‘lna ‘ua malaga ‘ese atu lona tinā, sā lagona lava e Salamāsina lona loto fa’anoanoa, ‘0 lana tāne fo’i ‘o Tapumānaia, sā malaga so’o i le tele o aso ‘i Sātupa’itea, ma sā ia maua ai peale sa’olotoga e toe faia ai ana āmioga sā māsani ai i lona olaga taule’ale’a. ‘E ui_’i lea, sā manatua pea e ia ona tiute tau’ave. ‘E asiasi mai lava ‘i ā Salamāsina i ni isi aso_o le tausaga, ma ‘auina mai ni va’a ma le anoano o meataumafa ‘ese’ese. Sā le matuā mana’ia tele fo’i e Salamāsina le nofo ‘ese’ese ma Tapumānaia,’ona e taluai fo’i, sā fā’amālosia Salamāsina lā te nonofo e aunoa ma lona alofa moni; ‘o le meamoni.’e fōliga mai sā sili ai fo’i lona fiafiā pe ‘ā mamao ‘ese atu Tapumānaia.

‘0 le fesoasoani pea o So’oa’e fā’apea ma le atamamai o ali’i, sā ātili ai ona solo lelei pea lava taualumaga o le nofoa^iga ma le pūlega a Salamāsina o lona mālō ma Sāmoa ‘ātoa. So ‘o se fa’afTtauli lava e alia’e mai le vā o ni nu’u po ‘o itūmālō, ‘e maua pea lava e lana afioga m aiaiga e fa’anofo filemū ai ma toe nofo lelei ‘a ‘o le’i o’o atu ‘i se tulaga o ni fetaua’iga. ‘0 lo lātou talitonu ‘i lona pa’ia ma le mamalu o lona tagata, na ‘avea ma uiga lātou te sapaia ai ana fa’ai’uga tonu i so ‘o se uiga mata e fa’atupu ai se femisaa’iga.

‘Ina ‘ia fa’atūmauina pea lo lātou vāfealoa’i ma ali’i ma tulafale, sa fraā’’aauau ai pea e Salamāasina ana āasiasiga ‘ii nu’u tetele urna, pe ta itasi i- na’na n 1nna t.niana. ona ate malepoto masani’iālātoufesilafa”igamaali’i,fa’apea lo latou va fea loaii , i le tausaga. ‘0 lona tino tausa’afia ma le pa’ia o lona tulaga, lona atamai ma ona ‘āiga po ‘o ‘āiga maualuluga ‘uma o Samoa,_lona le fa aitu au i le faiga o ana fa’ai’uga , ma,.’o le fa’amuliga ‘ae le ‘o le tulu iga, o 1©na alofa aliali ‘i le atunu’u ma ona tagata – ‘o nei uiga ‘uma na matua ta uta ua ai ‘o ui ‘ina silia i le fāsefulu tausaga o le nofoa’igā-tupu a Salamās’ na leai lava se taua ‘o tā’ua i tala fa’amaumau. ‘O^se meamoni taualuga pe ‘ā tātou māfaufau atu ‘i taua le utuva i va o ali 1 maualu uga fa apea i taua i le vā o itūmālō tetele e tolu; peitah^ ^a fai e tonu lea taofi (‘o leai o ni taua i le 40 tausaga), ‘ua fa’aalia ai le tele o le mamalu o le 1 tama’ita’i ta’uta’ua ‘o Salamāsina.

Sā talitonu Salamāsina ‘i le FlLEMŪ, ma ‘o le mea lea sā ia faia ai tusa ma lona mālosi ‘ātoa ni aiaiga e tāofia ai taua i le atunu’u. ‘0 le FlLEMŪ, pei ‘ona ia manatu ai, e ‘aumaia le lotomalie, le fa’a‘oloāina ma 1 fealofani; peita’i ‘o taua,’e ‘aumaia le feitaga’i , le mativa, ma le ‘ino’i ‘E le tioa ai lā i aso o lana nofoa’iga, sā ‘avea SSmoa ma atunu’u aupito alofani, aupito mau’oa i nu’u ‘uma o le Pasefika, ma ‘o ona tagata e fealoi ma fiafia,’e fa’aleai se mea na mana’omia e ViTātou/ ma ‘o ni nai gāluega s lStou.faia, ‘o mea lava sāmāsani mai ai i onapō anamua. ‘0 taulele’a e fa to’aina lau’ele’ele ma totōina fa’ato”aga e lava mo tagata ‘uma e o’o lava fti tagata asiasi solo.

