56 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA: 



After the Commodore had dismissed the performers and 

 his guests, Yankee Sam paid a visit on board. He had a con- 

 versation with the Commodore, in which he exaggerated, and 

 seemed to romance, to such an extent, that it was impossible 

 to know whether one ought to beheve a single word he said. 

 The next day I went ashore with some of the officers to see 

 the Missionary's collections and a double war-canoe, from 

 seventy to eighty feet in length. AfterAvards I visited the 

 school and church, as well as a great public building used 

 chiefly for public meetings, convoked and presided over by 

 the chief. The church is built after the same fashion as the 

 houses, except instead of being round it is elliptic, and 

 has windows furnished with outside blinds. There are 

 religious services in it twice a week, and the congrega- 

 tion is seated on benches w^ith frames - or desks to put their 

 books on. 



There is a cascade in the island, called by the natives 

 Pishi-tali (the Great Cascade), which is said to be more than 

 2,000 feet high. One of the officers. Lieutenant Meade, 

 who went to see it, found it to be extremely striking and 

 fine, but was of opinion that it did not reach one-half 

 the height reported. 



The island of Tutuila, which seemed to me to be partly 

 composed of basaltic strata, varies in width from two to five 

 miles, by seventeen miles in length, and is said to be sixty 

 miles in circumference. There are plenty of paths, but 

 nothing resembling a road. There are forty-three villages, 

 of which the principal are Leone, with a safe and good 



