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Succeed to Office - Mysterious Burglary - Smart Prisoner - Cat-o'-Nine-Tails - Support in Affliction - Theft - Swearing - A very Precise Thief - Chinaman's Dollars - Hanky-Panky Man - A Modern Cannibal - Making Use of a Friend - Never Cannibals - Queen's Birthday - Flag-wagging - My Portrait Gallery - The German Boy - The Asteroid - Visit to Manono - Girl's Deceitful Trading.

WAS no sooner left to my own resources in full possession of the two offices of Consul and Deputy Commissioner, than, as I had been warned, I was rushed at by all sorts of schemers, each one presenting his sad case as if it had only happened that very morning; but being prepared for this onslaught, I was able to refer most of these applicants to a former settlement or refusal of their interesting claims. The natives, too, were not at all behindhand in similar efforts, all trying to take a mean advantage of a new hand.

On the 19th the whole town was in a state of great commotion from a mysterious burglary having been committed, in which a white man had been dangerously injured; the nature of the wound - a club-stroke across the stomach - pointed to the probability of its being the work of a Samoan, with whom such a blow is a favourite one. For some time the strictest inquiry could not elicit any information as to who was the perpetrator of the crime, until a remark was let fall by a municipal prisoner which attracted attention and caused a search of the gaol, where, in the prison quarters, was found some of the plunder, as well as a skeleton-key which fitted the lock of the cell. It was then discovered that two of the gaolbirds were in the habit of letting themselves out at night and strolling about, carefully locking themselves up towards morning, and that it was these two bright articles who had committed the burglary. It was a performance quite worthy of more civilized parts, and not by any means to be expected from an easy-going Samoan, and in reality, for their credit, the chief actor was not a pure breed, being half Raratongan. The culprits were tried, and received four dozen lashes and six months in irons. The first one seized for punishment was the cross-bred ruffian who it was supposed committed the violent assault. During his punishment - not a new sensation to him - he roared and dodged about in the most abject manner, and was escorted back to gaol in a very subdued state to make room for his brother sinner, who had been let off with half the amount. Just as the second patient was tied up, the first climbed to the window of his room, and shouted out to his friend in difficulties : 'Courage, my friend! Courage! Bear it as a brave warrior, just as I did. Don't cry out, and give the 'papalagi' any satisfaction,' which advice, considering that the last man had both seen and heard the first performance, was rather misplaced, and, as may be imagined, useless.

It is very strange, but nevertheless true, that when any offence is committed by a Samoan he is bound to be found out, and in most cases, with a little persuasion, will even furnish the evidence for his own conviction - that is, before the white Municipal Magistrate.

Amongst themselves, a general method of discovering a theft committed in a Samoan community is by swearing the whole town through, each individual taking oath that he or she is not guilty of the crime. In old times, this solemn affirmation of innocence was taken over some sign or utensil representing the district or village god, but in these latter days the sacred object is the Bible. At the time appointed, the chief men of the place will assemble in the 'Fale tele' (big house), when, first having sworn their own freedom from the sin, they sit in solemn state, whilst all the rest of the people of every sort and description file before them, each in turn swearing in the most approved manner their innocence of the charge. This, when the complaint is stealing of native from native, is, or was, as a rule, successful; but it is sad to relate, for the credit of Samoans, that when the despoiled one is a foreigner, the natives of the present day, perhaps owing to the advance of civilization, do not consider themselves at all bound to confess the truth under so simple an obligation as an oath on the Bible, but cheerfully go through the whole ceremony of perjuring themselves without a blush, if ever such a thing can be detected on their bronze faces. As for instance: A store at a place called, 'Fasitootai' was burglarized one night, and a large quantity of prints and tinned provisions stolen therefrom. The owners, of course. applied to the chiefs of the place, who, sad to say, from the evidence of the empty tins lying around, must have known something about the robbery, or, at all events, have had very good grounds for knowing that some such thing had been perpetrated. The oath test was, however, applied; some two hundred or more passing under it with a stoicism worthy of a better cause. The chiefs then tried to fence the matter, by asserting that the robbery must have been effected by strangers arriving during the night by canoe; but, as no such advent could be traced, the blind was too palpable to be believed. The chiefs and judge of the village, seeing that the robbed ones were in real earnest and would not be bluffed off, and fearing, no doubt, that the affair would go further, when the whole community would fare much worse than by having a few of their people punished, at last found some half a dozen of the steady swearers of innocence to confess the robbery. Now began another perjury seance. These men appeared before the judge - who, by-the-bye, must have known all about the case from the beginning - and brought back a certain portion of the stolen goods, swearing solemnly on the Bible that it was all they knew of. Bearing in view the value of the first oath, they were not believed, and were sent back for the remainder of the goods abstracted. They shortly returned with some more of the missing articles, and again testified that this lot was indeed all that they knew about. This process of collection was repeated in precisely the same manner four or five times, solemn oath being taken each time, until at last it was evident that these Christians had collected from their companions in crime all the cloth that was not actually in use, but the eatables were beyond recovery. It was to be observed, after the matter was over, that cloth, very suspiciously similar to the missing balance of the total robbery, was to be seen adorning the bodies of several of the judicial corps and grandees of the place.

