a footnote to history-第32章

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Samoan；　were　all　gone；　and　only　a　couple　of　negrito　labour　boys　

lurked　on　the　scene。　　The　village　of　Letongo　beyond　was　equally　

silent；　part　of　it　was　wrecked　by　the　shells　of　the　EBER；　and　still　

smoked；　the　inhabitants　had　fled。　　On　the　beach　were　the　native　

boats；　perhaps　five　thousand　dollars'　worth；　deserted　by　the　

Mataafas　and　over…looked　by　the　Germans；　in　their　common　hurry　to　

escape。　　Still　Moors　held　eastward　by　the　sea…paths。　　It　was　his　

hope　to　get　a　view　from　the　other　side　of　the　promontory；　towards　

Laulii。　　In　the　way　he　found　a　house　hidden　in　the　wood　and　among　

rocks；　where　an　aged　and　sick　woman　was　being　tended　by　her　elderly　

daughter。　　Last　lingerers　in　that　deserted　piece　of　coast；　they　

seemed　indifferent　to　the　events　which　had　thus　left　them　solitary；　

and；　as　the　daughter　said；　did　not　know　where　Mataafa　was；　nor　

where　Tamasese。



It　is　the　official　Samoan　pretension　that　the　Germans　fired　first　

at　Fangalii。　　In　view　of　all　German　and　some　native　testimony；　the　

text　of　Fritze's　orders；　and　the　probabilities　of　the　case；　no　

honest　mind　will　believe　it　for　a　moment。　　Certainly　the　Samoans　

fired　first。　　As　certainly　they　were　betrayed　into　the　engagement　

in　the　agitation　of　the　moment；　and　it　was　not　till　afterwards　that　

they　understood　what　they　had　done。　　Then；　indeed；　all　Samoa　drew　a　

breath　of　wonder　and　delight。　　The　invincible　had　fallen；　the　men　

of　the　vaunted　war…ships　had　been　met　in　the　field　by　the　braves　of　

Mataafa：　　a　superstition　was　no　more。　　Conceive　this　people　

steadily　as　schoolboys；　and　conceive　the　elation　in　any　school　if　

the　head　boy　should　suddenly　arise　and　drive　the　rector　from　the　

schoolhouse。　　I　have　received　one　instance　of　the　feeling　instantly　

aroused。　　There　lay　at　the　time　in　the　consular　hospital　an　old　

chief　who　was　a　pet　of　the　colonel's。　　News　reached　him　of　the　

glorious　event；　he　was　sick；　he　thought　himself　sinking；　sent　for　

the　colonel；　and　gave　him　his　gun。　　〃Don't　let　the　Germans　get　it；〃　

said　the　old　gentleman；　and　having　received　a　promise；　was　at　

peace。







CHAPTER　IX　…　〃FUROR　CONSULARIS〃

DECEMBER　1888　TO　MARCH　1889







KNAPPE；　in　the　ADLER；　with　a　flag　of　truce　at　the　fore；　was　

entering　Laulii　Bay　when　the　EBER　brought　him　the　news　of　the　

night's　reverse。　　His　heart　was　doubtless　wrung　for　his　young　

countrymen　who　had　been　butchered　and　mutilated　in　the　dark　woods；　

or　now　lay　suffering；　and　some　of　them　dying；　on　the　ship。　　And　he　

must　have　been　startled　as　he　recognised　his　own　position。　　He　had　

gone　too　far；　he　had　stumbled　into　war；　and；　what　was　worse；　into　

defeat；　he　had　thrown　away　German　lives　for　less　than　nothing；　and　

now　saw　himself　condemned　either　to　accept　defeat；　or　to　kick　and　

pummel　his　failure　into　something　like　success；　either　to　accept　

defeat；　or　take　frenzy　for　a　counsellor。　　Yesterday；　in　cold　blood；　

he　had　judged　it　necessary　to　have　the　woods　to　the　westward　

guarded　lest　the　evacuation　of　Laulii　should　prove　only　the　peril　

of　Apia。　　To…day；　in　the　irritation　and　alarm　of　failure；　he　forgot　

or　despised　his　previous　reasoning；　and；　though　his　detachment　was　

beat　back　to　the　ships；　proceeded　with　the　remainder　of　his　maimed　

design。　　The　only　change　he　made　was　to　haul　down　the　flag　of　

truce。　　He　had　now　no　wish　to　meet　with　Mataafa。　　Words　were　out　of　

season；　shells　must　speak。



At　this　moment　an　incident　befell　him　which　must　have　been　trying　

to　his　self…command。　　The　new　American　ship　NIPSIC　entered　Laulii　

Bay；　her　commander；　Mullan；　boarded　the　ADLER　to　protest；　succeeded　

in　wresting　from　Knappe　a　period　of　delay　in　order　that　the　women　

might　be　spared；　and　sent　a　lieutenant　to　Mataafa　with　a　warning。　　

The　camp　was　already　excited　by　the　news　and　the　trophies　of　

Fangalii。　　Already　Tamasese　and　Lotoanuu　seemed　secondary　

objectives　to　the　Germans　and　Apia。　　Mullan's　message　put　an　end　to　

