There　was　his　bread…basket；　a　small　success　in　that　direction　would
  immediately　curtail　his　resources；　and　it　might　be　possible　with
  energy　to　roll　up　his　line　along　the　beach　and　take　the　citadel　in
  reverse。　　The　scheme　was　carried　out　as　might　be　expected　from
  these　childish　soldiers。　　Mataafa；　always　uneasy　about　Apia；　clung
  with　a　portion　of　his　force　to　Laulii；　and　thus；　had　the　foe　been
  enterprising；　exposed　himself　to　disaster。　　The　expedition　fell
  successfully　enough　on　Saluafata　and　drove　out　the　Tamaseses　with　a
  loss　of　four　heads；　but　so　far　from　improving　the　advantage；
  yielded　immediately　to　the　weakness　of　the　Samoan　warrior；　and
  ranged　farther　east　through　unarmed　populations；　bursting　with
  shouts　and　blackened　faces　into　villages　terrified　or　admiring；
  making　spoil　of　pigs；　burning　houses；　and　destroying　gardens。　　The
  Tamasese　had　at　first　evacuated　several　beach　towns　in　succession；
  and　were　still　in　retreat　on　Lotoanuu；　finding　themselves
  unpursued；　they　reoccupied　them　one　after　another；　and　re…
  established　their　lines　to　the　very　borders　of　Saluafata。　　Night
  fell；　Mataafa　had　taken　Saluafata；　Tamasese　had　lost　it；　and　that
  was　all。　　But　the　day　came　near　to　have　a　different　and　very
  singular　issue。　　The　village　was　not　long　in　the　hands　of　the
  Mataafas；　when　a　schooner；　flying　German　colours；　put　into　the　bay
  and　was　immediately　surrounded　by　their　boats。　　It　chanced　that
  Brandeis　was　on　board。　　Word　of　it　had　gone　abroad；　and　the　boats
  as　they　approached　demanded　him　with　threats。　　The　late　premier；
  alone；　entirely　unarmed；　and　a　prey　to　natural　and　painful
  feelings；　concealed　himself　below。　　The　captain　of　the　schooner
  remained　on　deck；　pointed　to　the　German　colours；　and　defied
  approaching　boats。　　Again　the　prestige　of　a　great　Power　triumphed；
  the　Samoans　fell　back　before　the　bunting；　the　schooner　worked　out
  of　the　bay；　Brandeis　escaped。　　He　himself　apprehended　the　worst　if
  he　fell　into　Samoan　hands；　it　is　my　diffident　impression　that　his
  life　would　have　been　safe。
  On　the　22nd；　a　new　German　war…ship；　the　EBER；　of　tragic　memory；
  came　to　Apia　from　the　Gilberts；　where　she　had　been　disarming
  turbulent　islands。　　The　rest　of　that　day　and　all　night　she　loaded
  stores　from　the　firm；　and　on　the　morrow　reached　Saluafata　bay。
  Thanks　to　the　misconduct　of　the　Mataafas；　the　most　of　the　foreshore
  was　still　in　the　hands　of　the　Tamaseses；　and　they　were　thus　able　to
  receive　from　the　EBER　both　the　stores　and　weapons。　　The　weapons　had
  been　sold　long　since　to　Tarawa；　Apaiang；　and　Pleasant　Island；
  places　unheard　of　by　the　general　reader；　where　obscure　inhabitants
  paid　for　these　instruments　of　death　in　money　or　in　labour；　misused
  them　as　it　was　known　they　would　be　misused；　and　had　been　disarmed
  by　force。　　The　EBER　had　brought　back　the　guns　to　a　German　counter；
  whence　many　must　have　been　originally　sold；　and　was　here　engaged；
  like　a　shopboy；　in　their　distribution　to　fresh　purchasers。　　Such　is
  the　vicious　circle　of　the　traffic　in　weapons　of　war。　　Another　aid
  of　a　more　metaphysical　nature　was　ministered　by　the　EBER　to
  Tamasese；　in　the　shape　of　uncountable　German　flags。　　The　full
  history　of　this　epidemic　of　bunting　falls　to　be　told　in　the　next
  chapter。　　But　the　fact　has　to　be　chronicled　here；　for　I　believe　it
  was　to　these　flags　that　we　owe　the　visit　of　the　ADAMS；　and　my　next
  and　best　authentic　glance　into　a　native　camp。　　The　ADAMS　arrived　in
  Saluafata　on　the　26th。　　On　the　morrow　Leary　and　Moors　landed　at　the
  village。　　It　was　still　occupied　by　Mataafas；　mostly　from　Manono　and
  Savaii；　few　in　number；　high　in　spirit。　　The　Tamasese　pickets　were
  meanwhile　within　musket　range；　there　was　maintained　a　steady
  sputtering　of　shots；　and　yet　a　party　of　Tamasese　women　were　here　on
  a　visit　to　the　women　of　Manono；　with　whom　they　sat　talking　and
  smoking；　under　the　fire　of　their　own　relatives。　　It　was　reported
  that　Leary　took　part　in　a　council　of　war；　and　promised　to　join　with
  his　broadside　in　the　next　attack。　　It　is　certain　he　did　nothing　of
  the　sort：　　equally　certain　that；　in　Tamasese　circles；　he　was　firmly
  credited　with　having　done　so。　　And　this　heightens　the　extraordinary
  character　of　what　I　have　now　to　tell。　　Prudence　and　delicacy　alike
  ought　to　have　forbid　the　camp　of　Tamasese　to　the　feet　of　either
  Leary　or　Moors。　　Moors　was　the　original　…　there　was　a　time　when　he
  had　been　the　only　…　opponent　of　the　puppet　king。　　Leary　had　driven
