a footnote to history-第22章

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in　Europe；　we　are　often　enough　reminded　of　the　circumstance；　not　

always　by　their　friends。　　But　a　mob　is　a　mob；　and　a　drunken　mob　is　

a　drunken　mob；　and　a　drunken　mob　with　weapons　in　its　hands　is　a　

drunken　mob　with　weapons　in　its　hands；　all　the　world　over：　　

elementary　propositions；　which　some　of　us　upon　these　islands　might　

do　worse　than　get　by　rote；　but　which　must　have　been　evident　enough　

to　Becker。　　And　I　am　amazed　by　the　man's　constancy；　that；　even　

while　blows　were　going　at　the　door　of　that　German　firm　which　he　was　

in　Samoa　to　protect；　he　should　have　stuck　to　his　demands。　　Ten　days　

before；　Blacklock　had　offered　to　recognise　the　old　territory；　

including　Mulinuu；　and　Becker　had　refused；　and　still　in　the　midst　

of　these　〃alarums　and　excursions；〃　he　continued　to　refuse　it。



On　October　2nd；　anchored　in　Apia　bay　H。B。M。S。　CALLIOPE；　Captain　

Kane；　carrying　the　flag　of　Rear…Admiral　Fairfax；　and　the　gunboat　

LIZARD；　Lieutenant…Commander　Pelly。　　It　was　rumoured　the　admiral　

had　come　to　recognise　the　government　of　Tamasese；　I　believe　in　

error。　　And　at　least　the　day　for　that　was　quite　gone　by；　and　he　

arrived　not　to　salute　the　king's　accession；　but　to　arbitrate　on　his　

remains。　　A　conference　of　the　consuls　and　commanders　met　on　board　

the　CALLIOPE；　October　4th；　Fritze　alone　being　absent；　although　

twice　invited：　　the　affair　touched　politics；　his　consul　was　to　be　

there；　and　even　if　he　came　to　the　meeting　（so　he　explained　to　

Fairfax）　he　would　have　no　voice　in　its　deliberations。　　The　parties　

were　plainly　marked　out：　　Blacklock　and　Leary　maintaining　their　

offer　of　the　old　neutral　territory；　and　probably　willing　to　expand　

or　to　contract　it　to　any　conceivable　extent；　so　long　as　Mulinuu　was　

still　included；　Knappe　offered　（if　the　others　liked）　to　include　

〃the　whole　eastern　end　of　the　island；〃　but　quite　fixed　upon　the　one　

point　that　Mulinuu　should　be　left　out；　the　English　willing　to　meet　

either　view；　and　singly　desirous　that　Apia　should　be　neutralised。　　

The　conclusion　was　foregone。　　Becker　held　a　trump　card　in　the　

consent　of　Mataafa；　Blacklock　and　Leary　stood　alone；　spoke　with　all　

ill　grace；　and　could　not　long　hold　out。　　Becker　had　his　way；　and　

the　neutral　boundary　was　chosen　just　where　he　desired：　　across　the　

isthmus；　the　firm　within；　Mulinuu　without。　　He　did　not　long　enjoy　

the　fruits　of　victory。



On　the　7th；　three　days　after　the　meeting；　one　of　the　Scanlons　

（well…known　and　intelligent　half…castes）　came　to　Blacklock　with　a　

complaint。　　The　Scanlon　house　stood　on　the　hither　side　of　the　

Tamasese　breastwork；　just　inside　the　newly　accepted　territory；　and　

within　easy　range　of　the　firm。　　Armed　men；　to　the　number　of　a　

hundred；　had　issued　from　Mulinuu；　had　〃taken　charge〃　of　the　house；　

had　pointed　a　gun　at　Scanlon's　head；　and　had　twice　〃threatened　to　

kill〃　his　pigs。　　I　hear　elsewhere　of　some　effects　（GEGENSTANDE）　

removed。　　At　the　best　a　very　pale　atrocity；　though　we　shall　find　

the　word　employed。　　Germans　declare　besides　that　Scanlon　was　no　

American　subject；　they　declare　the　point　had　been　decided　by　court…

martial　in　1875；　that　Blacklock　had　the　decision　in　the　consular　

archives；　and　that　this　was　his　reason　for　handing　the　affair　to　

Leary。　　It　is　not　necessary　to　suppose　so。　　It　is　plain　he　thought　

little　of　the　business；　thought　indeed　nothing　of　it；　except　in　so　

far　as　armed　men　had　entered　the　neutral　territory　from　Mulinuu；　

and　it　was　on　this　ground　alone；　and　the　implied　breach　of　Becker's　

engagement　at　the　conference；　that　he　invited　Leary's　attention　to　

the　tale。　　The　impish　ingenuity　of　the　commander　perceived　in　it　

huge　possibilities　of　mischief。　　He　took　up　the　Scanlon　outrage；　

the　atrocity　of　the　threatened　pigs；　and　with　that　poor　instrument　

…　I　am　sure；　to　his　own　wonder　…　drove　Tamasese　out　of　Mulinuu。　　It　

was　〃an　intrigue；〃　Becker　complains。　　To　be　sure　it　was；　but　who　

was　Becker　to　be　complaining　of　intrigue？



