the　treaty；　and　expects　sooner　or　later　an　election　in　which　he
  shall　be　raised　to　the　chief　power。　　In　the　meanwhile；　or　for　an
  alternative；　he　would　willingly　embrace　a　compromise　with　Laupepa；
  to　which　he　would　probably　add　one　condition；　that　the　joint
  government　should　remain　seated　at　Malie；　a　sensible　but　not
  inconvenient　distance　from　white　intrigues　and　white　officials。
  One　circumstance　in　my　last　interview　particularly　pleased　me。　　The
  king's　chief　scribe；　Esela；　is　an　old　employe　under　Tamasese；　and
  the　talk　ran　some　while　upon　the　character　of　Brandeis。　　Loyalty　in
  this　world　is　after　all　not　thrown　away；　Brandeis　was　guilty；　in
  Samoan　eyes；　of　many　irritating　errors；　but　he　stood　true　to
  Tamasese；　in　the　course　of　time　a　sense　of　this　virtue　and　of　his
  general　uprightness　has　obliterated　the　memory　of　his　mistakes；　and
  it　would　have　done　his　heart　good　if　he　could　have　heard　his　old
  scribe　and　his　old　adversary　join　in　praising　him。　　〃Yes；〃
  concluded　Mataafa；　〃I　wish　we　had　Planteisa　back　again。〃　　A　QUELQUE
  CHOSE　MALHEUR　EST　BON。　　So　strong　is　the　impression　produced　by　the
  defects　of　Cedarcrantz　and　Baron　Senfft；　that　I　believe　Mataafa　far
  from　singular　in　this　opinion；　and　that　the　return　of　the　upright
  Brandeis　might　be　even　welcome　to　many。
  I　must　add　a　last　touch　to　the　picture　of　Malie　and　the　pretender's
  life。　　About　four　in　the　morning；　the　visitor　in　his　house　will　be
  awakened　by　the　note　of　a　pipe；　blown　without；　very　softly　and　to　a
  soothing　melody。　　This　is　Mataafa's　private　luxury　to　lead　on
  pleasant　dreams。　　We　have　a　bird　here　in　Samoa　that　about　the　same
  hour　of　darkness　sings　in　the　bush。　　The　father　of　Mataafa；　while
  he　lived；　was　a　great　friend　and　protector　to　all　living　creatures；
  and　passed　under　the　by…name　of　THE　KING　OF　BIRDS。　　It　may　be　it
  was　among　the　woodland　clients　of　the　sire　that　the　son　acquired
  his　fancy　for　this　morning　music。
  I　have　now　sought　to　render　without　extenuation　the　impressions
  received：　　of　dignity；　plenty；　and　peace　at　Malie；　of　bankruptcy
  and　distraction　at　Mulinuu。　　And　I　wish　I　might　here　bring　to　an
  end　ungrateful　labours。　　But　I　am　sensible　that　there　remain　two
  points　on　which　it　would　be　improper　to　be　silent。　　I　should　be
  blamed　if　I　did　not　indicate　a　practical　conclusion；　and　I　should
  blame　myself　if　I　did　not　do　a　little　justice　to　that　tried　company
  of　the　Land　Commissioners。
  The　Land　Commission　has　been　in　many　senses　unfortunate。　　The
  original　German　member；　a　gentleman　of　the　name　of　Eggert；　fell
  early　into　precarious　health；　his　work　was　from　the　first
  interrupted；　he　was　at　last　（to　the　regret　of　all　that　knew　him）
  invalided　home；　and　his　successor　had　but　just　arrived。　　In　like
  manner；　the　first　American　commissioner；　Henry　C。　Ide；　a　man　of
  character　and　intelligence；　was　recalled　（I　believe　by　private
  affairs）　when　he　was　but　just　settling　into　the　spirit　of　the　work；
  and　though　his　place　was　promptly　filled　by　ex…Governor　Ormsbee；　a
  worthy　successor；　distinguished　by　strong　and　vivacious　common
  sense；　the　break　was　again　sensible。　　The　English　commissioner；　my
  friend　Bazett　Michael　Haggard；　is　thus　the　only　one　who　has
  continued　at　his　post　since　the　beginning。　　And　yet；　in　spite　of
  these　unusual　changes；　the　Commission　has　a　record　perhaps
  unrivalled　among　international　commissions。　　It　has　been　unanimous
  practically　from　the　first　until　the　last；　and　out　of　some　four
  hundred　cases　disposed　of；　there　is　but　one　on　which　the　members
  were　divided。　　It　was　the　more　unfortunate　they　should　have　early
  fallen　in　a　difficulty　with　the　chief　justice。　　The　original　ground
  of　this　is　supposed　to　be　a　difference　of　opinion　as　to　the　import
  of　the　Berlin　Act；　on　which；　as　a　layman；　it　would　be　unbecoming　if
  I　were　to　offer　an　opinion。　　But　it　must　always　seem　as　if　the
  chief　justice　had　suffered　himself　to　be　irritated　beyond　the
  bounds　of　discretion。　　It　must　always　seem　as　if　his　original
  attempt　to　deprive　the　commissioners　of　the　services　of　a　secretary
  and　the　use　of　a　safe　were　even　senseless；　and　his　step　in　printing
  and　posting　a　proclamation　denying　their　jurisdiction　were　equally
  impolitic　and　undignified。　　The　dispute　had　a　secondary　result
  worse　than　itself。　　The　gentleman　appointed　to　be　Natives'　Advocate
  shared　the　chief　justice's　opinion；　was　his　close　intimate；　advised
  with　him　almost　daily；　and　drifted　at　last　into　an　attitude　of
