THE FIGHTING AT SAMOA.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 580, 28 April 1876, Page 3

THE FIGHTING AT SAMOA.

The Southern Cross has received FijianHawaiian papers, giving somewhat different accounts of the proceedings which issued in the conflict at Samoa ;

“ The Hawaiian Gazette gives a narrative up to the seizure and sale of the Peerless, and then proceeds : “ Next occurred the meeting between Captain Stevens of the Barracouta, and King Malieto, when the former made a long speech presenting five or six trumped-up grievances which are too silly and absurd to reproduce. Among other things which the Captain asked the King was, whether he and his chiefs approved Colonel Steinberger’s acts, to which his Majesty emphatically replied that he did. This question was repeated in different forms several times, to which he replied more decidedly than before. This is a brief narrative of the trouble, the prime mover in which would seem to be the American Consul, Foster, whose act in soliciting the aid of a foreign war ship in committing an outrage on an American vessel will probably receive attention from his Government, and ought to result in his dismissal from the service. How far the act of Captain Ste yens can be justified and sustained by precedents, we are not able to judge ; but it has an ugly look about it, to say the least. This whole affair, so far as we can learn, is simply a repetition of what occurred here in 1843, when the British ship Oarysfort arrived

here and made complaints in behalf of the foreign consuls against the Hawaiian Government. In both cases, the foreigners and foreign consuls sought to overturn the Government, and set a-ide the laws which it had established for the benefit of the people. The part taken by Dr Judd in the organisation of the Hawaiian Government, and that of Colonel Steinfcsrger with the Samoan, are identically the same, however great the difference in the two men. Both undertook to set in motion the machinery of government from the rudsst material. Both also encountered the bitterest opposition. If the consuls of Samoa want to procure a batch of silly grievances to add to their stock, we prosame Mr Jarrett, secretary of the Foreign Office, can furnish any number to order. If this account be correct, the trouble at Samoa adds another to the disgraceful outrage s which have occurred in the Pacific, and it looks very much like a discreditable attempt to overturn the efforts of the Samoan chiefs and people to establish a Government, in which both British and American authorities have taken part.

“The Fiji Argus has an account of the conflict, and of the events which led to it, which differs from the statements we have already received : “ One day, when Parliament was sitting (a convocation of high Samoan Chiefs, with Colonel Steiuberger amongst them), an armed party from the Barracouta, with unholy treed, approached its sacred precincts. The King (there are two in Samoa, Malietoa the old and Malietoa the young, both rivals), on (he entrance of Captain Stevens and his posse comitatus. pointed out the Colonel as an imposter, dismissed him from his post of premiership (to which on the formation of the Government he had been appointed for life) and gave him in charge of the ‘ Barracoota's.’ They took him in charge, and ignominionsly conveyed him on board her Majesty’s ship, a pale, pitiful spectacle. Before doing so, however, they proceeded to his head offices, seized all his papers and documents, and handed them over to the charge of Captain Stevens’ secretary, The force from the ‘ Barracouta’ then retired. These sadden and summary proceedings seemed rather to puzzle the honourable members of the House, for the silence which followed them was broken by murmuriugs loud and deep, which soon assumed a more serious form. These honourable gentlemen (the chiefs) demanded of the King how he dared to proceed to such extremities as to introduce foreign forces to them, denied his authority to send Colonel Steinberger away, and told him that they would certainly, and at once, cut his head off ! Upon this the King made a rush from the Legislative Halls, followed closely by honourable members. His Majesty was, however, more swift of foot than they, and bounding through the thicket like a deer, made good his escape to Savii (a town in the vicinity), where he hid himself, Thence he proceeded on board Her Majesty’s ship, detailed his wrongs and his griefs to Captain Stevens, and implored British aid, that he might be again placed upon his throne, and restored to his rights. Captain Stevens undertook even this. He summoned an extraordinary meeting of the Chiefs to reconsider the unheard of and ungentlemanly behaviour they had been guilty of, and hinted the necessity, as a duty they owed themselves, if they valued their skins, of restoring his new protege , King Malietoa, to the authority he formerly possessed, and to the throne of his ancestors.

