LECTURE.

Samoa Times and South Sea Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 68, 8 February 1890, Page 2

LECTURE.

Ohajeh h»alaUlwalay awssiag as af ate testers "IhWmim af Travel I* tha state* UmA," Ansa** the sail ansa wa talliUftr. Btaabel (Germs* Oi mil OmiklX (Jnatsia von Pritawita aad tha dhn •TIU.O.M.t. Alexandrine, Ctaptain Hunker aad, assay eat*** >wf U.Be. Adanss, Mr. Bteskket <OA VWOonwJ), l»r. SaVaMt, (IkMi Vioe-OmsulJ, Bar. Messrs. Hewall, CUxtoo* Hilta. MMI (WMr. Weber (manager far the D.H.PO), Mr. Dannni Messrs, MeArthur aad 00., Mr. H. J. Moore, and many other ptnatiMM ritbsas. Upon enterieg the nam Mr. Stateason vu g»ated wHk load ap|iknsr. Tim Rat. Mr. OUxtet, whoasaupKMl the thair. in tf*r gvesifaMy-tarned sentences, eip>wiil th? widosprend fooling of admiration lur Mr Steventon as «n »irHiwr t the aniwarsnl rnspoet -in wh oh he vm held lor Ma amiable and impartial character, and tho pleasure with which the rextdeitta nf Apia had learned that the talents author had purchased an estate uonr Apia, and was ahnnt In hoamne a permanent reaMant in Samoa. The ror. gentleman abo stated hi* eonviuti<m (hat Mr. Bt<*Tenson wot Id ha a most T«lu*liUanqui«Hr<n lo Apia, and anno'ince! that Mr. Btava«son» o* hia rotimt>Bamoa,w>sMn«umn«Ml lireoiinn of a literary and sochU Society. which wouhl -louhtlees he of ft* highest value to nnr community. Mr. Btevenaon then opened hia lecture with a graphic description <>f the. villsgo native councils in Tahiti, showing itnpnrtin 1> th'> a Wantages of stvh in*rituti<>rn. and tnoir inseparable dofwata. He explained th» eoastttation <>f the village counmu aad thawjurisdietion in civil domestic eases, and pointed out that the elsstitaJj stem, which 1.a.l l*ea lasUraiud by tho French Government, rwodud, in hia .opinion,, in failure. lie had observed that the election of rhiffa to ndtofai pmitinha could hardly bo connidorod the vw <«f th» p» »|wv for the oloctors interested in most eeaea simply carried out whV heliovod was the desire of the Government. Again, tho sleeted chiefs vara powarl<<e* when pitted aguinet the hereditary • hioff. and tho result whs either n cW-himr of aurhority. in which eventnally the hereditary chiof joined tho day. or a |tn.<uivc aulinmsjiwi hv tho 01-rted chief to tho will nf the heredirnry chief. So much en una, this the case that once, whan a ourtain native dignitary was elected to office, he lou. 11 v mnrmnrod and exjKwtuinte I with his •■ountrymen, declaring that it i was useless to elect him, far. as they nil knew, th« h-reditary elr'nfs were the power in tho district, and theraforo thny hnd mu>h l»ettat ejast one, which in thi- instance the sfaliiint ooaWtituenta according* aWfe-'with goad results. Tho lootamr oonsklored that the easiest and tdanjaW mauner by whieh an al-origiiiaTpaoido could bo governed «m hv working as far as was reasonable tliisagh Ha hereditary chief«. Min hj friction has beet c*ttse<l in Tahiti by a survey of laaaV whit li waa 'in coarse of |ifngfaai there recently, and forcible apparition had been offered by tha aiMhas to tl a surveyors In tha Marqaasas the attempt to stifle tha power of the hareditary clilofa hat hrapght about a chaotic state of Affairs, and H afteincd »nrpriiing that the Vraaah Mtharitius had not svailod dmaalsaa of the serrioos of tha aaajjajaa ahjsfs of •hose islnnds. TlamM tpasaaa wcro n ringulsrlt baja*j jfep, Itf of Htatnro, anl J ll Uliilii"! form, a aeabter | rtML daairo finer modaUTTha tM&ba |aee-lik« tatoofaig with' vaal b J*»rned thak bodies waij ft% well exaewtad, nod taM HP! *° inKlhaM i*N- ***** *•* •T kow * kaaipss to aMHai'S Bw« i *^- I-- -- m , « jaT r WL,. n y aaw sawaaaajiM |p Svaa ■* »ha Bill* m*a Bsaiab ■**» *»ay <JH

