LIFE AT SAMOA.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 131, 5 February 1915, Page 5

LIFE AT SAMOA.

• GENEROSITY OT Till'J .N'ATs V CELEBRATING A VICTORY. A coutingemev w-lh I tie force at Apia writer. i can quue imagine seme of the men down lime wantin'.: to get away, especially these in tl e big companies like the 2rd Auckland and sth Wellingtei Regiments. The poor beggars have to work like gaol birds ,r.nd are allowed so much liberty. Ihev spend most of their time building walls, treucb.cs, etc., aad are under the keen eyes of all the tbikers. The hat, also, is 1} end a ,'oke. They have placed cur little band in charge cf the Pilot Station, and cur officer has been promoted to aide-de-camp to the Govcn or. We are here by ourselves dr mg al- the despatch riding, lookout, and signalling. Ft is, bar none, the most ideal spot cm the island. The point is surrounded on three sides by the sparkling sea, in which we just about live. When we first arrived here we commandeered from some Germans an open sailing boat and a dinghy. The big chief also

gave us a catamaran, in which we have great fun when out in the breakers Besides these we are also provided with two horss, a waggon, two motor bikes, and four bush bikes But, best ojf ;vT is .the beautiful breezes prevailing at the point, which seems to, blew the scorching heat away This is the spot where all the notable chiefs and their families have taken up their residences. You would not believe how kind they are to. us. Why, they do all our washing, and, considering our number, and the amount of white clothes we wear, that in itself must he a heavy job, especially when everything has to be cleaned in a running stream and boiled over stones after the idea of the Kcpa-'Maori. TUey cook'll ?,11 our dinner on Xmas Day, and also several pigeons, turkey, and a big roast porker. The latter they stuffed with green banana leaves. The whole carcase was then placed on white hot stones, covered ever with wet sacks, and covered up with white hot stones each about the size cf a potato. On mas Day the big chief kept us going with all sorts of things. Firstly, bas-ket-ful cf cocoa-nuts, all ready to be drunk from, then bunches and bunches of bananas, mangoes and mummy apples Later on the Solomon Island slavies brought in the chicken, turkey, pig and everything else for cur kai kai.

I have had several trips with the chiefs and their tribes after sharks and turtle. Just imagine going over the breakers in a rowing beat with between 60 and 70 native oarsmen, all naked except for a lavalava or loin cloth. The shouting and . shrieking when they sight a victim is terrifying in the extreme Of course all the men leave the boat, except for a few, who lock after the end cl the net, which is left tied to the seat of the boat. I was stripping to get into the water fer a refresher, when the chief, who was the only man in the company who had any idea of the British language, called out in a very frenzied tone, and altogether broken English, “You no go in de waller, de sharky be ike de wite man.” So I can tell you I did not run the risk. Of course, while the natives were in the water by themselves the sharks would not touch them, but as soon as a lighter skinned person came to light it would certainly mean the destruction of several others after the sharks bad once tasted blood. One time we snared 22 'turtle, the next time IS, and the last time 11. We have never' yet cauglit more than six sharks at one catch, hut that is quite enough in a native boat.

You can't imagine the way the boys here went on 'when we heard the news cf the Gneisenau, Scharnhorst, Numb erg, etc., being sunk Advice came at 9.55. 9 o’clock being time for lights out The troops simply, went mad. At our end of the island which is somewhat isolated from the other units, we shouted, sang, and yelled till we were quite hoarse. In a short time we were joined by a motor lorry laden with what appeared to h halfwitted yelling troops. Of course, I need not say we joined the happy throng, even to the last man. Hound the town we went, some fully dressed, others wearing pyjama trousers only, and some attired in an identification disc only. Several Germans sneered at us as we passed, but our sharp retort very quickly silenced them. On cur return heme the fellows did a cake walk round the parade ground with c-andles, upset the waggon, set the horses galloping round the grounds, pulled the chaps out who had gone to bed and put three "softies into the sea in their pyjamas As long as I live I will never forget that night.