P 12 TUES. FEB. 10, 1948 ON BOARD S/S MARINE PHOENIX SHIP DOCKED 8: A.M. AT PAGO PAGO, AMERICAN SAMOA SHIP SAILED 2: P.M. FOR SUVA, FIJI ISLANDS. EARLY A.M. - GRAY WATERS - AND THRU THE PORT HOLE I HAD MY FIRST GLIMPSE OF THAT LOVELY ISLAND - TUTUILA - OF STRANGE GREENS, SUCH AS I HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE - EXCEPT THRU THE ARTIST EYES OF JACQUES, MANTLING GEOLOGICALLY YOUTHFUL HANGING HILLS. SUN WAS TINTING THE EASTERN SKY WHEN I CAME ON DECK AND SOON WE WERE IN THE PASSAGE BETWEEN A SMALL ROUNDED ISLAND TO THE SOUTH, THE TURRETED ISLAND, IN A SHELTERED HARBOR OF WHICH LIES PAGO PAGO. THE LIGHT WAS BETTER NOW AND THE UNREAL GREENS CONTRASTED WITH THE GRAYER, WRAPPED RAMPARTS OF VOLCANIC HEADLANDS. TERNS & PETRELS WERE AROUND THE SHIP, AND THE WHITE FAIRY TERNS AND TROPIC BIRDS WHEELED AGAINST THE HANGING TREES OF THE GREAT TABLE-TOPPED MASS OF VEGETATION ENCRUSTED CINDER BLOCK THAT DOMINATES THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE ISLAND. THE HARBOR ENTRANCE SHOWS AND OUR SHIP SWINGS GRACE- FULLY TO STARBOARD, DWARFED BY THE SKY-TOWERING RIDGES & PEAKS TO THE WEST. THE SWELL IS EVERYWHERE BURSTING INTO SURF AGAINST THE BLACK VOLCANIC EX- POSURES OF SHORE LINE. COCONUT TREES RISE FROM THE BEACH FRONT AND THE HIGH-DOMED OVAL NATIVE HOUSES NESTLE AMONG THEM. THEN THE ILLUSION OF UNSPOILED SAMOA IS SHATTERED AS THE INNER HARBOUR OPENS. LOW-LYING SHEDS WITH CORRUGATED METAL ROOFS, A DESTROYER AT HER DOCK, UGLY RADIO TOWERS, THE LEFT OVER METAL DEBRIS OF WAR'S PREPARATION. BUT DOMINATING ALL ARE THE STEEP-SIDED GREEN HILLS. THE SHIP IS WARCED INTO HER DOCK, A NAVY BAND, COMPOSED OF NATIVE SAMOANS DRESSED IN WHITE SKIRTED COSTUMES, BURSTS INTO A MARCH MEDLEY THAT SEEMS STRANGELY UNSUITED TO THE OCCASION. BUT THE GESTURE IS FRIENDLY AND THE DOCK IS CROWDED WITH SHIRTED MEN & BOYS, AND STURDY WOMEN DECENTLY CLOTHED IN HIDEOUS LONG-SHIRTED "SHIRT WAISTS", WHO ARE JUST AS CURIOUS ABOUT US AS WE ARE OF THEM. THE GANGWAY IS DOWN & THE TORRENT OF CURIOSERS IS UNLEASHED.