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Malua College - London Mission Students - Truculent Pastors - Clerical Court - Johnny Upolu : his Case - Samoa annexes the Ellice Group - Stop at Saliemoa - Beautiful Coasting - Arrive at Falelatai - Palolo - Bathing. Embarrassments - Unnecessary Apology.

THIS morning, Q. and I started away with a boat's crew of Samoans on a cruise to the westward.

Stopping at Mulinuu to pick up our Kava-girl, a mischievous little chit of about fifteen years old who wished a passage to visit her friends somewhere in the direction we were going, we coasted along lazily in the sunlight until we came to Malua, the headquarters of the London Mission, where is situated the college of the establishment, presided over by Dr. Turner, the senior member, who made us heartily welcome.

Here are always in residence some fifty or sixty Samoan students, training for teachers and missionaries. When qualified, which takes a course of four years, they are either set to work at home in Samoa, or sent to the different islands of the Pacific whenever required to assist in the good work.

These Samoan teachers are to be found almost everywhere, and almost invariably well sustain the best characteristics of the amiable nation to which they belong, and do credit to the noble efforts of the gentlemen who have rescued them from ignorance and heathendom.

The principle upon which the London Mission works is, I believe, not to preside over the Samoan Church, but to educate the natives to a fit and proper condition to conduct their own affairs, affording them every assistance in their power for so doing. This, in my humble opinion, has been let go just a little too far.

Many of the pastors, as they are called, feeling the great power over their more ignorant countrymen that education has given them, cannot curb their ambition, and beyond their missionary influence assert a sort of temporal authority, ruling the districts in which they live with a veritable rod of iron, and in a manner worthy of the old Presbyterian ascetics. The following is an instance of their interference in matters not concerning them :

'Johnny Upolu,' the chief of our Municipal Police, was a pure-bred Samoan, and one of the most intellectual men in the group, a chief of his section and deacon of the church, of which he was the most forcible and favourite preacher. He could speak English, and was very often in my house, discussing Samoan affairs in general and seeking news.

Amongst other subjects of conversation the question arose, from him, as to whether the Samoans required the aid of missionaries any longer.

He said that this had for some time past been the subject of many great discussions amongst the pastors and church members, and that they had almost arrived at the conclusion that they were now sufficiently educated to get on very well by themselves.

Shortly after this, Johnny Upolu, in the strict execution of his duty, had occasion to roughly handle a Samoan who resisted arrest.

In a few days I noticed that our usually smart and active Chief of Police was wandering about on his duties in a very slack manner, avoiding everyone as if he were conscious of having done some shameful act, and could not look anyone honestly in the face: so I called him in, and inquired what was the matter.

He informed me reluctantly, after much pressing, that his pastor had turned him out of his position in 'the church, and that consequently he felt degraded in the eyes of all his compatriots.

It appeared that the man whom Johnny had arrested was a close relation of the pastor's, who on the absurd plea, justified from some obscure Bible-text, that he, Johnny, had spilt blood without a cause, had held a sort of court, and taken his family revenge in the manner above stated, not only unfair to the man but most detrimental to the efficient carrying out of the police duties in the municipality.

This. interference with public duties of course could not be endured; and on complaint being made, the tyrannical clerical verdict was quashed, and Jolinny, reinstated in his former position, was soon going about his business as smartly as ever.

It was not long afterwards that I received a visit from him, when he referred to his former conversation about Samoa not requiring further missionary assistance.

He said : 'You remember what I told you some time ago? Well, since I got turned out of the church for doing my duty, we have had several more meetings on the subject, and have come to the conclusion that it would not be a wise thing for the people to get rid of the white missionaries; for if they went away there would be no one to keep the pastors in cheek, who would do just as they pleased, and we should be their slaves. No! we want the missionaries to stop with us.'

A case of another good man gone wrong is that of a minister of the rebel party, a native Christian who, whilst professing to be a most devoted follower of the King, got hold, it was reported, of a copy of the petition to England, and sold it to the Germans for thirty dollars, which gained him the name of Judas from the Samoans, who are most apt in bringing Biblical incidents into comparison with latterday occurrences, and never miss an opportunity of doing so. Their Bible knowledge is extensive; and woe to the man who enters into discussion with them on such matters, for it is very certain to end in his confusion.

This man, after his alleged thirty-dollar perfidy, perverted his educational attainments for a peaceful mission to the very opposite, and became one of the most ardent advocates of bloodshed.

Another ex-Maluan graduate, who had been relieved from the cares of his district for presuming too much on his position, went to the Ellice group, which he formally annexed to Samoa in the name of Malietoa.

His forte appears to have been geography. On arrival he hoisted the Samoan flag, and at once proceeded in the most free and easy manner to tax and fine the islanders all round-his idea of the duties of a Viceroy.

On the natives, a very peaceful set of men (in any other place his reign would have lasted no longer than the time it would take to swing a club), asking him his authority for these doings, this worthy man seated himself on the ground, and drawing a circle round him, divided it into four quarters, and from the centre thus held forth to the newly annexed : ' This spot on which I sit is Samoa, which has treaties with all the Great Powers, who must accordingly do as Samoa wishes them.' Pointing in succession -to each of the four intersections of the quartering lines on the circumference of the circle, he continued : 'And here are Great Britain, Germany, America, and France. If Samoa is disobeyed, Malietoa has only to stretch forth his hand, and these people will come in from all four sides and force the Ellice men to do what he orders.'

It is, I am aware, the fashion to condemn missionary work in the islands, attributing all sorts of unworthy motives to it; but wherever that is met with, investigation will invariably discover that there exists some interested cause for the abuse.

