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PEARLS OF THE PACIFIC Being Sketches of Missionary Life and Work in San1oa and other Islands in the South Seas

BY

. V. A. BARRADALE, M.A. (FORMERLY OF THE MALUA INSTITUTION, SAMOA)

WITH NINETY-THREE ILLUSTRATIONS.

'.1Lonbon

LONDON

MISSIONARY

SOCIETY

16 NEW BRIDGE STREET, E.C.

Trade Agents

MESSRS. SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, KENT & CO., LTD r

BUTLER

&

TANNER.

Cl'HE SELwooo PmN-i'ING \VoRIC:St FROME, AND LONDON.

IDetlfcateb to MY PARENTS, WHO BEQUEATHED TO n'lE THE MISSIONARY SPIRIT; MY FOSTER-PARENTS, WHO LOVINGLY CHERISHED IT; MY WIFE, WHO BRAVELY SHARED IT ; AND MY CHURCH, WHICH GENEROUSLY HONOURS IT,

PREFACE

M

y aim in Pearls of the Pacific is to give boys and girls a clear, true picture of life, as well as Mission work, in the South

Seas. My o,vn experience of this life and work was all too short ; it was limited to three brief, happy years in Samoa, and therefore my main purpose has been to write of what I have seen. That, and that alone, accounts for Samoa filling so large a space in the following pages. My best thanks are due to my friends and former colleagues, the Revs. J. E. Newell, of Malua, and Walter Huckett, formerly of Apia, for much valuable and suggestive information (indeed, the book could not have been brought up to date without the help of the former) ; also to my school-fellow and college friend, the Rev. L. H. Gaunt, M.A., the Londo;.1 Missionary Society's Editor, for much kindly editorial assistance. I wish also to express my deep indebtedness to Mr. A. Tattersall, of Apia, and my friend and former colleague, Mr. H. S. Griffin, of the L.M.S. Printing Press, Malua, for the use of their photographs. V. A. BARRADALE, CucKFIELD,

Jime r, rgo6.

CONTENTS www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar CHAPTER I

13

SAMOA www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar OTHER PEARLS

CHAPTER II THE FIRST MISSIONARY SHIPS

22

CHAPTER III MoRE fyIISSIONARY SHIPS

CHAPTER IV SAMOA : As IT WAS .

44

CHAPTER V HOISTING THE FLAG

53 CHAPTER VI

PEoPLE, HousEs AND FooD

6r

CHAPTER VII PLAY

74 CHAPTER VIII

CLIMATE, CLOTHING, ANIMALS www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar INSECTS

ro

CONTENTS PAGE CHAPTER IX

SEASONS AND SOILS

93 CHAPTER X

I03

TRADES AND EMPLOYMENTS

CHAPTER XI SAMOA : As IT IS-HOlvIE LIFE AND INDUSTRIES

IIS

CHAPTER XII SCHOOL LIFE

I29

CHAPTER XIII THE :!VIALUA INSTITUTION

CHAPTER XIV

CHURCHES

ISI

CHAPTER

xv

SUNDAY SCHOOLS

CHAPTER XVI

THE FOREIGN MISSION vVoRK OF THE SOUTH SEA CHURCHES

CHAPTER XVII MORE FOREIGN MISSIONARY vVoRK

I73

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Frontispiece

How the Bananas grow

PAGE

Polynesia (Map) Pagopago Harbour, 0 Tutuila, Samoa Pagopago Harbour, Samoa John vVilliams, " The Apostle of the South Seas " The Duff . Captain "\li'ilson . Aitutaki : The Mission House An Inland Lake, Samoa A Samoan Girl. Apia Town and Harbour, Upolu, Samoa Samoan Canoe . A Samoan Village A Samoan Mission Boat Captain Turpie . The s.s. John Wittiams Captain Hore Captain Wyrill on deck of s.s. John W'illiams The L.M.S. Church at Sapapalii . Sapapalii : The Landing-place of John Williams A Samoan vVarrior . Taboos, to Frighten Thieves from Stealing Map of Samoan Group High Chief J\'Iataafa . Part of the Procession A High Chief's House Inside a Samoan House Beginning to Build a Samoan House . Ready for Thatching A House Half-thatched An Afternoon Nap A First-class Samoan Road Taro Plantation Breadfruit Tree The Breadfruit Making Kava Samoan Boys Lafoga; a Samoan Game resembling Quoits Educated Girls . A Young Samoan Girls Mixing Kava Surf at Apia A Samoan Deacon and his Daughter . A Samoan vVarrior, with Head-dress . A Beautiful Scene in Samoa A Model Village 11

14 r6 rS 20 22

23 26

28 30 33

35 36 38 39 40 4r 42

45 46 47 48

53 54 56 58 6r 62 63 64

65 66 67 69

70 72 75 76

77

78 79 Sr

84

85 88 89

I2

LIST OF ILLUSTRAJIONS PAGE

On the Lagoon, Falealili A Cocoanut Palm Cocoanut Palms struck by Lightning . Travelling through the Bush A Banyan Tree . War Drill Boys at Leulumoega School preparing Ginger Mission Boys repairing a Boat . Malua Students preparing to Fish Tattooing . Coral piled for Firing . Curios: Fans, Hatchets, Baskets, Canoe with outr~gger, Combs, Clubs, Bamboo Pillow, Fly-flapper Samoan Houses . Leulumoega Boys preparing Arrowroot Cascara Rubber Tree in the Gardens at Leulumoega The Old Printing House The New Printing House . Bookbinding Department of Printing House 1fr. Griffin and Native Printers . A Native Church (Rev. J. E. Newell conducting a Service) Rev. J. 1V. Hills and Boys of the Leulumoega High School Village School Examination, Samoa The School Inspectors' Visit The Apia Central District School A Gala-day at Papauta Girls' High School, Atauloma Malua Bay Saaga, ¡with his ViTife (Sose) and Family Students' Cottages, Malua . The Jubilee Hall, Malua A Sewing Class : Mrs. Barradale and the Students' 1~7ives The Apia Native Church . A Village Church A " May Meeting " in Samoa . . . . Native Food, as prepared for a Church Opening or "May Meeting" Christian Endeavour Convention in the Jubilee Hall, Malua. Christian Endeavour Convention: a Front View . The Badge of the Samoa C.E. Union. . . . . . The Niue, presented to the New Guinea Mission by the people of Niue The new Niue, built in . . . . . . . New Guinea ~Tarriors . . A Pupil Teacher at the Papauta Girls' School, Samoa Memorial Church, Vatorata, New Guinea . . . . South Sea Teachers on the John Williams, going to New Guinea A Samoan Missionary i.n New Guinea . . . . Ruatoka . . . . Tablet erected in the Jubilee Hall, Malua .

91 95 96 97

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CHA'.PTER I

"oH,

SAMOA

AND

OTHER PEARLS

bother it, where's Samoa ? ". says Dick (Dick being, of course, the typical boy, who likes to use slang). "Oh, dear me, I don't know where Samoa is," says Mary (who shall stand for the typical girl). Well, let me say straight away for your comfort, that it is not altogether surprising if you do not know where Samoa is. It is not a very large place, and it is not a British colony (or you would be sure to know), and it is a very long way off; moreover (let us whisper it), even some of your fathers and mothers do not seem to know where it is. ·when I lived there, sometimes letters used to be sent to us; addressed to · Samoa, South China, and once a parcel came safely to hand, addressed to Samoa, South Africa. You might think those were only slips of the pen, but two or three times at Missionary conversaziones (there's a long word-I hope you ·will look it up in father's dictionary) I have been asked," However did you manage to get along during those terrible Boxer troubles ? " Now, seeing the Boxer troubles arose in China, evidently these good people also thought that Samoa was in China. Let me tell you then what it is and where it is. Samoa is not 13

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SAMOA AND OTHER PEARLS

15

the name of an island (some ministers do not know that, though sometimes they are expected to know almost everything) ; it is the name of a group of ten islands. And the islands are not in China or South Africa, but in the South Seas, which is another name for the southern part of the Pacific Ocean. If you will take your atlas and look at the map of the world (or, if there is a "globe " at school, that will do better still), you will see to the north of New Zealand a lot of dots, almost as if baby had been trying to write. Those dots represent islands, and amongst those islands you will see the words "Samoa, or Navigators' Islands." And if you will look at the Map of Samoa in this book you will see that the four largest islands are called SAVAII, UPOLU, TuTUILA and MANUA. Aren't they curious names ? I think next time you see a missionary from Samoa you had better ask him how to pronounce them. Those are the largest islands ; but after all they are not very large. Some of you have been to the Isle of vVight, and know what a small island that is ; well, Savaii, the largest island in Samoa, is only about twice as long as the Isle of 'Night, and not quite twice as wide. Samoa is the native name of the group, and it is the name which everybody uses now ; the name of Navigators' Isles was given by the Frenchman who discovered them; because he saw the people so often paddling about in their cano_es, he thought they must be good navigators. And he was quite right; the Samoans are fearless sailors and clever fishermen (and fisher-women too), and they are almost all skilful swimmers. I have told you that Samoa is not_ a British colony. It partly belongs to Germany and¡ par:tly to the United States of America. But the London Missionary Society was the first Missionary Society

16

PEARLS OF THE PACIFIC

to go there, and it is of the work that it has done, and is still doing so well, that I wish to write. We all know, then, by this time, that Samoa is in the South Seas; but perhaps we do not quite realize how far away it is. There are two ways of going there. You can take a steamer from Liverpool to New fork, and then go by train right across America., from New York to San Francisco, and then catch another steamer from San

PAGOPAGO HARBOUR, TUTUILA, SAMOA.

