a footnote to history-第18章

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the　mainland；　no　one　was　hurt；　for　the　women　and　children；　who　

alone　remained　on　the　island；　found　a　refuge　in　the　bush；　and　the　

ADLER　and　her　acolytes　returned　the　same　evening。　　The　letter　had　

been　energetic；　the　performance　fell　below　the　programme。　　The　

demonstration　annoyed　and　yet　re…assured　the　insurgents；　and　it　

fully　disclosed　to　the　Germans　a　new　enemy。



Captain　Yon　Widersheim　had　been　relieved。　　His　successor；　Captain　

Fritze；　was　an　officer　of　a　different　stamp。　　I　have　nothing　to　say　

of　him　but　good；　he　seems　to　have　obeyed　the　consul's　requisitions　

with　secret　distaste；　his　despatches　were　of　admirable　candour；　but　

his　habits　were　retired；　he　spoke　little　English；　and　was　far　

indeed　from　inheriting　von　Widersheim's　close　relations　with　

Commander　Leary。　　It　is　believed　by　Germans　that　the　American　

officer　resented　what　he　took　to　be　neglect。　　I　mention　this；　not　

because　I　believe　it　to　depict　Commander　Leary；　but　because　it　is　

typical　of　a　prevailing　infirmity　among　Germans　in　Samoa。　　Touchy　

themselves；　they　read　all　history　in　the　light　of　personal　affronts　

and　tiffs；　and　I　find　this　weakness　indicated　by　the　big　thumb　of　

Bismarck；　when　he　places　〃sensitiveness　to　small　disrespects　…　

EMPFINDLICHKEIT　UEBER　MANGEL　AN　RESPECT；〃　among　the　causes　of　the　

wild　career　of　Knappe。　　Whatever　the　cause；　at　least；　the　natives　

had　no　sooner　taken　arms　than　Leary　appeared　with　violence　upon　

that　side。　　As　early　as　the　3rd；　he　had　sent　an　obscure　but　

menacing　despatch　to　Brandeis。　　On　the　6th；　he　fell　on　Fritze　in　

the　matter　of　the　Manono　bombardment。　　〃The　revolutionists；〃　he　

wrote；　〃had　an　armed　force　in　the　field　within　a　few　miles　of　this　

harbour；　when　the　vessels　under　your　command　transported　the　

Tamasese　troops　to　a　neighbouring　island　with　the　avowed　intention　

of　making　war　on　the　isolated　homes　of　the　women　and　children　of　

the　enemy。　　Being　the　only　other　representative　of　a　naval　power　

now　present　in　this　harbour；　for　the　sake　of　humanity　I　hereby　

respectfully　and　solemnly　protest　in　the　name　of　the　United　States　

of　America　and　of　the　civilised　world　in　general　against　the　use　of　

a　national　war…vessel　for　such　services　as　were　yesterday　rendered　

by　the　German　corvette　ADLER。〃　　Fritze's　reply；　to　the　effect　that　

he　is　under　the　orders　of　the　consul　and　has　no　right　of　choice；　

reads　even　humble；　perhaps　he　was　not　himself　vain　of　the　exploit；　

perhaps　not　prepared　to　see　it　thus　described　in　words。　　From　that　

moment　Leary　was　in　the　front　of　the　row。　　His　name　is　diagnostic；　

but　it　was　not　required；　on　every　step　of　his　subsequent　action　in　

Samoa　Irishman　is　writ　large；　over　all　his　doings　a　malign　spirit　

of　humour　presided。　　No　malice　was　too　small　for　him；　if　it　were　

only　funny。　　When　night　signals　were　made　from　Mulinuu；　he　would　

sit　on　his　own　poop　and　confound　them　with　gratuitous　rockets。　　He　

was　at　the　pains　to　write　a　letter　and　address　it　to　〃the　High　

Chief　Tamasese〃　…　a　device　as　old　at　least　as　the　wars　of　Robert　

Bruce　…　in　order　to　bother　the　officials　of　the　German　post…office；　

in　whose　hands　he　persisted　in　leaving　it；　although　the　address　was　

death　to　them　and　the　distribution　of　letters　in　Samoa　formed　no　

part　of　their　profession。　　His　great　masterwork　of　pleasantry；　the　

Scanlon　affair；　must　be　narrated　in　its　place。　　And　he　was　no　less　

bold　than　comical。　　The　ADAMS　was　not　supposed　to　be　a　match　for　

the　ADLER；　there　was　no　glory　to　be　gained　in　beating　her；　and　yet　

I　have　heard　naval　officers　maintain　she　might　have　proved　a　

dangerous　antagonist　in　narrow　waters　and　at　short　range。　　

Doubtless　Leary　thought　so。　　He　was　continually　daring　Fritze　to　

come　on；　and　already；　in　a　despatch　of　the　9th；　I　find　Becker　

complaining　of　his　language　in　the　hearing　of　German　officials；　and　

how　he　had　declared　that；　on　the　ADLER　again　interfering；　he　would　

