and　the　fear　of　whose　misconduct　marred　the　sleep　of　their
  commanders。　　Both　paused　aghast；　both　had　time　to　recognise　that
  not　the　whole　Samoan　Archipelago　was　worth　the　loss　in　men　and
  costly　ships　already　suffered。　　The　so…called　hurricane　of　March
  16th　made　thus　a　marking　epoch　in　world…history；　directly；　and　at
  once；　it　brought　about　the　congress　and　treaty　of　Berlin；
  indirectly；　and　by　a　process　still　continuing；　it　founded　the
  modern　navy　of　the　States。　　Coming　years　and　other　historians　will
  declare　the　influence　of　that。
  CHAPTER　XI　…　LAUPEPA　AND　MATAAFA
  1889…1892
  WITH　the　hurricane；　the　broken　war…ships；　and　the　stranded　sailors；
  I　am　at　an　end　of　violence；　and　my　tale　flows　henceforth　among
  carpet　incidents。　　The　blue…jackets　on　Apia　beach　were　still
  jealously　held　apart　by　sentries；　when　the　powers　at　home　were
  already　seeking　a　peaceable　solution。　　It　was　agreed；　so　far　as
  might　be；　to　obliterate　two　years　of　blundering；　and　to　resume　in
  1889；　and　at　Berlin；　those　negotiations　which　had　been　so　unhappily
  broken　off　at　Washington　in　1887。　　The　example　thus　offered　by
  Germany　is　rare　in　history；　in　the　career　of　Prince　Bismarck；　so
  far　as　I　am　instructed；　it　should　stand　unique。　　On　a　review　of
  these　two　years　of　blundering；　bullying；　and　failure　in　a　little
  isle　of　the　Pacific；　he　seems　magnanimously　to　have　owned　his
  policy　was　in　the　wrong。　　He　left　Fangalii　unexpiated；　suffered
  that　house　of　cards；　the　Tamasese　government；　to　fall　by　its　own
  frailty　and　without　remark　or　lamentation；　left　the　Samoan　question
  openly　and　fairly　to　the　conference：　　and　in　the　meanwhile；　to
  allay　the　local　heats　engendered　by　Becker　and　Knappe；　he　sent　to
  Apia　that　invaluable　public　servant；　Dr。　Stuebel。　　I　should　be　a
  dishonest　man　if　I　did　not　bear　testimony　to　the　loyalty　since
  shown　by　Germans　in　Samoa。　　Their　position　was　painful；　they　had
  talked　big　in　the　old　days；　now　they　had　to　sing　small。　　Even
  Stuebel　returned　to　the　islands　under　the　prejudice　of　an
  unfortunate　record。　　To　the　minds　of　the　Samoans　his　name
  represented　the　beginning　of　their　sorrows；　and　in　his　first　term
  of　office　he　had　unquestionably　driven　hard。　　The　greater　his　merit
  in　the　surprising　success　of　the　second。　　So　long　as　he　stayed；　the
  current　of　affairs　moved　smoothly；　he　left　behind　him　on　his
  departure　all　men　at　peace；　and　whether　by　fortune；　or　for　the　want
  of　that　wise　hand　of　guidance；　he　was　scarce　gone　before　the　clouds
  began　to　gather　once　more　on　our　horizon。
  Before　the　first　convention；　Germany　and　the　States　hauled　down
  their　flags。　　It　was　so　done　again　before　the　second；　and　Germany；
  by　a　still　more　emphatic　step　of　retrogression；　returned　the　exile
  Laupepa　to　his　native　shores。　　For　two　years　the　unfortunate　man
  had　trembled　and　suffered　in　the　Cameroons；　in　Germany；　in　the
  rainy　Marshalls。　　When　he　left　（September　1887）　Tamasese　was　king；
  served　by　five　iron　war…ships；　his　right　to　rule　（like　a　dogma　of
  the　Church）　was　placed　outside　dispute；　the　Germans　were　still；　as
  they　were　called　at　that　last　tearful　interview　in　the　house　by　the
  river；　〃the　invincible　strangers〃；　the　thought　of　resistance；　far
  less　the　hope　of　success；　had　not　yet　dawned　on　the　Samoan　mind。
  He　returned　（November　1889）　to　a　changed　world。　　The　Tupua　party
  was　reduced　to　sue　for　peace；　Brandeis　was　withdrawn；　Tamasese　was
  dying　obscurely　of　a　broken　heart；　the　German　flag　no　longer　waved
  over　the　capital；　and　over　all　the　islands　one　figure　stood
  supreme。　　During　Laupepa's　absence　this　man　had　succeeded　him　in
  all　his　honours　and　titles；　in　tenfold　more　than　all　his　power　and
  popularity。　　He　was　the　idol　of　the　whole　nation　but　the　rump　of
  the　Tamaseses；　and　of　these　he　was　already　the　secret　admiration。
  In　his　position　there　was　but　one　weak　point；　…　that　he　had　even
  been　tacitly　excluded　by　the　Germans。　　Becker；　indeed；　once
  coquetted　with　the　thought　of　patronising　him；　but　the　project　had
  no　sequel；　and　it　stands　alone。　　In　every　other　juncture　of　history
  the　German　attitude　has　been　the　same。　　Choose　whom　you　will　to　be
  king；　when　he　has　failed；　choose　whom　you　please　to　succeed　him；
  when　the　second　fails　also；　replace　the　first：　　upon　the　one
  condition；　that　Mataafa　be　excluded。　　〃POURVU　QU'IL　SACHE　SIGNER！〃
  …　an　official　is　said　to　have　thus　summed　up　the　qualifications
  necessary　in　a　Samoan　king。　　And　it　was　perhaps　feared　that　Mataafa
