a footnote to history-第35章

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the　step　seemed　natural　and　obvious；　for　Anglo…Saxons　it　was　a　hand　

laid　upon　the　altar；　and　the　month　was　scarce　out　before　the　voice　

of　Senator　Frye　announced　to　his　colleagues　that　free　speech　had　

been　suppressed　in　Samoa。



Perhaps　we　must　seek　some　similar　explanation　for　Fritze's　short…

lived　code；　published　and　withdrawn　the　next　day；　the　23rd。　　Fritze　

himself　was　in　no　humour　for　extremities。　　He　was　much　in　the　

position　of　a　lieutenant　who　should　perceive　his　captain　urging　the　

ship　upon　the　rocks。　　It　is　plain　he　had　lost　all　confidence　in　his　

commanding　officer　〃upon　the　legal　side〃；　and　we　find　him　writing　

home　with　anxious　candour。　　He　had　understood　that　martial　law　

implied　military　possession；　he　was　in　military　possession　of　

nothing　but　his　ship；　and　shrewdly　suspected　that　his　martial　

jurisdiction　should　be　confined　within　the　same　limits。　　〃As　a　

matter　of　fact；〃　he　writes；　〃we　do　not　occupy　the　territory；　and　

cannot　give　foreigners　the　necessary　protection；　because　Mataafa　

and　his　people　can　at　any　moment　forcibly　interrupt　me　in　my　

jurisdiction。〃　　Yet　in　the　eyes　of　Anglo…Saxons　the　severity　of　his　

code　appeared　burlesque。　　I　give　but　three　of　its　provisions。　　The　

crime　of　inciting　German　troops　〃by　any　means；　as；　for　instance；　

informing　them　of　proclamations　by　the　enemy；〃　was　punishable　with　

death；　that　of　〃publishing　or　secretly　distributing　anything；　

whether　printed　or　written；　bearing　on　the　war；〃　with　prison　or　

deportation；　and　that　of　calling　or　attending　a　public　meeting；　

unless　permitted；　with　the　same。　　Such　were　the　tender　mercies　of　

Knappe；　lurking　in　the　western　end　of　the　German　quarter；　where　

Mataafa　could　〃at　any　moment〃　interrupt　his　jurisdiction。



On　the　22nd　（day　of　the　suppression　of　the　TIMES）　de　Coetlogon　

wrote　to　inquire　if　hostilities　were　intended　against　Great　

Britain；　which　Knappe　on　the　same　day　denied。　　On　the　23rd　de　

Coetlogon　sent　a　complaint　of　hostile　acts；　such　as　the　armed　and　

forcible　entry　of　the　RICHMOND　before　the　declaration　and　arrest　of　

Gallien。　　In　his　reply；　dated　the　24th；　Knappe　took　occasion　to　

repeat；　although　now　with　more　self…command；　his　former　threat　

against　de　Coetlogon。　　〃I　am　still　of　the　opinion；〃　he　writes；　

〃that　even　foreign　consuls　are　liable　to　the　application　of　martial　

law；　if　they　are　guilty　of　offences　against　the　belligerent　state。〃　　

The　same　day　（24th）　de　Coetlogon　complained　that　Fletcher；　manager　

for　Messrs。　MacArthur；　had　been　summoned　by　Fritze。　　In　answer；　

Knappe　had　〃the　honour　to　inform　your　Excellency　that　since　the　

declaration　of　the　state　of　war；　British　subjects　are　liable　to　

martial　law；　and　Mr。　Fletcher　will　be　arrested　if　he　does　not　

appear。〃　　Here；　then；　was　the　gauntlet　thrown　down；　and　de　

Coetlogon　was　burning　to　accept　it。　　Fletcher's　offence　was　this。　　

Upon　the　22nd　a　steamer　had　come　in　from　Wellington；　specially　

chartered　to　bring　German　despatches　to　Apia。　　The　rumour　came　

along　with　her　from　New　Zealand　that　in　these　despatches　Knappe　

would　find　himself　rebuked；　and　Fletcher　was　accused　of　having　

〃interested　himself　in　the　spreading　of　this　rumour。〃　　His　arrest　

was　actually　ordered；　when　Hand　succeeded　in　persuading　him　to　

surrender。　　At　the　German　court；　the　case　was　dismissed　〃WEGEN　

NICHTIGKEIT〃；　and　the　acute　stage　of　these　distempers　may　be　said　

to　have　ended。　　Blessed　are　the　peacemakers。　　Hand　had　perhaps　

averted　a　collision。　　What　is　more　certain；　he　had　offered　to　the　

world　a　perfectly　original　reading　of　the　part　of　British　seaman。



Hand　may　have　averted　a　collision；　I　say；　but　I　am　tempted　to　

believe　otherwise。　　I　am　tempted　to　believe　the　threat　to　arrest　

Fletcher　was　the　last　mutter　of　the　declining　tempest　and　a　mere　

sop　to　Knappe's　self…respect。　　I　am　tempted　to　believe　the　rumour　

in　question　was　substantially　correct；　and　the　steamer　from　

