230 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST 



Tutuila, as these two islands are in sight of one 

 another, and fruit-bats can fly great distances. 

 The damage these creatures cause to the cocoanut 

 and banana trees must be very great. 



A number of natives gathered together on the 

 shore to watch our departure. The rain was falling 

 in torrents, and removing their scanty clothing 

 they carried it under their arms rolled up in banana 

 leaves. Nevertheless, most of them had umbrellas 

 to protect their heads from the rain — a ridiculous 

 sight but a very necessary precaution, for it is 

 the fashion in the Samoan Islands to dress the hair 

 with lime, which, when exposed to the rain, runs 

 down into the eyes and often causes blindness. 

 Most of the natives are blind in one eye from this 

 cause, and consequently considerable care has to 

 be taken to keep the head dry during wet weather. 

 The men without umbrellas kept their hair tightly 

 bound up and well covered with banana leaves. 



In Tutuila we first saw that dread disease 

 " Elephantiasis," which is said to arise from the 

 bites of mosquitoes. In these islands nearly 25 

 per cent, of the inhabitants were suffering from 

 this disease, some having enlarged arms, others 

 legs swoUen to the size of a bolster, while others 

 again were afflicted in various parts of the body. 

 A man, apparently strong and well, but with one 

 arm twice the thickness of the other, was no 

 uncommon sight. 