hesitation。　　Laulii　was　evacuated。　　The　troops　streamed　westward　by　

the　mountain　side；　and　took　up　the　same　day　a　strong　position　about　

Tanungamanono　and　Mangiangi；　some　two　miles　behind　Apia；　which　they　

threatened　with　the　one　hand；　while　with　the　other　they　continued　

to　draw　their　supplies　from　the　devoted　plantations　of　the　German　

firm。　　Laulii；　when　it　was　shelled；　was　empty。　　The　British　flags　

were；　of　course；　fired　upon；　and　I　hear　that　one　of　them　was　struck　

down；　but　I　think　every　one　must　be　privately　of　the　mind　that　it　

was　fired　upon　and　fell；　in　a　place　where　it　had　little　business　to　

be　shown。



Such　was　the　military　epilogue　to　the　ill…judged　adventure　of　

Fangalii；　it　was　difficult　for　failure　to　be　more　complete。　　But　

the　other　consequences　were　of　a　darker　colour　and　brought　the　

whites　immediately　face　to　face　in　a　spirit　of　ill…favoured　

animosity。　　Knappe　was　mourning　the　defeat　and　death　of　his　

country…folk；　he　was　standing　aghast　over　the　ruin　of　his　own　

career；　when　Mullan　boarded　him。　　The　successor　of　Leary　served　

himself；　in　that　bitter　moment；　heir　to　Leary's　part。　　And　in　

Mullan；　Knappe　saw　more　even　than　the　successor　of　Leary；　…　he　saw　

in　him　the　representative　of　Klein。　　Klein　had　hailed　the　praam　

from　the　rifle…pits；　he　had　there　uttered　ill…chosen　words；　

unhappily　prophetic；　it　is　even　likely　that　he　was　present　at　the　

time　of　the　first　fire。　　To　accuse　him　of　the　design　and　conduct　of　

the　whole　attack　was　but　a　step　forward；　his　own　vapouring　served　

to　corroborate　the　accusation；　and　it　was　not　long　before　the　

German　consulate　was　in　possession　of　sworn　native　testimony　in　

support。　　The　worth　of　native　testimony　is　small；　the　worth　of　

white　testimony　not　overwhelming；　and　I　am　in　the　painful　position　

of　not　being　able　to　subscribe　either　to　Klein's　own　account　of　the　

affair　or　to　that　of　his　accusers。　　Klein　was　extremely　flurried；　

his　interest　as　a　reporter　must　have　tempted　him　at　first　to　make　

the　most　of　his　share　in　the　exploit；　the　immediate　peril　in　which　

he　soon　found　himself　to　stand　must　have　at　least　suggested　to　him　

the　idea　of　minimising　it；　one　way　and　another；　he　is　not　a　good　

witness。　　As　for　the　natives；　they　were　no　doubt　cross…examined　in　

that　hall　of　terror；　the　German　consulate；　where　they　might　be　

trusted　to　lie　like　schoolboys；　or　（if　the　reader　prefer　it）　like　

Samoans。　　By　outside　white　testimony；　it　remains　established　for　me　

that　Klein　returned　to　Apia　either　before　or　immediately　after　the　

first　shots。　　That　he　ever　sought　or　was　ever　allowed　a　share　in　

the　command　may　be　denied　peremptorily；　but　it　is　more　than　likely　

that　he　expressed　himself　in　an　excited　manner　and　with　a　highly　

inflammatory　effect　upon　his　hearers。　　He　was；　at　least；　severely　

punished。　　The　Germans；　enraged　by　his　provocative　behaviour　and　

what　they　thought　to　be　his　German　birth；　demanded　him　to　be　tried　

before　court…martial；　he　had　to　skulk　inside　the　sentries　of　the　

American　consulate；　to　be　smuggled　on　board　a　war…ship；　and　to　be　

carried　almost　by　stealth　out　of　the　island；　and　what　with　the　

agitations　of　his　mind；　and　the　results　of　a　marsh　fever　contracted　

in　the　lines　of　Mataafa；　reached　Honolulu　a　very　proper　object　of　

commiseration。　　Nor　was　Klein　the　only　accused：　　de　Coetlogon　was　

himself　involved。　　As　the　boats　passed　Matautu；　Knappe　declares　a　

signal　was　made　from　the　British　consulate。　　Perhaps　we　should　

rather　read　〃from　its　neighbourhood〃；　since；　in　the　general　warding　

of　the　coast；　the　point　of　Matautu　could　scarce　have　been　

neglected。　　On　the　other　hand；　there　is　no　doubt　that　the　Samoans；　

in　the　anxiety　of　that　night　of　watching　and　fighting；　crowded　to　

the　friendly　consul　for　advice。　　Late　in　the　night；　the　wounded　

Siteoni；　lying　on　the　colonel's　verandah；　one　corner　of　which　had　

been　blinded　down　that　he　might　sleep；　heard　the　coming　and　going　

of　bare　feet　and　the　voices　of　eager　consultation。　　And　long　after；　

a　man