SAMOA.

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 100, 29 April 1889, Page 2

SAMOA.

(FROM OCX, OWN C'OT_-ESrO_DE_T.)

Apia, Samoa, April 16, 1889. THE AMERICAN HEAD-QUARTERS are at Messrs Wm. McArthur and Co.'s. Their copra-shed and yard are occupied by nearly 400 men. Captain Farquhar of the Trenton, and several other officers have started a mess, and the "Stars and Stripes" is hoisted daily on McArthur. flagstaff to the strains of " The Starspangled Banner." THE NIPSIC AND OLGA FLOATED OFF. On Wednesday evening, the 21st of March, there was tremendous excitement on the beach. The natives were shouting and rushing about as if the world were coming to an end, whilethc sailors were cheering heartily. It was high water, and the Nipsis was seen to bo moving. In a few minutes she was afloat, and on the following morning she was taken to her anchorage in the middle of the harbour. The ovent was a pleasant surprise, and a careful examination shows that she is not much damaged. She has lost her false keel and a portion of her real keel, and some amount of her copper sheathing has been torn off. She also requires a new rudder and a new smoke stack. She is going to use the Vandalia's smoke stack, and when the necessary repairs arc completed she will probably go to Auckland to be docked.

TEE TRENTON

still lies stranded opposite McArthur and Co.'s store. She has been to a great extent dismantled. At present little hope is entertained of saving her. It is supposed that some rocks have pierced her bottom amidship, as the water rises and fails in her as the tide flows and ebbs.

RECOVERY OF BODIES

Not many bodies have been recovered? but every now and then a mutilated and disfigured corpse is picked up and buried. One body (supposed to be that of Captain Schoomaker, of the Vandalia) was washed ashore on the day that the Nipsic was floated, but nothing has yet been seen of the body of Captain Wallis ; of the Eber. That vessel went clean under the water when she capsized, and since then she has evidently broken up, as portions of her have been washed ashore.

ADMIRAL KIMBERLEY AT A SIVA,

Last Thursday week, a siva, or native dance, was given in a native house, and Admiral Ki.mberley and many other officers were present. The men and the dusky beauties who took part in it were not quite in full dress, that is to say they had something on, though cocoanut oil constituted their principal garment. When the genuine siva is danced, cocoanut oil is the only article of attire, but this particular dance took place close to a church, and perhaps the odour of sanctity in the neighbourhood produced some restraining effect. To those who have witnessed a Maori haka, there is nothing particularly new in a Samoan siva. The chanting and clapping of hands are done in perfect time, and the movements of the performers are grotesque and sometimes suggestive. On this occasion the extraordinary ingenuity with which the young ladies kept their very short skirts in their proper place was admirable. The proceedings were diversified by an abortive attempt of one of the feminine performers to kiss the Admiral. She scored a hit, if she did not secure a kiss, for there was great laughter and applause as the amorous damsel made the effort.

A MEMORIAL SERVICE,

On Sunday morning, March 24, a memorial service was held at the barracks, Messrs McArthur's yard, as a last tribute of respect to the American officers and men who had perished during the hurricane. The service was conducted by the Rev. Mr McAlister, chaplain of the Trenton, and it was a brief and simple one. The Trenton's band played " Adeste Fideles," then bh& choir of European residents sang "Jesus, Lover of My Soul." The chaplain read a psalm, and recited a few prayers, and after he bad concluded the choir sang "Nearer, My God, to Thee." Rev. W. Hill, of the London Missionary Society, pronounced tho Benediction, and another selection of sacred music by the Trenton's band terminated the proceedings. Admiral Kimberley and all the other officers were present, and about 500 seas*.w-. A large number of the

European and native population also ati tended the service. : On the Friday previous, a solemn requiem mass was celebrated in the Roman' Catholic Church, for the repose of the soul} of tho German officers and men who had been lost. Admiral Kimberley also attended ttiu service. Col. do Coetlogan, the British Consul, was likewise present, but. the general attendance was not very large .

STEAM COMMUNICATION.

