a footnote to history-第36节

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expected　with　an　impatience；　with　a　childishness　of　trust；　that　can　

hardly　be　exaggerated。　　Months　passed；　these　angel…deliverers　still　

delayed　to　arrive；　and　the　impatience　of　the　natives　became　changed　

to　an　ominous　irritation。　　They　have　had　much　experience　of　being　

deceived；　and　they　began　to　think　they　were　deceived　again。　　A　

sudden　crop　of　superstitious　stories　buzzed　about　the　islands。　　

Rivers　had　come　down　red；　unknown　fishes　had　been　taken　on　the　reef　

and　found　to　be　marked　with　menacing　runes；　a　headless　lizard　

crawled　among　chiefs　in　council；　the　gods　of　Upolu　and　Savaii　made　

war　by　night；　they　swam　the　straits　to　battle；　and；　defaced　by　

dreadful　wounds；　they　had　besieged　the　house　of　a　medical　

missionary。　　Readers　will　remember　the　portents　in　mediaeval　

chronicles；　or　those　in　JULIUS　CAESAR　when





〃Fierce　fiery　warriors　fought　upon　the　clouds

In　ranks　and　squadrons。〃





And　doubtless　such　fabrications　are；　in　simple　societies；　a　natural　

expression　of　discontent；　and　those　who　forge；　and　even　those　who　

spread　them；　work　towards　a　conscious　purpose。



Early　in　January　1891　this　period　of　expectancy　was　brought　to　an　

end　by　the　arrival　of　Conrad　Cedarcrantz；　chief　justice　of　Samoa。　　

The　event　was　hailed　with　acclamation；　and　there　was　much　about　the　

new　official　to　increase　the　hopes　already　entertained。　　He　was　

seen　to　be　a　man　of　culture　and　ability；　in　public；　of　an　excellent　

presence　…　in　private；　of　a　most　engaging　cordiality。　　But　there　

was　one　point；　I　scarce　know　whether　to　say　of　his　character　or　

policy；　which　immediately　and　disastrously　affected　public　feeling　

in　the　islands。　　He　had　an　aversion；　part　judicial；　part　perhaps　

constitutional；　to　haste；　and　he　announced　that；　until　he　should　

have　well　satisfied　his　own　mind；　he　should　do　nothing；　that　he　

would　rather　delay　all　than　do　aught　amiss。　　It　was　impossible　to　

hear　this　without　academical　approval；　impossible　to　hear　it　

without　practical　alarm。　　The　natives　desired　to　see　activity；　they　

desired　to　see　many　fair　speeches　taken　on　a　body　of　deeds　and　

works　of　benefit。　　Fired　by　the　event　of　the　war；　filled　with　

impossible　hopes；　they　might　have　welcomed　in　that　hour　a　ruler　of　

the　stamp　of　Brandeis；　breathing　hurry；　perhaps　dealing　blows。　　And　

the　chief　justice；　unconscious　of　the　fleeting　opportunity；　ripened　

his　opinions　deliberately　in　Mulinuu；　and　had　been　already　the　

better　part　of　half　a　year　in　the　islands　before　he　went　through　

the　form　of　opening　his　court。　　The　curtain　had　risen；　there　was　no　

play。　　A　reaction；　a　chill　sense　of　disappointment；　passed　about　

the　island；　and　intrigue；　one　moment　suspended；　was　resumed。



In　the　Berlin　Act；　the　three　Powers　recognise；　on　the　threshold；　

〃the　independence　of　the　Samoan　government；　and　the　free　right　of　

the　natives　to　elect　their　chief　or　king　and　choose　their　form　of　

government。〃　　True；　the　text　continues　that；　〃in　view　of　the　

difficulties　that　surround　an　election　in　the　present　disordered　

condition　of　the　government；〃　Malietoa　Laupepa　shall　be　recognised　

as　king；　〃unless　the　three　Powers　shall　by　common　accord　otherwise　

declare。〃　　But　perhaps　few　natives　have　followed　it　so　far；　and　

even　those　who　have；　were　possibly　all　cast　abroad　again　by　the　

next　clause：　〃and　his　successor　shall　be　duly　elected　according　to　

the　laws　and　customs　of　Samoa。〃　　The　right　to　elect；　freely　given　

in　one　sentence；　was　suspended　in　the　next；　and　a　line　or　so　

further　on　appeared　to　be　reconveyed　by　a　side…wind。　　The　reason　

offered　for　suspension　was　ludicrously　false；　in　May　1889；　when　Sir　

Edward　Malet　moved　the　matter　in　the　conference；　the　election　of　

Mataafa　was　not　only　certain　to　have　been　peaceful；　it　could　not　

have　been　opposed；　and　behind　the　English　puppet　it　was　easy　to　

suspect　the　hand　of　Germany。　　No　one　is　more　swift　to　smell　

trickery　than　a　Samoan；　and　the　thought；　that；　under　the　long；　

bland；　benevolent　sentences　of　the　Berlin　Act；　some　trickery　lay　

lurking；　filled　him　with　the　breath　of　opposition。　　Laupepa　seems　

never　to　have　been　a　popular　king。　　Mataafa；　on　the　other　hand；　

holds　an　unrivalled　position　in　the　eyes　of　his　fellow…countrymen；　

he　was　the　hero　of　the　war；　he　had　lain　with　them　in　the　bush；　he　

had　borne　the　heat　and　burthen　of　the　day；　they　began　to　claim　that　

he　should　enjoy　more　largely　the　fruits　of　victory；　his　exclusion　

