a footnote to history-第20节

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the　word　employed。　　Germans　declare　besides　that　Scanlon　was　no　

American　subject；　they　declare　the　point　had　been　decided　by　court…

martial　in　1875；　that　Blacklock　had　the　decision　in　the　consular　

archives；　and　that　this　was　his　reason　for　handing　the　affair　to　

Leary。　　It　is　not　necessary　to　suppose　so。　　It　is　plain　he　thought　

little　of　the　business；　thought　indeed　nothing　of　it；　except　in　so　

far　as　armed　men　had　entered　the　neutral　territory　from　Mulinuu；　

and　it　was　on　this　ground　alone；　and　the　implied　breach　of　Becker's　

engagement　at　the　conference；　that　he　invited　Leary's　attention　to　

the　tale。　　The　impish　ingenuity　of　the　commander　perceived　in　it　

huge　possibilities　of　mischief。　　He　took　up　the　Scanlon　outrage；　

the　atrocity　of　the　threatened　pigs；　and　with　that　poor　instrument　

…　I　am　sure；　to　his　own　wonder　…　drove　Tamasese　out　of　Mulinuu。　　It　

was　〃an　intrigue；〃　Becker　complains。　　To　be　sure　it　was；　but　who　

was　Becker　to　be　complaining　of　intrigue？



On　the　7th　Leary　laid　before　Fritze　the　following　conundrum：　〃As　

the　natives　of　Mulinuu　appear　to　be　under　the　protection　of　the　

Imperial　German　naval　guard　belonging　to　the　vessel　under　your　

command；　I　have　the　honour　to　request　you　to　inform　me　whether　or　

not　they　are　under　such　protection？　　Amicable　relations；〃　pursued　

the　humorist；　〃amicable　relations　exist　between　the　government　of　

the　United　States　and　His　Imperial　German　Majesty's　government；　but　

we　do　not　recognise　Tamasese's　government；　and　I　am　desirous　of　

locating　the　responsibility　for　violations　of　American　rights。〃　　

Becker　and　Fritze　lost　no　time　in　explanation　or　denial；　but　went　

straight　to　the　root　of　the　matter　and　sought　to　buy　off　Scanlon。　　

Becker　declares　that　every　reparation　was　offered。　　Scanlon　takes　a　

pride　to　recapitulate　the　leases　and　the　situations　he　refused；　and　

the　long　interviews　in　which　he　was　tempted　and　plied　with　drink　by　

Becker　or　Beckmann　of　the　firm。　　No　doubt；　in　short；　that　he　was　

offered　reparation　in　reason　and　out　of　reason；　and；　being　

thoroughly　primed；　refused　it　all。　　Meantime　some　answer　must　be　

made　to　Leary；　and　Fritze　repeated　on　the　8th　his　oft…repeated　

assurances　that　he　was　not　authorised　to　deal　with　politics。　　The　

same　day　Leary　retorted：　〃The　question　is　not　one　of　diplomacy　nor　

of　politics。　　It　is　strictly　one　of　military　jurisdiction　and　

responsibility。　　Under　the　shadow　of　the　German　fort　at　Mulinuu；〃　

continued　the　hyperbolical　commander；　〃atrocities　have　been　

committed。　。　。　。　And　I　again　have　the　honour　respectfully　to　

request　to　be　informed　whether　or　not　the　armed　natives　at　Mulinuu　

are　under　the　protection　of　the　Imperial　German　naval　guard　

belonging　to　the　vessel　under　your　command。〃　　To　this　no　answer　was　

vouchsafed　till　the　11th；　and　then　in　the　old　terms；　and　meanwhile；　

on　the　10th；　Leary　got　into　his　gaiters　…　the　sure　sign；　as　was　

both　said　and　sung　aboard　his　vessel；　of　some　desperate　or　some　

amusing　service　…　and　was　set　ashore　at　the　Scanlons'　house。　　Of　

this　he　took　possession　at　the　head　of　an　old　woman　and　a　mop；　and　

was　seen　from　the　Tamasese　breastwork　directing　operations　and　

plainly　preparing　to　install　himself　there　in　a　military　posture。　　

So　much　he　meant　to　be　understood；　so　much　he　meant　to　carry　out；　

and　an　armed　party　from　the　ADAMS　was　to　have　garrisoned　on　the　

morrow　the　scene　of　the　atrocity。　　But　there　is　no　doubt　he　managed　

to　convey　more。　　No　doubt　he　was　a　master　in　the　art　of　loose　

speaking；　and　could　always　manage　to　be　overheard　when　he　wanted；　

and　by　this；　or　some　other　equally　unofficial　means；　he　spread　the　

rumour　that　on　the　morrow　he　was　to　bombard。



The　proposed　post；　from　its　position；　and　from　Leary's　well…

established　character　as　an　artist　in　mischief；　must　have　been　

regarded　by　the　Germans　with　uneasiness。　　In　the　bombardment　we　can　

scarce　suppose　them　to　have　believed。　　But　Tamasese　must　have　both　

believed　and　trembled。　　The　prestige　of　the　European　Powers　was　

still　unbroken。　　No　native　would　then　have　dreamed　of　defying　these　

colossal　ships；　worked　by　mysterious　powers；　and　laden　with　

outlandish　instruments　of　death。　　None　would　have　dreamed　of　

resisting　those　strange　but　quite　unrealised　Great　Powers；　

understood　（with　difficulty）　to　be　larger　than　Tonga　and　Samoa　put　

together；　and　known　to　be　prolific　of　prints；　knives；　hard　biscuit；　

