a footnote to history-第33章

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of　bare　feet　and　the　voices　of　eager　consultation。　　And　long　after；　

a　man　who　had　been　discharged　from　the　colonel's　employment　took　

upon　himself　to　swear　an　affidavit　as　to　the　nature　of　the　advice　

then　given；　and　to　carry　the　document　to　the　German　consul。　　It　was　

an　act　of　private　revenge；　it　fell　long　out　of　date　in　the　good　

days　of　Dr。　Stuebel；　and　had　no　result　but　to　discredit　the　

gentleman　who　volunteered　it。　　Colonel　de　Coetlogon　had　his　faults；　

but　they　did　not　touch　his　honour；　his　bare　word　would　always　

outweigh　a　waggon…load　of　such　denunciations；　and　he　declares　his　

behaviour　on　that　night　to　have　been　blameless。　　The　question　was　

besides　inquired　into　on　the　spot　by　Sir　John　Thurston；　and　the　

colonel　honourably　acquitted。　　But　during　the　weeks　that　were　now　

to　follow；　Knappe　believed　the　contrary；　he　believed　not　only　that　

Moors　and　others　had　supplied　ammunition　and　Klein　commanded　in　the　

field；　but　that　de　Coetlogon　had　made　the　signal　of　attack；　that　

though　his　blue…jackets　had　bled　and　fallen　against　the　arms　of　

Samoans；　these　were　supplied；　inspired；　and　marshalled　by　Americans　

and　English。



The　legend　was　the　more　easily　believed　because　it　embraced　and　was　

founded　upon　so　much　truth。　　Germans　lay　dead；　the　German　wounded　

groaned　in　their　cots；　and　the　cartridges　by　which　they　fell　had　

been　sold　by　an　American　and　brought　into　the　country　in　a　British　

bottom。　　Had　the　transaction　been　entirely　mercenary；　it　would　

already　have　been　hard　to　swallow；　but　it　was　notoriously　not　so。　　

British　and　Americans　were　notoriously　the　partisans　of　Mataafa。　　

They　rejoiced　in　the　result　of　Fangalii；　and　so　far　from　seeking　to　

conceal　their　rejoicing；　paraded　and　displayed　it。　　Calumny　ran　

high。　　Before　the　dead　were　buried；　while　the　wounded　yet　lay　in　

pain　and　fever；　cowardly　accusations　of　cowardice　were　levelled　at　

the　German　blue…jackets。　　It　was　said　they　had　broken　and　run　

before　their　enemies；　and　that　they　had　huddled　helpless　like　sheep　

in　the　plantation　house。　　Small　wonder　if　they　had；　small　wonder　

had　they　been　utterly　destroyed。　　But　the　fact　was　heroically　

otherwise；　and　these　dastard　calumnies　cut　to　the　blood。　　They　are　

not　forgotten；　perhaps　they　will　never　be　forgiven。



In　the　meanwhile；　events　were　pressing　towards　a　still　more　

trenchant　opposition。　　On　the　20th；　the　three　consuls　met　and　

parted　without　agreement；　Knappe　announcing　that　he　had　lost　men　

and　must　take　the　matter　in　his　own　hands　to　avenge　their　death。　　

On　the　21st　the　OLGA　came　before　Matafangatele；　ordered　the　

delivery　of　all　arms　within　the　hour；　and　at　the　end　of　that　

period；　none　being　brought；　shelled　and　burned　the　village。　　The　

shells　fell　for　the　most　part　innocuous；　an　eyewitness　saw　children　

at　play　beside　the　flaming　houses；　not　a　soul　was　injured；　and　the　

one　noteworthy　event　was　the　mutilation　of　Captain　Hamilton's　

American　flag。　　In　one　sense　an　incident　too　small　to　be　

chronicled；　in　another　this　was　of　historic　interest　and　import。　　

These　rags　of　tattered　bunting　occasioned　the　display　of　a　new　

sentiment　in　the　United　States；　and　the　republic　of　the　West；　

hitherto　so　apathetic　and　unwieldy；　but　already　stung　by　German　

nonchalance；　leaped　to　its　feet　for　the　first　time　at　the　news　of　

this　fresh　insult。　　As　though　to　make　the　inefficiency　of　the　war…

ships　more　apparent；　three　shells　were　thrown　inland　at　Mangiangi；　

they　flew　high　over　the　Mataafa　camp；　where　the　natives　could　〃hear　

them　singing〃　as　they　flew；　and　fell　behind　in　the　deep　romantic　

valley　of　the　Vaisingano。　　Mataafa　had　been　already　summoned　on　

board　the　ADLER；　his　life　promised　if　he　came；　declared　〃in　danger〃　

if　he　came　not；　and　he　had　declined　in　silence　the　unattractive　

invitation。　　These　fresh　hostile　acts　showed　him　that　the　worst　had　

come。　　He　was　in　strength；　his　force　posted　along　the　whole　front　

