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a footnote to history-第11部分

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able to draw Laupepa as a hero; but he is a man of certain virtues; 

which the Germans had now given him an occasion to display。  

Without hesitation he sacrificed himself; penned his touching 

farewell to Samoa; and making more expedition than the messengers; 

passed early behind Apia to the banks of the Vaisingano。  As he 

passed; he detached a messenger to Mataafa at the Catholic mission。  

Mataafa followed by the same road; and the pair met at the river…

side and went and sat together in a house。  All present were in 

tears。  〃Do not let us weep;〃 said the talking man; Lauati。  〃We 

have no cause for shame。  We do not yield to Tamasese; but to the 

invincible strangers。〃  The departing king bequeathed the care of 

his country to Mataafa; and when the latter sought to console him 

with the commodore's promises; he shook his head; and declared his 

assurance that he was going to a life of exile; and perhaps to 

death。  About two o'clock the meeting broke up; Mataafa returned to 

the Catholic mission by the back of the town; and Malietoa 

proceeded by the beach road to the German naval hospital; where he 

was received (as he owns; with perfect civility) by Brandeis。  

About three; Becker brought him forth again。  As they went to the 

wharf; the people wept and clung to their departing monarch。  A 

boat carried him on board the BISMARCK; and he vanished from his 

countrymen。  Yet it was long rumoured that he still lay in the 

harbour; and so late as October 7th; a boy; who had been paddling 

round the CAROLA; professed to have seen and spoken with him。  Here 

again the needless mystery affected by the Germans bitterly 

disserved them。  The uncertainty which thus hung over Laupepa's 

fate; kept his name continually in men's mouths。  The words of his 

farewell rang in their ears: 〃To all Samoa:  On account of my great 

love to my country and my great affection to all Samoa; this is the 

reason that I deliver up my body to the German government。  That 

government may do as they wish to me。  The reason of this is; 

because I do not desire that the blood of Samoa shall be spilt for 

me again。  But I do not know what is my offence which has caused 

their anger to me and to my country。〃  And then; apostrophising the 

different provinces: 〃Tuamasanga; farewell!  Manono and family; 

farewell!  So; also; Salafai; Tutuila; Aana; and Atua; farewell!  

If we do not again see one another in this world; pray that we may 

be again together above。〃  So the sheep departed with the halo of a 

saint; and men thought of him as of some King Arthur snatched into 

Avilion。



On board the BISMARCK; the commodore shook hands with him; told him 

he was to be 〃taken away from all the chiefs with whom he had been 

accustomed;〃 and had him taken to the wardroom under guard。  The 

next day he was sent to sea in the ADLER。  There went with him his 

brother Moli; one Meisake; and one Alualu; half…caste German; to 

interpret。  He was respectfully used; he dined in the stern with 

the officers; but the boys dined 〃near where the fire was。〃  They 

come to a 〃newly…formed place〃 in Australia; where the ALBATROSS 

was lying; and a British ship; which he knew to be a man…of…war 

〃because the officers were nicely dressed and wore epaulettes。〃  

Here he was transhipped; 〃in a boat with a screen;〃 which he 

supposed was to conceal him from the British ship; and on board the 

ALBATROSS was sent below and told he must stay there till they had 

sailed。  Later; however; he was allowed to come on deck; where he 

found they had rigged a screen (perhaps an awning) under which he 

walked; looking at 〃the newly…formed settlement;〃 and admiring a 

big house 〃where he was sure the governor lived。〃  From Australia; 

