a footnote to history-第44章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



advertised　of　the　fact　in　a　letter　signed　by　Laupepa。　　Partly　by　

the　indiscretion　of　the　mechanic；　who　had　sought　to　embolden　

himself　（like　Lady　Macbeth）　with　liquor　for　his　somewhat　dreadful　

task；　the　story　leaked　immediately　out　and　raised　a　very　general；　

or　I　might　say　almost　universal；　reprobation。　　Some　blamed　the　

proposed　deed　because　it　was　barbarous　and　a　foul　example　to　set　

before　a　race　half　barbarous　itself；　others　because　it　was　illegal；　

others　again　because；　in　the　face　of　so　weak　an　enemy；　it　appeared　

pitifully　pusillanimous；　almost　all　because　it　tended　to　

precipitate　and　embitter　war。　　In　the　midst　of　the　turmoil　he　had　

raised；　and　under　the　immediate　pressure　of　certain　indignant　white　

residents；　the　baron　fell　back　upon　a　new　expedient；　certainly　less　

barbarous；　perhaps　no　more　legal；　and　on　Monday　afternoon；　

September　7th；　packed　his　six　prisoners　on　board　the　cutter　

LANCASHIRE　LASS；　and　deported　them　to　the　neighbouring　low…island　

group　of　the　Tokelaus。　　We　watched　her　put　to　sea　with　mingled　

feelings。　　Anything　were　better　than　dynamite；　but　this　was　not　

good。　　The　men　had　been　summoned　in　the　name　of　law；　they　had　

surrendered；　the　law　had　uttered　its　voice；　they　were　under　one　

sentence　duly　delivered；　and　now　the　president；　by　no　right　with　

which　we　were　acquainted；　had　exchanged　it　for　another。　　It　was　

perhaps　no　less　fortunate；　though　it　was　more　pardonable　in　a　

stranger；　that　he　had　increased　the　punishment　to　that　which；　in　

the　eyes　of　Samoans；　ranks　next　to　death；　…　exile　from　their　native　

land　and　friends。　　And　the　LANCASHIRE　LASS　appeared　to　carry　away　

with　her　into　the　uttermost　parts　of　the　sea　the　honour　of　the　

administration　and　the　prestige　of　the　supreme　court。



The　policy　of　the　government　towards　Mataafa　has　thus　been　of　a　

piece　throughout；　always　would…be　violent；　it　has　been　almost　

always　defaced　with　some　appearance　of　perfidy　or　unfairness。　　The　

policy　of　Mataafa　（though　extremely　bewildering　to　any　white）　

appears　everywhere　consistent　with　itself；　and　the　man's　bearing　

has　always　been　calm。　　But　to　represent　the　fulness　of　the　

contrast；　it　is　necessary　that　I　should　give　some　description　of　

the　two　capitals；　or　the　two　camps；　and　the　ways　and　means　of　the　

regular　and　irregular　government。



MULINUU。　　Mulinuu；　the　reader　may　remember；　is　a　narrow　finger　of　

land　planted　in　cocoa…palms；　which　runs　forth　into　the　lagoon　

perhaps　three　quarters　of　a　mile。　　To　the　east　is　the　bay　of　Apia。　　

To　the　west；　there　is；　first　of　all；　a　mangrove　swamp；　the　

mangroves　excellently　green；　the　mud　ink…black；　and　its　face　

crawled　upon　by　countless　insects　and　black　and　scarlet　crabs。　　

Beyond　the　swamp　is　a　wide　and　shallow　bay　of　the　lagoon；　bounded　

to　the　west　by　Faleula　Point。　　Faleula　is　the　next　village　to　

Malie；　so　that　from　the　top　of　some　tall　palm　in　Malie　it　should　be　

possible　to　descry　against　the　eastern　heavens　the　palms　of　

Mulinuu。　　The　trade　wind　sweeps　over　the　low　peninsula　and　cleanses　

it　from　the　contagion　of　the　swamp。　　Samoans　have　a　quaint　phrase　

in　their　language；　when　out　of　health；　they　seek　exposed　places　on　

the　shore　〃to　eat　the　wind；〃　say　they；　and　there　can　be　few　better　

places　for　such　a　diet　than　the　point　of　Mulinuu。



Two　European　houses　stand　conspicuous　on　the　harbour　side；　in　

Europe　they　would　seem　poor　enough；　but　they　are　fine　houses　for　

Samoa。　　One　is　new；　it　was　built　the　other　day　under　the　apologetic　

title　of　a　Government　House；　to　be　the　residence　of　Baron　Senfft。　　

The　other　is　historical；　it　was　built　by　Brandeis　on　a　mortgage；　

and　is　now　occupied　by　the　chief　justice　on　conditions　never　

understood；　the　rumour　going　uncontradicted　that　he　sits　rent　free。　　

I　do　not　say　it　is　true；　I　say　it　goes　uncontradicted；　and　there　is　

one　peculiarity　of　our　officials　in　a　nutshell；　…　their　remarkable　

