profited　by　the　confusion　to　buttress　up　imperfect　land　claims；　I
  am　sure　the　other　whites　would　not　be　far　behind　the　firm。
  Properties　were　fenced　in；　fences　and　houses　were　torn　down；
  scuffles　ensued。　　The　German　example　at　Mulinuu　was　followed　with
  laughable　unanimity；　wherever　an　Englishman　or　an　American
  conceived　himself　to　have　a　claim；　he　set　up　the　emblem　of　his
  country；　and　the　beach　twinkled　with　the　flags　of　nations。
  All　this；　it　will　be　observed；　was　going　forward　in　that　neutral
  territory；　sanctified　by　treaty　against　the　presence　of　armed
  Samoans。　　The　insurgents　themselves　looked　on　in　wonder：　　on　the
  4th；　trembling　to　transgress　against　the　great　Powers；　they　had
  written　for　a　delimitation　of　the　ELEELE　SA；　and　Becker；　in
  conversation　with　the　British　consul；　replied　that　he　recognised
  none。　　So　long　as　Tamasese　held　the　ground；　this　was　expedient。
  But　suppose　Tamasese　worsted；　it　might　prove　awkward　for　the
  stores；　mills；　and　offices　of　a　great　German　firm；　thus　bared　of
  shelter　by　the　act　of　their　own　consul。
  On　the　morning　of　the　9th　September；　just　ten　days　after　the　death
  of　Saifaleupolu；　Mataafa；　under　the　name　of　Malietoa　To'oa　Mataafa；
  was　crowned　king　at　Faleula。　　On　the　11th　he　wrote　to　the　British
  and　American　consuls：　〃Gentlemen；　I　write　this　letter　to　you　two
  very　humbly　and　entreatingly；　on　account　of　this　difficulty　that
  has　come　before　me。　　I　desire　to　know　from　you　two　gentlemen　the
  truth　where　the　boundaries　of　the　neutral　territory　are。　　You　will
  observe　that　I　am　now　at　Vaimoso　＇a　step　nearer　the　enemy＇；　and　I
  have　stopped　here　until　I　knew　what　you　say　regarding　the　neutral
  territory。　　I　wish　to　know　where　I　can　go；　and　where　the　forbidden
  ground　is；　for　I　do　not　wish　to　go　on　any　neutral　territory；　or　on
  any　foreigner's　property。　　I　do　not　want　to　offend　any　of　the　great
  Powers。　　Another　thing　I　would　like。　　Would　it　be　possible　for　you
  three　consuls　to　make　Tamasese　remove　from　German　property？　for　I
  am　in　awe　of　going　on　German　land。〃　　He　must　have　received　a　reply
  embodying　Becker's　renunciation　of　the　principle；　at　once；　for　he
  broke　camp　the　same　day；　and　marched　eastward　through　the　bush
  behind　Apia。
  Brandeis；　expecting　attack；　sought　to　improve　his　indefensible
  position。　　He　reformed　his　centre　by　the　simple　expedient　of
  suppressing　it。　　Apia　was　evacuated。　　The　two　flanks；　Mulinuu　and
  Matautu；　were　still　held　and　fortified；　Mulinuu　（as　I　have　said）　to
  the　isthmus；　Matautu　on　a　line　from　the　bayside　to　the　little　river
  Fuisa。　　The　centre　was　represented　by　the　trajectory　of　a　boat
  across　the　bay　from　one　flank　to　another；　and　was　held　（we　may　say）
  by　the　German　war…ship。　　Mataafa　decided　（I　am　assured）　to　make　a
  feint　on　Matautu；　induce　Brandeis　to　deplete　Mulinuu　in　support；
  and　then　fall　upon　and　carry　that。　　And　there　is　no　doubt　in　my
  mind　that　such　a　plan　was　bruited　abroad；　for　nothing　but　a　belief
  in　it　could　explain　the　behaviour　of　Brandeis　on　the　12th。　　That　it
  was　seriously　entertained　by　Mataafa　I　stoutly　disbelieve；　the
  German　flag　and　sailors　forbidding　the　enterprise　in　Mulinuu。　　So
  that　we　may　call　this　false　intelligence　the　beginning　and　the　end
  of　Mataafa's　strategy。
  The　whites　who　sympathised　with　the　revolt　were　uneasy　and
  impatient。　　They　will　still　tell　you；　though　the　dates　are　there　to
  show　them　wrong；　that　Mataafa；　even　after　his　coronation；　delayed
  extremely：　　a　proof　of　how　long　two　days　may　seem　to　last　when　men
  anticipate　events。　　On　the　evening　of　the　11th；　while　the　new　king
  was　already　on　the　march；　one　of　these　walked　into　Matautu。　　The
  moon　was　bright。　　By　the　way　he　observed　the　native　houses　dark　and
  silent；　the　men　had　been　about　a　fortnight　in　the　bush；　but　now　the
  women　and　children　were　gone　also；　at　which　he　wondered。　　On　the
  sea…beach；　in　the　camp　of　the　Tamaseses；　the　solitude　was　near　as
  great；　he　saw　three　or　four　men　smoking　before　the　British
  consulate；　perhaps　a　dozen　in　all；　the　rest　were　behind　in　the　bush
  upon　their　line　of　forts。　　About　the　midst　he　sat　down；　and　here　a
  woman　drew　near　to　him。　　The　moon　shone　in　her　face；　and　he　knew
  her　for　a　householder　near　by；　and　a　partisan　of　Mataafa's。　　She
  looked　about　her　as　she　came；　and　asked　him；　trembling；　what　he　did
  in　the　camp　of　Tamasese。　　He　was　there　after　news；　he　told　her。
  She　took　him　by　the　hand。　　〃You　must　not　stay　here；　you　will　get
