their wandering government some six miles to windward, to a
position above Lotoanuu. For some three miles to the eastward of

Apia, the shores of Upolu are low and the ground rises with a
gentle acclivity, much of which waves with German plantations. A

barrier reef encloses a lagoon passable for boats: and the
traveller skims there, on smooth, many-tinted shallows, between the

wall of the breakers on the one hand, and on the other a succession
of palm-tree capes and cheerful beach-side villages. Beyond the

great plantation of Vailele, the character of the coast is changed.
The barrier reef abruptly ceases, the surf beats direct upon the

shore; and the mountains and untenanted forest of the interior
descend sheer into the sea. The first mountain promontory is

Letongo. The bay beyond is called Laulii, and became the
headquarters of Mataafa. And on the next projection, on steep,

intricate ground, veiled in forest and cut up by gorges and
defiles, Tamasese fortified his lines. This greenwoodcitadel,

which proved impregnable by Samoan arms, may be regarded as his
front; the sea covered his right; and his rear extended along the

coast as far as Saluafata, and thus commanded and drew upon a rich
country, including the plain of Falefa.

He was left in peace from 11th October till November 6th. But his
adversary is not wholly to be blamed for this delay, which depended

upon island etiquette. His Savaii contingent had not yet come in,
and to have moved again without waiting for them would have been

surely to offend, perhaps to lose them. With the month of November
they began to arrive: on the 2nd twenty boats, on the 3rd twenty-

nine, on the 5th seventeen. On the 6th the position Mataafa had so
long occupied on the skirts of Apia was deserted; all that day and

night his force kept streaming eastward to Laulii; and on the 7th
the siege of Lotoanuu was opened with a brisk skirmish.

Each side built forts, facing across the gorge of a brook. An
endless fusillade and shouting maintained the spirit of the

warriors; and at night, even if the firing slackened, the pickets
continued to exchange from either side volleys of songs and pungent

pleasantries. Nearer hostilities were rendered difficult by the
nature of the ground, where men must thread dense bush and clamber

on the face of precipices. Apia was near enough; a man, if he had
a dollar or two, could walk in before a battle and array himself in

silk or velvet. Casualties were not common; there was nothing to
cast gloom upon the camps, and no more danger than was required to

give a spice to the perpetual firing. For the young warriors it
was a period of admirableenjoyment. But the anxiety of Mataafa

must have been great and growing. His force was now considerable.
It was scarce likely he should ever have more. That he should be

long able to supply them with ammunition seemed incredible; at the
rates then or soon after current, hundreds of pounds sterling might

be easily blown into the air by the skirmishers in the course of a
few days. And in the meanwhile, on the mountain opposite, his

outnumbered adversary held his ground unshaken.
By this time the partisanship of the whites was unconcealed.

Americans supplied Mataafa with ammunition; English and Americans
openly subscribed together and sent boat-loads of provisions to his

camp. One such boat started from Apia on a day of rain; it was
pulled by six oars, three being paid by Moors, three by the

MacArthurs; Moors himself and a clerk of the MacArthurs' were in
charge; and the load included not only beef and biscuit, but three

or four thousand rounds of ammunition. They came ashore in Laulii,
and carried the gift to Mataafa. While they were yet in his house

a bullet passed overhead; and out of his door they could see the
Tamasese pickets on the opposite hill. Thence they made their way

to the left flank of the Mataafa position next the sea. A Tamasese
barricade was visible across the stream. It rained, but the

warriors crowded in their shanties, squatted in the mud, and
maintained an excited conversation. Balls flew; either faction,

both happy as lords, spotting for the other in chance shots, and
missing. One point is characteristic of that war; experts in

native feeling doubt if it will characterise the next. The two
white visitors passed without and between the lines to a rocky

point upon the beach. The person of Moors was well known; the
purpose of their coming to Laulii must have been already bruited

abroad; yet they were not fired upon. From the point they spied a
crow's nest, or hangingfortification, higher up; and, judging it

was a good position for a general view, obtained a guide. He led
them up a steep side of the mountain, where they must climb by

roots and tufts of grass; and coming to an open hill-top with some
scattered trees, bade them wait, let him draw the fire, and then be

swift to follow. Perhaps a dozen balls whistled about him ere he
had crossed the dangerous passage and dropped on the farther side

into the crow's-nest; the white men, briskly following, escaped
unhurt. The crow's-nest was built like a bartizan on the

precipitous front of the position. Across the ravine, perhaps at
five hundred yards, heads were to be seen popping up and down in a

fort of Tamesese's. On both sides the same enthusiasm without
council, the same senselessvigilance, reigned. Some took aim;

some blazed before them at a venture. Now - when a head showed on
the other side - one would take a crack at it, remarking that it

would never do to "miss a chance." Now they would all fire a
volley and bob down; a return volley rang across the ravine, and

was punctually answered: harmless as lawn-tennis. The whites
expostulated in vain. The warriors, drunken with noise, made

answer by a fresh general discharge and bade their visitors run
while it was time. Upon their return to headquarters, men were

covering the front with sheets of coral limestone, two balls having
passed through the house in the interval. Mataafa sat within, over

his kava bowl, unmoved. The picture is of a piece throughout:
excellent courage, super-excellent folly, a war of school-children;

expensive guns and cartridges used like squibs or catherine-wheels
on Guy Fawkes's Day.

On the 20th Mataafa changed his attack. Tamasese's front was
seemingly impregnable. Something must be tried upon his rear.

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