‘Ina ‘ia si’itia le tūlaga feāloa’i o tamā’ta’i ‘uma lava, sā a’oa’oi ‘ilātou e Salamāsina e uiga i le fa’aaloalo, le āmio-lelei po’o le tauagafa fa’apefea ona tausia lelei le to’alua ma le tausiga fo’i o le fānau. Sā ia fa’amālosia ‘ilātou ‘ia mālolosi e galuea’iina le siapo ma le lalagaina o f ‘ese’ese e o’o lava ‘i le ‘ietoga, ‘o ni alā-manuia nā o le ōlaga fa’asāmoa.

Mai lona lava poto-māsani, sā silafia ai e Salamāsina le pagātia o le ōlaga ‘ātoa o se teine e fa’amālosia ona fa’aipoipoina ‘i se tāne na te le alofa ai ‘ae ‘ona ‘o ni tūlaga o ‘upu-tau-mālō*, sā ia tete’e atu ai ‘i ia itū’āig fa’aipoipoga pe ‘ā fai e o’o ane ‘i se tasi o ‘ilātou.

‘0 le tasi mala o aso ‘ua mavae, ‘o le fa’alavelave so’o lea o tulSfa ‘i ni fa’aipoipoga a ali’i. ‘A fai ‘o se teine e tūlaga lelei lona ‘āiga m e lima mālosi,’a e maise 1 ‘ietoga, ‘e le mapu tulāfale i le tauānau pea o ali’i ‘ina ‘ia fa’aipoipo ma lea tama’ita’i fa’apea fo’i ma se isi ma se is e ‘oa o lātou ‘āiga. ‘0 lea, pei ona tātou iloa, sā fa’amālosia Tamaalelag ‘ina ‘ia fa’aipoipo fa’asefulu. l0 ni talavale e 15 mafa’amatalaina, pua- puagā ma māfatiaga sā o’otia ai nei tama’ita’i na fa’atete’aina, talu ai la 1e mana’o ma le matape’ape’a o nei tulāfale. ’lna ‘ia tāofia lenei āmioga valea, ‘o se tasi lea o matāfaioi a le tupu-tama’ita’ nauta’i, ma na matua sāpaitali tele ma le loto fa’afetai e tama’ita’i ‘uma.

‘0 le meamoni, sa matuā tete’e_tulāfale ‘i le fa’alavelave o le tupu-tama’i i a lātou fuafuaga, peita’i sā leai se tasi o ‘ilātou na mafai ona tete’e ‘i le pule malosi a le tupu.

A o fa asolo atu pea augātausaga, sā va’aia pea e Salamāsina ma lon -U1ja lolei ua.0’° atu ‘i ai ona tagata. ‘0 nei tausaga e
° 1e fl!?mu’ te9alega1ea i, ma le fealofani sā fa’afilemūina ai o lāto loto uma Sa_1eai se taua na toe aliali, seāseā lava fo’i ona aliali n1
.a’?ai na fa’aleleia ’t’11 le galuea’iina o le vao, ta sa le toe iai se mata u i le so ona tagov.ale o tagata po ‘o le fa’aleagaina i e ni vaega’au o ni atua.

‘E ui lava ‘ina ‘o lea, !ā fai sā malie le finagalo o Salamāsina i le solo lelei o tūlaga ‘ese’ese i 1e lautele’O le mālō, ‘a ‘o lona lava soifua sā le’i lagilelei pea. ‘0 le tele o ali’i mātutua sā tauvale ‘i ā ‘ilātou 1e fa’a- mutaga o lātou sa’olotoga pei ‘ona sā iai anamua, fa’apea ma 1e mamalu o le tupu-tama’ita’i ma lona mālosi e -Fa’atōsina atu ai ‘ilātou e tusa ma ona mana’o ga ma ana fa’atonuga ‘ese’ese. Su a’anoanoa so’o fo’i lona finagalo ‘ona ‘o āmiōga a mānaia o lo ‘o alia’i pea lava.

‘0 le tasi aso na taunu’u ane ai se tala mai Toga e fa’apea, ‘o lona tinā ‘o Vaetoeifaga ‘ua maliu; ‘e le’i ‘umi lona gāsegase. Sā matuā māfatia tele le finagalo o Salamāsina i lenei tala fa’anoanoa, ma sā ia manatu, ma’i- mau pe ‘ā na mafai ona malaga atu ‘i Toga, tau lava ‘ina va’ai ‘i le tu’ugamau o lona tinā. ‘Ona ‘o lona fo’i lava tino ‘ua 1e ‘o toe mālosi lelei, ‘o lea na ia ‘auina atu ai se sāvali e ‘avatu ni meaalofa ma ni ‘ietoga, ma lana fola- folaga, ‘e mata ‘o le’ā asiasi atu i se taimi mulimuli.

