a footnote to history-第3节

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But　it　does　not　appear　he　was　at　all　expected　to　give　with　a　good　

grace。　　The　dictionary　is　well　stocked　with　expressions　standing　

ready；　like　missiles；　to　be　discharged　upon　the　locusts　…　〃troop　of　

shamefaced　ones；〃　〃you　draw　in　your　head　like　a　tern；〃　〃you　make　

your　voice　small　like　a　whistle…pipe；〃　〃you　beg　like　one　

delirious〃；　and　the　verb　PONGITAI；　〃to　look　cross；〃　is　equipped　

with　the　pregnant　rider；　〃as　at　the　sight　of　beggars。〃



This　insolence　of　beggars　and　the　weakness　of　proprietors　can　only　

be　illustrated　by　examples。　　We　have　a　girl　in　our　service　to　whom　

we　had　given　some　finery；　that　she　might　wait　at　table；　and　（at　her　

own　request）　some　warm　clothing　against　the　cold　mornings　of　the　

bush。　　She　went　on　a　visit　to　her　family；　and　returned　in　an　old　

tablecloth；　her　whole　wardrobe　having　been　divided　out　among　

relatives　in　the　course　of　twenty…four　hours。　　A　pastor　in　the　

province　of　Atua；　being　a　handy；　busy　man；　bought　a　boat　for　a　

hundred　dollars；　fifty　of　which　he　paid　down。　　Presently　after；　

relatives　came　to　him　upon　a　visit　and　took　a　fancy　to　his　new　

possession。　　〃We　have　long　been　wanting　a　boat；〃　said　they。　　〃Give　

us　this　one。〃　　So；　when　the　visit　was　done；　they　departed　in　the　

boat。　　The　pastor；　meanwhile；　travelled　into　Savaii　the　best　way　he　

could；　sold　a　parcel　of　land；　and　begged　mats　among　his　other　

relatives；　to　pay　the　remainder　of　the　price　of　the　boat　which　was　

no　longer　his。　　You　might　think　this　was　enough；　but　some　months　

later；　the　harpies；　having　broken　a　thwart；　brought　back　the　boat　

to　be　repaired　and　repainted　by　the　original　owner。



Such　customs；　it　might　be　argued；　being　double…edged；　will　

ultimately　right　themselves。　　But　it　is　otherwise　in　practice。　　

Such　folk　as　the　pastor's　harpy　relatives　will　generally　have　a　

boat；　and　will　never　have　paid　for　it；　such　men　as　the　pastor　may　

have　sometimes　paid　for　a　boat；　but　they　will　never　have　one。　　It　

is　there　as　it　is　with　us　at　home：　　the　measure　of　the　abuse　of　

either　system　is　the　blackness　of　the　individual　heart。　　The　same　

man；　who　would　drive　his　poor　relatives　from　his　own　door　in　

England；　would　besiege　in　Samoa　the　doors　of　the　rich；　and　the　

essence　of　the　dishonesty　in　either　case　is　to　pursue　one's　own　

advantage　and　to　be　indifferent　to　the　losses　of　one's　neighbour。　　

But　the　particular　drawback　of　the　Polynesian　system　is　to　depress　

and　stagger　industry。　　To　work　more　is　there　only　to　be　more　

pillaged；　to　save　is　impossible。　　The　family　has　then　made　a　good　

day　of　it　when　all　are　filled　and　nothing　remains　over　for　the　crew　

of　free…booters；　and　the　injustice　of　the　system　begins　to　be　

recognised　even　in　Samoa。　　One　native　is　said　to　have　amassed　a　

certain　fortune；　two　clever　lads　have　individually　expressed　to　us　

their　discontent　with　a　system　which　taxes　industry　to　pamper　

idleness；　and　I　hear　that　in　one　village　of　Savaii　a　law　has　been　

passed　forbidding　gifts　under　the　penalty　of　a　sharp　fine。



Under　this　economic　regimen；　the　unpopularity　of　taxes；　which　

strike　all　at　the　same　time；　which　expose　the　industrious　to　a　

perfect　siege　of　mendicancy；　and　the　lazy　to　be　actually　condemned　

to　a　day's　labour；　may　be　imagined　without　words。　　It　is　more　

important　to　note　the　concurrent　relaxation　of　all　sense　of　

property。　　From　applying　for　help　to　kinsmen　who　are　scarce　

permitted　to　refuse；　it　is　but　a　step　to　taking　from　them　（in　the　

dictionary　phrase）　〃without　permission〃；　from　that　to　theft　at　

large　is　but　a　hair's…breadth。







CHAPTER　II　…　THE　ELEMENTS　OF　DISCORD：　FOREIGN







THE　huge　majority　of　Samoans；　like　other　God…fearing　folk　in　other　

countries；　are　perfectly　content　with　their　own　manners。　　And　upon　

one　condition；　it　is　plain　they　might　enjoy　themselves　far　beyond　

the　average　of　man。　　Seated　in　islands　very　rich　in　food；　the　

idleness　of　the　many　idle　would　scarce　matter；　and　the　provinces　

might　continue　to　bestow　their　names　among　rival　pretenders；　and　

fall　into　war　and　enjoy　that　a　while；　and　drop　into　peace　and　enjoy　

that；　in　a　manner　highly　to　be　envied。　　But　the　condition　…　that　

they　should　be　let　alone　…　is　now　no　longer　possible。　　More　than　a　

hundred　years　ago；　and　following　closely　on　the　heels　of　Cook；　an　

irregular　invasion　of　adventurers　began　to　swarm　about　the　isles　of　

the　Pacific。　　The　seven　sleepers　of　Polynesia　stand；　still　but　half　

