a footnote to history- 第27部分

it　was　plain　they　should　be　landed　in　the　light　of　day；　with　a　

discouraging　openness；　and　even　with　parade。　　To　sneak　ashore　by　

night　was　to　increase　the　danger　of　resistance　and　to　minimise　the　

authority　of　the　attack。　　The　thing　was　a　bluff；　and　it　is　

impossible　to　bluff　with　stealth。　　Yet　this　was　what　was　tried。　　A　

landing…party　was　to　leave　the　OLGA　in　Apia　bay　at　two　in　the　

morning；　the　landing　was　to　be　at　four　on　two　parts　of　the　

foreshore　of　Vailele。　　At　eight　they　were　to　be　joined　by　a　second　

landing…party　from　the　EBER。　　By　nine　the　Olgas　were　to　be　on　the　

crest　of　Letongo　Mountain；　and　the　Ebers　to　be　moving　round　the　

promontory　by　the　seaward　paths；　〃with　measures　of　precaution；〃　

disarming　all　whom　they　encountered。　　There　was　to　be　no　firing　

unless　fired　upon。　　At　the　appointed　hour　（or　perhaps　later）　on　the　

morning　of　the　19th；　this　unpromising　business　was　put　in　hand；　and　

there　moved　off　from　the　OLGA　two　boats　with　some　fifty　blue…

jackets　between　them；　and　a　PRAAM　or　punt　containing　ninety；　…　the　

boats　and　the　whole　expedition　under　the　command　of　Captain…

Lieutenant　Jaeckel；　the　praam　under　Lieutenant　Spengler。　　The　men　

had　each　forty　rounds；　one　day's　provisions；　and　their　flasks　

filled。



In　the　meanwhile；　Mataafa　sympathisers　about　Apia　were　on　the　

alert。　　Knappe　had　informed　the　consuls　that　the　ships　were　to　put　

to　sea　next　day　for　the　protection　of　German　property；　but　the　

Tamaseses　had　been　less　discreet。　　〃To…morrow　at　the　hour　of　

seven；〃　they　had　cried　to　their　adversaries；　〃you　will　know　of　a　

difficulty；　and　our　guns　shall　be　made　good　in　broken　bones。〃　　An　

accident　had　pointed　expectation　towards　Apia。　　The　wife　of　Le　

Mamea　washed　for　the　German　ships　…　a　perquisite；　I　suppose；　for　

her　husband's　unwilling　fidelity。　　She　sent　a　man　with　linen　on　

board　the　ADLER；　where　he　was　surprised　to　see　Le　Mamea　in　person；　

and　to　be　himself　ordered　instantly　on　shore。　　The　news　spread。　　If　

Mamea　were　brought　down　from　Lotoanuu；　others　might　have　come　at　

the　same　time。　　Tamasese　himself　and　half　his　army　might　perhaps　

lie　concealed　on　board　the　German　ships。　　And　a　watch　was　

accordingly　set　and　warriors　collected　along　the　line　of　the　shore。　　

One　detachment　lay　in　some　rifle…pits　by　the　mouth　of　the　Fuisa。　　

They　were　commanded　by　Seumanu；　and　with　his　party；　probably　as　the　

most　contiguous　to　Apia；　was　the　war…correspondent；　John　Klein。　　Of　

English　birth；　but　naturalised　American；　this　gentleman　had　been　

for　some　time　representing　the　NEW　YORK　WORLD　in　a　very　effective　

manner；　always　in　the　front；　living　in　the　field　with　the　Samoans；　

and　in　all　vicissitudes　of　weather；　toiling　to　and　fro　with　his　

despatches。　　His　wisdom　was　perhaps　not　equal　to　his　energy。　　He　

made　himself　conspicuous；　going　about　armed　to　the　teeth　in　a　boat　

under　the　stars　and　stripes；　and　on　one　occasion；　when　he　supposed　

himself　fired　upon　by　the　Tamaseses；　had　the　petulance　to　empty　his　

