a footnote to history-第29节

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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　who　had　been　discharged　from　the　colonel's　employment　took　

upon　himself　to　swear　an　affidavit　as　to　the　nature　of　the　advice　

then　given；　and　to　carry　the　document　to　the　German　consul。　　It　was　

an　act　of　private　revenge；　it　fell　long　out　of　date　in　the　good　

days　of　Dr。　Stuebel；　and　had　no　result　but　to　discredit　the　

gentleman　who　volunteered　it。　　Colonel　de　Coetlogon　had　his　faults；　

but　they　did　not　touch　his　honour；　his　bare　word　would　always　

outweigh　a　waggon…load　of　such　denunciations；　and　he　declares　his　

behaviour　on　that　night　to　have　been　blameless。　　The　question　was　

besides　inquired　into　on　the　spot　by　Sir　John　Thurston；　and　the　

colonel　honourably　acquitted。　　But　during　the　weeks　that　were　now　

to　follow；　Knappe　believed　the　contrary；　he　believed　not　only　that　

Moors　and　others　had　supplied　ammunition　and　Klein　commanded　in　the　

field；　but　that　de　Coetlogon　had　made　the　signal　of　attack；　that　

though　his　blue…jackets　had　bled　and　fallen　against　the　arms　of　

Samoans；　these　were　supplied；　inspired；　and　marshalled　by　Americans　

and　English。



The　legend　was　the　more　easily　believed　because　it　embraced　and　was　

founded　upon　so　much　truth。　　Germans　lay　dead；　the　German　wounded　

groaned　in　their　cots；　and　the　cartridges　by　which　they　fell　had　

been　sold　by　an　American　and　brought　into　the　country　in　a　British　

bottom。　　Had　the　transaction　been　entirely　mercenary；　it　would　

already　have　been　hard　to　swallow；　but　it　was　notoriously　not　so。　　

British　and　Americans　were　notoriously　the　partisans　of　Mataafa。　　

They　rejoiced　in　the　result　of　Fangalii；　and　so　far　from　seeking　to　

conceal　their　rejoicing；　paraded　and　displayed　it。　　Calumny　ran　

high。　　Before　the　dead　were　buried；　while　the　wounded　yet　lay　in　

pain　and　fever；　cowardly　accusations　of　cowardice　were　levelled　at　

the　German　blue…jackets。　　It　was　said　they　had　broken　and　run　

before　their　enemies；　and　that　they　had　huddled　helpless　like　sheep　

in　the　plantation　house。　　Small　wonder　if　they　had；　small　wonder　

had　they　been　utterly　destroyed。　　But　the　fact　was　heroically　

otherwise；　and　these　dastard　calumnies　cut　to　the　blood。　　They　are　

not　forgotten；　perhaps　they　will　never　be　forgiven。



In　the　meanwhile；　events　were　pressing　towards　a　still　more　

trenchant　opposition。　　On　the　20th；　the　three　consuls　met　and　

parted　without　agreement；　Knappe　announcing　that　he　had　lost　men　

and　must　take　the　matter　in　his　own　hands　to　avenge　their　death。　　

On　the　21st　the　OLGA　came　before　Matafangatele；　ordered　the　

delivery　of　all　arms　within　the　hour；　and　at　the　end　of　that　

period；　none　being　brought；　shelled　and　burned　the　village。　　The　

shells　fell　for　the　most　part　innocuous；　an　eyewitness　saw　children　

at　play　beside　the　flaming　houses；　not　a　soul　was　injured；　and　the　

one　noteworthy　event　was　the　mutilation　of　Captain　Hamilton's　

American　flag。　　In　one　sense　an　incident　too　small　to　be　

chronicled；　in　another　this　was　of　historic　interest　and　import。　　

These　rags　of　tattered　bunting　occasioned　the　display　of　a　new　

sentiment　in　the　United　States；　and　the　republic　of　the　West；　

hitherto　so　apathetic　and　unwieldy；　but　already　stung　by　German　

nonchalance；　leaped　to　its　feet　for　the　first　time　at　the　news　of　

this　fresh　insult。　　As　though　to　make　the　inefficiency　of　the　war…

ships　more　apparent；　three　shells　were　thrown　inland　at　Mangiangi；　

they　flew　high　over　the　Mataafa　camp；　where　the　natives　could　〃hear　

them　singing〃　as　they　flew；　and　fell　behind　in　the　deep　romantic　

valley　of　the　Vaisingano。　　Mataafa　had　been　already　summoned　on　

board　the　ADLER；　his　life　promised　if　he　came；　declared　〃in　danger〃　

if　he　came　not；　and　he　had　declined　in　silence　the　unattractive　

invitation。　　These　fresh　hostile　acts　showed　him　that　the　worst　had　

come。　　He　was　in　strength；　his　force　posted　along　the　whole　front　

of　the　mountain　behind　Apia；　Matautu　occupied；　the　Siumu　road　lined　

up　to　the　houses　of　the　town　with　warriors　passionate　for　war。　　The　

occasion　was　unique；　and　there　is　no　doubt　that　he　designed　to　

seize　it。　　The　same　day　of　this　bombardment；　he　sent　word　bidding　

all　English　and　Americans　wear　a　black　band　upon　their　arm；　so　that　

his　men　should　recognise　and　spare　them。　　The　hint　was　taken；　and　

the　band　worn　for　a　continuance　of　days。　　To　have　refused　would　

have　been　insane；　but　to　consent　was　unhappily　to　feed　the　

resentment　of　the　Germans　by　a　fresh　sign　of　intelligence　with　

their　enemies；　and　to　widen　the　breach　between　the　races　by　a　fresh　

and　a　scarce　pardonable　mark　of　their　division。　　The　same　day　again　

the　Germans　repeated　one　of　their　earlier　offences　by　firing　on　a　

boat　within　the　harbour。　　Times　were　changed；　they　were　now　at　war　

and　in　peril；　the　rigour　of　military　advantage　might　well　be　seized　

by　them　and　pardoned　by　others；　but　it　so　chanced　that　the　bullets　

flew　about　the　ears　of　Captain　Hand；　and　that　commander　is　said　to　

hav