a footnote to history-第29章

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

successor；　warned　Knappe；　in　an　emphatic　despatch；　not　to　squander　

and　discredit　the　solemnity　of　that　emblem　which　was　all　he　had　to　

be　a　defence　to　his　own　consulate。　　And　Knappe　himself；　in　his　

despatch　of　March　21st；　1889；　castigates　the　practice　with　much　

sense。　　But　this　was　after　the　tragicomic　culmination　had　been　

reached；　and　the　burnt　rags　of　one　of　these　too…frequently　

mendacious　signals　gone　on　a　progress　to　Washington；　like　Caesar's　

body；　arousing　indignation　where　it　came。　　To　such　results　are　

nations　conducted　by　the　patent　artifices　of　a　Becker。



The　discussion　of　the　morning；　the　silent　menace　and　defiance　of　

the　voyage　to　Laulii；　might　have　set　the　best…natured　by　the　ears。　　

But　Knappe　and　de　Coetlogon　took　their　difference　in　excellent　

part。　　On　the　morrow；　November　16th；　they　sat　down　together　with　

Blacklock　in　conference。　　The　English　consul　introduced　his　

colleagues；　who　shook　hands。　　If　Knappe　were　dead…weighted　with　the　

inheritance　of　Becker；　Blacklock　was　handicapped　by　reminiscences　

of　Leary；　it　is　the　more　to　the　credit　of　this　inexperienced　man　

that　he　should　have　maintained　in　the　future　so　excellent　an　

attitude　of　firmness　and　moderation；　and　that　when　the　crash　came；　

Knappe　and　de　Coetlogon；　not　Knappe　and　Blacklock；　were　found　to　be　

the　protagonists　of　the　drama。　　The　conference　was　futile。　　The　

English　and　American　consuls　admitted　but　one　cure　of　the　evils　of　

the　time：　　that　the　farce　of　the　Tamasese　monarchy　should　cease。　　

It　was　one　which　the　German　refused　to　consider。　　And　the　agents　

separated　without　reaching　any　result；　save　that　diplomatic　

relations　had　been　restored　between　the　States　and　Germany；　and　

that　all　three　were　convinced　of　their　fundamental　differences。



Knappe　and　de　Coetlogon　were　still　friends；　they　had　disputed　and　

differed　and　come　within　a　finger's　breadth　of　war；　and　they　were　

still　friends。　　But　an　event　was　at　hand　which　was　to　separate　them　

for　ever。　　On　December　4th　came　the　ROYALIST；　Captain　Hand；　to　

relieve　the　LIZARD。　　Pelly　of　course　had　to　take　his　canvas　from　

the　consulate　hospital；　but　he　had　in　charge　certain　awnings　

belonging　to　the　ROYALIST；　and　with　these　they　made　shift　to　cover　

the　wounded；　at　that　time　（after　the　fight　at　Laulii）　more　than　

usually　numerous。　　A　lieutenant　came　to　the　consulate；　and　

delivered　（as　I　have　received　it）　the　following　message：　〃Captain　

Hand's　compliments；　and　he　says　you　must　get　rid　of　these　niggers　

at　once；　and　he　will　help　you　to　do　it。〃　　Doubtless　the　reply　was　

no　more　civil　than　the　message。　　The　promised　〃help；〃　at　least；　

followed　promptly。　　A　boat's　crew　landed　and　the　awnings　were　

stripped　from　the　wounded；　Hand　himself　standing　on　the　colonel's　

verandah　to　direct　operations。　　It　were　fruitless　to　discuss　this　

passage　from　the　humanitarian　point　of　view；　or　from　that　of　formal　

courtesy。　　The　mind　of　the　new　captain　was　plainly　not　directed　to　

these　objects。　　But　it　is　understood　that　he　considered　the　

existence　of　a　hospital　a　source　of　irritation　to　Germans　and　a　

fault　in　policy。　　His　own　rude　act　proved　in　the　result　far　more　

impolitic。　　The　hospital　had　now　been　open　some　two　months；　and　de　

Coetlogon　was　still　on　friendly　terms　with　Knappe；　and　he　and　his　

wife　were　engaged　to　dine　with　him　that　day。　　By　the　morrow　that　

was　practically　ended。　　For　the　rape　of　the　awnings　had　two　

results：　　one；　which　was　the　fault　of　de　Coetlogon；　not　at　all　of　

Hand；　who　could　not　have　foreseen　it；　the　other　which　it　was　his　

duty　to　have　seen　and　prevented。　　The　first　was　this：　　the　de　

Coetlogons　found　themselves　left　with　their　wounded　exposed　to　the　

inclemencies　of　the　season；　they　must　all　be　transported　into　the　

house　and　verandah；　in　the　distress　and　pressure　of　this　task；　the　

dinner　engagement　was　too　long　forgotten；　and　a　note　of　excuse　did　