Sā fa’ailoa atu pea e So’oa’e, lona tināfai ma lana uōmamae, lona mana’o e fia fa’ai’u ona aso ‘o totoe i lenei ōlaga, i lona ‘āiga i Lotofaga, le nu’u e sili ona pele i ā te ia. Sā faigatā i ā Salamāsina ona tete’e atu i 1e mana’o o lona tinā. Na i’u ‘ina maua le tonu, to le’ā ia fa’afeaoina atu lana uōmamae i lana malaga atu ‘i Lotofaga, ma nonofo ai fo’i ma ia fa’atasi ma lona alo tama o lo ‘o nofo i Salani.

Na mavae ni nai aso, ona malaga atu ai ioa lea o tama ita i mo la aiga foū, ma sā ‘alagaina lo lā tauniPu atu e pei ‘o se fa’ailoga va’aia lea o ni manuia mo Salani ma le nu’u tuā’oi ‘o Lotofaga. Na_fa’amaonia lava lea_agaga o tagata. Ina ‘ua mautū le nofoaga o le tupu-tama’ita’i i Salani, na gasolo ane ali’i ma tulāfale o nu’u ‘ese’ese i le fia talatalanoa ma Salamāsina.

Sā fai sina faigatā i tagatā-nu’u ona maua ni meataumafa e fafaga ai le to’a- tele o ‘ilātou e asiasi ane, peita’i sā fesoasoani_pea lava le tupu-tama’i- ta’i mo ‘ilātou i le’aumaia o meataumafa mai ona ‘āiga maualuluga ma le māumea.

Sā asiasi so’o Salamāsina ‘i lona tinā matua (Levālasi) i Lotofaga, ma sā fiafia ai lava’i lona soifuaga i le talafātai i le itū ‘i toga. Sā malaga so’o atu ‘1 Nu’uausala mo ona tiute, peita’i sā tau fa’apupu’u pea lava e ia nā āsiasiga e tusa ai ma lona mālosi. ‘0 lona agaga, ‘e i lana fānau
‘o Fofoaivao’ese ma Tapumānaia i Salani.

‘0 le toe mea na tupu na fa’atumuina ai le finagalo o Salamāsina i le fa’anoanoa, ‘o le ‘āmia fa’afuase’i lea i le finagalo o le Atua o lona tinā- fai po ‘o lana uōmamae ‘o So’oa’e. Sā ia malaga atu ‘1 Lotofaga se’i toe va’ai i le tino maliu o le tama’ita’i ‘o lo ‘o nofo’aitāTafu tele ai ‘o ia, Sā nopia’i pea i Lotofaga se’ia o’o ‘ina māe’a lelei le falelauasiga fa’apea ma sāuniga ‘ese’ese mo le maliu o lana uōmamae; ona ia toe fo’i atu ai lea ‘i Salani e fa’anoanoa ai ātili mo Levālasi.

‘0 Tapumānaia, le alo o Salamāsina, sā ‘avea lava ia ma ali’i sili o Salani ‘a ‘o itiiti pea lona soifuaga, ‘Ona ‘o le maualuga o lona tupu’aga fa’apea fo’i ma lona poto-māsani ma lona fa’autauta i le fa’atautaiga o ona tagata, na lauiloa ma fa’aaloalogia tele ai ‘o ia. Sā ia fa’aipoipo ‘i ā Tatini; le āfafine o Tailua. ‘0 lo lā alo tama, Tapumanaia III, ‘o le fia- fiaga tel_e ma_le fa’amāfanafana loto lea ‘i le tupu-tama’ i ta’ i le tinā o lona tamā. Sā na ia tausia lelei i lona tuputupu a’e pei fo’i ona tausia ‘o ia e Levālasi.

‘0 se tasi sāuniga na fa^tumuina ai lona loto i le fiafia tele, ‘o le fa a’aipoipoga lea a lona alo teine ‘o Foafoaivao’ese, lana tama pele, ‘i ā Tauatamai auatamaimula ita, e tagafa mai i le ‘āiga o Tonumaipe’a. ‘0 le uiga sā fā a’afiafiaina tele ai ‘o la, ‘ona ‘o le fa’atasiga a lenei ulugaali’i na māfua i lo lā’ua lava ālolofa o le tasi ‘i le tasi, ‘ae le ‘ona ‘o le fa’amālosia mai e ni tulāfale.