Another case of the swearing test being ineffectual was brought to light in the Municipal Court of Apia, but this time it was native versus native. A man was arraigned for stealing a bundle of ten mats which he averred he had found in a sugar-cane plantation, and, simple fellow, thinking they had been stolen by some other man, annexed them for himself. He was convicted on the clearest evidence possible, and being asked whether he did not publicly swear on the Bible at his town-meeting that he knew nothing about them, he replied, it was true that he swore innocence at the meeting, but it was of stealing another bundle of ten mats lost somewhere a long time ago - he could not tell where - and not the bundle in question. His mind was fixed on the first bundle so strongly, that he was quite unconscious of the meeting being assembled for inquiry into the second lot. The rascal lived in the very same house that the mats were stolen from, and was the man who persuaded the woman to ask the chiefs to put the village through the oath test.

Again, a Chinaman in Apia was robbed of some nineteen hundred dollars, and although he suspected some compatriots living very near him, yet he was not able to bring the matter home to them. There happened to be living close at hand a native teacher, who enjoyed a reputation for being a successful robber-detecter, having some short time before recovered a stolen ring by means of a mystical process, the knowledge of which he had acquired whilst away on missionary duty somewhere in the Line Islands. (N.B. He had previously to the divination frightened the girl who stole the ring into confession.) To him the loser of the money applied, of course accompanying the application with a suitable gift.

The entire plant required for this mystical detective business is very limited and simple if one knows where to get the stuff which consists merely of some sort of material or root to be chewed by the diviner. When the mastication is complete, the operator spits out the juice into the hollow of his hand, and holding it there, requests the plundered one to call over the names of all people whom he suspects to have been guilty of the robbery. When the actual culprit's name is mentioned, the liquid will overflow and run up the arm of the performer, or take such a length of travel in that direction as will be proportionate to the interest taken in the little game by the owners of other names mentioned.

On the Chinaman's first application for help, the conjurer declined service on the score that he was a missionary teacher, and consequently could not dabble in any such heathenish work; but the fact was that he was far too cunning to set to work guessing on a perfect uncertainty, and wanted time to listen around and pick up news to work upon. In the course of three or four days, very strong circumstantial evidence was brought to bear upon three Chinamen; in fact almost enough to convict, and certainly quite sufficient to lock them up on suspicion in any civilized country.

With something so likely to turn up trumps to work upon, the pious scruples of the conjurer gave way before the anticipation of making an honest dollar or two with little trouble; so he caused the heathen Chinee to be given to understand that his love for justice had overridden his conscientious scruples, and that a suitable recognition of his trouble would secure his services. Terms were accordingly agreed to, the only stipulation being that there should be no whites present during the detective operations.

The Chinaman clinched the bargain. The mystic root was chewed, and the juice thereof ejected into the sanctimonious paw of the pious man; and then Johnny, called over the names of individuals whom he well knew were nowhere near the place at the time of the annexation, just by way of testing the oracle.

The performer, however, was just as cunning as was Johnny. Not a stir was to be had over absentees, nor was the slightest possible motion to be detected in the dark-looking mess tenderly nursed in the diviner's hand.

