a footnote to history-第43章

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wholly　mean；　let　it　suffice　that；　if　rumour　carried　to　Mataafa　the　

language　I　have　heard　used　in　my　own　house　and　before　my　own　native　

servants；　he　would　be　highly　justified　in　keeping　clear　of　Apia　and　

the　whites。　　One　gentleman　whose　opinion　I　respect；　and　am　so　bold　

as　to　hope　I　may　in　some　points　modify；　will　understand　the　

allusion　and　appreciate　my　reserve。　　About　the　same　time　there　

occurred　an　incident；　upon　which　I　must　be　more　particular。　　A　was　

a　gentleman　who　had　long　been　an　intimate　of　Mataafa's；　and　had　

recently　（upon　account；　indeed；　of　the　secession　to　Malie）　more　or　

less　wholly　broken　off　relations。　　To　him　came　one　whom　I　shall　

call　B　with　a　dastardly　proposition。　　It　may　have　been　B's　own；　in　

which　case　he　were　the　more　unpardonable；　but　from　the　closeness　of　

his　intercourse　with　the　chief　justice；　as　well　as　from　the　terms　

used　in　the　interview；　men　judged　otherwise。　　It　was　proposed　that　

A　should　simulate　a　renewal　of　the　friendship；　decoy　Mataafa　to　a　

suitable　place；　and　have　him　there　arrested。　　What　should　follow　in　

those　days　of　violent　speech　was　at　the　least　disputable；　and　the　

proposal　was　of　course　refused。　　〃You　do　not　understand；〃　was　the　

base　rejoinder。　　〃YOU　will　have　no　discredit。　　The　Germans　are　to　

take　the　blame　of　the　arrest。〃　Of　course；　upon　the　testimony　of　a　

gentleman　so　depraved；　it　were　unfair　to　hang　a　dog；　and　both　the　

Germans　and　the　chief　justice　must　be　held　innocent。　　But　the　chief　

justice　has　shown　that　he　can　himself　be　led；　by　his　animosity　

against　Mataafa；　into　questionable　acts。　　Certain　natives　of　Malie　

were　accused　of　stealing　pigs；　the　chief　justice　summoned　them　

through　Mataafa；　several　were　sent；　and　along　with　them　a　written　

promise　that；　if　others　were　required；　these　also　should　be　

forthcoming　upon　requisition。　　Such　as　came　were　duly　tried　and　

acquitted；　and　Mataafa's　offer　was　communicated　to　the　chief　

justice；　who　made　a　formal　answer；　and　the　same　day　（in　pursuance　

of　his　constant　design　to　have　Malie　attacked　by　war…ships）　

reported　to　one　of　the　consuls　that　his　warrant　would　not　run　in　

the　country　and　that　certain　of　the　accused　had　been　withheld。　　At　

least；　this　is　not　fair　dealing；　and　the　next　instance　I　have　to　

give　is　possibly　worse。　　For　one　blunder　the　chief　justice　is　only　

so　far　responsible；　in　that　he　was　not　present　where　it　seems　he　

should　have　been；　when　it　was　made。　　He　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　

