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To Mulifanua - Aoba Boys' Dance - Long Legs - Musical Instrument - War-dances - Resisting the Devil - Tapa Manufacture - Mallet Music - Samoan Music - Mat Drum - The Syrenic Accordion - The Jew's-harp, its Guile - Return to Apia - Sunday Lecture - Secrets of the Boudoir - Ladies Dressing - Horrible Hats - Male Attire.

Some little time after this, I accompanied the doctor in one of his periodical visits to inspect the imported labourers on the German plantation at Mulifanua, where we remained the night the guests of its courteous manager.

In the evening, for our amusement he induced the Aoba boys from the New Hebrides to give us a specimen of their dancing. It is not often that they will do so, and this time 'Long Legs,' their chief boy, said he was sick, and would not perform. In consequence, it required great persuasion to get them to dance at all without their 'best man; but eventually the 'corps de ballet' was assembled, and the fun began.

It was a beautiful bright moonlight night, and everything could be seen almost as plainly as in the daytime. The musical instrument used was of the most

primitive description, and consisted of a thick length of bamboo held at the ends by two boys, upon which two others beat their hardest, and at times their quickest, with two short pieces of wood by way of drum-sticks, keeping up a rattling tattoo during the whole operation.

The overture had scarcely begun when the sick man, 'Long Legs,' carried away by the soul-stirring rattle of the sticks, rushed off to his house, soon to reappear on the gay and festive scene in full dancing costume-having on little more than a coat of grease, some feathers in his hair, shell-rattles on his ankles, clashing at every step he made and rush madly into the middle of the fray, when the sport began in real earnest.

All those who possessed head-dresses had mounted them; all who had guns appeared with them in their hands, and those who had none provided themselves with sticks to represent that more lethal weapon, for the possession of which most of them were undergoing three or more solid years of foreign toil.

The motions in the dancing were, for the greater part, indicative of fighting in the different postures of their style of attack and defence, ever keeping time most correctly to the rattle of the bamboo-stick drum. The different steps and measures it is impossible to describe with any hope of their being understood; but every change in cadence or disposition was according to some fixed rule, for with the varied tunes and rolls beaten on the bamboo, so the steps changed to quicker or slower, and the accompanying song took up its new metre.

Every now and then two or three of the main body of the dancers would burst out and career furiously round and round the army as though they were skirmishing, waving their arms and guns in a most frantic manner. Occasionally the whole mob would advance with a rush, while the singing and drumming would increase in volume, as if in triumphant charge. At other times the company would retire in haste; the music then would become low in tone and almost cease, indicative, I imagine, of a strategic movement to the rear. The whole of this time 'Long Legs' was careering in wild energy in every direction, giving his people a strong lead in all departments of the business.

A great many dances were gone through. One of these was intended to illustrate the evil spirit roving abroad, seeking whom he might devour; the idea evidently being that unless he could find an isolated individual he could do no harm, and that so long as the people kept together they were safe from him. The fugleman, representing 'Old Nick,' goes away to some distance, and hides behind a bush. The main body of the people then, scattered loosely about, commence a glad sort of song and dance to the thumping accompaniment of the bamboo drum, to represent, I suppose, a village population innocently enjoying themselves in the evening in their far-away home in the New Hebrides.

Suddenly a terrific yell is heard and a gun fired, causing the frightened villagers to draw close together for mutual protection, facing towards the point of danger. The music at the same time changes to a tone indicative of alarm, the bamboo rattling out famously as loudly and quickly as the professors can manage to do it. All the time the dance and chant are kept up, the solid phalanx facing towards the enemy.

Another louder and more hideous yell is soon heard, and amidst the furious rattling of the drum, the screams of the singers and vigorous stamping of the dancers, the devil with arms spread out clawfashion rushes upon the devoted crowd, which, keeping face towards the demon, presses closer together and shuffles back in a motion expressive of horror, with a very quick short shuffling of the feet, exactly similar to the retreating movement to be seen in the ballet at home.

