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Description of the Samoans - Disposition - White Intrigue - Adverse to Bloodshed - Respect for Property - Tattooing - Costume - Novel use for the Union Jack - Outraged British Sentiment - Success of Trade - Women's Dress - Headdress - Hair-dressing - Language - Final Remarks.

THE Samoans are true Polynesians, of the lightest colour of the race, of grand physique, and of most prepossessing exterior and manner. With regard to both mental and social disposition, they hold the highest position in the Pacific. They are well affected towards strangers, especially the British, and from them missionary teachers have been drawn for service in all parts of the islands; even in New Guinea they are to be found. They are naturally of a simple mind, peaceable, hospitable, and generous. Though they have had a great amount of war amongst themselves, they do not love fighting for its own sake, and within the last twenty years their wars have been mostly the effect of mischievous white interference with native affairs, and thrust upon them by the intrigues of foreigners, who wilfully fomented mischief amongst them to serve their own purposes.

The Samoans respect the proprieties, and enforce a code of morals which, although not perhaps including every enactment desirable, has, nevertheless operated to preserve their self-respect, and to render them immeasurably superior in the matter of good behaviour to most of the surrounding groups. In all their wars they respected the lives of non-combatants, such as infirm persons, children, women, and teachers. Before the arrival of the missionaries, they had but the mildest form of idolatry, and never were given to infanticide or human sacrifice in any shape. Treachery is no part of their nature, nor is ingratitude; they treat their women with great respect and kindness ' and their children with the most extravagant affection. In a bargain their word may be depended upon, and they will never break a promise of which they have been truly made to comprehend the conditions.

Thus in all their land transactions no disputes subsequent to the original transfer have been known to take place in cases where the conditions of the bargain had been truly interpreted to the vendors. They have of late years been addicted to thieving from the plantations, but only food; and in most cases they justify themselves by saying that the land from whence they take the produce was stolen from them; and, on the other side, I have heard plantation-managers boast that their black labourers more than make up for Samoan pilferings in their leisure moments, and on Sundays. They have never, however, denied their liability to pay for the produce taken; but it is most wonderful to see how much a cocoa-nut or a pig rises in value when charged against a Samoan out of the ordinary course of trade.

On the whole, throughout all their troubles they showed the greatest respect for the property of Europeans, and a very praiseworthy desire to bring to justice any of their own people who maliciously injured or annoyed them. War, which so demoralizes even the most enlightened of Christian people, could not fail to bring out in high relief many dark traits of former barbarianism in their character; but when free from its evil influences they have no sympathy with violence or dishonesty, and I believe that all British officers who have been brought into contact with them have found them generally courteous, right-minded, and open to conviction.

The men, in spite of missionary denunciation, still adhere to the practice of tattooing their bodies from the hips down to the knees, making a naked Samoan always appear as though he had on a pair of blue silk netted knee-breeches. A youth is not respected until he is tattooed, and can get no girl to marry him, but sometimes cannot afford to pay for the operation; an untattooed man is invariably a very poor one. A tattooer's profession is very lucrative, and generally descends from father to son. The instruments are various, of comb-like shape, made of human bone of different sizes, from two inches long downwards, to suit the various traceries required. The operation takes from two to three months, during which time the patients remain in the bush at some retired place.

When a young chief is about to be tattooed, as many of his friends as can afford it join in the party; and so the tattooer is kept pretty well employed going from one to the other, doing a small piece at a time on each individual, and so permitting an interval of rest from the tiresome torture. All this time the relations keep bringing mats, money, and food, which if not produced with sufficient liberality the professor will strike work, and refuse to resume it until a proper present be made, which is always forthcoming, for no Samoan could face the shame of going about half-tattooed; it would be worse than nothing at all, and an everlasting brand of cowardice. and meanness.

Before the introduction of European goods, the costume of the Samoans consisted of solely a waistcloth made of all sorts of bush-leaves, but principally those of the Ti-tree (Dracoena terminalis), grown round about their dwellings for the purpose. They also used mats of various manufacture, woven from different kinds of fibre to be found in the bush.

