IN THE POST ABOVE THERE IS A PICTURE OF 4 CLUBS THE LAST ONE TO THE RIGHT MAY BE THE CLOSEST TO A BILL HOOK. THIS BOOK WAS PUT OUT IN 1917 AND THE CLUBS COLLECTED BEFORE THAT AND MAY HAVE BEEN OLDER WHEN COLLECTED. I SUSPECT THE FORM WAS PRESENT IN SAMOA BEFORE CONTACT BUT CAN NOT BE SURE. THE ISLANDS WERE DISCOVERED IN THE EARLY 1700'S THE BRITISH ARRIVED AND BECAME ACTIVE THERE IN 1722 AND MISSIONARIES AND TRADERS ARRIVED IN THE 1830'S. GERMANY STARTED PLANTATIONS THERE SEVERAL YEARS LATER AND THE UNINTED STATES ARRIVED IN 1877. ALL 3 COUNTRIES HAD ALLIENCES WITH DIFFERENT SAMOAN TRIBES AND THIS LED TO TWO SAMOAN CIVIL WARS STARTING IN 1886 AND ENDING IN 1899. THE BILL HOOK WOULD UNDOUTABLY HAVE ARRIVED FOR WORK ON PLANTATIONS AND WOULD ALSO SERVE AS A WEAPON TO USE AGAINST OPPOSING FACTIONS. THIS IS LIKELY WHEN LARGE NUMBERS OF BILLHOOK /CANE KNIVES/ NIFO OTI WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPORTED. THE EUROPEAN POWERS WOULD HAVE BEEN CAREFUL NOT TO SUPPLY THE SAMOANS WITH FIREARMS BUT NO DOUBT SUPPLIED LOTS OF BLADED WEAPONS AND TOOLS. THE WHALERS MAY NOT HAVE PLAYED A IMPORTANT PART IN THIS BUT THE EARLY BLUBBER KNIVES MAY HAVE STARTED THE DESIRE OF THE SAMOANS FOR THE NIFO OTI FORM OF KNIFE INITIALLY. ALL JUST CONJECTURE
THE SAMOANS DID TAKE HEADS SO THE STEEL WEAPONS MADE THIS ACTIVITY MUCH EASIER SO CLUBS BECAME SECONDARY WEAPONS WHERE STEEL WAS AVAILABLE.
I WONDER IF TOOLS SUCH AS THE BILLHOOK WERE USED ON SHIPS? THEY WORK WELL FOR CLEARING AN AREA AND COULD BE USED TO CLEAR A CAMP OR PATH ON LAND BUT WHAT WOULD A CARPENTER OR SAILOR USE ONE FOR ON A SHIP? A MODIFIED BILLHOOK MAY HAVE BEEN USED FOR FLENSING WHALE BLUBBER , THE LONG HANDLE AND BLADE WOULD BE GOOD FOR MAKEING THE LONG DEEP CUTS AND THE HOOK ON THE BACK USED TO MOVE THE STRIPS OF BLUBBER. THERE SHOULD BE LOTS OF INFORMATION ON WHALEING IN MUSEUMS AS IT WAS A JOB ROMANTISIZED AND WRITTEN ABOUT A LOT IN THE HEYDAY OF THE BUSINESS. THE HAZZARDS OF THE PROFESSION FAR EXCEEDED ANY OF TODAYS TV PROGRAM MOST DANGEROUS JOBS.
