aughter in the likeness of a
bird called _turi_, a species of plover or snipe (_Charadrius fulvus_).
She flew about, but could find no resting-place, for as yet there was
nothing but ocean; the earth had not been created or raised above the
sea. So she returned to her father in heaven and reported her fruitless
search; and at last he gave her some earth and a creeping plant. These
she took down with her on her next visit to earth; and after a time the
leaves of the plant withered and produced swarms of worms or maggots,
which gradually developed into men and women. The plant which thus by
its corruption gave birth to the human species was the convolvulus.
According to another version of the myth, it was in reply to the
complaint of his daughter or son that the sky-god Tangaloa fished up the
first islands from the bottom of the sea.[143]

[141] J. B. Stair, _Old Samoa_, p. 212.

[142] G. Turner, _Samoa_, p. 7.

[143] G. Turner, _Samoa_, pp. 7 _sq._; J. B. Stair,
_Old Samoa_, pp. 212-214. The bird _turi_ or _tuli_ is spoken of
by Turner as the daughter, but by Stair as the son, of Tangaloa.
According to Turner, the bird is a species of snipe; according
to Stair, a species of plover. As to Tangaloa and the stories
told about him, compare John Williams, _Narrative of Missionary
Enterprises in the South Sea Islands_, pp. 469 _sq._; H. Hale,
_Ethnography and Philology of the United States Exploring
Expedition_, p. 22; Violette, "Notes d'un Missionnaire sur
l'archipel de Samoa," _Les Missions Catholiques_, iii. (1870)
pp. 111 _sq._; E. Tregear, _Maori-Polynesian Comparative
Dictionary_, p. 463, _s.v._ "Tangaroa."

Another of the national gods of Samoa was Mafuie, who was supposed to
dwell in the subterranean regions and to cause earthquakes by shaking
the pillar on which the earth reposes. In a tussle with the hero
Ti'iti'i, who descended to the lower world to rob Mafuie of his fire,
the earthquake god lost one of his arms, and the Samoans considered this
as a very fortunate circumstance; for otherwise they said that, if
Mafuie had had two arms, he would have shaken the world to pieces.[144]
It is said that during a shock of earthquake the natives used to rush
from their houses, throw themselves upon the ground, gnaw the grass, and
shriek in the most frantic manner to Mafuie to desist, lest he should
shake the earth to bits.[145]

[144] Ch. Wilkes, _Narrative of