananas, coconut palms, breadfruit tree, and 'ava pepper (Piper methysticum), a large mango 

 tree in the distance. 



assembly matters of general interest are discussed, new 

 laws recommended, complaints and suggestions are 

 listened to, laws are explained, and information given 

 regarding all matters affecting the welfare of the natives 

 and the administration. Suffrage is restricted to the 

 heads of families (matais) in accordance with Samoan 

 custom, the family and not the individual being con- 

 sidered the unit of society. 



There are no public lands in American Samoa. Even 

 the land occupied by the Naval Station was acquired 

 from the native owners by purchase. A few small tracts 

 are owned by foreigners, who acquired their titles 

 before the American occupation. Only one plantation 

 is owned by a white man, and he is connected by mar- 

 riage with one of the highest chiefs of Samoa. On his 

 plantation in a valley on the north side of Tutuila, he 

 has planted coconut trees, rubber, cacao, and a small 

 amount of coffee. On account of the small amount of 

 arable land there is no opportunity for Americans to 

 become planters in these islands. 



The only product of commercial importance is copra, 

 the dried meat of the coconut. All the beaches are 

 fringed with coconut palms. At the mouths of streams 

 where the water is brackish, there are mangrove thickets 



composed chiefly of Rhizophora and Bruguiera. Sur- 

 rounding the thatched huts of the natives are many 

 ornamental plants, including Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, the 

 beloved aute of the natives, who adorn themselves 

 with its bright red flowers; trees of the fragrant 

 Canangium odoratum, here called "moso'oi," from the 

 flowers of which the natives make garlands and prepare 

 a scented oil for anointing their bodies; clumps of 

 pandanus, from the leaves of which they weave their 

 mats; ironwood (Casuarina equisetifolia) called "toa," 

 from the trunks of which they make spears and war- 

 clubs; Piper methysticum from the roots of which they 

 prepare their national drink called '"ava;" and near- 

 by are usually clumps of bananas and plantains; 

 patches of taro (Colocaswantiquorumyar. esculenta) the 

 starchy roots of which form one of their most important 

 food staples; trees of breadfruit (Artocarpus incisa) 

 magnificent mango trees; the Polynesian "chestnut" 

 (Inocarpus edulis), called "ifi;" several varieties of 

 yams (Dioscoreae) the paper mulberry (Broussonetia 

 papyrifera), from the inner bark of which the women 

 make bark-cloth, the widely spread Hibiscus tiliaceus, 

 here called "fau," from the bark of which they make 

 cordage; urticaceous plants, fau- 

 songa (Pipturus argenteus) and 

 fau-pata (Cypholophus macroce- 

 phalus), from the fiber of which 

 they make their shaggy mats and 

 their fishing nets; dracsena-like 

 Cordyline terminalis, here called 

 "ti," from the leaves of which 

 they make skirts worn while 

 fishing on the reef; besides many 

 other interesting and useful 

 plants. 



Though much of the island is 

 too steep for cultivation, every 

 foot of the soil near the coast 

 seems to yield useful plant prod- 

 ucts, and edible sea-weeds are 

 secured from the shallow lagoons 

 between the shore and the sur- 

 rounding reefs. 



The slopes of the mountains 

 as well as the valleys are covered 

 with rich humus formed princi- 

 pally by the decay of vegetable 

 matter together with a slight 

 proportion of decomposed vol- 

 canic rock. Nearly all tropi- 

 cal plants which have been 

 tried have been grown suc- 

 cessfully. Oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, citrons, 

 the mango, alligator pear (aguacate, or avocado), 

 papaya, pineapple, are among the introduced fruits. 

 The citrous fruits are subject to scale. The lemons 

 are mostly thick-skinned and of inferior quality. Ban- 

 anas of many varieties are cultivated, each family 

 having a banana-patch for its own use. Certain varie- 

 ties are allowed to ripen and eaten raw, while others 

 are gathered immature, before the starch has turned to 

 sugar, and are cooked as a vegetable. The varieties 

 growing in Samoa before its discovery are known as 

 "fa'i Samoa," while those introduced by the whites are 

 called "fa'i papalangi." Banana leaves are used for 

 table-cloths, umbrellas, wrapping-paper (with the mid- 

 rib removed), improvised hats (when it rains), and, 

 when dried, for cigarette wrappers. In addition to the 

 cultivated species there is a wild banana in the mount- 

 ains, called "soa'a" (Musa Fehi, Bart.), which yields 

 a black dye. Of this species which bears its fruit in an 

 erect raceme, the natives have a story telling of a battle 

 between the soa'a and the fa'i. The soa'a was victo- 

 rious and ever since it has kept its head erect, while the 

 conquered fa'i is compelled to bow its head earthward 

 as a token of its humiliation. 



