German Samoa consists of the islands of Upolu, Savaii, and the islets of Manono and A polima, and has a population of 436 whites. 33.478 natives, 938 half-castes, 1050 Chinese, and 1251 native labourers recruited from other islands. The whole area of the islands mentioned amounts to about 1000 square miles, of which probably 15 or 20 per cent, are arable lands capable of growing various crops suited to the tropical position and climate of the group.

All of the land lying along the seashore is suited for the growth of the cocoanut palm; in fact, it is often asserted that it thrives better in German Samoa than in any other known situation. The palms will grow even high up on the mountains, but as one proceeds with their culture on elevations or far inland from the sea their growth is not so vigorous, and the bearing is so retarded tliat fruiting often takes from 10 to 12 years, whereas at the seaside the trees are commercially profitable in their seventh year, as a rule.

Bananas and all tropical fruits thrive to perfection, and grow in such profusion that ripe bananas arc of little or no value as a sale product. Of course, the natives largely depend on this fruit as a staple article of food, but they usually consume it in a green state—just before it softens and gets sugary. When in the proper condition to suit the Samoun. It is either boiled or baked, and then the flesh, or meat, is firm and hard—very much like a chestnut in texture and also in taste. This is used a a sort of bread.

But bread in another form—the famous breadfruit of idyllic memories—grows in abundance, and affords the natives a nourishing and tasteful food for several months of the vear.

Cocoa.

The finest Criollo cacao, or cocoa, is raised in German Samoa, on laud lying just far enough from the seashore to he away from the action of the salt water upon the leaves; and the success of the cacao planters this mist season has been such that it is believed that almost all of the unoccupied cacao laud in Samoa and within 25 miles of Apia will soon have been bought up by people intending to cultivate this profitable plant. At present there are under cultivation some 3700 acres, of which about 1150 acres are in bearing, but many more acres will bear in 1909 and 1910. Crude lands suitable for this culture, and close to Apia, could have been bought within the past lew-years at rates ranging from 15s to £3 per acre. The same properties are worth to-day from £2 to £8 and £10 per acre, according to their situation, for, as a rule, most of the cacao land is of equal worth for planting, but many investors wishing to live on the land, and to send their children to the excellent Governmental schools, desire to get as near as possible to Apia; hence the difference in the valuation of the crude land itself. However, as the price of the land cuts a small figure in the investment, it is not strange that most will prefer to pay the higher rate in order to get comfortably located close to the town.

It takes five years to get cacoa into a fine paying state, and some £30 or [unclear: d] per acre are usually expended in the [unclear: wa] of tilth and accessories—tins on top [unclear: n] the original cost of the land. Thu,. [unclear: if] man buys, say, 50 acres at £5 per [unclear: am] it costs £250. His houses, fencing, [unclear: hes] and cart, cows, pigs, fowls, and seed, [unclear: and] tilth cost him, spread over the five [unclear: way] ing years, say, £30 per acre if he employment an overseer, totalling £1500. Thus he [unclear: l] a 50-acre cacao orchard after five years [unclear: and] a cost of £1750. While, if he had [unclear: bod] cheaper land, the cost would hardly [unclear: he] less, as he would have got on slower, [unclear: ma] he could only have saved something [unclear: n] out of the original £250.

If the planter is himself a [unclear: practed] working man, and willing to get into [unclear: the] field and work with his own nativ [unclear: as] Chinese labour, and in charge of [unclear: them] he gets more and better work done. [unclear: It] probable that a good manager, [unclear: having] say, £1000, and laying it out carcfully over a period of five years, and [unclear: growing] some catch crops between his cacao [unclear: trees] will be quite able to get his 50 acres [unclear: into] bearing for £1000. or even less, and [unclear: these] after own a property which should [unclear: pass] him annually a net profit of £15 or [unclear: f] per acre, probably more, for the [unclear: estimad] is on the low side.

The cacao yield of the first months of the year 1908 has been [unclear: exced] lent and a splendid quality of bean has met a very good market. "Moat of [unclear: the] Samoan product is shipped to [unclear: Hambow] which is the world's cacao centre.

Rubber.

Of late years rubber has attracted [unclear: med] or less attention. Several varieties are [unclear: as] present under experiment, and a great [unclear: des] is set out in a practical wav. In all, [unclear: 500] acres are at present under cultivation, chief varieties bring the Haven or [unclear: pav] variety, the Kixcia, the Castilloa, and [unclear: the] Ficus, the lalter being a tree which is [unclear: verty] highly regarded in Java. Large [unclear: sample] of native-grown rubber have been [unclear: as] ported, and have been most [unclear: favourably] reported upon, but so far Samoa is [unclear: no] and cannot be an exporting countrv [unclear: unles] about 1911. when, pcrbups, sumo 800 [unclear: across] will have come into first-class [unclear: bearing] Rubber planters in Samoa are most [unclear: hoper] of results, and, basing their [unclear: ralculating] on much lowered prices for the [unclear: prodouct] than at present obtain, expect to clear [unclear: very] heavy profits after the initial vears [unclear: havy] passed. Of late it has dawned upon [unclear: please] terms that they might grow the tall [unclear: varies] ties of rubber to shade their cacao trees and new plantations are being set out [unclear: in] this wav.

