h. A boat carried him on board the _Bismarck_, and he vanished
from his countrymen. Yet it was long rumoured that he still lay in the
harbour; and so late as October 7th, a boy, who had been paddling round
the _Carola_, professed to have seen and spoken with him. Here again the
needless mystery affected by the Germans bitterly disserved them. The
uncertainty which thus hung over Laupepa's fate, kept his name
continually in men's mouths. The words of his farewell rang in their
ears: "To all Samoa: On account of my great love to my country and my
great affection to all Samoa, this is the reason that I deliver up my
body to the German government. That government may do as they wish to
me. The reason of this is, because I do not desire that the blood of
Samoa shall be spilt for me again. But I do not know what is my offence
which has caused their anger to me and to my country." And then,
apostrophising the different provinces: "Tuamasanga, farewell! Manono
and family, farewell! So, also, Salafai, Tutuila, Aana, and Atua,
farewell! If we do not again see one another in this world, pray that we
may be again together above." So the sheep departed with the halo of a
saint, and men thought of him as of some King Arthur snatched into
Avilion.

On board the _Bismarck_, the commodore shook hands with him, told him he
was to be "taken away from all the chiefs with whom he had been
accustomed," and had him taken to the wardroom under guard. The next day
he was sent to sea in the _Adler_. There went with him his brother Moli,
one Meisake, and one Alualu, half-caste German, to interpret. He was
respectfully used; he dined in the stern with the officers, but the boys
dined "near where the fire was." They come to a "newly-formed place" in
Australia, where the _Albatross_ was lying, and a British ship, which he
knew to be a man-of-war "because the officers were nicely dressed and
wore epaulettes." Here he was transhipped, "in a boat with a screen,"
which he supposed was to conceal him from the British ship; and on board
the _Albatross_ was sent below and told he must stay there till they had
sailed. Later, however, he was allowed to come on deck, where he found
they had rigged a screen (perhaps an awning) under which he walked,
looking at "the newly-formed settlement," and admiring a big house "where
he was sure the governor lived." From Australia, they sailed some time,
and reached an anchorage where a consul-general c