Francisco to Samoa. That journey will take you about a month. But there is a cheaper way to go, and that is by sea all the way from London to Samoa. If yo u were to go that way you would have to change steamers at Sydney, in Australia, and you would be eight or nine weeks in getting to the end of your voyage, In fact, Samoa is just about as far away from England as it c2n be. It is 3, miles further than Sydney, and Sydney is more than 12 , miles from London, so some of you who are quick at sums will be able to reckon how

SAMOA AND OTHER PEARLS

17

far Samoa is from England. Did some one say, "about r5,ooo miles?" Yes, that's right! Now I want you boys and girls who are fond of jumping to take that big jump with me. Jump r5,ooo miles (only in fancy, of course; I don't want any of you to be afraid and stay behind), jump all the way from England to the South Seas. I hope we shan't jump int(Jl the sea; ,-ve shouldn't dwwn if we did happen to jump just a little short, because the natives would soon hop over the sides of their boats. and swim out to save us; but we might get our clothes wet or frighten a shark, and as we do not wish to be uncomfortable ourselves or make others uncomfortable, I hope we shall all jump the whole way, right on to the land. One, two, three, and away we go I . . . And while we are on the way, I can explain the title of this book, "PEARLS OF THE PACIFIC." Samoa is a very hot country and very damp; it is not the best place for white people to live in, because it is often steamy like a greenhouse ; but plants and trees grow splendidly, and cover nearly the whole of the islands, and so it looks a very beautiful place, and for that reason Samoa has been called the " Pearl of the Pacific." But what are the other "pearls." Please look again at th.e map on page r4, and you will see a long word-Polynesia. It only means "many islands," and these "many islands" are for the most part fair and beautiful like Samoa. So when I call this book " PEARLS OF THE PACIFIC," you ¡will understand that I want to tell you about Samoa mostly, but something also about other beautiful islands in the Southern Seas where missionaries have lived and worked for Jesus. Now if you are still looking at the map, you will see a note at the bottom saying that Tahiti, in the Society Islands, is awayto the N.E. of B

SAMOA AND OTHER PEARLS

the Cook Islands. It is a pity we could not show the Society Islands in this map, but you will be able to find them in your school atlas. It was to Tahiti that the first missionaries of the London Missionary Society vvere sent. They sailed from England m in the Divfj, commanded by Captain Vi'ilson (so you see Dur Society is no years old this year), and it took them nearly seven months to reach Tahiti. \iVhen they got there they had many difficulties to overcome, and eleven long years passed _by before any of the people gave up their idols and began to love Jesus. But after that King Pomare and some of the native chiefs and many of the people became Christians. Here is a true story, which shows how Christianity changed their lives : In the island of Raiatea, not very far from Tahiti, King Tamatoa became a Christian. Some of the people followed his good example; _but the heathen priests and most of the people were so angry .at this that they waged war upon them. Tamatoa was victorious, but instead of killing the rebel chiefs, he invited them to a great feast, to show them how kind the religion of Christ made even savages become. The missionary who, more than any one else, was the means of spreading the Gospel abroad amongst the islands of the South Seas was JOHN VVrLLIAMS. He worked :first in the Society Islands, .and afterwards was the means of taking the Gospel to Aitutaki and Mangaia and Rarotonga, all islands of ¡the Hervey or Cook Group. (Please look on the map on page 14, and see where they are.) ,~Thile he was at Rarotonga, with the help of the natives he actually built .a ship for himself, that he might travel about in safety from island to island. He called this vessel The Messenger of Peace. vVas not -that a suitable name for the ship that was to carry the Gospel of

20

PEARLS OF THE P A CIFIC

Peace? In the Messenger of Peace J ohn Williams visited Fiji, Niue, and aft erwards Samoa, which he made his home. But still he could not remain content on one island, when hundreds of islands seemed to cry, Come over and help 'US I Before very long he sailed away to carry the good news of a loving God to the

JOH:-! W I LLIA,IS, "THE APOS TLE OF THE SOUTH S EAS. "

New H ebrides. H e landed with another missionary, Mr. Harris,. on the island of Erromanga, but both were cruelly done to death by the savage natives. F or more than twenty years John Williams had lived for the peoples of the South Sea Islands, and on November 20, , he laid down his life for them. But " he, being dead, yet

SAMOA

AND OTHER PEARLS

2!

speaketh " ; twice every year the fine missionary steamer named after him, the John Williams, sails across the Pacific from group to group, visiting many of the islands ¡¡where he himself worked, and .ahvays serving as a reminder of his loving efforts. That is a short accolmt of early missionary work in the South Seas. In later chapters we shall see how the work spread from Samoa and Rarotonga to New Guinea, and avvay to the north and northwest, to the Tokelau, Ellice, Gilbert and other groups; and we shall see, too, how the Samoans and Rarotongans, rejoicing to have heard about Jesus themselves, soon became brave missionaries to others in their heathen darkness.

*

*

.,. .,.

.,..,.

.,.,,,

Note.-I'lease don't forget to find all these places on the map of Polynesia. Y oit will understand so miich better aU that has been said.

CHAPTER II

THE FIRST NIISSIONARY SHIPS

I

F I were to ask you the name of the" Children's Mission-

ary Ship," many of you would quickly answer, " the John lVilliams." There are, of course other ships doing the work of the London Missionary Society. But the Juhn Williams is the THE "DUFF." most important of our little fleet, and you may like to hear somethii~g about it, and about the story of other missionary ships which did such useful work before the present fine J olm Williams was built. If you are New Year Collectors, and if you give what you can out of your o,vn pocket, I am sure you will be interested. There is nothing like working and giving to arouse interest. If you have not proved this for yourselves, begin now, and see if I am not right. Now you do not want too many dates, but a few will be necessary, and to make up for bothering you with dates you shall have a lot of pictures, pictures of missionary ships and their captains. Look at them well, for without those captains and their ships, God's message would have spread very slowly amongst the peoples of the Pacific. ¡what was the name of the first vessel used by the London l\Iis-

THE FIRST MISSIONARY SHIPS

23

sionary Society ? I told you in the first chapter. That's rightthe Ditff. You remember that it sailed from England in , and carried to Tahiti the very first missionaries which the Society sent out. Captain James Wilson was in command, and his passengers had a pleasant and prosperous voyage, ¡ though it was a very long one, lasting days. The Duff aroused a great deal of interest, because it was the first missionary ship that ever sailed from this country. A farewell servic~ was held on board, and crowds of people gathered on the wharves and banks of

the Thames as these first missionaries sailed down the river, singing the hymn, Jesus, at Thy command Vve launch into the deep.

Three days after starting, were hailed in the night by a manof-war.

CAPTAIN WILSO:',.

"Whither bound?"-" Otaheite" [or Tahiti]. "\Vhat cargo ? "-" Missionaries and provisions." The captain of the man-of-war ¡ could not understand this. He had never heard of such a thing as missionaries being sent out all the way to Tahiti from London. So he sent a midshipman on board to make inquiries, and when it was found that the description of the cargo was true, the Duff was allowed to keep on its way.

