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　concerned　for　the　future　of　the　country。
  The　quarters　are　so　close　and　the　scale　is　so　small；　that　perhaps
  not　any　one　can　be　trusted　always　to　preserve　his　temper。　　Every
  one　tells　everything　he　knows；　that　is　our　country　sickness。
  Nearly　every　one　has　been　betrayed　at　times；　and　told　a　trifle
  more；　the　way　our　sickness　takes　the　predisposed。　　And　the　news
  flies；　and　the　tongues　wag；　and　fists　are　shaken。　　Pot　boil　and
  caldron　bubble！
  Within　the　memory　of　man；　the　white　people　of　Apia　lay　in　the　worst
  squalor　of　degradation。　　They　are　now　unspeakably　improved；　both
  men　and　women。　　To…day　they　must　be　called　a　more　than　fairly
  respectable　population；　and　a　much　more　than　fairly　intelligent。
  The　whole　would　probably　not　fill　the　ranks　of　even　an　English
  half…battalion；　yet　there　are　a　surprising　number　above　the　average
  in　sense；　knowledge；　and　manners。　　The　trouble　（for　Samoa）　is　that
  they　are　all　here　after　a　livelihood。　　Some　are　sharp
  practitioners；　some　are　famous　（justly　or　not）　for　foul　play　in
  business。　　Tales　fly。　　One　merchant　warns　you　against　his
  neighbour；　the　neighbour　on　the　first　occasion　is　found　to　return
  the　compliment：　　each　with　a　good　circumstantial　story　to　the
  proof。　　There　is　so　much　copra　in　the　islands；　and　no　more；　a　man's
  share　of　it　is　his　share　of　bread；　and　commerce；　like　politics；　is
  here　narrowed　to　a　focus；　shows　its　ugly　side；　and　becomes　as
  personal　as　fisticuffs。　　Close　at　their　elbows；　in　all　this
  contention；　stands　the　native　looking　on。　　Like　a　child；　his　true
  analogue；　he　observes；　apprehends；　misapprehends；　and　is　usually
  silent。　　As　in　a　child；　a　considerable　intemperance　of　speech　is
  accompanied　by　some　power　of　secrecy。　　News　he　publishes；　his
  thoughts　have　often　to　be　dug　for。　　He　looks　on　at　the　rude　career
  of　the　dollar…hunt；　and　wonders。　　He　sees　these　men　rolling　in　a
  luxury　beyond　the　ambition　of　native　kings；　he　hears　them　accused
  by　each　other　of　the　meanest　trickery；　he　knows　some　of　them　to　be
  guilty；　and　what　is　he　to　think？　　He　is　strongly　conscious　of　his
  own　position　as　the　common　milk…cow；　and　what　is　he　to　do？　　〃Surely
  these　white　men　on　the　beach　are　not　great　chiefs？〃　is　a　common
  question；　perhaps　asked　with　some　design　of　flattering　the　person
  questioned。　　And　one；　stung　by　the　last　incident　into　an　unusual
  flow　of　English；　remarked　to　me：　〃I　begin　to　be　weary　of　white　men
  on　the　beach。〃
  But　the　true　centre　of　trouble；　the　head　of　the　boil　of　which　Samoa
  languishes；　is　the　German　firm。　　From　the　conditions　of　business；　a
  great　island　house　must　ever　be　an　inheritance　of　care；　and　it
  chances　that　the　greatest　still　afoot　has　its　chief　seat　in　Apia
  bay；　and　has　sunk　the　main　part　of　its　capital　in　the　island　of
  Upolu。　　When　its　founder；　John　Caesar　Godeffroy；　went　bankrupt　over
  Russian　paper　and　Westphalian　iron；　his　most　considerable　asset　was
  found　to　be　the　South　Sea　business。　　This　passed　（I　understand）
  through　the　hands　of　Baring　Brothers　in　London；　and　is　now　run　by　a
  company　rejoicing　in　the　Gargantuan　name　of　the　DEUTSCHE　HANDELS
  UND　PLANTAGEN　GESELLSCHAFT　FUR　SUD…SEE　INSELN　ZU　HAMBURG。　　This
  piece　of　literature　is　（in　practice）　shortened　to　the　D。　H。　and　P。
  G。；　the　Old　Firm；　the　German　Firm；　the　Firm；　and　（among　humorists）
  the　Long　Handle　Firm。　　Even　from　the　deck　of　an　approaching　ship；
  the　island　is　seen　to　bear　its　signature　…　zones　of　cultivation
  showing　in　a　more　vivid　tint　of　green　on　the　dark　vest　of　forest。
  The　total　area　in　use　is　near　ten　thousand　acres。　　Hedges　of
  fragrant　lime　enclose；　broad　avenues　intersect　them。　　You　shall
  walk　for　hours　in　parks　of　palm…tree　alleys；　regular；　like　soldiers
  on　parade；　in　the　recesses　of　the　hills　you　may　stumble　on　a　mill…
  house；　tolling　and　trembling　there；　fathoms　deep　in　superincumbent
  forest。　　On　the　carpet　of　clean　sward；　troops　of　horses　and　herds
  of　handsome　cattle　may　be　seen　to　browse；　and　to　one　accustomed　to
  the　rough　luxuriance　of　the　tropics；　the　appearance　is　of
  fairyland。　　The　managers；　many　of　them　German　sea…captains；　are
  enthusiastic　in　their　new　employment。　　Experiment　is　continually
  afoot：　　coffee　and　cacao；　both　of　excellent　quality；　are　among　the
  more　recent　outputs；　and　from　one　plantation　quantities　of
  pineapples　are　sent　at　a　particular　season　to　the　Sydney　markets。
  A　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　pounds　of　English　money；　perhaps　two
  hundred　thousand；　lie　sunk　in　these　magnificent　estates。　　In
  estimating　the　expense　of　maintenance　quite　a　fleet　of　ships　must
  be　remembered；　and　a　strong　staff　of　captains；　supercargoes；
  overseers；　and　clerks。　　These　last　mess　together　at　a　liberal
  board；　the　wages　are　high；　and　the　staff　is　inspired　with　a　strong
  and　pleasing　sentiment　of　loyalty　to　their　employers。
  Seven　or　eight　hundred　imported　men　and　women　toil　for　the　company
  on　contracts　of　three　or　of　five　years；　and　at　a　hypothetical　wage
  of　a　few　dollars　in　the　month。　　I　am　now　on　a　burning　question：
  the　labour　traffic；　and　I　shall　ask　permission　in　this　place　only
  to　touch　it　with　the　tongs。　　Suffice　it　to　say　that　in　Queensland；
  Fiji；　New　Caledonia；　and　Hawaii　it　has　been　either　suppressed　or
  placed　under　close　public　supervision。　　In　Samoa；　where　it　still
  flourishes；　there　is　no　regulation　of　which　the　public　receives　any
  evidence；　and　the　dirty　linen　of　the　firm；　if　there　be　any　dirty；
  and　if　it　be　ever　washed　at　all；　is　washed　in　private。　　This　is
  unfortunate；　if　Germans　would　believe　it。　　But　they　have　no　idea　of
  publicity；　keep　their　business　to　themselves；　rather　affect　to
  〃move　in　a　mysterious　way；〃　and　are　naturally　incensed　by
  criticisms；　which　they　consider　hypocritical；　from　men　who　would
  import　〃labour〃　for　themselves；　if　they　could　afford　it；　and　would
  probably　maltreat　them　if　t