a footnote to history-第28章

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Another　had　been　taken　and　lost　as　many　as　four　times。　　Carried　

originally　by　a　mixed　force　from　Savaii　and　Tuamasanga；　the　

victors；　instead　of　completing　fresh　defences　or　pursuing　their　

advantage；　fell　to　eat　and　smoke　and　celebrate　their　victory　with　

impromptu　songs。　　In　this　humour　a　rally　of　the　Tamaseses　smote　

them；　drove　them　out　pell…mell；　and　tumbled　them　into　the　ravine；　

where　many　broke　their　heads　and　legs。　　Again　the　work　was　taken；　

again　lost。　　Ammunition　failed　the　belligerents；　and　they　fought　

hand　to　hand　in　the　contested　fort　with　axes；　clubs；　and　clubbed　

rifles。　　The　sustained　ardour　of　the　engagement　surprised　even　

those　who　were　engaged；　and　the　butcher's　bill　was　counted　

extraordinary　by　Samoans。　　On　December　1st　the　women　of　either　side　

collected　the　headless　bodies　of　the　dead；　each　easily　identified　

by　the　name　tattooed　on　his　forearm。　　Mataafa　is　thought　to　have　

lost　sixty　killed；　and　the　de　Coetlogons'　hospital　received　three　

women　and　forty　men。　　The　casualties　on　the　Tamasese　side　cannot　be　

accepted；　but　they　were　presumably　much　less。







CHAPTER　VIII　…　AFFAIRS　OF　LAULII　AND　FANGALII

NOVEMBER…DECEMBER　1888







FOR　Becker　I　have　not　been　able　to　conceal　my　distaste；　for　he　

seems　to　me　both　false　and　foolish。　　But　of　his　successor；　the　

unfortunately　famous　Dr。　Knappe；　we　may　think　as　of　a　good　enough　

fellow　driven　distraught。　　Fond　of　Samoa　and　the　Samoans；　he　

thought　to　bring　peace　and　enjoy　popularity　among　the　islanders；　of　

a　genial；　amiable；　and　sanguine　temper；　he　made　no　doubt　but　he　

could　repair　the　breach　with　the　English　consul。　　Hope　told　a　

flattering　tale。　　He　awoke　to　find　himself　exchanging　defiances　

with　de　Coetlogon；　beaten　in　the　field　by　Mataafa；　surrounded　on　

the　spot　by　general　exasperation；　and　disowned　from　home　by　his　own　

government。　　The　history　of　his　administration　leaves　on　the　mind　

of　the　student　a　sentiment　of　pity　scarcely　mingled。



On　Blacklock　he　did　not　call；　and；　in　view　of　Leary's　attitude；　may　

be　excused。　　But　the　English　consul　was　in　a　different　category。　　

England；　weary　of　the　name　of　Samoa；　and　desirous　only　to　see　peace　

established；　was　prepared　to　wink　hard　during　the　process　and　to　

welcome　the　result　of　any　German　settlement。　　It　was　an　

unpardonable　fault　in　Becker　to　have　kicked　and　buffeted　his　ready…

made　allies　into　a　state　of　jealousy；　anger；　and　suspicion。　　Knappe　

set　himself　at　once　to　efface　these　impressions；　and　the　English　

officials　rejoiced　for　the　moment　in　the　change。　　Between　Knappe　

and　de　Coetlogon　there　seems　to　have　been　mutual　sympathy；　and；　in　

considering　the　steps　by　which　they　were　led　at　last　into　an　

attitude　of　mutual　defiance；　it　must　be　remembered　that　both　the　

men　were　sick；　…　Knappe　from　time　to　time　prostrated　with　that　

formidable　complaint；　New　Guinea　fever；　and　de　Coetlogon　throughout　

his　whole　stay　in　the　islands　continually　ailing。



Tamasese　was　still　to　be　recognised；　and；　if　possible；　supported：　　

such　was　the　German　policy。　　Two　days　after　his　arrival；　

accordingly；　Knappe　addressed　to　Mataafa　a　threatening　despatch。　　

The　German　plantation　was　suffering　from　the　proximity　of　his　〃war…

party。〃　　He　must　withdraw　from　Laulii　at　once；　and；　whithersoever　

he　went；　he　must　approach　no　German　property　nor　so　much　as　any　

village　where　there　was　a　German　trader。　　By　five　o'clock　on　the　

morrow；　if　he　were　not　gone；　Knappe　would　turn　upon　him　〃the　

attention　of　the　man…of…war〃　and　inflict　a　fine。　　The　same　evening；　

November　14th；　Knappe　went　on　board　the　ADLER；　which　began　to　get　

up　steam。



Three　months　before；　such　direct　intervention　on　the　part　of　

Germany　would　have　passed　almost　without　protest；　but　the　hour　was　

now　gone　by。　　Becker's　conduct；　equally　timid　and　rash；　equally　

inconclusive　and　offensive；　had　forced　the　other　nations　into　a　

strong　feeling　of　common　interest　with　Mataafa。　　Even　had　the　

