a footnote to history-第45章

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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　

his　own　chief　of　police。　　It　is　known　besides　that　he　has　protested　

in　vain　against　the　charge　for　Dr。　Hagberg；　it　is　known　that　he　has　

himself　applied　for　an　advance　and　been　refused。　　Money　is　

certainly　a　grave　subject　on　Mulinuu；　but　respect　costs　nothing；　

and　thrifty　officials　might　have　judged　it　wise　to　make　up　in　extra　

politeness　for　what　they　curtailed　of　pomp　or　comfort。　　One　

instance　may　suffice。　　Laupepa　appeared　last　summer　on　a　public　

occasion；　the　president　was　there　and　not　even　the　president　rose　

to　greet　the　entrance　of　the　sovereign。　　Since　about　the　same　

period；　besides；　the　monarch　must　be　described　as　in　a　state　of　

sequestration。　　A　white　man；　an　Irishman；　the　true　type　of　all　that　

is　most　gallant；　humorous；　and　reckless　in　his　country；　chose　to　

visit　His　Majesty　and　give　him　some　excellent　advice　（to　make　up　

his　difference　with　Mataafa）　couched　unhappily　in　vivid　and　

figurative　language。　　The　adviser　now　sleeps　in　the　Pacific；　but　

the　evil　that　he　chanced　to　do　lives　after　him。　　His　Majesty　was　

greatly　（and　I　must　say　justly）　offended　by　the　freedom　of　the　

expressions　used；　he　appealed　to　his　white　advisers；　and　these；　

whether　from　want　of　thought　or　by　design；　issued　an　ignominious　

proclamation。　　Intending　visitors　to　the　palace　must　appear　before　

their　consuls　and　justify　their　business。　　The　majesty　of　buried　

Samoa　was　henceforth　only　to　be　viewed　（like　a　private　collection）　

under　special　permit；　and　was　thus　at　once　cut　off　from　the　company　

and　opinions　of　the　self　respecting。　　To　retain　any　dignity　in　such　

an　abject　state　would　require　a　man　of　very　different　virtues　from　

those　claimed　by　the　not　unvirtuous　Laupepa。　　He　is　not　designed　to　

ride　the　whirlwind　or　direct　the　storm；　rather　to　be　the　ornament　

of　private　life。　　He　is　kind；　gentle；　patient　as　Job；　conspicuously　

well…intentioned；　of　charming　manners；　and　when　he　pleases；　he　has　

one　accomplishment　in　which　he　now　begins　to　be　alone　…　I　mean　that　

he　can　pronounce　correctly　his　own　beautiful　language。



The　government　of　Brandeis　accomplished　a　good　deal　and　was　

continually　and　heroically　attempting　more。　　The　government　of　our　

two　whites　has　confined　itself　almost　wholly　to　paying　and　

receiving　salaries。　　They　have　built；　indeed；　a　house　for　the　

president；　they　are　believed　（if　that　be　a　merit）　to　have　bought　

the　local　newspaper　with　government　funds；　and　their　rule　has　been　

enlivened　by　a　number　of　scandals；　into　which　I　feel　with　relief　

that　it　is　unnecessary　I　should　enter。　　Even　if　the　three　Powers　do　

not　remove　these　gentlemen；　their　absurd　and　disastrous　government　

must　perish　by　itself　of　inanition。　　Native　taxes　（except　perhaps　

from　Mataafa；　true　to　his　own　private　policy）　have　long　been　beyond　

hope。　　And　only　the　other　day　（May　6th；　1892）；　on　the　expressed　

ground　that　there　was　no　guarantee　as　to　how　the　funds　would　be　

expended；　and　that　the　president　consistently　refused　to　allow　the　

verification　of　his　cash　balances；　the　municipal　council　has　

negatived　the　proposal　to　call　up　further　taxes　from　the　whites。　　

All　is　well　that　ends　even　ill；　so　that　it　end；　and　we　believe　that　

with　the　last　dollar　we　shall　see　the　last　of　the　last　functionary。　　

Now　when　it　is　so　nearly　over；　we　can　afford　to　smile　at　this　

extraordinary　passage；　though　we　must　still　sigh　over　the　occasion　

lost。





MALIE。　　The　way　to　Malie　lies　round　the　shores　of　Faleula　bay　and　

through　a　succession　of　pleasant　groves　and　villages。　　The　road；　

one　of　the　works　of　Brandeis；　is　now　cut　up　by　pig　fences。　　Eight　

times　you　must　leap　a　barrier　of　cocoa　posts；　the　take…off　and　the　

landing　both　in　a　patch　of　mire　planted　with　big　stones；　and　the　

stones　sometimes　reddened　with　the　blood　of　horses　that　have　gone　

before。　　To　make　these　obstacles　more　annoying；　you　have　sometimes　

