So Samoan, so beautiful

Stamps

Y r OU lie on a mat in cool Samoan hut and look out on the white sand under the high palms and a gentle sea, and the black line of the reef a mile out and moonlight over every thing. And then among it all are the loveliest people in the world moving and dancing like gods and goddesses. It is sheer beauty, so pure it is difficult to breathe in it . . .”

So wrote Rubert Brooke, like many other Europeans besotted with the charm of Samoa. Even when he wrote that, a hundred or so years ago, much of the traditional ways of life were dis appearing rapidly. One area which has seen change come, perhaps more slowly than others, is that of canoe building. In many parts of the Pacific Islands there are man great traditions associated with this craft and canoes are valuable pieces of property. Those skilled in building them are accorded great respect.

Released on January 31 are four stamps from Samoa showing traditional and modern methods of transport. They were designed by Roger Roberts, of Adelaide, and were printed in lithogra phy by the Note Printing Branch of the Reserve Bank of Australia.

The 18sene features the Samoan canoe known as paopao which is the smallest dugout with two outrigger booms and propelled by paddling. The paopao is in common use throughout the islands for fishing and transport in side the reef. In the villages, the canoe was almost an indispensable part of ev ery male adult’s equipment in life.

The paopao is essentially a one-man canoe and although it will hold two per sons, the added weight usually brings the gunwale edge down to the water line. As expert carpenters are not used for the construction of the paopao, it can be said to be ‘home-made’. The costs involved using skilled labour is uneconomical and only warranted on the larger craft.

The 55sene shows a fautasi with ab out 40 rowers. Although nowadays used mostly for competitive sport between vil lages and nearby countries such as Ton ga and Samoa, in earlier times fautasi were a popular means of travel between the coastal villages and even distant is lands. During the June independence celebrations each year, fautasi races which are very popular, feature a num ber of the longboats preserved exclusive ly for the annual events.

Polynesian Airlines, the Samoan flag carrier came into existence on May 7, 1959 when a syndicate of businessmen at a meeting in Apia decided to purchase a Percival Prince from an Australian aero club. They flew their first official service with the 10-seater aircraft between Apia and Pago Pago (American Samoa) in March 1960.

In the years that followed, the airline has owned or leased several DC3s, a DC4, HS74B, Boeing 737 and 727 as well as light aircraft used on domestic flights and to Pago Pago. The aircraft appearing on the 60 sene stamp, is a member of Polynesian Airlines domestic fleet.

Ferries or island boats have long been a means of transport in the Pacific Is lands. In the Samoan archipelago, the people frequency visit relatives in the three main islands of Upolu, Savaii and Tutuila, necessitating a number of ves sels operating almost continuously. The $3 stamp shows the ferryboat Lady Samoa, one of the most modern in the fleet. D A dog for a lamb BEHIND every stamp there lies a good story. The latest to come to light con cerns the 1982 Christmas issue from Vanuatu. Peter Smith reported in the Stamp News that Vanuatu was not going to issue a miniature sheet for Christmas 1982. However, the authorities changed their minds and commissioned Gyula Vasarhelyi to prepare an original paint ing of the nativity.

Vasarhelyi is quoted in the Guinness Book of Stamps: Facts and Figures as the most profilic stamp designer in the world with 5000 stamps designed for 110 countries since 1962. The interesting story is found in the design of the nativ ity scene. One of the shepherds is cares sing not a sheep but Gyula’s favourite pet Kuvassy (a Hungarian breed of dog) called Csiga. All the other characters are there in the nativity scene, angels, shepherds, wise men, Mary, Joseph and the babe Jesus and even a sheep. But the

appearance of a Hungarian dog adds to the scene something not seen in any other nativity painting. □ New Issues Tuvalu: 28 February Tropical Trees. 15c Cocus Nucifera, 30c Phyzophora Samoensis, 40c Messerschmidia Argen tea, 50c Pandanus Tectorius, 60c Her nandia Nymphaeifolia, 90c Pisonia Grandis.

Solomon Islands: 26 February Per sonal Ornaments. 5c A Solomon Islander wearing ornaments, 12c Neck ornament, 18c a Solomon Islander wearing orna ments, $2 Forehead ornament.

Niue; February 5 World Cup Foot ball. 80c Fritz Walter, $1.15 Franz Beck enbouer, $1.40 Vure Seeler, $l.BO Ger man Football team symbol.

Western Samoa: January 31 Trans port Modern & Traditional. 18s Canoe, 55s Long Boat, 60s Airlines, $3 Ferry Boat.

Cook Islands: February 19 Mis sionaries. 70c Rev John Williams, LMS, 85c MGR Bernardine Lastanie, Catholic, 95c Ellder Osborne Widstoe, Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints, $1.60 Dr Caldwell, Seventh Day Adventist.

French Polynesia: February 9 Fish.

40f perch, 50f shrimp.

March 14 Early Discovery. The Mashi explorers —58 f, 59f, 63f, 7lf.

New Caledonia: February 22 But terflies. Paratisiphone Lynessa —18 f, 50f, 94f.

March 17 Traditional Money. Ex amples of seal or canaque exchange

money —85 f, 140 f.

March 17 Sade and Pearl Show.

Sade and Pearl carved ornament 230 f.

Norfolk Islands March 19 200th Anniversary of the Wrek of HMS Sirius. 41c x 2 two scenes combined into one view of the Sirius, 65c Recovery team at work, 1 Artifacts recovered from the wreck. D