a footnote to history- 第31部分

board　the　TRENTON；　only　one。



The　night　of　the　16th　was　still　notable　for　a　howling　tempest　and　

extraordinary　floods　of　rain。　　It　was　feared　the　wreck　could　scarce　

continue　to　endure　the　breaching　of　the　seas；　among　the　Germans；　

the　fate　of　those　on　board　the　ADLER　awoke　keen　anxiety；　and　

Knappe；　on　the　beach　of　Matautu；　and　the　other　officers　of　his　

consulate　on　that　of　Matafele；　watched　all　night。　　The　morning　of　

the　17th　displayed　a　scene　of　devastation　rarely　equalled：　　the　

ADLER　high　and　dry；　the　OLGA　and　NIPSIC　beached；　the　TRENTON　partly　

piled　on　the　VANDALIA　and　herself　sunk　to　the　gun…deck；　no　sail　

afloat；　and　the　beach　heaped　high　with　the　DEBRIS　of　ships　and　the　

wreck　of　mountain　forests。　　Already；　before　the　day；　Seumanu；　the　

chief　of　Apia；　had　gallantly　ventured　forth　by　boat　through　the　

subsiding　fury　of　the　seas；　and　had　succeeded　in　communicating　with　

the　admiral；　already；　or　as　soon　after　as　the　dawn　permitted；　

rescue　lines　were　rigged；　and　the　survivors　were　with　difficulty　

and　danger　begun　to　be　brought　to　shore。　　And　soon　the　cheerful　

spirit　of　the　admiral　added　a　new　feature　to　the　scene。　　Surrounded　

as　he　was　by　the　crews　of　two　wrecked　ships；　he　paraded　the　band　of　

the　TRENTON；　and　the　bay　was　suddenly　enlivened　with　the　strains　of　

〃Hail　Columbia。〃



During　a　great　part　of　the　day　the　work　of　rescue　was　continued；　

with　many　instances　of　courage　and　devotion；　and　for　a　long　time　

succeeding；　the　almost　inexhaustible　harvest　of　the　beach　was　to　be　

reaped。　　In　the　first　employment；　the　Samoans　earned　the　gratitude　

of　friend　and　foe；　in　the　second；　they　surprised　all　by　an　

unexpected　virtue；　that　of　honesty。　　The　greatness　of　the　disaster；　

and　the　magnitude　of　the　treasure　now　rolling　at　their　feet；　may　

perhaps　have　roused　in　their　bosoms　an　emotion　too　serious　for　the　

rule　of　greed；　or　perhaps　that　greed　was　for　the　moment　satiated。　　

Sails　that　twelve　strong　Samoans　could　scarce　drag　from　the　water；　

great　guns　（one　of　which　was　rolled　by　the　sea　on　the　body　of　a　

man；　the　only　native　slain　in　all　the　hurricane）；　an　infinite　

wealth　of　rope　and　wood；　of　tools　and　weapons；　tossed　upon　the　

beach。　　Yet　I　have　never　heard　that　much　was　stolen；　and　beyond　

question；　much　was　very　honestly　returned。　　On　both　accounts；　for　

the　saving　of　life　and　the　restoration　of　property；　the　government　

of　the　United　States　showed　themselves　generous　in　reward。　　A　fine　

boat　was　fitly　presented　to　Seumanu；　and　rings；　watches；　and　money　

were　lavished　on　all　who　had　assisted。　　The　Germans　also　gave　money　

at　the　rate　（as　I　receive　the　tale）　of　three　dollars　a　head　for　

every　German　saved。　　The　obligation　was　in　this　instance　

incommensurably　deep；　those　with　whom　they　were　at　war　had　saved　

the　German　blue…jackets　at　the　venture　of　their　lives；　Knappe　was；　

besides；　far　from　ungenerous；　and　I　can　only　explain　the　niggard　

figure　by　supposing　it　was　paid　from　his　own　pocket。　　In　one　case；　

at　least；　it　was　refused。　　〃I　have　saved　three　Germans；〃　said　the　

rescuer；　〃I　will　make　you　a　present　of　the　three。〃



The　crews　of　the　American　and　German　squadrons　were　now　cast；　still　

in　a　bellicose　temper；　together　on　the　beach。　　The　discipline　of　

the　Americans　was　notoriously　loose；　the　crew　of　the　NIPSIC　had　