On　the　7th　Leary　laid　before　Fritze　the　following　conundrum：　〃As　

the　natives　of　Mulinuu　appear　to　be　under　the　protection　of　the　

Imperial　German　naval　guard　belonging　to　the　vessel　under　your　

command；　I　have　the　honour　to　request　you　to　inform　me　whether　or　

not　they　are　under　such　protection？　　Amicable　relations；〃　pursued　

the　humorist；　〃amicable　relations　exist　between　the　government　of　

the　United　States　and　His　Imperial　German　Majesty's　government；　but　

we　do　not　recognise　Tamasese's　government；　and　I　am　desirous　of　

locating　the　responsibility　for　violations　of　American　rights。〃　　

Becker　and　Fritze　lost　no　time　in　explanation　or　denial；　but　went　

straight　to　the　root　of　the　matter　and　sought　to　buy　off　Scanlon。　　

Becker　declares　that　every　reparation　was　offered。　　Scanlon　takes　a　

pride　to　recapitulate　the　leases　and　the　situations　he　refused；　and　

the　long　interviews　in　which　he　was　tempted　and　plied　with　drink　by　

Becker　or　Beckmann　of　the　firm。　　No　doubt；　in　short；　that　he　was　

offered　reparation　in　reason　and　out　of　reason；　and；　being　

thoroughly　primed；　refused　it　all。　　Meantime　some　answer　must　be　

made　to　Leary；　and　Fritze　repeated　on　the　8th　his　oft…repeated　

assurances　that　he　was　not　authorised　to　deal　with　politics。　　The　

same　day　Leary　retorted：　〃The　question　is　not　one　of　diplomacy　nor　

of　politics。　　It　is　strictly　one　of　military　jurisdiction　and　

responsibility。　　Under　the　shadow　of　the　German　fort　at　Mulinuu；〃　

continued　the　hyperbolical　commander；　〃atrocities　have　been　

committed。　。　。　。　And　I　again　have　the　honour　respectfully　to　

request　to　be　informed　whether　or　not　the　armed　natives　at　Mulinuu　

are　under　the　protection　of　the　Imperial　German　naval　guard　

belonging　to　the　vessel　under　your　command。〃　　To　this　no　answer　was　

vouchsafed　till　the　11th；　and　then　in　the　old　terms；　and　meanwhile；　

on　the　10th；　Leary　got　into　his　gaiters　…　the　sure　sign；　as　was　

both　said　and　sung　aboard　his　vessel；　of　some　desperate　or　some　

amusing　service　…　and　was　set　ashore　at　the　Scanlons'　house。　　Of　

this　he　took　possession　at　the　head　of　an　old　woman　and　a　mop；　and　

was　seen　from　the　Tamasese　breastwork　directing　operations　and　

plainly　preparing　to　install　himself　there　in　a　military　posture。　　

So　much　he　meant　to　be　understood；　so　much　he　meant　to　carry　out；　

and　an　armed　party　from　the　ADAMS　was　to　have　garrisoned　on　the　

morrow　the　scene　of　the　atrocity。　　But　there　is　no　doubt　he　managed　

to　convey　more。　　No　doubt　he　was　a　master　in　the　art　of　loose　

speaking；　and　could　always　manage　to　be　overheard　when　he　wanted；　

and　by　this；　or　some　other　equally　unofficial　means；　he　spread　the　

rumour　that　on　the　morrow　he　was　to　bombard。



The　proposed　post；　from　its　position；　and　from　Leary's　well…

established　character　as　an　artist　in　mischief；　must　have　been　

regarded　by　the　Germans　with　uneasiness。　　In　the　bombardment　we　can　

scarce　suppose　them　to　have　believed。　　But　Tamasese　must　have　both　

believed　and　trembled。　　The　prestige　of　the　European　Powers　was　

still　unbroken。　　No　native　would　then　have　dreamed　of　defying　these　

colossal　ships；　worked　by　mysterious　powers；　and　laden　with　

outlandish　instruments　of　death。　　None　would　have　dreamed　of　

resisting　those　strange　but　quite　unrealised　Great　Powers；　

understood　（with　difficulty）　to　be　larger　than　Tonga　and　Samoa　put　

together；　and　known　to　be　prolific　of　prints；　knives；　hard　biscuit；　

picture…books；　and　other　luxuries；　as　well　as　of　overbearing　men　

and　inconsistent　orders。　　Laupepa　had　fallen　in　ill…blood　with　one　

of　them；　his　only　idea　of　defence　had　been　to　throw　himself　in　the　

arms　of　another；　his　name；　his　rank；　and　his　great　following　had　

not　been　able　to　preserve　him；　and　he　had　vanished　from　the　eyes　of　

men　…　as　the　Samoan　thinks　of　it；　beyond　the　sky。　　Asi；　Maunga；　

Tuiletu…funga；　had　followed　him　in　that　new　path　of　doom。　　We　have　

seen　how　carefully　Mataafa　still　walked；　how　he　dared　not　set　foot　

on　the　neutral　territory　till　assured　it　was　no　longer　sac