PEARLS OF THE PACIFIC

There were thirty missionaries on board, not counting their wives and children. The mission flag which was hoisted over the Dicf!, and which still floats over the Jolin Willianis, represents three white doves on a purple background, carrying olive branches in their bills. You lmovv how gentle and innocent a dove is, and perhaps you lmow that to offer the olive branch is a proverb which means· to wish to be at peace. You will agree that the flag is a very beautiful and_ fitting one, for the missionary ship carries the gospel of peace. Captain ·wilson was a man who had had many adventures, and escaped from great dangers. His father was a captain, and the boy's early years were spent at sea. Later on he went to America, and fought in the battle of Bunker's Hill in r Still later he went to India and was engaged in fighting there, until at length he was captured and flung into prison by Hyder Ali. He escaped by swimming across several rivers ,vhich were full of alligators, but he was caught again and put in irons and kept for days in a dark dungeon. There were II2 prisoners altogether, and eighty of them died during the cruel imprisonment. Captain ·wilson was one of the thirty-two who survived. www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar he was set free he went to sea again, and passed through many more dangers. All this time he was not a believer in God; but God had a great work for him to do, and two years after his return to England he was greatly moved by a sennon preached by the Rev. John Griffu1, of Orange Street Chapel, Portsea, and was led to believe in the truth and power of the Gospel. Success often depends on the character of the leaders, and Captain James Wilson was just the right man to command on this• first missionary voyage. He was bold and brave, and a sincere enthusiastic Christian. The Dicfl left missionaries at Tahiti and in the Friendly and Mar-

THE FIRST MISSIONARY SHIPS

25

quesas Islands [remember to look at the map], and then, having sailed to China and got a new cargo, reached England in safety in July, I Its work was ridiculed by some; in China it was nicknamed "The Ten Comniandnients"; but all ,vho love Jesus should thank God for the success of the first voyage of this first missionary ship• The Duff sailed again from London with another party of missionaries in I ; but two months later it ·was captured by the French and sold, and its missionary life thus came to an end. The second missionary vessel about which I have to tell you was the JJ1essenger of Peace. This interesting little ship was never in England ; it was built in the South Seas, and in some ways is the most interesting of all the missionary fleet. In Chapter I you have read how John ·Williams built this ship, that he might voyage in safety from island to island and group to group. He had long been anxious that all should hear of the love of Jesus, and, not being able to buy or hire a vessel, he made up his mind to build one. He knew very little about shipbuilding, he had very few tools with which to build, and he had many difficulties to overcome. He made bellows out of goatskins, and when these were eaten up by rats, he made a pair of wooden ones. He made charcoal out of cocoanut shells, and nails out of wood, and ropes out of the bark of trees, and sails out of native mats. Of course the people of Rarotonga, ·where the vessel was built, helped him a great deal with their advice and labour ; but it says much for the skill and perseverance of John vVilliams that the vessel was built under such conditions and was able to do much useful work. The first voyage of the JJ1essenger of Peace was a short one to Aitutaki ; only I45 miles from Rarotonga. The second was longer, aJl tl1e way to Raiatea. Fortunately, the weather was fine and the

25

PEARLS OF THE PACIFIC

wind moderate, for when Rai::Ltea was reached the little Ivl essenger of Peace was found to be in a very unseaworthy condition. It looked as if God in His providence h ad watched over the missionaries and crew and made them His special care. Afterwards, when canvas sails had been bought and the ship thoroughly repaired, John Williams started on the work amongst

AITUTAKI:

the and and and you

THE ~II S SION HOUSE.

heathen islands ¡which for so long he had been anx10us to do, for which he built the Messenger of Peace. He visited l\fangaia some of the other Cook Islands-Atui, lVIauke and Mitiarothen went again to the most important island, R arotonga, where, will remember, the vessel was built.

THE FIRST MISSIONARY SHIPS

27

Rarotonga occupies to-day an important place in the www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar South Sea Missions. From it certain outstations of the Cook Islands are superintended, and on it is a long-established Training Institution for s_ook Island pastors. Like its big younger. brother, the Malua Institution in Samoa, it has had the honour of sending out many of its students as missionaries to New Guinea and other parts of the Pacific. It may not have occurred to you that there are brown missionaries as well as white doing the ·work of God and obeying the great command of our Lord, but some of the hardest and noblest work in the South Seas has been done by brown missionaries. From Rarotonga the JY[essenger of Peace sailed to Aitutaki, and left a native teacher there; then on to Savage Island or Niue [pronounced Neway]. The former name ·was given to it by Captain Cook, because the natives mshed on him like ·wild boars ; but for many years· now "Savage Island" has been a Christian land. Mr. Lawes, who has been our missionary there for nearly forty years, says that practically the whole population is now within the church. But John "Williams was still anxious to carry the " good news " further, and soon the 'Nell-named Ji![essenger of Peace was on its way to Tongatabu, the most important of the Friendly Isles. A native teacher of the London Missionary Society had been there for some time and was doing good work, but the ',i\Tesleyan Society had also established a mission on the island, and· an arrangement was therefore made by ·which the Friendly Islands and the Fijian Group close by should be worked by the Wesleyan Society, ·whilst the London Missionary Society should be free to extend and strengthen its missions in the Navigators' or Samoan Group. This was a splendid arrangement, because when there are so many heathen and so few missionaries, it would be a pity for missionaries of different societies

I

28

THE FIRST www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar SHIPS

.

to be working in the same places. I am glad to say the different Protestant missionary societies are ¡working more and more on these lines to-day, and so they are able to reach many more heathen people, and they do not make the heathen think that they are rivals, teaching different religions. So John ¡wmiams sailed on in his gallant little ship to Samoa, where he landed in August, His planting of the Gospel there has been called "the most important event in his life." If you do not get tired and will read to the end of this book, you will see why this was such an important event in the life of the great missionary. God in His goodness seemed to open up the way for the success of John \iVilliams' efforts. When he was at Tonga, a Samoan chief named Fauea came and asked to be taken home in the Ji/Iessenger of Peace. This was a great help to J olm \~Tilliams, for Fauea was a man of inflm'nce, and many of the Samoans were vvilling to listen to him and hear from his lips how the Gospel of Jesus had already been preached in Tonga. Another event which made it easier to persuade the Samoans to receive Christian teachers was the death of a powerful native chief. He was a cruel man, and a firm believer in idols. Fauea was very much afraid that he would strongly oppose the new religion, but when the .Messenger of Peace anchored off Sapapalii in the island of Savaii, it was found that this savage chief had died only ten or twelve days before, and eight teachers were gladly received by the king and people. How God _has prospered the work which was begun by these eight native teachers from Tahiti you will readily understand from the story of this book, and also from the fact that all Samoa is under Christian teaching to-day. Out of a total population of 39,, more than 34, are connected with the L.M.S. Churches, and of these

PEARLS OF THE PACIFIC

more than 8, are Church members. There must be something like Samoan faifeau, " doers of God's work," or as we should say, "ministers " or "pastors," whilst between 8, and 9, children are being taught in the schools, on both week-days and Sundays. And perhaps best of all, the Samoans so greatly appreciate the blessings of the Gospel that they are anxious that others should enjoy them, and every year they are sending out their own missionaries. At the present time there are some sixty or seventy Samoan missionaries working in New Guinea and A SA MOAN G IRL. other smaller Pacific (See photo of the same girl in illustration, page 77, on the leftislands. band side.) You will notice how important a work has been done by the missionary ships, beginning with the Messenger of P eace, down to the fine missionary steamer of to-day, John Williams IV., in the ,carrying of native missionaries from their homes to the islands to which they have been sent to work. Many of these islands are seldom visited by other vessels, and so the missionary fleet is absolutely necessary for the good of the work. The M essenger of Peace had now completed its long round of visits,

THE FIRST Jl!IISSIONARY SHIPS

31

and returned to Raiatea by way of Rarotonga, Mangaia, Rurutu [one of the Austral Islands] and Tahiti. For three years the little vessel had sailed in safety from island to island, a distance of three or four thousand miles· amid tht dangers of the Pacific, helping to spread the· gospel in many islands. But the time had now come for the Society to buy a vessel of its 0vvi1 to do its v;rork in the South Seas. In r John vVilliams was home on furlough. A missionary's furlough does not mean absence from work It means change of work. He leaves his ·work abroad to come and talk about it and interest people in it at home. He does "Deputation ·work" among the churches. That is the way it is usually described. Now that is what John ·williams did. He came home on furlough, and he made speeches all over the country, and Christian people everyvvhere began to talk about the wonderful way in which God had blessed his work. Then he wrote a book called, A Narrative of Missionary Enterprises in the Soitth Sea Islands,

and this deepened the interest that his speeches had ai~oused One result was that £4, ,vas raised by public subscription, anq. the first real "missionary ship " was bought and :fitted up. By that I mean the :first ship that was intended to be used altogether for missionary work in the South Seas, and the :first ship really suitable for that purpose. The Duff was purchased to carry ·white missionaries to their posts, not to work from island to island. The essenger of Peace was built for island work ai1d did a noble ·work, but it really was scarcely suited to the. ,vork. Now for the first time the Society ·had a missionary ship purchased by public subscription, and in every waywell furnished for its work. That ship ·was the Camden. Its story and that of the ships that followed it will be continued in ±he next chapter.