of　the　mountain　behind　Apia；　Matautu　occupied；　the　Siumu　road　lined　

up　to　the　houses　of　the　town　with　warriors　passionate　for　war。　　The　

occasion　was　unique；　and　there　is　no　doubt　that　he　designed　to　

seize　it。　　The　same　day　of　this　bombardment；　he　sent　word　bidding　

all　English　and　Americans　wear　a　black　band　upon　their　arm；　so　that　

his　men　should　recognise　and　spare　them。　　The　hint　was　taken；　and　

the　band　worn　for　a　continuance　of　days。　　To　have　refused　would　

have　been　insane；　but　to　consent　was　unhappily　to　feed　the　

resentment　of　the　Germans　by　a　fresh　sign　of　intelligence　with　

their　enemies；　and　to　widen　the　breach　between　the　races　by　a　fresh　

and　a　scarce　pardonable　mark　of　their　division。　　The　same　day　again　

the　Germans　repeated　one　of　their　earlier　offences　by　firing　on　a　

boat　within　the　harbour。　　Times　were　changed；　they　were　now　at　war　

and　in　peril；　the　rigour　of　military　advantage　might　well　be　seized　

by　them　and　pardoned　by　others；　but　it　so　chanced　that　the　bullets　

flew　about　the　ears　of　Captain　Hand；　and　that　commander　is　said　to　

have　been　insatiable　of　apologies。　　The　affair；　besides；　had　a　

deplorable　effect　on　the　inhabitants。　　A　black　band　（they　saw）　

might　protect　them　from　the　Mataafas；　not　from　undiscriminating　

shots。　　Panic　ensued。　　The　war…ships　were　open　to　receive　the　

fugitives；　and　the　gentlemen　who　had　made　merry　over　Fangalii　were　

seen　to　thrust　each　other　from　the　wharves　in　their　eagerness　to　

flee　Apia。　　I　willingly　drop　the　curtain　on　the　shameful　picture。



Meanwhile；　on　the　German　side　of　the　bay；　a　more　manly　spirit　was　

exhibited　in　circumstances　of　alarming　weakness。　　The　plantation　

managers　and　overseers　had　all　retreated　to　Matafele；　only　one　（I　

understand）　remaining　at　his　post。　　The　whole　German　colony　was　

thus　collected　in　one　spot；　and　could　count　and　wonder　at　its　

scanty　numbers。　　Knappe　declares　（to　my　surprise）　that　the　warships　

could　not　spare　him　more　than　fifty　men　a　day。　　The　great　extension　

of　the　German　quarter；　he　goes　on；　did　not　〃allow　a　full　occupation　

of　the　outer　line〃；　hence　they　had　shrunk　into　the　western　end　by　

the　firm　buildings；　and　the　inhabitants　were　warned　to　fall　back　on　

this　position；　in　the　case　of　an　alert。　　So　that　he　who　had　set　

forth；　a　day　or　so　before；　to　disarm　the　Mataafas　in　the　open　

field；　now　found　his　resources　scarce　adequate　to　garrison　the　

buildings　of　the　firm。　　But　Knappe　seemed　unteachable　by　fate。　　It　

is　probable　he　thought　he　had





〃Already　waded　in　so　deep；

Returning　were　as　tedious　as　go　o'er〃；





it　is　certain　that　he　continued；　on　the　scene　of　his　defeat　and　in　

the　midst　of　his　weakness；　to　bluster　and　menace　like　a　conqueror。　　

Active　war；　which　he　lacked　the　means　of　attempting；　was　

continually　threatened。　　On　the　22nd　he　sought　the　aid　of　his　

brother　consuls　to　maintain　the　neutral　territory　against　Mataafa；　

and　at　the　same　time；　as　though　meditating　instant　deeds　of　

prowess；　refused　to　be　bound　by　it　himself。　　This　singular　

proposition　was　of　course　refused：　　Blacklock　remarking　that　he　had　

no　fear　of　the　natives；　if　these　were　let　alone；　de　Coetlogon　

refusing　in　the　circumstances　to　recognise　any　neutral　territory　at　

all。　　In　vain　Knappe　amended　and　baited　his　proposal　with　the　offer　

of　forty…eight　or　ninety…six　hours'　notice；　according　as　his　

objective　should　be　near　or　within　the　boundary　of　the　ELEELE　SA。　　

It　was　rejected；　and　he　learned　that　he　must　accept　war　with　all　

its　consequences　…　and　not　that　which　he　desired　…　war　with　the　

immunities　of　peace。



This　monstrous　exigence　illustrates　the　man's　frame　of　mind。　　It　

has　been　still　further　illuminated　in　the　German　white…book　by　

printing　alongside　of　his　despatches　those　of　the　unimpassioned　

Fritze。　　On　January　8th　the　consulate　was　destroyed　by　fire。　　

Knappe　says　it　was　the　work　of　incendiaries；　〃without　doubt〃；　

Fritze　admits　that　〃everything　seems　to　show〃　it　was　an　accident。　　

〃Tamasese's　people　fit　to　bear　arms；〃　writes　Knappe