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Show ittB& Mm J I..'.? 4r jf tW-'Try-JS.i Nam 3Tw-w yTt"! 1 L r 1 I A Village In American Samos. coastal strip. This entulls the fording ford-ing of many streams which flow out of the mountains of the Interior. Ot one may push up one of the many valleys over trulls that skirt swift streams and plunge through tunnels of verdure to a mountain top. If one climbs for the view, however, the time must be well chosen, for clouds shroud the mountain summits s large part of the time. The most novel sightseeing trip Is mmle In a small boat to the coral reefs where, through water crystal clear, one may look down upon a beautiful under-sea garden of weird and beautiful growths among which dart brilliantly colored fishes. Pago Pago's Wonderful Harbor. For the third stopping place, one should visit Pago I'ago, capital of American Sumoa, which Is the only bit of American soli that lies south of the Kquator. I'ago I'ago practically fell Into the lap of a none too willing America, while various powers were seeking Island territory in the Pacific. But if the entire South seas had been combed with all the other nations standing deferentially by, s better locution for a naval base hardly could have been chosen. Most South sea harbors are little more than crescent bays, protected pro-tected by coral reels, their safety largely dependent on the direction of the wind. At Pngo I'ago ships sail Into the heart of a tnge extinct vol-cunlc vol-cunlc crater, only a narrow entrance open to the sea. Furthermore, there Is a sharp turn Inside, the whole harbor har-bor being shaped much like the ankle and foot of a stocking. The United States naval station Is situated on the "Instep," Its back toward the sea, but with high moun tains Intervening. I'ago Pugo town lies at the "toe." Most of the anchorage anchor-age is entirely out of sight of the sea, ond the ships lie in deep plocld wuter even when destructive gales are blowing outside. Giving I'ago I'ago the premier place among South sea havens does not do It Justice. Many famous harbors are more commodious; but It Is nardly too much to say that Pago Pago Is at once one of the safest and most beautiful harbors in the world. A nar row strip of level land rims the harbor. har-bor. Immediately beyond this strip the sides rise up steeply to mountainous moun-tainous heights, the sloping walls cov-ered cov-ered with varying shades of green, tropical vegetation. In addition to the naval station and Pago Pogo town, three or four villages nestle close to the water's edge around the harbor, their thatched huts half hidden by coconut palms. The harbor of Pago I'Hgo almost cuts the Island of Tutuila In two. This Is the largest Isle of American Samoa, 17 miles long and about 5 miles wide. The other American Islands lie about 00 miles to the east Only one, Tnu, about f miles In diameter, diam-eter, Is of Importance, though two gmniler Isles are Inhabited. Altogether Alto-gether the population of American Samoa is obout 8,XX) some fi.tMK) reading re-ading on Tutuila. American Samoa has been little spoiled by the civilization of the mother moth-er country, or that of other whites. Few whites reside In the Inlands besides be-sides the small group of missionaries and the otllcers, mn and nurses at the naval station. Only one plantation planta-tion Is owned by a white man and only three or four whites have leaseholds. lease-holds. Practically the entire surface of the Islands Is owned In small tracts by Individual natives. The United States even bought from Individual landlords the 40 acres needed for Its naval establishment (Pnporod br the National Oeosraphle Society. Weahluttou. D. C) THREE stops among the South Sea islands will give a thumbnail thumb-nail view of the forces that have pluyed and are playing about those bits of land that have always al-ways held a fascination to travelers from the lands of Western civilization The first port of call may well be Tat-0-Hnl, which has been described as a "port of tragedy." Situated at the Innermost point of a horseshoe hay which furnishes a reasonably rea-sonably well protected harbor, Tal-O-Hal once guve promise of being a Pacific Pa-cific metropolis, a rival, perhaps, to Papeete, Tahiti, 750 miles to the southwest. south-west. Tho town, on Nukuhiva, lurgest of the Marquesas Islands, Is listed ss the administrative seat of the French government of the Mnrquesns; but the honor Is a hollow one, for the Mar-quesans Mar-quesans are rapidly dying off. The hundred thousand or more who peopled peo-pled the eleven Islands a century ago have dwindled to 8,(Kt) or 4.000. When France took the Islands over In 1824 the future seemed rosy to the white settlers who went there. The Islands teemed with superlatively healthy, brawny natives. The rainfall rain-fall was abundant and vegetation grew rankly. Dreams of exceedingly productive pro-ductive coconut, cotton and vanilla plantations filled the heads of French adventurers, Tal-O-Hal was built with these dreams In mind, and stores, Inns, churches, schools, and another accompaniment of civilization a Jail sprang up. But things did not work out ns had been expected. The Marquesnns did not care to become plantation laborers. labor-ers. They had led lives of ease, spending their time In Idleness, In gathering nature's fruits, and in war among themselves. Some unscrupulous planters tried rum and opium as In ducements to labor. They brought a certain temporary success, but they helped to bring a speedy nd to all hope for the survival of the Mar-quesan Mar-quesan people. To drunkenness and soddenness were soon added the white man's diseases diseases which meant little to civilizations of America and Europe that had become largfly Immune Im-mune to them, but which carried off the Islanders like flies. Tat-O Hol, which had waxed, as quickly waned. To-day less than ISO people live In the village and there Is only a handful of whites. The nnce populous valleys back In Nukahlvn have been abandoned to the rank growth Papeete a Lively Town. Next one may sail to Papeete, the chief port of Tahiti, metropolis of the southwestern Pacific, "the Honolulu of the South." Because of Its position almost midway mid-way between Panama and New Zea land, and Its reasonable distance as South sea distances go from Samoa, the Marquesas and Hawaii. Papeete is a sort of oceun crossroads, and Its cosmopolitan aspect never falls to Impress visitors. On Its wharves and In Its streets one encounters vanilla and coconut planters; traders-French, traders-French, British and American, en gaged In every "line"' conceivable from copra and silk stockings to fertilizer and pearls; sea captains and shipping agents: French officials (for Papeete Is the capital of the French Pacific) ; missionaries; natives; the ever-present Chinaman; and the nondescript beach-comber. Iapeete may be "far from clvlllza tlon" from the viewpoint of the stay-at-home, but the palate of the visitor to papette certainly will not suffer for delectable food, in the bustling port town with Its 2.000 French residents, some of them competent chefs, one may find viands that would not be amiss In the restaurants of the Rue de la Palx from vln rouge, through poulet rotl to cafe molr. And If he wishes nntlve food he may fare well on coconut-fed pig roasted whole, fish with coconut sauce, shrimp, baked banana, and baked breadfruit, the latter lat-ter with a texture like very fine cheese and an Indescribable, mildly pleasant flavor. For desert he will have oranges, pineapples and various tropical trop-ical fruits. , , . The most ambitious sight-seeing trip in Tahiti is a circuit of the islands by horse-drawn vehicle, along the |