TUTUILA. 57 



anchorage in the usual trade winds, Aoloau, and Asu, the 

 latter situate on the bay of Funga-sa, generally known to 

 Eui'opeans as Massacre Bay, on account of the sanguinary 

 attack in 1787 by the natives on several officers and sailors 

 of the expedition commanded by the brave and unfortunate 

 La Perouse.^ The total population consists of 3,948 souls 

 distributed thus: 1,293 men, 1,191 women, 765 boys, 699 

 girls. For many years this number has been stationary, the 

 deaths equalling the births, being 1 in 39^. There are 14 

 strangers in the island, one Frenchman, three Americans, 

 one Irishman, and the rest EngHsh (i.e. the Missionary and 

 his family). There is a difference of opinion respecting the 

 salubrity of the climate. According to my view, it cannot ' 

 be considered healthy ; fur, in the first place, it seems to liave 

 a remarkable tendency to develop brain diseases, especially 

 lunacy. Then again there is a disposition to a fever whicli 

 develoj^s elephantiasis in Europeans as well as natives ; 

 scrofula, phthisis, a form of opthalmia, and intestinal 

 diseases caused by worms, especially lumbrici, are also to 

 be found. Influenza, diarrhoea, dysentery, frequently as- 

 suming an epidemic character, as well as whooping-cough, 

 which has appeared only recently. 



The Tutuilans are less intelligent, industrious, and skilful 

 in whatever they undertake than the people of Nine, whose 

 tapa cloths are certainly better linished. As for the rest 



' According to a tradition in the island, it was an act of reprisal for 

 the deatli of a native, accidentally or otherwise killed on board the 

 ' Astrolabe.' 