Sā toe mavae atu ni ia1 pea le atunu’u i le fTlemū, ‘i le fiafia ma 1 Oli oli fo ! O lona lava loto i lana fānau ma fanua a lana fanau. ‘A e peita’i, ‘e o’o fo’i ‘i le tupu-tama’ita’i, ‘e iai lava 1e ituaso e fa’amuta ai taualumaga o lona soifua. ‘0 le mea lea, ‘ina ‘ua ia lagona ^ua vala’auina mai ‘o ia e ona tua’ā ‘ina ‘ia lātou fa’atasi i Pūlotu, sā le’i muimui lava ‘o ia. Sā fa’aaogā pea lona soifua e ‘au’auna atu ai ‘i lona^atunu’u, ma na ia silafia ‘o le’3 ia tu’ua ona tagata i le fiafia ma le filemū.

Ina ‘ua o’o ‘i lona itūlā mulimuli, sā si’osi’omia ‘o ia e ona ‘āiga fa’apea ma aliH maualuluga mai vāega ‘ese’ese o Sāmoa, S3 ia fa’amāvae fiafia atu ‘i ā ‘ilātou ona fa’spea atu lea o lana māvaega, ‘o lona alo teine ‘o Fofoaivao’ese, ‘o le’ā soloa’i ane ‘i le suafa Tui fl’ana. Ona maliu filSmū ai lea o le tupu-tama’ita’ i. Sā tau’aveina ma le fa’amāoni ana fa’atonuga ‘uma. Sā soloa’i ane Fofoaivao’ese ‘i le suafa Tui A’ana, ma ‘avea ai ma tupu’aga o ni ‘āiga tupu e tele.’E tusa lava ma lana māvaega mulimuli, sā lagomau (tanumia) le tino o Salamāsina i Lotofaga, i tafatafa o lana uōmamae ‘o So’oa’emalelagi. ‘E tolu sitepu le maualuga o lona tu’ugamau ma e si’osi’omia i ni puga fe’ilafi mai 1e sami i le talafātai o Salani.

Sā fa’apea ai ona mavae atu o se tagata aupito lauiloa i tala’aga o Sāmoa. ‘E pei ona manatua ma teuteuina pea lona tia e 1e ‘āiga Sā-Levālasi, ‘e fa’apea fo’i le olaola pea ma le tausa’afia o lona suafa i nei tausaga_’ua sili i le fāselau (400) ma e leai se failāuga po ‘o se tulāfale_na te le iloaina le tala’aga o Salamāsina, le ulua’i tupu-tama’ita’i o Sāmoa.

After her mother’s departure, Salamasina felt very lonely. Her husband Tapumanaia spent most of his time in far off Satupaitea, where he felt more at liberty to carry on his former dissolute life. Yet he never forgot his duties entirely. He visited Salamasina several times a year and always supplied her court with boats loaded with food. As the queen had never really loved the husband that had been forced upon her for political reasons, she did not mind his absence very much; in fact, she seemed happier when Tapu was far away.

With the assistance of Sooa’e and some wise and trustworthy chiefs, Salamasina continued to govern Samoa to the satisfaction of all. Whenever some difficulty arose between two districts or villages, she found effective means to settle the dispute before it came to open hostilities. The belief in the sacredness of her person gave weight to her decisions, and the knowledge that she would always have the support of the majority prevented any rebellious stirring.

To maintain her friendly relations with all the chiefs and orators, she continued to visit all the principal places of her country at least once a year. Her personal dignity, the sacredness of her office, her tact and skill in dealing with the chiefs, her relationship to all the great families of Samoa, her impartiality in meting out justice, and last but not least, her obvious love of country and people – all those had combined to surround Salamasina with fabulous fame and had endowed her with an influence and power that none dared question.

Though Salamasina’s reign lasted over forty years, tradition does not record any war. This is an extraordinary fact in view of the previous history of incessant feuds between the three great districts; but, since true, it shows how great the influence of the famous queen really was.

Salamasina believed in peace and, therefore, did all in her power to banish war from the country. Peace, she said, brings contentment, prosperity, and friendship, while war fosters dissatisfaction, poverty, and hate. No wonder, then, that during her reign, Samoa was one of the most prosperous countries in the Pacific and its people were amicable and happy. Their needs but few, the actual work to be done was little and easily performed and through their implements were very primitive. The young men in charge of the fields would plant sufficient food for the community and the numerous malaga parties the village had to entertain.

To elevate the social standing of women, Salamasina taught them self respect, good manners, how to treat their husbands, and bring up their children. She encouraged them to manufacture native arts, including tapa cloth (siapo designs) and to weave the fine mats which play such an important part in native life. From her own experience she knew how the whole life of a woman is often ruined by marriage forced, for political reasons, to a man she does not love, so she opposed such marriages whenever they came to her knowledge.

