THE RECENT SKIRMISH AT SAMOA.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 576, 24 April 1876, Page 3

THE RECENT SKIRMISH AT SAMOA.

The Auckland Herald , of the 18th, says ; “ Her Majesty’s war sloop Barracoota arrived in harbor yesterday afternoon, bringing with her six of the men wounded in the action with the natives of Samoa, at Apia, Eleven men in all wore wounded in the affair. One died while being conveyed to the boars, and two afterwards ; two of the wounded were left at Levuka, and six were brought on here. “ By the arrival of the Barracoota, we have full details of the lamentable affair, and to the circumstances which led to Captain Stevens going on shore with a party of men. From these it would appear that Captain Stevens had no intention of interfering in the affairs of the Samoans, and that the attack was quite unprovoked. As is well known, the political affairs of Samoa have bean, and are, in a very unsettled state. Much of this has been caused by the conduct of an American, who has become somewhat notorious for what has been deemed, by those affected by thorn, lawless actions. Steinberger, who was the Prime Minister to the King Malcitoa, has, it is said, been acquiring personal, power by very questionable means. Mon, whose only claim fov promotion wru that they would support him to any extent, were appointed to offices of power and profit. This and other acts of' Stcinbergsr caused a dispute between him self and the King, which resulted in a determined and bitter quarrel, The Samoa House of Barbara nt consists of two bodies, the Tainua and Faipule. The Taiuua are the sixteen nobles of Samoa, and the Faipule the elected body, one member being elected by every two thousand of the inhabitants. Both bodies were about equally divided amongst themselves, for some time, upon the matters in dispute ; but some of the friends of the King became wearied of the contest, and left for tlaeir homes. This gave the opponents of the (King a majority, and they deposed him. Dpon learning this, Maleitoa determined to meet the Tainua and Faipule, to have a thorough understanding as to the reasons why they had deposed him. Captain Stevens, of If. 51, S. Barracoota, was invited by the English and American Consuls to witness the proceedings, and agreed to do so. On the 13th of March Captain Stevens went to' the Assembly, which was to be held in the chapel of the London Missionary Society. He was ac-' conapanied with a body guard of fifty men, but no trouble was at all expected. 7'he men had only len rounds of ammunition each. When the men had arrived at the chapel in which the assembly was to be held, they piled their arms ; and whilst they were waiting there, an officer reported that he observed armed men going through the bush, with the evident intention of surrounding them. Captain Stevens directed that: |the“natives should be intercepted and disarmed. The men were drawn out in two lines, and the natives opened fire on them, and the firing was returned. Eleven of the men belonging to the Barracouta were wounded, and three of them afterwards died of their wounds. According to the best information, eleven natives were killed and thirty-five wounded. Fully one hundred and fifty were engaged against the Barracoota's fifty men, and many of them were armed with breachloading, repeating rifles, and the others had good muzzle-loading rifles. It is surprising that our men did not suffer more than "they did. The men behaved admirably. They were cool and resolute, and every order was obeyed steadily and promptly. Captain Stevens was in command, and was ably assisted by his officers, Lieutenant M‘Leod. Sub-Lieutenant W. B Charters, and R. Collins, and Mr H. Budge (Assistant Paymaster. Captain Parr was also with the men, and carried orders from Captain Stevens to the officers, but was not under arms, for no encounter was at all expected. Forty-four of the men in action were bluejackets, and eleven were marines. The natives had placed in position a Gatling gun, a Parrot rifle gun, and two twelve-pounder field pieces, but they did not use these weapons. The engagement lasted only about twenty minutes and was slopped by the efforts of the chiefs. Three of the principal chiefs were taken as hostages that the Barracouta should not be again attacked, and the men were marched from Mulinuu Point, where the action took place, to the British Consul’s residence in two lines, with a number of native chiefs between their lines. This was done to prevent the natives from again firing upon them out of the bush. When they arrived at the residence of the British Consul, Mr S. P. Williams, a son of the late consul, and grandson of the martyr Williams, all but the hostages were allowed to depart. The men who were fatally wounded were —Wm. Morrison, an A. 8., who died half an hour after the action from a wound in the chest; W. Watson, Private Light Infantry, died on the following day from a wound in the abdomen; and Benjamin Kelsey, Private Light Infantry, died on the 20th, having been shot through the spine. The following are the names of the wounded: —John Larkins, O.S ; W, Smallridge, stoker; Alaxaoder Berresford, Private Marine; Hy. Parsons, P.E.M.; John Costello. P.R.M.; W. Sheppard, K.M.A.; John Abridge, P.R.M, As largo bodies of armed men were gathering from all parts of the country, it was deemed advisable to protect the Consulate, and a number of men were landed for this purpose. The house of the American Consul LMr S, S. Foster), being next to the residence of Mr Williams, the English Consul, one guard fortunately gave protection to the two.

On the 22nd and 23rd of March, meetings between the Consuls and the chiefs were held, the issue of which was that the chiefs guaranteed that all the armed men who were iu Apia should return to their homos in the different parts of Samoa, on condition that the men and guns from the Barracouta were withdrawn. Upon letters being received from the Governors of the various provinces, to the effect that their men had returned from Apia, the men and guns were withdrawn, on Monday, the 27th of March. The King deposed Steinberger from being Prime Minister, for his mal practices ; and S. S. Foster, the American Consul, finding that Steinberger had acted contrary to the laws of his nation, made application to the Captain of the Barracouta to remove him from the island; After careful deliberation, and having consulted the English abd Foreign Representatives, and also the Missionaries of the London Missionary Society, Capt Stevens Took Steinberger into custody for the purpose of removing him from Samos. On the 29th of March fI.M.S. Sapphire arrived at Apia with directions for the Barracouta to join the Admiral’s flag at Auckland,

The B .rracouta transferred her ho' tagt-s to the Sapphire, and left for tnis port via Levnka. At Icvuka two of the wounded men, and Sheppard, wore left in hospital, Steinberger also elected to remain at Levuka, although offered a pas sage to Auckland. The vessel then came on to this port. The latest information respecting the political difficulty at Samoa is that the inhabitants of Savaii, the largest island ol the group, are greatly dissatisfied with the actions of their chiefs an 1 elected rulers. Meetings are being held in different parts of the island, and a civil war is thought pro bablc.