602 
PROCEEDINGS OP SECTION F. 
“ The following are in the gift of the undermentioned places : — 
Ao, or Title. 
By whom Bestowed. 
Pe’a, or Tonumaipe’a, and Manupunafanua 
Satupaitea and Manono 
Riromaiava 
Safotu, Sasava, Palauli, and Nofoa 
Tui-Aana 
Leulumoenga, or Aana generally 
Tama-soali’i 
Le Tuamasanga and Safata 
Ngatoa’i-tele 
Sangana, Tuisamau, Lea-auimatangi, and 
Laumua 
Mataafa 
Faleata 
Tui-Atua 
Lufi-lufi and Atua generally 
Le Manu'a 
Sanapu and Safata 
Fiame ... 
Samatau 
Salima ... 
Vailele 
Lavasii 
Le Faga 
“ The power of the tupu (king) was despotic, and was at times 
exercised in a most oppressive manner ; but the tulafale , or land- 
owners, with whom the gift of the ao (title) lay, were a great check 
upon any despotic proceedings, and they did not fail to exercise it, 
even at times deposing the king. 
“ Principal Families . — There are three great families which 
comprise the aristocracy of Samoa, whose ramifications spread over 
the whole group, and to one of which every chief is referable, what- 
ever his rank or title may be. These are Sa Mataafa, Sa Malietoa, 
and Sa Muangututi’a. I am not certain if this statement holds good 
as regards Manu’a, but I rather think it does. For a long series of 
years the possession of the much-coveted title O le Tupu was con- 
fined to members of the last-mentioned family, Sa Muangututi’a ; the 
last six kings who bore the title, inclusive of the first Malietoa, being 
Muangututi’a, I’a-mafana, A ofoasaifa, Safeofafine, Tamafainga, and 
Malietoa-Tavita. Safeofatine was the last of his line, the family of 
Muangututi’a ; and after his death the office remained vacant for a 
time, until it was obtained by a taulaaitu (priest) of Manono, called 
6 O le Tamafainga,’ who not only assumed the office of a king but 
also the attributes of a god. He was a terrible tyrant, and, from his 
bein^ worshipped as a god, he possessed immense power and influence ; 
but liis tyrannies were so intolerable that the people of Aana, who 
had at the first conferred their ao (title) upon him, rose against him 
and killed him in the year 1829, just before the introduction of 
Christianity to the islands. A fierce and bloody war broke out soon 
af ter*the death of Tamafainga, in which Aana was defeated and for a 
time crushed ; but the group was rid of a tyranny that was unbearable. 
Tamafainga was succeeded some time after by Malietoa, the first of 
his family who had ever been raised to the dignity of tupu; but his 
power and influence, although considerable, were inferior to that 
exercised during the reigns which preceded the usurpation of 
Tamafainga. He had laboured hard to get possession of the much- 
coveted dignity ; but he did not long enjoy it, and at his death he 
adopted the somewhat unusual course of apportioning out the various 
titles (or ao) which had been conferred on him, thus trenching upon 
the jealously guarded privileges of the tulafale of the different 
districts. They refused to ratify the expressed wish of the old king 
and left the office in abeyance. The first Malietoa made no secret of 