“ On the appointed day, the 18th March, the chiefs all met, and were in grave deliberation. They, however, had taken the precaution of having a regiment of their own native troops, well armed with rifles, planted among the scrub in the vicinity, simply as a * guard of honour,’ lest the sailors of Queen Victoria should again menace their sacred council. Captain Stevens determined to take part in the deliberation, and he went to attend the meeting, also accompanied by a ‘ guard of honour of fifty men,’ armed with Sneider rifles, to each of whom had been served out twenty rounds of ball cartridge; and at a further ‘ guard of honour,’ he had 1 two armed boats provided with rocket tubes,’ stationed close by the Parliament House—a compliment only intended to the uniform he wore, and not by any means as a menace or a provocation. “ On landing, Captain Stevens marched his men in front of the Parliament House, at this time honorable members having taken their seats and commenced their debate. Here the Britishers were halted The gallant captain having been informed that the parliamentary * gnard of honour’ was in the vicinity, detached his senior lieutenant with a party of ‘ blue jackets ’ to disarm them. The blue jackets, followed by the remainder of the party under Captain Stevens himself, advanced to this duty in ‘ skirmishing order,’ and demanded the disarmament and surrender of the Samoan ‘ Guard of Honour.' That band of warriors, however, like brave raep, replied, but not as was expected. Instead of placid, tranquil, and perhaps servile obe dience, they 1 rushed into the road and opened fire.’ And then an encounter commenced, which resulted in the slaughter of four of the men from the ‘ Barracouta,’ and the wounding almost unto death of a dozen more, whilst the Samoans, it is said, lost double that number in killed ; it is unknown how many wounded. The latter then, at the request of their chiefs, who had been appealed to by Captain Stevens, fell back for a short time. The Parliamentary proceedings were now brought to a close, but the British forces remained for some time on the beach, detaining with them three chiefs as hostages. A desultory fire from the Samoans continued whilst the ship’s boats were retiring, one man having been shot dead in the boat, on its way to the ship. Fining promptly in return was duly kept up by the boat party. “ That night, in token of the victory he claimed, Captain Stevens again occupied the town of Apia. He had earthworks thrown up around the British Consulate, upon which he mounted all his Armstrong boat guns. Nor would he withdraw his force until he had dictated terms to the chiefs, had compelled them to send away from the neighborhood all strangers within a circuit of ten miles of Apia, including the soldiery, and did not evacuate the fortification until the 27th ult. Thus ended this memorable engagement. An engagement scarcely paralleled in the history of British arras for its meaninglessness and barrenness of results. Had Captain Stevens on his conquering Samoa erected a flagstaff and hoisted upon it the meteor flag of England—proclaimed the Navigators’ Group conquered and annexed; left his senior lieutenant in command as first Governor, and constructed an establishment of officials, we should have been able to con gratulate him upon his achievement. But as he did not complete what he so well begun, and so ably, up to that most important climax to Mb operations, proceeded with—-

we are afraid wo cannot. Nevertheless, England has conquered Samoa, and no doubt a chaplet of laurel leaves will greet the brow of the conqueror on his return to the land he has shed another ray of lustre upon. •* VVe c-mnot finish our account of this affair, which will certainly cause some excitement in other parts of the world than Polynesia, without rrcording the glowing description given by those who witnessed it, of the bravery displayed by, as indeed might have been expected from British sailors and marine- 1 , and officers and men of the Barracouta, and not less so than Captain Stevens himself, for whatever might bo said of his discretion, there can be no 'doubt of his pluck. Immediately upon (he first fire having been received, be ordered his men to extend and commence firing. Many of them were Ashantee warriors, accustomed to this description of foes, and they at once found cover behind trees or elsewhere, whilst returned, until recalled, an incessant fire from their deadly rifles. The Samoans, who were well armed with rifles and revolvers, are as brave men as can be anywhere found, and fought with great determination and courage. We are assured, even by some of those they fired at, that they are well disposed towards (he whites, and the force of their numbers might have entirely overwhelmed the Barracouta men if they had chosen. But the exploit of the latter Jwas a brilliant one, and deserving as much praise as it would have demanded in a different cause.”