colleagues；　who　shook　hands。　　If　Knappe　were　dead…weighted　with　the
  inheritance　of　Becker；　Blacklock　was　handicapped　by　reminiscences
  of　Leary；　it　is　the　more　to　the　credit　of　this　inexperienced　man
  that　he　should　have　maintained　in　the　future　so　excellent　an
  attitude　of　firmness　and　moderation；　and　that　when　the　crash　came；
  Knappe　and　de　Coetlogon；　not　Knappe　and　Blacklock；　were　found　to　be
  the　protagonists　of　the　drama。　　The　conference　was　futile。　　The
  English　and　American　consuls　admitted　but　one　cure　of　the　evils　of
  the　time：　　that　the　farce　of　the　Tamasese　monarchy　should　cease。
  It　was　one　which　the　German　refused　to　consider。　　And　the　agents
  separated　without　reaching　any　result；　save　that　diplomatic
  relations　had　been　restored　between　the　States　and　Germany；　and
  that　all　three　were　convinced　of　their　fundamental　differences。
  Knappe　and　de　Coetlogon　were　still　friends；　they　had　disputed　and
  differed　and　come　within　a　finger's　breadth　of　war；　and　they　were
  still　friends。　　But　an　event　was　at　hand　which　was　to　separate　them
  for　ever。　　On　December　4th　came　the　ROYALIST；　Captain　Hand；　to
  relieve　the　LIZARD。　　Pelly　of　course　had　to　take　his　canvas　from
  the　consulate　hospital；　but　he　had　in　charge　certain　awnings
  belonging　to　the　ROYALIST；　and　with　these　they　made　shift　to　cover
  the　wounded；　at　that　time　（after　the　fight　at　Laulii）　more　than
  usually　numerous。　　A　lieutenant　came　to　the　consulate；　and
  delivered　（as　I　have　received　it）　the　following　message：　〃Captain
  Hand's　compliments；　and　he　says　you　must　get　rid　of　these　niggers
  at　once；　and　he　will　help　you　to　do　it。〃　　Doubtless　the　reply　was
  no　more　civil　than　the　message。　　The　promised　〃help；〃　at　least；
  followed　promptly。　　A　boat's　crew　landed　and　the　awnings　were
  stripped　from　the　wounded；　Hand　himself　standing　on　the　colonel's
  verandah　to　direct　operations。　　It　were　fruitless　to　discuss　this
  passage　from　the　humanitarian　point　of　view；　or　from　that　of　formal
  courtesy。　　The　mind　of　the　new　captain　was　plainly　not　directed　to
  these　objects。　　But　it　is　understood　that　he　considered　the
  existence　of　a　hospital　a　source　of　irritation　to　Germans　and　a
  fault　in　policy。　　His　own　rude　act　proved　in　the　result　far　more
  impolitic。　　The　hospital　had　now　been　open　some　two　months；　and　de
  Coetlogon　was　still　on　friendly　terms　with　Knappe；　and　he　and　his
  wife　were　engaged　to　dine　with　him　that　day。　　By　the　morrow　that
  was　practically　ended。　　For　the　rape　of　the　awnings　had　two
  results：　　one；　which　was　the　fault　of　de　Coetlogon；　not　at　all　of
  Hand；　who　could　not　have　foreseen　it；　the　other　which　it　was　his
  duty　to　have　seen　and　prevented。　　The　first　was　this：　　the　de
  Coetlogons　found　themselves　left　with　their　wounded　exposed　to　the
  inclemencies　of　the　season；　they　must　all　be　transported　into　the
  house　and　verandah；　in　the　distress　and　pressure　of　this　task；　the
  dinner　engagement　was　too　long　forgotten；　and　a　note　of　excuse　did
  not　reach　the　German　consulate　before　the　table　was　set；　and　Knappe
  dressed　to　receive　his　visitors。　　The　second　consequence　was
  inevitable。　　Captain　Hand　was　scarce　landed　ere　it　became　public
  （was　〃SOFORT　BEKANNT；〃　writes　Knappe）　that　he　and　the　consul　were
  in　opposition。　　All　that　had　been　gained　by　the　demonstration　at
  Laulii　was　thus　immediately　cast　away；　de　Coetlogon's　prestige　was
  lessened；　and　it　must　be　said　plainly　that　Hand　did　less　than
  nothing　to　restore　it。　　Twice　indeed　he　interfered；　both　times　with
  success；　and　once；　when　his　own　person　had　been　endangered；　with
  vehemence；　but　during　all　the　strange　doings　I　have　to　narrate；　he
  remained　in　close　intimacy　with　the　German　consulate；　and　on　one
  occasion　may　be　said　to　have　acted　as　its　marshal。　　After　the　worst
  is　over；　after　Bismarck　has　told　Knappe　that　〃the　protests　of　his
  English　colleague　were　grounded；〃　that　his　own　conduct　〃has　not
  been　good；〃　and　that　in　any　dispute　which　may　arise　he　〃will　find
  himself　in　the　wrong；〃　Knappe　can　still　plead　in　his　defence　that
  Captain　Hand　〃has　always　maintained　friendly　intercourse　with　the
  German　authorities。〃　　Singular　epitaph　for　an　English　sailor。　　In
  this　complicity　on　the　part　of　Hand　we　may　find　the　reason　…　and　I
  had　almost　said；　the　excuse　…　of　much　that　was　excessive　in　the
  bearing　of　the　unfortunate　Knappe。
  On　the　11th　December；　Mataafa　received　twenty…eight　thousand
  cartridges；　brought　into　the　country　in　salt…beef　kegs　by　the
