A.—4a

Western Samoa consists of the islands formerly held by Germany—Savai'i, Upolu, Apolima, and Manono. American Samoa consists of the islands of Tutuila, and the group of three- —Tau, Ofu, and Olosenga —which constitute Manua. 2. Physical Features. Samoa, or the Navigators Islands, lie in the South Pacific in 13|° to 14° south latitude and 168° to 173° west longitude. The area of the four principal islands is about 1,200 square miles. The annual rainfall for twenty years has averaged 107 .in., the driest year, in 1905, with 65 in., and the wettest year, 1908, with 172 in. Samoa is of volcanic origin, with high mountains, which makes a varied rainfall. The south coasts of the islands have one-third more rainfall than the north coasts. As one goes up in the hills the rainfall increases 51 per cent, for every 100 ft., so that Afia Main, with an altitude of 2,000 ft. above Apia, has a rainfall twice as great. In the interior of Savai'i at 5,000 ft. altitude there is a rainfall of over 250 in. a year. The annual mean relative humidity at Apia is 83 per cent. The difference between the wet and dry seasons is about 2-6 per cent. The mean temperature at Apia is 78-4°, and the coldest month, July, is only 2-5° less than the hottest month, December. The south-east trades blow from May to October, and make the climate during this period very pleasant. Savai'i is the largest island —about 150 miles in circumference, with a height approaching 5,000 ft. It is the least fitted of the Group to support a large population, having been so recently the subject of volcanic action, and much of its surface is absolutely sterile. In spite of the high rainfall, Savai'i has only one river, as the soil is so porous. Savai'i has a population of 12,000. Upolu is separated from Savai'i by a channel eight miles wide. This island is forty-five miles long and fifteen miles wide. It has running through its centre a high chain of mountains, whose sides are grooved with rich valleys, some of them miles in width and many miles long, filled with productive plantations of coconuts lying along pleasant streams that flow to the sea. Upolu, said to be the most fertile, is certainly the most beautiful island I have seen in the Pacific. Apia, the capital of Western Samoa, lies on the north coast of Upolu, on the shores of a harbour uncertain in the south-east season, and a dangerous harbour during the north-west season. It is a picturesque town, with many modern appointments, and a most interesting and comfortable place in which to live or visit. Upolu has a population of 19,800. The other two small islands of Western Samoa are Apolima and Manono. Apolima has a population of 126 ; Manono has a population of 668. 3. Population. The Native population in 1923 was reckoned at 33,800. In addition there were about 2,000 Europeans and half-castes and 1,000 Chinese. The earliest estimate of the population of Samoa is that of Wilkes in 1838, who placed the figure at 46,600. In 1843 the London Missionary Society placed it at 40,000. The Rev. J. P. Stair, resident in the islands at the time, considered this an understatement, his figure being 45,000. Captain Erskine, in 1849, reckoned the population at 32,000. In 1854 the London Missionary Society gave the population at 29,237. These figures were probably pretty accurate. These figures show a rapid decline of the population from 1839 to 1854. The missionaries and travellers account for this in their writing by the devastating effects of various epidemics that occurred during this period, epidemics to which the Natives had no power of resistance. Dysentery, influenza, whooping-cough, mumps, and measles are mentioned. In 1886 the population is given as 29,000 by John P. Thurston. Since that time the population has increased rapidly at times, though now and again set back by epidemics which have entered. So much has been written about the Samoan that any long description would be a tedious repetition. He is said to be the true Polynesian, and Savai'i is said to be the distributing-point from which the migrations among the Pacific islands took place. The people are large, with powerful well-formed bodies and handsome intelligent faces, light-copper-coloured, with regular features described as Caucasian, though the work of an expedition from the Bishop Museum of last year would indicate a large Mongoloid element in the population. Samoans are intelligent, goodnatured, and courteous. They are criticized for their indolence by those who forget that with their fertile country in which everything grows so readily they have no necessity for work. No man works ia the tropics without some compelling motive, and the Samoan has none as yet. TTe will not be a worker till such time as population presses upon subsistence, or till he is given some other stimulus by education which will raise his standard of living and create new necessities. The unit of living is the family, which works together and shares under the direction of the family head. 4. Government. Western Samoa is governed by New Zealand under a mandate. The Governor of the Territory is His Excellency Major-General G. S. Richardson, C.8., C.M.G., C.B.E. He is assisted by a Legislative Council, which consists of six heads of departments and of three elected members. The Council of Faipules, thirty-three in number, form a Native Parliament, which convenes twice yearly and advises the Government on legislation for Samoans. These Eaipules are chiefs or orators, selected from amongst the most influential Samoans, and each one is appointed over a district, in which he is the highest Government official, supervises Government in that district, and answers only to the Secretary for Native Affairs. The general idea of government is to teach the Samoans to be, so far as possible, self-governing.

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