Chinkie now, having somewhat proved his man, commenced to name the first of the three suspected ones whose probable guiIt had been the popular theme of conversation for the previous three days. The first name was mentioned, and lo and behold ! a visible disturbance took place in the fluid, and the owner of that cognomen was pronounced to have had something to do with the business. A second name followed, and then, by Jove ! the liquid travelled without the slightest movement of the performer right over his wrist.

This was evident sign enough of guilt; but, more marvellous to relate, on the third man's surname being submitted for trial, the entire contents of the missionary's hand got up bodily, and running up the full length of his arm, spilt itself over his sanctified shoulder.

In the opinion of the conclave there was no longer any doubt whatever about the matter. The actual robber and his assistants in two degrees were denounced, and, according to all the laws of the enlightened Line Islands, were guilty of the abstraction of the lost nineteen hundred dollars; and this should be sufficient for any white judge who ever came to the South Seas for judicial practice. Off went Johnny red-hot to the Municipal Magistrate, and with a vast amount of gesticulation and misplaced l's, in the best of pigeon-English, laid these incontestable proofs of guilt before him, requesting that these three, denounced by so infallible a method, should be immediately tried and convicted. The Magistrate, in his ignorance, did not quite see the case in the same light, and declined, upon such evidence - although it might be sufficient for hanging a man in so enlightened a group as the Line Islands - to accede to the reasonable request, so the Chinee plaintiff retired growling, drawing the most unfavourable comparisons between the fashion d arriving at a conviction in Samoa and that of Tapitouea, vastly to the disadvantage of the former.

One hundred dollars having been offered for the discovery of the stolen money, the pious detective was bothered almost out of his life by all sorts of people to divine where it was planted. He declined to act for one and all, but what excuse he gave history does not relate; at all events, the money was never found.

Whilst strolling about the town to-day (the 9th), I was called in by the British doctor to see a curious specimen of a Samoan patient he had brought in to him for treatment, and, on entering, saw a fine-looking old man sitting on the floor with his eyes not only close shut, but forcibly kept so, with all the effort the patient could muster. He was surrounded by four strong friends, who appeared to be acting as a sort of police over him, and ready to seize upon him whenever required. It was a most strange case, and had puzzled our Aesculapius not a little. This respectable old gentleman - all right in every other respect - had suddenly taken into his head that he should like to resume ancient Samoan customs, and hungered for human flesh to vary the monotony of his yam and taro. It appeared when at home he would sit in his house like a spider in his web, and every fat boy whom he saw pass he would hunt all down the town with wild howls and watering mouth, seeking to convert the well-favoured youth into the 'long pork' of his ancestors for the satisfaction of his horrible craving. He at last became a regular nuisance; no baby was safe anywhere while he was about, and the mothers were in continual apprehension of coming home one fine day and finding the creature polishing off the last wing-bone of their latest treasure. The point of forbearance was exceeded when he, not being able to catch the tender youth-spoiling all round the village for want of cooking-suddenly attempted to devour an old and trusted friend raw. Reviving cannibalism they could put up with to a great extent, but to improve upon the old system and take the rations uncooked could not be endured; so he was captured, and taken in to the 'Fomai Peritania' (British doctor) to see what he could do in this strange case. The man, as I said before, was quite sensible on all other subjects. and the reason that he kept his eyes shut was-he told me himself-to prevent his seeing the. doctor, for he knew that if he looked upon him he should want to dine off him. What became of this interesting patient on his return I never heard.

It has been said that the Samoans never were cannibals, but for the veracity of this statement I am afraid there is little proof but their own word. One thing certain, however, is that there has been no instance of man-eating within the memory of any 'white' still, there exists amongst these natives a ceremony that distinctly points out that at one time human beings were cooked and eaten. It is that of 'Ifo' - a ceremony of humiliation of parties in war or performed in course of apology for some offence committed. The performers of this custom, clad in their most worthless clothes-in old times stark naked-with every sign of dejection, will appear before their judges, each one carrying something significant of the position they put themselves into, viz., that of their captors' pigs. One will carry a handful of leaves, another of sticks (representing material for the fire); others will carry stones wherewith to build the oven, and the remainder banana-leaves to wrap the meat (which they in person supply), and bamboo-knives with which to carve their own carcases. In procession, bearing all these necessaries for Samoan cookery, the miserable mob will crawl up to their conquerors, who, just as their inclination may direct, either club and eat them or permit them to live as slaves.

