506 
COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 
while even hr the heat of war they have shown them¬ 
selves amenable to the influences of reason and religion. 
The former warlike and rapacious character of the 
Samoans has in fact undergone a complete change since 
the year 1836, when the archipelago became a chief 
centre of missionary zeal. All, or almost all, are nomin¬ 
ally Christians, chiefly owing to the efforts of the London 
Missionary Society, who have over 200 native mission¬ 
aries in the group; but the Boman Catholics and Wes- 
leyans are also well represented. 
The political dissensions of the last few years have 
gradually reduced agriculture to a very low ebb. The 
Consular Reports of 1893 state that the Samoans have 
almost entirely neglected all cultivation of the soil, and 
are so indolent that they actually buy from traders the 
dried kava root to make their national beverage, sooner 
than take the trouble of planting a few kava shrubs near 
their huts, although when once planted the tree requires 
no trouble or attention. Coolies’ wages vary from three 
to six shillings per diem, and labour is hard to obtain,/ 
although to supply this want natives of the Carolines 
and Marshall Islands have in recent years been frequently 
introduced. The imports and exports, which in 1883 
were £93,607 and £52,074 respectively, sank in 1890 
to £43,626 and £20,509, and there has been only 
slight improvement subsequently. Almost every tropical 
product seems to succeed, but few are apparent in the 
list of exports. Copra to the value of £25,000 was 
exported in 1892, and about £2000 worth of cotton. A 
little fruit is sent to the Australian market, and cacao 
has recently been planted. The carrying trade is chiefly 
in German hands, that of 1892 being £40,000, as 
against £22,000 shipped by British vessels; but, on the 
other hand, the imports from the British colonies of 