revolver　in　the　direction　of　their　camp。　　By　the　light　of　the　moon；　

which　was　then　nearly　down；　this　party　observed　the　OLGA'S　two　

boats　and　the　praam；　which　they　described　as　〃almost　sinking　with　

men；〃　the　boats　keeping　well　out　towards　the　reef；　the　praam　at　the　

moment　apparently　heading　for　the　shore。　　An　extreme　agitation　

seems　to　have　reigned　in　the　rifle…pits。　　What　were　the　newcomers？　　

What　was　their　errand？　　Were　they　Germans　or　Tamaseses？　　Had　they　a　

mind　to　attack？　　The　praam　was　hailed　in　Samoan　and　did　not　answer。　　

It　was　proposed　to　fire　upon　her　ere　she　drew　near。　　And　at　last；　

whether　on　his　own　suggestion　or　that　of　Seumanu；　Klein　hailed　her　

in　English；　and　in　terms　of　unnecessary　melodrama。　　〃Do　not　try　to　

land　here；〃　he　cried。　　〃If　you　do；　your　blood　will　be　upon　your　

head。〃　　Spengler；　who　had　never　the　least　intention　to　touch　at　the　

Fuisa；　put　up　the　head　of　the　praam　to　her　true　course　and　

continued　to　move　up　the　lagoon　with　an　offing　of　some　seventy　or　

eighty　yards。　　Along　all　the　irregularities　and　obstructions　of　the　

beach；　across　the　mouth　of　the　Vaivasa；　and　through　the　startled　

village　of　Matafangatele；　Seumanu；　Klein；　and　seven　or　eight　others　

raced　to　keep　up；　spreading　the　alarm　and　rousing　reinforcements　as　

they　went。　　Presently　a　man　on　horse…back　made　his　appearance　on　

the　opposite　beach　of　Fangalii。　　Klein　and　the　natives　distinctly　

saw　him　signal　with　a　lantern；　which　is　the　more　strange；　as　the　

horseman　（Captain　Hufnagel；　plantation　manager　of　Vailele）　had　

never　a　lantern　to　signal　with。　　The　praam　kept　in。　　Many　men　in　

white　were　seen　to　stand　up；　step　overboard；　and　wade　to　shore。　　At　

the　same　time　the　eye　of　panic　descried　a　breastwork　of　〃foreign　

stone〃　（brick）　upon　the　beach。　　Samoans　are　prepared　to…day　to　

swear　to　its　existence；　I　believe　conscientiously；　although　no　such　

thing　was　ever　made　or　ever　intended　in　that　place。　　The　hour　is　

doubtful。　　〃It　was　the　hour　when　the　streak　of　dawn　is　seen；　the　

hour　known　in　the　warfare　of　heathen　times　as　the　hour　of　the　night　

attack；〃　says　the　Mataafa　official　account。　　A　native　whom　I　met　on　

the　field　declared　it　was　at　cock…crow。　　Captain　Hufnagel；　on　the　

other　hand；　is　sure　it　was　long　before　the　day。　　It　was　dark　at　

least；　and　the　moon　down。　　Darkness　made　the　Samoans　bold；　

uncertainty　as　to　the　composition　and　purpose　of　the　landing…party　

made　them　desperate。　　Fire　was　opened　on　the　Germans；　one　of　whom　

was　here　killed。　　The　Germans　returned　it；　and　effected　a　lodgment　

on　the　beach；　and　the　skirmish　died　again　to　silence。　　It　was　at　

this　time；　if　not　earlier；　that　Klein　returned　to　Apia。



Here；　then；　were　Spengler　and　the　ninety　men　of　the　praam；　landed　

on　the　beach　in　no　very　enviable　posture；　the　woods　in　front　filled　

with　unnumbered　enemies；　but　for　the　time　successful。　　Meanwhile；　

Jaeckel　and　the　boats　had　gone　outside　the　reef；　and　were　to　land　