'Auld Clootie,' not succeeding in his first attempt, now dances all round the different sides of the square, as if searching for a break in the defensive line to burst through and capture a soul or two; but whichever way he turns the dancers face him, advancing when he retreats and shuffling back when he charges on them, the whole performance being thoroughly illustrative of resisting Satan. All this time the chanting and dancing are furiously kept up.

At last, as it were in despair at not being able to snatch a meal, Satan resigns the attempt and sails round and round alone, desponding and defeated, with arms high in the air in imitation of the flight of a flying fox or bat; and so well is this done that no one could fail to recognise at first sight what the movement is intended to represent. He really did not appear to rest on the ground at all, but sailed round and round the crowd continually facing him, in a most marvellous manner, with scarcely any perceptible movement of his feet.

Whilst waiting for the cool of the evening to proceed on our return journey, we strolled on to a Samoan town, where we were initiated into the mysteries of Tapa-making by three ladies whom we found noisily at work over its manufacture. Tapa, as the native cloth is termed in the Samoan language, is manufactured from the bark of the ' Ua,' or paper mulberry tree ('Papyrifera Broussonetia), cultivated especially for the purpose. The tree is raised from cuttings, and has a very rapid and upright growth, putting forth few lateral branches. When it arrives at about four inches in girth, it is cut down and carried into the village by the men. From this point it is handed entirely over to the women for preparation and manufacture. The bark is now in its entirety stripped off` the sticks, from which, when freshly cut, it separates itself readily, as also does the inner white bark from the valueless outer skin. The former is then steeped in water, generally being anchored down in the river with stones all night to soften the fibre. The next day will be seen scattered in every direction along the stream, sitting in the water with all sorts of sunshade contrivances, picturesque groups of girls and women of all sizes and ages, with sloping boards in front of them on which each strip of bark is successively placed, and with constant application of water scraped with a 'pepe,' or cockle-shell, until all the vegetable mucus is separated from it, and there remains nothing but a spongy white material ready for the next process. It is now taken to the house, and, on a rounded hard-wood log kept for that special purpose, is pounded with wooden beetles, both ribbed and smooth, until the bark is greatly expanded, which can be increased to any reasonably desired extent, of course proportionate to the thinness wanted.

The sound of fifty or sixty of these mallets all going at the same time in one village is by no means unpleasant to the ear, the resonant clash of the hard woods producing somewhat musical notes. At times, the tapping will be very mixed, without the least suspicion of regularity; at others, more especially following a general lull, the performers will start afresh, keeping most excellent time, evidently in some previously concerted accordance, and with some generally known measure. Oftentimes, previous to knocking off work for the night, a regular concert will be arranged, in which all will join from one end of the village to the other, with a pleasant and most novel effect. Each piece, when hammered out to the requisite thickness, is spread on the stones in front of the house to dry; and when a sufficient quantity is ready, the ladies proceed to stick the pieces together with arrowroot-gum, layer over layer, and overlapping side by side, until a cloth of proper thickness and size is manufactured. It is then painted with the various pigments at their disposal, of any colour and of any design that may be thought fit, made up into large rolls, and deposited amongst the roof-beams for future personal use or barter whenever it may be required.

Before the arrival of the Jew's-harp and the penny tin whistle, the only sound-giving instruments in use by the Samoans were the wooden drum and the conch-shell; but whether these articles can be classed amongst musical instruments is a matter for grave doubt. The former consists of an oblong block of some resonant wood, rounded of canoe-shape at either end, but hollowed out, leaving a considerable thickness of wood all round. They are made of all sizes; the larger ones rest on the ground, the hollow part upwards, and being struck with a heavy wooden mallet emit a booming blunt sort of sound, which can be heard to a great distance. Every town of any respectable size has its drum for summoning the inhabitants at the chiefs will, or to give warning that something unusual is happening. The small ones are carried in the hollow of the arm, and struck with a hard-wood stick. These are only used in schools to call the scholars to attendance. There are generally three such, of different tones, in each establishment, which, being played with some degree of consonant observance, produce a sound by no means unpleasant to hear, in spite of the rudeness of manufacture. The conch-shell is used, as it is all over the Pacific Islands, more as a war-trumpet than anything else. With the roll of mats or big bamboo, on which time is beaten for the Siva dancers, the catalogue of Samoan noise-producing instruments is complete.