interfere　himself；　〃if　he　went　to　the　bottom　for　it　…　UND　WENN　SEIN　

SCHIFF　DABEI　ZU　GRUNDE　GINGE。〃　　Here　is　the　style　of　opposition　

which　has　the　merit　of　being　frank；　not　that　of　being　agreeable。　　

Becker　was　annoying；　Leary　infuriating；　there　is　no　doubt　that　the　

tempers　in　the　German　consulate　were　highly　ulcerated；　and　if　war　

between　the　two　countries　did　not　follow；　we　must　set　down　the　

praise　to　the　forbearance　of　the　German　navy。　　This　is　not　the　last　

time　that　I　shall　have　to　salute　the　merits　of　that　service。



The　defeat　and　death　of　Saifaleupolu　and　the　burning　of　Manono　had　

thus　passed　off　without　the　least　advantage　to　Tamasese。　　But　he　

still　held　the　significant　position　of　Mulinuu；　and　Brandeis　was　

strenuous　to　make　it　good。　　The　whole　peninsula　was　surrounded　with　

a　breastwork；　across　the　isthmus　it　was　six　feet　high　and　

strengthened　with　a　ditch；　and　the　beach　was　staked　against　

landing。　　Weber's　land　claim　…　the　same　that　now　broods　over　the　

village　in　the　form　of　a　signboard　…　then　appeared　in　a　more　

military　guise；　the　German　flag　was　hoisted；　and　German　sailors　

manned　the　breastwork　at　the　isthmus　…　〃to　protect　German　property〃　

and　its　trifling　parenthesis；　the　king　of　Samoa。　　Much　vigilance　

reigned　and；　in　the　island　fashion；　much　wild　firing。　　And　in　spite　

of　all；　desertion　was　for　a　long　time　daily。　　The　detained　high　

chiefs　would　go　to　the　beach　on　the　pretext　of　a　natural　occasion；　

plunge　in　the　sea；　and　swimming　across　a　broad；　shallow　bay　of　the　

lagoon；　join　the　rebels　on　the　Faleula　side。　　Whole　bodies　of　

warriors；　sometimes　hundreds　strong；　departed　with　their　arms　and　

ammunition。　　On　the　7th　of　September；　for　instance；　the　day　after　

Leary's　letter；　Too　and　Mataia　left　with　their　contingents；　and　the　

whole　Aana　people　returned　home　in　a　body　to　hold　a　parliament。　　

Ten　days　later；　it　is　true；　a　part　of　them　returned　to　their　duty；　

but　another　part　branched　off　by　the　way　and　carried　their　

services；　and　Tamasese's　dear…bought　guns；　to　Faleula。



On　the　8th；　there　was　a　defection　of　a　different　kind；　but　yet　

sensible。　　The　High　Chief　Seumanu　had　been　still　detained　in　

Mulinuu　under　anxious　observation。　　His　people　murmured　at　his　

absence；　threatened　to　〃take　away　his　name；〃　and　had　already　

attempted　a　rescue。　　The　adventure　was　now　taken　in　hand　by　his　

wife　Faatulia；　a　woman　of　much　sense　and　spirit　and　a　strong　

partisan；　and　by　her　contrivance；　Seumanu　gave　his　guardians　the　

slip　and　rejoined　his　clan　at　Faleula。　　This　process　of　winnowing　

was　of　course　counterbalanced　by　another　of　recruitment。　　But　the　

harshness　of　European　and　military　rule　had　made　Brandeis　detested　

and　Tamasese　unpopular　with　many；　and　the　force　on　Mulinuu　is　

thought　to　have　done　little　more　than　hold　its　own。　　Mataafa　

sympathisers　set　it　down　at　about　two　or　three　thousand。　　I　have　no　

estimate　from　the　other　side；　but　Becker　admits　they　were　not　

strong　enough　to　keep　the　field　in　the　open。



The　political　significance　of　Mulinuu　was　great；　but　in　a　military　

sense　the　position　had　defects。　　If　it　was　difficult　to　carry；　it　

was　easy　to　blockade：　　and　to　be　hemmed　in　on　that　narrow　finger　of　

land　were　an　inglorious　posture　for　the　monarch　of　Samoa。　　The　

peninsula；　besides；　was　scant　of　food　and　destitute　of　water。　　

Pressed　by　these　considerations；　Brandeis　extended　his　lines　till　

he　had　occupied　the　whole　foreshore　of　Apia　bay　and　the　opposite　

point；　Matautu。　　His　men　were　thus　drawn　out　along　some　three　

nautical　miles　of　irregular　beach；　everywhere　with　their　backs　to　

the　sea；　and　without　means　of　communication　or　mutual　support　

except　by　water。　　The　extension　led　to　fresh　sorrows。　　The　Tamasese　

men　quartered　themselves　in　the　houses　of　the　absent　men　of　the　

Vaimaunga。　　Disputes　arose　with　English　and　Americans。　　Leary　

interposed　in　a　loud　voice　of　menace。　　It　was　said　the　firm　

profited　by　the　confusion　to　buttress　up　imperfect　land　claims；　I　

am　sure　the　other　whites　would　not　be　far　behind　the　firm。