The leaves above mentioned are pointed and lance-shaped, averaging about eighteen inches in length by four in breadth, and richly variegated with colours graduating from a bright scarlet to a beautiful deep bronze-green. They are strung round the waist, hanging points downwards, and form by no means an unhandsome article of dress, which has the additional attraction of being thoroughly native.

Another remarkable kind of lava-lava - Anglice, waist-cloth - is made from the large leaf of the Musu-oe, a bush-tree, from the flowers of which the Samoans derive their most favourite scent. The leaves of this tree being passed through the fire, turn quite black. It is worn in a similar manner to the Ti girdle. Other sorts of leafy coverings are wade from banana-leaves, and for temporary purposes, such as bathing, from the many vines so plentiful everywhere.

In their towns and villages, when not at work they wear the Siapo or native cloth, which is also used, formed into a rectangular sort of tent, to divide off the house at night into sleeping quarters, and act as mosquito curtains. On grand occasions, such as the arrival of distinguished visitors, marriages, great feasts, etc., both males and females wear as many as possible of their very fine mats manufactured from the fibre of a species of pandanus, and which form their principal valuables. The costume de rigueur for high officials is now a white linen shirt and a lavalava of the light brown tapa of the country.

Since the introduction of European and American calicoes prints of all descriptions are used for lavalavas. The colours are generally of the loudest, and the patterns in many cases of the most fearful and wonderful description, only to be seen at the place of their origin and in the South Seas, where they form a leading article of barter. A favourite pattern not long since was the Union Jack pur et simple, which suddenly made its appearance in the form of big handkerchiefs, which were used either as lava-lavas or shawls. This novel pattern took well, and gave rise to considerable amusement on the beach, owing to the action taken with regard to its suppression by a then resident, who promoted in no small degree the very thing that he wished to abolish by noticing seriously so trifling a matter. He saw in the use that this novel pattern of fancy goods was put to, an insult to his nationality; his British feelings being most fearfully outraged at seeing various odoriferous savages promenading the town innocently resplendent in the gorgeous combination of colours displayed on the meteor flag of Old England.

For some time he raged, seizing every native he saw wearing the rag, and despoiling him of his guilty splendour-of course paying him for it, or giving him something of less pronounced individuality in exchange. His black servants also, fired with the national enthusiasm of their master, were permanently in ambush behind the palings, swooping out upon each hardened offender who might pass, and whom they thought they could safely assault.

So things went on without any appreciable diminution in the numbers of perambulating Union Jacks; and no wonder, for of course the store-keepers had noticed this flag-hunting going on, and seeing so good a market, were supplying the fashionable article as fast as it became annexed, and were soon, in collusion with the simple natives, doing a roaring trade.

The climax arrived when a great buck native was seen in all the pomp and circumstance of conceit swaggering down the beach gracefully draped in the folds of a real Royal Standard. He soon got run in, stripped, paid, and kicked out; and lucky it was for that man that he could not be brought in amenable to British jurisdiction, with our friend for Judge, as he would have stood a very good chance of being found guilty of high treason, and suffering the extreme penalty of the law.

The fight against trade at last proved too much for the champion of the integrity of the British colours, who, trying to persuade himself that it was, after all, only a native way of demonstrating preference for the Old Country, and perhaps an acute desire for annexation, gave up his 'Jehad;' but not before lip had become the happy possessor of some hundreds of yards of Union Jacks, and a goodly collection of Royal Standards.

A noticeable thing with regard to costume in Samoa is that whereas all Polynesian foreigners sojourning in the group affect, if they can afford it, European costume, and turn out in full suits, hats included, Samoans have never yet shown an inclination to go beyond the shirt and body-clothes; but on fete occasions nothing is more pleasing to their vanity than to be able to strut about in full or partial naval uniform, with sword, and if with cocked-hat so much the better. The women, as a rule, dress exactly the same as the men; but of late years have taken largely to wearing long), flowing cotton robes or white chemises, which, with a coloured lava-lava, make no unhandsome or unsuitable dress for a young girl in such a climate. Another article of female dress was coming greatly into vogue, just before I left Samoa, introduced from Tonga-a short, sleeveless bodice, rather loosely cut, trimmed with a lace edging. Some of these bodices are of great splendour, made from brilliant silks and satins; a favourite material is black velvet.