Plantation Companies.

Some six years ago Mr. Francis Harman, page 15 [unclear: ng] layers having lawyer hailing from Birmingham, [unclear: impressed] with the outlook in Ger-[unclear: nama], and on his return to his na-[unclear: eity] was enabled to attract certain [unclear: E] and on his advice and under his [unclear: section] the Upotu Plantation Co., a Bar-[unclear: am] concern, set out upon its career. [unclear: company] has cleared and planted [unclear: na] 590 or 600 acres of cacao. From 180 acres, a fine first crop has [unclear: been] gathered, and the company will [unclear: som] a dividend basis either this year, only next, when it is exacted that worth about 10d per lb in London be produced at the rate of about a-[unclear: ed] of a ton per acre, and at a cost [unclear: tech] should leave fully from £15 to £20 per acre as a downright profit.

Another plantation owned by a Glas-Company, and also promoted by Mr. [unclear: man], is now in its third year, and has a short time to run before it, too, be amongst the dividend winners. [unclear: tr] H. J. Moore, an American resident [unclear: Seman], has three fine cacao plantations, [unclear: one] Eoe considerable plantation of cocoa-[unclear: on] the south side of Savaii. This [unclear: doman] has also very large and grow [unclear: trading] interests, and is the owner of [unclear: his] lsland, in the Ellice Group, as well [unclear: of] other large properties.

[unclear: The] Deutsches Plantagen nnd Gessell-[unclear: laft], a German company, established [unclear: Apra] about 1864, is the oldest as well the most important planting and com-[unclear: cial] enterprise in Samoa. It has about [unclear: am] acres of cocoanuts under cultiva-[unclear: n] thousands of cattle fatten under [unclear: e] trees, keeping the soil weeded down fertilised. They have some cacao in-[unclear: posts], and on the whole do a large and duble trading business. Last year paid a regular dividend of 20 per [unclear: L] and put a big amount to their re-[unclear: ve] fund. This company is conserva-managed, and is indeed a great in-[unclear: tion]. The amount of capital invested [unclear: cod] exactlv known, but it must approxi-[unclear: le] some £500,000 or £600,000. The [unclear: lr] large companies are the Deutsches [unclear: oa] Gessellschaft, which is a trading [unclear: and] plantation firm, the Safata Oessell [unclear: left] and the Saluafata Gessellschaft.

Though the area of salable lands in the [unclear: diate] vicinity of Apia is daily grow spaller, and the prices higher, there is [unclear: t] a large area of good land at more dis-[unclear: ted] points, and some can still be had at [unclear: s] as low ah 20s per [unclear: arw]. The [unclear: Samo-in] [unclear: ts] can no longer lease or sell their [unclear: ds] at will, and it is very difficult to [unclear: d] the Government to allow the natives [unclear: part] with any more of their soil, so [unclear: decover] purchases are made have to deal bsively with lande which have long [unclear: ed] out of native control.

Chinese Coolies.

Chinese coolies were first introduced into Samoa some five years ago, and since then about 1300 have arrived. Conditions at first were not all that might have been desired, and, besides, a class of very poor coolies was at the beginning brought. Time has shown the Samoan planter how to better handle the coolie business, and it is gratifying to know that although the service of some 500 men is now expiring, more than one-half of these have signed new contracts with their old, or with new masters, and have elected to stay on in Samoa. This speaks well for both man and master. The coolies are imported by the Government and are impartially distributed to the planters by a lottery system, which precludes any favouritism. The planter requiring labourers pays about £22 to the Government for each man he think,-he will need on his plantation, this to cover cost of fare, and recruitment in China. The labourer is assigned to the planter on his arrival, and he is fed at the planter's cost, up to-scale which provides him with all necessities. He is housed and paid his wage every month. This is usually very small in the past it has been about 12 shillings per month, but when all calculations are made, it is actually found that each coolie costs the planter about 42s per month for his services. The production of rubber and cacao permits of this expenditure and assures a fine profit to the cultivator whose other economies are right.

Sights for the Tourist.