The whistle is a distinct nuisance everywhere; the native idea of perfection on this offensive article is confined to what can be tortured out of three or four notes in a studied and dismal manner.

The Jew's-harp to Samoans has a use above its musical properties. Two natives may be sitting in the same room with you, innocently - as you may suppose - lost in rapture in the seductive strains breathed through this old-time instrument. You, in your simplicity, would never suspect that these two ingenuous savages were communicating with one another through the medium of this harmless article of South-Sea barter; but, nevertheless, they are doing so. You may have been but the moment before reading them a strong moral lecture, the righteousness of which they acknowledged; and you will little suspect that, under the disguise of an excruciatingly executed 'Hold the fort' or 'Yankee Doodle,' a conversation is being carried on, your improving lecture turned into ridicule, and arrangements are in course of formation for your future confusion in the most musical manner at their disposal. Jew'sharping is also a favourite way of arranging elopements. A skilful harper, unless very carefully watched by some one up to his little game, will easily manage to breathe out in the form of sweet music all that he wishes to say to his sister sinner.

Before midnight we were in the boat again, on our way back to Apia, where I arrived on Sunday morning, just in time to receive a lecture from a Samoan lady friend of mine, whom I found interviewing my black boy, on the bad habit and horrid example of travelling on Sunday. This lecture was not, however, an honest one, but was merely a blind introductor to leading up to a roll of gaudy-coloured ribbon that she knew I had, a piece of which she badly wanted to smarten herself up in female rivalry with some unknown in to-day's church parade; and she did not leave until she got it.

Sunday is a great day with all Samoans. With the exception of the intervals of sleep, so necessary to their existence, hymn-singing goes on very nearly from the first thing in the morning till the last thing at night. Really the Sunday in and about the schools begins on Saturday evening, when, as a rule, they carry on practice to a late hour.

Samoans, as is the case in more civilized parts, take advantage of church-going to parade all their finery, and it is with a goodwill they do so. About 6.30 in the morning the bell rings, and off all troop, with Bible and Prayer-Book carefully wrapped up in a clean pocket-handkerchief, exactly as may be frequently seen in England, to the church for morning prayers; but being so very early, I suppose the ladies are in no more than a studied sort of half-costume, though still slightly in advance of the usual week-day attire.

Returning in about the course of an hour to their houses, a few hymns are indulged in, and perhaps an exhortation from the head of the house. Domestic affairs and gossip now fill up the interval, until it is time to prepare for the regular morning service. It is then, if one happens to live in the immediate vicinity of a native establishment, that all the mysteries of the boudoir stand a good chance of being revealed.

About half an hour before church-time, all is bustle and hurry amongst the dark fair ones; a rush is made for the boxes, and the house soon presents the appearance of a very much disorganized milliner's shop. If there is not sufficient accommodation for dressing within the house, the outside will do just as well. They have but little mauvaise honte, and are not in the very smallest degree inclined to sacrifice their once-a-week chance of displaying their finery to any false pride.

The native costume is soon thrown aside, when the preliminary snow-white garment takes its place, to be followed by petticoats, and over all a long flowing dress, generally of some gay-patterned muslin; and in course of time, amidst the almost deafening laughing, chattering, chaffing, and hooking and tying one another up, the bevy of damsels stands completely metamorphosed in semi-papalagi (foreign) costume, resplendent with every hue and colour of the rainbow, and all looking and feeling as proud of themselves as they well may.

After careful, but uninvidious, inspection of each other, and a good deal of good-humoured chaffing as to relative appearances, and sly references to the donors of such and such ornaments, during which one good-natured girl may often be seen stripping herself of some little finery of her own to adorn a. companion, they troop off to church, the smallest ones leading, the biggest bringing up the rear.