CHAPTER III MCRE MISSIONARY SHIPS

E have seen how the Nlessenger of Peace visited many groups of islands, including the Society, Friendly, Cook and Samoan groups, some of them indeed being visited more than once. The Camden was a larger and finer vessel, and soon visited all the groups in which the Nl essenger of Peace had stationed missionaries or native teachers, with the single exception of the Friendly Isles. "Vâ&#x;&#xC;hy did it not go there ? " does some one ask? Because \iVesleyan missionaries were now working there, so it was not necessary for the L.M.S. missionaries to go. But the Camden went also to several new groups of island-pearls. YVe shall see by-and-by what a good work it was the means of doing. First of all we had better have a little geography lesson, and one day you ,vill be able to surprise your ¡teacher at school by showing how much you know about the Pacific Islands. Refresh your memmies by finding on the map Samoa, with its three largest islands, Upolu, Savaii and Tutuila ; the Society Islands, including Tahiti, Raiatea and I-Iuahine ; the Cook Islands, including Rarotonga, Mangaia and Aitutaki ; Savage Island, or Niue ; and the Friendly Islands and the Fijian group. Remember, too, that \i\Tesleyan Missionaries are working in the last two groups, and the London Missionary Society in the rest.

W

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~ow for the new places visited by the Ca11iden. These were the NEW HEBRIDES, about 1 , miles to the west of Samoa, including the islands of Tanna, Futuna and Erromanga, which may not be marked on the map, but all have their own interest for those who study foreign missions, and the LOYALTY ISLANDS, the chief of which are Lifu, Mare and Uvea.

APIA TOWN AN D HARl3O UR , U POLU, SAMOA.

The Camden left England in , under the command of Captain Morgan. She sailed half ,vay round the world to Polynesia, with a band of new missionaries, and an edition of five thousand Rarotongan New Test aments. One missionary was left at Huahine in the Leeward or Society Islands, another in the Cook Islands, and three more in Samoa. It was November, , when the Camden reached Samoa, after a seven months' voyage, about as long as it took the Duff to travel from London to Tahiti. From Samoa she went to the Cook a nd Society Islands, and then returned to Samoa . So far the Camden had visited places which were well known to C

34

PEARLS OF THE PACIFIC

John '\iVilliams. Now she was to plough new seas, and in November, r, she set out for the Nevv Hebrides, with John Vi'illiarhs and some native teachers on board. They called in at the island of Rotumah, and left two Samoans to teach the peopl_e there the love of Jesus Christ. A few days later they arrived at Tanna in the New Hebrides, and left three Samoan teachers. The natives seemed to receive them kindly, so John Williams, with Mr. Harris his companion, went on in the Camden to Erromanga, a beautiful little island, but one which is full of sad memories. They reached Erromanga on November r9, r Mr. VVilliams and Mr. Harris were rowed ashore in a little boat, but as soon as they stepped on shore they¡were s~uddenly attacked by the people. lVlr. Harris was killed first ; Mr. Vi'illiams ran to the beach and tried to get into the little boat, but he was overtaken and killed before Captain Morgan and his crew could send a boat to save him. John Vi'illiams is sometimes called the cc Martyr of Erromanga." Now you see why. He is sometimes spoken of also as the cc Apostle of the South Seas." God sent him to many of the island-pearls of the Pacific; they were pearls then because of their natural beauty, but as a result of the work which John Williams was permitted to do, by his life and death, many of the people of these pearl-like islands have sought to become more pearl-like in character, to lead pure and innocent lives; many are anxious to-day to be numbered amongst God's precious jewels. The Camden, returned to Samoa, but- the sad news did not discourage the .workers there. Three times afterwards the Camden voyaged from Samoa to the New Hebrides, and each time she carried native teachers, and left them on the different islands of the group. Futuna, Aneiteum, and Tanna, all had the Gospel preached to them in .this way. These were the pioneer missionaries of the New Hebrides,

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and nobly they "held the fort," until the work was taken over by the Presbyterian Church of Nova Scotia, and later on by the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland, who superintend it to-day. The Camden was the first missionary ship to visit the Loyalty Islands. In r84r Mr. Murray arrived at Mare. His name is still honoured in Samoa for his long and noble work as a missionary there,

~

~

. - - - ~<.

-~-=~-~ ~-=--~-- ~

-~ -=-

SAMOAN CANOE.

and it was he who, on the death of John Williams, carried on the' work of settling Samoans as missionary teachers in the New Hebrides and the Loyalties. His first visit to Mare is full of interest. When he and Captain Morgan were rowing to the shore they were met by a man in a canoe, who called out, "I know the true God." They found out he was a . Tongan, who had been living for seven years in Mare. You caw imagine how pleased they were to meet him, and you can see how-¡ the Gospel of Jesus was in some cases carried to new islands by the natives, even before the white missionary was able to go. Two Samoan teachers were landed on Mare, and so the work was kept up until the appointment of two missionaries from England thirteen years later.

PEARLS OF THE PACIFIC

A www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar VILLAGE.

The good ship Camden had now almost finished her missionary work.

When she returned to England in it was found that to

repair her would cost almost as much as to buy a new vessel, and so she was sold.

She had done much useful service in her five years'

missionary life. It was now for the first time decided by the Directors to ask for the cltÂŁldren's help in securing another vessel, and so well did they respond to the appeal that more than ÂŁ6, was raised, with which the new ship was bought and furnished.

Very appropriately she

was named John Williams, after the famous missionary. It was in the year that the first John Williams began her work, and she had a long and honourable mission life of twenty years, so it i3 quifr impossible to tell you here all that she was able to do.

John

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Williams had tried and failed to station native teachers upon the island of Niue. In another attempt was made without success, but six years later the John Williams paid another visit, having on board a native of Niue named Peniamina (Benjamin). He had lived in Samoa and been trained at the Malua Institution, and he, together vvith two Samoans named Paulo and Samuelu, who had also been educated at Malua, played a large part in winning Niue for Christ. In the John Williams visited a new group of islands, the Tokelau group, miles to the north of Samoa, and left teachers there, who, with thei:c successors, maintained the work of God for many years, not only in the Tokelaus, but also in the Ellice and Gilbert groups, ¡whose fascinating story must be told in a later chapter. The John Williams returned to England in , at the end of three years' work, and after sailing roo,ooo miles, bringing with her a cargo of native produce and curios. These had been given by natives of different islands to help on the work of the London Missionary Society. They were sold for £2,, so you see in three years' time a good part of the money which the children of Great Britain had raised was sent back as a thank-offering to be added to the funds of the Society. After a short time the John Williams returned to Polynesia ,vith 5, Tahitian Bibles and 4, copies of the Pilgris Progress, also in the Tahitian language. In r she came home again, after voyaging another roo,ooo miles. (If in five years she had travelled , miles, how many thousands of miles would she have travelled at the same rate when the twenty years of her missionary life were ended? You bigger boys and girls will soon work that out, and I hope you vvill be kind enough to tell your little brothers and sisters.) Captain Morgan, of the Camden, was also captain of the first John

PEARLS OF THE PACIFIC

Williams until , when he was succeeded by Captain Williams. The good ship continued her work till , when she was wrecked on the dangerous coral reef off Pukapuka or Danger Island. She had in previous years visited Manihiki and Penrhyn Island and Pukapuka, for they were out-stations of the Rarotongan Mission, and so she literally met her end in the very midst of her good work.

A S,UIOAN MISSIO~ BOAT.

