SAMOA MILITARY POLICE

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 84, 10 April 1929, Page 9

SAMOA MILITARY POLICE

TOUR ROUND THE GROUP.

PARTY WELL RECEIVED. AX AMUSING EXPERIENCE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) APIA, March 23. . Ine Party drawn from the ranks of the feamoan military police recently made a '"malaga" tour round the island 01 upolu, a tour which took them about a week, and on which they covered well o\er 60 miles of rough country. The police were well received in the native villages through which they passed the Samoans proving themselves to be hospitable and much more respectful. to the white man than those around Apia who are more in contact with him. The use of the native fales or huts was re adily given to the men to sleep in, and food was supplied free in many cases and at small cost in others. Generally, on arrival in a village, there was a scampering of the small fry in search of fowl for the pot, and the squealing of fat pigs vainly trying to evade capture. Before anything could be done, though, the ceremony of kava drinking had to be gone through in the house of the faipule or high chief, after which the village was open to the men.

During the evenings the party was entertained by native singing and dancing or conversation with the chiefs through the medium of the ''interrupter" as one of the men humorously referred to the interpreter. This latter gentleman is.generally a poison of. infinite wit and wisdom. The papalagi's speech, which, in the w-ay of a white man, is usually short and restrained, he passes on to the Samoans with all the flourishes and flowery digressions which so much appeal to them, while the '"papalagi" looks on and mildly wonders what it was he said which could be interpreted into such a wonderful flow of oratory. Then the chief speaks, and, like the Maori, he invokes the aid of all nature to lend emphasis to his words, and only finishes when he has exhausted his supply of similes and metaphors. The "interrupter" patiently waits, and when he has finished, turns to the audience, the white man, and casually remarks. "This chief say you very welcome to his house."

One of the M.P. had rather an amusing experience with an old native woman who was fussing around the fale they were to sleep in, and volubly chattering to them in Samoan as if they understood every word she said. At last this humourist got a bit bored with the one-sided conversation and said to the old lady, "Yes, madam, I had one but the wheel came off." To his surprise and the amusement of the others the native woman bustled off and promptly returned with a pillow and a sleeping mat, which she gravely handed to him. Mosquitoes wfere the worst hardship encountered on the "malaga." These little pests flourish in Samoa in swarms, and can locate the smallest hole in a mosquito net with ease, and then until the intruder and his relations have been ejected, it means good-bye to sleep. One member woke up one night with 17 in his net and his subsequent remarks and behaviour quickly woke the whole camp. The party, when they returned, were loud in their praises of the beauty of coastline which they traversed, and although the going was hard and the heat terrific, most of them se»;m to have thoroughly enjoyed the "malaga." Given a little more time to accomplish the journey in shorter stages, and a pnide to act as carrier, a small party could see more of Samoa and the Samoans in their natural surroundings than they could in a month round about Apia. The trip could be well recommended to tourists.