The　real　story　of　the　negotiations　that　followed　we　shall　perhaps
  never　learn。　　But　so　much　is　plain：　　that　while　Becker　was　thus
  outwardly　straining　decency　in　the　interest　of　Tamasese；　he　was
  privately　intriguing；　or　pretending　to　intrigue；　with　Mataafa。　　In
  his　despatch　of　the　11th；　he　had　given　an　extended　criticism　of
  that　chieftain；　whom　he　depicts　as　very　dark　and　artful；　and　while
  admitting　that　his　assumption　of　the　name　of　Malietoa　might　raise
  him　up　followers；　predicted　that　he　could　not　make　an　orderly
  government　or　support　himself　long　in　sole　power　〃without　very
  energetic　foreign　help。〃　　Of　what　help　was　the　consul　thinking？
  There　was　no　helper　in　the　field　but　Germany。　　On　the　15th　he　had
  an　interview　with　the　victor；　told　him　that　Tamasese's　was　the　only
  government　recognised　by　Germany；　and　that　he　must　continue　to
  recognise　it　till　he　received　〃other　instructions　from　his
  government；　whom　he　was　now　advising　of　the　late　events〃；　refused；
  accordingly；　to　withdraw　the　guard　from　the　isthmus；　and　desired
  Mataafa；　〃until　the　arrival　of　these　fresh　instructions；〃　to
  refrain　from　an　attack　on　Mulinuu。　　One　thing　of　two：　　either　this
  language　is　extremely　perfidious；　or　Becker　was　preparing　to　change
  sides。　　The　same　detachment　appears　in　his　despatch　of　October　7th。
  He　computes　the　losses　of　the　German　firm　with　an　easy
  cheerfulness。　　If　Tamasese　get　up　again　（GELINGT　DIE
  WIEDERHERSTELLUNG　DER　REGIERUNG　TAMASESE'S）；　Tamasese　will　have　to
  pay。　　If　not；　then　Mataafa。　　This　is　not　the　language　of　a
  partisan。　　The　tone　of　indifference；　the　easy　implication　that　the
  case　of　Tamasese　was　already　desperate；　the　hopes　held　secretly
  forth　to　Mataafa　and　secretly　reported　to　his　government　at　home；
  trenchantly　contrast　with　his　external　conduct。　　At　this　very　time
  he　was　feeding　Tamasese；　he　had　German　sailors　mounting　guard　on
  Tamasese's　battlements；　the　German　war…ship　lay　close　in；　whether
  to　help　or　to　destroy。　　If　he　meant　to　drop　the　cause　of　Tamasese；
  he　had　him　in　a　corner；　helpless；　and　could　stifle　him　without　a
  sob。　　If　he　meant　to　rat；　it　was　to　be　with　every　condition　of
  safety　and　every　circumstance　of　infamy。
  Was　it　conceivable；　then；　that　he　meant　it？　　Speaking　with　a
  gentleman　who　was　in　the　confidence　of　Dr。　Knappe：　〃Was　it　not　a
  pity；〃　I　asked；　〃that　Knappe　did　not　stick　to　Becker's　policy　of
  supporting　Mataafa？〃　　〃You　are　quite　wrong　there；　that　was　not
  Knappe's　doing；〃　was　the　reply。　　〃Becker　had　changed　his　mind
  before　Knappe　came。〃　　Why；　then；　had　he　changed　it？　　This
  excellent；　if　ignominious；　idea　once　entertained；　why　was　it　let
  drop？　　It　is　to　be　remembered　there　was　another　German　in　the
  field；　Brandeis；　who　had　a　respect；　or　rather；　perhaps；　an
  affection；　for　Tamasese；　and　who　thought　his　own　honour　and　that　of
  his　country　engaged　in　the　support　of　that　government　which　they
  had　provoked　and　founded。　　Becker　described　the　captain　to　Laupepa
  as　〃a　quiet；　sensible　gentleman。〃　　If　any　word　came　to　his　ears　of
  the　intended　manoeuvre；　Brandeis　would　certainly　show　himself　very
  sensible　of　the　affront；　but　Becker　might　have　been　tempted　to
  withdraw　his　former　epithet　of　quiet。　　Some　such　passage；　some　such
  threatened　change　of　front　at　the　consulate；　opposed　with　outcry；
  would　explain　what　seems　otherwise　inexplicable；　the　bitter；
  indignant；　almost　hostile　tone　of　a　subsequent　letter　from　Brandeis
  to　Knappe　…　〃Brandeis's　inflammatory　letter；〃　Bismarck　calls　it　…
  the　proximate　cause　of　the　German　landing　and　reverse　at　Fangalii。
  But　whether　the　advances　of　Becker　were　sincere　or　not　…　whether　he
  meditated　treachery　against　the　old　king　or　was　practising
  treachery　upon　the　new；　and　the　choice　is　between　one　or　other　…　no
  doubt　but　he　contrived　to　gain　his　points　with　Mataafa；　prevailing
  on　him　to　change　his　camp　for　the　better　protection　of　the　German
  plantations；　and　persuading　him　（long　before　he　could　persuade　his
  brother　consuls）　to　accept　that　miraculous　new　neutral　territory　of
  his；　with　a　piece　cut　out　for　the　immediate　needs　of　Tamasese。
  During　the　rest　of　September；　Tamasese　continued　to　decline。　　On
  the　19th　one　village　and　half　of　another　deserted　him；　on　the　22nd
  two　more。　　On　the　21st　the　Mataafas　burned　his　town　of　Leulumoenga；
  his　own　splendid　house　flaming　with　the　rest；　and　there　are　few
  things　of　which　a　native　thinks　more；　or　has　more　reason　to　think