Another appeal was ¡ made to the boys and girls of the London Missionary Society, and this time £n,ooo was raised, and John Williams II was built and made ready for service. She was most unfortunate. On her first voyage she met with very rough weather, but reached Sydney in safety. From that magnificent harbour she started on her first cruise among the island mission stations. Entering the harbour of Aneiteum in the New Hebrides, she ran upon the jagged

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reef, which made a big hole in her side, and there she had to remain for several days. The cargo was taken out and the passengers left, and John Williams I I returned to Sydney for repairs. But perhaps some of you are wondering how she managed to get there with a big hole in her side ? Well, sailors are taught to be handy men and make the best of things, and they stopped up the hole with blankets, which they first of all covered with tar, to make them waterproof. After being repaired in Sydney she went back again to Aneiteum, picked up her passengers and cargo, and sailed away to the Loyalty Islands, and afterwards to Niue or Savage Island. But misfortune still followed her. She had kept near the land to discharge her cargo, but towards the evening the wind fell, and the current began to carry her toward the reef. A steamer could have resisted the current ; but if her anchors will not hold, a sailing ship is almost helpless. The captain did all he could. Seventeen sailors were sent in the ship's boats, which were fastened with stout ropes to the prow, and they rowed with all their might to keep her heading from the land. But all their efforts were useless ; the current was too strong, and at length she drifted violently on to the reef. Fortunately, the sixty passengers and crew were CAPTAIN TURPIE, saved, but the vessel became a total wreck, and was at last sold for ÂŁ in That ,vas the end of the ill-starred John Williams II.

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PEARLS OF THE PACIFIC

But the children were not disheartened. They set to work again and in the very next year () collected enough money to build and fit out John Williams III. On her starboard bow (the righthand side, looking towards the prow) were painted the words, "PEACE ON EARTH," and on the port or left bow, "GOODWILL TO MEN," and she still flew the flag of white doves and olive branches, showing that she was a messenger of the Gospel of peace.

S.S. "JOHN \www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar"

Captain Morgan was her first commander, but was succeeded in by Captain Turpie, whom many of your parents and older friends will remember. For twenty-six years this Jolin Williams did splendid service, and was only replaced in , when it was found necessary to have a larger and faster vessel. By that time the missionary ship had to make a round voyage of 15, miles, and to cover some portions two or three times a year; so John WilHains IV was built, and she is entitled to put in fron_t of her name two little letters, " s,s.," the steamship John Williams.

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She is the first steamer owned by the Society, and cost over ÂŁ17, She is a splendid vessel, and the children who helped to raise the money to build her may well be proud of being "shareholders." You will be glad to know, too, how finely she does her work. She makes her headquarters at Sydney, and regularly visits New Guinea, Samoa and its out-stations, the Cook Islands and their out-stations, Niue, and the Gilberts. Being a steamer she is much more punctual in her calls than any sailing ship could be. She is always to time, if not before. She pays more visits and does more work than any of the previous ships. The passengers can travel with CAPTAIN HORE, greater comfort, and that is a good thing, because the missionaries are called on now to do as much work in six weeks as they were in almost as many months before. Then the steamer can go much nearer to the shore, without fear of being drifted on the reef and wrecked like the first and second John Williams. Before the missionary steamer left England, Captain Turpie took her to many ports on our coasts, and many who were children in will remember with pleasure the opportunity they had of inspecting

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PEARLS OF THE PACIFIC

the ship. The good old captain was able to take the new steamer out to Sydney, but there he b2came seriously ill and felt obliged to retire. For the long period of thirty-eight years () he had lovingly and faithfully served on the missionary ships, as chief officer on John Williams I and II and captain of John Williams III and IV. He was succeeded by Captain Hore, who had pr~viously done brave pioneer work for the Society in opening up the way for missionary effort on Lake Tanganyika in Central Africa. www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar, in ), Captain Hore was succeeded by Captain Wyrill, who is still in command, and whose skill and kindness are highly appreciated by all who have to do with him. There, in brief, is the history of the Pacific CAPTAIN WYRILL ON DECK OF S.S. '' JOHN \VILLIAl\1S.'' missionary fleet. It has done a work whose usefulness cannot be too highly praised. The

John Willia s enables missionaries from central stations to watch over the work of the out-stations ; she takes native missionaries to their work more cheaply and more regularly than hired ~essels can ; and she carries large cargoes of Bibles and other books, and stores

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and materials of all kinds, and in that way greatly assi_sts in the building of churches and schools and houses necessary for the carrying on of mission work and the enlightening of those that sit in darkness. Boys and girls, believe me, you cannot do better missionary work than to support the missionary ships. 0 Mission Ship! Dear Mission Ship ! May angels guide thy track afar, And may love's clear and holy light Shine on thy pathway day and night. In faith and love we children gave Our gifts to launch thee on the wave. Our gifts and prayers thy way shall wing, Till every isle crown Jesus King.

CHAPTER IV

SAMOA : AS IT liVAS LD Samoa was very lmlike the Samoa of to-day. The dividingline was the year in which John ¡Williams first landed on the island of Savaii. That was the year r To know the condition of the people before that year, vv'ill. be to lmow "Old Samoa," or Samoa as it was. The Samoans in those days were not at all an attractive people. Little was lmown about them, and what was known was not to their credit. They were savages, just like the savages of whom you have often seen pictures in missionary books and on old missionary boxes. A French explorer who visited the islm1d of Tutuila about forty years before John "\iVilliams landed on Savaii had thirteen of his men killed by the fierce natives. The Samoans were nearly always fighting one another, and they seem to have looked upon tribal warfare as good sport, almost as we might think of fox-hunting. At the very time when John ViTilliams landed at Sapapalii in Savaii (a picture of which you can see opposite, and the chief landmark of which is now a Christian Church), a cruel war was raging, and the flames of burning villages clearly showed hovv the victorious king was treating his enemies. Vlas it not a good thing that J olm Williams' ship, the ]1 essenger of Peace, should arnve ju:;t in time to persuade the people to stop their fighting ?

O

SANIOA:

AS IT WAS

45

~lany times since then the Samoans have fought amongst themselves; but the missionaries have always been peacemakers, teaching that Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and now I am glad to say that tribal warfare has almost entirely ceased.

THE L.M.S.

CHURCH AT ~A.t'APALII (WHERE JO;-IN WILLIAM S LANDED).

This fighting did such a lot of harm. The houses were burned, .and the fruitful plantations of bananas and other articles of food were -destroyed, and this often resulted in famine, whilst home-life was robbed of its security and happiness. Then cannibalism, the eating -of human flesh , was sometimes practised, though not so much as in other heathen countries-New Guinea for example. Indeed, an old Samoan once told me that human flesh was only eaten in war-time,

PEA RLS OF THE PACIFIC

not because it was liked, but simply to show how they hated their enemies. Was it not time for these poor people to learn about Jesus, who said, " Love your eneniies ; do good to them that hate yoii ? "

SAPAPALII:

THE LANDING-PLACE OF JOH N W ILLI AMS.

But even in times of peace, the home-life of " Old Samoa," was. far from being as happy and attractive as it is to-day. There were no schools for children to go to then. "What a jolly place Samoa must have been!" perhaps some of you boys and girls will think. But many of you, I hope, like school, and even those of you who are not very fond of it, will one day find out how useful a good education,

SAMOA:

AS IT WAS

47

1s. These Samoan children grew up to be idle and ignorant ; they could not read or write; in fact, there was no language they could write and no books for them to read ! But not only did they grow up to be ignorant and idle ; they became wicked too, because they were idle. Sa t a n finds some mischief still For idle hands to do.

That was true of the Samoans. They had little to do because they did not know how to do much, and so they got into all sorts of mischief and lived very bad lives. Now the missionaries have built many schools, and written many Samoan books, and are teaching the people carpentry and printing and A ¡ SAMOAN WARRIOR. gardening and other useful trades. A large number of the men, and most of the boys and girls in the mission schools, know much more than their fathers and grandfathers did. They know how to use their hands and their brains, and to occupy their time profitably ; and, as a result, they will grow up to be better men and women than those who had no schooling at all.

