THE SA MO A N ISLANDS 4 1 y 



which round, thatched huts peep like huge beehives. On the other 

 side of the island, across the mountains and ten miles awa}'^, is 

 Leone, the principal settlement, where the London Missionary 

 Societ}' has a station and where a store or two, kept by white traders, 

 sui)[)ly tlie natives with their favorite articles of American manu- 

 facture — cotton goods, kerosene, and tinned salmon. Leone was not 

 attaciced during the recent outbreak, and still retains a primitive 

 appearance, as do also the villages about Pago-Pago, where Mauga is 

 high chief. 



It was with the father of the present bearer of that name that Com- 

 mander (afterward Admiral) Richard W. Meade, U. S. N., made the 

 compact which brought Tutuila in touch with the United States. 

 On V)oard the Narragansett, Februarj' 17, 1872, he signed with Mauga 

 an agreement by wliich this countr}^ might acquire, if the Senate ap- 

 proved. " the exclusive privilege of establishing in the said harbor of 

 Pago-Pago a naval station for the use and convenience of the vessels 

 of the United States Government." and obtained a promise that 

 Mauga would not grant a like privilege to any other foreign power 

 or potentate. On March 9 in the same year a convention was arranged 

 between Mauga and three other chiefs of Tutuila, by which the^y 

 bound themselves to form a league and confederation for their mutual 

 welfare and protection and to unite their several districts under a 

 flag made for them by Meade out of old bunting. It was partly due 

 to the fact that it was not in the interest of any one chief to keep it, 

 and partly because there was no central power of sufficient strength 

 to enforce obedience, that this convention was not faithfully kept. 

 Meade, foreseeing that this would be the case, recommended that the 

 United States sliould ratify the agreement between Mauga and him- 

 self, and for that purpose it was sent by President Grant to tiie Sen- 

 ate, which body did not ratify it until 1.S7S, when certain objection- 

 able features were eliminated. 



It is commonly and incon*ectly believed that by this treaty land 

 was acquired. All the rights gained, however, were the concession 

 which gave our vessels the privilege '" of entering and using the port 

 of I^ago-Pago and establisiiing there a station for coal and other naval 

 supplies for their naval and commercial marine," the Samoan gov- 

 ernment at tlie same time promising neither " to exercise nor autliorize 

 an}' jurisdiction within the i)ort adverse to these rights." 



In the following year Germany and England, which had long had 

 interests in the group and were anxious to enjoy privileges etpial to 



