a footnote to history-第21节

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

which　Becker　had　intrigued　so　long　and　so　often；　for　which　he　had　

overthrown　the　municipality；　for　which　he　had　abrogated　and　refused　

and　invented　successive　schemes　of　neutral　territory；　was　now　no　

more　to　the　Germans　than　a　very　unattractive；　barren　peninsula　and　

a　very　much　disputed　land…claim　of　Mr。　Weber's。　　It　will　scarcely　

be　believed　that　the　tale　of　the　Scanlon　outrages　was　not　yet　

finished。　　Leary　had　gained　his　point；　but　Scanlon　had　lost　his　

compensation。　　And　it　was　months　later；　and　this　time　in　the　shape　

of　a　threat　of　bombardment　in　black　and　white；　that　Tamasese　heard　

the　last　of　the　absurd　affair。　　Scanlon　had　both　his　fun　and　his　

money；　and　Leary's　practical　joke　was　brought　to　an　artistic　end。



Becker　sought　and　missed　an　instant　revenge。　　Mataafa；　a　devout　

Catholic；　was　in　the　habit　of　walking　every　morning　to　mass　from　

his　camp　at　Vaiala　beyond　Matautu　to　the　mission　at　the　Mulivai。　　

He　was　sometimes　escorted　by　as　many　as　six　guards　in　uniform；　who　

displayed　their　proficiency　in　drill　by　perpetually　shifting　arms　

as　they　marched。　　Himself；　meanwhile；　paced　in　front；　bareheaded　

and　barefoot；　a　staff　in　his　hand；　in　the　customary　chief's　dress　

of　white　kilt；　shirt；　and　jacket；　and　with　a　conspicuous　rosary　

about　his　neck。　　Tall　but　not　heavy；　with　eager　eyes　and　a　marked　

appearance　of　courage　and　capacity；　Mataafa　makes　an　admirable　

figure　in　the　eyes　of　Europeans；　to　those　of　his　countrymen；　he　may　

seem　not　always　to　preserve　that　quiescence　of　manner　which　is　

thought　becoming　in　the　great。　　On　the　morning　of　October　16th　he　

reached　the　mission　before　day　with　two　attendants；　heard　mass；　had　

coffee　with　the　fathers；　and　left　again　in　safety。　　The　smallness　

of　his　following　we　may　suppose　to　have　been　reported。　　He　was　

scarce　gone；　at　least；　before　Becker　had　armed　men　at　the　mission　

gate　and　came　in　person　seeking　him。



The　failure　of　this　attempt　doubtless　still　further　exasperated　the　

consul；　and　he　began　to　deal　as　in　an　enemy's　country。　　He　had　

marines　from　the　ADLER　to　stand　sentry　over　the　consulate　and　

parade　the　streets　by　threes　and　fours。　　The　bridge　of　the　

Vaisingano；　which　cuts　in　half　the　English　and　American　quarters；　

he　closed　by　proclamation　and　advertised　for　tenders　to　demolish　

it。　　On　the　17th　Leary　and　Pelly　landed　carpenters　and　repaired　it　

in　his　teeth。　　Leary；　besides；　had　marines　under　arms；　ready　to　

land　them　if　it　should　be　necessary　to　protect　the　work。　　But　

Becker　looked　on　without　interference；　perhaps　glad　enough　to　have　

the　bridge　repaired；　for　even　Becker　may　not　always　have　offended　

intentionally。　　Such　was　now　the　distracted　posture　of　the　little　

town：　　all　government　extinct；　the　German　consul　patrolling　it　with　

armed　men　and　issuing　proclamations　like　a　ruler；　the　two　other　

Powers　defying　his　commands；　and　at　least　one　of　them　prepared　to　

use　force　in　the　defiance。　　Close　on　its　skirts　sat　the　warriors　of　

Mataafa；　perhaps　four　thousand　strong；　highly　incensed　against　the　

Germans；　having　all　to　gain　in　the　seizure　of　the　town　and　firm；　

and；　like　an　army　in　a　fairy　tale；　restrained　by　the　air…drawn　

boundary　of　the　neutral　ground。



I　have　had　occasion　to　refer　to　the　strange　appearance　in　these　

islands　of　an　American　adventurer　with　a　battery　of　cannon。　　The　

adventurer　was　long　since　gone；　but　his　guns　remained；　and　one　of　

them　was　now　to　make　fresh　history。　　It　had　been　cast　overboard　by　

Brandeis　on　the　outer　reef　in　the　course　of　this　retreat；　and　word　

of　it　coming　to　the　ears　of　the　Mataafas；　they　thought　it　natural　

that　they　should　serve　themselves　the　heirs　of　Tamasese。　　On　the　

23rd　a　Manono　boat　of　the　kind　called　TAUMUALUA　dropped　down　the　

coast　from　Mataafa's　camp；　called　in　broad　day　at　the　German　

quarter　of　the　town　for　guides；　and　proceeded　to　the　reef。　　Here；　

diving　with　a　rope；　they　got　the　gun　aboard；　and　the　night　being　

then　come；　returned　by　the　same　route　in　the　shallow　water　along　

shore；　singing　a　boat…song。　　It　will　be　seen　with　what　childlike　

reliance　they　had　accepted　the　neutrality　of　Apia　bay；　they　came　

for　the　gun　without　concealment；　laboriously　dived　for　it　in　broad　

day　under　the　eyes　of　the　town　and　shipping；　and　returned　with　it；　

singing　as　they　went。　　On　Grevsmuhl's　wharf；　a　light　showed　them　a　

crowd　of　German　blue…jackets　clustered；　and　a　hail　was　heard。　　

