LIFE IN SAMOA.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 52, 17 October 1914, Page 7

LIFE IN SAMOA.

A CONTINCENTER’S LETTER. FRUITS, BIRDS, BUTTERFLIES. ' Following are extracts from a letter dated September 6th, received from Mr J. D. Thomson, brother of Mr P. Thomson, of Stratford, who is a member of the New Zealand expeditionary force sent to Samoa: — Here we are in camp, undergoing solid training. After spending several .days on the waterfront, quartered in an old copra shed, we were moved out here (about three miles inland from Apia) and went under canvas. The hours of camp work are now altered as follows: Reveille, 4 a.m.; parade, 4.30 a.m., when we march to the town and wait for daybreak, a precautionary measure, with occasional trench-dig-ging on the waterfront; arrive back in camp about 7 a.m.; breakfast 8 a.m.; dinner, midday; parade at 3.30 p.m.; tea at 5.30 p.m. • This is partly arranged to meet the terrible heat (one perspires freely oven lying in tlm shade in a gentle breeze); and also as an active service precaution of attracting the least possible attention. . . The greatest pest in camp is the flies. They are in swarms; and two or three will settle on a piece of bread between the time of taking it off one’s plate and placing it in one’s mouth. They crawl 'up one’s nostrils and all over the place, c . The little we have seer, of Samoa gives one a slight idea of the richness of the soil and growth. In digging the cess-pits in the cook-lines, the soil at the bottom (five feet clown) is still rich alluvial soil. In fact all the lower land is lovely growing land and very' easily worked. . For several days past I have been having a had attack of “flu,’’ but did not think it worth while reporting at sick parade, and yesterday capped everything by fainting on parade for inspection by the Colonel. Luckily, however, all the officers were in front while the Colonel told them his impressions of the men, etc., so, as I was shifted before they came back, none of them saw me, and as I am feeling better to-day I won’t trouble to report. A lot of chaps have been sent back as unfit already, and if one were to report one might run that, risk. . . We of the Auckland Regiment and the A.S.C. are the only' ones who have done any work, such as trenching and drilling. The men from the Wellington Regiment are camped right in the town, do no work, and have leave every day. . . So far as we can see the only things that won’t grow here are potatoes (they run to sheaf), most of the greens, fruit like apples, pears, etc. As to stone fruit, it is either too hot or they don’t trouble, and, of course, small fruit like gooseberries, etc.,.will not fruit, even in Auckland. There are cocoanut plantations galore (our camp is in one), numberless banana plantations, cocoacoffee, rubber, etc. In the bush, growing wild, are large numbers of edible fruits. There is a native pear tree with a fruit of about six inches in diameter with a green prickly skin ami a luscious white pulpy core, like a .strawberryin taste. Then there is a native apple, a red-tinted green fruit about an inch and a-half through and three-quarters of an inch long, tasting like a sweeten ed mixture of pumpkin, marrow and apricot, with a green seed in the centre of about half an inch in diameter. There is a fruit called, the mummy able, in shape like a large pear, yellow when ripe, and from four to sis pounds in weight (or even eight pounds), with a soft or-nge juicy pulp. The centre is full of small round seeds and the taste is like a mixture ol peach, apricot and pear, and pretty sweet at that. The flowers are g, Natali brilliant, startling colors, and the growth everywhere is terrific. And’ the butterflies and birds! There is a bird with a jot black body and scarlet head, another with a scarlet hack, and another with black and white bands. Those birds are about the size of our sparrows and there is one of about the size of our black-hack gull —- a pure white with long, tapering wings and long swallow tail. In butterflies there are red and black, blue and black, yellow and black black and j

white and blue and rod ones. I wish [ had a net here, as they are too swift’ 0 be caught under one’s hat. . There are about 400 whites, 500 half■asts, and -10,000 natives in German or rather British) Samoa, and about .000 Chinese (mostly coolies). These atter are always causing trouble, and ,re endeavouring to break out all the ime. The Samoans hate them like loison and don’t trouble to call for the >olice when they have a row with a Chinese. A Chinaman was killed by a lamoan in Apia a day or so ago for inulting the Samoan’s sister. He just mocked, his brains out and walked ■ way. The Samoans are finely-built teoplo and carry themselves perfectly. Tiey are fairly intelligent, hut they ire very lazy, as they can live so well )ii so little exertion. . .Most of the vbor here is Chinese, and then there ire Solomon Islanders brought here on ontract, and very feeble they look •ompared to the Samoans. They are )f medium height and build, as black night, and ugly, while the Samoan s light chocolate colored, big, wellmilt and nearly all are good-looking. . One fruit I forgot is the breadTuit, which is in abundance. It is 1 large "tree with large, dark green lalmate leaves and the fruit is a n-ickly-skinned green fruit like a •ound ball, up to nine inches through, vith a white mass inside. The Samians cook it by roasting it and rutting bo skin off. using cocoaunt milk with t. The milk is prepared by roasting die nut, cutting or breaking it in two, craping; the kernel nut (like dessiated cocoanut) /and squeezing the nilk out by band with fibre. Then here is tara (or taro) root, which is 'i-own in swampy land in large quantities.