Of all of the South Sea islands, Samoa presents the most attractive face towards the tourist, and in German Samoa he may revel in Nature's very bosom. The scenery everywhere is gorgeous and magnificent. Three years ago a volcanic outbreak opened up on the north side of Savaii, and without intermission since then the activity has been going on. At first billions of incandescent rocks were hurled heavens high until a hollow peak was built up out of a valley, to an elevation of perhaps 1500ft above the sea level. As the opening grew larger the discharge of incandescent rock stopped, and immense streams of molten lava filled up the inequalities of the ground, making for itself a smooth course towards the sea-coast, some ten miles distant. It is now-estimated that during the past three years some 60 square miles of land have been covered with lava, several valleys being filled to a depth of probably 600ft, and the sea coast has been extended perhaps threequarters of a mile. The furious output of this immense volcano seems rather on the increase than otherwise. Five native villages have passed out of sight, and page 16 even their former sites are merely conjectural, for the thickness of the lava flow is seldom under 30ft in any place. No lives have so far been lost, for as a usual thing the approach of a lava flow is slow, and overpoweringly majestic, and is a sight which once witnessed is never forgotten. No sightscer can possibly do the important and interesting points in German Sanoa in less than one month. It would take a good part of the time to get to know the people, especially the brown young ladies, who are most persuasive and attractive, and who have so often charmed the wanderer to stay in these beautiful islands for the remainder of his lite.

Mission Work.

Churches abound all over American and German Samoa, and these contain seating capacity for four times the population of the place. This singular state is explainable in the assurance of those who know that each village tried to outdo its neigh-hours, and so erect a larger and more imposing edifice. Often in the same native town will he found two or more churches of the same denomination, and almost side by side, each with accommodation for four or five times as many souls as they ever get into it.

Religiously considered, one-fifth of the natives of Samoa are Catholics, another fifth Wesleyans, and the balance Congre-gationalists, under the direction of the London Missionary Society. A few are Mormons, but this cult has not so far increased in numbers to any extent, and probably there are under 300 adherents of that Church. However, this much may be said for these people, they are the only sect which has systematically taught the people to carefully cultivate their lauds, and to endeavour to better their personal condition by sustained labour. Just now they appear to be rather prosperous. Whether this condition will expand and endure is yet to he seen.

Craze of Competition.

Some years ago the natives took to building large open bouts, and this craze of competition continued until one town, known as Lefago, built a boat 156ft long, whose beam was 16ft. She worked with two banks of oars—about 150 in all. A tall man could walk erect along a corridor under the thwarts. This craft cost for materials, bought outside Samoa, about £800, and 50 men gave their services several months in working on her to assist the carpenters, and to cut hardwood knees from the bush. This was most likely the largest boat of the sort that has ever been constructed [unclear: since] Roman days. She was wantonly [unclear: dee] ed by the whites during the last was 1899, a piece of vandalism hard to [unclear: exp] on any possible theory.

A German's Generosity

A splendid market building has [unclear: been] erected in Apia, but is not yet in This was the gift of an old German [unclear: g] tleman who amassed a great [unclear: fortune] Vladivostok, and afterwards tried to [unclear: l] some enjoyment by liberally [unclear: bestowing] wealth, wherever and however he [unclear: those] he was doing most good. Another [unclear: of] benefactions of the late Gustave [unclear: ke] was the presentation to Apia of the [unclear: been] tiful and modernly outfitted hospital Mootuatua, freely handed over to the thorities after its completion. This [unclear: g] must have cost its donor at least [unclear: 80] and had he lived he intended to [unclear: has] maintained the whole staff for some [unclear: tim] until the Apian revenues would have [unclear: been] larger and more certain.

American Samoa.

American Samoa consists of the [unclear: islands] of Tutuila, Manaua, Ofu, Olosega, [unclear: and] Anuu, and has a native population of [unclear: has] tween 6000 and 7000, and somewhere [unclear: above] 50 whites. Tutuila, the largest island, [unclear: is] miles in length, but less than five [unclear: mile] in breadth in its widest part. It is [unclear: a] this island that the fine harbour of [unclear: pag] pago is located.

Agriculture, as instanced in [unclear: connectid] with German Samoa, is quite unknow [unclear: d] this group, and though small quantities [unclear: n] cacao and rubber might be grown, [unclear: there] [unclear: is] not much useful land to experiment [unclear: with] and the natives themselves being well [unclear: be] do, are not disposed to work in the [unclear: field] except for the production of [unclear: copra-] which they export about 1300 tons in [unclear: any] exceptionally good year, 1000 tons [unclear: being] about the average crop. This is worth, [unclear: n] a rule, about £11 per ton.

At Pagopago the United States [unclear: Goverment] ment have established a coaling [unclear: station] as this port is reckoned to be of [unclear: great] strategic importance. Apparently [unclear: und] Sam believes his neighbours very [unclear: pacific] and trustworthy, for while he has [unclear: damp] his considerable coal pile and covered [unclear: p] with good steel sheds, put up many [unclear: use] ful buildings, an ice-making plain, and [unclear: m] [unclear: splendid] Governor's mansion, there is [unclear: n] a single gun in the place to defend the [unclear: and] cumulated supplies from any enemy [unclear: whose] the people who live under the Stars [unclear: and] Stripes might unfortunately make. [unclear: Ab] 25 or 30 whites reside on the island, [unclear: exde] [unclear: si]; of those in the naval service.