they sailed some time; and reached an anchorage where a consul…

general came on board; and where Laupepa was only allowed on deck 

at night。  He could then see the lights of a town with wharves; he 

supposes Cape Town。  Off the Cameroons they anchored or lay…to; far 

at sea; and sent a boat ashore to see (he supposes) that there was 

no British man…of…war。  It was the next morning before the boat 

returned; when the ALBATROSS stood in and came to anchor near 

another German ship。  Here Alualu came to him on deck and told him 

this was the place。  〃That is an astonishing thing;〃 said he。  〃I 

thought I was to go to Germany; I do not know what this means; I do 

not know what will be the end of it; my heart is troubled。〃  

Whereupon Alualu burst into tears。  A little after; Laupepa was 

called below to the captain and the governor。  The last addressed 

him: 〃This is my own place; a good place; a warm place。  My house 

is not yet finished; but when it is; you shall live in one of my 

rooms until I can make a house for you。〃  Then he was taken ashore 

and brought to a tall; iron house。  〃This house is regulated;〃 said 

the governor; 〃there is no fire allowed to burn in it。〃  In one 

part of this house; weapons of the government were hung up; there 

was a passage; and on the other side of the passage; fifty 

criminals were chained together; two and two; by the ankles。  The 

windows were out of reach; and there was only one door; which was 

opened at six in the morning and shut again at six at night。  All 

day he had his liberty; went to the Baptist Mission; and walked 

about viewing the negroes; who were 〃like the sand on the seashore〃 

for number。  At six they were called into the house and shut in for 

the night without beds or lights。  〃Although they gave me no 

light;〃 said he; with a smile; 〃I could see I was in a prison。〃  

Good food was given him:  biscuits; 〃tea made with warm water;〃 

beef; etc。; all excellent。  Once; in their walks; they spied a 

breadfruit tree bearing in the garden of an English merchant; ran 

back to the prison to get a shilling; and came and offered to 

purchase。  〃I am not going to sell breadfruit to you people;〃 said 

the merchant; 〃come and take what you like。〃  Here Malietoa 

interrupted himself to say it was the only tree bearing in the 

Cameroons。  〃The governor had none; or he would have given it to 

me。〃  On the passage from the Cameroons to Germany; he had great 

delight to see the cliffs of England。  He saw 〃the rocks shining in 

the sun; and three hours later was surprised to find them sunk in 

the heavens。〃  He saw also wharves and immense buildings; perhaps 

Dover and its castle。  In Hamburg; after breakfast; Mr。 Weber; who 

had now finally 〃ceased from troubling〃 Samoa; came on board; and 

carried him ashore 〃suitably〃 in a steam launch to 〃a large house 

of the government;〃 where he stayed till noon。  At noon Weber told 

him he was going to 〃the place where ships are anchored that go to 

Samoa;〃 and led him to 〃a very magnificent house; with carriages 

inside and a wonderful roof of glass〃; to wit; the railway station。  

They were benighted on the train; and then went in 〃something with 

a house; drawn by horses; which had windows and many decks〃; 

plainly an omnibus。  Here (at Bremen or Bremerhaven; I believe) 

they stayed some while in 〃a house of five hundred rooms〃; then 

were got on board the NURNBERG (as they understood) for Samoa; 

anchored in England on a Sunday; were joined EN ROUTE by the famous 

Dr。 Knappe; passed through 〃a narrow passage where they went very 

slow and which was just like a river;〃 and beheld with exhilarated 

curiosity that Red Sea of which they had learned so much in their 

Bibles。  At last; 〃at the hour when the fires burn red;〃 they came 

to a place where was a German man…of…war。  Laupepa was called; with 

one of the boys; on deck; when he found a German officer awaiting 

him; and a steam launch alongside; and was told he must now leave 

his brother and go elsewhere。  〃I cannot go like this;〃 he cried。  

〃You must let me see my brother and the other old men〃 … a term of 

courtesy。  Knappe; who seems always to have been good…natured; 

revised his orders; and consented not only to an interview; but to 

allow Moli to continue to accompany the king。  So these two were 

carried to the man…of…war; and sailed many a day; still supposing 

themselves bound for Samoa; and lo! she came to a country the like 

of which they had never dreamed of; and cast anchor in the great 

lagoon of Jaluit; and upon that narrow land the exiles were set on 

shore。  This was the part of his captivity on which he looked back 

with the most bitterness。  It was the last; for one thing; and he 

was worn down with the long suspense; and terror; and deception。  

He could not bear the brackish water; and though 〃the Germans were 

still good to him; and gave him beef and biscuit and tea;〃 he 

suffered from the lack of vegetable food。



Such is the narrative of this simple exile。  I have not sought to 

correct it by extraneous testimony。  It is not so much the facts 

that are historical; as the man's attitude。  No one could hear this 

tale as 
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