To-day, the 24th, her most gracious Majesty the Queen's birthday, was observed by all British subjects as a holiday - as it always will be wherever a British official resides, let it be ever so far from civilization - and devoted to picnics and feasting in the country, and in the evening celebrated by a dinner held at the principal hotel, the International,' kept by a worthy Briton, and at which all the loyal toasts duly received honour. This day is one of the four public holidays kept under the Municipal Regulations, the three others being the German Emperor's birthday, the 4th of July, and Christmas Day, when international courtesies are exchanged, and every individual who possesses a flag hoists it, and the ships in harbour mark the occasion with appropriate decorations.

Flag-wagging in Apia has become quite a mania, and the new arrival, on seeing the amount of coloured bunting flying about amongst the dark-green cocoanuts, even if the occasion be only a funeral, is taken by surprise at the unlooked-for display. Apart from flags set on high for annexation purposes - which have of late been so rife in the Pacific, and of which a specimen has until quite recently been observable in Apia itself, and has helped to prove the truth of a native saying, that 'Whenever a white man is hardup for something to do, he takes a boat and hoists his flag anywhere' - there is scarcely anything that can happen, even in private life, in Apia, over which it has not been the custom to hoist a flag.

Any old woman giving a picnic used to expect that her national flag should be hoisted in honour of it; and even the death of a poor little infant was taken advantage of for the expression of public sorrow in flags half-mast high all over the place; and wrongheaded British subjects have been known to swagger down the beach in times of trouble draped toga-fashion in the Union Jack, blatantly defying molestation.

On her Majesty's birthday, I invariably had a great many Samoans come into the house to see the portrait of the 'Tupu Tamaitai' (Queen, literally kingwoman) 'Wikitoria,' at which they would steadfastly gaze for ten minutes at a time without speaking, and then, making some friendly remark, thank me, and take their leave.

Later on in 1885, during the flag-hoisting and flag-pulling-down troubles in Apia, I noticed an inordinately great desire to inspect my portrait-gallery of the Royal Family. Samoans who were well acquainted with the pictures would over and over again bring in perfect strangers, visitors from all far-off parts of the group; and one week I was so bothered by them that I had to stop the show, and when doing so asked one of my native friends what was the cause of all this, and particularly why all the visitors should ask 'Walesse,' the Prince of Wales, to be pointed out; and inquire whether he was not a German, as his father was, and whether he would not be King of England when the Queen died.

My friend replied, 'Don't you know what is all over Samoa ?' On my telling him that I knew of nothing specially pointing to their late craze, he informed me that it had been reported that the Prince of Wales was a German boy,' and that when the Queen passed away, he being German, England would belong to Germany; and therefore it was of no use to appeal to England for annexation, for if she did accept them it would only be the same thing as belonging to Germany, who would, when the time came, take notice of those who had tried to cement the British alliance.

On the 25th the English cutter-yacht Asteroid arrived to enliven our dismal quarters, and all were glad to welcome the sight of three new faces amongst us, let it be for ever so short a time. Of course, the first thing was a pilgrimage to the sliding-rock, this time personally conducted by the doctor, who, somehow or other, in attempting a short cut of his own invention, managed to give us the full benefit of nearly all the roughest bush-tracks lying between Apia and the west end of the island; and it was only by catching a wandering native that we ever got to Papasea at all, and then we only had just time to graduate our new chums when we had to return home, where we did not arrive before dark.

The next morning early we started down the coast for Manono, to show our friends something of the country, and on the wings of a beautiful sea breeze went flying down the coast inside the reef. Passing along with shortened sail close in, we were every now and then saluted by the smiling natives with their softly pronounced 'Alofa' the very acme of polite greeting; and on suddenly turning a large headland rock, we burst upon the busy scene of a school dismissing for the day.

All their attention was immediately riveted on the boat, and it was a truly pleasant experience to receive the combined congratulations of this supremely happy-looking, dancing, and most interestingly pretty crowd. Each little creature, book or slate in hand, came as far as possible towards us on the rock, waving tiny hands in joyous glee, and piping out shrill crows of welcome in the quaintest manner. With fat, small, rotund, shining bodies, naked to the waist, and their big, dark, lustrous eyes glittering with merriment, they were perfect dark cherubs in appearance, and worthy of a place in any picture.

