a footnote to history-第4章

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is　informed　that　this　is　the　proper　residence　of　the　Samoan　kings；　

he　will　be　the　more　surprised　to　observe　a　board　set　up；　and　to　

read　that　this　historic　village　is　the　property　of　the　German　firm。　　

But　these　boards；　which　are　among　the　commonest　features　of　the　

landscape；　may　be　rather　taken　to　imply　that　the　claim　has　been　

disputed。　　A　little　farther　east　he　skirts　the　stores；　offices；　and　

barracks　of　the　firm　itself。　　Thence　he　will　pass　through　Matafele；　

the　one　really　town…like　portion　of　this　long　string　of　villages；　

by　German　bars　and　stores　and　the　German　consulate；　and　reach　the　

Catholic　mission　and　cathedral　standing　by　the　mouth　of　a　small　

river。　　The　bridge　which　crosses　here　（bridge　of　Mulivai）　is　a　

frontier；　behind　is　Matafele；　beyond；　Apia　proper；　behind；　Germans　

are　supreme；　beyond；　with　but　few　exceptions；　all　is　Anglo…Saxon。　　

Here　the　reader　will　go　forward　past　the　stores　of　Mr。　Moors　

（American）　and　Messrs。　MacArthur　（English）；　past　the　English　

mission；　the　office　of　the　English　newspaper；　the　English　church；　

and　the　old　American　consulate；　till　he　reaches　the　mouth　of　a　

larger　river；　the　Vaisingano。　　Beyond；　in　Matautu；　his　way　takes　

him　in　the　shade　of　many　trees　and　by　scattered　dwellings；　and　

presently　brings　him　beside　a　great　range　of　offices；　the　place　and　

the　monument　of　a　German　who　fought　the　German　firm　during　his　

life。　　His　house　（now　he　is　dead）　remains　pointed　like　a　discharged　

cannon　at　the　citadel　of　his　old　enemies。　　Fitly　enough；　it　is　at　

present　leased　and　occupied　by　Englishmen。　　A　little　farther；　and　

the　reader　gains　the　eastern　flanking　angle　of　the　bay；　where　

stands　the　pilot…house　and　signal…post；　and　whence　he　can　see；　on　

the　line　of　the　main　coast　of　the　island；　the　British　and　the　new　

American　consulates。



The　course　of　his　walk　will　have　been　enlivened　by　a　considerable　

to　and　fro　of　pleasure　and　business。　　He　will　have　encountered　many　

varieties　of　whites；　…　sailors；　merchants；　clerks；　priests；　

Protestant　missionaries　in　their　pith　helmets；　and　the　nondescript　

hangers…on　of　any　island　beach。　　And　the　sailors　are　sometimes　in　

considerable　force；　but　not　the　residents。　　He　will　think　at　times　

there　are　more　signboards　than　men　to　own　them。　　It　may　chance　it　

is　a　full　day　in　the　harbour；　he　will　then　have　seen　all　manner　of　

ships；　from　men…of…war　and　deep…sea　packets　to　the　labour　vessels　

of　the　German　firm　and　the　cockboat　island　schooner；　and　if　he　be　

of　an　arithmetical　turn；　he　may　calculate　that　there　are　more　

whites　afloat　in　Apia　bay　than　whites　ashore　in　the　whole　

Archipelago。　　On　the　other　hand；　he　will　have　encountered　all　ranks　

of　natives；　chiefs　and　pastors　in　their　scrupulous　white　clothes；　

perhaps　the　king　himself；　attended　by　guards　in　uniform；　smiling　

policemen　with　their　pewter　stars；　girls；　women；　crowds　of　cheerful　

children。　　And　he　will　have　asked　himself　with　some　surprise　where　

these　reside。　　Here　and　there；　in　the　back　yards　of　European　

establishments；　he　may　have　had　a　glimpse　of　a　native　house　elbowed　

in　a　corner；　but　since　he　left　Mulinuu；　none　on　the　beach　where　

islanders　prefer　to　live；　scarce　one　on　the　line　of　street。　　The　

handful　of　whites　have　everything；　the　natives　walk　in　a　foreign　

town。　　A　year　ago；　on　a　knoll　behind　a　bar…room；　he　might　have　

observed　a　native　house　guarded　by　sentries　and　flown　over　by　the　

standard　of　Samoa。　　He　would　then　have　been　told　it　was　the　seat　of　

government；　driven　（as　I　have　to　relate）　over　the　Mulivai　and　from　

beyond　the　German　town　into　the　Anglo…Saxon。　　To…day；　he　will　learn　

it　has　been　carted　back　again　to　its　old　quarters。　　And　he　will　

think　it　significant　that　the　king　of　the　islands　should　be　thus　

shuttled　to　and　fro　in　his　chief　city　at　the　nod　of　aliens。　　And　

then　he　will　observe　a　feature　more　significant　still：　　a　house　

with　some　concourse　of　affairs；　policemen　and　idlers　hanging　by；　a　

