146 KEV. T. POWELL ON THE 



to £he west we have the island of Tiituila, seventeen miles long by five 

 broad, with the fine land-locked harbour of Pangopango on its southern 

 side. There is a small island named Aunu'u off its eastern point. Thirty- 

 six miles further to the west we come to Upolu, which is forty- four miles 

 long by fifteen in breadth ; and the most important island of the group, both 

 commercially and politically. About midway down its north side is the 

 harbour of Apia, the seat of government, the residences of the British, 

 German, and American consuls, several large mercantile establishments, 

 an important station of the London Missionary Society, and a large Koman 

 Catholic establishment under the control of a bishop and a considerable 

 staff of French priests. Twelve miles further down is the Malua College of 

 the London Missionary Society, Avith over one hundred students for the 

 Christian ministry. Off the east end of this fine island are three islets, two 

 of which have a few inhabitants. The largest and most westerly of the 

 group is Savai'i, about forty-eight miles long and twenty-five broad, with a 

 mountain peak six thousand feet high. This lies twelve miles west of 

 Upolu, and between the two are two smaller islands named respectively 

 Manono and Apolima. The former was some years ago of great political 

 importance. The physical aspect of these islands is very beautiful. They 

 are characterised by mountain peaks, ridges, and spurs often reaching nearly 

 to the water's edge ; precipices and rugged rocks from which and over which 

 rush silvery waterfalls ; sea- worn caverns and, in inany places, reefs encircling 

 lagoons, the sea breaking over the reefs and on to the rocks in majestic 

 splendour ; and the islands themselves are for the most part clothed with 

 beautiful and very varied vegetation from the mountain peaks to the Avater's 

 edge. The people who inhabit these beautiful islands are a very fine race. 

 A finer race cannot, perhaps, be found upon the face of the globe. They 

 are of light copper-colour complexion, and weU-formed ; dark eyes, 

 straight hair, good teeth, and average height probably not less than five 

 feet eight inches. The native population numbers about 35,000, which is 

 an increase of about 1,100 in forty years. They are of Asiatic origin, and, in 

 my own opinion, of Hebrew descent ; the language is essentially Semitic. 

 This would have been evident at a glance to any philologist, had the 

 missionaries, who gave the people signs for their sounds, have given Hebrew 

 letters instead of Roman. Only fifty-six years ago these people were iii 

 heathen darkness. " They had gods many and lords many, in a remarkable 

 system of zoolatry which prevailed, linking them on alike to the Asiatic 

 continent and to the animal worship of the ancient Egyptians." * Now, they 

 are all professedly Christians, about one-fourth also seeming to be true 

 believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, accepting Him as their Saviour, the Holy 

 Spirit as their guide, and the Bible as their rule of life. Two hundred of 



"^ See a deeply-interesting account of " Fifty-six years' work in Samoa, 

 by Dr. Turner, in Missionary Chronicle of London Missionary'' Society for 

 January, 1880. 



