h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: The History of Samoa - A2708778
Author: Frenchbean <3 stars> Aah, H2S04 Professor - U236943

Hello Peerers

Here's one that's been on the back burner for months and which I finally wrote on a rainy day on holiday.

All comments welcomed as ever


Fb

Hi Frenchbean!

I like this entry a lot. I'll have a look at my references sometime soon and see if there's anything that needs to be added - but I doubt that there'd be much.

Ivan.

Hello Ivan

Thank you for your comments

Boy, you were quick off the mark there Just what I like to see... Peerers lying in wait for a Fb entry

I haven't hunted for links to relevant sites at all yet, so if you have any good ones, I'll happily add them


Fb

I was thinking more about paper sources *indicates bookshelves with pointless gesture* but if I find any links I'll let you know.

*doing three things at once and getting distracted*

Robert Louis Stevenson probably deserves a mention as a long-time resident and observer. Can't remember the dates offhand...

My geographic knowledge is atrocious, unless its historical, so, alas, I know little of these nations.

I now know more

Ivan
Ah yes, RLS. He is mentioned in the Samoa entry that's got a link here. And I'm about to put a whole entry into PR all about him. So I think I'll leave it at that. Whilst he was a famous person who lived there and he did support Samoan independence in the 1880s, he didn't have a huge impact on the lives or government of the islands.

Mckay
But this is historical It's amazing what you can learn on h2g2


Fb

Excellent entry

Why thank you, Z

Fb

I haven't found anything that needs to be added to this entry. There's nothing on my bookshelves that would make any positive difference, and I note that the websites I found weren't as well-written or informative as this.

Fb, I guess that means I like your entry.

Ivan.

Thank you for being so kind about my entry Ivan

Fb

Hi FB,

I liked this article as well . Very interesting history. Amazing to think that the Brits, the Germans and the USA all had an interest in dominating an island chain so far away from their heartlands. It seems completely mad in this day and age.

Anyhow - I have very little to add to this excellent article. Just some typos to correct:

sieze - seize
gauranteed - guaranteed
an hospital - a hospital
"Under the Treaty an Independent Samoa was established under a Samoan ruler and ensured neutrality" --> should that be "to endure neutrality"?

Oh yes, one other thing - how did Samoa get on in WW2?

That's all I can thing of! Well done!

Woodpigeon

Very nice entry Fb

"and some archaeological remains which provide us with some information"
Perhaps one of those two 'some's could be changed to something else?

I'm wondering if the word 'lapita' needs to be capitalised. Were the people who built the village named the Lapita after their pottery? Or is lapita the name given to the time period, like 'stone age'... which may also need to be capitalised. Exactly what context is lapita used in?

"a central hub"
All hubs are central, it's their nature Except for airline hubs of course.

"Samoans developed a hostile and violent reputation"
'Acquired' might be a better description

"Other missionaries arrived and by the 1880s London Missionary Society, Catholics and Mormon missions had also been established"
Is there something missing from that sentence?

"and they sought power"
'as they sought power'?

"became part of the Commonwealth"
It should be made clear that this was the British Commonwealth, since there are others.

"Perhaps more importantly, New Zealand government"
A missing 'the'

"allowed Samoans to move away from the islands and move to New Zealand itself"
Were they formerly prohibited from moving off the islands, to anywhere? If not, you could leave out "move away from the islands and". If so it would be worthwhile to make that clear.

"could not vote and nor were they represented"
'could not vote, nor were they represented'

Do you not have a dollar sign anywhere on your keyboard Fb? I think it's on the 5 key on a UK keyboard. If you can't find one, see if there's one in the character map. Click on start -> Programs -> Accessories -> System tools -> Character map. There should be a dollar sign in there somewhere, and there should also be a button that says 'select' or 'copy' (can't recall what it looks like in Win98). If you copy it, it's on the clipboard and you can simply paste it straight into the entry If you're ever in need of characters not on the keyboard, this page will help A1098876


Scout

Oh who let the pedants in?

to make edits....

Fb

And it should be 'two' not '2'

Gosho!

OK edits done

A couple of things I shan't be changing: Woodpigeon I stick by >an hospital< - just like an hotel and an history. I think it's a moveable feast and up to the author, and I'm a pedant too so I'll stick to what I learnt on my father's knee

>ensured< is what I meant Does anybody else have a problem with that?

I've added a paragraph about W Samoa in WW2 - and Aggie Greys, which is the most important thing that happened then. Thank goodness, cos it's a really place to stay

Gosho I think I've covered all your wee points there now Changed a couple of sentences round to make more sense

My keyboard's an Australian one, so the $ sign's in a different place altogether and I just tracked it down. Still haven't found out where the hash sign is though


Fb

Jeez - I just noticed that I wrote "endure neutrality", rather than "ensure" neutrality. So even us pedants sometimes come a cropper!

Well, I can't find anything that the others have missed...
Seems informative but not too 'heavy' an article...

One thing: Do you know the year that the Samoans were permitted to elect their own governor? I know that the US appointed governors until at least the late 1970s, I believe...

The Samoans formidable reputation was subdued --> The Samoans' formidable reputation was dispelled

3 --> three (in a lot of places)
1st January 1962 --> 1 January, 1962
South Seas published --> South Seas, published
Colonial --> colonial (in two or three places)
an hotel --> a hotel
an hospital --> a hospital