ministers. Meanwhile the captain of his boat, Siteoni, of whom
I shall have to tell again, had cleverly withdrawn the boat's-crew at an
early stage of the quarrel. Among the population beyond Tamasese's
marches, he collected a body of armed men, returned before dawn to
Leulumoenga, demolished the corrugated iron gaol, and liberated the
Hawaiian secretary and the rump of the rebel cabinet. No opposition was
shown; and doubtless the rescue was connived at by Brandeis, who had
gained his point. Poor had the face to complain the next day to Becker;
but to compete with Becker in effrontery was labour lost. "You have been
repeatedly warned, Mr. Poor, not to expose yourself among these
savages," said he.

Not long after, the presence of the _Kaimiloa_ was made a _casus belli_
by the Germans; and the rough-and-tumble embassy withdrew, on borrowed
money, to find their own government in hot water to the neck.

* * * * *

_The Emperor's Birthday_. It is possible, and it is alleged, that the
Germans entered into the conference with hope. But it is certain they
were resolved to remain prepared for either fate. And I take the liberty
of believing that Laupepa was not forgiven his duplicity; that, during
this interval, he stood marked like a tree for felling; and that his
conduct was daily scrutinised for further pretexts of offence. On the
evening of the Emperor's birthday, March 22nd, 1887, certain Germans
were congregated in a public bar. The season and the place considered,
it is scarce cynical to assume they had been drinking; nor, so much
being granted, can it be thought exorbitant to suppose them possibly in
fault for the squabble that took place. A squabble, I say; but I am
willing to call it a riot. And this was the new fault of Laupepa; this
it is that was described by a German commodore as "the trampling upon by
Malietoa of the German Emperor." I pass the rhetoric by to examine the
point of liability. Four natives were brought to trial for this horrid
fact: not before a native judge, but before the German magistrate of the
tripartite municipality of Apia. One was acquitted, one condemned for
theft, and two for assault. On appeal, not to Malietoa, but to the three
consuls, the case was by a majority of two to one returned to the
magistrate and (as far as I can learn) was then allowed to drop. Consul
Becker himself laid the chief blame on one of the policemen of the
municipality, a half-white