Geographical position of the 

 Samoan Group. 



THE SAMOANS. 



Climate and air of the Samoan 

 Islands. 



103 



CHAPTER XV. 



THE SAMOANS. 



GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION OP THE SAMOAN GROUP ITS HARBOURS TIDES AND CURRENTS ITS CLIMATE SIZE OF 

 THE ISLANDS SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS OF THE GROUP ITS CULTIVATION QUADRUPEDS BIRDS REPTILES 

 FISH PRODUCTS AVAILABLE FOR COMMERCE LANGUAGE OF ITS NATIVES THEIR DISEASES THEIR GENERAL 

 APPEARANCE THEIR NATIONAL CHARACTER LABOURS OF THE MISSIONARIES NATIVE MISSIONARIES SELEC- 

 TION OF THEM FOR THE NEW HEBRIDES POPULATION OF THE ISLANDS RELIGION OF THE HEATHEN THEIR 

 IDEA OF THE CREATION OF A FUTURE STATE THEIR OMENS THEIR SUPERSTITION THEIR DANCES THEIR 

 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS THEIR AMUSEMENTS THEIR BIRTHS THEIR MARRIAGES AND COURTSHIP THEIR 

 ADOPTION OF CHILDREN THEIR BURIALS THEIR MOURNING THEIR MANNERS AND APPEARANCE THEIR 

 DRESS IMPROVEMENT IN THE ANCIENT DRF.SS TATTOOING THEIR MANUFACTURE OF TAPA AND MATS 



SAMOAN CANOES BOAT-SONG HOUSES OF THE NATIVES THEIR LIGHTS THEIR FOOD THEIR HABITS THEIR 



MALANGAS THEIR PUNISHMENTS FOR CRIMES THEIR WARS THEIR OLOS THEIR PEACE-MAKING CLASSES 

 OF SAMOAN SOCIETY ALLOTMENT OF LANDS MODE OF GOVERNMENT DESCENT OF CHIEFTAINSHIP CERE- 

 MONIES AT THE FONOS. 



DURING the time that the squadron remained in the 

 Samoan Group, all the islands of which it is made 

 up were visited ; not only were the examinations, 

 spoken of in the two preceding chapters, made, but 

 their shores were minutely surveyed by boats ; the 

 meteorological instruments were duly registered ; 

 astronomic and magnetic observations made, and a 

 full record of the tides kept. We have thus obtained 

 a large amount of information, which will be more 

 easily intelligible in a condensed form, together 

 with a great number of facts in relation to the 

 aboriginal population, which may be made more 

 interesting when applied to give a general view of 

 the habits, character, and state of civilization 

 among the natives, than if dispersed in isolated 

 remarks in the accounts of the separate tours in 

 which it was obtained. 



The group lies between the latitudes of 13 30' 

 and 14 30' S., and the longitudes of 168 and 173 

 W. The islands, as has been seen, agree in the 

 general character of being of volcanic structure, 

 and having coral reefs ; differing, however, in the 

 modifications of these formations, which have been 

 from time to time described. The harbours are 

 usually situated within the reefs, but Tutuila is an 

 exception to this rule, by the possession of the deep 

 land-locked basin of Pago-pago. This is, of all the 

 ports, the one best adapted for the refitting of ves- 

 sels; but Apia, in Upolu, in the latitude of 13 48' 

 56-6" S., and longitude 171 41' 9" W., is not so 

 difficult of egress, and in consequence of its prox- 

 imity to the fertile district of Aana, the most con- 

 venient for vessels seeking only a temporary an- 

 chorage and refreshment. 



The approach to Pago-pago, and the other har- 

 bours of the Samoan isles, is not difficult ; and 

 as the soundings extend in some places for a dis- 

 tance beyond the reefs, vessels may drop an anchor 

 in case of necessity. 



The flood tide among these islands sets to the 

 westward; beyond its influence, on the southern 

 side of the islands, a current generally prevails to 

 the eastward, while it runs westward on their 

 northern side. Vessels, therefore, when beating 

 to windward, would find it to their advantage to 

 keep on the southern side of the group, where 



there is not only a favourable current, but where 

 the winds would be found more regular, and calms 

 less frequent. 



Tidal observations were made contemporaneously 

 at Tutuila, Upolu, and Savaii; these show a regular 

 difference of one hour in the tidal wave between 

 Tutuila and Upolu; the tide at Savaii appears from 

 the record to have been more irregular than at the 

 other islands, which may in part be attributed to 

 the extent of the reef, but I also fear that there 

 may have been a want of due attention to the 

 observations. 



The climate of these islands may be termed 

 variable, and there is much bad weather, particu- 

 larly during the winter months, when long and 

 heavy rains, attended at times with high winds 

 and northerly gales, are frequent. Destructive 

 hurricanes also occur, and of these one is still 

 recollected which blew down the bread-fruit trees, 

 and destroyed many of the houses. 



The air is more moist than that of the Society 

 Islands, and the vegetation in consequence more 

 luxuriant. Thunder and lightning are often ex- 

 perienced, but during the summer months light 

 winds and calms are the prevailing characters of 

 the climate. 



Some of our gentlemen made the remark, that to 

 judge from the time at which the bread-fruit was 

 gathered, there must be a great difference between 

 the seasons of this island and Tahiti ; for when we 

 arrived at Tutuila, that product was ripe and in 

 abundance, although when we left Tahiti, only a 

 few days before, it was unripe and not to be had. 

 The same remark was made in relation to the 

 vi-apple (spondias dulcis). But, by comparing the 

 voyages of Cook and Wallis, it would appear that 

 the time of the year at which the bread-fruit is in 

 season at Tahiti is not constant, for both these 

 navigators found it in perfection, although they 

 visited that island in different months. If there 

 be a difference between the time of the ripening 

 of the bread-fruit in the Society Islands and this 

 group, the greater moisture and higher mean 

 temperature of the Samoan climate will account 

 for it. 



The islands of the Samoan Group contain one 



