a footnote to history-第31章

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Jaeckel　and　the　boats　had　gone　outside　the　reef；　and　were　to　land　

on　the　other　side　of　the　Vailele　promontory；　at　Sunga；　by　the　

buildings　of　the　plantation。　　It　was　Hufnagel's　part　to　go　and　meet　

them。　　His　way　led　straight　into　the　woods　and　through　the　midst　of　

the　Samoans；　who　had　but　now　ceased　firing。　　He　went　in　the　saddle　

and　at　a　foot's　pace；　feeling　speed　and　concealment　to　be　equally　

helpless；　and　that　if　he　were　to　fall　at　all；　he　had　best　fall　with　

dignity。　　Not　a　shot　was　fired　at　him；　no　effort　made　to　arrest　him　

on　his　errand。　　As　he　went；　he　spoke　and　even　jested　with　the　

Samoans；　and　they　answered　in　good　part。　　One　fellow　was　leaping；　

yelling；　and　tossing　his　axe　in　the　air；　after　the　way　of　an　

excited　islander。　　〃FAIMALOSI！　go　it！〃　said　Hufnagel；　and　the　

fellow　laughed　and　redoubled　his　exertions。　　As　soon　as　the　boats　

entered　the　lagoon；　fire　was　again　opened　from　the　woods。　　The　

fifty　blue…jackets　jumped　overboard；　hove　down　the　boats　to　be　a　

shield；　and　dragged　them　towards　the　landing…place。　　In　this　way；　

their　rations；　and　（what　was　more　unfortunate）　some　of　their　

miserable　provision　of　forty　rounds　got　wetted；　but　the　men　came　to　

shore　and　garrisoned　the　plantation　house　without　a　casualty。　　

Meanwhile　the　sound　of　the　firing　from　Sunga　immediately　renewed　

the　hostilities　at　Fangalii。　　The　civilians　on　shore　decided　that　

Spengler　must　be　at　once　guided　to　the　house；　and　Haideln；　the　

surveyor；　accepted　the　dangerous　errand。　　Like　Hufnagel；　he　was　

suffered　to　pass　without　question　through　the　midst　of　these　

platonic　enemies。　　He　found　Spengler　some　way　inland　on　a　knoll；　

disastrously　engaged；　the　woods　around　him　filled　with　Samoans；　who　

were　continuously　reinforced。　　In　three　successive　charges；　

cheering　as　they　ran；　the　blue…jackets　burst　through　their　

scattered　opponents；　and　made　good　their　junction　with　Jaeckel。　　

Four　men　only　remained　upon　the　field；　the　other　wounded　being　

helped　by　their　comrades　or　dragging　themselves　painfully　along。



The　force　was　now　concentrated　in　the　house　and　its　immediate　patch　

of　garden。　　Their　rear；　to　the　seaward；　was　unmolested；　but　on　

three　sides　they　were　beleaguered。　　On　the　left；　the　Samoans　

occupied　and　fired　from　some　of　the　plantation　offices。　　In　front；　

a　long　rising　crest　of　land　in　the　horse…pasture　commanded　the　

house；　and　was　lined　with　the　assailants。　　And　on　the　right；　the　

hedge　of　the　same　paddock　afforded　them　a　dangerous　cover。　　It　was　

in　this　place　that　a　Samoan　sharpshooter　was　knocked　over　by　

Jaeckel　with　his　own　hand。　　The　fire　was　maintained　by　the　Samoans　

in　the　usual　wasteful　style。　　The　roof　was　made　a　sieve；　the　balls　

passed　clean　through　the　house；　Lieutenant　Sieger；　as　he　lay；　

already　dying；　on　Hufnagel's　bed；　was　despatched　with　a　fresh　

wound。　　The　Samoans　showed　themselves　extremely　enterprising：　　

pushed　their　lines　forward；　ventured　beyond　cover；　and　continually　

threatened　to　envelop　the　garden。　　Thrice；　at　least；　it　was　

necessary　to　repel　them　by　a　sally。　　The　men　were　brought　into　the　

house　from　the　rear；　the　front　doors　were　thrown　suddenly　open；　and　

the　gallant　blue…jackets　issued　cheering：　　necessary；　successful；　

but　extremely　costly　sorties。　　Neither　could　these　be　pushed　far。　　

The　foes　were　undaunted；　so　soon　as　the　sailors　advanced　at　all　

deep　in　the　horse…pasture；　the　Samoans　began　to　close　in　upon　both　

flanks；　and　the　sally　had　to　be　recalled。　　To　add　to　the　dangers　of　

the　German　situation；　ammunition　began　to　run　low；　and　the　

cartridge…boxes　of　the　wounded　and　the　dead　had　been　already　

brought　into　use　before；　at　about　eight　o'clock；　the　EBER　steamed　

into　the　bay。　　Her　commander；　Wallis；　threw　some　shells　into　

Letongo；　one　of　which　killed　five　men　about　their　cooking…pot。　　The　

Samoans　began　immediately　to　withdraw；　their　movements　were　

hastened　by　a　sortie；　and　the　remains　of　the　landing…party　brought　