PEARLS OF THE PACIFIC

In "Old Samoa " too, the parents did not love their children as they do to-day. They were fond of them in a way, but weakly children were sometimes left to die. Even at the best, the little ones were brought up without any good training. This was largely because the fathers and mothers had had no training themselves, and therefore knew no better. At one time they would spoil their children and give them everything they wanted; at another time they would be unreasonably angry and beat them severely for trifling TABOOS:

TO ¡FRIGHTEN THIEVES

FROM www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar

misbehaviour, and then, soon after, they would give them a good meal of

SAMOA:

AS IT WAS

49

Samoan "nice things," to make friends again. And so, by example as well as by teaching, parents trained their children to lmow and do vvrong. I need not tell you that in the olden days the Samoans were heathen. Theyknewnothingabout the true God, or about "Gentle Jesus, meek and mild." They worshipped the spirits of dead chiefs, and birds and fish and trees, and even things that had no life, such as the war-clubs of famous warriors. Each family had its own particular god, who was believed to take care of all the members of the family. They supposed these gods lived inside different animals. One family thought its special god lived in a shark ; so that family would never kill a shark, for fear they should kill their god. Another family thought its god lived in a bird, and so they would never shoot that particular kind of bird. Another family supposed theirs was inside a stone, and they were very careful not to step on that stone, lest they should trample upon their god. They were very superstitious too, and were afraid of all sorts of evil spirits. They used to think, and some do even now, that bodily pain was caused by these ait%, or evil spirits. I was once called to see a man who was rolling on the ground and shrieking with pain. vVhen I had given him some medicine and he felt a little better, he told me that an evil spirit had been trying to choke him, and it was only my skill that had driven him away. I tried to persuade him that he had been eating too heartily of half-cooked pig, which gave him a sharp touch of indigestion ; but it was quite plain that he only half believed me. Some two or three years ago several of the girls at the High School in Tutuila were seized with illness, and many of the parents said it was because the school was built near a banyan-tree, which was the D

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PEARLS OF THE PACIFIC

home of one of these spirits. Some of them took their daughters avvay, and it was only after the lady-missionades 路who had charge of the school had travelled all round the island and calmed their fears, that the girls were allowed to stay and the vi'Ork of the school to go on. So you see some of the people are still superstitious even to- day, and afraid ,of evil spirits; but they are usually the older people who have not learned so much about the true God, and they are few in number as 路compared with the days before John "\iVilliams' first visit. In Old Samoa the people were very cruel to one another. They were in some ways kindly by nature, and in time of peace most hospitable. But unfortunately, as we have seen, they were seldom at peace, and so the natural kindly feelings of the people 路were too often not shown. There is an English proverb that habit is second nature. If a boy keeps on showing bad temper, he is likely to become badtempered, and in course of time he will be angry and passionate almost before he lmows it. Habit 路will have become second nature. But if a boy makes a habit of showing good temper, he will find it more and more easy to be good-tempered, even if thoughtless or foolish people tempt him to become angry. In the same way, the Samoans were so often engaged in war that vvhen times of peace came, they still slmwed the evil passions that are inflamed by vvar. Murders were very frequent. In the old days, the chiefs of rank were always watched at night by armed servants, so that their enemies should not be able to go quietly into their houses and kill them while they were asleep. The men who were ~ent to commit murder in this way ,,vere knovvn as "men-spirits," because they went so quietly and secretly, and were so hard to catch. They had very little clothing on, and oiled their bodies so much that it was difficult to take hold of them.

SAMOA:

AS IT WAS

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I am glad to say that a great change has come over the Samoans since they have heard of Jesus Christ, and many have come to love Him. I do not say that all the changes are due to their love for Him, but they are due to His love for them, and most of them would not have taken place if the missionaries had not gone and lived amongst them. The Samoans to-day have still many faults; they often •quarrel, just like other people ; but in spite of these things, they are happy and contented for the most part ; they are courteous and polite and hospitable to one another, and to visitors from other lands. Chiefs do not need to be protected at night ; there is no more horrible ,vork for the " men-spirits " to do ; murder is seldom heard of. Parents are, as a rule, very fond of their children ; many of them are still very ignorant and do not know how to train them well , but many .are learning wisdom and are glad to give them a good education in the mission schools. (I shall hope to tell you more about these schools in :another chapter ; here I will just say that almost all, if not quite all, -the education that the Samoans have had has been received in mission ·schools, and been given by the missionaries or clever natives whom -they have taught.) Superstitions are fast dying out. No longer do ·the people worship their old heathen gods, but instead many of then ·worship God and kno,,, Christ to be their Lord and Saviour. One thing more I must tell you to show what changes the Gospel 11as worked. Seventy years ago one family was afraid to kill a shark, lest they should kill their family god ; another would not shoot a -flying-fox-a bird which shrieks in the night ,and keeps you awake, -not to speak of the great damage it does to the fruit-trees-because -they imagined their god might be inside him. But how different ·to-day l In every home there is family prayers, both night and morn.. :ing. About six o'clock in the morning, and six o'clock in the evening,

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PEARLS OF THE PACIFIC

just when the crickets begin to chirp in the ,voods, you may hear hymns being sung in all the houses. You might hear ten or hventy at once in different houses. It is not a very harmonious sound, but it is one that makes good people happy, for it is the beginning of family prayers and family worship of the One True and Living God. After the hymn, the master of the house or some other member of the family reads from a Samoan Bible, perhaps the daily portion selected from the card of the International Bible Reading Association, which has been translated into Samoan ; and then the worship closes with prayer, and seldom is a prayer offei¡ed ,vhich does not thank God that for Samoa" the days of www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar have passed away." Old Samoa, with its heathendom, has gone : " The old things are passed away ; behold, they are become new" (2 Cor. v. r7). The first Sunday in September is kept by the Samoans as the anniversary of the first landing of John 'Williams, and on that day they always thank God that He has called them "out of darkness into His. marvellous light" (r Peter ii. 9). In their services they sing0 le pogisa sa tele Pei se laau mafala I Samoa uma lava Sa pupuni ai le la. A ua faafetai ua taia, Ua gausia lea laau. Ona le matua mate A e memea ona lau. [The darkness was great Like a shadmving tree ; From all Samoa The sun ¡was shut out. But, thank God, it is stricken, Is broken that tree. It is not quite perished. But its branches are withered.]

CHAPTER V HOISTING THE FLAG IN Chapter IV I have told you how the Gospel of Jesus Christ has changed the lives of many Samoans, and led them to give up many of their most wicked customs. Now I want to tell you about the beginnings of good government in the group, for next to ChrisIH

l';'O

SAMOA En,sh .ilb'les 0

~O :JO

40

SO

OCEAN

PACIFIC

JO

l>!AP OF SAMOAN GROUP.

tianity, nothing helps a people to be good and happy and peaceful inore than wise government, and nothing can be more helpful to missionaries in their work. It. was a very important day, therefore, ,vhen the Samoans came 53

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under settled rule, and if you are interested in Simoa, you will like to hear something of the hoisting of the flags. The flag of Germany was raised on the island of Upolu, and that of the United States of America in Tutuila, but as the two ceremonies were very much alike, I shall tell you of the former event, partly because I saw it, and partly because the German colony includes the greater portion of Samoa. As soon as the date was fixed for raising the fl ag, the missionaries began to make arrangements with the native pastors and chiefs, so that the day should be suitably and loyally observed. The actual ceremony took place at i\1ulinuu, near Apia, on March r , HIGH CHIEF i\1ATAAFA. rgoo. A large crowd of about five thousand Samoans, together with most of the white population, gathered round the flag-staff. First of all the official notice was read in Samoan, German and English, so that all present might understand, to the effect that for the future the Islands would be under the protection and rule of Germany. Then Dr. SolÂŁ, the first Governor, made a speech, and pulled the

HOISTING THE FLAG

55

Flag to the top of the pole. While this was being done, a b::md played, and salutes were fired from the German and American warships in the harbour. This was follo,ved by a short religious service, in which the Roman Catholic bishop and the Chairman of the L.M.S. (Rev. J. W. Hills) took part. The Bishop delivered an address to the Samoans, and Mr. Hills read suitable passages of Scripture and offered prayer in the Samoan language. His prayer was so beautiful and impressive that I want you to read it. So will you let me give you an ¡English translation? "0 God, the All Merciful, look upon us here gathered together in Thy name, and graciously forgive the sins of Thy servants. Remember not the follies of past days, but in Thy mercy grant us Tby ricb blessings for all the future. 'Ne humble ourselveei oefore Thee. May this solemn act we now perform be acceptable in Thy sight. May this Flag receive Thy blessing; may all men living in these islands come to submit to it, to honour and to love it. 0 Lord of hosts, we raise this Flag in Thy name. "Bless, ,ve pray Thee, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Germany. Long may he live and rule in peace and righteousness. Bless, we pray Thee, all the high officers of State in his kingdom. Bless, we humbly beseech Thee, Thy servant called to be the Governor of these islands. May he have all wisdom and grace and prudence given unto him to govern ,www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar this people. Help him, we beseech Thee, to rule with justice and largeheartedness, that all of whatever nation here present, may live together in peace and goodwill. "Establish Thou the work of his hands upon him; yea, the work of his hands, establish Thou it. And blessed be the Lord God. the God .

