farce, and was at the expense of a telegram in which he assured
the sinking monarch it was "for the higher interests of Samoa" he should
do nothing. There was no man better at doing that; the advice came
straight home, and was devoutly followed. And to be just to the great
Powers, something was done in Europe; a conference was called, it was
agreed to send commissioners to Samoa, and the decks had to be hastily
cleared against their visit. Dr. Stuebel had attached the municipality
of Apia and hoisted the German war-flag over Mulinuu; the American
consul (in a sudden access of good service) had flown the stars and
stripes over Samoan colours; on either side these steps were solemnly
retracted. The Germans expressly disowned Tamasese; and the islands fell
into a period of suspense, of some twelve months' duration, during which
the seat of the history was transferred to other countries and escapes
my purview. Here on the spot, I select three incidents: the arrival on
the scene of a new actor, the visit of the Hawaiian embassy, and the
riot on the Emperor's birthday. The rest shall be silence; only it must
be borne in view that Tamasese all the while continued to strengthen
himself in Leulumoenga, and Laupepa sat inactive listening to the song
of consuls.

_Captain Brandeis_. The new actor was Brandeis, a Bavarian captain of
artillery, of a romantic and adventurous character. He had served with
credit in war; but soon wearied of garrison life, resigned his battery,
came to the States, found employment as a civil engineer, visited Cuba,
took a sub-contract on the Panama canal, caught the fever, and came (for
the sake of the sea voyage) to Australia. He had that natural love for
the tropics which lies so often latent in persons of a northern birth;
difficulty and danger attracted him; and when he was picked out for
secret duty, to be the hand of Germany in Samoa, there is no doubt but
he accepted the post with exhilaration. It is doubtful if a better
choice could have been made. He had courage, integrity, ideas of his
own, and loved the employment, the people, and the place. Yet there was
a fly in the ointment. The double error of unnecessary stealth and of
the immixture of a trading company in political affairs, has vitiated,
and in the end defeated, much German policy. And Brandeis was introduced
to the islands as a clerk, and sent down to Leulumoenga (where he was
soon drilling the troops and fortifying the position of the