to　wait　while　a　black　boar　clambers　sedately　over　the　so…called　pig　

fence。　　Nothing　can　more　thoroughly　depict　the　worst　side　of　the　

Samoan　character　than　these　useless　barriers　which　deface　their　

only　road。　　It　was　one　of　the　first　orders　issued　by　the　government　

of　Mulinuu　after　the　coming　of　the　chief　justice；　to　have　the　

passage　cleared。　　It　is　the　disgrace　of　Mataafa　that　the　thing　is　

not　yet　done。



The　village　of　Malie　is　the　scene　of　prosperity　and　peace。　　In　a　

very　good　account　of　a　visit　there；　published　in　the　AUSTRALASIAN；　

the　writer　describes　it　to　be　fortified；　she　must　have　been　

deceived　by　the　appearance　of　some　pig　walls　on　the　shore。　　There　

is　no　fortification；　no　parade　of　war。　　I　understand　that　from　one　

to　five　hundred　fighting　men　are　always　within　reach；　but　I　have　

never　seen　more　than　five　together　under　arms；　and　these　were　the　

king's　guard　of　honour。　　A　Sabbath　quiet　broods　over　the　well…

weeded　green；　the　picketed　horses；　the　troops　of　pigs；　the　round　or　

oval　native　dwellings。　　Of　these　there　are　a　surprising　number；　

very　fine　of　their　sort：　　yet　more　are　in　the　building；　and　in　the　

midst　a　tall　house　of　assembly；　by　far　the　greatest　Samoan　

structure　now　in　these　islands；　stands　about　half　finished　and　

already　makes　a　figure　in　the　landscape。　　No　bustle　is　to　be　

observed；　but　the　work　accomplished　testifies　to　a　still　activity。



The　centre…piece　of　all　is　the　high　chief　himself；　Malietoa…

Tuiatua…Tuiaana　Mataafa；　king　…　or　not　king　…　or　king…claimant　…　of　

Samoa。　　All　goes　to　him；　all　comes　from　him。　　Native　deputations　

bring　him　gifts　and　are　feasted　in　return。　　White　travellers；　to　

their　indescribable　irritation；　are　（on　his　approach）　waved　from　

his　path　by　his　armed　guards。　　He　summons　his　dancers　by　the　note　

of　a　bugle。　　He　sits　nightly　at　home　before　a　semicircle　of　

talking…men　from　many　quarters　of　the　islands；　delivering　and　

hearing　those　ornate　and　elegant　orations　in　which　the　Samoan　heart　

delights。　　About　himself　and　all　his　surroundings　there　breathes　a　

striking　sense　of　order；　tranquillity；　and　native　plenty。　　He　is　of　

a　tall　and　powerful　person；　sixty　years　of　age；　white…haired　and　

with　a　white　moustache；　his　eyes　bright　and　quiet；　his　jaw　

perceptibly　underhung；　which　gives　him　something　of　the　expression　

of　a　benevolent　mastiff；　his　manners　dignified　and　a　thought　

insinuating；　with　an　air　of　a　Catholic　prelate。　　He　was　never　

married；　and　a　natural　daughter　attends　upon　his　guests。　　Long　

since　he　made　a　vow　of　chastity；　…　〃to　live　as　our　Lord　lived　on　

this　earth〃　and　Polynesians　report　with　bated　breath　that　he　has　

kept　it。　　On　all　such　points；　true　to　his　Catholic　training；　he　is　

inclined　to　be　even　rigid。　　Lauati；　the　pivot　of　Savaii；　has　

recently　repudiated　his　wife　and　taken　a　fairer；　and　when　I　was　

last　in　Malie；　Mataafa　（with　a　strange　superiority　to　his　own　

interests）　had　but　just　despatched　a　reprimand。　　In　his　immediate　

circle；　in　spite　of　the　smoothness　of　his　ways；　he　is　said　to　be　

more　respected　than　beloved；　and　his　influence　is　the　child　rather　

of　authority　than　popularity。　　No　Samoan　grandee　now　living　need　

have　attempted　that　which　he　has　accomplished　during　the　last　

twelve　months　with　unimpaired　prestige；　not　only　to　withhold　his　

followers　from　war；　but　to　send　them　to　be　judged　in　the　camp　of　

their　enemies　on　Mulinuu。　　And　it　is　a　matter　of　debate　whether　

such　a　triumph　of　authority　were　ever　possible　before。　　Speaking　

for　myself；　I　have　visited　and　dwelt　in　almost　every　seat　of　the　

Polynesian　race；　and　have　met　but　one　man　who　gave　me　a　stronger　

impression　of　character　and　parts。



About　the　situation；　Mataafa　expresses　himself　with　unshaken　peace。　　

To　the　chief　justice　he　refers　with　some　bitterness；　to　Laupepa；　

with　a　smile；　as　〃my　poor　brother。〃　　For　himself；　he　stands　upon　

the　treaty；　and　expects　sooner　or　later　an　election　in　which　he　

shal