a footnote to history- 第3部分

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　corner；　but　since　he　left　Mulinuu；　none　on　the　beach　where　

islanders　prefer　to　live；　scarce　one　on　the　line　of　street。　　The　

handful　of　whites　have　everything；　the　natives　walk　in　a　foreign　

town。　　A　year　ago；　on　a　knoll　behind　a　bar…room；　he　might　have　

observed　a　native　house　guarded　by　sentries　and　flown　over　by　the　

standard　of　Samoa。　　He　would　then　have　been　told　it　was　the　seat　of　

government；　driven　（as　I　have　to　relate）　over　the　Mulivai　and　from　

beyond　the　German　town　into　the　Anglo…Saxon。　　To…day；　he　will　learn　

it　has　been　carted　back　again　to　its　old　quarters。　　And　he　will　

think　it　significant　that　the　king　of　the　islands　should　be　thus　

shuttled　to　and　fro　in　his　chief　city　at　the　nod　of　aliens。　　And　

then　he　will　observe　a　feature　more　significant　still：　　a　house　

with　some　concourse　of　affairs；　policemen　and　idlers　hanging　by；　a　

man　at　a　bank…counter　overhauling　manifests；　perhaps　a　trial　

proceeding　in　the　front　verandah；　or　perhaps　the　council　breaking　

up　in　knots　after　a　stormy　sitting。　　And　he　will　remember　that　he　

is　in　the　ELEELE　SA；　the　〃Forbidden　Soil；〃　or　Neutral　Territory　of　

the　treaties；　that　the　magistrate　whom　he　has　just　seen　trying　

native　criminals　is　no　officer　of　the　native　king's；　and　that　this；　

the　only　port　and　place　of　business　in　the　kingdom；　collects　and　

administers　its　own　revenue　for　its　own　behoof　by　the　hands　of　

white　councillors　and　under　the　supervision　of　white　consuls。　　Let　

him　go　further　afield。　　He　will　find　the　roads　almost　everywhere　to　

cease　or　to　be　made　impassable　by　native　pig…fences；　bridges　to　be　

quite　unknown；　and　houses　of　the　whites　to　become　at　once　a　rare　

exception。　　Set　aside　the　German　plantations；　and　the　frontier　is　

sharp。　　At　the　boundary　of　the　ELEELE　SA；　Europe　ends；　Samoa　

begins。　　Here；　then；　is　a　singular　state　of　affairs：　　all　the　

money；　luxury；　and　business　of　the　kingdom　centred　in　one　place；　

that　place　excepted　from　the　native　government　and　administered　by　

whites　for　whites；　and　the　whites　themselves　holding　it　not　in　

common　but　in　hostile　camps；　so　that　it　lies　between　them　like　a　

bone　between　two　dogs；　each　growling；　each　clutching　his　own　end。



Should　Apia　ever　choose　a　coat　of　arms；　I　have　a　motto　ready：　

〃Enter　Rumour　painted　full　of　tongues。〃　　The　majority　of　the　

natives　do　extremely　little；　the　majority　of　the　whites　are　

merchants　with　some　four　mails　in　the　month；　shopkeepers　with　some　

ten　or　twenty　customers　a　day；　and　gossip　is　the　common　resource　of　

all。　　The　town　hums　to　the　day's　news；　and　the　bars　are　crowded　

with　amateur　politicians。　　Some　are　office…seekers；　and　earwig　king　

and　consul；　and　compass　the　fall　of　officials；　with　an　eye　to　

salary。　　Some　are　humorists；　delighted　with　the　pleasure　of　faction　

for　itself。　　　〃I　never　saw　so　good　a　place　as　this　Apia；〃　said　one　

of　these；　〃you　can　be　in　a　new　conspiracy　every　day！〃　　Many；　on　the　

other　hand；　are　sincerely　con