{"id":"01KG8AJWWJ265DXSXTVW9GT1DB","cid":"bafkreic4r6ou3rmwp6t2wev5uaiaru52d7mz5vuy7kz4zffb3fvim2mvci","type":"chapter","properties":{"description":"# CHAPTER XCVI. Samoa A Surgeon\n\n## Overview\nThis chapter, titled \"Samoa A Surgeon,\" is part of the novel [Mardi: And a Voyage Thither](arke:01KG8AJA6157W2830190N652KA). It was extracted from the file [mardi_vol1.txt](arke:01KG89J1HYC04JWXEK48P07WPK) and is part of the [Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW) collection. This chapter follows [CHAPTER XCV. That Jolly Old Lord Borabolla Laughs On Both Sides Of His Face](arke:01KG8AJWVXP1AG1AXTK9P7B2C5) and precedes [CHAPTER XCVII. Faith And Knowledge](arke:01KG8AJWVXMWPHPX0CZVACG69Q).\n\n## Context\nThe narrative focuses on an incident involving a sea-diver named Karhownoo, who is injured while retrieving turtles from the Mardian reef. After being brought ashore, the king's divers seek assistance from Samoa, a one-armed Upoluan known for his surgical skills. King Borabolla entrusts the injured diver to Samoa's care.\n\n## Contents\nThe chapter details Samoa's surgical procedure, referred to as \"Tomoti\" or \"head-mending,\" which involves trepanning the diver's fractured skull. Samoa uses a bamboo splinter and a cocoa-nut shell cup to perform the operation. Despite Samoa's apparent success and the admiration of the onlookers, the diver is discovered to be dead. The event leads to a discussion on surgery, and Samoa recounts a related story.","description_generated_at":"2026-01-30T20:49:23.430Z","description_model":"gemini-2.5-flash-lite","description_title":"CHAPTER XCVI. Samoa A Surgeon","end_line":10556,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:47:39.469Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"CHAPTER XCVI.\nSamoa A Surgeon","source_file":"01KG89J1HYC04JWXEK48P07WPK","start_line":10472,"text":"CHAPTER XCVI.\r\nSamoa A Surgeon\r\n\r\n\r\nThe second day of our stay in Mondoldo was signalized by a noteworthy\r\nexhibition of the surgical skill of Samoa; who had often boasted, that\r\nthough well versed in the science of breaking men’s heads, he was\r\nequally an adept in mending their crockery.\r\n\r\nOvernight, Borabolla had directed his corps of sea-divers to repair\r\nearly on the morrow, to a noted section of the great Mardian reef, for\r\nthe purpose of procuring for our regalement some of the fine\r\nHawk’s-bill turtle, whose secret retreats were among the cells and\r\ngalleries of that submerged wall of coral, from whose foamy coping no\r\nplummet dropped ever yet touched bottom.\r\n\r\nThese turtles were only to be obtained by diving far down under the\r\nsurface; and then swimming along horizontally, and peering into the\r\ncoral honeycomb; snatching at a flipper when seen, as at a pinion in a\r\nrange of billing dove-cotes.\r\n\r\nAs the king’s divers were thus employed, one of them, Karhownoo by\r\nname, perceived a Devil-shark, so called, swimming wistfully toward him\r\nfrom out his summer grotto in the reef. No way petrified by the sight,\r\nand pursuing the usual method adopted by these divers in such\r\nemergencies, Karhownoo, splashing the water, instantly swam toward the\r\nstranger. But the shark, undaunted, advanced: a thing so unusual, and\r\nfearful, that, in an agony of fright, the diver shot up for the\r\nsurface. Heedless, he looked not up as he went; and when within a few\r\ninches of the open air, dashed his head against a projection of the\r\nreef. He would have sank into the live tomb beneath, were it not that\r\nthree of his companions, standing on the brink, perceived his peril,\r\nand dragged him into safety.\r\n\r\nSeeing the poor fellow was insensible, they endeavored, ineffectually,\r\nto revive him; and at last, placing him in their canoe, made all haste\r\nfor the shore. Here a crowd soon gathered, and the diver was borne to a\r\nhabitation, close adjoining Borabolla’s; whence, hearing of the\r\ndisaster, we sallied out to render assistance.\r\n\r\nUpon entering the hut, the benevolent old king commanded it to be\r\ncleared; and then proceeded to examine the sufferer.\r\n\r\nThe skull proved to be very badly fractured; in one place, splintered.\r\n\r\n“Let me mend it,” said Samoa, with ardor.\r\n\r\nAnd being told of his experience in such matters, Borabolla surrendered\r\nthe patient.\r\n\r\nWith a gourd of water, and a tappa cloth, the one-armed Upoluan\r\ncarefully washed the wound; and then calling for a sharp splinter of\r\nbamboo, and a thin, semi-transparent cup of cocoa-nut shell, he went\r\nabout the operation: nothing less than the “Tomoti” (head-mending), in\r\nother words the trepan.\r\n\r\nThe patient still continuing insensible, the fragments were disengaged\r\nby help of a bamboo scalpel; when a piece of the drinking\r\ncup—previously dipped in the milk of a cocoanut—was nicely fitted into\r\nthe vacancy, the skin as nicely adjusted over it, and the operation was\r\ncomplete.\r\n\r\nAnd now, while all present were crying out in admiration of Samoa’s\r\nartistic skill, and Samoa himself stood complacently regarding his\r\nworkmanship, Babbalanja suggested, that it might be well to ascertain\r\nwhether the patient survived. When, upon sounding his heart, the diver\r\nwas found to be dead.\r\n\r\nThe bystanders loudly lamented; but declared the surgeon a man of\r\nmarvelous science.\r\n\r\nReturning to Borabolla’s, much conversation ensued, concerning the sad\r\nscene we had witnessed, which presently branched into a learned\r\ndiscussion upon matters of surgery at large.\r\n\r\nAt length, Samoa regaled the company with a story; for the truth of\r\nwhich no one but him can vouch, for no one but him was by, at the time;\r\nthough there is testimony to show that it involves nothing at variance\r\nwith the customs of certain barbarous tribes.\r\n\r\nRead on.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r","title":"CHAPTER XCVI.\nSamoa A Surgeon"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJA6157W2830190N652KA","peer_type":"novel","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1HYC04JWXEK48P07WPK","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AJWVXP1AG1AXTK9P7B2C5","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AJWVXMWPHPX0CZVACG69Q","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"next"}],"ver":3,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:47:46.578Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:49:23.993Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF5C36SQEVDHC9CBNZZJH9K"}}