〃Stop　the　singing　so　that　we　may　hear　what　is　said；〃　said　one　of　

the　chiefs　in　the　TAUMUALUA。　　The　song　ceased；　the　hail　was　heard　

again；　〃AU　MAI　LE　FANA　…　bring　the　gun〃；　and　the　natives　report　

themselves　to　have　replied　in　the　affirmative；　and　declare　that　

they　had　begun　to　back　the　boat。　　It　is　perhaps　not　needful　to　

believe　them。　　A　volley　at　least　was　fired　from　the　wharf；　at　about　

fifty　yards'　range　and　with　a　very　ill　direction；　one　bullet　

whistling　over　Pelly's　head　on　board　the　LIZARD。　　The　natives　

jumped　overboard；　and　swimming　under　the　lee　of　the　TAUMUALUA　

（where　they　escaped　a　second　volley）　dragged　her　towards　the　east。　　

As　soon　as　they　were　out　of　range　and　past　the　Mulivai；　the　German　

border；　they　got　on　board　and　（again　singing　…　though　perhaps　a　

different　song）　continued　their　return　along　the　English　and　

American　shore。　　Off　Matautu　they　were　hailed　from　the　seaward　by　

one　of　the　ADLER'S　boats；　which　had　been　suddenly　despatched　on　the　

sound　of　the　firing　or　had　stood　ready　all　evening　to　secure　the　

gun。　　The　hail　was　in　German；　the　Samoans　knew　not　what　it　meant；　

but　took　the　precaution　to　jump　overboard　and　swim　for　land。　　Two　

volleys　and　some　dropping　shot　were　poured　upon　them　in　the　water；　

but　they　dived；　scattered；　and　came　to　land　unhurt　in　different　

quarters　of　Matautu。　　The　volleys；　fired　inshore；　raked　the　

highway；　a　British　house　was　again　pierced　by　numerous　bullets；　and　

these　sudden　sounds　of　war　scattered　consternation　through　the　

town。



Two　British　subjects；　Hetherington…Carruthers；　a　solicitor；　and　

Maben；　a　land…surveyor　…　the　first　being　in　particular　a　man　well　

versed　in　the　native　mind　and　language　…　hastened　at　once　to　their　

consul；　assured　him　the　Mataafas　would　be　roused　to　fury　by　this　

onslaught　in　the　neutral　zone；　that　the　German　quarter　would　be　

certainly　attacked；　and　the　rest　of　the　town　and　white　inhabitants　

exposed　to　a　peril　very　difficult　of　estimation；　and　prevailed　upon　

him　to　intrust　them　with　a　mission　to　the　king。　　By　the　time　they　

reached　headquarters；　the　warriors　were　already　taking　post　round　

Matafele；　and　the　agitation　of　Mataafa　himself　was　betrayed　in　the　

fact　that　he　spoke　with　the　deputation　standing　and　gun　in　hand：　　a　

breach　of　high…chief　dignity　perhaps　unparalleled。　　The　usual　

result；　however；　followed：　　the　whites　persuaded　the　Samoan；　and　

the　attack　was　countermanded；　to　the　benefit　of　all　concerned；　and　

not　least　of　Mataafa。　　To　the　benefit　of　all；　I　say；　for　I　do　not　

think　the　Germans　were　that　evening　in　a　posture　to　resist；　the　

liquor…cellars　of　the　firm　must　have　fallen　into　the　power　of　the　

insurgents；　and　I　will　repeat　my　formula　that　a　mob　is　a　mob；　a　

drunken　mob　is　a　drunken　mob；　and　a　drunken　mob　with　weapons　in　its　

hands　is　a　drunken　mob　with　weapons　in　its　hands；　all　the　world　

over。



In　the　opinion　of　some；　then；　the　town　had　narrowly　escaped　

destruction；　or　at　least　the　miseries　of　a　drunken　sack。　　To　the　

knowledge　of　all；　the　air　of　the　neutral　territory　had　once　more　

whistled　with　bullets。　　And　it　was　clear　the　incident　must　have　

diplomatic　consequences。　　Leary　and　Pelly　both　protested　to　Fritze。　　

Leary　announced　he　should　report　the　affair　to　his　government　〃as　a　

gross　violation　of　the　principles　of　international　law；　and　as　a　

breach　of　the　neutrality。〃　　〃I　positively　decline　the　protest；〃　

replied　Fritze；　〃and　cannot　fail　to　express　my　astonishment　at　the　

tone　of　your　last　letter。〃　　This　was　trenchant。　　It　may　be　said；　

however；　that　Leary　was　already　out　of　court；　that；　after　the　night　

signals　and　the　Scanlon　incident；　and　so　many　other　acts　of　

practical　if　humorous　hostility；　his　position　as　a　neutral　was　no　

better　than　a　doubtful　jest。　　The　case　with　Pelly　was　entirely　

different；　and　with　Pelly；　Fritze　was　less　well　inspired。　　In　his　

first　note；　he　was　on　the　old　guard；　announced　that　he　had　acted　on　

the　requisition　of　his　consul；　who　was　alone　responsible　on　〃the　

legal　side〃；　and　declined　accordingly　to　discuss　〃whether　the　lives　

of　British　subjects　were　in　danger；　and　to　what　extent　armed　

intervention　was　necessary。〃　　Pelly　replied　judiciously　that　he　had　

nothing　to　do　with　political　matters；　being　only　responsible　for　

the　safety　of　Her　Majesty's　ships　under　his　command　and　for　the　

lives　and　property　of　British　subjects；　that　he　had　considered　his　

protest　a　purely　naval　one；　and　as　the　matter　stood　could　onl