As there were one or two enquiries about the De Silva Family I thought they might be interested in this newspaper account: MANUEL DE SILVA 18.3.1848 - 6 2.1938 "AUCKLAND STAR" from our own correspondent APIA February 12, 1938 DIED AGED 90 SAW STIRRING DAYS ONCE SAVED TEN SAILORS 1889 HURRICANE RECALLED When in 1935 the German cruiser Karlsruhe called at Apia, there took place a service of remembrance for the German sailors who perished during the 1889 hurricane. At this ceremony there was presented to the commander of the German warship a small, inoffensive looking old man, whose sparkling black eyes betrayed the Portuguese blood in his veins. He was Manuel Silva, who had once been highly honoured by the American and German Governments for the saving of ten lives of American and German sailors during the catastrophe in Apia Harbour. Quietly and unobtrusively as he has lived, Manuel Silva died on February 6, . He had worked up to the time of his death on his small plantation in spite of his ripe old age of 90 years. CHIEF'S DAUGHTER (Malaisala Maria died 17 December 1869) Manuel Silva lived in Samoa through stirring times and saw many changes. His Father (Augustino SILVEIRA from Island of Faial), a Portuguese sailor on a whaling ship, called during the forties of last century at Falealili, on the south coast of Upolo Island, jumped his ship, and went to the Samoan village of Lotofaga. There he married a Samoan girl, the daughter of a local chief, Fiame in the R.C. Church. Of this marriage Manuel Silva was born. As a young boy Manuel went to Apia and worked for the German firm of Godeffroy's of Hamburg who had in 1854 started in business in Apia. As a sailor on Godeffory's barquentines young Manuel roamed not only through every corner of the South Seas, but all over the world. He saw Europe, San Francisco, Valparaiso. The year of the Franco-Prussian War, 1870 found Manuel in Hamburg. The same year his firm of Godeffroy went bankrupt and was taken over by the D.H. and P.G. the "long handle firm", and Manuel Silva continued to work for the new owners in Apia in charge of a labour gang. He went on board the firm's ship only occasionally, but served as guide, pilot and interpreter during the visits of German warships during the seventies. During the disastrous hurricane of March 16, 1889, Manuel Silva was captain in charge of the small cutter Vailele in Apia Harbour and his ship, by having its mast cut, was the only one which managed to ride out the hurricane. Manuel, in spite of the danger to himself and his ship, succeeded in saving ten American and German sailors drifting past the Vailele and his courageous deed was publicly acknowledged by the American and German admirals. EXPERT DIVER Manuel Silva was the oldest memeber of the local-born community of European-Samoan descent, probably one of the first children born in Samoa of such a marriage. Silva was also an expert diver and performed many diving feats for warships and merchant ships in need of his services. In the wild old beachcombing days it was Silva's privilege to supply the rope for the hangman at the numerous executions of murderers. For over 50 years, until the time of the World War, Manuel Silva continued to work for the D.H.and P.G. as overseer and in other capacities and he left the service of the firm which had been taken over by the New Zealand Government only in 1926. Since then the old man worked quietly on his small place and seldom appeared in public. The present generation had forgotten his existence but the 'old-timers' well remembered that Manuel Silva had once played an important part in Samoa's chequered history and was a living reminder of those remote and mysterious "good old times". Hope you find the above newspaper account of interest, Joy Hughes Sydney, Australia