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a footnote to history-第39章

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despatch) how far these Americans will go in their assumption of 

jurisdiction over Germans。  Such as they were; the measures were 

successful。  The incongruous mass of castaways was kept in peace; 

and at last shipped in peace out of the islands。



Kane returned to Apia on the 19th; to find the CALLIOPE the sole 

survivor of thirteen sail。  He thanked his men; and in particular 

the engineers; in a speech of unusual feeling and beauty; of which 

one who was present remarked to another; as they left the ship; 

〃This has been a means of grace。〃  Nor did he forget to thank and 

compliment the admiral; and I cannot deny myself the pleasure of 

transcribing from Kimberley's reply some generous and engaging 

words。  〃My dear captain;〃 he wrote; 〃your kind note received。  You 

went out splendidly; and we all felt from our hearts for you; and 

our cheers came with sincerity and admiration for the able manner 

in which you handled your ship。  We could not have been gladder if 

it had been one of our ships; for in a time like that I can truly 

say with old Admiral Josiah Latnall; 'that blood is thicker than 

water。'〃  One more trait will serve to build up the image of this 

typical sea…officer。  A tiny schooner; the EQUATOR; Captain Edwin 

Reid; dear to myself from the memories of a six months' cruise; 

lived out upon the high seas the fury of that tempest which had 

piled with wrecks the harbour of Apia; found a refuge in Pango…

Pango; and arrived at last in the desolated port with a welcome and 

lucrative cargo of pigs。  The admiral was glad to have the pigs; 

but what most delighted the man's noble and childish soul; was to 

see once more afloat the colours of his country。



Thus; in what seemed the very article of war; and within the 

duration of a single day; the sword…arm of each of the two angry 

Powers was broken; their formidable ships reduced to junk; their 

disciplined hundreds to a horde of castaways; fed with difficulty; 

and the fear of whose misconduct marred the sleep of their 

commanders。  Both paused aghast; both had time to recognise that 

not the whole Samoan Archipelago was worth the loss in men and 

costly ships already suffered。  The so…called hurricane of March 

16th made thus a marking epoch in world…history; directly; and at 

once; it brought about the congress and treaty of Berlin; 

indirectly; and by a process still continuing; it founded the 

modern navy of the States。  Coming years and other historians will 

declare the influence of that。







CHAPTER XI … LAUPEPA AND MATAAFA

1889…1892







WITH the hurricane; the broken war…ships; and the stranded sailors; 

I am at an end of violence; and my tale flows henceforth among 

carpet incidents。  The blue…jackets on Apia beach were still 

jealously held apart by sentries; when the powers at home were 

already seeking a peaceable solution。  It was agreed; so far as 

might be; to obliterate two years of blundering; and to resume in 

1889; and at Berlin; those negotiations which had been so unhappily 

broken off at Washington in 1887。  The example thus offered by 

Germany is rare in history; in the career of Prince Bismarck; so 

far as I am instructed; it should stand unique。  On a review of 

these two years of blundering; bullying; and failure in a little 

isle of the Pacific; he seems magnanimously to have owned his 

policy was in the wrong。  He left Fangalii unexpiated; suffered 

that house of cards; the Tamasese government; to fall by its own 

frailty and without remark or lamentation; left the Samoan question 

openly and fairly to the conference:  and in the meanwhile; to 

allay the local heats engendered by Becker and Knappe; he sent to 

Apia that invaluable public servant; Dr。 Stuebel。  I should be a 

dishonest man if I did not bear testimony to the loyalty since 

shown by Germans in Samoa。  Their position was painful; they had 

talked big in the old days; now they had to sing small。  Even 

Stuebel returned to the islands under the prejudice of an 

unfortunate record。  To the minds of the Samoans his name 

represented the beginning of their sorrows; and in his first term 

of office he had unquestionably driven hard。  The greater his merit 

in the surprising success of the second。  So long as he stayed; the 

current of affairs moved smoothly; he left behind him on his 

departure all men at peace; and whether by fortune; or for the want 

of that wise hand of guidance; he was scarce gone before the clouds 

began to gather once more on our horizon。



Before the first convention; Germany and the States hauled down 

their flags。  It was so done again before the second; and Germany; 

by a still more emphatic step of retrogression; returned the exile 

Laupepa to his native shores。  For two years the unfortunate man 

had trembled and suffered in the Cameroons; in Germany; in the 

rainy Marshalls。  When he left (September 1887) Tamasese was king; 

served by five iron war…ships; his right to rule (like a dogma of 

the Church) was placed outside dispute; the Germans were still; as 

they were called at that last tearful interview in the house by the 

river; 〃the invincible strangers〃; the thought of resistance; far 

less the hope of success; had not yet dawned on the Samoan mind。  

He returned (November 1889) to a changed world。  The Tupua party 

was reduced to sue for peace; Brandeis was withdrawn; Tamasese was 

dying obscurely of a broken heart; the German flag no longer waved 

over the capital; and over all the islands one figure stood 

supreme。  During Laupepa's absence this man had succeeded him in 

all his honours and titles; in tenfold more than all his power and 

popularity。  He was the idol of the whole nation but the rump of 

the Tamaseses; and of these he was already the secret admiration。  

In his position there was but one weak point; … that he had even 

been tacitly excluded by the Germans。  Becker; indeed; once 

coquetted with the thought of patronising him; but the project had 

no sequel; and it stands alone。  In every other juncture of history 

the German attitude has been the same。  Choose whom you will to be 

king; when he has failed; choose whom you please to succeed him; 

when the second fails also; replace the first:  upon the one 

condition; that Mataafa be excluded。  〃POURVU QU'IL SACHE SIGNER!〃 

… an official is said to have thus summed up the qualifications 

necessary in a Samoan king。  And it was perhaps feared that Mataafa 

could do no more and might not always do so much。  But this 

original diffidence was heightened by late events to something 

verging upon animosity。  Fangalii was unavenged:  the arms of 

Mataafa were





NONDUM INEXPIATIS UNCTA CRUORIBUS;

Still soiled with the unexpiated blood





of German sailors; and though the chief was not present in the 

field; nor could have heard of the affair till it was over; he had 

reaped from it credit with his countrymen and dislike from the 

Germans。



I may not say that trouble was hoped。  I must say … if it were not 

feared; the practice of diplomacy must teach a very hopeful view of 

human nature。  Mataafa and Laupepa; by the sudden repatriation of 

the last; found themselves face to face in conditions of 

exasperating rivalry。  The one returned from the dead of exile to 

find himself replaced and excelled。  The other; at the end of a 

long; anxious; and successful struggle; beheld his only possible 

competitor resuscitated from the grave。  The qualities of both; in 

this difficult moment; shone out nobly。  I feel I seem always less 

than partial to the lovable Laupepa; his virtues are perhaps not 

those which chiefly please me; and are certainly not royal; but he 

found on his return an opportunity to display the admirable 

sweetness of his nature。  The two entered into a competition of 

generosity; for which I can recall no parallel in history; each 

waiving the throne for himself; each pressing it 

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