[3] In Samoa, Pratt lived at a mission station in Avao Matautu[4] on the north coast of Savai'i island.

In this work is a section Samoan Custom: Analogous to those of the Israelites, where he wrote about cultural similarities including the importance of the number 7, embalming, natural eloquence, rod or staff of office, heads cut off in war, the use of slings and stones in war, possessions by evil spirits, the 'near sacred' relationships between brothers and sisters, calling the name of the chief who is to drink during ceremony, the giving of names and circumcision.

I at once, with the aid of pundits, commenced revising the first edition of my Dictionary, which was printed at the Samoan Mission Press in 1862.

I read through the Hawaii, Māori, Tahiti, and Fiji Dictionaries, and from these I obtained some words which occur also in the Samoan dialect, but which had been overlooked in the first edition.

I would fain have had several years during which to go on collecting, but must needs be content to go to press with such as I have, as a new edition is called for, the former being out of print.