I, personally, have found all missionaries that I have had the privilege of dealing with, men of sterling zeal and probity, interfering in no way in affairs beyond their strict sphere of action; and I am most happy to have an opportunity of acknowledging how greatly I am indebted to them for many little but important assistances in social Samoan problems, of interest to myself and most useful in directing my public relations with the natives.

When we re-embarked it was raining, but the wind being favourable, we were constrained to refuse many kind persuasions to remain under shelter, and pushed on.

Setting sail we stood out from shore to get into deep water, and reap the full advantage of the wind. It was soon evident to me that neither the crew nor the coxswain knew much more about boat-sailing than letting her go anyhow before the wind, which now began to be felt both squally and strong, and at last, on our following the coast-bend, almost headed us.

When within about a hundred yards from the reef, on which the sea was pounding heavily, I suggested to our skipper that we should go about - a manoeuvre which no one appeared to understand. It was soon too late to do it, so I tried to make them lower the sail; but even that they could not do, but sat staring at one another like so many idiots. So I had to do it myself, and only just in time to avoid a smash that might have proved more or less unfortunate.

After this we stuck to rowing, and seeing that it was impossible for us to reach our intended halting-place before very late that evening, we put in at a place called Saliemoa and took up our quarters, 'faa Samoa' (according to Samoan custom), at the very first house we met.

We soon got a meal under way, after which our hosts erected a small square tent of native cloth, suspended from the roof at one end of the house, under which we crept, and upon a pile of soft mats were soon enjoying the repose of the weary, in spite of a terrible odour emanating from a masi-pit (rotten bread-fruit used as food) just opened somewhere in the immediate vicinity.

The next morning we were up at daybreak, and were off again on our journey. The day was very hot, with no wind; so with awning spread we rowed slowly, having a panoramic view of a most lovely coast, resplendent with an indescribable wealth of colour, its brightly glittering snow-white beach of coral sand tenderly limiting the affectionate approach of the timid blue water.

Every surrounding seemed peaceful and joyous with a sensuous kind of joyousness, not of energy, but of a most beautiful dream; it was impossible to realize that this same slumbering coast had been but a few short months ago swarming with tattooed demons, almost naked, with hideously painted faces, shedding each other's blood merely for the lust thereof.

The snugly pretty and comfortable-looking native brown houses, at one place just peeping out coquettishly from amid the 'brilliant green thickets of bananas and bread-fruit groves, at other places boldly perched upon the many scattered rocky promontories, with their inhabitants circulating amongst them in pursuit of their individual daily duties, gave to the entire coup d'oeil that amount of sense of actual life which alone was required to make a most perfect picture.

Nor was there wanting some gratification of the sense of hearing, if it were not too hypercritical; for from the unseen tapa-workers rang merrily out on the morning air the not unmusical cadence of their clanging hammers, whilst beating out the mulberry bark for their future adornment.

About three miles to sea was Manono, with Apolima her sister and eight miles awav lookinp, a rich purple in the distance, towered skywards the lofty mountains of Savaii, more interesting spots for visiting at some future time.

Keeping still inside the reef, in about another hour we arrived at our destination at the windward end of Falelatai, where we intended to pass the night in the house of a chief, a great friend of G's, and, under his auspices, assist in the Palolo catch which was due for arrival on the morrow.

The Palolo is a very curious thread-like sea-worm, appearing in the reef-openings once a year, only for the single hour immediately before sunrise. On their arrival the natives assemble in their canoes and scoop them up in bailers of all sorts, esteeming them immensely as an edible delicacy.

The Samoans can calculate to a moment when their arrival is due, by observing the juxtaposition of the moon with a certain star. However, should they not appear upon that day, they can be safely calculated upon to arrive that same day four weeks.

This fishing, one of the romps of the season, is looked forward to by both young and old. When collected, the natives send the Palolo all over the island post-haste, as complimentary presents to one another, in the same manner that presents of game are made in the old country.

On arriving at the house, we were unfortunate enough to find that the good-man was absent electioneering. But that was of no consequence; his wife and daughter, a very fine specimen of Samoan beauty, were at home, and received us with all the signs of a hearty welcome.

The girl, as is Samoan custom, was at once told off to look after and amuse us, and well she performed her duty during our too short stay.

Our first care was to get a fresh-water bath, if possible. So off we started, under the personal guidance of our young friend, who would not be contented without carrying all our dressing-tackle and clean clothes to a pretty lagoon in the bush, where, donning the native lava-lava, we enjoyed a most splendid tub; our guardian angel sitting in the pool at the same time, washing the clothes we had taken off.

There was something so refreshingly innocent about the whole transaction, that I almost overcame the bashfulness so nearly overpowering me in such a situation, so novel to all my previous experience; but when the obliging damsel volunteered to scrub my back with her own nut-brown hands, I must say all my pristine awkwardness returned, and I moved in haste to the opposite side of the pool.

What would the good people at home say to such a sight ? One thing I learnt there, and that was never to lend a Samoan young lady your soap, if you wish to see it again. It is her recognised perquisite, and she will think it very mean if you ask for it back.

The bath over, we returned escorted as before to the house, where we found that our kind hostess had prepared a good feed for us. Having to rise very early the next morning for the Palolo, we turned in under the mosquito-screen erected for us, and soon were balmily slumbering; but not before we had heard the lady of the house apparently speaking to her friends of what was really meant for our ears, and bewailing how grieved she was that she could not make us more comfortable, or give us better food, and boasting of what she would have done had she only known that we were coming.

I thought it a most considerate method of apologizing, although unnecessary, for it spared us all the bother of explaining that we could wish for nothing more satisfactory than she had already supplied us with.

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