  British　ship　RICHMOND。　　This　not　only　sharpened　the　animosity
  between　whites；　following　so　closely　on　the　German　fizzle　at
  Laulii；　it　raised　a　convulsion　in　the　camp　of　Tamasese。　　On　the
  13th　Brandeis　addressed　to　Knappe　his　famous　and　fatal　letter。　　I
  may　not　describe　it　as　a　letter　of　burning　words；　but　it　is　plainly
  dictated　by　a　burning　heart。　　Tamasese　and　his　chiefs；　he
  announces；　are　now　sick　of　the　business；　and　ready　to　make　peace
  with　Mataafa。　　They　began　the　war　relying　upon　German　help；　they
  now　see　and　say　that　〃E　FAAALO　SIAMANI　I　PERITANIA　MA　AMERICA；　that
  Germany　is　subservient　to　England　and　the　States。〃　　It　is　grimly
  given　to　be　understood　that　the　despatch　is　an　ultimatum；　and　a
  last　chance　is　being　offered　for　the　recreant　ally　to　fulfil　her
  pledge。　　To　make　it　more　plain；　the　document　goes　on　with　a　kind　of
  bilious　irony：　〃The　two　German　war…ships　now　in　Samoa　are　here　for
  the　protection　of　German　property　alone；　and　when　the　OLGA　shall
  have　arrived〃　＇she　arrived　on　the　morrow＇　〃the　German　war…ships
  will　continue　to　do　against　the　insurgents　precisely　as　little　as
  they　have　done　heretofore。〃　　Plant　flags；　in　fact。
  Here　was　Knappe's　opportunity；　could　he　have　stooped　to　seize　it。
  I　find　it　difficult　to　blame　him　that　he　could　not。　　Far　from　being
  so　inglorious　as　the　treachery　once　contemplated　by　Becker；　the
  acceptance　of　this　ultimatum　would　have　been　still　in　the　nature　of
  a　disgrace。　　Brandeis's　letter；　written　by　a　German；　was　hard　to
  swallow。　　It　would　have　been　hard　to　accept　that　solution　which
  Knappe　had　so　recently　and　so　peremptorily　refused　to　his　brother
  consuls。　　And　he　was　tempted；　on　the　other　hand；　by　recent　changes。
  There　was　no　Pelly　to　support　de　Coetlogon；　who　might　now　be
  disregarded。　　Mullan；　Leary's　successor；　even　if　he　were　not
  precisely　a　Hand；　was　at　least　no　Leary；　and　even　if　Mullan　should
  show　fight；　Knappe　had　now　three　ships　and　could　defy　or　sink　him
  without　danger。　　Many　small　circumstances　moved　him　in　the　same
  direction。　　The　looting　of　German　plantations　continued；　the　whole
  force　of　Mataafa　was　to　a　large　extent　subsisted　from　the　crops　of
  Vailele；　and　armed　men　were　to　be　seen　openly　plundering　bananas；
  bread…fruit；　and　cocoa…nuts　under　the　walls　of　the　plantation
  building。　　On　the　night　of　the　13th　the　consulate　stable　had　been
  broken　into　and　a　horse　removed。　　On　the　16th　there　was　a　riot　in
  Apia　between　half…castes　and　sailors　from　the　new　ship　OLGA；　each
  side　claiming　that　the　other　was　the　worse　of　drink；　both　（for　a
  wager）　justly。　　The　multiplication　of　flags　and　little　neutral
  territories　had；　besides；　begun　to　irritate　the　Samoans。　　The
  protests　of　German　settlers　had　been　received　uncivilly。　　On　the
  16th　the　Mataafas　had　again　sought　to　land　in　Saluafata　bay；　with
  the　manifest　intention　to　attack　the　Tamaseses；　or　（in　other　words）
  〃to　trespass　on　German　lands；　covered；　as　your　Excellency　knows；
  with　flags。〃　　I　quote　from　his　requisition　to　Fritze；　December
  17th。　　Upon　all　these　considerations；　he　goes　on；　it　is　necessary
  to　bring　the　fighting　to　an　end。　　Both　parties　are　to　be　disarmed
  and　returned　to　their　villages　…　Mataafa　first。　　And　in　case　of　any
  attempt　upon　Apia；　the　roads　thither　are　to　be　held　by　a　strong
  landing…party。　　Mataafa　was　to　be　disarmed　first；　perhaps　rightly
  enough　in　his　character　of　the　last　insurgent。　　Then　was　to　have
  come　the　turn　of　Tamasese；　but　it　does　not　appear　the　disarming
  would　have　had　the　same　import　or　have　been　gone　about　in　the　same
  way。　　Germany　was　bound　to　Tamasese。　　No　honest　man　would　dream　of
  blaming　Knappe　because　he　sought　to　redeem　his　country's　word。　　The
  path　he　chose　was　doubtless　that　of　honour；　so　far　as　honour　was
  still　left。　　But　it　proved　to　be　the　road　to　ruin。
  Fritze；　ranking　German　officer；　is　understood　to　have　opposed　the
  measure。　　His　attitude　earned　him　at　the　time　unpopularity　among
  his　country…people　on　the　spot；　and　should　now　redound　to　his
  credit。　　It　is　to　be　hoped　he　extended　his　opposition　to　some　of
  the　details。　　If　it　were　possible　to　disarm　Mataafa　at　all；　it　must
  be　done　rather　by　prestige　than　force。　　A　party　of　blue…jackets
  landed　in　Samoan　bush；　and　expected　to　hold　against　Samoans　a
  multiplicity　of　forest　paths；　had　their　work　cut　out　for　them。　　And
  it　was　plain　they　should　be　landed　in　the　light　of　day；　with　a
  discouraging　openness；　and　even