a footnote to history-第24部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


There　was　his　bread…basket；　a　small　success　in　that　direction　would　

immediately　curtail　his　resources；　and　it　might　be　possible　with　

energy　to　roll　up　his　line　along　the　beach　and　take　the　citadel　in　

reverse。　　The　scheme　was　carried　out　as　might　be　expected　from　

these　childish　soldiers。　　Mataafa；　always　uneasy　about　Apia；　clung　

with　a　portion　of　his　force　to　Laulii；　and　thus；　had　the　foe　been　

enterprising；　exposed　himself　to　disaster。　　The　expedition　fell　

successfully　enough　on　Saluafata　and　drove　out　the　Tamaseses　with　a　

loss　of　four　heads；　but　so　far　from　improving　the　advantage；　

yielded　immediately　to　the　weakness　of　the　Samoan　warrior；　and　

ranged　farther　east　through　unarmed　populations；　bursting　with　

shouts　and　blackened　faces　into　villages　terrified　or　admiring；　

making　spoil　of　pigs；　burning　houses；　and　destroying　gardens。　　The　

Tamasese　had　at　first　evacuated　several　beach　towns　in　succession；　

and　were　still　in　retreat　on　Lotoanuu；　finding　themselves　

unpursued；　they　reoccupied　them　one　after　another；　and　re…

established　their　lines　to　the　very　borders　of　Saluafata。　　Night　

fell；　Mataafa　had　taken　Saluafata；　Tamasese　had　lost　it；　and　that　

was　all。　　But　the　day　came　near　to　have　a　different　and　very　

singular　issue。　　The　village　was　not　long　in　the　hands　of　the　

Mataafas；　when　a　schooner；　flying　German　colours；　put　into　the　bay　

and　was　immediately　surrounded　by　their　boats。　　It　chanced　that　

Brandeis　was　on　board。　　Word　of　it　had　gone　abroad；　and　the　boats　

as　they　approached　demanded　him　with　threats。　　The　late　premier；　

alone；　entirely　unarmed；　and　a　prey　to　natural　and　painful　

feelings；　concealed　himself　below。　　The　captain　of　the　schooner　

remained　on　deck；　pointed　to　the　German　colours；　and　defied　

approaching　boats。　　Again　the　prestige　of　a　great　Power　triumphed；　

the　Samoans　fell　back　before　the　bunting；　the　schooner　worked　out　

of　the　bay；　Brandeis　escaped。　　He　himself　apprehended　the　worst　if　

he　fell　into　Samoan　hands；　it　is　my　diffident　impression　that　his　

life　would　have　been　safe。



On　the　22nd；　a　new　German　war…ship；　the　EBER；　of　tragic　memory；　

came　to　Apia　from　the　Gilberts；　where　she　had　been　disarming　

turbulent　islands。　　The　rest　of　that　day　and　all　night　she　loaded　

stores　from　the　firm；　and　on　the　morrow　reached　Saluafata　bay。　　

Thanks　to　the　misconduct　of　the　Mataafas；　the　most　of　the　foreshore　

was　still　in　the　hands　of　the　Tamaseses；　and　they　were　thus　able　to　

receive　from　the　EBER　both　the　stores　and　weapons。　　The　weapons　had　

been　sold　long　since　to　Tarawa；　Apaiang；　and　Pleasant　Island；　

places　unheard　of　by　the　general　reader；　where　obscure　inhabitants　

paid　for　these　instruments　of　death　in　money　or　in　labour；　misused　

them　as　it　was　known　they　would　be　misused；　and　had　been　disarmed　

by　force。　　The　EBER　had　brought　back　the　guns　to　a　German　counter；　

whence　many　must　have　been　originally　sold；　and　was　here　engaged；　

like　a　shopboy；　in　their　distribution　to　fresh　purchasers。　　Such　is　

the　vicious　circle　of　the　traffic　in　weapons　of　war。　　Another　aid　

of　a　more　metaphysical　nature　was　ministered　by　the　EBER　to　

Tamasese；　in　the　shape　of　uncountable　German　flags。　　The　full　

history　of　this　epidemic　of　bunting　falls　to　be　told　in　the　next　

chapter。　　But　the　fact　has　to　be　chronicled　here；　for　I　believe　it　

was　to　these　flags　that　we　owe　the　visit　of　the　ADAMS；　and　my　next　

and　best　authentic　glance　into　a　native　camp。　　The　ADAMS　arrived　in　

Saluafata　on　the　26th。　　On　the　morrow　Leary　and　Moors　landed　at　the　

village。　　It　was　still　occupied　by　Mataafas；　mostly　from　Manono　and　

Savaii；　few　in　number；　high　in　spirit。　　The　Tamasese　pickets　were　

meanwhile　within　musket　range；　there　was　maintained　a　steady　

sputtering　of　shots；　and　yet　a　party　of　Tamasese　women　were　here　on　

a　visit　to　the　women　of　Manono；　with　whom　they　sat　talking　and　

smoking；　under　the　fire　of　their　own　relatives。　　It　was　reported　

that　Leary　took　part　in　a　council　of　war；　and　promised　to　join　with　

his　broadside　in　the　next　attack。　　It　is　certain　he　did　nothing　of　

the　sort：　　equally　certain　that；　in　Tamasese　circles；　he　was　firmly　

credited　with　having　done　so。　　And　this　heightens　the　extraordinary　

character　of　what　I　have　now　to　tell。　　Prudence　and　delicacy　alike　

ought　to　have　forbid　the　camp　of　Tamasese　to　the　feet　of　either　

Leary　or　Moors。　　Moors　was　the　original　…　there　was　a　time　when　he　