  killed；〃　she　said。　　〃The　bush　is　full　of　our　people；　the　others　are
  watching　them；　fighting　may　begin　at　any　moment；　and　we　are　both
  here　too　long。〃　　So　they　set　off　together；　and　she　told　him　by　the
  way　that　she　had　came　to　the　hostile　camp　with　a　present　of
  bananas；　so　that　the　Tamasese　men　might　spare　her　house。　　By　the
  Vaisingano　they　met　an　old　man；　a　woman；　and　a　child；　and　these
  also　she　warned　and　turned　back。　　Such　is　the　strange　part　played
  by　women　among　the　scenes　of　Samoan　warfare；　such　were　the
  liberties　then　permitted　to　the　whites；　that　these　two　could　pass
  the　lines；　talk　together　in　Tamasese's　camp　on　the　eve　of　an
  engagement；　and　pass　forth　again　bearing　intelligence；　like
  privileged　spies。　　And　before　a　few　hours　the　white　man　was　in
  direct　communication　with　the　opposing　general。　　The　next　morning
  he　was　accosted　〃about　breakfast…time〃　by　two　natives　who　stood
  leaning　against　the　pickets　of　a　public…house；　where　the　Siumu　road
  strikes　in　at　right　angles　to　the　main　street　of　Apia。　　They　told
  him　battle　was　imminent；　and　begged　him　to　pass　a　little　way　inland
  and　speak　with　Mataafa。　　The　road　is　at　this　point　broad　and　fairly
  good；　running　between　thick　groves　of　cocoa…palm　and　breadfruit。　　A
  few　hundred　yards　along　this　the　white　man　passed　a　picket　of　four
  armed　warriors；　with　red　handkerchiefs　and　their　faces　blackened　in
  the　form　of　a　full　beard；　the　Mataafa　rallying　signs　for　the　day；　a
  little　farther　on；　some　fifty；　farther　still；　a　hundred；　and　at
  last　a　quarter　of　a　mile　of　them　sitting　by　the　wayside　armed　and
  blacked。
  Near　by；　in　the　verandah　of　a　house　on　a　knoll；　he　found　Mataafa
  seated　in　white　clothes；　a　Winchester　across　his　knees。　　His　men；
  he　said；　were　still　arriving　from　behind；　and　there　was　a　turning
  movement　in　operation　beyond　the　Fuisa；　so　that　the　Tamaseses
  should　be　assailed　at　the　same　moment　from　the　south　and　east。　　And
  this　is　another　indication　that　the　attack　on　Matautu　was　the　true
  attack；　had　any　design　on　Mulinuu　been　in　the　wind；　not　even　a
  Samoan　general　would　have　detached　these　troops　upon　the　other
  side。　　While　they　still　spoke；　five　Tamasese　women　were　brought　in
  with　their　hands　bound；　they　had　been　stealing　〃our〃　bananas。
  All　morning　the　town　was　strangely　deserted；　the　very　children
  gone。　　A　sense　of　expectation　reigned；　and　sympathy　for　the　attack
  was　expressed　publicly。　　Some　men　with　unblacked　faces　came　to
  Moors's　store　for　biscuit。　　A　native　woman；　who　was　there
  marketing；　inquired　after　the　news；　and；　hearing　that　the　battle
  was　now　near　at　hand；　〃Give　them　two　more　tins；〃　said　she；　〃and
  don't　put　them　down　to　my　husband　…　he　would　growl；　put　them　down
  to　me。〃　　Between　twelve　and　one；　two　white　men　walked　toward
  Matautu；　finding　as　they　went　no　sign　of　war　until　they　had　passed
  the　Vaisingano　and　come　to　the　corner　of　a　by…path　leading　to　the
  bush。　　Here　were　four　blackened　warriors　on　guard；　…　the　extreme
  left　wing　of　the　Mataafa　force；　where　it　touched　the　waters　of　the
  bay。　　Thence　the　line　（which　the　white　men　followed）　stretched
  inland　among　bush　and　marsh；　facing　the　forts　of　the　Tamaseses。
  The　warriors　lay　as　yet　inactive　behind　trees；　but　all　the　young
  boys　and　harlots　of　Apia　toiled　in　the　front　upon　a　trench；　digging
  with　knives　and　cocoa…shells；　and　a　continuous　stream　of　children
  brought　them　water。　　The　young　sappers　worked　crouching；　from　the
  outside　only　an　occasional　head；　or　a　hand　emptying　a　shell　of
  earth；　was　visible；　and　their　enemies　looked　on　inert　from　the　line
  of　the　opposing　forts。　　The　lists　were　not　yet　prepared；　the
  tournament　was　not　yet　open；　and　the　attacking　force　was　suffered
  to　throw　up　works　under　the　silent　guns　of　the　defence。　　But　there
  is　an　end　even　to　the　delay　of　islanders。　　As　the　white　men　stood
  and　looked；　the　Tamasese　line　thundered　into　a　volley；　it　was
  answered；　the　crowd　of　silent　workers　broke　forth　in　laughter　and
  cheers；　and　the　battle　had　begun。
  Thenceforward；　all　day　and　most　of　the　next　night；　volley　followed
  volley；　and　pounds　of　lead　and　pounds　sterling　of　money　continued
  to　be　blown　into　the　air　without　cessation　and　almost　without
  result。　　Colonel　de　Coetlogon；　an　old　soldier；　described　the　noise
  as　deafening。　　The　harbour　was　all　struck　with　shots；　a　man　was
  knocked　over　on　the　German　war…ship；　half　Apia　was　under　fire；　and
  a　house　was　pierced　beyond　the　Mulivai。