贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > a footnote to history >

第3章

a footnote to history-第3章

小说: a footnote to history 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




dwells; the dictionary may yet again help us to some idea。  I find 

a string of verbs with the following senses:  to deal leniently 

with; as in helping oneself from a family plantation; to give away 

without consulting other members of the family; to go to strangers 

for help instead of to relatives; to take from relatives without 

permission; to steal from relatives; to have plantations robbed by 

relatives。  The ideal of conduct in the family; and some of its 

depravations; appear here very plainly。  The man who (in a native 

word of praise) is MATA…AINGA; a race…regarder; has his hand always 

open to his kindred; the man who is not (in a native term of 

contempt) NOA; knows always where to turn in any pinch of want or 

extremity of laziness。  Beggary within the family … and by the less 

self…respecting; without it … has thus grown into a custom and a 

scourge; and the dictionary teems with evidence of its abuse。  

Special words signify the begging of food; of uncooked food; of 

fish; of pigs; of pigs for travellers; of pigs for stock; of taro; 

of taro…tops; of taro…tops for planting; of tools; of flyhooks; of 

implements for netting pigeons; and of mats。  It is true the beggar 

was supposed in time to make a return; somewhat as by the Roman 

contract of MUTUUM。  But the obligation was only moral; it could 

not be; or was not; enforced; as a matter of fact; it was 

disregarded。  The language had recently to borrow from the 

Tahitians a word for debt; while by a significant excidence; it 

possessed a native expression for the failure to pay … 〃to omit to 

make a return for property begged。〃  Conceive now the position of 

the householder besieged by harpies; and all defence denied him by 

the laws of honour。  The sacramental gesture of refusal; his last 

and single resource; was supposed to signify 〃my house is 

destitute。〃  Until that point was reached; in other words; the 

conduct prescribed for a Samoan was to give and to continue giving。  

But it does not appear he was at all expected to give with a good 

grace。  The dictionary is well stocked with expressions standing 

ready; like missiles; to be discharged upon the locusts … 〃troop of 

shamefaced ones;〃 〃you draw in your head like a tern;〃 〃you make 

your voice small like a whistle…pipe;〃 〃you beg like one 

delirious〃; and the verb PONGITAI; 〃to look cross;〃 is equipped 

with the pregnant rider; 〃as at the sight of beggars。〃



This insolence of beggars and the weakness of proprietors can only 

be illustrated by examples。  We have a girl in our service to whom 

we had given some finery; that she might wait at table; and (at her 

own request) some warm clothing against the cold mornings of the 

bush。  She went on a visit to her family; and returned in an old 

tablecloth; her whole wardrobe having been divided out among 

relatives in the course of twenty…four hours。  A pastor in the 

province of Atua; being a handy; busy man; bought a boat for a 

hundred dollars; fifty of which he paid down。  Presently after; 

relatives came to him upon a visit and took a fancy to his new 

possession。  〃We have long been wanting a boat;〃 said they。  〃Give 

us this one。〃  So; when the visit was done; they departed in the 

boat。  The pastor; meanwhile; travelled into Savaii the best way he 

could; sold a parcel of land; and begged mats among his other 

relatives; to pay the remainder of the price of the boat which was 

no longer his。  You might think this was enough; but some months 

later; the harpies; having broken a thwart; brought back the boat 

to be repaired and repainted by the original owner。



Such customs; it might be argued; being double…edged; will 

ultimately right themselves。  But it is otherwise in practice。  

Such folk as the pastor's harpy relatives will generally have a 

boat; and will never have paid for it; such men as the pastor may 

have sometimes paid for a boat; but they will never have one。  It 

is there as it is with us at home:  the measure of the abuse of 

either system is the blackness of the individual heart。  The same 

man; who would drive his poor relatives from his own door in 

England; would besiege in Samoa the doors of the rich; and the 

essence of the dishonesty in either case is to pursue one's own 

advantage and to be indifferent to the losses of one's neighbour。  

But the particular drawback of the Polynesian system is to depress 

and stagger industry。  To work more is there only to be more 

pillaged; to save is impossible。  The family has then made a good 

day of it when all are filled and nothing remains over for the crew 

of free…booters; and the injustice of the system begins to be 

recognised even in Samoa。  One native is said to have amassed a 

certain fortune; two clever lads have individually expressed to us 

their discontent with a system which taxes industry to pamper 

idleness; and I hear that in one village of Savaii a law has been 

passed forbidding gifts under the penalty of a sharp fine。



Under this economic regimen; the unpopularity of taxes; which 

strike all at the same time; which expose the industrious to a 

perfect siege of mendicancy; and the lazy to be actually condemned 

to a day's labour; may be imagined without words。  It is more 

important to note the concurrent relaxation of all sense of 

property。  From applying for help to kinsmen who are scarce 

permitted to refuse; it is but a step to taking from them (in the 

dictionary phrase) 〃without permission〃; from that to theft at 

large is but a hair's…breadth。







CHAPTER II … THE ELEMENTS OF DISCORD: FOREIGN







THE huge majority of Samoans; like other God…fearing folk in other 

countries; are perfectly content with their own manners。  And upon 

one condition; it is plain they might enjoy themselves far beyond 

the average of man。  Seated in islands very rich in food; the 

idleness of the many idle would scarce matter; and the provinces 

might continue to bestow their names among rival pretenders; and 

fall into war and enjoy that a while; and drop into peace and enjoy 

that; in a manner highly to be envied。  But the condition … that 

they should be let alone … is now no longer possible。  More than a 

hundred years ago; and following closely on the heels of Cook; an 

irregular invasion of adventurers began to swarm about the isles of 

the Pacific。  The seven sleepers of Polynesia stand; still but half 

aroused; in the midst of the century of competition。  And the 

island races; comparable to a shopful of crockery launched upon the 

stream of time; now fall to make their desperate voyage among pots 

of brass and adamant。



Apia; the port and mart; is the seat of the political sickness of 

Samoa。  At the foot of a peaked; woody mountain; the coast makes a 

deep indent; roughly semicircular。  In front the barrier reef is 

broken by the fresh water of the streams; if the swell be from the 

north; it enters almost without diminution; and the war…ships roll 

dizzily at their moorings; and along the fringing coral which 

follows the configuration of the beach; the surf breaks with a 

continuous uproar。  In wild weather; as the world knows; the roads 

are untenable。  Along the whole shore; which is everywhere green 

and level and overlooked by inland mountain…tops; the town lies 

drawn out in strings and clusters。  The western horn is Mulinuu; 

the eastern; Matautu; and from one to the other of these extremes; 

I ask the reader to walk。  He will find more of the history of 

Samoa spread before his eyes in that excursion; than has yet been 

collected in the blue…books or the white…books of the world。  

Mulinuu (where the walk is to begin) is a flat; wind…swept 

promontory; planted with palms; backed against a swamp of 

mangroves; and occupied by a rather miserable village。  The reader 

is informed that this is the proper residence of the Samoan kings; 

he will be the more surprised to observe a board set up; a

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的