aVatfM MAM a*** AsUsW -■*--**■ ■ A f mui WM9 let wnr rwif minn «n nNl|t VMM, SflttMM WMM It WWUn •• mbmAli M BM ft too lumtM *k*»k. tu i irfiiTi o< »••*•*.: ■ma ■igafr pnnm ti ifcui hhmfc. • MM to u»*tqr to WtMtaMyi ■•■ ill* Tte, oe ~.n*u*nto», w* - UUmi *f aei.ferbto* «M|! VfHMMi It ■ top* fat ft "My t* 'afaoka, aad fa some countries to toko ; , iwitt **>• Sabbath, eodel ostra- \ «to» it a form of tapa, and w min , toasateeable wtamples. Is tbo Meter* , letend* the** *i« two kinds of to**,', which *i* undoubtedly useful, vis., th* fish top* *u<l the fruit tapn. Th* Utter appears to bn ctowdv wSmtot» to our own eloao eena** for game. Wh»n a partirulnr portion of tha coast become* impover- ■ ished by too long continued fishing, a ; tap* in placed anon it until a sufficient, time baa elnpwed f-.r that locality to become repleuishe 1 by natural enp- ' plies. The penahiee which follow . th* Lresch of this tapit are of onurso ' of the nanal Mood-curdling oharaeter. In this way the Ml tepn is of great ■ aenrioe to th* natives by preserving fish euppllea. which constitute a lnrg» j portion of their means of sulmistenee. ' The fruit top* is resorted to by | .. «wmti of hveadfruiy banana, ysro, or •ometimos indicated by peealiar marks { set up about th* plantation, or by leaf band* on th* trees, bnt in some caaes tha artful owner will bnry the tapu indicator, and wheu he And* that his plantation has bee* plundered will eaum it to be whispered abroad that hit plantation, in which a moat virulent and aawre*»lv* tapn had been buried, had been raided. Tha whimper of doom soon ranch** the thief, who ia forthwith attacked by a wastinsr disease for which there to a* earthly cure, a*** * medicine which can only bn compounded and administered by the injured owner of the plnntation. It in hardly necossnry to aay that the fruit tapn acts aa a deterrent to theft. Tli* lecturer had observed that the native* of th* eastern inlands had a traditional reverence tor eatahnsked institution*, and *s euch was douMlees true of all Pvdynaaiane, great uee misrktbe made of that trail by their rulers. No dotiK the question a* to how far the native* eeuld govern or iKwme useful "•*"£■*• *° ***** ▼erntn*nt was a *•>■» ffbtom. worn •*>•*• ♦»*■•• »»* they could do well, attd tiwr* wwr* also mhnv thin?* whieh they *euaa *•* no at all. Their eapaoity and farapseity wem strangely inbwwwrew. He had noticed that * nativ* might be an *«- eeltont. and even an upmrht. judge, who «©»ld »tv* fair jadgiuente upon matters laid before Mm. but *»• •»•• ma» Mhrht be .a ***!••"••* 7« fiaaJnlnnt trustee of funda, which h bands. Careful laeriminotioo would have te he ! wcewiasd as to how fat astir** aould he nsad in Oovmrnmgtal matter*. With reward to the rrflgton of the native* «p«ltf b. -aWI that they war. nowtouAaiKre Ohrietlana. and pmhaps aftatalithev ntadaabont as good • shot st Christianity a* w*wld ourselves. The miastou fanYWl' ****% -*> ca«ld**>»»»^w^tohirton^orkw>a and gniSrsWafc id'ifcay ha/atot bee* flhajMawMMsHM* *f vlßTiPunanty, 1 iki psikagi to«T*ll*re 'T^eTauiiwMtWaadmwah ntoawas* fa h«Bl>nfaj| * veay iiiatol LU U »lafcli») fl" —*^ aV *Jtr9 faka*Vß*alftHng§ WsW' fa* Malatwtl SZ] Lka 1 the * '

j »■*■»! Ike vote el wfaska t* Mr. 1 3Ejj«ytt'sSars, Mr. >*»»>e*»s<g tfcm pi i^n—id a vote n of thank* to tkarskelrmas. wkWh wh li reepouded t* fa ik* ssaal manner. ~