After saying this the creature died.  It was soon in the oven; and when served up by-and-by Sina begged the head, took it home with her, and put it under the ground near the stone wall.  It grew up to be a cocoa-nut tree, and she got her leaves, and mats, and fans, and nuts, marked with the eyes and mouth of her departed eel, which she could kiss still; and there too she had a shade also when she sat down to work or rest—­and hence the origin alike of the name of the village, Laloata, and of the introduction of cocoa-nuts.

(6.) Safata is the name of the south side of the Tuamasanga.  It is said to have had its origin in Sa, who came from Fonaui in Fiji, and Fata of Sangana.  Fata had a quarrel with his brother over the Malietoa title, and so determined to leave the family and take up his residence on the other side of the island, and there he met with his friend from Fiji.  It contains a number of villages, and a beautiful salt water lagoon connected with the sea by a narrow entrance.

This circular basin is said to have been formed by the dying struggles of a great fish.  This “great fish” had its habitat in the straits, and was long the dread of persons crossing the channel between Savaii and Upolu.  At length a Savaii man plotted the destruction of the monster.  He split up some bamboos, made small knives of them, and tied them together.  He also cooked food for the journey, and went off in a canoe with his two sons to search for the fish.  He found it, or rather the fish found him, and as it rushed at him with open jaws he called to the boys to crouch down lest they should be injured by the great teeth.  Away they went, canoe and all, down the throat of the monster.  He then untied his bamboo knives and said:  “Now, lads, let us cut away here right and left.”  It is said in one of the stories that he found some other Samoans there:  some were dead, but to others who were still alive he handed a knife each, and said that they too must help in the work of destruction.

“The great fish” was in agony, flew through the ocean towards Upolu, went round the west end, along the south side, rushed in towards the land at Safata, tore up a passage for itself, madly wheeled round and round, and there and then died.  The natives there looked on in amazement, and when all was still went down to see what the great carcase was.  An enormous prize, and soon they commenced to cut into it with their stone axes.  Presently they were startled by a voice from the inside calling out “Strike gently up there!” And who are you?  “I am Alo of Palauli; we have been killing this great enemy of ours.”  He and his sons were soon let out of their prison.  Ever after he was called I’aulualo, or the “Fish-enterer,” and praised for his heroic deed.  Some fragments of black rock on one side of the lagoon are said to be the petrified bones of the great sea monster.

3.  AANA is the most westerly division of Upolu.