man　at　a　bank…counter　overhauling　manifests；　perhaps　a　trial　

proceeding　in　the　front　verandah；　or　perhaps　the　council　breaking　

up　in　knots　after　a　stormy　sitting。　　And　he　will　remember　that　he　

is　in　the　ELEELE　SA；　the　〃Forbidden　Soil；〃　or　Neutral　Territory　of　

the　treaties；　that　the　magistrate　whom　he　has　just　seen　trying　

native　criminals　is　no　officer　of　the　native　king's；　and　that　this；　

the　only　port　and　place　of　business　in　the　kingdom；　collects　and　

administers　its　own　revenue　for　its　own　behoof　by　the　hands　of　

white　councillors　and　under　the　supervision　of　white　consuls。　　Let　

him　go　further　afield。　　He　will　find　the　roads　almost　everywhere　to　

cease　or　to　be　made　impassable　by　native　pig…fences；　bridges　to　be　

quite　unknown；　and　houses　of　the　whites　to　become　at　once　a　rare　

exception。　　Set　aside　the　German　plantations；　and　the　frontier　is　

sharp。　　At　the　boundary　of　the　ELEELE　SA；　Europe　ends；　Samoa　

begins。　　Here；　then；　is　a　singular　state　of　affairs：　　all　the　

money；　luxury；　and　business　of　the　kingdom　centred　in　one　place；　

that　place　excepted　from　the　native　government　and　administered　by　

whites　for　whites；　and　the　whites　themselves　holding　it　not　in　

common　but　in　hostile　camps；　so　that　it　lies　between　them　like　a　

bone　between　two　dogs；　each　growling；　each　clutching　his　own　end。



Should　Apia　ever　choose　a　coat　of　arms；　I　have　a　motto　ready：　

〃Enter　Rumour　painted　full　of　tongues。〃　　The　majority　of　the　

natives　do　extremely　little；　the　majority　of　the　whites　are　

merchants　with　some　four　mails　in　the　month；　shopkeepers　with　some　

ten　or　twenty　customers　a　day；　and　gossip　is　the　common　resource　of　

all。　　The　town　hums　to　the　day's　news；　and　the　bars　are　crowded　

with　amateur　politicians。　　Some　are　office…seekers；　and　earwig　king　

and　consul；　and　compass　the　fall　of　officials；　with　an　eye　to　

salary。　　Some　are　humorists；　delighted　with　the　pleasure　of　faction　

for　itself。　　　〃I　never　saw　so　good　a　place　as　this　Apia；〃　said　one　

of　these；　〃you　can　be　in　a　new　conspiracy　every　day！〃　　Many；　on　the　

other　hand；　are　sincerely　concerned　for　the　future　of　the　country。　　

The　quarters　are　so　close　and　the　scale　is　so　small；　that　perhaps　

not　any　one　can　be　trusted　always　to　preserve　his　temper。　　Every　

one　tells　everything　he　knows；　that　is　our　country　sickness。　　

Nearly　every　one　has　been　betrayed　at　times；　and　told　a　trifle　

more；　the　way　our　sickness　takes　the　predisposed。　　And　the　news　

flies；　and　the　tongues　wag；　and　fists　are　shaken。　　Pot　boil　and　

caldron　bubble！



Within　the　memory　of　man；　the　white　people　of　Apia　lay　in　the　worst　

squalor　of　degradation。　　They　are　now　unspeakably　improved；　both　

men　and　women。　　To…day　they　must　be　called　a　more　than　fairly　

respectable　population；　and　a　much　more　than　fairly　intelligent。　　

The　whole　would　probably　not　fill　the　ranks　of　even　an　English　

half…battalion；　yet　there　are　a　surprising　number　above　the　average　

in　sense；　knowledge；　and　manners。　　The　trouble　（for　Samoa）　is　that　

they　are　all　here　after　a　livelihood。　　Some　are　sharp　

practitioners；　some　are　famous　（justly　or　not）　for　foul　play　in　

business。　　Tales　fly。　　One　merchant　warns　you　against　his　

neighbour；　the　neighbour　on　the　first　occasion　is　found　to　return　

the　compliment：　　each　with　a　good　circumstantial　story　to　the　

proof。　　There　is　so　much　copra　in　the　islands；　and　no　more；　a　man's　

share　of　it　is　his　share　of　bread；　and　commerce；　like　politics；　is　

here　narrowed　to　a　focus；　shows　its　ugly　side；　and　becomes　as　

personal　as　fisticuffs。　　Close　at　their　elbows；　in　all　this　

contention；　stands　the　native　looking　on。　　Like　a　child；　his　true　

analogue；　he　observes；　apprehends；　misapprehends；　and　is　usually　

silent。　　As　in　a　child；　a　considerable　intemperance　of　speech　is　

accompanied　by　some　power　of　secrecy。　　News　he　publishes；　his　

thoughts　have　often　to　be　dug　for。　　He　looks　on　at　the　rude　career　

of　the　dollar…hunt；　and　wonders。　　He　sees　these　men　rolling　in　a　

luxury　beyond　the　ambition　o