THE SAMOA TIMES. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1877.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 2, 13 October 1877, Page 2

THE SAMOA TIMES.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1877.

1 SwOBN TO NO MasTKK, OF No Sj;cT AM I.

In a country like this, where there is no very powerful form of Government to make laws for the control of foreigners, and particularly in a time like the present, when the existing legislative bodyis in such a disturbed and unsettled state as our Sanio.'in Government is at present we consider it to be the duty of tin various Consuls representing the. great nations of the earth in this place, tc work together, especially in so far lithe collective interests and welfare ol their several countrymen are tit stake We certainly do not consider that they .should allow their personal feelings to interfere with their public duties. Some short time ago there was a compact entered into by the various Consular representatives here by which a code of quarantine regulations was drawn nf and put in force whenever a vessel came fr.mi a port wherein any contagious disease was known to exist, or whenever any disease of an infectious nature bad broken out on board of any such vessel previous to reaching our port. The pilot was furnished with a form of quesdons which he was instructed to put to. md get satisfactory answers from, the commander of every vessel before going in board. In fact everything was arranged so that the vessel which could not produce a clean bill of health, oi did not satisfy the authorities as to her freedom from contagion, might be placed in quarantine until admitted to pratique the same as in any civilised countryThis was a wise regulation, and one that should have received the cordial and active support of every individual resident here, whether he were native or foreigner. This, we are sorry to hear, has by some means 'or other fallen through, and that so far as any co-opera-tive action of the Consuls is concerned, a vessel may come into this port, let go her anchor, send her passengers on shore, and place in our midst the germs of that much to bo dreaded and vile diseasesmall pox. And it is not at all unlikely that we may have even this making its appearance on board of vessels visiting our port from foreign parts, for it will be noticed in the Australian items, published in another column, that, it is in further away from us than Melbourne. If we get small pox amongst us, or even measles, which latter the arrival of tin Helena from the Line shows us is not impossible, what will be the consequence: We shudder to 5 think; misery, ruin death ! The experience of Fiji should be a lesson for us. We have only to consider that half the native population of those islands were swept away by that—to all white populations—children's disease, to come to some idea of what would he the result if by any means either it or small pox should be introducedamongst us. To say nothing of the ruinous effect such an outbreak would have upon the trade and commerce of this group, we deem it to In- the duty of every foreign resident here to do what he can, from a philanthropic point of view, to prevent such a contretemps taking place. We hope that in this matter at least the various Consuls will put their heads together and jointly and severally make the necessary arrangements for placing in quarantine any vessel that may be at all doubtful, and we are sure they will receive thu cordial co-operation of every foreign resident in Samoa. The Weather.—For several weeks the weather has been extremely dry, so much so that the grass about the town presents more the npp-aranee of hay than the beautiful green that i< so Usual in these islands. The planters niv beginning to call out for rain, which is piite a ivver,ion of tiic usual order of :'>''. hero,

Quarantine When the III,: 1 barque, arrival on Tu !1 %y afterfu! 1 but, the Captain reported to \>. \ j j Weber, E*q . the German Coawl,Lj! tiny Ik>i had sickness on board dig i' the passsage. Willi pr.tLsewiy ! . promptness, the German Coosa] pfd ■. himself in communication with Dr. |V. I Turner, asking him to \ i.-it tin- shirjj.d \ ascertain whether the labour whicfie t brought might be landed, or not, ih i safety to th.- community. On Wifs- ' ■ lav morning, the Doctor visited thip. ' and found that some of the passi rs , had been sulloriny from measles o lie f V"Va,v, but that the last Case haihcn , convalescent fur eight days. So as be sine that the germs of the disea> re ] not still lingering amongst some c he | passengers, they were ordered to ] quarantine for eight Jays. The Ik < Susanne GodefFroy, was at once t ed ' into a quarantine ship, and the \ >!c ' transferred to her. The thanks < lie ( community at large an: due to Ci tin , Peters, for reporting the matter, an lso i to tlie German Consul for his piVK actions in having the ship quaranih ■ ' I'nci.aimki) Letters.— The folhw ; is a list of letters that have been Jam 1 over to us from the British Consuli , being unclaimed. Persons claiming fc ' of the undermentioned letters, \ 1 please call at this office, and obtain tin , stating where they expect them from - .1. B. Cane, Upolu; William Bro , Upolu; John L. Heslop, Samoa; Kolt Dnvies, Baker Island, South Pacil ; Robert Jones, Baker Island, Pa. c Ocean, (:)) ; F. Nyholm, Apia, i ; Sehiell, Samoa; Frederick Welsh, /a Harbour; Alex. Thomson, Upolu; \u. Mohr, Upolu; Alex. C. Ray, Apia; .. '■ Robertson, Upolu Island ; W. T. Tic e, Baker's Island. Bush Fire at Savaii.—Wo learfjy the schooner Vavau, which arrived ron Savaii on Thursday afternoon last.jl(t a large bush fire has betn raging for sj>!e time in the hills at the back of Matjdu ' and Safuni Bay. Pcbuc Safety Committee. —It ns 1 n intimated to us that, our report,ln our last issue of the month's proceeijits was not complete, we having neglecjd to mention that, in consequence of |e ejectment case at Matautu, a eommitje of public safety had been formed. J'.

\V. Hunt, we believe, was appointed te first president. We hope they njy never be called upon to show their vilCoxtradictohy Caulk News.—'So contrtuliotory rham.-.ter nt the Glib news is thus referred toby the " Syrfltk' .Morning Herald," of the Kith Augist: —" Much of the war news of thdlast few days has been more puzzlingjhan enlightening to those who wish to fjlow the order of events, and to realisathe facts of the European situation. . is exceedingly difficult to gather fromthe daily scraps of information which are sent from the scenes of action what the combatants are really doing, and wheher the fortunes of war are. upon the wl.le, in favor of the Russians or the To.cs. Much of the contradictoriness of . - ar telegrams arises from the fact that he information they contain proceeds fien two opposite sources, and that much of their inderiniteness is due to the curidlty that wants decisive information fater than the armies of Turkey and Kusia can supply it."