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A Footnote to History-Part16_ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON(1850-1894)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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stores from the firm, and on the morrow reached Saluafata bay.



Thanks to the misconduct of the Mataafas, the most of the foreshore

was still in the hands of the Tamaseses; and they were thus able to



receive from the EBER both the stores and weapons. The weapons had

been sold long since to Tarawa, Apaiang, and Pleasant Island;



places unheard of by the general reader, where obscure inhabitants

paid for these instruments of death in money or in labour, misused



them as it was known they would be misused, and had been disarmed

by force. The EBER had brought back the guns to a German counter,



whence many must have been originally sold; and was here engaged,

like a shopboy, in their distribution to fresh purchasers. Such is



the viciouscircle of the traffic in weapons of war. Another aid

of a more metaphysical nature was ministered by the EBER to



Tamasese, in the shape of uncountable German flags. The full

history of this epidemic of bunting falls to be told in the next



chapter. But the fact has to be chronicled here, for I believe it

was to these flags that we owe the visit of the ADAMS, and my next



and best authentic glance into a native camp. The ADAMS arrived in

Saluafata on the 26th. On the morrow Leary and Moors landed at the



village. It was still occupied by Mataafas, mostly from Manono and

Savaii, few in number, high in spirit. The Tamasese pickets were



meanwhile within musket range; there was maintained a steady

sputtering of shots; and yet a party of Tamasese women were here on



a visit to the women of Manono, with whom they sat talking and

smoking, under the fire of their own relatives. It was reported



that Leary took part in a council of war, and promised to join with

his broadside in the next attack. It is certain he did nothing of



the sort: equally certain that, in Tamasese circles, he was firmly

credited with having done so. And this heightens the extraordinary



character of what I have now to tell. Prudence and delicacy alike

ought to have forbid the camp of Tamasese to the feet of either



Leary or Moors. Moors was the original - there was a time when he

had been the only - opponent of the puppet king. Leary had driven



him from the seat of government; it was but a week or two since he

had threatened to bombard him in his present refuge. Both were in



close and daily council with his adversary, and it was no secret

that Moors was supplying the latter with food. They were



partisans; it lacked but a hair that they should be called

belligerents; it were idle to try to deny they were the most



dangerous of spies. And yet these two now sailed across the bay

and landed inside the Tamasese lines at Salelesi. On the very



beach they had another glimpse of the artlessness of Samoan war.

Hitherto the Tamasese fleet, being hardy and unencumbered, had made



a fool of the huge floating forts upon the other side; and here

they were tolling, not to produce another boat on their own pattern



in which they had always enjoyed the advantage, but to make a new

one the type of their enemies', of which they had now proved the



uselessness for months. It came on to rain as the Americans

landed; and though none offered to oppose their coming ashore, none



invited them to take shelter. They were nowise abashed, entered a

house unbidden, and were made welcome with obvious reserve. The



rain clearing off, they set forth westward, deeper into the heart

of the enemies' position. Three or four young men ran some way



before them, doubtless to give warning; and Leary, with his

indomitable taste for mischief, kept inquiring as he went after



"the high chief" Tamasese. The line of the beach was one

continuous breastwork; some thirty odd iron cannon of all sizes and



patterns stood mounted in embrasures; plenty grape and canister lay

ready; and at every hundred yards or so the German flag was flying.



The numbers of the guns and flags I give as I received them, though

they test my faith. At the house of Brandeis - a little,



weatherboard house, crammed at the time with natives, men, women,

and squalling children - Leary and Moors again asked for "the high



chief," and, were again assured that he was farther on. A little

beyond, the road ran in one place somewhat inland, the two



Americans had gone down to the line of the beach to continue their




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