ISLAND OF UPOLU. 87 



about three feet deep, with flowers and shrubbery planted 

 around. No arms, or food is deposited with the bodies ; for, 

 according to their belief, they have all these things provided 

 for them in the world of spirits. After the body has lain in 

 the grave a year or two, they take up the skull and place it in 

 a box in their houses. The object of this practice, I am told, 

 is to prevent their enemies obtaining possession of them in 

 times of war, when it is a common custom to violate the 

 sanctity of the grave. The relatives of the deceased show 

 their grief by burning themselves and scratching their faces. 



Their amusements consist of dances, wrestling-matches, 

 sham club-fights, and a variety of games. All the dances 

 I saw were very indecorous, so much so as to make it improper 

 to attempt a description of them here. Young women had a 

 share in them, and it seemed to me that their attitudes were 

 of a character still more disgusting than those of the men. 

 The music accompanying the dances consisted of drums,* 

 flutes,! an d singing. It is said that the sham-fights sometimes 

 last a whole day, and usually end in bloody noses and broken 

 heads and limbs. Their arms consist of spears, clubs, bows 

 and arrows. The spear is pointed with bone, and is con- 

 sidered a very formidable weapon. 



The government resembles the early state of the European 

 nations under the feudal system. Their orders of dignity 

 answers to barons, vassals, and villeins. Great respect is paid 

 to the chiefs, and particularly to the highest class. The 

 " Tuper," or barons, are lords^of the several districts into 

 which the island is divided. The vassals superintend the cul- 

 tivation of the ground, and the villeins, or the common people, 

 perform all the laborious work. The whole power lies in the 



* The Samoan drum is made of a piece of wood hallowed out. 

 f This flute is made of bamboo. 



