THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1879.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 105, 4 October 1879, Page 2

THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1879.

OuitSEtVES.—With this issue we enter upon the third year of our existence as journalists in Samoa, and in announcing this fact to our readers, we have to thank those of our subscribers who have unwaveringly supported us through thick and thin since the commenccment of our career on tho Oth of October, 1877. While thanking our old friends, we would not forget our now ones, several of whom have como to our assistance during the past year. By their aid and assistance, we have boon able to tido ovor the troubles and anxieties of tho first two years, after whioh, a business, under ordinary circumstances, may bo fairly considered to be established.

Although the Samoa. Tubs hat been carried on at a loss to its proprietors for the past two years,* we commence the third year with far brighter hopes than we began either the first or second y ears. If our friends will Only forgive oar shortcomings, for we are not infallible, and look upon our feeble efforts, as we intend them, forthe good of Samoa, and if a few more of our fellow residents will only look upon the journal as " indispensable," we have no fear but that we will be «ble to live te tee the good times which are coming. Divine Sxrvicb.—To-morrow being the first Sunday in the month, the Rev. Dr. Geo. A. Turner will (d.v.) hold divine servioe -in the Foreign Church at Apia, at 7'30 p.m. The usual quarterly oolleotion, for cleaning and lighting the church, will be made upon that occasion.

Thanks.—The Laokawanna Minstrel and Variety Troupe desire, through our ■columns, to tender their sincere thanks Th. Weber, Esq., for his kindness in allowing them the use of the new cotton bouse of the Deutche Handels-und Plan-tageu-Gesellschaft, for their entertainment of Tuesday evening last They also trish to express their gratitude to Mr. Willis and the other employees of the übovenamed firm for the very valuable assistance they rendered both in preparing the hall and during the entertainment.

The Weather.—During the past week the weather has- been very unsettled. On Tuesday it rained heavily all day till towards evening when it cleared up, and remained oeautifully fine till yesterday morning when it commenced to rain heavily and continued to do so all day and throughout the night. This kind of weather must be very much against those who are suffering from influenza. We are sorry to say that several of our townspeople and quite a number of children are confined to their beds through the effests of this epidemic. Brutal Assault.—On Monday night last Mr. Sterline, one of the oveiseers on the Mulifanua Plantation, was brought into town most frightfully mutilated, having no less than nineteen cuts and stabs about the head and body. From what we can learn it appears that one of the Tapeteuean labourers, no doubt from jealousy, attacked his own wife with a knife. Mr. Sterline went to the spot foi of putting a stop to the quarrel, when he was attacked by the fiend and received the number of wounds abovo mentioned. He was only saved from being killedoutright upon the spot by some New Hebrides men coming to the rescue and seizing the ruffian, who has been lodged in the Apia gaol. Mr. Sterline is at present in a very precarious state.

The War.—-The civil war appears to be progressing slowly, but surely. Every day reports are brought into town of one or more of the belligerents having been shot, but many of the reports require confirmation. On Sunday afternoon Inst a tnan, one of the Malietoa supporters, was brought into town, from Seumu, with a bullet wound in the lungs, from the effeots of which he died enrly on Monday morning. It appears that the Seutnu people had built a fort close l>y their town, and knowing that the only opponent in close proximity to their fort was a small number of about twenty men in a neighbouring town, left their fort on Friday in search of food. While they were away this small party took possession of tho fort. The man who was shot, suspecting nothing, was in advance of his comrades, and when nearing the fort was fired at and shot as above mentioned. When the other party heard the shots fired they rushed for the Bpot, and succeeded in routing tho intruders, killing, it is said, three of them and wounding two others, whilst themselves had but one wounded besides the man who has since died. On Monday, Tueata, sou of Tuinamala, of Fnsitootai, a supporter of the old Government party, having strayed from the maiu body of his comrades, was seized and beheaded by a party of Maliotoa's men. On Tuesday morning the King's Bchooncr moved down the coast, and anchored off Fnsitoo. She then commenced to throw shot and shell into the town, doing considerable damage to it. She was not attacked either by shots from the shore, or by parties ;"n boats, but she succeeded in destroying several of the native boats along tho shore, and it is reported that somo people wore killed in the town. On Thursday afternoon a small body of men from each party met in the bush inland of Siuamca and had a few shots at each other, which resulted in one killed and one wounded of the King party, and two killed and three wounded of tho old Government party.