i94 
Wild Life in Southern Seas. 
big house, and in a quiet, dignified manner 
shakes hands with his visitors, and acknowledges 
former acquaintance with me by holding my 
hand and patting gently on the back of it—a 
custom that is followed in some parts of Poly¬ 
nesia, denoting pleasure at meeting a friend. 
He does not shake hands with Mrs. Hollister 
and her daughter, but, like a well-bred Samoan, 
sits himself cross-legged in front of them a few 
paces distant, and, lowering his eyes, gives the 
proper Samoan greeting to women of position, 
Ude afio mat, tamaitai, which rendered in Eng¬ 
lish is, “ Your highnesses have come.” His 
mother brings him food, and then we sit round 
and smoke in silence whilst the doctor fumbles 
about our traps and produces a couple of bottles 
and glasses, and uncorking one asks the chief to 
“ take a taste.” His grandmother frowns dis¬ 
approval as he pours out a “nip” that would 
please a second mate, and then, the big man, 
looking at us with a smile, says, Lo fa, tamaitai 
ma alii (good-night, ladies and gentlemen), rolls 
himself in his white tappa covering, and placing 
his head on a curiously-shaped bamboo pillow, 
is soon asleep. Simultaneously we follow suit. 
The ladies, in accordance with a Samoan custom, 
