A NEW MAP OF THE AMERICAN SAMOAN ISLANDS: FURTHER COMMENT

In response to an invitation to comment on the map of the American Samoan Islands, by Dr. Kurt Wegener, published in Petermanns Mitteilungen (cf. Pl. 40, Vol. 58, I, April, 1912), which was reproduced and discussed in the Bulletin (Vol. 45, 1912, No. 7, pp. 506-512), Commander W. M. Crose, Governor of American Samoa, has had the kindness to send the following reply, which is published with the permission of the Navy Department:

GOVERNMENT HOUSE

PAGOPAGO

AMERICAN SAMOA

Sir:

December 4, 1912.

Concerning your letter of August 20th, and your article in the Bulletin of the American Geographical Society entitled "A New Map of the American Samoan Islands," I would state that I have given your article careful consideration and you may be interested in the following comments.

Dr. Kurt Wegener came to Tutuila in a motor boat in the month of December, 1910. In Tutuila he landed only at Pago Pago Harbor. He went from Pago Pago to Tau in Manua, attended by the local pilot, Captain Steffany, and was in Manua not over three days. I am sure that Dr. Wegener did not mean to give the impression that his survey was anything more than a reconnaissance because he had no means of making any other kind of a survey, and his instruments must have been inaccurate.

The Hydrographic Office has had no good opportunity to make.a survey of the islands of American Samoa, and has apparently not deemed it worth while to correct chart No. 90 from the results of surveys of PagoPago Bay and Leone Bay, and other surveys of harbors sent in from time to time.

It is well known that chart No. 90 is not correct in many particulars. No reliance can be placed upon the contours shown upon that chart. The contours shown upon the charts submitted by Dr. Wegener, while not accurate, are much more nearly correct than those on chart No. 90. The mountain ridges are about as shown by his chart, but he is mistaken in making a flat plain on the southern peninsula, showing only cliffs at Tongapui [Fanga Pui] and Vaitonga. About in the middle of the land which is shown as a plain is a hill, 420 feet in height, named Logotala, with two other hills, 100 feet less in height, southwest of it. These hills are very plainly seen from seaward.

An unpublished map of American Samoa (prepared in 1909 from the results of careful observations made by officers of the ships of the Pacific Fleet)* shows the contour lines fairly accurately, but does not show the coast lines accurately. Transposition of chart No. 2563 of Pago Pago Harbor and chart No. 2637 of

*To an inquiry with regard to this map Governor Crose replied that it is not available in any form and is not likely to be published at all.-ASST. ED.

Leone Bay on to chart No. 90, using the latitude and longitude of the latter chart as correct, will give a fairly accurate coast line of the island, although the whole western end of Tutuila must be extended to the westward in order to make it agree with the new line of Leone Harbor. Leone Point as shown in chart No. 90 is entirely wrong. It does not extend to the westward as shown, but it is more pronounced than shown on Dr. Wegener's chart, where he gives it the name of Tuaulu. It is probable that when the Hydrographic Office learned from the new chart of Leone Bay that Leone Point was incorrectly placed in latitude and longitude it gave notice of the new position of the Point, but failed to give the very necessary notice that the whole shore line of Leone Bay should likewise be moved to the southward and westward.

The new Hydrographic Office chart of PagoPago Bay is of course correct, and Dr. Wegener's map is wrong.

I am unwilling to accept the results of Dr. Wegener's survey of the island of Aunuu pending a proper survey of that island. The island is not circular, and on its south side it has a small bay which is shown on the unpublished map of 1909, and which bay the natives call "Faamulivai." Chart No. 90 shows the high land of Aunuu improperly placed, as it should be on the eastern end.

Dr. Wegener is in error in stating* that Pola Island (Vatia) continues the northeastern trend of the spur on the north shore of Tutuila. From observations made four days ago I find that Vatia Island extends north and south, as shown on the Wilkes survey, and that the ridge extending northeast and southwest makes an abrupt curve at this place.

From reading descriptions of the present volcanic eruption in the Tongan Islands, in the island of Niuafou, where craters are very numerous and appear within a few hundred yards of each other, it would seem that some such condition of eruption must have taken place in Tutuila. This Vatia Island seems to be part of a large crater, with other craters not far distant.

To note some other inaccuracies:

Maloata [village on western part of northern shore of Tutuila] is situated between Fagalii and Fagamalo, and, stretching back from Maloata, is a deep fertile valley.

Vailoa in Leone Bay is not on the coast but is inland.

Taputimu [near Leone Bay] is eastward of Tuaulu.