  him　from　the　seat　of　government；　it　was　but　a　week　or　two　since　he
  had　threatened　to　bombard　him　in　his　present　refuge。　　Both　were　in
  close　and　daily　council　with　his　adversary；　and　it　was　no　secret
  that　Moors　was　supplying　the　latter　with　food。　　They　were
  partisans；　it　lacked　but　a　hair　that　they　should　be　called
  belligerents；　it　were　idle　to　try　to　deny　they　were　the　most
  dangerous　of　spies。　　And　yet　these　two　now　sailed　across　the　bay
  and　landed　inside　the　Tamasese　lines　at　Salelesi。　　On　the　very
  beach　they　had　another　glimpse　of　the　artlessness　of　Samoan　war。
  Hitherto　the　Tamasese　fleet；　being　hardy　and　unencumbered；　had　made
  a　fool　of　the　huge　floating　forts　upon　the　other　side；　and　here
  they　were　tolling；　not　to　produce　another　boat　on　their　own　pattern
  in　which　they　had　always　enjoyed　the　advantage；　but　to　make　a　new
  one　the　type　of　their　enemies'；　of　which　they　had　now　proved　the
  uselessness　for　months。　　It　came　on　to　rain　as　the　Americans
  landed；　and　though　none　offered　to　oppose　their　coming　ashore；　none
  invited　them　to　take　shelter。　　They　were　nowise　abashed；　entered　a
  house　unbidden；　and　were　made　welcome　with　obvious　reserve。　　The
  rain　clearing　off；　they　set　forth　westward；　deeper　into　the　heart
  of　the　enemies'　position。　　Three　or　four　young　men　ran　some　way
  before　them；　doubtless　to　give　warning；　and　Leary；　with　his
  indomitable　taste　for　mischief；　kept　inquiring　as　he　went　after
  〃the　high　chief〃　Tamasese。　　The　line　of　the　beach　was　one
  continuous　breastwork；　some　thirty　odd　iron　cannon　of　all　sizes　and
  patterns　stood　mounted　in　embrasures；　plenty　grape　and　canister　lay
  ready；　and　at　every　hundred　yards　or　so　the　German　flag　was　flying。
  The　numbers　of　the　guns　and　flags　I　give　as　I　received　them；　though
  they　test　my　faith。　　At　the　house　of　Brandeis　…　a　little；
  weatherboard　house；　crammed　at　the　time　with　natives；　men；　women；
  and　squalling　children　…　Leary　and　Moors　again　asked　for　〃the　high
  chief；〃　and；　were　again　assured　that　he　was　farther　on。　　A　little
  beyond；　the　road　ran　in　one　place　somewhat　inland；　the　two
  Americans　had　gone　down　to　the　line　of　the　beach　to　continue　their
  inspection　of　the　breastwork；　when　Brandeis　himself；　in　his　shirt…
  sleeves　and　accompanied　by　several　German　officers；　passed　them　by
  the　line　of　the　road。　　The　two　parties　saluted　in　silence。　　Beyond
  Eva　Point　there　was　an　observable　change　for　the　worse　in　the
  reception　of　the　Americans；　some　whom　they　met　began　to　mutter　at
  Moors；　and　the　adventurers；　with　tardy　but　commendable　prudence；
  desisted　from　their　search　after　the　high　chief；　and　began　to
  retrace　their　steps。　　On　the　return；　Suatele　and　some　chiefs　were
  drinking　kava　in　a　〃big　house；〃　and　called　them　in　to　join　…　their
  only　invitation。　　But　the　night　was　closing；　the　rain　had　begun
  again：　　they　stayed　but　for　civility；　and　returned　on　board　the
  ADAMS；　wet　and　hungry；　and　I　believe　delighted　with　their
  expedition。　　It　was　perhaps　the　last　as　it　was　certainly　one　of　the
  most　extreme　examples　of　that　divinity　which　once　hedged　the　white
  in　Samoa。　　The　feeling　was　already　different　in　the　camp　of
  Mataafa；　where　the　safety　of　a　German　loiterer　had　been　a　matter　of
  extreme　concern。　　Ten　days　later；　three　commissioners；　an
  Englishman；　an　American；　and　a　German；　approached　a　post　of
  Mataafas；　were　challenged　by　an　old　man　with　a　gun；　and　mentioned
  in　answer　what　they　were。　　〃IFEA　SIAMANI？　　Which　is　the　German？〃
  cried　the　old　gentleman；　dancing；　and　with　his　finger　on　the
  trigger；　and　the　commissioners　stood　somewhile　in　a　very　anxious
  posture；　till　they　were　released　by　the　opportune　arrival　of　a
  chief。　　It　was　November　the　27th　when　Leary　and　Moors　completed
  their　absurd　excursion；　in　about　three　weeks　an　event　was　to　befall
  which　changed　at　once；　and　probably　for　ever；　the　relations　of　the
  natives　and　the　whites。
  By　the　28th　Tamasese　had　collected　seventeen　hundred　men　in　the
  trenches　before　Saluafata；　thinking　to　attack　next　day。　　But　the
  Mataafas　evacuated　the　place　in　the　night。　　At　half…past　five　on
  the　morning　of　the　29th　a　signal…gun　was　fired　in　the　trenches　at
  Laulii；　and　the　Tamasese　citadel　was　assaulted　and　defended　with　a
  fury　new　among　Samoans。　　When　the　battle　ended　on　the　following
  day；　one　or　more　outworks　remained　in　the　possession　of　Mataafa。
  Another　had　been　taken　and　lost　as　many　as　four　times。　　Carried
  originally　by　a　mixed