earned　a　character　for　lawlessness　in　other　ports；　and　recourse　was　

had　to　stringent　and　indeed　extraordinary　measures。　　The　town　was　

divided　in　two　camps；　to　which　the　different　nationalities　were　

confined。　　Kimberley　had　his　quarter　sentinelled　and　patrolled。　　

Any　seaman　disregarding　a　challenge　was　to　be　shot　dead；　any　

tavern…keeper　who　sold　spirits　to　an　American　sailor　was　to　have　

his　tavern　broken　and　his　stock　destroyed。　　Many　of　the　publicans　

were　German；　and　Knappe；　having　narrated　these　rigorous　but　

necessary　dispositions；　wonders　（grinning　to　himself　over　his　

despatch）　how　far　these　Americans　will　go　in　their　assumption　of　

jurisdiction　over　Germans。　　Such　as　they　were；　the　measures　were　

successful。　　The　incongruous　mass　of　castaways　was　kept　in　peace；　

and　at　last　shipped　in　peace　out　of　the　islands。



Kane　returned　to　Apia　on　the　19th；　to　find　the　CALLIOPE　the　sole　

survivor　of　thirteen　sail。　　He　thanked　his　men；　and　in　particular　

the　engineers；　in　a　speech　of　unusual　feeling　and　beauty；　of　which　

one　who　was　present　remarked　to　another；　as　they　left　the　ship；　

〃This　has　been　a　means　of　grace。〃　　Nor　did　he　forget　to　thank　and　

compliment　the　admiral；　and　I　cannot　deny　myself　the　pleasure　of　

transcribing　from　Kimberley's　reply　some　generous　and　engaging　

words。　　〃My　dear　captain；〃　he　wrote；　〃your　kind　note　received。　　You　

went　out　splendidly；　and　we　all　felt　from　our　hearts　for　you；　and　

our　cheers　came　with　sincerity　and　admiration　for　the　able　manner　

in　which　you　handled　your　ship。　　We　could　not　have　been　gladder　if　

it　had　been　one　of　our　ships；　for　in　a　time　like　that　I　can　truly　

say　with　old　Admiral　Josiah　Latnall；　'that　blood　is　thicker　than　

water。'〃　　One　more　trait　will　serve　to　build　up　the　image　of　this　

typical　sea…officer。　　A　tiny　schooner；　the　EQUATOR；　Captain　Edwin　

Reid；　dear　to　myself　from　the　memories　of　a　six　months'　cruise；　

lived　out　upon　the　high　seas　the　fury　of　that　tempest　which　had　

piled　with　wrecks　the　harbour　of　Apia；　found　a　refuge　in　Pango…

Pango；　and　arrived　at　last　in　the　desolated　port　with　a　welcome　and　

lucrative　cargo　of　pigs。　　The　admiral　was　glad　to　have　the　pigs；　

but　what　most　delighted　the　man's　noble　and　childish　soul；　was　to　

see　once　more　afloat　the　colours　of　his　country。



Thus；　in　what　seemed　the　very　article　of　war；　and　within　the　

duration　of　a　single　day；　the　sword…arm　of　each　of　the　two　angry　

Powers　was　broken；　their　formidable　ships　reduced　to　junk；　their　

disciplined　hundreds　to　a　horde　of　castaways；　fed　with　difficulty；　

and　the　fear　of　whose　misconduct　marred　the　sleep　of　their　

commanders。　　Both　paused　aghast；　both　had　time　to　recognise　that　

not　the　whole　Samoan　Archipelago　was　worth　the　loss　in　men　and　

costly　ships　already　suffered。　　The　so…called　hurricane　of　March　

16th　made　thus　a　marking　epoch　in　world…history；　directly；　and　at　

once；　it　brought　about　the　congress　and　treaty　of　Berlin；　

indirectly；　and　by　a　process　still　continuing；　it　founded　the　

modern　navy　of　the　States。　　Coming　years　and　other　historians　will　

declare　the　influence　of　that。







CHAPTER　XI　…　LAUPEPA　AND　MATAAFA

1889…1892







WITH　the　hurricane；　the　broken　war…ships；　and　the　stranded　sailors；　

I　am　at　an　end　of　violence；　and　my　tale　flows　henceforth　among　