Beside the fighting headdress of the chiefs and principal warriors, the Samoans have no purely national one-and this is only mounted on state or particular occasions. It is made of human hair, specially grown for the purpose, and kept carefully limed to bleach it to the required colour, a light auburn. When long enough it is cut and made into. a sort of, wig, and being fastened on the top of a warrior's naturally ample allowance, surmounting a bandeau of pearl-shell, with an aigrette in the shape of a round mirror clasping a bunch of the straight scarlet feathers of the boatswain bird fixed in the front, forms a formidable and most peculiar feature in Samoan full dress.

In ordinary life the head is seldom covered, but Samoans will at times, when the sun is powerful, wind pieces of Siapo (native cloth) round their heads in the form of a huge turban. In rainy weather, to prevent their hair from getting wet - a thing they abominate - they will use the young leaf of the banana for a covering, somewhat after the fashion of a sou'-wester. The leaf, of a most lovely green, is gathered in folds round the head, and tied there by a circlet of creepers or fibre, leaving the edges projecting from and round the head after the fashion of a Tudor hat. Mounted with a few bright flowers and ornamental leaves, which are sure to be added should any such be at hand, the effect is extremely pretty; and without doubt, if it were seen in civilized parts, it would form a model for a new craze in ladies' hats.

There are many other fashions in use, but all more for the sake of ornament than any other purpose, such as garlands of bright-hued flowers or variegated leaves. Sometimes a headdress of the withered leaf of the banana will be worn, which, although unattractive in colour-a dusty brown-is peculiarly striking from the wild appearance it gives the wearer. All these last fashions are varied at their own sweet will - of course, regulated by the material at disposal.

For church-going and special high holidays and junketings, all females who can afford it turn out in trade-hats of the most atrocious build and villainous blend of colours. There is not the most remote attempt to make them, either in shape or hue, agreeable to the eye-at least, from a European point of view; and consequently the certain effect of a native wearing one of these abominations is to make an otherwise good-looking girl simply hideous, and an ill-favoured one beyond visual endurance. However, these things are looked upon by the native pastors as a necessary missionary adjunct, and a sine quo non to church membership. This is observed so far that should a member retire from her position she will more often than otherwise discontinue wearing her hat.

The Samoans have no regular or national method of dressing their hair; it is arranged according to each one's individual fancy; but one and all, male or female, no matter what fashion they may affect, devote a considerable portion of their spare time to its cultivation and beautifying. One can rarely pass through a village without seeing some branch of hair-dressing, either cutting, oiling, combing, liming, or shaving. Flower adornments meet with general favour. A flower is never more than a second or two in the hands of a native before it is transferred to the hair. When feasting or visiting, coronets and garlands, most elaborately woven with the greatest possible taste from all sorts of bright-hued flowers, berries and variegated leaves, invariably mixed with the high-scented leaf of the Muso-oe, are worn by both men and women, who never lose an opportunity of so adorning themselves.

Another generally observed habit is, by the continued application of lime, to artificially produce a light-coloured hair, of the shade at one time so fashionable at home; or by the aid of a sort of clay, to stain it a deep red, a tint which, if I am not greatly mistaken, was also very much affected at one time in the Old Country, and produced by artificial means. The light colour is the most general, on account, I suppose, of its being at the time of manufacture the most useful. It is produced by plastering the hair once or twice a week with a thick coating, well rubbed and combed in, of lime burnt from the coral-rock. This is allowed to remain during the day, but is washed out in the evening, and in course of time produces the desired effect. Seeing the natives going about with snowy-white heads, one is quaintly put in mind of the old poudre days. The men present the appearance of very much sunburnt barristers, only immensely more natural. When these white heads are set off with bright-coloured flowers and leaves, the effect, contrasting with the dark skin, is most striking. The coup d'oeil of a young girl, with her good-looking merry bronze face surmounted by white hair, crowned with the scarlet flowers of the Hibiscus, or other vivid-coloured flowers or leaves, her supple form, untrammelled and undistorted by any of our so-called civilized improvements, dressed in her native style, is worth a journey to see, and to see is to approve.