The intelligence that the Union ComtW have put on the Mawhera to run between1 this place and Auckland has been received! here with great pleasure, especially as shJ is apparently to come here at shorter intervals than the Richmond. The American1' naval oilicers here consider it not at all u n -j likely that arrangements will be made fori tho brisco mail steamers to call here hJ stead of at Tutuila. The additional delay* would be very short, and the advanta eo i during the present unsettled state of affairs1 would be very great. At present the mails! are brought generally in a small German1! schooner from Tutuila. Very often shetakes several days to come back, and some-; times she 13 delayed most unaccountably '' It may be purely accidental, but it may! also be tho result of a little German straJ tegy, particularly when the Lubeck irorn Sydney is expected about the same time1' with important German despatches. The: German authorities naturally like to get' their despatches if nossible before the other1 mail arrives. I

THE FATE OF A SAM.OAN ACHAN.j

Thedayof the hurricane was marked by! a tragic incident reminding one forcibly of. the fate of Aclian, who coveted the goodly; Babylonish garment, the wedge of gold \ and the shekels of silver belonging to a deceased Canaanito. By Mataafa's orders1 between 300 and .00 Samoans under the' command of the great fighting chief,'. Seumanatafa, wero sent down to the1 beach to render what assistance they, could. By their efforts a number ofj lives were saved. Several of them,; however, sacrificed their own lives in un-! successful attempts to save others. The; kindly and forgiving disposition of the! Samoans was manifested in all these efforts,! for they were as zealous in their attempts! to save Germans as in their efforts to rescue! Americans. But there are black sheep .in! every fiock, and Seumanatafa, as he stoodj on the beach, saw one native rifling the! pockets of the body of a sailor just washed! ashore. Without a moment's hesitation,! the chief strode up.to the pilferer and slew,1 him with one blow. It was a severe! punishment, but it produced a salutaryeffect.

GERMANY TO RENEW HOSTILITIES.

There aro very disquieting rumours afloat., to the effect that a large German force wil'li arrive here in a fortnight or three weeks to; renew hostilities against Mataafa. It is! generally believed that, despite the Con-; ferenee, Germany is determined to wreak a! bloody revenge.'on Mataafa for the death of! tho officers and men killed towards the end! of last year. Mataafa is evidently on the; alert, for tho warriors who had returned to'; their homes in Savaii have been summoned; back. In view of these rumours, the non . withdrawal by Germany of the declaration' of war has a deep and sinister significance. !

Since the departure of the Olga for*. Sydney, only a small German force is left* here, and as the declaration of war againsb Mataafa has not been withdrawn, that chief ruight, if he chose, make matters very, awkward- for the Germans here, and be. strictly within his rights as a belligerent.; However, it is morally certain that h<2 will return good for evil and refrain from molesting his enemies in their present helpless; condition.

Mataafa attended mass on Sunday morning guarded by an escort of armed natives. He ie a zealous Roman Catholic, but this was his first appearance in church for a long time, his absence being attributable to a probably well-grounded fear that the Germans might make some attempt to capture him should he venture into town. At pre-! sent, of course, thqy are too weak to do so.; The total German force now here consists of eighty marines and four "officers. They have quarters on the Gsrman firm's premises.

INCIDENTS OF THE HURRICANE.

The body of a German sailor was found washed up on one of the reefs in double irons. It would appear that the prisoner ; were never released from one of the German ships,—if the Eber, there was pro-; bably not time. The captain of the Van-, dalia, just before the vessel struck, ordered all prisoners to be released and all irons struck oft. It is a singular fact all the pri-oners were saved. ! Dr. Cordeiro, of the Vandalia, in trying to get on to the Trenton,, fell from the foretop, and broke his leg at the knee. Notwithstanding this he strugged hard, and was eventually saved. After he got onshore this brave fellow set his own leg, and then worked hard for a week in the hospital, attending to the sick and wounded, setting broken legs, arms, etc. One of the sailors of the Vandalia was washed overbear-, and after struggling in the water for fully an hour, was swept out by the current, and eventually swept on board the weather side of his own vessel by a huge wave. He was badly injured and cut up, but was one of those saved. It is said that the paymaster of the Adler was shut up in his state room for, forty-eight hours after the vessel was throwa upon the reef.

April 17.. _

THE NIPSIC.

The Nipsic is now ready for sea. She is fcaking in coal. A temporary rudder has been constructed and fixed. lam informed that the Mawhera was to have been paid £50 per day till the arrival of the Nipsic jn Auckland Harbour. There is considerable sickness amongso the sailors on shore. Dysentery is very common; about 50 at present suffering.

from it.