OCR Text |
Show VISITING LX-CANNIBALS. laired.:!., Gosp I On 1 N.w S.mojD Island. Kld.ra R.calveal by Arns.al vtBrelors-qo.ka vtBrelors-qo.ka Isie tkvlelsaee. ratio Pago, December yo, 1F95. On then-hot Noven b.r, President heck, 1 Ufer Ittrton and mvself set out in a small row boat to visit Maniia a group of islands sixty miles east ol hero. We entertained great hopes ol being able to preach the Gospel to those islanders is-landers who had never heard the voice of a Mormon Klder. Having a good breeze and a calm sea, wt wero waited over the mighty deep until near midmg lit when suddenly Ihe roar of the angry breakers on tho coral reef surrounding the island wai distinctly heard. Our captain (Satele) was well acquainted with the pass ige or opening in the reef, anil after making aa accurate observations observa-tions as the daikness of night would permit, we at a signal bent lustily to the oar, and soon found ourselves inside the reel through the breakers and out ol danger, lor all ol which we felt very thanklul. A quarter ol a mile's wade brought us to shore, where wo wero conlroulcd by by a band of welt armed warriors. They however soon showed themselves friendly and wore anxious to greet us. We learned lhat they wero standing guard lest their enemy, some adjacent islanders, cntor their harbor unawares. Alter drinking "ava" Willi them, a Irleudly demonstration, and after answering ans-wering many questions concerning the Gospel, our business here, etc., we were given some mats for beds and bamboo benches fur pillows and wo were soon wandering In tho land of dreams. Next day wo procured the village house and upon ringing tho "pate" about fifty persons assembled and lit tened to the first sermon ever preached I by the Latter-day Saints on the.-ie islands. At the close ol the services many came forward with questions and the people at once mamiested an interest 111 the message we bore. Meetings were h-ld almost daily oo this or Ihe adjacent Island Is-land aud our listeners ollcn exceed d f . to in number. Many expressed a desire de-sire ul identifying themselves Willi us but laws have luug becu enacted here prohibiting the people Irom embracing any other doctrines than those ol the l.ondon Mission S-sriety. An old minister minis-ter assisted mateiiilly in presenting Hie Irulh to his people tiy preaching agamtt us, thereby keeping the people imcres letl and continually running baikwaid ana lorwaru with questions. On Sun day he delivered a sermon endeavoring to prove the necessity ol infant baptism. Alter quoting concerning tho jailor and his lamilv, Stephanas and his lamily, he exuliingly exclaimed, "Now wheto is there a lamily with no miauls?" he was apparently unconscious of lha Ian that mere aro so msny (amities even here not blessed with oll.prtng thai Ihe pop-ulatiun pop-ulatiun ol Samoa has dwiudled Irom so,, uuu the .10,000 111 ju years. In the case ol the jailor's lamily he had apparently tailed to read the next verse which slates that he and all ol his household rejoiced and believed in (sod, and Paul's state ment to lha cflett that Stephanas and lamily had given themselves lu the ministry min-istry ol Hie Saints. The exercise 01 lauh, joy in the lloapel and ministering to the Sainta is beyond the power ol in-lams, in-lams, therelore wo conclude that the members ol the Hie lamihes mentiuned had reached maturity. At any rate it Is it gruss ciror to touud such a sacred or-diiiance or-diiiance on mere presumption and lhat loo in spile ol the lacl lhat we are repeatedly re-peatedly told in the Bible that baptism is lor the remission ol sins, and who dare say that an uil.tiit hath sins? We caled on Palega, whom tho natives na-tives said was by far tho oldest man ou this gruup ul islands, he having tieen a grown man when Ihe Ctinsliau doctrines wero lust introduced here sixty live years ago. His exact age wo could not ascertain, as natives keep no account ol such things. Irom I'.l.ga we learncj that they were cannibals some 65 years ago, he hiiusell having eaten human tlcsll wlihli he pronounced very palatable, palata-ble, greatly resemhlitlg heel. Mu said, however, that those persons whom he nau ealen were 1101 slain lor table use, but lust itieir lives in bailie aud that they ate only the slain ol the enemy. In Ihe days ul his youth this people were idolalers, worshipping dogs, cals, eels, listi and even rocks and trees. These were mediums through winch they worshipped spirits. Kacli lamily had Its own spirit to worship, l aiuily spirits were interior and 111 a way subject sub-ject 10 the village ghost, which in turn w as interior to the great spirit or good " l'agaloa.'' Sharp stones, shells, etc., were the only implements (or culling known to him 111 Ins youthful days in b.ubvriiig and the li nr was ohen burned oil lor want of a better inet.iod. Huge trees were felled ami shaped into canoes, can-oes, with stone hatchets, a lent which seems shuns! incredible. On the 36th, ihe wind changtd and we once more put lorl'i to sea and our cralt was driven back lu 1'utuila, where-upon where-upon President . W. llcck and Lldcr I. II. Ilarton hoarded a schooner lor L'polu. On Christmas duy lildcrs C A. Allenian, A. leusen, 1. Clull, I., Horn, A, Olsen, J. Cunley and myselt were gathered iirotmd a Christmas dinner at Hie resldetice of Jaa. Mackle.a most hospitable hos-pitable brother ar.d our true frieud, when ol a sudden the dishes began dancing dan-cing about, the house di sking and the earth reeling to and fro. This continued for about two minutes and although the rocking was quite aevero no damage wis done except thst a lew lamps wero broken. Another shock was felt on the s'.th. but It was less severe. An earth-quake earth-quake shock is accompanied with a po cu'iar sensation. I almost Imagined wo were seated on an old worn out car Hying Hy-ing over an extremely rough road at an unusual rate of apeed. OKI.ANUO Ua a scs. |