aroused；　in　the　midst　of　the　century　of　competition。　　And　the　

island　races；　comparable　to　a　shopful　of　crockery　launched　upon　the　

stream　of　time；　now　fall　to　make　their　desperate　voyage　among　pots　

of　brass　and　adamant。



Apia；　the　port　and　mart；　is　the　seat　of　the　political　sickness　of　

Samoa。　　At　the　foot　of　a　peaked；　woody　mountain；　the　coast　makes　a　

deep　indent；　roughly　semicircular。　　In　front　the　barrier　reef　is　

broken　by　the　fresh　water　of　the　streams；　if　the　swell　be　from　the　

north；　it　enters　almost　without　diminution；　and　the　war…ships　roll　

dizzily　at　their　moorings；　and　along　the　fringing　coral　which　

follows　the　configuration　of　the　beach；　the　surf　breaks　with　a　

continuous　uproar。　　In　wild　weather；　as　the　world　knows；　the　roads　

are　untenable。　　Along　the　whole　shore；　which　is　everywhere　green　

and　level　and　overlooked　by　inland　mountain…tops；　the　town　lies　

drawn　out　in　strings　and　clusters。　　The　western　horn　is　Mulinuu；　

the　eastern；　Matautu；　and　from　one　to　the　other　of　these　extremes；　

I　ask　the　reader　to　walk。　　He　will　find　more　of　the　history　of　

Samoa　spread　before　his　eyes　in　that　excursion；　than　has　yet　been　

collected　in　the　blue…books　or　the　white…books　of　the　world。　　

Mulinuu　（where　the　walk　is　to　begin）　is　a　flat；　wind…swept　

promontory；　planted　with　palms；　backed　against　a　swamp　of　

mangroves；　and　occupied　by　a　rather　miserable　village。　　The　reader　

is　informed　that　this　is　the　proper　residence　of　the　Samoan　kings；　

he　will　be　the　more　surprised　to　observe　a　board　set　up；　and　to　

read　that　this　historic　village　is　the　property　of　the　German　firm。　　

But　these　boards；　which　are　among　the　commonest　features　of　the　

landscape；　may　be　rather　taken　to　imply　that　the　claim　has　been　

disputed。　　A　little　farther　east　he　skirts　the　stores；　offices；　and　

barracks　of　the　firm　itself。　　Thence　he　will　pass　through　Matafele；　

the　one　really　town…like　portion　of　this　long　string　of　villages；　

by　German　bars　and　stores　and　the　German　consulate；　and　reach　the　

Catholic　mission　and　cathedral　standing　by　the　mouth　of　a　small　

river。　　The　bridge　which　crosses　here　（bridge　of　Mulivai）　is　a　

frontier；　behind　is　Matafele；　beyond；　Apia　proper；　behind；　Germans　

are　supreme；　beyond；　with　but　few　exceptions；　all　is　Anglo…Saxon。　　

Here　the　reader　will　go　forward　past　the　stores　of　Mr。　Moors　

（American）　and　Messrs。　MacArthur　（English）；　past　the　English　

mission；　the　office　of　the　English　newspaper；　the　English　church；　

and　the　old　American　consulate；　till　he　reaches　the　mouth　of　a　

larger　river；　the　Vaisingano。　　Beyond；　in　Matautu；　his　way　takes　

him　in　the　shade　of　many　trees　and　by　scattered　dwellings；　and　

presently　brings　him　beside　a　great　range　of　offices；　the　place　and　

the　monument　of　a　German　who　fought　the　German　firm　during　his　

life。　　His　house　（now　he　is　dead）　remains　pointed　like　a　discharged　

cannon　at　the　citadel　of　his　old　enemies。　　Fitly　enough；　it　is　at　

present　leased　and　occupied　by　Englishmen。　　A　little　farther；　and　

the　reader　gains　the　eastern　flanking　angle　of　the　bay；　where　

stands　the　pilot…house　and　signal…post；　and　whence　he　can　see；　on　

the　line　of　the　main　coast　of　the　island；　the　British　and　the　new　

American　consulates。



The　course　of　his　walk　will　have　been　enlivened　by　a　considerable　

to　and　fro　of　pleasure　and　business。　　He　will　have　encountered　many　

varieties　of　whites；　…　sailors；　merchants；　clerks；　priests；　

Protestant　missionaries　in　their　pith　helmets；　and　the　nondescript　

hangers…on　of　any　island　beach。　　And　the　sailors　are　sometimes　in　

considerable　force；　but　not　the　residents。　　He　will　think　at　times　

there　are　more　signboards　than　men　to　own　them。　　It　may　chance　it　

is　a　full　day　in　the　harbour；　he　will　then　have　seen　all　manner　of　

ships；　from　men…of…war　and　deep…sea　packets　to　the　labour　vessels　

of　the　German　firm　and　the　cockboat　island　schooner；　and　if　he　be　

of　an　arithmetical　turn；　he　may　calculate　that　there　are　more　

whites　afloat　in　Apia　bay　than　whites　ashore　in　the　whole　

Archipelago。　　On　the　other　hand；　he　will　have　encountered　all　ranks　

of　natives；　chiefs　and　pastors　in　their　scrupulous　white　clothes；　

perhaps　the　king　himself；　attended　by　guards　in　uniform；　smiling　

policemen　with　their　pewter　stars；　girls；　women；　crowds　of　cheerful　

children。　　And　he　will　have　asked　himself　with　some　surprise　where　

these　reside。　　Here　and　there；　in　the　back　yards　of　European　

establishments；　he　may　have　had　a　glimpse　of　a　native　house　elbowed　

in　a　cor