“ sSlil noae i^-short and wide at the base; the mouth large,
and well filled, with white and strong; teeth, with full and; well-
turned lipsj the eyes black,baneboften large and’ bright; the
forehead narrow and high ; and tbd cheek-bones prominent,”
It was observed that some of them had th e e^ipt tamed up at
the outer corner; like the Chinese.. ■ Of heard?; ttoy^haYenhst
little; 'but their hair is strong, straight*, and very black.
Little,difference was. perceived in the shape*:df thei heads of
tjhedwO'^f^r^irhegeneral form of the. skull ri& broad and
ffegrt, ^and it, is highest near the:grown*
.irSh^^firexjpo^latioga of the groupe is estimated at 56,600,
^f whom have embracediClwisthinity, ahd attend'
theiinapaifipafy schools^,of: whom |(about i l ^ D 0isoad sead.
Christianity is? very likely soon to change the(character iof this
P§dp!§5{ The American ^eiyagers Say that s ong thati aceoont
thay, were the morei anxious to obtain as much information; as
possible concerning their religion §nd,heatl^mmm«*pJhT
It seems that the Sa mpan theogonyhears great resemblance
to; that pf the Tonoans«-
n j They acknowledge one; great god, whom they «all Tan-
galoadagi, but pay less worship to him thanlto their war-gods,
Tamafajga^. Sinlecy. and1 Onafanua.-, ’ The first (entices them to
war, the second: leads, them to it, and the third is a goddess,
who encourages them to. fight.
“ Mafuie is their god of earthquakes! who was -deemed! * to
possess great, power, hut has, »according to the Samoans, -lost
much of its The way in which they say this occurred, is , as
follows :—One Talago, who possessed a charm capable of
causing! the earth ito divide,, coming , to, a well-known a|>ot
cried, k Rock, divide, I am Talago., come to work.’ The earth
separating» ai his command, he went downito cultivate his taro-
patch. 'Hibson, whose name was Tiitii, became acquainted
with the charm, and watching. his father, saw him, descend
and the»earth close, after him* At the same spot Tiitii cried,
‘ Rock, divide, I am Talago,♦ come to work.’ The rock did
not: ope nbut oh repeating; the words and stamping his foot
violently, the earth separated and he descended. Being a
* Narrative of the United States Expioring Expedition, vol. ii. p. 131.
yoimg Étanche madeh greaf>ndise and bustle; notwithstanding
ftHe : advice iof -hisi father "to be qtiléë, lest Mafuie shou ld
hear him. The son then' alsked, ^' Who is Mafuie, that I
sh&uld1 h e ‘afraid o f him ^ ’1 Observing smékê àla^diStahèel
he inquired Hhë'câdsèiidf'dtu* f Talago said, is* Mafuié
heating his oven.’ Tiiiil determined to gOand'Seé; notwithstanding
all the pèttetÉSions-of his father,* àiid'iinèt Mafuîë;
whorinefuiMÖ whöqhêfcwak öif' Are youi a ‘ platftcf1 Óf tarb^a
Builder, *of a twfeteroof topes'^ 4 T!am ’;UÓwistet trf rBbesi*
said Tiitii, * give me your arm and I will Shew1 jfeh/tnSof
taking the arm of' Mafuie;' he*'4wisted it off in a moment.
Such a practical^ illustration of his powers* made Mafüïë 4;ry;
©ht, * Na fia1 olap n&'#a:*>lâ>l& I desire to live, I desire'tô liVë !
Tiitiiithèn tOok pity-on him and le t him gO.*-'ThéCiiâti¥êëîÔH
feefegian earthquake: exclaim, ‘ thanks that M affilé haé but
One arm ; if-he had- two he would shake ithe'MTtfadOqrieeêg^
The god Salefu supports the earths'i : They have likewise:
Merua FuaUa, Tinitfni, Lamans^iU, who are gods-ó f lightuihg,
rain, whirlwinds, &e. These gods are * said tè reside on an
island to the westward, from which quarter their bad weather
usbaliy scorned* ^ They had; lücewîse manÿ inferior gods ^wte
watched over particular‘ districts? » Thèse various' godsiowned
certain animals, reptiles,; fish, andr birdsbc Irt some few districts
inanimate objects were worshipped^ thus-ï^A-tbranchfof
bamboo, with a bunch of cocb-nut: fibres tied ow the top, Was
worshipped in Mauono. They also bad carved blocks; of
wood and stone erected ia memory of dead chiefs, which they
worshipped. ;
| The account they give of the creation of their island is as
follows -Tangaloa,- their great god'/; who lives 'in >ihe sky,
sent down the bird Tuby r^aikind iof Miip^) his daughter, to
see what was below.* 1 Shere ported tocher father -that she
saw nothing but sea* Tangaipan then irolled: a stone from
heaven, which became the ièland of Savàie,cand another which
produced Ilpolu, and the same for themothers. r;
This did not: suit Tuli,; who rèturned tq ask fofcikihabitants.
He gavé her orders to» plant the wild vines (fuefae),' i which
after growing were ordered by him to be pulled up and
thrown into heaps, from which worms were produced. Then