Samoa

SAMOA, an archipelago in the South Pacific. Tutuila is the chief island of the American group. The archipelago consists of 14 islands forming a slightly curved chain from west by north to east by south, between 13° 26' and 22' S. and 169° 29' and 48' W., as follows: Savaii, Manono, Apolima, Upolu, Fanu atapu, Manua, Nuutele and Nuulua, which are mandates of New Zealand, and Tutuila, Aunuu, Ofu, Olosega, Tau and Rose, which belong to the United States of America.

On May 13, 1925 Swains island was made part of the ad ministrative district of American Samoa. The principal islands are Savaii (area 703 sq.m.), Upolu (about 43o sq.m.), Tutuila sq.m.) and the Manua group, which includes Tau with Ofu and Olosega (17.7 sq.m.). With the exception of Rose island, which is an uninhabited coral inlet 7o m. east of its nearest neighbour, and therefore scarcely belongs geographically to the group, all the islands are considerably elevated, with several ex tinct or quiescent craters rising from 2,000 to 4,000 feet. Although there are no active cones, Upolu has in comparatively recent times been subject to volcanic disturbances, possibly as late as the 17th or 18th century. In 1866 a submarine volcano near the islet of Olosega was the scene of a violent commotion, discharging rocks and sand to a height of 2,000 feet. Coral reefs protect the coasts in many parts; they are frequently interrupted, but the passages through them are often difficult of navigation. Upolu, the most important island of the group, is long and narrow ; it has a back bone of mountains whose flanks are scored with lovely valleys, at the foot of which are flat cultivable tracts. Of its harbours Apia and Saluafata, both on the north coast, are most important. Mt. Vala, which overlooks Apia and Vailima, the home of Robert Louis Stevenson, is his burial-place and bears a monument to his memory. Tutuila, the principal island belonging to the United States, resembles Upolu, and has on its south side, in the crater of an extinct volcano, the fine harbour of Pago Pago.

Climate, Flora, Fauna.

The climate is moist and sometimes oppressively hot, though pleasant on the whole. A fine season ex tends from April to October; a rainy season from November to March. The temperature is equable—at Apia the mean annual temperature is about 78° F, the warmest month being December (8o°) and the coldest July (75° to 76°). The prevalent winds, which temper the heat, are the south-east trades, but west winds supervene from January to March. The archipelago lies in the track of the fierce hurricanes which occur usually in this period. On March 16, 1889 the heavy tidal waves created havoc in the harbour of Apia. In Jan. 1915, the islands of the Manua group were visited by the severest storm in their history. Most of the houses and public buildings were blown down, and much damage was done to the coconut and other food trees. A hurricane on Jan. I, 1926 did much damage to the Naval station at Pago Pago and destroyed much of the food crop of the Manua group. The whole group is abundantly watered (the average annual rainfall at Pago Pago for the years 19oo-25 was over 197 in.), and the igneous soil is marvellously fertile.

The Samoan forests are remarkable for the size and variety of their trees, and the luxuriance and beauty of tree-ferns, creepers and parasites. The coconut palm, bread-fruit and banana are of peculiar value to the inhabitants. Hardwood trees, of use in boat-building, etc., are especially characteristic of Savaii.

Of the extremely limited Samoan fauna, consisting mainly of an indigenous rat, f our species of snakes, several kinds of lizards and a few birds, the most interesting member is the Didunculus strigirostris, a ground pigeon of iridescent greenish-black and bright chestnut plumage, which forms a link between the extinct dodo and the living African Treroninae. Imported domestic ani mals, especially hogs and cattle, do well.