76 



PHYSICAL HISTORY OF MAN. 



tapa, gave the first indication of the vicinity of habitations. This is 

 the constant occupation of the women ; and it is a discouraging one, 

 for the article when finished is very frail, and is soon worn out, or de- 

 stroyed by wet. It more resembles paper than cloth, and does not 

 form very graceful drapery. The paints used for delineating figures 

 on it, are polished black and dull red ; the latter, consisting of red 

 earth 'from the mountains.' 



Our place of residence was always surrounded by a body of natives, 

 and it was impossible to move about, without a train of both men and 

 boys ; never indeed offering the slightest molestation, but from motives 

 of curiosity, watching the least of our movements. Small children 

 were usually terrified on seeing us; but the larger boys would keep 

 pace for miles. Nothing showed a greater difference from our own 

 customs, than to see well-grown young women joining with the 

 rest; with unconfined limbs, and frolicsome as any of their asso- 

 ciates. 



A small house built on poles, proved to have been the work of the 

 boys of the village, numbers of whom slept there at night. This ap- 

 peared to have been only a freak ; at least I heard nothing of any 

 exclusion of the bachelors, such as is stated to exist further west, in 

 the vicinity of the East Indies. 



I was present at an interview with Malietoa, the greatest of the 

 Samoan chiefs; a highly intelligent and venerable old man, ex- 

 tremely courteous and dignified in his deportment. According to the 

 Rev. Mr. Hardie, many of the natives are not only "intelligent, but 

 really well-informed men. He had often heard them express surprise 

 at the ignorance of sailors ; asking, how it was possible that men like 

 •these, had been brought up in a civilized country." At the time of 

 our visit, paper for writing, formed one of the best articles of traffic 

 with Samoa; a circumstance which seemed anomalous, in a people as 

 yet unacquainted with the use of money. 



" Their former wars were sometimes brought on by murders ; and 

 these were occasionally committed by designing men, for that special 

 purpose. Another cause, was the abduction of women. Sometimes 

 women, from some dissatisfaction, would with the help of two dry 

 cocoa-nuts, swim across the channel between Upolu and Savaii." A 

 person was pointed out to me, v/ho had " remained three days in the 

 water, until the abdomen softened." 



The natives of the vicinity of Sapapali, had all been converted, and 

 I saw no traces of their former superstitions. A resident White spoke 