on　the　other　side　of　the　Vailele　promontory；　at　Sunga；　by　the　

buildings　of　the　plantation。　　It　was　Hufnagel's　part　to　go　and　meet　

them。　　His　way　led　straight　into　the　woods　and　through　the　midst　of　

the　Samoans；　who　had　but　now　ceased　firing。　　He　went　in　the　saddle　

and　at　a　foot's　pace；　feeling　speed　and　concealment　to　be　equally　

helpless；　and　that　if　he　were　to　fall　at　all；　he　had　best　fall　with　

dignity。　　Not　a　shot　was　fired　at　him；　no　effort　made　to　arrest　him　

on　his　errand。　　As　he　went；　he　spoke　and　even　jested　with　the　

Samoans；　and　they　answered　in　good　part。　　One　fellow　was　leaping；　

yelling；　and　tossing　his　axe　in　the　air；　after　the　way　of　an　

excited　islander。　　〃FAIMALOSI！　go　it！〃　said　Hufnagel；　and　the　

fellow　laughed　and　redoubled　his　exertions。　　As　soon　as　the　boats　

entered　the　lagoon；　fire　was　again　opened　from　the　woods。　　The　

fifty　blue…jackets　jumped　overboard；　hove　down　the　boats　to　be　a　

shield；　and　dragged　them　towards　the　landing…place。　　In　this　way；　

their　rations；　and　（what　was　more　unfortunate）　some　of　their　

miserable　provision　of　forty　rounds　got　wetted；　but　the　men　came　to　

shore　and　garrisoned　the　plantation　house　without　a　casualty。　　

Meanwhile　the　sound　of　the　firing　from　Sunga　immediately　renewed　

the　hostilities　at　Fangalii。　　The　civilians　on　shore　decided　that　

Spengler　must　be　at　once　guided　to　the　house；　and　Haideln；　the　

surveyor；　accepted　the　dangerous　errand。　　Like　Hufnagel；　he　was　

suffered　to　pass　without　question　through　the　midst　of　these　

platonic　enemies。　　He　found　Spengler　some　way　inland　on　a　knoll；　

disastrously　engaged；　the　woods　around　him　filled　with　Samoans；　who　

were　continuously　reinforced。　　In　three　successive　charges；　

cheering　as　they　ran；　the　blue…jackets　burst　through　their　

scattered　opponents；　and　made　good　their　junction　with　Jaeckel。　　

Four　men　only　remained　upon　the　field；　the　other　wounded　being　

helped　by　their　comrades　or　dragging　themselves　painfully　along。



The　force　was　now　concentrated　in　the　house　and　its　immediate　patch　

of　garden。　　Their　rear；　to　the　seaward；　was　unmolested；　but　on　

three　sides　they　were　beleaguered。　　On　the　left；　the　Samoans　

occupied　and　fired　from　some　of　the　plantation　offices。　　In　front；　

a　long　rising　crest　of　land　in　the　horse…pasture　commanded　the　

house；　and　was　lined　with　the　assailants。　　And　on　the　right；　the　

hedge　of　the　same　paddock　afforded　them　a　dangerous　cover。　　It　was　

in　this　place　that　a　Samoan　sharpshooter　was　knocked　over　by　

Jaeckel　with　his　own　hand。　　The　fire　was　maintained　by　the　Samoans　

in　the　usual　wasteful　style。　　The　roof　was　made　a　sieve；　the　balls　

passed　clean　through　the　house；　Lieutenant　Sieger；　as　he　lay；　

already　dying；　on　Hufnagel's　bed；　was　despatched　with　a　fresh　

wound。　　The　Samoans　showed　themselves　extremely　enterprising：　　

pushed　their　lines　forward；　ventured　beyond　cover；　and　continually　

threatened　to　envelop　the　garden。　　Thrice；　at　least；　it　was　

necessary　to　repel　them　by　a　sally。　　The　men　were　bro