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57

of Israel, and blessed be His holy name for ever and ever, and let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen." It ¡was a most fitting and helpful prayer. Many Samoans afterwards exclaimed, JJ1alie lava, which means "Good, good," and we may be sm:e many vvere moved by it to new resolves of loyalty. Indeed, the religious service app~aled deeply to the Samoan , and impressed them more than all the ceremonies that followed. On the next day (March 2), the Governor received deputations from the different missionary societies. The L.M.S. deputation consisted of the English missionaries and the oldest Samoan pastor from each of the seven Mission Districts. Mr. Hills explained who we were and why we had come, and the Rev. J. E. Newell, the English missionary who had been longest in Samoa, read an address and presented the governor with a number of books, including the History of the L.M.S. and a beautiful Samoan Bible. But the most striking event of the day was the procession of Mission Schools, and here the L.M.S. made a brave and pretty display. You know how Sunday School scholars walk in procession on the treat-day. The Samoans walked like that; only all of them, pastors, students, and scholars, were gaily dressed. The procession started at the Apia Mission House and walked the whole length of the town to the Flagstaff at Mulinuu, where it was received by the Governor. About took part in it, and at no place along the ¡way could those at the back see those who were in the front. First came a boy from the Malua Boarding-Class, carrying a flag, with the inscription "L.M.S. " You lmow by now that that was meant to show that John 1,iVilliams began the work of the London Missionary Society in S:1,moa in the year

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Then came two l\falua students, bearing the large L. ~.I.S. banner, of three doves.

A HIGH CHIEF'S HOUS E.

Next in order were the Samoan pastors, the English missionaries and their wives, and the Malua students. Th e pastors and students were dressed in clean white coats 2-nd loincloths, and form ed a great contrast to the absence of any display in dress on the part of other Samoan men . The students ,yere he:ided by the Institution fl. 2.g,.

HOISTING THE FLAG

59

bearing the inscription in Samoan, "The School at l\falua. Founded September, Jesus and His Church," and also showing the names of its founders, Turner, Hardie, Nisbet. After the students came the Papauta girls ¡with their kmner and motto : cc The School at Papauta. Soldiers of Jesus." Then followed the boys of the Leulumoega High School and the seven .District Schools, each being distinguished by its own banner. The girls were dressed in white loose-flo,ving frocks, and the boys in white coats and loincloths. The Malua students wore black ties, the Leulumoega boys black sashes, and the boys of the District schools had red sashes, whilst ribbons and rosettes of the German national colours (red, white, and black) seemed to be worn by all. The Papauta girls hit upon a splendid idea. They fastened red and white flowers into their jet-black hair, and thus reproduced the national colours. All through the long procession German flags were carried. Altogether it was a most imposing sight, and I hope this account will enable you to imagine what it looked like. '\iVhen all were formed in a square, with the flagstaff in the centre and the Governor in the front, a German chorus and the German National Anthem were sung by the Papauta girls and the students of l\falua and Leulumoega. They had been trained by Miss Schultze, one of the lady missionaries at Papauta. It was all very impressive, and the Governor expressed his surprise and pleasure. And if you come to think about it, those singers were worthy of praise, for only a few weeks before they did not know a single word of the German language. Mr. Hills, who had. ridden on horseback and kept the long procession in order, then called for cc hochs " to the Emperor '\iVilliam. "VVhat are hochs," do you ask? '\iVell, you would say cc Three cheers." These cheers were heartily and lustily given. The Governor

60

PEARLS OF THE PACIFIC

rose and expressed his thanks for the pleasure which this loyal demonstration had given him. Then the procession reformed and marched back to the mission grounds in Apia. Thus ended a most memorable day. The thought of it, indeed, wi~ long remain with all who took part in it. August 2r, r, the day which John ¡williams landed Christian teachers on the island of Savaii, ~ay be called the dividing-time between Samoa Old and New. March r, rgoo, is also to be remembered for the establishment of a well-ordered rule amongst a people whose frequent quarrellings and fightings had often hindered the work of the missionaries of the Gospel_ of peace.

CHAPTER VI

N

PEOPLE, HOUSES AND FOOD

OvV ask me some questions about the Samoans. " What colour are they ? " " lVhat sort of houses do they live in? " " TVhat

do they eat and drink ? "

Oh, dear me ! you ask so many questions at once. I am afraid I shall get muddled! Let me try to answer them one at a time. " What coloiw are the Samoans? " did you say ? That is a question I h ave often asked English boys and girls ; arid generally the answer

has

been

" black. " But Samoans are not black, and do not like being called black, any more than you would like to be called "niggers." They have black eyes and hair, but their skin is brown, a very pretty olive-brown colour; INSIDE A SAMOAN HOUSE. some are darker than others, but none are darker than chocolate, so you see it is quite wrong to call them " black." There are black boys in Samoa, but they are not Samoans. They 61

PEARLS OF THE PACIFIC

are brought from the Solomon Islands, which are about miles to the west of Samoa, to work in the cocoanut-plantations of European traders. The Samoans look down upon them and often call them "black things," which is just about as bad as when you call one another by unkind names. The Samoans are a proud race, and they are proud of their colour. vVhen a missionary gets sunburnt with travel-

BEGINNING TO BUILD A SA1IOAN HOUSE.

ling, they will sometimes laughingly say, "You are getting as handsome as a Samoan ! " That is the answer, then, to Question r. The Samoans are brown, though most of them have jet black eyes and hair. Now for Question z; " liVhat sort of hom ,s do they live in?" If no Samoan is listening, we may call them woodm huts, though many of them are built with a great deal of skill and are very picturesque.

PEOPLE, HOUSES AND FOOD

63

They are very simple in construction; some are round, and look like immense h alf cocoanut shells or great beehives others are oblong, but rounded at each end. Houses of these shapes stand best against the heavy gales that sometimes beat upon them. A number of strong tree trunks are cut and fixed firmly in the ground ; on them is built a

KliADY FOR THATCH I NG .

neat and ingenious lattice-work frame, and www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar in turn supports the thatched roof. In olden days no nails were used, and all the joining ,vas done with sinnet. This is the native string; it is made by plaiting the fibre of a particular sort of cocoanut husk, and is t ough and strong. The thatch is made from the leaf of the sugar-cane, and instead of

64

PEARLS OF THE PACIFIC

walls, plaited leaf-blinds or shutters are hung round the house, and these can be pulled up or let down just as the people

A HOUSE HALF-THATCHED.

wish.

If it is blowing hard, or the rain is driving in on one side of

the house, they are lowered on that side, but on all ordinary occasions passers-by can look _into the houses and see all that is being done. Just fancy, as people walk along the road, they can see nearly all that is going on inside the houses. The Samoans do not know what private life is, and they do not understand why English people sometimes like to be quiet in their own homes. If the family is enjoying a meal, you can see them sitting on the ground, with their legs folded, tailor-fashion, and the food placed on a table-cloth on the ground too, only the tablecloth is not of white linen, but simply large freshly-cut banana leaves. Or, if you hap-

PEOPLE, HOUSES AND FOOD

pened to be passing along the road in the hottest part of the day-you would not, if you could help it, unless you wanted to have a very bad headache or even a sunstroke-but if you were passing along the road at that time of day, you would be able to look into the houses and see the people resting. They nearly all rest in the early part of the afternoon, and they would probably be lying just as you see them in the picture, with a coloured wrap or a native cloth wound round them, and their necks resting on a pillow: Not their heads, but their n::cks resting on the pillow, because their pillow is very different from ours ; it is simply a piece of bamboo with wooden legs. You would not think it very comfortable ; in fact, if you were to lie on one of these pillows for a quarter of an hour, you would probably have a stiff neck, instead of a rested head.

AN

AFTERNOON

NAP.