Wellington　had　really　brought　the　German　consul　grounds　for　

hesitation；　if　not　orders　to　retreat。　　I　believe　the　unhappy　man　to　

have　awakened　from　a　dream；　and　to　have　read　ominous　writing　on　the　

wall。　　An　enthusiastic　popularity　surrounded　him　among　the　Germans。　　

It　was　natural。　　Consul　and　colony　had　passed　through　an　hour　of　

serious　peril；　and　the　consul　had　set　the　example　of　undaunted　

courage。　　He　was　entertained　at　dinner。　　Fritze；　who　was　known　to　

have　secretly　opposed　him；　was　scorned　and　avoided。　　But　the　clerks　

of　the　German　firm　were　one　thing；　Prince　Bismarck　was　another；　and　

on　a　cold　review　of　these　events；　it　is　not　improbable　that　Knappe　

may　have　envied　the　position　of　his　naval　colleague。　　It　is　

certain；　at　least；　that　he　set　himself　to　shuffle　and　capitulate；　

and　when　the　blow　fell；　he　was　able　to　reply　that　the　martial　law　

business　had　in　the　meanwhile　come　right；　that　the　English　and　

American　consular　courts　stood　open　for　ordinary　cases　and　that　in　

different　conversations　with　Captain　Hand；　〃who　has　always　

maintained　friendly　intercourse　with　the　German　authorities；〃　it　

had　been　repeatedly　explained　that　only　the　supply　of　weapons　and　

ammunition；　or　similar　aid　and　support；　was　to　come　under　German　

martial　law。　　Was　it　weapons　or　ammunition　that　Fletcher　had　

supplied？　　But　it　is　unfair　to　criticise　these　wrigglings　of　an　

unfortunate　in　a　false　position。



In　a　despatch　of　the　23rd；　which　has　not　been　printed；　Knappe　had　

told　his　story：　　how　he　had　declared　war；　subjected　foreigners　to　

martial　law；　and　been　received　with　a　counter…proclamation　by　the　

English　consul；　and　how　（in　an　interview　with　Mataafa　chiefs　at　the　

plantation　house　of　Motuotua；　of　which　I　cannot　find　the　date）　he　

had　demanded　the　cession　of　arms　and　of　ringleaders　for　punishment；　

and　proposed　to　assume　the　government　of　the　islands。　　On　February　

12th　he　received　Bismarck's　answer：　〃You　had　no　right　to　take　

foreigners　from　the　jurisdiction　of　their　consuls。　　The　protest　of　

your　English　colleague　is　grounded。　　In　disputes　which　may　arise　

from　this　cause　you　will　find　yourself　in　the　wrong。　　The　demand　

formulated　by　you；　as　to　the　assumption　of　the　government　of　Samoa　

by　Germany；　lay　outside　of　your　instructions　and　of　our　design。　　

Take　it　immediately　back。　　If　your　telegram　is　here　rightly　

understood；　I　cannot　call　your　conduct　good。〃　　It　must　be　a　hard　

heart　that　does　not　sympathise　with　Knappe　in　the　hour　when　he　

received　this　document。　　Yet　it　may　be　said　that　his　troubles　were　

still　in　the　beginning。　　Men　had　contended　against　him；　and　he　had　

not　prevailed；　he　was　now　to　be　at　war　with　the　elements；　and　find　

his　name　identified　with　an　immense　disaster。



One　more　date；　however；　must　be　given　first。　　It　was　on　February　

27th　that　Fritze　formally　announced　martial　law　to　be　suspended；　

and　himself　to　have　relinquished　the　control　of　the　police。







CHAPTER　X　…　THE　HURRICANE

MARCH　1889







THE　so…called　harbour　of　Apia　is　formed　in　part　by　a　recess　of　the　

coast…line　at　Matautu；　in　part　by　the　slim　peninsula　of　Mulinuu；　

and　in　part　by　the　fresh　waters　of　the　Mulivai　and　Vaisingano。　　The　

barrier　reef　…　that　singular　breakwater　that　makes　so　much　of　the　

circuit　of　Pacific　islands　…　is　carried　far　to　sea　at　Matautu　and　

Mulinuu；　inside　of　these　two　horns　it　runs　sharply　landward；　and　

between　them　it　is　burst　or　dissolved　by　the　fresh　water。　　The　

shape　of　the　enclosed　anchorage　may　be　compared　to　a　high…

shouldered　jar　or　bottle　with　a　funnel　mouth。　　Its　sides　are　almost　

everywhere　of　coral；　for　the　reef　not　only　bounds　it　to　seaward　and　

forms　the　neck　and　mouth；　but　skirting　about　the　beach；　it　forms　

the　bottom　also。　　As　in　the　bottle　of　commerce；　the　bottom　is　re…

entrant；　and　the　shore…reef　runs　prominently　forth　into　the　basin　

and　makes　a　dangerous　cape　opposite　the　fairway　of　the　entrance。　　

Danger　is；　therefore；　on　all　hands。　　The　entrance　gapes　three　

cables　wide　at　the　narrowest；　and　the　formida