Samoa Illustrated [pp. 245-253]

The Royal Residence at Mulinuu
The great pillar in the center, which supported the whole structure, was the forked
trunk of a bread-fruit tree. The roof was
thickly covered with the finest sugar-cane
thatch, and the sinnett fastenings whibch
bound the whole structure together formed
intricate patterns as they wound about the
rafters and beams. Like all Samoan guesthouses, it was circular in shape, and open
all round, being in fact, nothing more
than a great mushroom-shaped roof,
raised on posts to a height of about six
feet from the ground. This arrangement
is peculiar to Samoa, but it makes an ideal
tropical residence.
There was always something going on
in this native house; for Folau had many
retainers, the most charming of them all
being the lovely Tapuni, who at that time
was accounted the belle of Apia. She was
not Folau's daughter, but was supposed to
be his niece. Samoans have a curious
trick of exchanging children, so that in
every family you will find one or more
adopted youngsters. The idea is a good
249
one, for it tends to strengthen friendly relationships, and binds natives in all parts
of the group with a common tie. Of
course, Tapuna was a taupo, or village virgin, and never were a European girl's
morals guarded more closely than this Samoan belle's. She was about eighteen or
twenty years of age, beautifully formed,
with regular though rather expressionless
features; for, I ami sorry to say, Tapuni,
in spite of all her charms, was exceedingly
stupid. All through her young life she
had never been alone; she had been
watched and guarded at every turn, and
perhaps she had lost the habit of independent thought. She made a most delightful picture as she hung our washing
out to dry on the lawn, her jet-black hair
fluttering in the breeze, her sole garment
one of our sheets or tablecloths, which she
had borrowed from the pile of damp linen;
but when you attempted to draw her into
conversation, the charm vanished.
Folau took care to keep all his people employed, and insisted from the first