E

66

PEARLS OF THE PACIFIC

I said if you were passing along the road, you might see all these strange and interesting sights. You must not think, however, that Samoan roads are well made, like ours . Of late years, under German rule, thi: roads have been greatly improved, but except in the town of Apia, the best of them are still very narrow and rough. Those on the coast, where most of the people live, are often full of holes made by crabs, which make

A FIRST¡CLASS SAMOAN

ROAD.

horse-travelling rather dangerous, and the inland roads, running from one side of an island to the other, over the mountains, are usually nothing more than n arrow tracks through the bush or forestland. They are often very rough and steep, and cannot be climbed except on foot. Sometimes the path is cut in two by a river or mountain-stream, and you have to wade or be carried across. There are very few native b:-idges, and those that do exist are difficult to use, because they are simply round tree-trunks thrown across from bank to bank. Samo3,ns do not use much furniture, though rnme of them have

PEOPLE, HOUSES AND FOOD

67

learned in the Mission Schools how to make excellent tables and boxes and wooden bedsteads. The houses used to have only one room; now they often have three, one living-room and two bedrooms;. but they are all on the ground floor, so Samoan children can neither slide down the bannisters nor tumble downstairs ! Now what was Question 3 ? Oh, yes: " What do the Samoans eat and drink?" I can fancy a chorus of voices saying, " Rice." At least that is the first answer which Sunday School scholars frequently give. But it is wrong. Rice does not grow in Samoa, and is not one of the chief articles of food. The people live chiefly on vegetables, fruit, and fish. Perhaps the food they most rely on is bananas. Why, I declare, some of you boys and girls are smiling all over your faces, and you look as if you would like to go and live in Samoa, where they eat bananas more than we eat bread. But the Samoans do¡ not usually eat bananas as we eat them. They like them as ¡fruit, but they more often bake them as vegetables. And the ovens they cook them in are not like the ovens in English houses. They are holes dug in the ground outside the house, and inlaid with TARO PLANTATION. stones about the size of (Pu zzle : Find the wri ter of tltis book.) oranges. These are heated by having a wood fire kindled on them. The ashes are then cleared away, and the bananas and other things put on the hot stones, and

68

PEARLS OF THE PACIFIC

everything covered up with bread-fruit and banana leaves, till the food is cooked. - The Samoans have two regular meals a day, one in the morning and one in the evening, and bananas are always on the table, or rather on the floor. You must not think the Samoans are half-starved because they only have two meals a day. They have very hearty appetites at meal times, and are always ready to eat between meals as well. But they do not live only on bananas ; sometimes, to tell you the truth, they get rather tired of bananas. "vVhat ! tired of bananas ! " do you say, " I shouldn't." Yes, they get tired of them, because they have them so often. You, boys and girls, like cake. But if you had cake for breakfast, and cake for dinner, and cake for tea, and cake for supper (if your mothers let you have supper), you would soon get tired of cake, and ask for bread and butter. In the same way Samoans sometimes get tired of bananas, and fortunately for them there are good vegetables, such as taro, breadfruit, yams, and sweep potatoes ; _ and they also have large supplies of cocoanuts and pineapples. The taro plant has leaves like those of the white arum lily, only much taller, and its root somewhat -resembles a mangel-wurzel; when it is cooked in the native oven it !has a pleasant floury taste, and makes a fairly good substitute for 'bread. In fact, the Samoans are fortunate in this respect. They like bread, and ,vill buy it if there happens to be a shop anywhere near, but taro is a good -substitute, and so is the breadfruit This ¡.grows on a tall and beautiful tree, which has large dark-green leaves. A breadfruit plantation, or garden, seen in the moonlight, with the native houses nestling among the trees, is one of the most beautiful

PEOPLE, HOUSES AND FOOD

69

sights to be seen even in the lovely island-pearls of the Pacific. The wood of the tree is highly prized for building purposes, and the fruit is a valuable article of food. Though it is called a fruit, it is really a vegetable. It is about as large as a sm' melon ; it has a green rind and is pithy inside. It has not much flavour, but is wholesome and nourishing, and the Samoans are very fond of it cooked in their usual way. Europeans like it as a change from bread, and it is very agreeable to the t aste when cut into slices and fried with bacon. Samoans often gather a quantity of breadfruits, and dig a big hole in the ground and bury them. They leave them there for a time, and when other foods are a little scarcy, they dig them up again. If you are like me, you ;f.;(.Jfuiiâ&#x20AC;˘e, would get as far away as possible when the pit BREADFR UIT TREE . is being opened, because the breadfruits have partly decayed and the smell 1s very strong. But if you happened to be near and said to a Samoan that you would not like to eat the breadfruits, the smell was quite enough ; '1ÂŤ'-""".a,.. -

70

PEA RLS OF THE PACIFIC

he would laugh good-naturedly and answer, E pei o le sisi, which means, " It is like your cheese ! " Another Samoan vegetable is the yam. Yams are highly prized, but they are not so plentiful as bananas and t aro and breadfruit. They require more attention to grow them well; and the Samoan, as a rule, does not work harder than he needs. It is the root that is â&#x20AC;˘ eat en, and a good wellbaked y l m is even more delicious than a good mealy potato. Pineapples grow plentifully, and oranges and limes, though the oranges are not very good to eat. The natives often use oranges and limes where we should use soap, and indeed the THE BREADFR UI T. same word in Samoan means both orange and soap. Missionaries and other white men are always glad when limes are in season. They are like lemons, cnly smaller and more juicy, and they make a cooling drink, which is most refreshing in the heat of a tropical climate. I must tell you of a funny mistake which missionaries sometimes make before they get used to the Samoan language. The word for lime is very like the word for devil; there is only one letter different,

PEOPLE, HOUSES AND FOOD

7r

and so it is easy to make a slip and say, Aitmai le tiapolo, instead of Aitmai le tipolo. It looks such a little mistake, but it means, " Bring me the devil," instead of "Bring me a lime." Poor missionary! And lively Samoan boy trying hard to be polite and not laugh ! Cannot you just imagine you see them ? Then I must tell you about the cocoanut. It is both food and drink. "\i\That ! " you say, "do the Samoans call the cocoanut food ? I like a piece to chew, but I should not like to make a meal of it. And do they drink the milk ? \i\lhat a lot of nuts they must want to quench their thirst ! " Ah, you are thinking of the nuts that you get from "three shies www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar," which are very different things from the nuts which the Samoans like as food and drink. The nuts you get are tough inside. The Samoans do not eat these ; they scrape some as fowl-food, but most of them are cut into slices and dried in the sun, and eventually they are used to make soap, candles, and cocoanut oil. The dried nut is called copra. It is only the young nuts that are eaten, and they are soft and creamy, and are used to make many choice Samoan delicacies. These young nuts are full of milk, a cool and refreshing drink for the traveller who m1.y be far away from any spring or stream of fresh water. The trees are very tall, sixty to eighty feet, high, and they add much to the beauty of the scenery. The long graceful leaves grow only at the top, with the nuts in their fibrous husks clustering under them, close to the trunk. The trunk itself is quite bare, and you would find it difficult to get to the top, but most Samoan lads can climb them with ease. They tie their feet loosely together with a piece of bark ; then they clasp the tree in their arms, and by planting -their feet flat against the rough bark of the trunk, to get a firm hold, they draw and push themselves up till they can reach the nuts. Then

72

PEARLS OF T H E

PACIFI C

they hold on tight with one hand, and break the nuts off and throw them down with the other. H ow would you like to do that, seventy feet above the ground ? Apart from fruit and vegetables, the Samoans live chiefly on fish, of which there is an abundant supply. They have fowls, but they are very small, not much bigger than bantams, and they are exceedingly

MAKING KA VA.

tough, because they live on hard cocoanut, or whatever they can pick . up in the forest. They keep pigs too, but these are only eaten on special occasions. You would pull a face if you had to eat " pig " at a n ative feast. The pigs are roasted in the underground ovens which I have described, but Samoan ideas of cooking are different from ours. We like meat done through. The Samoans are happy when they get a piece of pig's meat very fat and only half-cooked.

PEOPLE, HOUSES AND FOOD

There is one other drink of which I must tell you. It is called " kava;" and is made from the root of the kava plant. If a Samoan chief wishes to give you a hearty welcome to his house, he ·will call his daughters to come and make !lava. They take a piece of the dry root and grate it. In olden days it ·was chewed, but now that tli.e people are more civilized, they have it grated. It is mixed with water in a peculiar shaped ·wooden bovvl, with several legs, and scooped up in a · drinking-cup, made out of a smoothed and polished half-cocoanut shell. It is not a nice-looking drink. It looks like greenish soapsuds! Nor has it at all a pleasant taste; but there is one good thing about it. It does not easily intoxicate. I have heard it said that if people drink too much, it makes them drunk in their legs; it paralyzes their lower limbs, and they have to sit where they are till the effect ·wears off. But it would certainly need a very large quantity to affect a man in that way, and I never saw or heard of any one in that condition through kava-drinking. Indeed, it is sometimes thought that the taste for !lava has prevented the Samoans having any craving for alcoholic liquors. But whether that be so or not, it is a happy fact that the Samoans have no thirst for these things. The German and American governments also have made laws forbidding white traders to supply the natives with alcoholic drinks, and these laws are strictly enforced. As a result, the work of the missionary has not been hindered, as it has _been in so many places, by the introduction of nun and gin and other spirituous liquors. No·w I have tried to answer some of the questions which I felt sure you would want to ask. 'Ne have talked about the colour of the Samoans, their houses, and their food and drink. Let us stop here and take a short rest, and you can think perhaps · of some more questions.

CHAPTER VII