a footnote to history-第5节

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import　〃labour〃　for　themselves；　if　they　could　afford　it；　and　would　

probably　maltreat　them　if　they　dared。　　It　is　said　the　whip　is　very　

busy　on　some　of　the　plantations；　it　is　said　that　punitive　extra…

labour；　by　which　the　thrall's　term　of　service　is　extended；　has　

grown　to　be　an　abuse；　and　it　is　complained　that；　even　where　that　

term　is　out；　much　irregularity　occurs　in　the　repatriation　of　the　

discharged。　　To　all　this　I　can　say　nothing；　good　or　bad。　　A　certain　

number　of　the　thralls；　many　of　them　wild　negritos　from　the　west；　

have　taken　to　the　bush；　harbour　there　in　a　state　partly　bestial；　or　

creep　into　the　back　quarters　of　the　town　to　do　a　day's　stealthy　

labour　under　the　nose　of　their　proprietors。　　Twelve　were　arrested　

one　morning　in　my　own　boys'　kitchen。　　Farther　in　the　bush；　huts；　

small　patches　of　cultivation；　and　smoking　ovens；　have　been　found　by　

hunters。　　There　are　still　three　runaways　in　the　woods　of　Tutuila；　

whither　they　escaped　upon　a　raft。　　And　the　Samoans　regard　these　

dark…skinned　rangers　with　extreme　alarm；　the　fourth　refugee　in　

Tutuila　was　shot　down　（as　I　was　told　in　that　island）　while　carrying　

off　the　virgin　of　a　village；　and　tales　of　cannibalism　run　round　the　

country；　and　the　natives　shudder　about　the　evening　fire。　　For　the　

Samoans　are　not　cannibals；　do　not　seem　to　remember　when　they　were；　

and　regard　the　practice　with　a　disfavour　equal　to　our　own。



The　firm　is　Gulliver　among　the　Lilliputs；　and　it　must　not　be　

forgotten；　that　while　the　small；　independent　traders　are　fighting　

for　their　own　hand；　and　inflamed　with　the　usual　jealousy　against　

corporations；　the　Germans　are　inspired　with　a　sense　of　the　

greatness　of　their　affairs　and　interests。　　The　thought　of　the　money　

sunk；　the　sight　of　these　costly　and　beautiful　plantations；　menaced　

yearly　by　the　returning　forest；　and　the　responsibility　of　

administering　with　one　hand　so　many　conjunct　fortunes；　might　well　

nerve　the　manager　of　such　a　company　for　desperate　and　questionable　

deeds。　　Upon　this　scale；　commercial　sharpness　has　an　air　of　

patriotism；　and　I　can　imagine　the　man；　so　far　from　haggling　over　

the　scourge　for　a　few　Solomon　islanders；　prepared　to　oppress　rival　

firms；　overthrow　inconvenient　monarchs；　and　let　loose　the　dogs　of　

war。　　Whatever　he　may　decide；　he　will　not　want　for　backing。　　Every　

clerk　will　be　eager　to　be　up　and　strike　a　blow；　and　most　Germans　in　

the　group；　whatever　they　may　babble　of　the　firm　over　the　walnuts　

and　the　wine；　will　rally　round　the　national　concern　at　the　approach　

of　difficulty。　　They　are　so　few　…　I　am　ashamed　to　give　their　

number；　it　were　to　challenge　contradiction　…　they　are　so　few；　and　

the　amount　of　national　capital　buried　at　their　feet　is　so　vast；　

that　we　must　not　wonder　if　they　seem　oppressed　with　greatness　and　

the　sense　of　empire。　　Other　whites　take　part　in　our　brabbles；　while　

temper　holds　out；　with　a　certain　schoolboy　entertainment。　　In　the　

Germans　alone；　no　trace　of　humour　is　to　be　observed；　and　their　

solemnity　is　accompanied　by　a　touchiness　often　beyond　belief。　　

Patriotism　flies　in　arms　about　a　hen；　and　if　you　comment　upon　the　

colour　of　a　Dutch　umbrella；　you　have　cast　a　stone　against　the　

German　Emperor。　　I　give　one　instance；　typical　although　extreme。　　

One　who　had　returned　from　Tutuila　on　the　mail　cutter　complained　of　

the　vermin　with　which　she　is　infested。　　He　was　suddenly　and　sharply　

brought　to　a　stand。　　The　ship　of　which　he　spoke；　he　was　reminded；　

was　a　German　ship。



John　Caesar　Godeffroy　himself　had　never　visited　the　islands；　his　

sons　and　nephews　came；　indeed；　but　scarcely　to　reap　laurels；　and　

the　mainspring　and　headpiece　of　this　great　concern；　until　death　

took　him；　was　a　certain　remarkable　man　of　the　name　of　Theodor　

Weber。　　He　was　of　an　artful　and　commanding　character；　in　the　

smallest　thing　or　the　greatest；　without　fear　or　scruple；　equally　

able　to　affect；　equally　ready　to　adopt；　the　most　engaging　

politeness　or　the　most　imperious　airs　of　domination。　　It　was　he　who　

did　most　damage　to　rival　traders；　it　was　he　who　most　harried　the　

Samoans；　and　yet　I　never　met　any　one；　white　or　native；　who　did　not　

respect　his　memory。　　All　felt　it　was　a　gallant　battle；　and　the　man　

a　great　fighter；　and　now　when　he　is　dead；　and　the　war　seems　to　have　

gone　against　him；　many　can　scarce　remember；　without　a　kind　of　

regret；　how　much　devotion　and　audacity　have　been　spent　in　vain。　　