was　believed　to　be　a　stroke　of　German　vengeance；　his　elevation　to　

the　kingship　was　looked　for　as　the　fitting　crown　and　copestone　of　

the　Samoan　triumph；　and　but　a　little　after　the　coming　of　the　chief　

justice；　an　ominous　cry　for　Mataafa　began　to　arise　in　the　islands。　　

It　is　difficult　to　see　what　that　official　could　have　done　but　what　

he　did。　　He　was　loyal；　as　in　duty　bound；　to　the　treaty　and　to　

Laupepa；　and　when　the　orators　of　the　important　and　unruly　islet　of　

Manono　demanded　to　his　face　a　change　of　kings；　he　had　no　choice　but　

to　refuse　them；　and　（his　reproof　being　unheeded）　to　suspend　the　

meeting。　　Whether　by　any　neglect　of　his　own　or　the　mere　force　of　

circumstance；　he　failed；　however；　to　secure　the　sympathy；　failed　

even　to　gain　the　confidence；　of　Mataafa。　　The　latter　is　not　without　

a　sense　of　his　own　abilities　or　of　the　great　service　he　has　

rendered　to　his　native　land。　　He　felt　himself　neglected；　at　the　

very　moment　when　the　cry　for　his　elevation　rang　throughout　the　

group　he　thought　himself　made　little　of　on　Mulinuu；　and　he　began　to　

weary　of　his　part。　　In　this　humour；　he　was　exposed　to　a　temptation　

which　I　must　try　to　explain；　as　best　I　may　be　able；　to　Europeans。



The　bestowal　of　the　great　name；　Malietoa；　is　in　the　power　of　the　

district　of　Malie；　some　seven　miles　to　the　westward　of　Apia。　　The　

most　noisy　and　conspicuous　supporters　of　that　party　are　the　

inhabitants　of　Manono。　　Hence　in　the　elaborate；　allusive　oratory　of　

Samoa；　Malie　is　always　referred　to　by　the　name　of　PULE　（authority）　

as　having　the　power　of　the　name；　and　Manono　by　that　of　AINGA　（clan；　

sept；　or　household）　as　forming　the　immediate　family　of　the　chief。　　

But　these；　though　so　important；　are　only　small　communities；　and　

perhaps　the　chief　numerical　force　of　the　Malietoas　inhabits　the　

island　of　Savaii。　　Savaii　has　no　royal　name　to　bestow；　all　the　five　

being　in　the　gift　of　different　districts　of　Upolu；　but　she　has　the　

weight　of　numbers；　and　in　these　latter　days　has　acquired　a　certain　

force　by　the　preponderance　in　her　councils　of　a　single　man；　the　

orator　Lauati。　　The　reader　will　now　understand　the　peculiar　

significance　of　a　deputation　which　should　embrace　Lauati　and　the　

orators　of　both　Malie　and　Manono；　how　it　would　represent　all　that　

is　most　effective　on　the　Malietoa　side；　and　all　that　is　most　

considerable　in　Samoan　politics；　except　the　opposite　feudal　party　

of　the　Tupua。　　And　in　the　temptation　brought　to　bear　on　Mataafa；　

even　the　Tupua　was　conjoined。　　Tamasese　was　dead。　　His　followers　

had　conceived　a　not　unnatural　aversion　to　all　Germans；　from　which　

only　the　loyal　Brandeis　is　excepted；　and　a　not　unnatural　admiration　

for　their　late　successful　adversary。　　Men　of　his　own　blood　and　

clan；　men　whom　he　had　fought　in　the　field；　whom　he　had　driven　from　

Matautu；　who　had　smitten　him　back　time　and　again　from　before　the　

rustic　bulwarks　of　Lotoanuu；　they　approached　him　hand　in　hand　with　

their　ancestral　enemies　and　concurred　in　the　same　prayer。　　The　

treaty　（they　argued）　was　not　carried　out。　　The　right　to　elect　their　

king　had　been　granted　them；　or　if　that　were　denied　or　suspended；　

then　the　right　to　elect　〃his　successor。〃　　They　were　dissatisfied　

with　Laupepa；　and　claimed；　〃according　to　the　laws　and　customs　of　

Samoa；〃　duly　to　appoint　another。　　The　orators　of　Malie　declared　

with　irritation　that　their　second　appointment　was　alone　valid　and　

Mataafa　the　sole　Malietoa；　the　whole　body　of　malcontents　named　him　

as　their　choice　for　king；　and　they　requested　him　in　consequence　to　

leave　Apia　and　take　up　his　dwelling　in　Malie；　the　name…place　of　

Malietoa；　a　step　which　may　be　described；　to　European　ears；　as　

placing　before　the　country　his　candidacy　for　the　crown。



I　do　not　know　when　the　proposal　was　first　made。　　Doubtless　the　

disaffection　grew　slowly；　every　trifle　adding　to　its　force；　

doubtless　there　lingered　for　long　a　willingness　to　give　the　new　

government　a　trial。　　The　chief　justice　at　least　had　been　nearly　

five　months　in　the　country；　and　the　president；　Baron　Senfft　von　

Pilsach；　rather　more　than　a　month　before　the　mine　was　sprung。　　On　

May　31；　1891；　the　house　of　Mataafa　was　found　empty；　he　and　his　

chiefs　had　vanished　from　Apia；　and；　what　was　worse；　three　

prisoners；　liberated　from　the　gaol；　had　accompanied　them　in　their　

secession；　two　being　political　offenders；　and　the　third　（accused　of　

murder）　having　been　perhaps　set　free　by　accident。　　Although　the　

step　had　been　discussed　in　certain　quarters；　it　took　all　men　by