in; 



lU'tidcnce of the Icing. 



S5AMOAN (JUULR 



The king of Olooilnga. 



This island it> inhabited. The priueipal settle- 

 meut is uu the north-west side, ami there is anchor- 

 age for a small vessel near the shore, where there 

 is a cove to land in, with but little surf during the 

 fine season, or from April to November. It lias a 

 shore-reef of rural, ami the Soundings extend off 

 some distance, ri^ht fathoms being found four hun- 

 dred yards* from die shore. 



The canoes of these islanders were the host we 

 had seen. They are built of a log, having upon il 

 pieces fastened together, to raise thorn sufficiently 

 high. They are thirty or forty feet long, and are 

 partly covered in at both end*. Some of them are 

 capable of eon I doing twenty <>r twenty-five men, 

 and are very swift. The chief usually bus cress- 

 ! g-jed ilie forward platform or deck. They 

 have an out-rigger, vvhicb is not so far removed 

 from the canoe, and renders them more liable to 

 he ripset. 



The king or chief of these islands resides at 

 Oloosiuga, in OOBOOyWBOe of its being jnoro easily 

 «1- feuded. 



After iair party reached the ship, we mad sail 

 for Oloosinga, where I went on shore to sec the 

 kin;,' or chief, who was old ami decrepit. Ills name 

 is LalfJah, His brother, aii'l presumptive suc- 

 cessor, was with him, ami met me as 1 lauded from 

 the boat. Hi* mode of Habitation was by taking 

 my band ami rubbing the back of it against his 

 nose. 



The obi man. I was told by the interpreter, 

 could speak a little Knglish, but 1 could not un- 

 derstand him. This he attributed to his age, and 

 would not admit that it was owing to his ignorance 

 of the language. They led the way to Ins hut, 

 siiu:iied under a mur.it precipice twelve hundred I 



feet ill height. 



Tbe island of Oloosinga is a narrow ledge of 

 rucks, rising nearly perpendicular on both si b s, 

 and is three miles m length. So precipitous is it at 

 its rn.lt*, that it is impossible In pass around it on 

 tlic rocks. Tim strip of land is about live hundred 

 yards in width, on which bread -fruits and cocoa- 

 nuts grow in great profusion and sufficient abun- 

 dance for all the wants of the natives. They told 

 tin- that this island had been chosen as a place of 

 safety, nince the other became unsettled in conse- 

 quence of the wan of the Christian and Devil's 

 parties ; and that the island of Manua bad for. 

 merly been the n sidetiee of the king, but that lie 

 found himself uusafe there, and had taken up his 

 abode at Oloosinga, mi its north-western bide. 



Ills hoii.se was eiiiptical in form, and thirty feet 

 long, creeled on a well-Hugged terrace of stone, 

 about four feet above the ground. It was well- 

 shaded with cocoa- nut and bread- fruit trees, and 

 was supported around by ten stout posts, with 

 three others in the centre reaching the top. The 

 roof came down within three and a half feet of the 

 ground, and projected as eaves about curb teen 

 inches or two fea. In the centre the hut was 

 fifteen feet hi^h and well [hatched. 



The whole Hour was ordered to be spread with 

 line mats, which were carefully unrolled, and laid 

 over I he coarser ones on the floor. The king then 

 seated himself in the centre, and desired me to 

 take a seat between himself and brother. Shortly 

 afterwards two large wooden trays were brought 

 in, filled with cooked bread fruit and covered over 

 with leaves. One of these was placed before me, 



when the king made a long speech, giving ino 

 welcome and offering food to cat. 1 was then de- 

 sired to hand some to the king and bis brother, 

 and to others who were pointed out to mo. This I 

 did, but unfortunately continued my task, and 

 handed it to one of the kanakas, or common people, 

 who were sitting close around us ; much displea- 

 sure was evinced, accompanied with angry looks, 

 I now looked around for my nun, but they were 

 -ait of sight, on their return to the boat. In nrd< r 

 to make the best of my situation, 1 asked what was 

 meant, and feigned to be quite ignorant of having 

 given any offence. After a minute they were 

 apparently appeased, and pleasant looks were re- 

 stored. 



They handed round a shell containing cocoa-nut 

 nil to dip the bread-fruit in, and another contain- 

 ing salt water. After we had eaten, they began a 

 careful examination of my clothes, ami appeared 

 much pleased with the buttons. My pocket-hand- 

 kerchief was taken out of my pocket, and spread 

 on the mat to be examined by the king. Mis brother 

 took off my lint and put it on the top of his large 

 bushy head. They then had ava made, of w hich 

 1 could not partake, after peeing the process of 

 making it. It is fir>>t chewed by the women ami 

 thrown into a large bowl; water is added to it, and 

 it is then strained through leaves. This was par- 

 taken of by them all, while they gave me a fresh 

 cocoa-nut. 



They were becoming more familiar every mo- 

 ment, and it was getting late, so I thought it time 

 to make a move. 1 therefore rose up, and was fol- 

 lowed by the natives, in number upwards of a 

 hundred, including the king and his brother, to 

 the boat. 1 looked carefully around for arms, but 

 saw none among them. My boat was aground : 

 the king, his brother, and several others gut into 

 it, saying they must have sonic presents. They 

 seemed disponed to resist, and showed a determina- 

 tion to contest our getting off. ( on the other baud 

 was determined to get rid of them, and peaceably 

 if I could ; I therefore ordered the boat's crew to 

 arm themselves, and drive every oik- of the natives 

 from the bout, at the same time intimating to the 

 king to use his authority, which I found, however, 

 existed only in name. We thus succeeded in get- 

 ting clear of the crowd, until w e had no more than 

 eight left ; to each of these I presented a small 

 fish-hook, ami ordered them to get into the water, 

 which was about a foot deep, and go ; this they 

 did, one by one. At last came the king and his 

 brother's turn, to whom I presented, with great 

 ceremony, first a small and then a large lish-hnok; 

 after which they left me, apparently in great good 

 bmnonr. 1 was heartily glad to be rid of sueli 

 rapacious troublesome fellows so easily and with- 

 out a light. We then pushed our boat" off. When 

 just beyond the reef, in taking up our anchor, the 

 boat hu l the appearance of returning again on 

 shore. * >n seeing this, a great shout was s. t up bv 

 the nativca, and one of them immediately advanced 

 with toy powder-flask. He said it had been taken 

 by a boy out of the boat, and hud been dropped into 

 the water, to be picked up after we bad shoved off. 

 I gav e die man a small present for his apparent 

 honesty; but 1 am inclined to believe it was the 

 fear of detection, and the belief that we had missed 

 the article, and were returning for it, I hat induced 

 them to give it up so willingly. It was some time 