picture…books；　and　other　luxuries；　as　well　as　of　overbearing　men　

and　inconsistent　orders。　　Laupepa　had　fallen　in　ill…blood　with　one　

of　them；　his　only　idea　of　defence　had　been　to　throw　himself　in　the　

arms　of　another；　his　name；　his　rank；　and　his　great　following　had　

not　been　able　to　preserve　him；　and　he　had　vanished　from　the　eyes　of　

men　…　as　the　Samoan　thinks　of　it；　beyond　the　sky。　　Asi；　Maunga；　

Tuiletu…funga；　had　followed　him　in　that　new　path　of　doom。　　We　have　

seen　how　carefully　Mataafa　still　walked；　how　he　dared　not　set　foot　

on　the　neutral　territory　till　assured　it　was　no　longer　sacred；　how　

he　withdrew　from　it　again　as　soon　as　its　sacredness　had　been　

restored；　and　at　the　bare　word　of　a　consul　（however　gilded　with　

ambiguous　promises）　paused　in　his　course　of　victory　and　left　his　

rival　unassailed　in　Mulinuu。　　And　now　it　was　the　rival's　turn。　　

Hitherto　happy　in　the　continued　support　of　one　of　the　white　Powers；　

he　now　found　himself　…　or　thought　himself　…　threatened　with　war　by　

no　less　than　two　others。



Tamasese　boats　as　they　passed　Matautu　were　in　the　habit　of　firing　

on　the　shore；　as　like　as　not　without　particular　aim；　and　more　in　

high　spirits　than　hostility。　　One　of　these　shots　pierced　the　house　

of　a　British　subject　near　the　consulate；　the　consul　reported　to　

Admiral　Fairfax；　and；　on　the　morning　of　the　10th；　the　admiral　

despatched　Captain　Kane　of　the　CALLIOPE　to　Mulinuu。　　Brandeis　met　

the　messenger　with　voluble　excuses　and　engagements　for　the　future。　　

He　was　told　his　explanations　were　satisfactory　so　far　as　they　went；　

but　that　the　admiral's　message　was　to　Tamasese；　the　DE　FACTO　king。　　

Brandeis；　not　very　well　assured　of　his　puppet's　courage；　attempted　

in　vain　to　excuse　him　from　appearing。　　No　DE　FACTO　king；　no　

message；　he　was　told：　　produce　your　DE　FACTO　king。　　And　Tamasese　

had　at　last　to　be　produced。　　To　him　Kane　delivered　his　errand：　　

that　the　LIZARD　was　to　remain　for　the　protection　of　British　

subjects；　that　a　signalman　was　to　be　stationed　at　the　consulate；　

that；　on　any　further　firing　from　boats；　the　signalman　was　to　notify　

the　LIZARD　and　she　to　fire　one　gun；　on　which　all　boats　must　lower　

sail　and　come　alongside　for　examination　and　the　detection　of　the　

guilty；　and　that；　〃in　the　event　of　the　boats　not　obeying　the　gun；　

the　admiral　would　not　be　responsible　for　the　consequences。〃　　It　was　

listened　to　by　Brandeis　and　Tamasese　〃with　the　greatest　attention。〃　　

Brandeis；　when　it　was　done；　desired　his　thanks　to　the　admiral　for　

the　moderate　terms　of　his　message；　and；　as　Kane　went　to　his　boat；　

repeated　the　expression　of　his　gratitude　as　though　he　meant　it；　

declaring　his　own　hands　would　be　thus　strengthened　for　the　

maintenance　of　discipline。　　But　I　have　yet　to　learn　of　any　

gratitude　on　the　part　of　Tamasese。　　Consider　the　case　of　the　poor　

owlish　man　hearing　for　the　first　time　our　diplomatic　commonplaces。　　

The　admiral　would　not　be　answerable　for　the　consequences。　　Think　of　

it！　　A　devil　of　a　position　for　a　DE　FACTO　king。　　And　here；　the　same　

afternoon；　was　Leary　in　the　Scalon　house；　mopping　it　out　for　

unknown　designs　by　the　hands　of　an　old　woman；　and　proffering　

strange　threats　of　bloodshed。　　Scanlon　and　his　pigs；　the　admiral　

and　his　gun；　Leary　and　his　bombardment；　…　what　a　kettle　of　fish！



I　dwell　on　the　effect　on　Tamasese。　　Whatever　the　faults　of　Becker；　

he　was　not　timid；　he　had　already　braved　so　much　for　Mulinuu　that　I　

cannot　but　think　he　might　have　continued　to　hold　up　his　head　even　

after　the　outrage　of　the　pigs；　and　that　the　weakness　now　shown　

originated　with　the　king。　　Late　in　the　night；　Blacklock　was　wakened　

to　receive　a　despatch　addressed　to　Leary。　　〃You　have　asked　that　I　

and　my　government　go　away　from　Mulinuu；　because　you　pretend　a　man　

who　lives　near　Mulinuu　and　who　is　under　your　protection；　has　been　

threatened　by　my　soldiers。　　As　your　Excellency　has　forbidden　the　

man　to　accept　any　satisfaction；　and　as　I　do　not　wish　to　make　war　

against　the　United　States；　I　shall　remove　my　government　from　

Mulinuu　to　another　place。〃　　It　was　signed　by　Tamasese；　but　I　think　

more　heads　than　his　had　wagged　over　the　direct　and　able　letter。　　On　

the　morning　of　the　11th；　accordingly；　Mulinuu　the　much　defended　lay　

desert。　　Tamasese　and　Brandeis　had　slipped　to　sea　in　a　schooner；　

their　troops　had　followed　them　in　boats；　the　German　sailors　and　

their　war…flag　had　returned　on　board　the　ADLER；　and　only　the　German　

merchant　flag　blew　there　for　Weber's　land…claim。　　Mulinuu；　for　

which　Becker　had　intrigued　so　long