The elder boys and girls, crowned, as Samoans mostly are, with garlands of bright flowers and leaves, crowded laughingly into the water to help us to shore should they persuade us to land in the vicinity, whilst several swam out and accompanied us some distance on our way; but as we rounded another point, this merry little crowd, with one combined 'Tofa' - good-bye - passed from our sight.

Leaving the reef at Mulifanua we struck off shore for Manono, which, with Apolim.5 close at hand, and the lofty ranges of Savaii in the background, lay about four miles off in the mid distance.

On arrival we were very hospitably received by one of the Leiatanas, the chief men of the island. We bathed, and employed the rest of the day in receiving visitors of all sorts and sizes, until a late hour, when the ladies of the establishment spread our mats, erected our mosquito-screen, and we turned in.

Up early the next morning, we intended to pay a visit to Apolima, the adjacent island, one of the greatest curiosities in Samoa as an impregnable natural fortress, with only one small entrance, and perfectly unapproachable in certain states of the weather, but were unlucky enough to have exactly hit upon such a time, and in consequence had to give up the trip. The natives said they could get us on shore somehow, but would not answer for the boat; so it was voted not worth while to run the risk.

Having broken our fast, we took a stroll round the whole island, and noticed particularly the signs of warlike preparations at every step. Let there be ever so small a beach where a canoe could comfortably land, there would be a defensive wall loopholed for muskets or cannon, a number of which were to be seen in the adjacent houses, and in the house we were stopping at there were two in a very good state of preservation; in fact the whole island, which can easily be walked round in an hour, is one fortification. From its insular position between the two principal islands of the group, M5n6nc) has always been a great fightingplace and the centre of most political plots and movements, and the people belonging to it are well aware of its strategical importance.

Whilst walking round we came upon the largest 'tamaulus' I had yet seen, quite capable of holding a hundred or more men. In war-time this ship is joined on to another as an outrigger by horizontal beams, over which a deck is laid, a deck-house erected ' and guns put in position. When attacking a place they would put a barricade of cocoa-nut logs all round, and propel this floating fort by wading in the shallow water in the open space left for that purpose between the two boats on the inside. During the late war several naval engagements were fought, but with no particular success.

On returning to our village my friends showed a disposition to purchase Samoan curios; and although, on account of its being Sunday, the natives had declined climbing the trees to get us a fresh cocoa-nut or two, they showed no disinclination to barter a few things in exchange for the almighty dollar,' and before long a roaring trade was set up; but I scarcely think that the native pastor could have been aware 'that his flock were behaving in this manner. It was amusing to watch how kind and affectionate the girls were when they had anything to dispose of, and the way the wicked creatures worked upon the tender feelings of those strangers was most reprehensible. But it was very disgusting to see one of these fair deceivers, after having screwed out of the susceptible 'papalagi' an extra shilling over and above the exaggerated value of some trifle merely for the sake of her own bright eyes, cross over to the other side of the house, and, in full view of the swindled one, hand over the plunder to a truculent tattooed savage whose attractions did not give anyone the smallest concern.

During the sale I wanted to procure one of their fighting head-dresses, but had very small hope of inducing them to part with it. Consulting together for some time, a man went out, mysteriously returning with something concealed in a cloth. He then asked for a handkerchief, which on being given him was thrust under the cloth, and reproduced containing some substance or other carefully tied up and thrown across for us to catch; at the same time we were beckoned to turn round, back to them, before opening it. We did so, and found it to be one of the articles I had asked for. It was the first and only one I ever saw sold.

The next morning we were up and off on our return voyage, but meeting with very bad weather we put in for a rest at Fasito'o, at the house of 'a Yankee,' who spun us some of the most incredible yarns, and invariably wound up by saying, 'But you know I am an awful liar.' This gentleman once professed to be a British subject, but when wanted by the Consul said he was a Greek ! He tried to return to the fold in my time; but knowing his impudent conduct to the former official, I kept him to his chosen nationality, which, however, he had exchanged for the American in the interval. The weather clearing up, off we started again, and safely arrived about one in the morning, after a very pleasant trip.

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