carpet　incidents。　　The　blue…jackets　on　Apia　beach　were　still　

jealously　held　apart　by　sentries；　when　the　powers　at　home　were　

already　seeking　a　peaceable　solution。　　It　was　agreed；　so　far　as　

might　be；　to　obliterate　two　years　of　blundering；　and　to　resume　in　

1889；　and　at　Berlin；　those　negotiations　which　had　been　so　unhappily　

broken　off　at　Washington　in　1887。　　The　example　thus　offered　by　

Germany　is　rare　in　history；　in　the　career　of　Prince　Bismarck；　so　

far　as　I　am　instructed；　it　should　stand　unique。　　On　a　review　of　

these　two　years　of　blundering；　bullying；　and　failure　in　a　little　

isle　of　the　Pacific；　he　seems　magnanimously　to　have　owned　his　

policy　was　in　the　wrong。　　He　left　Fangalii　unexpiated；　suffered　

that　house　of　cards；　the　Tamasese　government；　to　fall　by　its　own　

frailty　and　without　remark　or　lamentation；　left　the　Samoan　question　

openly　and　fairly　to　the　conference：　　and　in　the　meanwhile；　to　

allay　the　local　heats　engendered　by　Becker　and　Knappe；　he　sent　to　

Apia　that　invaluable　public　servant；　Dr。　Stuebel。　　I　should　be　a　

dishonest　man　if　I　did　not　bear　testimony　to　the　loyalty　since　

shown　by　Germans　in　Samoa。　　Their　position　was　painful；　they　had　

talked　big　in　the　old　days；　now　they　had　to　sing　small。　　Even　

Stuebel　returned　to　the　islands　under　the　prejudice　of　an　

unfortunate　record。　　To　the　minds　of　the　Samoans　his　name　

represented　the　beginning　of　their　sorrows；　and　in　his　first　term　

of　office　he　had　unquestionably　driven　hard。　　The　greater　his　merit　

in　the　surprising　success　of　the　second。　　So　long　as　he　stayed；　the　

current　of　affairs　moved　smoothly；　he　left　behind　him　on　his　

departure　all　men　at　peace；　and　whether　by　fortune；　or　for　the　want　

of　that　wise　hand　of　guidance；　he　was　scarce　gone　before　the　clouds　

began　to　gather　once　more　on　our　horizon。



Before　the　first　convention；　Germany　and　the　States　hauled　down　

their　flags。　　It　was　so　done　again　before　the　second；　and　Germany；　

by　a　still　more　emphatic　step　of　retrogression；　returned　the　exile　

Laupepa　to　his　native　shores。　　For　two　years　the　unfortunate　man　

had　trembled　and　suffered　in　the　Cameroons；　in　Germany；　in　the　

rainy　Marshalls。　　When　he　left　（September　1887）　Tamasese　was　king；　

served　by　five　iron　war…ships；　his　right　to　rule　（like　a　dogma　of　

the　Church）　was　placed　outside　dispute；　the　Germans　were　still；　as　

they　were　called　at　that　last　tearful　interview　in　the　house　by　the　

river；　〃the　invincible　strangers〃；　the　thought　of　resistance；　far　

less　the　hope　of　success；　had　not　yet　dawned　on　the　Samoan　mind。　　

He　returned　（November　1889）　to　a　changed　world。　　The　Tupua　party　

was　reduced　to　sue　for　peace；　Brandeis　was　withdrawn；　Tamasese　was　

dying　obscurely　of　a　broken　heart；　the　German　flag　no　longer　waved　

over　the　capital；　and　over　all　the　islands　one　figure　stood　

supreme。　　During　Laupepa's　absence　this　man　had　succeeded　him　in　

all　his　honours　and　titles；　in　tenfold　more　than　all　his　power　and　

popularity。　　He　was　the　idol　of　the　whole　nation　but　the　rump　of　

the　Tamaseses；　and　of　these　he　was　already　the　secret　admiration。　　

In　his　position　there　was　but　one　weak　point；　…　that　he　had　even　

been　tacitly　excluded　by　the　Germans。　　Becker；　indeed；　once　

coquetted　with　the　thought　of　patronising　him；　but　the　project　had　

no　sequel；　and　i