In general the villages between Leone and Nuuuli are incorrectly shown. Ilili is not on the main road but considerably to the southward. Futiga (not Futina) is the first village to the eastward of Leone, and Malaeloa lies to the northward and westward of Futiga and off the direct trail.

Onenoa [on northern shore at eastern end of Tutuila] (not on chart No. 90) is further to the eastward than shown on Dr. Wegener's map.

Tula, on the eastern coast, is further to the northward. Only the extreme end of Aunuu can be seen from Tula. It is correctly shown on chart No. 90, as is the village of Alao, which faces east and is incorrectly placed on Dr. Wegener's map.

I find the same fault with Dr. Wegener's map as in chart No. 90 concerning the use of the letter "n" before the letter "g," which is not correct either in Samoan or English spelling. The "g" in Samoan has the sound of "ng" as in "singing," not "ng" in "Bengal," which latter pronunciation might easily be adopted by

* Dr. Wegener did not make this statement in the text; his map thus represents conditions, however. ASST. ED.

one seeing the name "FagaToga" (FangaTonga). The villages so spelled incorrectly are as follows: PagoPago, Fagatoga, Fagaalu, Faganeanea, Tafuna, Vaitoga, Seetaga, Fagalii, Fagamalo, Fagasa, and Fagaitua.*

Referring to the discrepancies in Dr. Wegener's map of the islands of Manua, I believe him to be mistaken in the relative size of the islands of Ofo and Olosega compared with the island of Tau, the last named island being much greater in size than the other two. He is, however, correct in stating that the southernmost point of Olosega extends much farther to the south than is shown on chart No. 90, and it is a fact that the island of Tau cannot be seen from the village of Olosega. It is not believed to be proper to make further criticism of Dr. Wegener's map of Manua until I have again visited those islands, or until more complete surveys have been made.

You are correct in emphasizing the necessity for another survey of the islands of American Samoa-which name has now been officially adopted by the Navy Department for the "Island of Tutuila and all those islands of the Samoan Group lying east of the one hundred and seventy-first meridian West Longitude." Very respectfully,

Assistant Editor,

(Signed) W. M. CROSE,

Governor.

BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY.

*With regard to the pronunciation and spelling of Samoan names see also "Geographical Nomenclature of American Samoa" by Wm. Churchill, in the March Bulletin (Vol. 45, 1913, No. 3, pp. 187-193).-ASST. ED.

CORRESPONDING

ABBE, Prof. Cleveland, Washington.
BONAPARTE, Prince Roland, Paris.
BROWNLEE, J. Harrison, C. E.
CHAILLÉ-LONG, Col. Ch.

CHAIX, Prof. Emile, Geneva, Switzer-
land.

CORA, Guido, Rome.

GANNETT, Henry, Washington.
GILLIODTS-VAN SEVEREN, L., LL.D.,
Bruges.

GOBAT, Dr. A., Nat. Councillor, Berne.
GRIGORIEV, Alex. V., Imp. Russian
Geographical Society, St. Petersburg.
HUNT, William H., St. Etienne, France.
JACKSON, Major Frederick George,
London.

LECLERCQ, Jules, Brussels.

LUCE, Rear-Admiral S. B., U.S.N.

Date of Election.

MEMBERS

LUMHOLTZ, Carl, M.A., New York.
MORENO, Dr. Francisco P., Buenos
Aires.

PEET, Rev. Stephen D., Chicago, Ill.
PERALTA, Manuel M. de, Paris.
PROUT, Col. Henry G., Swissvale, Pa.
PUMPELLY, Prof. Raphael, Newport,
R. I.

SEMENOV, Peter P., Vice-Prest. Imp.
Russ. Geogr. Soc., St. Petersburg.
STEFANSSON, Vilhjalmur.
VIGNAUD, Henry, Paris.
VINCENT, Frank, New York.

VON DEN STEINEN, Prof. Dr. Karl,
Berlin.

WILLIAMS, Horace E., São Paulo,
Brazil.

FELLOWS

Names of Life Fellows are printed in italics

1889 Abbot, Edwin H.
1908 Aberle, Edward.
1902 Acheson, Edward G.
1902 Ackerman, Ernest R.
1892 Adams, Cyrus C.
1903 Adams, Edward D.
1912 Adams, Henry S.

Date of Election.

1891 Agar, John G.
1906 Agassiz, G. R.

1904 Agens, Frederick G.
1909 Agnew, Cornelius Rea.
1909 Agnew. George B.

1898 Aldrich, Mrs. James Herman.
1898 Alexander, Harry, E.E., M.E.