indifference　to　their　own　character。　　From　the　one　house　to　the　

other　extends　a　scattering　village　for　the　Faipule　or　native　

parliament　men。　　In　the　days　of　Tamasese　this　was　a　brave　place；　

both　his　own　house　and　those　of　the　Faipule　good；　and　the　whole　

excellently　ordered　and　approached　by　a　sanded　way。　　It　is　now　like　

a　neglected　bush…town；　and　speaks　of　apathy　in　all　concerned。　　But　

the　chief　scandal　of　Mulinuu　is　elsewhere。　　The　house　of　the　

president　stands　just　to　seaward　of　the　isthmus；　where　the　watch　is　

set　nightly；　and　armed　men　guard　the　uneasy　slumbers　of　the　

government。　　On　the　landward　side　there　stands　a　monument　to　the　

poor　German　lads　who　fell　at　Fangalii；　just　beyond　which　the　

passer…by　may　chance　to　observe　a　little　house　standing　back…ward　

from　the　road。　　It　is　such　a　house　as　a　commoner　might　use　in　a　

bush　village；　none　could　dream　that　it　gave　shelter　even　to　a　

family　chief；　yet　this　is　the　palace　of　Malietoa…Natoaitele…

Tamasoalii　Laupepa；　king　of　Samoa。　　As　you　sit　in　his　company　under　

this　humble　shelter；　you　shall　see；　between　the　posts；　the　new　

house　of　the　president。　　His　Majesty　himself　beholds　it　daily；　and　

the　tenor　of　his　thoughts　may　be　divined。　　The　fine　house　of　a　

Samoan　chief　is　his　appropriate　attribute；　yet；　after　seventeen　

months；　the　government　（well　housed　themselves）　have　not　yet　found　

…　have　not　yet　sought　…　a　roof…tree　for　their　sovereign。　　And　the　

lodging　is　typical。　　I　take　up　the　president's　financial　statement　

of　September　8；　1891。　　I　find　the　king's　allowance　to　figure　at　

seventy…five　dollars　a　month；　and　I　find　that　he　is　further　（though　

somewhat　obscurely）　debited　with　the　salaries　of　either　two　or　

three　clerks。　　Take　the　outside　figure；　and　the　sum　expended　on　or　

for　His　Majesty　amounts　to　ninety…five　dollars　in　the　month。　　

Lieutenant　Ulfsparre　and　Dr。　Hagberg　（the　chief　justice's　Swedish　

friends）　drew　in　the　same　period　one　hundred　and　forty　and　one　

hundred　dollars　respectively　on　account　of　salary　alone。　　And　it　

should　be　observed　that　Dr。　Hagberg　was　employed；　or　at　least　paid；　

from　government　funds；　in　the　face　of　His　Majesty's　express　and　

reiterated　protest。　　In　another　column　of　the　statement；　one　

hundred　and　seventy…five　dollars　and　seventy…five　cents　are　debited　

for　the　chief　justice's　travelling　expenses。　　I　am　of　the　opinion　

that　if　His　Majesty　desired　（or　dared）　to　take　an　outing；　he　would　

be　asked　to　bear　the　charge　from　his　allowance。　　But　although　I　

think　the　chief　justice　had　done　more　nobly　to　pay　for　himself；　I　

am　far　from　denying　that　his　excursions　were　well　meant；　he　should　

indeed　be　praised　for　having　made　them；　and　I　leave　the　charge　out　

of　consideration　in　the　following　statement。





ON　THE　ONE　HAND



Salary　of　Chief　Justice　Cedarkrantz　500

Salary　of　President　Baron　Senfft　von　Pilsach　（about）　415

Salary　of　Lieutenant　Ulfsparre；　Chief　of　Police　140

Salary　of　Dr。　Hagberg；　Private　Secretary　to　the　Chief　Justice　100



Total　monthly　salary　to　four　whites；　one　of　them　paid　against　His　

Majesty's　protest　1155



ON　THE　OTHER　HAND



Total　monthly　payments　to　and　for　His　Majesty　the　King；　including　

allowance　and　hire　of　three　clerks；　one　of　these　placed　under　the　

rubric　of　extraordinary　expenses　95





This　looks　strange　enough　and　mean　enough　already。　　But　we　have　

ground　of　comparison　in　the　practice　of　Brandeis。





Brandeis；　white　prime　minister　200

Tamasese　（about）　160

White　Chief　of　Police　100





Under　Brandeis；　in　other　words；　the　king　received　the　second　

highest　allowance　on　the　sheet；　and　it　was　a　good　second；　and　the　

third　was　a　bad　third。　　And　it　must　be　borne　in　mind　that　Tamasese　

himself　was　pointed　and　laughed　at　among　natives。　　Judge；　then；　

what　is　muttered　of　Laupepa；　housed　in　his　shanty　before　the　

president's　doors　like　Lazarus　before　the　doors　of　Dives；　receiving　

not　so　much　of　his　own　taxes　as　the　private　secretary　of　the　law　

officer；　and　（in　actual　salary）　little　more　than　half　as　much　as　

hi