eight　high　chiefs　met　in　secret；　and　the　supremacy　of　Samoa　was
  secretly　offered　to　Great　Britain　for　the　second　time　in　history。
  Laupepa　and　Tamasese　still　figured　as　king　and　vice…king　in　the
  eyes　of　Dr。　Stuebel；　in　their　own；　they　had　secretly　abdicated；
  were　become　private　persons；　and　might　do　what　they　pleased　without
  binding　or　dishonouring　their　country。　　On　the　morrow；　accordingly；
  they　did　public　humiliation　in　the　dust　before　the　consulate；　and
  five　days　later　signed　the　convention。　　The　last　was　done；　it　is
  claimed；　upon　an　impulse。　　The　humiliation；　which　it　appeared　to
  the　Samoans　so　great　a　thing　to　offer；　to　the　practical　mind　of　Dr。
  Stuebel　seemed　a　trifle　to　receive；　and　the　pressure　was　continued
  and　increased。　　Laupepa　and　Tamasese　were　both　heavy；　well…meaning；
  inconclusive　men。　　Laupepa；　educated　for　the　ministry；　still　bears
  some　marks　of　it　in　character　and　appearance；　Tamasese　was　in
  private　of　an　amorous　and　sentimental　turn；　but　no　one　would　have
  guessed　it　from　his　solemn　and　dull　countenance。　　Impossible　to
  conceive　two　less　dashing　champions　for　a　threatened　race；　and
  there　is　no　doubt　they　were　reduced　to　the　extremity　of　muddlement
  and　childish　fear。　　It　was　drawing　towards　night　on　the　10th；　when
  this　luckless　pair　and　a　chief　of　the　name　of　Tuiatafu；　set　out　for
  the　German　consulate；　still　minded　to　temporise。　　As　they　went；
  they　discussed　their　case　with　agitation。　　They　could　see　the
  lights　of　the　German　war…ships　as　they　walked　…　an　eloquent
  reminder。　　And　it　was　then　that　Tamasese　proposed　to　sign　the
  convention。　　〃It　will　give　us　peace　for　the　day；〃　said　Laupepa；
  〃and　afterwards　Great　Britain　must　decide。〃　…　〃Better　fight　Germany
  than　that！〃　cried　Tuiatafu；　speaking　words　of　wisdom；　and　departed
  in　anger。　　But　the　two　others　proceeded　on　their　fatal　errand；
  signed　the　convention；　writing　themselves　king　and　vice…king；　as
  they　now　believed　themselves　to　be　no　longer；　and　with　childish
  perfidy　took　part　in　a　scene　of　〃reconciliation〃　at　the　German
  consulate。
  Malietoa　supposed　himself　betrayed　by　Tamasese。　　Consul　Churchward
  states　with　precision　that　the　document　was　sold　by　a　scribe　for
  thirty…six　dollars。　　Twelve　days　later　at　least；　November　22nd；　the
  text　of　the　address　to　Great　Britain　came　into　the　hands　of　Dr。
  Stuebel。　　The　Germans　may　have　been　wrong　before；　they　were　now　in
  the　right　to　be　angry。　　They　had　been　publicly；　solemnly；　and
  elaborately　fooled；　the　treaty　and　the　reconciliation　were　both
  fraudulent；　with　the　broad；　farcical　fraudulency　of　children　and
  barbarians。　　This　history　is　much　from　the　outside；　it　is　the
  digested　report　of　eye…witnesses；　it　can　be　rarely　corrected　from
  state　papers；　and　as　to　what　consuls　felt　and　thought；　or　what
  instructions　they　acted　under；　I　must　still　be　silent　or　proceed　by
  guess。　　It　is　my　guess　that　Stuebel　now　decided　Malietoa　Laupepa　to
  be　a　man　impossible　to　trust　and　unworthy　to　be　dealt　with。　　And　it
  is　certain　that　the　business　of　his　deposition　was　put　in　hand　at
  once。　　The　position　of　Weber；　with　his　knowledge　of　things　native；
  his　prestige；　and　his　enterprising　intellect；　must　have　always　made
  him　influential　with　the　consul：　　at　this　juncture　he　was
  indispensable。　　Here　was　the　deed　to　be　done；　here　the　man　of
  action。　　〃Mr。　Weber　rested　not；〃　says　Laupepa。　　It　was　〃like　the
  old　days　of　his　own　consulate；〃　writes　Churchward。　　His　messengers
  filled　the　isle；　his　house　was　thronged　with　chiefs　and　orators；　he
  sat　close　over　his　loom；　delightedly　weaving　the　future。　　There　was
  one　thing　requisite　to　the　intrigue；　…　a　native　pretender；　and　the
  very　man；　you　would　have　said；　stood　waiting：　　Mataafa；　titular　of
  Atua；　descended　from　both　the　royal　lines；　late　joint　king　with
  Tamasese；　fobbed　off　with　nothing　in　the　time　of　the　Lackawanna
  treaty；　probably　mortified　by　the　circumstance；　a　chief　with　a
  strong　following；　and　in　character　and　capacity　high　above　the
  native　average。　　Yet　when　Weber's　spiriting　was　done；　and　the
  curtain　rose　on　the　set　scene　of　the　coronation；　Mataafa　was
  absent；　and　Tamasese　stood　in　his　place。　　Malietoa　was　to　be
  deposed　for　a　piece　of　solemn　and　offensive　trickery；　and　the　man
  selected　to　replace　him　was　his　sole　partner　and　accomplice　in　the
  act。　　For　so　strange　a　choice；　good　ground　must　have　existed；　but
  it　remains　conjectural：　　some　supposing　Mataafa　scratched　as　too
