s applied to Sewall, ranking consul. After some search, Martin was
found and refused to consider bail before the Monday morning. Whereupon
Sewall demanded the keys from the gaoler, accepted Moors's verbal
recognisances, and set Tamaseu free.

Things were now at a deadlock; and Becker astonished every one by
agreeing to a meeting on the 14th. It seems he knew what to expect.
Writing on the 13th at least, he prophesies that the meeting will be
held in vain, that the municipality must lapse, and the government of
Tamasese step in. On the 14th, Sewall left his consulate in time, and
walked some part of the way to the place of meeting in company with
Wilson, the English pro-consul. But he had forgotten a paper, and in an
evil hour returned for it alone. Wilson arrived without him, and Becker
broke up the meeting for want of a quorum. There was some unedifying
disputation as to whether he had waited ten or twenty minutes, whether
he had been officially or unofficially informed by Wilson that Sewall
was on the way, whether the statement had been made to himself or to
Weber[1] in answer to a question, and whether he had heard Wilson's
answer or only Weber's question: all otiose; if he heard the question,
he was bound to have waited for the answer; if he heard it not, he
should have put it himself; and it was the manifest truth that he
rejoiced in his occasion. "Sir," he wrote to Sewall, "I have the honour
to inform you that, to my regret, I am obliged to consider the municipal
government to be provisionally in abeyance since you have withdrawn your
consent to the continuation of Mr. Martin in his position as magistrate,
and since you have refused to take part in the meeting of the municipal
board agreed to for the purpose of electing a magistrate. The government
of the town and district of the municipality rests, as long as the
municipality is in abeyance, with the Samoan government. The Samoan
government has taken over the administration, and has applied to the
commander of the imperial German squadron for assistance in the
preservation of good order." This letter was not delivered until 4 P.M.
By three, sailors had been landed. Already German colours flew over
Tamasese's headquarters at Mulinuu, and German guards had occupied the
hospital, the German consulate, and the municipal gaol and courthouse,
where they stood to arms under the flag of Tamasese. The same day Sewall
wrote to protest. Receiving no reply, he issued on the m