Forty Years On The Pacific/Robert Louis Stevenson-The Famous Hurricane

MANY features of romantic interest are connected with the Samoan Islands. It was in 1897 that I first touched at Apia, the home of the late Robert Louis Stevenson. Stevenson had enshrined himself in the hearts of the Samoans and one of the tribes had initiated him as a member.

Mr. Stevenson's widow and her daughter, Mrs. Strong, joined our ship on leaving Apia and traveled to San Francisco, and made themselves very agreeable. They possessed a thorough knowledge of the life and customs of Pacific islanders, and in fact, had a wide knowledge of the world generally. Mrs. Stevenson and her daughter derived no greater pleasure than to sit on the deck, rolling cigarettes, and telling us stories of the fine qualities of the Samoan people. Scores of islanders accompanied them to the ship to bid them farewell. Evidence of their affection was manifest in every quarter. The islanders pulled around our big steamer and sang the Samoan folk songs.

In the bow of one boat was perched a little Samoan girl of regal bearing, called the "taupo" of the tribe. Mrs. Stevenson explained to us that each tribe had its living taupo or mascot, of kingly lineage. She is the leader on all social occasions, a kind of perpetual Queen of the May. Even when rival tribes indulge in warfare, the taupo marches at the head of the soldiers, utterly devoid of fear. According to Mrs. Stevenson, the rival tribes view the respective taupos with a certain amount of awe and veneration, and will not, if they can avoid it, allow any harm to befall them.

The native Samoan is a fine type physically. The people do not overburden themselves with raiment, but have even more than sufficient for the climate. Like other South Sea Islanders, they have a love for brilliant colors. Still, an erroneous impression prevails as to the amount of clothing worn by the natives. Europeans often imagine the natives' only covering is a pair of ear-rings and a smearing of cocoanut oil. Gilbert, the "Bab" balladist, was quite wrong, at least as far as the Samoans are concerned, when he informed:

Except a shell, a bangle rare,

A feather here, a feather there,

The South Pacific natives wear

Their native nothingness.

The males generally wear a breech cloth about their'loins, called a "lava lava," but the girls and women wear a loosefitting gown of various colors, short at the bottom, and cut low in the body, somewhat resembling the toga or tunic worn by the ancient Romans.

Mr. Stevenson's home was a few miles from Apia, and when he died, his body was interred on a hill about one thousand feet above sea-level. Prior to his death, he expressed a wish to be buried at the top of this hill. The approach is almost inaccessible, so natives cut a road through the forest and carried his body on their shoulders up this precipitous mountain.

The old natives who knew Stevenson still mourn him as a lost brother or father. He was very good to them, and they loved him. There are few left of the old chiefs who were his friends, and those who are alive speak of him with the greatest reverence. To them he will always be their "Tusitala," or teller of tales.

On one voyage, on the Moana, in 1898 (Captain Carey), from America to Australia, we arrived at Apia in the morning, and the ship anchored in the offing, the passengers going ashore in small boats. On this day a picnic was given to a half-caste Samoan girl, who had returned from school in New Zealand. On landing, a native driver of a horse and sulky solicited the patronage of an Englishman and myself, offering to take us to the picnic. Two young girls about sixteen asked us for a ride, and as we were not averse to having their company, they jumped in the vehicle and accompanied us.

On arriving at the picnic ground, we witnessed the festivities of the islanders, which took the form of singing and dancing. After standing about awhile, most of the passengers scattered and sat among the natives on the grass. All the girls were smoking cigarettes. When the festivities were over, the native girls kissed the beautiful half-caste girl who was their guest. We thought the Samoans did not speak English, and one passenger from Dayton, Ohio, who did not think they understood, remarked that he wished he was a returned school-girl so that he could get kissed. This half-caste girl turned to him and said in good English:

"Who would kiss you?"

At this picnic, there was sitting next to me a Samoan princess, to whom I had given some cigarettes, and on leaving, she gave me her necklet of beads, of wild rose calyx. When I described the incident to a lady friend in New York later, she laughingly asked me if the princess did not catch cold when she parted with the beads.

We left Apia, about sunset, quite a number of natives coming off in small boats to say good-by. It is the custom among the islands for native girls and boys to dive for silver. A number of natives came on deck to sell curios. One girl was offered a shilling to dive from the hurricane deck. She accepted, and another passenger said he would give a shilling for a lock of her hair, as she might never come up. She agreed, and a pair of scissors was required. Luckily, we had on board Mr. Cowle, of the International Harvester Company. Always out for business, carrying samples of cutters, he produced a pair of scissors, and clipped one of her locks. She smiled on her audience, ascended to the hurricane deck and made a beautiful dive into the sea.

One of the passengers who found much to interest him here was Mr. Prentis, of Cleveland, Ohio. He was studying the habits of the big land crab—a great cocoanut driller—with a view, he said, to finding how he could improve on the twist drill.

The average person has gained a pretty good idea as to the physique of the Samoans. Years ago a troupe of them went to the Columbian Exposition at Chicago, and the Midwinter Fair in San Francisco. Those who saw them will remember their warm brown skins and their black hair, glossy as a raven's plume. They are among the finest races of the Pacific islanders, care-free and light-hearted, and greet every one with a cheerful "talofa," meaning "My love to you." Their women are most comely. The girls develop at thirteen or fourteen years of age, and visitors are surprised at their perfect figures and graceful carriage. No corsets are worn, but the women are as straight as arrows. As they grow older, they become corpulent and lose most of their grace and symmetry.

People who have lived a great part of their lives among them have told me that the standard of morality is very high, but I am afraid they are not so particular as they used to be. Prior to the advent of the whites, a violation of the marriage law was punishable by clubbing the transgressor to death.

Their chief amusement is dancing, and they are among the most graceful performers I ever saw among aboriginals in any part of the world. The dances generally consist of sitting on the ground swaying their bodies, and gesticulating with their arms and legs to the accompaniment of plaintive chants. They decorate themselves with flowers, ferns and various kinds of necklets.

Samoan scenery everywhere is gorgeous and magnificent. About ten years ago a volcanic outbreak opened up on the ^north side of Savaii, and the activity has been going on without intermission ever since. No sightseer could possibly do 'the important and interesting points in Samoa in less than a month. It would take a good part of the time to get to know the people, especially the brown young ladies, who are most persuasive and attractive, and who with their charms have so often induced the wanderer to stay in these beautiful islands for the remainder of his life.

One of the principal resorts is Papaseea, or, the "Sliding Rock." .The proper way to visit Papaseea is to join in a native picnic party to "shoot the fall." The example of the natives is sure to be followed by the more venturesome visitors, who, having once tasted the fearful joy of shooting like lightning down the inclined plane of the rock into the pool below, will find it difficult to tear themselves away from the fascinating sport. Apart from the pleasure of this novel "toboggan," the ride to Papaseea is well repaid by the natural beauty of the scenery around the falls. There are many other sights around Apia for the entertainment of the traveler.