  well；　than　of　a　fine　Samoan　house。　　Tamasese　women　and　children
  were　marched　up　the　same　day　from　Atua；　and　handed　over　with　their
  sleeping…mats　to　Mulinuu：　　a　most　unwelcome　addition　to　a　party
  already　suffering　from　want。　　By　the　20th；　they　were　being　watered
  from　the　ADLER。　　On　the　24th　the　Manono　fleet　of　sixteen　large
  boats；　fortified　and　rendered　unmanageable　with　tons　of　firewood；
  passed　to　windward　to　intercept　supplies　from　Atua。　　By　the　27th
  the　hungry　garrison　flocked　in　great　numbers　to　draw　rations　at　the
  German　firm。　　On　the　28th　the　same　business　was　repeated　with　a
  different　issue。　　Mataafas　crowded　to　look　on；　words　were
  exchanged；　blows　followed；　sticks；　stones；　and　bottles　were　caught
  up；　the　detested　Brandeis；　at　great　risk；　threw　himself　between　the
  lines　and　expostulated　with　the　Mataafas　…　his　only　personal
  appearance　in　the　wars；　if　this　could　be　called　war。　　The　same
  afternoon；　the　Tamasese　boats　got　in　with　provisions；　having　passed
  to　seaward　of　the　lumbering　Manono　fleet；　and　from　that　day　on；
  whether　from　a　high　degree　of　enterprise　on　the　one　side　or　a　great
  lack　of　capacity　on　the　other；　supplies　were　maintained　from　the
  sea　with　regularity。　　Thus　the　spectacle　of　battle；　or　at　least　of
  riot；　at　the　doors　of　the　German　firm　was　not　repeated。　　But　the
  memory　must　have　hung　heavy　on　the　hearts；　not　of　the　Germans　only；
  but　of　all　Apia。　　The　Samoans　are　a　gentle　race；　gentler　than　any
  in　Europe；　we　are　often　enough　reminded　of　the　circumstance；　not
  always　by　their　friends。　　But　a　mob　is　a　mob；　and　a　drunken　mob　is
  a　drunken　mob；　and　a　drunken　mob　with　weapons　in　its　hands　is　a
  drunken　mob　with　weapons　in　its　hands；　all　the　world　over：
  elementary　propositions；　which　some　of　us　upon　these　islands　might
  do　worse　than　get　by　rote；　but　which　must　have　been　evident　enough
  to　Becker。　　And　I　am　amazed　by　the　man's　constancy；　that；　even
  while　blows　were　going　at　the　door　of　that　German　firm　which　he　was
  in　Samoa　to　protect；　he　should　have　stuck　to　his　demands。　　Ten　days
  before；　Blacklock　had　offered　to　recognise　the　old　territory；
  including　Mulinuu；　and　Becker　had　refused；　and　still　in　the　midst
  of　these　〃alarums　and　excursions；〃　he　continued　to　refuse　it。
  On　October　2nd；　anchored　in　Apia　bay　H。B。M。S。　CALLIOPE；　Captain
  Kane；　carrying　the　flag　of　Rear…Admiral　Fairfax；　and　the　gunboat
  LIZARD；　Lieutenant…Commander　Pelly。　　It　was　rumoured　the　admiral
  had　come　to　recognise　the　government　of　Tamasese；　I　believe　in
  error。　　And　at　least　the　day　for　that　was　quite　gone　by；　and　he
  arrived　not　to　salute　the　king's　accession；　but　to　arbitrate　on　his
  remains。　　A　conference　of　the　consuls　and　commanders　met　on　board
  the　CALLIOPE；　October　4th；　Fritze　alone　being　absent；　although
  twice　invited：　　the　affair　touched　politics；　his　consul　was　to　be
  there；　and　even　if　he　came　to　the　meeting　（so　he　explained　to
  Fairfax）　he　would　have　no　voice　in　its　deliberations。　　The　parties
  were　plainly　marked　out：　　Blacklock　and　Leary　maintaining　their
  offer　of　the　old　neutral　territory；　and　probably　willing　to　expand
  or　to　contract　it　to　any　conceivable　extent；　so　long　as　Mulinuu　was
  still　included；　Knappe　offered　（if　the　others　liked）　to　include
  〃the　whole　eastern　end　of　the　island；〃　but　quite　fixed　upon　the　one
  point　that　Mulinuu　should　be　left　out；　the　English　willing　to　meet
  either　view；　and　singly　desirous　that　Apia　should　be　neutralised。
  The　conclusion　was　foregone。　　Becker　held　a　trump　card　in　the
  consent　of　Mataafa；　Blacklock　and　Leary　stood　alone；　spoke　with　all
  ill　grace；　and　could　not　long　hold　out。　　Becker　had　his　way；　and
  the　neutral　boundary　was　chosen　just　where　he　desired：　　across　the
  isthmus；　the　firm　within；　Mulinuu　without。　　He　did　not　long　enjoy
  the　fruits　of　victory。
  On　the　7th；　three　days　after　the　meeting；　one　of　the　Scanlons
  （well…known　and　intelligent　half…castes）　came　to　Blacklock　with　a
  complaint。　　The　Scanlon　house　stood　on　the　hither　side　of　the
  Tamasese　breastwork；　just　inside　the　newly　accepted　territory；　and
  within　easy　range　of　the　firm。　　Armed　men；　to　the　number　of　a
  hundred；　had　issued　from　Mulinuu；　had　〃taken　charge〃　of　the　house；
  had　pointed　a　gun　at　Scanlon's　head；　and　had　twice　〃threatened　to
  kill〃　his　pigs。　　I　hear　elsewhere　of　some　effects　（GEGENSTANDE）
  removed。　　At　the　best　a　very　pale　atrocity；　though　we　shall　find
  the　word　employed。　　Germans　declare　besides　that　Scanlo