on　board。　　This　was　an　unfortunate　movement；　it　gave　an　

irremediable　air　of　defeat　to　what　might　have　been　else　claimed　for　

a　moderate　success。　　The　blue…jackets　numbered　a　hundred　and　forty　

all　told；　they　were　engaged　separately　and　fought　under　the　worst　

conditions；　in　the　dark　and　among　woods；　their　position　in　the　

house　was　scarce　tenable；　they　lost　in　killed　and　wounded　fifty…

six；　…　forty　per　cent。；　and　their　spirit　to　the　end　was　above　

question。　　Whether　we　think　of　the　poor　sailor　lads；　always　so　

pleasantly　behaved　in　times　of　peace；　or　whether　we　call　to　mind　

the　behaviour　of　the　two　civilians；　Haideln　and　Hufnagel；　we　can　

only　regret　that　brave　men　should　stand　to　be　exposed　upon　so　poor　

a　quarrel；　or　lives　cast　away　upon　an　enterprise　so　hopeless。



News　of　the　affair　reached　Apia　early；　and　Moors；　always　curious　of　

these　spectacles　of　war；　was　immediately　in　the　saddle。　　Near　

Matafangatele　he　met　a　Manono　chief；　whom　he　asked　if　there　were　

any　German　dead。　　〃I　think　there　are　about　thirty　of　them　knocked　

over；〃　said　he。　　〃Have　you　taken　their　heads？〃　asked　Moors。　　〃Yes；〃　

said　the　chief。　　〃Some　foolish　people　did　it；　but　I　have　stopped　

them。　　We　ought　not　to　cut　off　their　heads　when　they　do　not　cut　off　

ours。〃　　He　was　asked　what　had　been　done　with　the　heads。　　〃Two　have　

gone　to　Mataafa；〃　he　replied；　〃and　one　is　buried　right　under　where　

your　horse　is　standing；　in　a　basket　wrapped　in　tapa。〃　　This　was　

afterwards　dug　up；　and　I　am　told　on　native　authority　that；　besides　

the　three　heads；　two　ears　were　taken。　　Moors　next　asked　the　Manono　

man　how　he　came　to　be　going　away。　　〃The　man…of…war　is　throwing　

shells；〃　said　he。　　〃When　they　stopped　firing　out　of　the　house；　we　

stopped　firing　also；　so　it　was　as　well　to　scatter　when　the　shells　

began。　　We　could　have　killed　all　the　white　men。　　I　wish　they　had　

been　Tamaseses。〃　　This　is　an　EX　PARTE　statement；　and　I　give　it　for　

such；　but　the　course　of　the　affair；　and　in　particular　the　

adventures　of　Haideln　and　Hufnagel；　testify　to　a　surprising　lack　of　

animosity　against　the　Germans。　　About　the　same　time　or　but　a　little　

earlier　than　this　conversation；　the　same　spirit　was　being　

displayed。　　Hufnagel；　with　a　party　of　labour；　had　gone　out　to　bring　

in　the　German　dead；　when　he　was　surprised　to　be　suddenly　fired　on　

from　the　wood。　　The　boys　he　had　with　him　were　not　negritos；　but　

Polynesians　from　the　Gilbert　Islands；　and　he　suddenly　remembered　

that　these　might　be　easily　mistaken　for　a　detachment　of　Tamaseses。　　

Bidding　his　boys　conceal　themselves　in　a　thicket；　this　brave　man　

walked　into　the　open。　　So　soon　as　he　was　recognised；　the　firing　

ceased；　and　the　labourers　followed　him　in　safety。　　This　is　

chivalrous　war；　but　there　was　a　side　to　it　less　chivalrous。　　As　

Moors　drew　nearer　to　Vailele；　he　began　to　meet　Samoans　with　hats；　

guns；　and　even　shirts；　taken　from　the　German　sailors。　　With　one　of　

these　who　had　a　hat　and　a　gun　he　stopped　and　spoke。　　The　hat　was　

handed　up　for　him　to　look　at；　it　had　the　late　owner's　name　on　the　

inside。　　〃Where　is　he？〃　asked　Moors。　　〃He　is　dead；　I　cut　his　head　

off。〃　　〃You　shot　him？〃　　〃No；　somebody　else　shot　him　in　the　hip。　　

When　I　came；　he　put　up　his　hands；　and　cried：　'Don't　kill　me；　I　am　a　

Malietoa　man。'　　I　did　not　believe　him；　and　I　cut　his　head　off。。。。。。　

Have　you　any　ammunition　to　fit　that　gun？〃　　〃I　do　not　know。〃　　〃What　

has　become　of　the　cartridge…belt？〃　　〃Another　fellow　grabbed　that　

and　the　cartridges；　and　he　won't　give　them　to　me。〃　　A　dreadful　and　

silly　picture　of　barbaric　war。　　The　words　of　the　German　sailor　must　

be　regarded　as　imaginary：　　how　was　the　poor　lad　to　speak　native；　or　

the　Samoan　to　understand　German？　　When　Moors　came　as　far　as　Sunga；　

the　EBER　was　yet　in　the　bay；　the　smoke　of　battle　still　lingered　

among　the　trees；　which　were　themselves　marked　with　a　thousand　

bullet…wounds。　　But　the　affair　was　over；　the　combatants；　German　and　

Samoan；　were　all　gone；　and　only　a　couple　of　negrito　labour　boys　

lurked　on　the　sce