His　name　still　lives　in　the　songs　of　Samoa。　　One；　that　I　have　

heard；　tells　of　MISI　UEBA　and　a　biscuit…box　…　the　suggesting　

incident　being　long　since　forgotten。　　Another　sings　plaintively　how　

all　things；　land　and　food　and　property；　pass　progressively；　as　by　a　

law　of　nature；　into　the　hands　of　MISI　UEBA；　and　soon　nothing　will　

be　left　for　Samoans。　　This　is　an　epitaph　the　man　would　have　

enjoyed。



At　one　period　of　his　career；　Weber　combined　the　offices　of　director　

of　the　firm　and　consul　for　the　City　of　Hamburg。　　No　question　but　he　

then　drove　very　hard。　　Germans　admit　that　the　combination　was　

unfortunate；　and　it　was　a　German　who　procured　its　overthrow。　　

Captain　Zembsch　superseded　him　with　an　imperial　appointment；　one　

still　remembered　in　Samoa　as　〃the　gentleman　who　acted　justly。〃　　

There　was　no　house　to　be　found；　and　the　new　consul　must　take　up　his　

quarters　at　first　under　the　same　roof　with　Weber。　　On　several　

questions；　in　which　the　firm　was　vitally　interested；　Zembsch　

embraced　the　contrary　opinion。　　Riding　one　day　with　an　Englishman　

in　Vailele　plantation；　he　was　startled　by　a　burst　of　screaming；　

leaped　from　the　saddle；　ran　round　a　house；　and　found　an　overseer　

beating　one　of　the　thralls。　　He　punished　the　overseer；　and；　being　a　

kindly　and　perhaps　not　a　very　diplomatic　man；　talked　high　of　what　

he　felt　and　what　he　might　consider　it　his　duty　to　forbid　or　to　

enforce。　　The　firm　began　to　look　askance　at　such　a　consul；　and　

worse　was　behind。　　A　number　of　deeds　being　brought　to　the　consulate　

for　registration；　Zembsch　detected　certain　transfers　of　land　in　

which　the　date；　the　boundaries；　the　measure；　and　the　consideration　

were　all　blank。　　He　refused　them　with　an　indignation　which　he　does　

not　seem　to　have　been　able　to　keep　to　himself；　and；　whether　or　not　

by　his　fault；　some　of　these　unfortunate　documents　became　public。　　

It　was　plain　that　the　relations　between　the　two　flanks　of　the　

German　invasion；　the　diplomatic　and　the　commercial；　were　strained　

to　bursting。　　But　Weber　was　a　man　ill　to　conquer。　　Zembsch　was　

recalled；　and　from　that　time　forth；　whether　through　influence　at　

home；　or　by　the　solicitations　of　Weber　on　the　spot；　the　German　

consulate　has　shown　itself　very　apt　to　play　the　game　of　the　German　

firm。　　That　game；　we　may　say；　was　twofold；　…　the　first　part　even　

praiseworthy；　the　second　at　least　natural。　　On　the　one　part；　they　

desired　an　efficient　native　administration；　to　open　up　the　country　

and　punish　crime；　they　wished；　on　the　other；　to　extend　their　own　

provinces　and　to　curtail　the　dealings　of　their　rivals。　　In　the　

first；　they　had　the　jealous　and　diffident　sympathy　of　all　whites；　

in　the　second；　they　had　all　whites　banded　together　against　them　for　

their　lives　and　livelihoods。　　It　was　thus　a　game　of　BEGGAR　MY　

NEIGHBOUR　between　a　large　merchant　and　some　small　ones。　　Had　it　so　

remained；　it　would　still　have　been　a　cut…throat　quarrel。　　But　when　

the　consulate　appeared　to　be　concerned；　when　the　war…ships　of　the　

German　Empire　were　thought　to　fetch　and　carry　for　the　firm；　the　

rage　of　the　independent　traders　broke　beyond　restraint。　　And；　

largely　from　the　national　touchiness　and　the　intemperate　speech　of　

German　clerks；　this　scramble　among　dollar…hunters　assumed　the　

appearance　of　an　inter…racial　war。



The　firm；　with　the　indomitable　Weber　at　its　head　and　the　consulate　

at　its　back　…　there　has　been　the　chief　enemy　at　Samoa。　　No　English　

reader　can　fail　to　be　reminded　of　John　Company；　and　if　the　Germans　

appear　to　have　been　not　so　successful；　we　can　only　wonder　that　our　

own　blunders　and　brutalities　were　less　severely　punished。　　Even　on　

the　field　of　Samoa；　though　German　faults　and　aggressors　make　up　the　

burthen　of　my　story；　they　have　been　nowise　alone。　　Three　nations　

were　engaged　in　this　infinitesimal　affray；　and　not　one　appears　with　

credit。　　They　figure　but　as　the　three　ruffians　of　the　elder　play…

wrights。　　The　United　States　have　the　cleanest　hands；　and　even　

theirs　are　not　immaculate。　　It　was　an　ambiguous　business　when　a　

private　American　adventurer　was　landed　with　his　pieces　of　artillery　

from　an　American　war…ship；　and　became　prime　minister　to　the　king。　　

It　is　true　（even　if　he　were　ever　really　supported）　that　he　was　soon　

dropped　and　had　soon　sold　himself　for　money　to　the　German　firm。　　I　

will　leave　it　to　the　reader　whether　this　trait　dignifies　or　not　the　

wretched　story。　　And　the　end　of　it　spattered　the　credit　alike　of　

England　and　the　States；　when　this　man　（the　premier　of　a　friendly　

sovereign）　was　kidnapped　a