silly　proscription　of　the　Mataafas；　he　has　always　disliked　the　

measure；　and　it　occurred　to　him　at　last　that　he　might　get　rid　of　

this　dangerous　absurdity　and　at　the　same　time　reap　a　further　

advantage。　　Let　Mataafa　leave　Malie　for　any　other　district　in　

Samoa；　it　should　be　construed　as　an　act　of　submission　and　the　

confiscation　and　proscription　instantly　recalled。　　This　was　

certainly　well　devised；　the　government　escaped　from　their　own　false　

position；　and　by　the　same　stroke　lowered　the　prestige　of　their　

adversaries。　　But　unhappily　the　chief　justice　did　not　put　all　his　

eggs　in　one　basket。　　Concurrently　with　these　negotiations　he　began　

again　to　move　the　captain　of　one　of　the　war…ships　to　shell　the　

rebel　village；　the　captain；　conceiving　the　extremity　wholly　

unjustified；　not　only　refused　these　instances；　but　more　or　less　

publicly　complained　of　their　being　made；　the　matter　came　to　the　

knowledge　of　the　white　resident　who　was　at　that　time　playing　the　

part　of　intermediary　with　Malie；　and　he；　in　natural　anger　and　

disgust；　withdrew　from　the　negotiation。　　These　duplicities；　always　

deplorable　when　discovered；　are　never　more　fatal　than　with　men　

imperfectly　civilised。　　Almost　incapable　of　truth　themselves；　they　

cherish　a　particular　score　of　the　same　fault　in　whites。　　And　

Mataafa　is　besides　an　exceptional　native。　　I　would　scarce　dare　say　

of　any　Samoan　that　he　is　truthful；　though　I　seem　to　have　

encountered　the　phenomenon；　but　I　must　say　of　Mataafa　that　he　seems　

distinctly　and　consistently　averse　to　lying。



For　the　affair　of　the　Manono　prisoners；　the　chief　justice　is　only　

again　in　so　far　answerable　as　he　was　at　the　moment　absent　from　the　

seat　of　his　duties；　and　the　blame　falls　on　Baron　Senfft　von　

Pilsach；　president　of　the　municipal　council。　　There　were　in　Manono　

certain　dissidents；　loyal　to　Laupepa。　　Being　Manono　people；　I　

daresay　they　were　very　annoying　to　their　neighbours；　the　majority；　

as　they　belonged　to　the　same　island；　were　the　more　impatient；　and　

one　fine　day　fell　upon　and　destroyed　the　houses　and　harvests　of　the　

dissidents　〃according　to　the　laws　and　customs　of　Samoa。〃　　The　

president　went　down　to　the　unruly　island　in　a　war…ship　and　was　

landed　alone　upon　the　beach。　　To　one　so　much　a　stranger　to　the　

mansuetude　of　Polynesians；　this　must　have　seemed　an　act　of　

desperation；　and　the　baron's　gallantry　met　with　a　deserved　success。　　

The　six　ring…leaders；　acting　in　Mataafa's　interest；　had　been　guilty　

of　a　delict；　with　Mataafa's　approval；　they　delivered　themselves　

over　to　be　tried。　　On　Friday；　September　4；　1891；　they　were　

convicted　before　a　native　magistrate　and　sentenced　to　six　months'　

imprisonment；　or；　I　should　rather　say；　detention；　for　it　was　

expressly　directed　that　they　were　to　be　used　as　gentlemen　and　not　

as　prisoners；　that　the　door　was　to　stand　open；　and　that　all　their　

wishes　should　be　gratified。　　This　extraordinary　sentence　fell　upon　

the　accused　like　a　thunderbolt。　　There　is　no　need　to　suppose　

perfidy；　where　a　careless　interpreter　suffices　to　explain　all；　but　

the　six　chiefs　claim　to　have　understood　their　coming　to　Apia　as　an　

act　of　submission　merely　formal；　that　they　came　in　fact　under　an　

implied　indemnity；　and　that　the　president　stood　pledged　to　see　them　

scatheless。　　Already；　on　their　way　from　the　court…house；　they　were　

tumultuously　surrounded　by　friends　and　clansmen；　who　pressed　and　

cried　upon　them　to　escape；　Lieutenant　Ulfsparre　must　order　his　men　

to　load；　and　with　that　the　momentary　effervescence　died　away。　　Next　

day；　Saturday；　5th；　the　chief　justice　took　his　departure　from　the　

islands　…　a　step　never　yet　explained　and　（in　view　of　the　doings　of　

the　day　before　and　the　remonstrances　of　other　officials）　hard　to　

justify。　　The　president；　an　amiable　and　brave　young　man　of　singular　

inexperience；　was　thus　left　to　face　the　growing　difficulty　by　

himself。　　The　clansmen　of　the　prisoners；　to　the　number　of　near　upon　

a　hundred；　lay　in　Vaiusu；　a　village　half　way　between　Apia　and　

Malie；　there　they　talked　big；　thence　sent　menacing　messages；　the　

gaol　should　be　broken　in　the　night；　they　said；　and　the　six　martyrs　

rescued。　　Allowance　is　to　be　made　for　the　character　of　the　people　

of　Manono；　turbulent　fellows；　boastful　of　tongue；　but　of　late　days　

not　thought　to　be　answerably　bold　in　person。　　Yet　the　moment　was　

anxious。　　The　government　of　Mulinuu　had　gained　an　important　moral　

victory　by　the　surrender　and　condemnation　of　the　chiefs；　and　it　was　

needful　the　victory　should　be　maintained。　　The　guard　upon　the　gaol　

was　accordingly　strengthened；　a　war…party　was　sent　to　watch　the　

Vaiusu　road　under　Asi；　and　the　chiefs　of　the　Vaimaunga　were　

notified　to　arm　and　assemble　their　men。　　It　must　be　supposed　the　

president　was　doubtful　of　the　loyalty　of　these　assistants。　　He　

turned　at　least　to　the　war…ships；　where　it　seems　he　was　rebuffed；　

thence　he　fled　into　the　arms　of　the　wrecker　gang；　where　he　was　

unhappily　more　successful。　　The　government　of　Washington　had　

presented　to　the　Samoan　king　the　wrecks　of　the　TRENTON　and　the　

VANDALIA；　an　American　syndicate　had　been　formed　to　break　them　up；　

an　experienced　gang　was　in　consequence　settled　in　Apia　and　the　

report　of　submarine　explosions　had　long　grown　familiar　in　the　ears　

of　residents。　　From　these　artificers　the　president　obtained　a　

supply　of　dynamite；　the　needful　mechanism；　and　the　loan　of　a　

mechanic；　the　gaol　was　mined；　and　the　Manono　people　in　Vaiusu　were　

advertised　of　the　fact　in　a　letter　signed　by