Local and General News.

Samoa Times and South Sea Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 27, 20 April 1889, Page 2

Local and General News.

A small party of American" and and British residents of Apia visited Tamasesc's camp at Lautaunuu last Sunday. They found that Tamasese and a number of his men had left the fortifications und were t.liviug in the village. Signs of poverty and destitution were to be seen everywhere, and it was evident that the people were suffering many hardships. There is a great scarcity of fooo, and the huts which have been built in tho village and camp give but little shelter. Taraasese received the visitors courteously but hq would havy nothing to say of a political nature. Mamea, who is now Tamu.su.se7: chief adviser, was present, end said they were waiting result of the Berlin Conference and expected the Samaon difficulty to be settled that way. Tamasese was interested in the details of the recent storm and other news from Apia. He naked a number of quess»ns in regard to 'the condition of o wrecked vessels and tho prospect of other men-of-war coming to Samoa to take the place of those lost He provided the visitors with a guide to show them through the fortification*. There are hundreds of huts in the village of Lautaonuu and within tho line of breastworks I on the plateau above, but very few of them are occupied. Thure were

j not more than two or three Ijondred own to be teen and the whole f number of men now in Tamateafe r parte can not exceed ux or eight' > handled. The men declare ■ thst i they %re tired of the war, and it is J very evident that the majority of j them would be glad to throw down ; their wins and go home. y/ Our residents will remember a gentleman named Capt. Jennings, i who came to Apia accredited as a reported to the Jmttralian Shir. | He <-nly remained about a month in Samoa, and left by last mail immediately after the blow. Her j lias, we learn, engaged the City Hall ; in Auckland, and intended to deliver a lectuic, descriptive of the . events which occurred duriug the j late hurricane.

Ata mecung oi wie naroor coaru in Auckland, the Chairman intimated to the Board that immediately after receiving the disastrous news from Samoa he offered the American and German Consuls the use of the Auckland Docks, if required, for any of their disabled vessels. The steamship Mawhera the first ship of the Union Company's new line running between Auckland and Samoa via Tonga arrived in harbor on Saturday last, as will be seen from our shipping report. The Mawhera brought a good sup ply of sheep and cattle and general provisions. Her passenger list includes the names of T. Henderson, Esq., the Union Steam Ship Company's manager in Auckland, who came to make himself acquainted with the line, of service, and Mr. J. P. Campbell, who is engaged in Messrs. McArthur and Co.'s land claim case which will come before the Court in Apia, on Tuesday, the 28rd instant. Mr. Napier, who arrived by the last mail, appears for F. Cornwall and Manaema.

Mafaafa has been af requent visitor to Apia lately. On Thursday week he attended a 'grand Talolo given by the Tuamnsaga in honor.of Admiral Khnberly. The Talolo was held in front of one of Mataafa'.s houses in Matautu, and was the best and by far the most numerously , attended since the. great-Talolo held in nearly the same place a day or two before Mataafa. and his forces removed their quarters trf Laule in i November last. Seated in the i building were Mataafa, Admiral : Kiml>erly, the officers ef tin United I States ebips and many European and American residents, who had a j good view of the dancers. Nearly , 2000 people assembled, including ; Mataafa'.s bady-guard who carried their rifles. The natives- of each j village camo (one village nta time) 1 singing songs until they stood in j front of the Admiral. Here they I deposited their presents and then i retired back and seated themselves l in a semi-circle. When all the vilj lages had made their presents the dancing commenced. This was gone through with great spirit, although the day was very hot, the gestures of the funny men being very laughable. The Admiral and visitors were highly pleased with the Talolo, and one old chief at the conclusion made a speech, the purport of which we did not understand, but we hear it was in honor of the Admiral. We regret that Chaplain MoAiister was through illness prevented from holding service ou Sunday morning as notified in our columns on Saturday. A notiee was. posted to that effect early on Sunday; in front of the Church. We arc glad to hear that Chaplain UcAlistcr is much better. The United States man-of-war

Nipsic started out of the harbor about 8 o'clock last. Wednesday morning to go to Auckland for repairs. Arrangement* h<\d previously been made with the steamer Mawhera to convoy the Nipsic to Auckland or to tow her if necessary. The prifie agreed upon,by Admiral Kiiuberly and the agent of the Mawhera was £BO a day if the Mawhera simply convoyed the Nipsic and £6O a dav if she had to low her. A board, consisting of Captain Farqnhar of the Trenton, Lieutenant Carlin of the VandaMa, Lieutenant Rittcnbonae of the Trenton, .and Chief Engingoer Greene of the Vandalia, had bean appointed to accompany tho Nipsic oo a trial trip of a, Jaw boats, the intention being if everything was

found to work satisfactorily to sig- j nal to the Mawhera to get under, way »nd proceed to Auckland with , the Nipsic. The principal daotrer | feared was from the jury-rudder j which hat! been rigged on the, Nipsic and which it was thought would net act properly in ease of a heavy aea. The rudder was moved bv means of a tackle fartended to the two ends of a spar which was placed across the poop deck, and the Nipsic had hardly cleared.the harbor when one end of this spar gave way under the strain. In ten minutes more the other end of thoj spar broke off completely, and the vasel'a steering apparatus was rendered useless. A sharp squall came up about the same time and for a moment there was some danger of ■ the Nipsic going on the reef. How-' ever, sne was kept clear of the reef by the use of sails. Her engines seemed to-work fairly well, but au j examination showed that the exhaust pipe had been split and a forward Kingston cracked. An at- j tempt was made to replace the; broken spars ou the poop deck, but j a portion of the port steering tackle broke away and the rudder turned j

over on its aide. The weather was j so thick that the signals for assist-: ance could not be understood in the i harbor, and a boat was sent ashore to get the Mawhera to come out and tow the Nipsic in. The Nipsic had gone about; three miles out to j sea, and the Mawhera arrived in a short time and towed her into the harbor where she anchored. The Mawhera railed for Auckland in the afternoon, Admiral Kimbtrly having released her from her con-! tract to convoy the N ipsic. It is not yet known what arrangeStents have been made for taking the shipwrecked American sailors f to San Francisco. Admiral Kimberly received a letter by the British "man-of-war Rapid last Monday from Lieut. Wilson of the Vandalia,

who was sent to Auckland a month ago to cable the official dispatches in regard to the storm and also to j secure a steamer. Lieut. Wilson writes that he was not able to secure a steamer in Auckland, and j be had gone to Sydney for that j purpose. He also states that he has heard that the regular mail steamer Mariposa, which is due at | Tutuila nest Saturday, had agreed ! to stop at Apia and take away 300 men. Lieut. Wilson has not been j able to find oi't anything definite j about this, and he does not think i iit probable that the .Mariposa will j I be able to take way any men as j | she already lias a full list of pas- | I sengers.