  opposition　to　his　colleagues。　　He　suffered　himself　besides　（being　a
  layman　in　law）　to　embrace　the　interest　of　his　clients　with
  something　of　the　warmth　of　a　partisan。　　Disagreeable　scenes
  occurred　in　court；　the　advocate　was　more　than　once　reproved；　he　was
  warned　that　his　consultations　with　the　judge　of　appeal　tended　to
  damage　his　own　character　and　to　lower　the　credit　of　the　appellate
  court。　　Having　lost　some　cases　on　which　he　set　importance；　it
  should　seem　that　he　spoke　unwisely　among　natives。　　A　sudden　cry　of
  colour　prejudice　went　up；　and　Samoans　were　heard　to　assure　each
  other　that　it　was　useless　to　appear　before　the　Land　Commission；
  which　was　sworn　to　support　the　whites。
  This　deplorable　state　of　affairs　was　brought　to　an　end　by　the
  departure　from　Samoa　of　the　Natives'　Advocate。　　He　was　succeeded
  PRO　TEMPORE　by　a　young　New　Zealander；　E。　W。　Gurr；　not　much　more
  versed　in　law　than　himself；　and　very　much　less　so　in　Samoan。
  Whether　by　more　skill　or　better　fortune；　Gurr　has　been　able　in　the
  course　of　a　few　weeks　to　recover　for　the　natives　several　important
  tracts　of　land；　and　the　prejudice　against　the　Commission　seems　to
  be　abating　as　fast　as　it　arose。　　I　should　not　omit　to　say　that；　in
  the　eagerness　of　the　original　advocate；　there　was　much　that　was
  amiable；　nor　must　I　fail　to　point　out　how　much　there　was　of
  blindness。　　Fired　by　the　ardour　of　pursuit；　he　seems　to　have
  regarded　his　immediate　clients　as　the　only　natives　extant　and　the
  epitome　and　emblem　of　the　Samoan　race。　　Thus；　in　the　case　that　was
  the　most　exclaimed　against　as　〃an　injustice　to　natives；〃　his
  client；　Puaauli；　was　certainly　nonsuited。　　But　in　that　intricate
  affair　who　lost　the　money？　　The　German　firm。　　And　who　got　the　land？
  Other　natives。　　To　twist　such　a　decision　into　evidence；　either　of　a
  prejudice　against　Samoans　or　a　partiality　to　whites；　is　to　keep　one
  eye　shut　and　have　the　other　bandaged。
  And　lastly；　one　word　as　to　the　future。　　Laupepa　and　Mataafa　stand
  over　against　each　other；　rivals　with　no　third　competitor。　　They　may
  be　said　to　hold　the　great　name　of　Malietoa　in　commission；　each　has
  borne　the　style；　each　exercised　the　authority；　of　a　Samoan　king；
  one　is　secure　of　the　small　but　compact　and　fervent　following　of　the
  Catholics；　the　other　has　the　sympathies　of　a　large　part　of　the
  Protestant　majority；　and　upon　any　sign　of　Catholic　aggression　would
  have　more。　　With　men　so　nearly　balanced；　it　may　be　asked　whether　a
  prolonged　successful　exercise　of　power　be　possible　for　either。　　In
  the　case　of　the　feeble　Laupepa；　it　is　certainly　not；　we　have　the
  proof　before　us。　　Nor　do　I　think　we　should　judge；　from　what　we　see
  to…day；　that　it　would　be　possible；　or　would　continue　to　be
  possible；　even　for　the　kingly　Mataafa。　　It　is　always　the　easier
  game　to　be　in　opposition。　　The　tale　of　David　and　Saul　would
  infallibly　be　re…enacted；　once　more　we　shall　have　two　kings　in　the
  land；　…　the　latent　and　the　patent；　and　the　house　of　the　first　will
  become　once　more　the　resort　of　〃every　one　that　is　in　distress；　and
  every　one　that　is　in　debt；　and　every　one　that　is　discontented。〃
  Against　such　odds　it　is　my　fear　that　Mataafa　might　contend　in　vain；
  it　is　beyond　the　bounds　of　my　imagination　that　Laupepa　should
  contend　at　all。　　Foreign　ships　and　bayonets　is　the　cure　proposed　in
  Mulinuu。　　And　certainly；　if　people　at　home　desire　that　money　should
  be　thrown　away　and　blood　shed　in　Samoa；　an　effect　of　a　kind；　and
  for　the　time；　may　be　produced。　　Its　nature　and　prospective
  durability　I　will　ask　readers　of　this　volume　to　forecast　for
  themselves。　　There　is　one　way　to　peace　and　unity：　　that　Laupepa　and
  Mataafa　should　be　again　conjoined　on　the　best　terms　procurable。
  There　may　be　other　ways；　although　I　cannot　see　them；　but　not　even
  malevolence；　not　even　stupidity；　can　deny　that　this　is　one。　　It
  seems；　indeed；　so　obvious；　and　sure；　and　easy；　that　men　look　about
  with　amazement　and　suspicion；　seeking　some　hidden　motive　why　it
  should　not　be　adopted。
  To　Laupepa's　opposition；　as　shown　in　the　case　of　the　Lauati　scheme；
  no　dweller　in　Samoa　will　give　weight；　for　they　know　him　to　be　as
  putty　in　the　hands　of　his　advisers。　　It　may　be　right；　it　may　be
  wrong；　but　we　are　many　of　us　driven　to　the　conclusion　that　the
  stumbling…block　is　Fangalii；　and　that　the　memorial　of　that　affair
  shadows　appropriately　the　house　of　a　king　who　reigns　in　right　of
  it。　　If　this　be