A　Footnote　to　History
  by　Robert　Louis　Stevenson
  PREFACE
  AN　affair　which　might　be　deemed　worthy　of　a　note　of　a　few　lines　in
  any　general　history　has　been　here　expanded　to　the　size　of　a　volume
  or　large　pamphlet。　　The　smallness　of　the　scale；　and　the　singularity
  of　the　manners　and　events　and　many　of　the　characters；　considered；
  it　is　hoped　that；　in　spite　of　its　outlandish　subject；　the　sketch
  may　find　readers。　　It　has　been　a　task　of　difficulty。　　Speed　was
  essential；　or　it　might　come　too　late　to　be　of　any　service　to　a
  distracted　country。　　Truth；　in　the　midst　of　conflicting　rumours　and
  in　the　dearth　of　printed　material；　was　often　hard　to　ascertain；　and
  since　most　of　those　engaged　were　of　my　personal　acquaintance；　it
  was　often　more　than　delicate　to　express。　　I　must　certainly　have
  erred　often　and　much；　it　is　not　for　want　of　trouble　taken　nor　of　an
  impartial　temper。　　And　if　my　plain　speaking　shall　cost　me　any　of
  the　friends　that　I　still　count；　I　shall　be　sorry；　but　I　need　not　be
  ashamed。
  In　one　particular　the　spelling　of　Samoan　words　has　been　altered；
  and　the　characteristic　nasal　N　of　the　language　written　throughout
  NG　instead　of　G。　　Thus　I　put　Pango…Pango；　instead　of　Pago…Pago；　the
  sound　being　that　of　soft　NG　in　English；　as　in　SINGER；　not　as　in
  FINGER。
  R。　L。　S。
  VAILIMA；
  UPOLU；
  SAMOA。
  EIGHT　YEARS　OF　TROUBLE　IN　SAMOA
  CHAPTER　I　…　THE　ELEMENTS　OF　DISCORD：　NATIVE
  THE　story　I　have　to　tell　is　still　going　on　as　I　write；　the
  characters　are　alive　and　active；　it　is　a　piece　of　contemporary
  history　in　the　most　exact　sense。　　And　yet；　for　all　its　actuality
  and　the　part　played　in　it　by　mails　and　telegraphs　and　iron
  warships；　the　ideas　and　the　manners　of　the　native　actors　date　back
  before　the　Roman　Empire。　　They　are　Christians；　church…goers；
  singers　of　hymns　at　family　worship；　hardy　cricketers；　their　books
  are　printed　in　London　by　Spottiswoode；　Trubner；　or　the　Tract
  Society；　but　in　most　other　points　they　are　the　contemporaries　of
  our　tattooed　ancestors　who　drove　their　chariots　on　the　wrong　side
  of　the　Roman　wall。　　We　have　passed　the　feudal　system；　they　are　not
  yet　clear　of　the　patriarchal。　　We　are　in　the　thick　of　the　age　of
  finance；　they　are　in　a　period　of　communism。　　And　this　makes　them
  hard　to　understand。
  To　us；　with　our　feudal　ideas；　Samoa　has　the　first　appearance　of　a
  land　of　despotism。　　An　elaborate　courtliness　marks　the　race　alone
  among　Polynesians；　terms　of　ceremony　fly　thick　as　oaths　on　board　a
  ship；　commoners　my…lord　each　other　when　they　meet　…　and　urchins　as
  they　play　marbles。　　And　for　the　real　noble　a　whole　private　dialect
  is　set　apart。　　The　common　names　for　an　axe；　for　blood；　for　bamboo；
  a　bamboo　knife；　a　pig；　food；　entrails；　and　an　oven　are　taboo　in　his
  presence；　as　the　common　names　for　a　bug　and　for　many　offices　and
  members　of　the　body　are　taboo　in　the　drawing…rooms　of　English
  ladies。　　Special　words　are　set　apart　for　his　leg；　his　face；　his
  hair；　his　belly；　his　eyelids；　his　son；　his　daughter；　his　wife；　his
  wife's　pregnancy；　his　wife's　adultery；　adultery　with　his　wife；　his
  dwelling；　his　spear；　his　comb；　his　sleep；　his　dreams；　his　anger；
  the　mutual　anger　of　several　chiefs；　his　food；　his　pleasure　in
  eating；　the　food　and　eating　of　his　pigeons；　his　ulcers；　his　cough；
  his　sickness；　his　recovery；　his　death；　his　being　carried　on　a　bier；
  the　exhumation　of　his　bones；　and　his　skull　after　death。　　To　address
  these　demigods　is　quite　a　branch　of　knowledge；　and　he　who　goes　to
  visit　a　high　chief　does　well　to　make　sure　of　the　competence　of　his
  interpreter。　　To　complete　the　picture；　the　same　word　signifies　the
  watching　of　a　virgin　and　the　warding　of　a　chief；　and　the　same　word
  means　to　cherish　a　chief　and　to　fondle　a　favourite　child。
  Men　like　us；　full　of　memories　of　feudalism；　hear　of　a　man　so
  addressed；　so　flattered；　and　we　leap　at　once　to　the　conclusion　that
  he　is　hereditary　and　absolute。　　Hereditary　he　is；　born　of　a　great
  family；　he　must　always　be　a　man　of　mark；　but　yet　his　office　is
  elective　and　（in　a　weak　sense）　is　held　on　good　behaviour。　　Compare
  the　case　of　a　Highland　chief：　　born　one　of　the　great　ones　of　his
  clan；　he　was　sometimes　appointed　its　chief　officer　and　conventional
  father；　was　loved；　and　respected；　and　served；　and　fed；　and　died　for
  implicitly；　if　he　gave　loyalty　a　chance；　and　yet　if　he　sufficiently
  outraged　clan　sentiment；　was　liable　to　deposition。　　As　to
