one cure of the
evils of the time: that the farce of the Tamasese monarchy should cease.
It was one which the German refused to consider. And the agents
separated without reaching any result, save that diplomatic relations
had been restored between the States and Germany, and that all three
were convinced of their fundamental differences.

Knappe and de Coetlogon were still friends; they had disputed and
differed and come within a finger's breadth of war, and they were still
friends. But an event was at hand which was to separate them for ever.
On December 4th came the _Royalist_, Captain Hand, to relieve the
_Lizard_. Pelly of course had to take his canvas from the consulate
hospital; but he had in charge certain awnings belonging to the
_Royalist_, and with these they made shift to cover the wounded, at that
time (after the fight at Laulii) more than usually numerous. A
lieutenant came to the consulate, and delivered (as I have received it)
the following message: "Captain Hand's compliments, and he says you must
get rid of these niggers at once, and he will help you to do it."
Doubtless the reply was no more civil than the message. The promised
"help," at least, followed promptly. A boat's crew landed and the
awnings were stripped from the wounded, Hand himself standing on the
colonel's verandah to direct operations. It were fruitless to discuss
this passage from the humanitarian point of view, or from that of formal
courtesy. The mind of the new captain was plainly not directed to these
objects. But it is understood that he considered the existence of a
hospital a source of irritation to Germans and a fault in policy. His
own rude act proved in the result far more impolitic. The hospital had
now been open some two months, and de Coetlogon was still on friendly
terms with Knappe, and he and his wife were engaged to dine with him
that day. By the morrow that was practically ended. For the rape of the
awnings had two results: one, which was the fault of de Coetlogon, not
at all of Hand, who could not have foreseen it; the other which it was
his duty to have seen and prevented. The first was this: the de
Coetlogons found themselves left with their wounded exposed to the
inclemencies of the season; they must all be transported into the house
and verandah; in the distress and pressure of this task, the dinner
engagement was too long forgotten; and a note of excuse did not reach
the German consulate before the table was set