  independent；　others　that　Tamasese　had　indeed　betrayed　Laupepa；　and
  his　new　advancement　was　the　price　of　his　treachery。
  So　these　two　chiefs　began　to　change　places　like　the　scales　of　a
  balance；　one　down；　the　other　up。　　Tamasese　raised　his　flag　（Jan。
  28th；　1886）　in　Leulumoenga；　chief　place　of　his　own　province　of
  Aana；　usurped　the　style　of　king；　and　began　to　collect　and　arm　a
  force。　　Weber；　by　the　admission　of　Stuebel；　was　in　the　market
  supplying　him　with　weapons；　so　were　the　Americans；　so；　but　for　our
  salutary　British　law；　would　have　been　the　British；　for　wherever
  there　is　a　sound　of　battle；　there　will　the　traders　be　gathered
  together　selling　arms。　　A　little　longer；　and　we　find　Tamasese
  visited　and　addressed　as　king　and　majesty　by　a　German　commodore。
  Meanwhile；　for　the　unhappy　Malietoa；　the　road　led　downward。　　He　was
  refused　a　bodyguard。　　He　was　turned　out　of　Mulinuu；　the　seat　of　his
  royalty；　on　a　land　claim　of　Weber's；　fled　across　the　Mulivai；　and
  〃had　the　coolness〃　（German　expression）　to　hoist　his　flag　in　Apia。
  He　was　asked　〃in　the　most　polite　manner；〃　says　the　same　account　…
  〃in　the　most　delicate　manner　in　the　world；〃　a　reader　of　Marryat
  might　be　tempted　to　amend　the　phrase；　…　to　strike　his　flag　in　his
  own　capital；　and　on　his　〃refusal　to　accede　to　this　request；〃　Dr。
  Stuebel　appeared　himself　with　ten　men　and　an　officer　from　the
  cruiser　ALBATROSS；　a　sailor　climbed　into　the　tree　and　brought　down
  the　flag　of　Samoa；　which　was　carefully　folded；　and　sent；　〃in　the
  most　polite　manner；〃　to　its　owner。　　The　consuls　of　England　and　the
  States　were　there　（the　excellent　gentlemen！）　to　protest。　　Last；　and
  yet　more　explicit；　the　German　commodore　who　visited　the　be…titled
  Tamasese；　addressed　the　king　…　we　may　surely　say　the　late　king　…　as
  〃the　High　Chief　Malietoa。〃
  Had　he　no　party；　then？　　At　that　time；　it　is　probable；　he　might　have
  called　some　five…sevenths　of　Samoa　to　his　standard。　　And　yet　he　sat
  there；　helpless　monarch；　like　a　fowl　trussed　for　roasting。　　The
  blame　lies　with　himself；　because　he　was　a　helpless　creature；　it
  lies　also　with　England　and　the　States。　　Their　agents　on　the　spot
  preached　peace　（where　there　was　no　peace；　and　no　pretence　of　it）
  with　eloquence　and　iteration。　　Secretary　Bayard　seems　to　have　felt
  a　call　to　join　personally　in　the　solemn　farce；　and　was　at　the
  expense　of　a　telegram　in　which　he　assured　the　sinking　monarch　it
  was　〃for　the　higher　interests　of　Samoa〃　he　should　do　nothing。
  There　was　no　man　better　at　doing　that；　the　advice　came　straight
  home；　and　was　devoutly　followed。　　And　to　be　just　to　the　great
  Powers；　something　was　done　in　Europe；　a　conference　was　called；　it
  was　agreed　to　send　commissioners　to　Samoa；　and　the　decks　had　to　be
  hastily　cleared　against　their　visit。　　Dr。　Stuebel　had　attached　the
  municipality　of　Apia　and　hoisted　the　German　war…flag　over　Mulinuu；
  the　American　consul　（in　a　sudden　access　of　good　service）　had　flown
  the　stars　and　stripes　over　Samoan　colours；　on　either　side　these
  steps　were　solemnly　retracted。　　The　Germans　expressly　disowned
  Tamasese；　and　the　islands　fell　into　a　period　of　suspense；　of　some
  twelve　months'　duration；　during　which　the　seat　of　the　history　was
  transferred　to　other　countries　and　escapes　my　purview。　　Here　on　the
  spot；　I　select　three　incidents：　　the　arrival　on　the　scene　of　a　new
  actor；　the　visit　of　the　Hawaiian　embassy；　and　the　riot　on　the
  Emperor's　birthday。　　The　rest　shall　be　silence；　only　it　must　be
  borne　in　view　that　Tamasese　all　the　while　continued　to　strengthen
  himself　in　Leulumoenga；　and　Laupepa　sat　inactive　listening　to　the
  song　of　consuls。
  CAPTAIN　BRANDEIS。　　The　new　actor　was　Brandeis；　a　Bavarian　captain
  of　artillery；　of　a　romantic　and　adventurous　character。　　He　had
  served　with　credit　in　war；　but　soon　wearied　of　garrison　life；
  resigned　his　battery；　came　to　the　States；　found　employment　as　a
  civil　engineer；　visited　Cuba；　took　a　sub…contract　on　the　Panama
  canal；　caught　the　fever；　and　came　（for　the　sake　of　the　sea　voyage）
  to　Australia。　　He　had　that　natural　love　for　the　tropics　which　lies
  so　often　latent　in　persons　of　a　northern　birth；　difficulty　and
  danger　attracted　him；　and　when　he　was　picked　out　for　secret　duty；
  to　be　the　hand　of　Germany　in　Samoa；　there　is　no　doubt　but　he
  accepted　the　post　with　exhilaration。　　It　is　doubtful　if　a　better
  choice　could　have　been　made。　　He　had　courage；　integrity；　ideas　of
  his　own；　and　loved　the　employment；　the　people；　and　t