murder）　having　been　perhaps　set　free　by　accident。　　Although　the
  step　had　been　discussed　in　certain　quarters；　it　took　all　men　by
  surprise。　　The　inhabitants　at　large　expected　instant　war。　　The
  officials　awakened　from　a　dream　to　recognise　the　value　of　that
  which　they　had　lost。　　Mataafa　at　Vaiala；　where　he　was　the　pledge　of
  peace；　had　perhaps　not　always　been　deemed　worthy　of　particular
  attention；　Mataafa　at　Malie　was　seen；　twelve　hours　too　late；　to　be
  an　altogether　different　quantity。　　With　excess　of　zeal　on　the　other
  side；　the　officials　trooped　to　their　boats　and　proceeded　almost　in
  a　body　to　Malie；　where　they　seem　to　have　employed　every　artifice　of
  flattery　and　every　resource　of　eloquence　upon　the　fugitive　high
  chief。　　These　courtesies；　perhaps　excessive　in　themselves；　had　the
  unpardonable　fault　of　being　offered　when　too　late。　　Mataafa　showed
  himself　facile　on　small　issues；　inflexible　on　the　main；　he　restored
  the　prisoners；　he　returned　with　the　consuls　to　Apia　on　a　flying
  visit；　he　gave　his　word　that　peace　should　be　preserved　…　a　pledge
  in　which　perhaps　no　one　believed　at　the　moment；　but　which　he　has
  since　nobly　redeemed。　　On　the　rest　he　was　immovable；　he　had　cast
  the　die；　he　had　declared　his　candidacy；　he　had　gone　to　Malie。
  Thither；　after　his　visit　to　Apia；　he　returned　again；　there　he　has
  practically　since　resided。
  Thus　was　created　in　the　islands　a　situation；　strange　in　the
  beginning；　and　which；　as　its　inner　significance　is　developed；
  becomes　daily　stranger　to　observe。　　On　the　one　hand；　Mataafa　sits
  in　Malie；　assumes　a　regal　state；　receives　deputations；　heads　his
  letters　〃Government　of　Samoa；〃　tacitly　treats　the　king　as　a　co…
  ordinate；　and　yet　declares　himself；　and　in　many　ways　conducts
  himself；　as　a　law…abiding　citizen。　　On　the　other；　the　white
  officials　in　Mulinuu　stand　contemplating　the　phenomenon　with　eyes
  of　growing　stupefaction；　now　with　symptoms　of　collapse；　now　with
  accesses　of　violence。　　For　long；　even　those　well　versed　in　island
  manners　and　the　island　character　daily　expected　war；　and　heard
  imaginary　drums　beat　in　the　forest。　　But　for　now　close　upon　a　year；
  and　against　every　stress　of　persuasion　and　temptation；　Mataafa　has
  been　the　bulwark　of　our　peace。　　Apia　lay　open　to　be　seized；　he　had
  the　power　in　his　hand；　his　followers　cried　to　be　led　on；　his
  enemies　marshalled　him　the　same　way　by　impotent　examples；　and　he
  has　never　faltered。　　Early　in　the　day；　a　white　man　was　sent　from
  the　government　of　Mulinuu　to　examine　and　report　upon　his　actions：
  I　saw　the　spy　on　his　return；　〃It　was　only　our　rebel　that　saved　us；〃
  he　said；　with　a　laugh。　　There　is　now　no　honest　man　in　the　islands
  but　is　well　aware　of　it；　none　but　knows　that；　if　we　have　enjoyed
  during　the　past　eleven　months　the　conveniences　of　peace；　it　is　due
  to　the　forbearance　of　〃our　rebel。〃　　Nor　does　this　part　of　his
  conduct　stand　alone。　　He　calls　his　party　at　Malie　the　government；　…
  〃our　government；〃　…　but　he　pays　his　taxes　to　the　government　at
  Mulinuu。　　He　takes　ground　like　a　king；　he　has　steadily　and　blandly
  refused　to　obey　all　orders　as　to　his　own　movements　or　behaviour；
  but　upon　requisition　he　sends　offenders　to　be　tried　under　the　chief
  justice。
  We　have　here　a　problem　of　conduct；　and　what　seems　an　image　of
  inconsistency；　very　hard　at　the　first　sight　to　be　solved　by　any
  European。　　Plainly　Mataafa　does　not　act　at　random。　　Plainly；　in　the
  depths　of　his　Samoan　mind；　he　regards　his　attitude　as　regular　and
  constitutional。　　It　may　be　unexpected；　it　may　be　inauspicious；　it
  may　be　undesirable；　but　he　thinks　it　…　and　perhaps　it　is　…　in　full
  accordance　with　those　〃laws　and　customs　of　Samoa〃　ignorantly
  invoked　by　the　draughtsmen　of　the　Berlin　Act。　　The　point　is　worth
  an　effort　of　comprehension；　a　man's　life　may　yet　depend　upon　it。
  Let　us　conceive；　in　the　first　place；　that　there　are　five　separate
  kingships　in　Samoa；　though　not　always　five　different　kings；　and
  that　though　one　man；　by　holding　the　five　royal　names；　might　become
  king　in　ALL　PARTS　of　Samoa；　there　is　perhaps　no　such　matter　as　a
  kingship　of　all　Samoa。　　He　who　holds　one　royal　name　would　be；　upon
  this　view；　as　much　a　sovereign　person　as　he　who　should　chance　to
  hold　the　other　four；　he　would　have　less　territory　and　fewer
  subjects；　but　the　like　independence　and　an　equal　royalty。　　Now
  Mataafa；　even　if　all　debatable　points　were　decided　against　him；　is
  still　Tuiatua；　and　as　such；　on　this　hypothesis；　a　sovereign　prince。