The hair of the men, as also a good proportion of the women's, is worn short; but in war-time many of the former allow it to grow until it presents an enormous mop, kept together by a string, and very likely meant to deaden the blow from a club.

It would be impossible to describe the innumerable different methods of wearing the hair adopted in Samoa. One man will grow his hair for a year or two, keeping the sides and back closely clipped, whilst the hair on the crown is permitted to grow up, confined close to the clipped part, in the form of a great mushroom, about eighteen inches above the scalp, and which from being liberally treated with lime becomes quite blonde in colour. It is very curious to see this great bunch of almost white material standing straight out on a human being's head, from a parterre of quite dark and ordinary hair. In old times. it was only certain chosen individuals who were allowed to wear their hair like that, and when it became long enough it was cut and made into the wig or fighting headdress worn by the chief warriors.

Another man will be close-cropped, but leave one lock hanging down behind a la Chinoise, bleached or not, just as it may please him. Then, again, will be seen a gay young spark with a crest running lengthwise over his head, whilst a third will rejoice in a similar adornment breadthwise. In fact, any Samoan of the present day wishing to become a howling swell by striking out for himself some new fashion of wearing hair, would have immense difficulty in inventing anything that has not already been appropriated.

Amongst young boys and girls, the fashions are still more rich in variety. The fond mothers are never tired of arranging their children's hair in all sorts of curious devices. One of their chief objects in life appears to be the invention of new patterns for their progeny's heads, and what with complete shaving, long hair, short hair, pigtails, irregular tufts, blanched and natural colour at the same time on one scalp, the most cunning and wonderful effects are produced.

To describe the various patterns that may be met with in one day's march would be an interminable task, so suffice it to say that anyone taking an interest in 'barberism' would find in Samoa an inexhaustible field for inspiration; and could he patent all the tonsorial novelties that he would meet with in one week, and induce their adoption in Europe, he would soon be in a position to retire from active life.

The Samoan language is very soft and liquid in pronunciation, which has deservedly obtained for it the distinction of the Italian of the Pacific, but is difficult of thorough attainment, owing to its many inflections and accents, one of which, in very many cases, if wrongly placed, would reverse the entire sense of a word.

It is also greatly a language of idioms, and the value or meaning of many a word has to be estimated and fixed by the context, correct practice of which is only to be attained by a long sojourn amongst the islanders. In fact, the oldest settler in Samoa has always something to learn in the shape of new words and idioms continually being introduced.

Of late years an odious practice of using the letter T as K has sprung up, but this is not used by any high-class men. Thorough acquaintance with the Samoan tongue is made still more difficult by two distinct languages existing, one for chiefs and another for commoners; and in some cases there are three different degrees of address according to rank. For instance, a commoner's wife is termed 'ava,' that of the head of the family 'faletua; whilst the higher-class wife demands the address of 'Tamaitai.' A commoner has 'mata,' eyes, but a chief has ' fofoga;' a chiefs food is ' taumafa,' a commoner's 'ai;' the axe of the latter is called 'toi,' whilst it would be considered disrespectful to name that of a chief anything but a 'faasagaese,' and many similar distinctions.

Owing to there being no special difficulties of pronunciation, the language can be easily learned in a short time sufficiently for everyday wants to be expressed, but for anything approaching oratory it takes years to master.

The Samoans are, both in person and in their domestic life, most scrupulously clean, bathing never less than twice a day.

Finally, taking the Samoans for all in all, and judging from their past history and present condition, there is not a people more worthy of consideration and preservation, more susceptible of improvement, or more willing to be taught to take that position amongst the enlightened races that they have so often and so earnestly sought our help to win.

THE END.

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