Some of the Sunday dresses, more especially the simple white flowing muslin ones, suit these girls to perfection, and show off their always good-humoured, never ugly, and frequently very handsome, brown faces to great advantage. Ofttimes, however, the whole pleasant effect is woefully discounted by the atrocious specimens of hats they will insist upon wearing, or by some loud flaring ribbon ornament quite out of keeping with the admirable and becoming simplicity of the rest of their attire.

No colour or mixture of colours can be too loud for some of the middle-aged beauties or old women, and the more elaborately hideous the head-dress, the more it appears to be appreciated. Nothing suits them better than their own style of coiffure and headdressing, first introduced, I believe, by the missionaries from Tahiti, which consists merely of combing the hair smoothly back from the forehead, and either plaiting it in one or two queues neatly tied with a piece of ribbon, or confining it with a high comb.

With flowers and variegated leaves, in the harmonious arrangement of which they are past-mistresses, coquettishly entwined in the folds of their raven locks, they look really well. Very often, as on gala-days, entire coronets of bright-coloured flowers are worn, when the effect is most perfect. All the ladies who can afford it, on Sundays as well as on other show-days, wear stockings and shoes, with the. usual result of all foreign innovations in the way of dress, namely, that of totally destroying the natural grace of movement of the individuals using them. Like their white sisters, they will endure any amount of pain and discomfort in order to be fashionable, as clearly evidenced by these at least weekly boot-wearings. Many of the girls in the vicinity and town of Apia will wear corsets, the most useless article of dress for them at all, for their figures most certainly, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, do not require improving; and if they did, all the effect is cancelled by wearing a loose flowing robe over the wretched contrivances.

The dress assumed by the men does not depart so far from the native style as that of the women. Those who do not affect trousers and boots, worn only on Sundays, are improved rather than otherwise by turning out in pure white 'lava-lavas' with white shirts to match, worn almost invariably, 'h la beachcomber,' tails outside. Black coats are greatly affected by the native pastors and teachers, in imitation of the white missionaries, whom they would entirely copy had they the means for so doing. Some men consider their Sunday appearance improved by the wearing of old uniform coats, both naval and military, with trousers to match, or otherwise, just as chance may rule. These valuable properties, finished off with boots of any size worn only once a week, most successfully transform a decent-looking man in the week-day to a hobbling guy on Sunday.

Immediately after church the congregation return home, or perchance to the schoolhouse, when they indulge in another hour or so of singing, after which, if there is no other church in the vicinity, o1T comes all the finery, to be hung up in convenient places all round the house, and once again the girls resume their natural graces. It is most amusing to see them cast their skins. It is done in one tithe of the time it takes to adopt them. Great care is taken of the abominable hats and muslins, but very little mercy is shown to the boots, stockings, and stays. The first two are dragged off viciously and consigned anyhow anywhere; and the stay victims wrestle out of their unnatural bondage with sighs of satisfaction loud enough to be heard all over the town. Attired then easily and simply in their snow-white garments, with either white or coloured 'lava-lavas,' they do that which seems best in their own eyes. Some go to bathe, some to sleep; some sit round and talk scandal, much after the style of their white sisters after church at home, when bonnets, appearances, etc., are criticized; others go visiting, while the rest pass away the time with that usual Sunday afternoon amusement, flirting.

So the time passes until the bell goes for evening worship, when stays, boots, muslins, hats, and all the detestable paraphernalia of the morning's exhibition are once more requisitioned, donned, and off they go in a crowd, following the native pastor, who importantly stalks ahead, armed with a large umbrella and a lot of books. Returning, in about an hour, away flies all the finery again, this time to be relegated to the family boxes, not to be brought to light until the next Sunday or gala-day. The various companies generally resolve themselves into a meeting of song, and sometimes keep it up well into the night, to the edification or otherwise of their neighbours.

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