  In　the　second　place；　the　draughtsmen　of　the　Act；　waxing　exceeding
  bold；　employed　the　word　〃election；〃　and　implicitly　justified　all
  precedented　steps　towards　the　kingship　according　with　the　〃customs
  of　Samoa。〃　　I　am　not　asking　what　was　intended　by　the　gentlemen　who
  sat　and　debated　very　benignly　and；　on　the　whole；　wisely　in　Berlin；
  I　am　asking　what　will　be　understood　by　a　Samoan　studying　their
  literary　work；　the　Berlin　Act；　I　am　asking　what　is　the　result　of
  taking　a　word　out　of　one　state　of　society；　and　applying　it　to
  another；　of　which　the　writers　know　less　than　nothing；　and　no
  European　knows　much。　　Several　interpreters　and　several　days　were
  employed　last　September　in　the　fruitless　attempt　to　convey　to　the
  mind　of　Laupepa　the　sense　of　the　word　〃resignation。〃　　What　can　a
  Samoan　gather　from　the　words；　ELECTION？　ELECTION　OF　A　KING？
  ELECTION　OF　A　KING　ACCORDING　TO　THE　LAWS　AND　CUSTOMS　OF　SAMOA？
  What　are　the　electoral　measures；　what　is　the　method　of　canvassing；
  likely　to　be　employed　by　two；　three；　four；　or　five；　more　or　less
  absolute　princelings；　eager　to　evince　each　other？　　And　who　is　to
  distinguish　such　a　process　from　the　state　of　war？　　In　such
  international　…　or；　I　should　say；　interparochial　…　differences；　the
  nearest　we　can　come　towards　understanding　is　to　appreciate　the
  cloud　of　ambiguity　in　which　all　parties　grope　…
  〃Treading　the　crude　consistence；　half　on　foot；
  Half　flying。〃
  Now；　in　one　part　of　Mataafa's　behaviour　his　purpose　is　beyond
  mistake。　　Towards　the　provisions　of　the　Berlin　Act；　his　desire　to
  be　formally　obedient　is　manifest。　　The　Act　imposed　the　tax。　　He　has
  paid　his　taxes；　although　he　thus　contributes　to　the　ways　and　means
  of　his　immediate　rival。　　The　Act　decreed　the　supreme　court；　and　he
  sends　his　partisans　to　be　tried　at　Mulinuu；　although　he　thus　places
  them　（as　I　shall　have　occasion　to　show）　in　a　position　far　from
  wholly　safe。　　From　this　literal　conformity；　in　matters　regulated；
  to　the　terms　of　the　Berlin　plenipotentiaries；　we　may　plausibly
  infer；　in　regard　to　the　rest；　a　no　less　exact　observance　of　the
  famous　and　obscure　〃laws　and　customs　of　Samoa。〃
  But　though　it　may　be　possible　to　attain；　in　the　study；　to　some　such
  adumbration　of　an　understanding；　it　were　plainly　unfair　to　expect
  it　of　officials　in　the　hurry　of　events。　　Our　two　white　officers
  have　accordingly　been　no　more　perspicacious　than　was　to　be　looked
  for；　and　I　think　they　have　sometimes　been　less　wise。　　It　was　not
  wise　in　the　president　to　proclaim　Mataafa　and　his　followers　rebels
  and　their　estates　confiscated。　　Such　words　are　not　respectable　till
  they　repose　on　force；　on　the　lips　of　an　angry　white　man；　standing
  alone　on　a　small　promontory；　they　were　both　dangerous　and　absurd；
  they　might　have　provoked　ruin；　thanks　to　the　character　of　Mataafa；
  they　only　raised　a　smile　and　damaged　the　authority　of　government。
  And　again　it　is　not　wise　in　the　government　of　Mulinuu　to　have　twice
  attempted　to　precipitate　hostilities；　once　in　Savaii；　once　here　in
  the　Tuamasanga。　　The　fate　of　the　Savaii　attempt　I　never　heard；　it
  seems　to　have　been　stillborn。　　The　other　passed　under　my　eyes。　　A
  war…party　was　armed　in　Apia；　and　despatched　across　the　island
  against　Mataafa　villages；　where　it　was　to　seize　the　women　and
  children。　　It　was　absent　for　some　days；　engaged　in　feasting　with
  those　whom　it　went　out　to　fight；　and　returned　at　last；　innocuous
  and　replete。　　In　this　fortunate　though　undignified　ending　we　may
  read　the　fact　that　the　natives　on　Laupepa's　side　are　sometimes　more
  wise　than　their　advisers。　　Indeed；　for　our　last　twelve　months　of
  miraculous　peace　under　what　seem　to　be　two　rival　kings；　the　credit
  is　due　first　of　all　to　Mataafa；　and　second　to　the　half…heartedness；
  or　the　forbearance；　or　both；　of　the　natives　in　the　other　camp。　　The
  voice　of　the　two　whites　has　ever　been　for　war。　　They　have　published
  at　least　one　incendiary　proclamation；　they　have　armed　and　sent　into
  the　field　at　least　one　Samoan　war…party；　they　have　continually
  besieged　captains　of　war…ships　to　attack　Malie；　and　the　captains　of
  the　war…ships　have　religiously　refused。　　Thus　in　the　last　twelve
  months　our　European　rulers　have　drawn　a　picture　of　themselves；　as
  bearded　like　the　pard；　full　of　strange　oaths；　and　gesticulating
  like　semaphores；　while　over　against　them　Mataafa　reposes　smilingly
  obstinate；　and　their　own　retainers　surround　them；　frowningly　ine