had　been　the　only　…　opponent　of　the　puppet　king。　　Leary　had　driven　

him　from　the　seat　of　government；　it　was　but　a　week　or　two　since　he　

had　threatened　to　bombard　him　in　his　present　refuge。　　Both　were　in　

close　and　daily　council　with　his　adversary；　and　it　was　no　secret　

that　Moors　was　supplying　the　latter　with　food。　　They　were　

partisans；　it　lacked　but　a　hair　that　they　should　be　called　

belligerents；　it　were　idle　to　try　to　deny　they　were　the　most　

dangerous　of　spies。　　And　yet　these　two　now　sailed　across　the　bay　

and　landed　inside　the　Tamasese　lines　at　Salelesi。　　On　the　very　

beach　they　had　another　glimpse　of　the　artlessness　of　Samoan　war。　　

Hitherto　the　Tamasese　fleet；　being　hardy　and　unencumbered；　had　made　

a　fool　of　the　huge　floating　forts　upon　the　other　side；　and　here　

they　were　tolling；　not　to　produce　another　boat　on　their　own　pattern　

in　which　they　had　always　enjoyed　the　advantage；　but　to　make　a　new　

one　the　type　of　their　enemies'；　of　which　they　had　now　proved　the　

uselessness　for　months。　　It　came　on　to　rain　as　the　Americans　

landed；　and　though　none　offered　to　oppose　their　coming　ashore；　none　

invited　them　to　take　shelter。　　They　were　nowise　abashed；　entered　a　

house　unbidden；　and　were　made　welcome　with　obvious　reserve。　　The　

rain　clearing　off；　they　set　forth　westward；　deeper　into　the　heart　

of　the　enemies'　position。　　Three　or　four　young　men　ran　some　way　

before　them；　doubtless　to　give　warning；　and　Leary；　with　his　

indomitable　taste　for　mischief；　kept　inquiring　as　he　went　after　

〃the　high　chief〃　Tamasese。　　The　line　of　the　beach　was　one　

continuous　breastwork；　some　thirty　odd　iron　cannon　of　all　sizes　and　

patterns　stood　mounted　in　embrasures；　plenty　grape　and　canister　lay　

ready；　and　at　every　hundred　yards　or　so　the　German　flag　was　flying。　　

The　numbers　of　the　guns　and　flags　I　give　as　I　received　them；　though　

they　test　my　faith。　　At　the　house　of　Brandeis　…　a　little；　

weatherboard　house；　crammed　at　the　time　with　natives；　men；　women；　

and　squalling　children　…　Leary　and　Moors　again　asked　for　〃the　high　

chief；〃　and；　were　again　assured　that　he　was　farther　on。　　A　little　

beyond；　the　road　ran　in　one　place　somewhat　inland；　the　two　

Americans　had　gone　down　to　the　line　of　the　beach　to　continue　their　

inspection　of　the　breastwork；　when　Brandeis　himself；　in　his　shirt…

sleeves　and　accompanied　by　several　German　officers；　passed　them　by　

the　line　of　the　road。　　The　two　parties　saluted　in　silence。　　Beyond　

Eva　Point　there　was　an　observable　change　for　the　worse　in　the　

reception　of　the　Americans；　some　whom　they　met　began　to　mutter　at　

Moors；　and　the　adventurers；　with　tardy　but　commendable　prudence；　

desisted　from　their　search　after　the　high　chief；　and　began　to　

retrace　their　steps。　　On　the　return；　Suatele　and　some　chiefs　were　

drinking　kava　in　a　〃big　house；〃　and　called　them　in　to　join　…　their　

only　invitation。　　But　the　night　was　closing；　the　rain　had　begun　

again：　　they　stayed　but　for　civility；　and　returned　on　board　the　

ADAMS；　wet　and　hungry；　and　I　believe　delighted　with　their　

expedition。　　It　was　perhaps　the　last　as　it　was　certainly　one　of　the　

most　extreme　examples　of　that　divinity　which　once　hedged　the　white　

in　Samoa。　　The　feeling　was　already　different　in　the　camp　of　

Mataafa；　where　the　safety　of　a　German　loiterer　had　been　a　matter　of　

extreme　concern。　　Ten　days　later；　three　commissioners；　an　

Englishman；　an　American；　and　a　German；　approached　a　post　of　

Mataafas；　were　challenged　by　an　old　man　with　a　gun；　and　mentioned　

in　answer　what　they　were。　　〃IFEA　SIAMANI？　　Which　is　the　German？〃　

cried　the　old　gentleman；　dancing；　and　with　his　finger　on　the　

trigger；　and　the　commissioners　stood　somewhile　in　a　very　anxious　

posture；　till　they　were　released　by　the　opportune　arrival　of　a　

chief。　　It　was　November　the　27th　when　Leary　and　Moors　completed　

their　absurd　excursion；　in　about　three　weeks　an　event　was　to　befall　

which　changed　at　once；　and　probably　for　ever；　the　relations　of　the　

natives　and　the　whites。



By　the　28th　Tamasese　had　collected　seventeen　hundred　men　in　the　

trenches　before　Saluafata；　thinking　to　attack　next　day。　　But　the　

Mataafas　evacuated　the　place　in　the　night。　　At　half…past　five　on　

the　morning　of　the　29th　a　signal…gun　was　fired　in　the　trenches　at　

Laulii；　and　the　Tamasese　citadel　was　assaulted　and　defended　with　a　

fury　new　among　Samoans。　　When　the　battle　ended　on　the　following　

day；　one　or　more　outworks　remained　in　the　possession　of　Mataafa。　　

Another　had　been　taken　and　lost　as　many　as　four　times。　　Carried　

originally　by　a　mixed