  could　do　no　more　and　might　not　always　do　so　much。　　But　this
  original　diffidence　was　heightened　by　late　events　to　something
  verging　upon　animosity。　　Fangalii　was　unavenged：　　the　arms　of
  Mataafa　were
  NONDUM　INEXPIATIS　UNCTA　CRUORIBUS；
  Still　soiled　with　the　unexpiated　blood
  of　German　sailors；　and　though　the　chief　was　not　present　in　the
  field；　nor　could　have　heard　of　the　affair　till　it　was　over；　he　had
  reaped　from　it　credit　with　his　countrymen　and　dislike　from　the
  Germans。
  I　may　not　say　that　trouble　was　hoped。　　I　must　say　…　if　it　were　not
  feared；　the　practice　of　diplomacy　must　teach　a　very　hopeful　view　of
  human　nature。　　Mataafa　and　Laupepa；　by　the　sudden　repatriation　of
  the　last；　found　themselves　face　to　face　in　conditions　of
  exasperating　rivalry。　　The　one　returned　from　the　dead　of　exile　to
  find　himself　replaced　and　excelled。　　The　other；　at　the　end　of　a
  long；　anxious；　and　successful　struggle；　beheld　his　only　possible
  competitor　resuscitated　from　the　grave。　　The　qualities　of　both；　in
  this　difficult　moment；　shone　out　nobly。　　I　feel　I　seem　always　less
  than　partial　to　the　lovable　Laupepa；　his　virtues　are　perhaps　not
  those　which　chiefly　please　me；　and　are　certainly　not　royal；　but　he
  found　on　his　return　an　opportunity　to　display　the　admirable
  sweetness　of　his　nature。　　The　two　entered　into　a　competition　of
  generosity；　for　which　I　can　recall　no　parallel　in　history；　each
  waiving　the　throne　for　himself；　each　pressing　it　upon　his　rival；
  and　they　embraced　at　last　a　compromise　the　terms　of　which　seem　to
  have　been　always　obscure　and　are　now　disputed。　　Laupepa　at　least
  resumed　his　style　of　King　of　Samoa；　Mataafa　retained　much　of　the
  conduct　of　affairs；　and　continued　to　receive　much　of　the　attendance
  and　respect　befitting　royalty；　and　the　two　Malietoas；　with　so　many
  causes　of　disunion；　dwelt　and　met　together　in　the　same　town　like
  kinsmen。　　It　was　so；　that　I　first　saw　them；　so；　in　a　house　set
  about　with　sentries　…　for　there　was　still　a　haunting　fear　of
  Germany；　…　that　I　heard　them　relate　their　various　experience　in　the
  past；　heard　Laupepa　tell　with　touching　candour　of　the　sorrows　of
  his　exile；　and　Mataafa　with　mirthful　simplicity　of　his　resources
  and　anxieties　in　the　war。　　The　relation　was　perhaps　too　beautiful
  to　last；　it　was　perhaps　impossible　but　the　titular　king　should　grow
  at　last　uneasily　conscious　of　the　MAIRE　DE　PALAIS　at　his　side；　or
  the　king…maker　be　at　last　offended　by　some　shadow　of　distrust　or
  assumption　in　his　creature。　　I　repeat　the　words　king…maker　and
  creature；　it　is　so　that　Mataafa　himself　conceives　of　their
  relation：　　surely　not　without　justice；　for；　had　he　not　contended
  and　prevailed；　and　been　helped　by　the　folly　of　consuls　and　the　fury
  of　the　storm；　Laupepa　must　have　died　in　exile。
  Foreigners　in　these　islands　know　little　of　the　course　of　native
  intrigue。　　Partly　the　Samoans　cannot　explain；　partly　they　will　not
  tell。　　Ask　how　much　a　master　can　follow　of　the　puerile　politics　in
  any　school；　so　much　and　no　more　we　may　understand　of　the　events
  which　surround　and　menace　us　with　their　results。　　The　missions　may
  perhaps　have　been　to　blame。　　Missionaries　are　perhaps　apt　to　meddle
  overmuch　outside　their　discipline；　it　is　a　fault　which　should　be
  judged　with　mercy；　the　problem　is　sometimes　so　insidiously
  presented　that　even　a　moderate　and　able　man　is　betrayed　beyond　his
  own　intention；　and　the　missionary　in　such　a　land　as　Samoa　is
  something　else　besides　a　minister　of　mere　religion；　he　represents
  civilisation；　he　is　condemned　to　be　an　organ　of　reform；　he　could
  scarce　evade　（even　if　he　desired）　a　certain　influence　in　political
  affairs。　　And　it　is　believed；　besides；　by　those　who　fancy　they
  know；　that　the　effective　force　of　division　between　Mataafa　and
  Laupepa　came　from　the　natives　rather　than　from　whites。　　Before　the
  end　of　1890；　at　least；　it　began　to　be　rumoured　that　there　was
  dispeace　between　the　two　Malietoas；　and　doubtless　this　had　an
  unsettling　influence　throughout　the　islands。　　But　there　was　another
  ingredient　of　anxiety。　　The　Berlin　convention　had　long　closed　its
  sittings；　the　text　of　the　Act　had　been　long　in　our　hands；
  commissioners　were　announced　to　right　the　wrongs　of　the　land
  question；　and　two　high　officials；　a　chief　justice　and　a　president；
  to　guide　policy　and　administer　law　in　Samoa。　　Their　coming　was
  expected　with　an　impatience；　with　a　childishnes