  authority；　the　parallel　is　not　so　close。　　Doubtless　the　Samoan
  chief；　if　he　be　popular；　wields　a　great　influence；　but　it　is
  limited。　　Important　matters　are　debated　in　a　fono；　or　native
  parliament；　with　its　feasting　and　parade；　its　endless　speeches　and
  polite　genealogical　allusions。　　Debated；　I　say　…　not　decided；　for
  even　a　small　minority　will　often　strike　a　clan　or　a　province
  impotent。　　In　the　midst　of　these　ineffective　councils　the　chief
  sits　usually　silent：　　a　kind　of　a　gagged　audience　for　village
  orators。　　And　the　deliverance　of　the　fono　seems　（for　the　moment）　to
  be　final。　　The　absolute　chiefs　of　Tahiti　and　Hawaii　were　addressed
  as　plain　John　and　Thomas；　the　chiefs　of　Samoa　are　surfeited　with
  lip…honour；　but　the　seat　and　extent　of　their　actual　authority　is
  hard　to　find。
  It　is　so　in　the　members　of　the　state；　and　worse　in　the　belly。　　The
  idea　of　a　sovereign　pervades　the　air；　the　name　we　have；　the　thing
  we　are　not　so　sure　of。　　And　the　process　of　election　to　the　chief
  power　is　a　mystery。　　Certain　provinces　have　in　their　gift　certain
  high　titles；　or　NAMES；　as　they　are　called。　　These　can　only　be
  attributed　to　the　descendants　of　particular　lines。　　Once　granted；
  each　name　conveys　at　once　the　principality　（whatever　that　be　worth）
  of　the　province　which　bestows　it；　and　counts　as　one　suffrage
  towards　the　general　sovereignty　of　Samoa。　　To　be　indubitable　king；
  they　say；　or　some　of　them　say；　…　I　find　few　in　perfect　harmony；　…　a
  man　should　resume　five　of　these　names　in　his　own　person。　　But　the
  case　is　purely　hypothetical；　local　jealousy　forbids　its　occurrence。
  There　are　rival　provinces；　far　more　concerned　in　the　prosecution　of
  their　rivalry　than　in　the　choice　of　a　right　man　for　king。　　If　one
  of　these　shall　have　bestowed　its　name　on　competitor　A；　it　will　be
  the　signal　and　the　sufficient　reason　for　the　other　to　bestow　its
  name　on　competitor　B　or　C。　　The　majority　of　Savaii　and　that　of　Aana
  are　thus　in　perennial　opposition。　　Nor　is　this　all。　　In　1881；
  Laupepa；　the　present　king；　held　the　three　names　of　Malietoa；
  Natoaitele；　and　Tamasoalii；　Tamasese　held　that　of　Tuiaana；　and
  Mataafa　that　of　Tuiatua。　　Laupepa　had　thus　a　majority　of　suffrages；
  he　held　perhaps　as　high　a　proportion　as　can　be　hoped　in　these
  distracted　islands；　and　he　counted　among　the　number　the
  preponderant　name　of　Malietoa。　　Here；　if　ever；　was　an　election。
  Here；　if　a　king　were　at　all　possible；　was　the　king。　　And　yet　the
  natives　were　not　satisfied。　　Laupepa　was　crowned；　March　19th；　and
  next　month；　the　provinces　of　Aana　and　Atua　met　in　joint　parliament；
  and　elected　their　own　two　princes；　Tamasese　and　Mataafa；　to　an
  alternate　monarchy；　Tamasese　taking　the　first　trick　of　two　years。
  War　was　imminent；　when　the　consuls　interfered；　and　any　war　were
  preferable　to　the　terms　of　the　peace　which　they　procured。　　By　the
  Lackawanna　treaty；　Laupepa　was　confirmed　king；　and　Tamasese　set　by
  his　side　in　the　nondescript　office　of　vice…king。　　The　compromise
  was　not；　I　am　told；　without　precedent；　but　it　lacked　all　appearance
  of　success。　　To　the　constitution　of　Samoa；　which　was　already　all
  wheels　and　no　horses；　the　consuls　had　added　a　fifth　wheel。　　In
  addition　to　the　old　conundrum；　〃Who　is　the　king？〃　they　had　supplied
  a　new　one；　〃What　is　the　vice…king？〃
  Two　royal　lines；　some　cloudy　idea　of　alternation　between　the　two；
  an　electorate　in　which　the　vote　of　each　province　is　immediately
  effectual；　as　regards　itself；　so　that　every　candidate　who　attains
  one　name　becomes　a　perpetual　and　dangerous　competitor　for　the　other
  four：　　such　are　a　few　of　the　more　trenchant　absurdities。　　Many
  argue　that　the　whole　idea　of　sovereignty　is　modern　and　imported；
  but　it　seems　impossible　that　anything　so　foolish　should　have　been
  suddenly　devised；　and　the　constitution　bears　on　its　front　the　marks
  of　dotage。
  But　the　king；　once　elected　and　nominated；　what　does　he　become？　　It
  may　be　said　he　remains　precisely　as　he　was。　　Election　to　one　of　the
  five　names　is　significant；　it　brings　not　only　dignity　but　power；
  and　the　holder　is　secure；　from　that　moment；　of　a　certain　following
  in　war。　　But　I　cannot　find　that　the　further　step　of　election　to　the
  kingship　implies　anything　worth　mention。　　The　successful　candidate
  is　now　the　TUPU　O　SAMOA　…　much　good　may　it　do　him！　　He　can　so　sign
  himself　on　proclamations；　which　it　does　not　follow　that　any　one
  will　heed。　　He　can　su