CHAPTER XXIV. 



UPOLTJ ISLAND, SAMOA. 



ABOUT twelve hours after leaving Tutuila we 

 entered the harbour of Apia, the capital of Upolu, 

 and the principal town of the Samoan group. 

 Rain was falling heavily and the island and harbour 

 had a dismal appearance. Much wreckage was 

 lying about on the shore, a forcible reminder of 

 the fearful hurricane when H.M.S. " Calliope " 

 was the only vessel to escape out of the many 

 anchored in the harbour at the time. 



The anchorage is by no means good. Reefs 

 are plentiful, and some of them are just a- wash 

 at low water, and there are no islets or pro- 

 montories sufficient to shelter ships at anchor, 

 should there be an on-shore wind. 



On some of the reefs we saw some natives fly- 

 fishing. Standing up to the waist in water, they 

 were flogging away with what seemed to be indif- 

 ferent success. We afterwards had an opportunity 

 of examining the tackle used by the Samoans. 

 It proved to consist of a stout bamboo rod, to the 

 point of which a strong line was attached ; at 



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