German　demands　been　moderate；　de　Coetlogon　could　not　have　forgotten　

the　night　of　the　TAUMUALUA；　nor　how　Mataafa　had　relinquished；　at　

his　request；　the　attack　upon　the　German　quarter。　　Blacklock；　with　

his　driver　of　a　captain　at　his　elbow；　was　not　likely　to　lag　behind。　　

And　Mataafa　having　communicated　Knappe's　letter；　the　example　of　the　

Germans　was　on　all　hands　exactly　followed；　the　consuls　hastened　on　

board　their　respective　war…ships；　and　these　began　to　get　up　steam。　　

About　midnight；　in　a　pouring　rain；　Pelly　communicated　to　Fritze　his　

intention　to　follow　him　and　protect　British　interests；　and　Knappe　

replied　that　he　would　come　on　board　the　LIZARD　and　see　de　Coetlogon　

personally。　　It　was　deep　in　the　small　hours；　and　de　Coetlogon　had　

been　long　asleep；　when　he　was　wakened　to　receive　his　colleague；　but　

he　started　up　with　an　old　soldier's　readiness。　　The　conference　was　

long。　　De　Coetlogon　protested；　as　he　did　afterwards　in　writing；　

against　Knappe's　claim：　　the　Samoans　were　in　a　state　of　war；　they　

had　territorial　rights；　it　was　monstrous　to　prevent　them　from　

entering　one　of　their　own　villages　because　a　German　trader　kept　the　

store；　and　in　case　property　suffered；　a　claim　for　compensation　was　

the　proper　remedy。　　Knappe　argued　that　this　was　a　question　between　

Germans　and　Samoans；　in　which　de　Coetlogon　had　nothing　to　see；　and　

that　he　must　protect　German　property　according　to　his　instructions。　　

To　which　de　Coetlogon　replied　that　he　was　himself　in　the　same　

attitude　to　the　property　of　the　British；　that　he　understood　Knappe　

to　be　intending　hostilities　against　Laulii；　that　Laulii　was　

mortgaged　to　the　MacArthurs；　that　its　crops　were　accordingly　

British　property；　and　that；　while　he　was　ever　willing　to　recognise　

the　territorial　rights　of　the　Samoans；　he　must　prevent　that　

property　from　being　molested　〃by　any　other　nation。〃　　〃But　if　a　

German　man…of…war　does　it？〃　asked　Knappe。　…　〃We　shall　prevent　it　to　

the　best　of　our　ability；〃　replied　the　colonel。　　It　is　to　the　credit　

of　both　men　that　this　trying　interview　should　have　been　conducted　

and　concluded　without　heat；　but　Knappe　must　have　returned　to　the　

ADLER　with　darker　anticipations。



At　sunrise　on　the　morning　of　the　15th；　the　three　ships；　each　loaded　

with　its　consul；　put　to　sea。　　It　is　hard　to　exaggerate　the　peril　of　

the　forenoon　that　followed；　as　they　lay　off　Laulii。　　Nobody　desired　

a　collision；　save　perhaps　the　reckless　Leary；　but　peace　and　war　

trembled　in　the　balance；　and　when　the　ADLER；　at　one　period；　lowered　

her　gun　ports；　war　appeared　to　preponderate。　　It　proved；　however；　

to　be　a　last　…　and　therefore　surely　an　unwise　…　extremity。　　Knappe　

contented　himself　with　visiting　the　rival　kings；　and　the　three　

ships　returned　to　Apia　before　noon。　　Beyond　a　doubt；　coming　after　

Knappe's　decisive　letter　of　the　day　before；　this　impotent　

conclusion　shook　the　credit　of　Germany　among　the　natives　of　both　

sides；　the　Tamaseses　fearing　they　were　deserted；　the　Mataafas　（with　

secret　delight）　hoping　they　were　feared。　　And　it　gave　an　impetus　to　

that　ridiculous　business　which　might　have　earned　for　the　whole　

episode　the　name　of　the　war　of　flags。　　British　and　American　flags　

had　been　planted　the　night　before；　and　were　seen　that　morning　

flying　over　what　they　claimed　about　Laulii。　　British　and　American　

passengers；　on　the　way　up　and　down；　pointed　out　from　the　decks　of　

the　warships；　with　generous　vagueness；　the　boundaries　of　

problematical　estates。　　Ten　days　later；　the　beach　of　Saluafata　bay　

fluttered　（as　I　have　told　in　the　last　chapter）　with　the　flag　of　

Germany。　　The　Americans　riposted　with　a　claim　to　Tamasese's　camp；　

some　small　part　of　which　（says　Knappe）　did　really　belong　to　〃an　

American　nigger。〃　　The　disease　spread；　the　flags　were　multiplied；　

the　operations　of　war　became　an　egg…dance　among　miniature　neutral　

territories；　and　though　all　men　took　a　hand　in　these　proceedings；　

all　men　in　turn　were　struck　with　their　absurdity。　　Mullan；　Leary's　

successor；　w