1. Robert Louis
Stevenson’s Life in
Samoa

2. Facts about Samoa
• Located in the South Pacific Ocean, ~
halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand
• 99% of land mass is from two main
islands: Savai’i and Upolu
• Upolu is home to 75% of Samoan
population.

4. Where and When?
• RLS first came to Samoa in December
1889.
• Arrived in Apia, the capital of Samoa.
• Stayed for 6 weeks before leaving for
Sydney, Australia.
• Eventually returned to Samoa in 1890
after falling ill in Australia.

5. Vailima, Part 1
• Vailima was the estate that RLS had built
upon his return to Apia.
• The name of the estate translates to “five
creeks” in Samoan.
• The original house was home to five white
inhabitants (including Stevenson and his
family) and twelve Samoans.

6. Vailima (pre-extension)

7. Vailima, Part 2
• Towards the end of 1892, Stevenson, after
some persuasion, had Vailima expanded.
• The new estate was the largest house on
the island.

8. Vailima Today

9. The Tapa Room

10. One of the many porches

11. The Medicine Room

12. The Dining Room

13. Writing in Samoa
• Island Nights’ Entertainments (1893)
• The Ebb-Tide (1894)
• Weir of Hermiston (unfinished, 1896)
• Several letters written to The Times on the
Samoans’ behalf.

14. RLS’s Death
• Stevenson died of a cerebral hemmorhage on
December 3rd, 1894
• While struggling to open a bottle of wine, he
turned to his wife and asked, “Does my face look
strange?” before collapsing on the floor.
• He was buried on Mount Vaea on a spot
overlooking the ocean.

15. The Epitaph
• Stevenson had always wanted his
“Requiem” inscribed on the tomb:
Under the wide and starry sky,
Dig the grave and let me lie.
Glad did I live and gladly die,
And I laid me down with a will.
This be the verse you grave for me:
Here he lies where he longed to be;
Home is the sailor, home from sea,
And the hunter home from the hill.

16. Stevenson’s Tomb

17. View of Mt. Vaea from Vailima

18. View from Mt.Vaea

19. Vailima Now
• Vailima was purchased in 1900
• Official residence of:
• the German governor
• the New Zealand administrator
• the Samoan Head of State

20. Links
• rlsmuseum.com
• readprint.com/author-76/Robert-Louis-Stevenson
• janesoceania.com/oceania_rls/index.htm
• literarytraveler.com/authors/
robert_louis_stevenson_western.aspx
• janeresture.com/oceania_rls/index.htm
• http://travel.webshots.com/photo/
1086699463038334073bjOJgh