Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 February 1899 — A Samoan Bathing Party. [ARTICLE]

A Samoan Bathing Party.

By and by the visitors, one by one, retired to their houses, and at about 10 o’clock, the rain by this time having ceased and the moon coming ont in all her splendor, the girls suggested a bath. So off we started, singing, laughing and'Chattering like children Just released from school, till down by the beach we came to a miniature freshwater lagoon. Each girl, as she reached the water's edge, tintwisted the lava lava, or linen waistcloth, that formed her only garment, and as it fell to her feet dived into the pool. Having improvised a bathing suit with a towel, I followed, and there In the moonlight we splashed about and dived and swam, the girls with their lithe, grace- j ful figures, and dripping, gleaming f locks, looking like a band of dugky ' water nymphs from some old pagan paradise. After the bath tbe girls ran races, and I was initiated Into the mys- j teries of a game that was the Samoan ' equivalent of the old English kiss-in-1 tlic-ring. All went merrily, till the shouting and laughter brought an an-j gry old gentleman on the scene, who In- : formed us that It was quite time that all decent people, Samoan or otherwise, were asleep. Not altogether sorry to take the hint, I retired under my mos- 1 quito nets, while the girls stretched themselves out on the mats around the ’ house, and soon we were all asleep.— Harper’s Weekly.