not　reach　the　German　consulate　before　the　table　was　set；　and　Knappe　

dressed　to　receive　his　visitors。　　The　second　consequence　was　

inevitable。　　Captain　Hand　was　scarce　landed　ere　it　became　public　

（was　〃SOFORT　BEKANNT；〃　writes　Knappe）　that　he　and　the　consul　were　

in　opposition。　　All　that　had　been　gained　by　the　demonstration　at　

Laulii　was　thus　immediately　cast　away；　de　Coetlogon's　prestige　was　

lessened；　and　it　must　be　said　plainly　that　Hand　did　less　than　

nothing　to　restore　it。　　Twice　indeed　he　interfered；　both　times　with　

success；　and　once；　when　his　own　person　had　been　endangered；　with　

vehemence；　but　during　all　the　strange　doings　I　have　to　narrate；　he　

remained　in　close　intimacy　with　the　German　consulate；　and　on　one　

occasion　may　be　said　to　have　acted　as　its　marshal。　　After　the　worst　

is　over；　after　Bismarck　has　told　Knappe　that　〃the　protests　of　his　

English　colleague　were　grounded；〃　that　his　own　conduct　〃has　not　

been　good；〃　and　that　in　any　dispute　which　may　arise　he　〃will　find　

himself　in　the　wrong；〃　Knappe　can　still　plead　in　his　defence　that　

Captain　Hand　〃has　always　maintained　friendly　intercourse　with　the　

German　authorities。〃　　Singular　epitaph　for　an　English　sailor。　　In　

this　complicity　on　the　part　of　Hand　we　may　find　the　reason　…　and　I　

had　almost　said；　the　excuse　…　of　much　that　was　excessive　in　the　

bearing　of　the　unfortunate　Knappe。



On　the　11th　December；　Mataafa　received　twenty…eight　thousand　

cartridges；　brought　into　the　country　in　salt…beef　kegs　by　the　

British　ship　RICHMOND。　　This　not　only　sharpened　the　animosity　

between　whites；　following　so　closely　on　the　German　fizzle　at　

Laulii；　it　raised　a　convulsion　in　the　camp　of　Tamasese。　　On　the　

13th　Brandeis　addressed　to　Knappe　his　famous　and　fatal　letter。　　I　

may　not　describe　it　as　a　letter　of　burning　words；　but　it　is　plainly　

dictated　by　a　burning　heart。　　Tamasese　and　his　chiefs；　he　

announces；　are　now　sick　of　the　business；　and　ready　to　make　peace　

with　Mataafa。　　They　began　the　war　relying　upon　German　help；　they　

now　see　and　say　that　〃E　FAAALO　SIAMANI　I　PERITANIA　MA　AMERICA；　that　

Germany　is　subservient　to　England　and　the　States。〃　　It　is　grimly　

given　to　be　understood　that　the　despatch　is　an　ultimatum；　and　a　

last　chance　is　being　offered　for　the　recreant　ally　to　fulfil　her　

pledge。　　To　make　it　more　plain；　the　document　goes　on　with　a　kind　of　

bilious　irony：　〃The　two　German　war…ships　now　in　Samoa　are　here　for　

the　protection　of　German　property　alone；　and　when　the　OLGA　shall　

have　arrived〃　＇she　arrived　on　the　morrow＇　〃the　German　war…ships　

will　continue　to　do　against　the　insurgents　precisely　as　little　as　

they　have　done　heretofore。〃　　Plant　flags；　in　fact。



Here　was　Knappe's　opportunity；　could　he　have　stooped　to　seize　it。　　

I　find　it　difficult　to　blame　him　that　he　could　not。　　Far　from　being　

so　inglorious　as　the　treachery　once　contemplated　by　Becker；　the　

acceptance　of　this　ultimatum　would　have　been　still　in　the　nature　of　

a　disgrace。　　Brandeis's　letter；　written　by　a　German；　was　hard　to　

swallow。　　It　would　have　been　hard　to　accept　that　solution　which　

Knappe　had　so　recently　and　so　peremptorily　refused　to　his　brother　

consuls。　　And　he　was　tempted；　on　the　other　hand；　by　recent　changes。　　

There　was　no　Pelly　to　support　de　Coetlogon；　who　might　now　be　

disregarded。　　Mullan；　Leary's　successor；　even　if　he　were　not　

precisely　a　Hand；　was　at　least　no　Leary；　and　even　if　Mullan　should　

show　fight；　Knappe　had　now　three　ships　and　could　defy　or　sink　him　

without　danger。　　Many　small　circumstances　moved　him　in　the　same　

direction。　　The　looting　of　German　plantations　continued；　the　whole　

force　of　Mataafa　was　to　a　large　extent　subsisted　from　the　crops　of　

Vailele；　and　armed　men　were　to　be　seen　openly　plundering　bananas；　

bread…fruit；　and　cocoa…nuts　under　the　walls　of　the　plantation　

building。　　On　the　night　of　the　13th　the　consulate　stable　had　been　

broken　into　and　a　horse　removed。　　On　the　16th　there　was　a　riot　in　

Apia　between　half…castes　and　sailors　from　the　new　ship