IftO 



Territorial 4f villous of ttpolu. 

 Tymniiy of Tninafairo. 



S A MOAN GRDll'. 



J.lniid of Aaolinui. 

 Survey of Savrth. 



as the town of Lauli ; Tua-Masongu is the middle 

 division, ami includes the towns of Siuma ami 

 Safata, on tin* southern shore ; Anna lies west „f 

 this, and comprise* tin* remainder of tin- i-lati'l 

 The first of these districts is of the greatest extent, 

 tho second is at present the most powerful, and 

 the third is the must fertile. The union of these 

 districts under one general government, in which 

 the island of .Savaii is also mcluded,.is a lata event. 

 Previous to 1830, this island had suffered from 

 the usurpation of a chief of Mauono, calltd Tama- 

 fago, who was a groat tyrant, hut who lis ) con- 

 trived to cause his person to be considered as 

 .sacred, and to impress on his countrymen the idea 

 that it would he sacrilege to disobey, hurt, or even 

 to touch him. After the conquest of a rival dis- 

 trict in Siivaii, he assumed the sivlc of kin-: of that 

 island, " O lo Tupu o Savaii," a title which Malietoa 

 u-.w enjoys, but without deriving from it any power. 



Tainafago not only ruled Savaii with royal ami 

 divine attributes, but obtained a complete as- 

 cendancy over I'polii, where he compelled all to 

 give up their property to him, and to yield the 

 women id all Hastes to his de.-dtv.-. 



Finally, ins tyranny ami excesses exceeded the 

 bounds of patience, ami the people of Aana rose 

 against him, conquered, and put him to death. 

 From this arose the war of Aana, which will be 

 again spoken of; for the chiefs of the other islands 

 considered themselves bnnud to avenge the deaih 

 of Tamafago. The people of the other districts of 

 Upolu were not united in the support of their 

 neighbours of Aana, who had made Lhemsehes 

 almost universally odious by their haughty bearing. 

 The war was a bloody oue, and resulted, after a 

 continuance of two or three years, in the entire 

 defeat of (he people of Aana, by those of Mammo, 

 who expelled them from their district, and forbade 

 their return to it on pain of death. 



This fertile region remained entirely unoccupii-d 

 until the arrival of the missionaries; but when the 

 Christian influences of their preaching began to be 

 felt, the decree that condemned Aana to solitude 

 was annulled, and the few of its former inhabitants 

 who had escaped slaughter, were permitted to 

 return to their ancient hum- -. 



The island of Monuno, whose inhabitants exerted 

 such an influence in the closing scenes in the war 

 of Aana, is situated within the sen-reef of Upolu. 

 It contains eleven hundred inhabitants, and is the 

 residence of the chief Pea, who must be distin- 

 guished from the inferior personage of the same 

 nnuie who resides at Apia. This island Us covered 

 with forests throughout its whole extent; its cir- 

 cumference is about four miles ; and it is the 

 station of one of the English missionaries. 



In spite of its small extent and scanty population, 

 Mammo is identified with the political history of 

 all the other islands of the group ; for, during the 

 reigns of the two Tamafagos, it held supremacy 

 over them. The reason of its acquiring and ex- 

 ercising this political supremacy, is principally to 

 be ascribed to the possession by its inhabitants of 

 llns small island of Apolima, which they used as 

 their a oto" or citadel. To this retreat, inaccessible 

 except at n single point, tin- inhabitants Of Mauono 

 were in the habit of retiring when pressed by too 

 powerful an enemy, and when his rage had spent 

 itself, they tlu mv returned lo their home with un- 

 diminished numbers. 



This natural fortress lies between Mauono and 

 Savaii, ami soundings extent! to it both from the 

 shores of Lju.lu and Savaii. The coral reef 

 attached to it is but small, 



Apolima, on the most cursory examination, is 

 evidently the crater of an extinct volcano. Per- 

 pendicular cliffs rise from the sea around its whole 

 circuit, except &t a single point on its northern 

 side. Here the lip of the crater is broken down, 

 and admits the water of the aea into a small buy, 

 w hich affords a safe luirbour for boats. The en- 

 trance to this is so narrow as to admit no more 

 than ono h..ut at a time, mid is dangerous whenever 

 there is anv surf. It may, therefore, be easily 

 defended. There is only one other point on the 

 island where it is possible to effect a landing, 

 namely, at a small height to the westward of the 

 bay, and here it can only be done when the water 

 is perfectly smooth, Put an enemy landing here 

 would have made uo progress, for before the 

 interior can be reached from this point, the steep 

 and precipitous rocks remain to be climbed. 



The highest point of Apolima is on its south side, 

 where it is four hundred and seven ty-t wo feet 

 above the sea. The perpendicular cliffs which 

 face the sea are of course bare of vegetation; but 

 with this exception the whole surface is covered 

 with cocoa, bread fruit, and other trees, or with 

 plantations of taro, yams, £lc. 



In the centre of the island is a village, of about 

 twenty houses, and the permanent population con- 

 sists of uo more than about seventy live persons, 

 Tho people are evidently jealous of the maiden 

 reputation of their natural fortress, and showed 

 much concern when we visited it. which the women 

 eve ani Tested by shedding tears. 



While wc were engaged at Tntuila and Upolu, 

 the survey of the island of Savaii was performed 

 by Lieutenant Commandant Ringgold, in the Por- 

 poise, It has already been mentioned that this 

 vessel had been detached for that purpose, and 

 that Dr. Pickering, from the Vineennes, had gone 

 in her. The brig first touched at Sapnpale, the 

 residence of the Rev. Mr. Jiardie, who gave them 

 a cordial welcome, although much surprised at so 

 tinusiuil an arrival. 



Many of the natives collected to view the white 

 men, of whom so many had never been seen 

 together on Lhe island. In their remarks, they, 

 among other things, praised our people for their 

 1m amy. 



Dr. Pickering and Lieutenant Maury were landed 

 here, Lo remain upon the island while the brig was 

 employed in surveying it; the former to examine 

 its productions, the latter to observe the tides. 

 Mr. llardic kindly afforded them accommodations 

 in a new house he had just been erecting. 



Lieiitenaut-Couminndaiit Ringgold, after landing 

 Dr. Pickering aud Lieutenant Maury at Sapapale, 

 proceeded around the island for the purpose of 

 surveying it. \U- began with the examination of 

 the larije bay of Paluale, near the eastern point of 

 the island. Here there is a missionary station, 

 under the superintendence of Mr. M* Donald, who 

 had resided there for about six months, with his 

 wife and children. The natives arc peaceable, but 

 arc described as inquisitive and rude. The village 

 is prettily situated, and is approached through a 

 boat- passage in the reef. 



The south eido of the island was found rocky- aud 