Another curse of the past had been the interference of the tulafale with the married life of the chiefs. As the marriage with a girl of extensive family connections was a rich source of fine mats, the tulafale did not rest till the chief agreed to take another wife and then another and another . So, as we have already seen, Tamalelagi had been induced to marry ten times. What untold misery this brought upon the poor rejected and replaced women, and all to satisfy the orators’ greed for wealth. To stop this activity was one of the most earnest endeavours of the queen, and it brought her applause and gratitude of the members of her sex. The tulafale, of course, resented her interference, yet, they did not dare oppose the all powerful queen.

As the years passed by, Salamasina viewed with satisfaction the changes wrought in her people. The long years of peace, order, and friendliness had by degree softened their manners. Wars were out of the question, feuds between families occurred but seldom; the fields were better cultivated, for there was no fear of having the crops stolen or destroyed by war parties.

Yet, if Salamasina was satisfied with the general political and social situation, her life was not always without clouds. Many of the older chiefs resented the loss of their former independence and power,  and often enough the queen had to use all her influence to make them accept her wishes or yield to her orders. The roving habits of the manaia, too, brought upon her many a sad hour.

One day, she had word from Tonga that her mother Vaetoe had died after a short illness. Salamasina was much affected by the sad tidings, and she would have liked to return to Tonga if only to see her mother’s grave. Feeling unwell herself however, she sent a messenger with gifts of fine mats and the promise that she would call later.

Sooa’e, the queen’s foster mother and best friend, had often expressed the desire to spend her remaining days with her family in Lotofaga, a place which had always been dear to her. Salamasina could not oppose herself to this wish any longer. She finally resolved to accompany her friend and live with her son in nearby Salani.

The Faleiva who, fearing that if the queen left, they would lose their now so well established supremacy, did all they could to keep her in Leulumoega. But Salamasina would not change her plans. She promised, however, that Leulumoega would forever remain her official residence, and that she would spend with them a considerable time there each year.

Shortly thereafter, the two ladies left for their new home where their arrival was hailed as a good omen for both Salani and the neighbouring Lotofaga. The people’s expectations were realized. As soon as the queen had settled in Salani, the hitherto obscure village became the point of repair for many chiefs and orators who desired to interview Salamasina. The poor villagers often found it hard to supply the wants of the numerous visitors, but the queen helped them by procuring large quantities of food from her wealthy families.

Salamasina often visited her aged friend in the neighbouring Lotofaga, and her life on the south coast was a very pleasant one. Her duties often called her to Nuuausala, her residence in Leulumoega, but she curtailed those visits as much as she could. Her heart was with her children Fofoaivao’ese and Satele Tapumanaia in Salani.

One more event would fill her heart with deep sorrow. It was the sudden demise of her foster mother and friend Sooa’e. She immediately returned to Lotofaga to see once more the mortal remains of the woman to whom she owed so much. She stayed until the solemn funeral rites were over and then returned to Salani to mourn the loss of Levalasi.

Tapumanaia, the son of Salamasina, had been made the chief of Salani while he was a youth in his teens. Due to his high descent, as well as to his skill and tact in ruling his people, he had become known and respected far and wide. He had married Tatini, the daughter of Tailua. Their son Tapumanaia, the third of that name, was the joy and consolation of the queen, his grandmother. She brought him up just as carefully as she herself had been brought up by Levalasi.

An event that filled her with much joy was the marriage of her daughter Fofoa, her love child, to Tauatamainiulaita. What gratified her particularly was that the union of this couple that was brought about by mutual love and esteem, and not by the machinations of the orators.

Several more years passed in undisturbed peace for her country and joy and happiness for herself amidst her children and grandchildren. But, alas, even a queen cannot lengthen the span of her life. However, when she felt that her forefathers were calling here to rejoin them in Pulotu, she did not complain. Her life had been spent in the service of her country, and she knew that she would leave her people happier than they had ever been.

At her last hour, she was surrounded by her family and the high chiefs from all parts of Samoa. She took a fond farewell to them and decreed that her daughter Fofoa succeed her as Tuia’ana. Then, she peacefully breathed her last.

Her orders were carried out faithfully. Fofoa was invested with the title of Tuia’ana and she became the progenitor of a long line of rulers.

In accordance with her last wish, Salamasina was buried in Lotofaga beside her friend Sooa’e. Her grave was surrounded by three tiers of stones and ornamented with glittering white coral and shells from Salani.

Thus passed away the most famous person known in the history of Samoa. Just as her monumental grave is still taken care of by the Levalasi, so has her memory survived the passage of four hundred years, and there is not an orator who does not know the history of Salamasina as the first queen of Samoa.