The Samoan Islanders.

In approaching Samoa, or Navigators' Islands, a canoe full of fine-looking young natives came far out to meet us, eagerly desiring to purchase firearms and ammunition, for then, as now, fighting was going on between some of the tribes as to the Kingship. We anchored at Apia, and I was invited to stay at the house of the British Consul, Mr Williams. We visited together some of the rival chiefs, and in due courtesy had to taste the kava prepared by young women of high degree, who, after cleansing out their mouths very carefully, chew pieces of the root and spit the juice into a large bowl; it is then mixed with water and sifted before being handed round in cocoanut shells to each guest. Some Europeans like it; I did not, but on such ceremonial visits it must be tasted so as to avoid giving offence. I spent a few days also at the station of the London Missionary Society, at that time under the care of Dr Turner, who had a College for native men and women under his instructions to fit them for carrying Christian work amongst their fellow-islanders. The labours of these missionaries and those of the Wesleyan Society have been most successful in converting the gentle natives; but, unfortunately, each island has a few stray European castaways from the Australian Colonies and New Zealand, who page 46 are a hindrance to good work, and set a bad example to the converts. They manage to make a living by acting as agents for traders, who exchange articles of European manufacture for cocoanut kernel dried for exportation to Europe, or pressed for the oil by rude methods on the spot. The husks of the cocoanuts also form an article of commerce for making ropes and mats called coir. At the beautiful island of Raratonga, lately taken under the protection of the British flag, I passed some time with Mr Chalmers, the resident missionary, whose dwelling was situated behind a lawn dotted with tall oleanders, and sheltered by a fine grove of orange trees, in the principal of the five villages, connected by a good road round the shore, which form the dwellings of the whole population, each having its church, built of coral limestone by the people themselves, and there is a College for young people at the head station. In return for a simple address which I was asked to give them, a long procession of native men and women came to bring me gifts of fruits and other productions of the islands, with kindly wishes for my welfare. Yet the zealous desire of Mr Chalmers to extend his labours of love has induced him to leave that abode of peaceful success, and volunteer to work in New Guinea, where he has already been doing excellent service amongst a savage people in a very unhealthy climate, to which he was accompanied by some of the native teachers he had trained at Raratonga.