14; 



ORDINARY MEETING, January 18, 1880. 

 The Rev. R. Thornton, D.D., Vice-Peesident, in the Chaie. 



The Minutes of the kst Meetiug were read and confirmed, and the fol- 

 lowing Elections were announced : — 



Members : — The Eight Honourable Sir 0. Murray, K.C.B., France ; 

 H. P. Malet, Esti., E.I.C.S., F.R.G.S. London ; Stafford C. Northcote, Esq., 

 London ; Eev. A. H. Kellogg, M.A., D.D., London. 



Life Associate :— A. Neve, Esq., F.E.C.S., Lidia. 



Associates : — Eev. Lloyd T. Jones, M.A., Wellingborough ; Eev. J. 

 MacGregor, D.D., New Zealand ; Eev. Prof. Howard Osgood, D.D., 

 United States ; The Ven. Archdeacon T. Vincent, Canada ; M. Le 

 Pasteur J. Walther, Switzerland. 



A paper on a Samoan Tradition of Creation and the Deluge was then read 

 by the author : — 



The Author (Eev. T. Powell, F.L.S.).— I may state, by way of prefoce, 

 that Samoa is the vernacular name of the group in the South Pacific better 

 known as the Navigators' Islands. This name was more appropriate a hundred 

 years ago than now, because, at that time, some of the people used to sail to 

 all points of the compass in large double canoes. Guided by the stars, they 

 went north, east, south, and west. Hence it is that the royal family of 

 Makea, of Earotonga, in the Harvey Group, claim relationship with the family 

 of Sali'a on Manu'a whose malae, or forum, is named also Earotonga. He 

 went with a retinue of some two hundred in an easterly and southern direc- 

 tion till he arrived at Earotonga, 800 miles off. He found the tribes at 

 war. The party at the harbour offered him the kingship in case of victory if 

 he would help them against the other party. The otter was accepted ; the 

 victory gained, and hence the relationship between the two distant tribes. 

 On their excursions they were often drifted away to some unknown group, 

 and hence we find people of Samoan origin north, south, east, and west of 

 their own group. The ancestors of the inhabitants of the Tokelan and 

 Ellice Groups all came from Samoa as well as those of the inale side of 

 the Gilbert Islanders. The Samoan Group itself lies between 169° 24', and 

 172'' 50' long. W., and 13° 30' and 14° 20' lat. S. It consists of ten 

 inhabited and two uninhabited islands. To the east are three islands 

 known as Ta'u, Olosenga, and Ofu, called collectively Manu'a. Sixty miles 



