SAMOA.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5196, 16 November 1877, Page 5

SAMOA.

The Samoan Times of the 6th October says :—A few days ago the American schooner Isabel was hauled into the stream, and announced to sail the next morning for San Francisco. The captain had been asked to take a native, Mamea, and refused. He went to his Consul for his papers, and to his utter astonishment was told that if he would not take the native he could not get them. We think this is altogether against the spirit of the American Constitution, and wo also consider that it is against the instructions of American Consuls. But why was this step taken on behalf of this native ? The captain is informed that he is the American mail agent ! What an absurdity; an agent to look after, probably, a dozen letters. No. We do not believe all this trouble was taken to try and force a vessel to take a native as mail agent. For several years the natives have been kept in a continual state of ferment by different people from the United States of America, who, no doubt for objects of their own, have made the natives believe that they could obtain a protectorate or annexation from that country, knowing all the time, as they must have done, that America would have nothing to do with these islands. It is not the policy of America to annex any country, more particularly a place so far from them as this, when there are places much nearer to them that th“y could have if they wished it. On the night of the 26th of September our town was thrown into a great state of excitement by the landing of a considerable number of armed men from the French war ship Seignelay, who marched down the road towards the western end of the town. Various speculations were entered into regarding the object of the landing, when the American Consul was met, and after a conversation between him and the officer in charge, they wended their way still further westward, and came to a halt in front of the house lately occupied by Mr. Coltnesnil. Mr. Hunt, who was iu charge of the house, was inside of the fence, and intimated that that was British property, and they could not enter. He was then asked if a person of the name of Captain Wright was in there, for if so, they wanted to arrest him on behalf of the United States Consul, as a rebel against that gentleman’s authority. Upon being informed that the person they sought for was not there, the company wheeled off towards Matautau. After passing the store of Messrs. G. J. Smith and Co., and returning again, a halt was come to iu front of those premises, and a demand here made to bo allowed to enter the house and search for Mr. Wright, hut those who were in charge of the premises objected, and told the officer in charge that it was British property (pointing at the same time to the British flag which was flying over bead), and informed him that if be

brought a search warrant from the British Consul he would be admitted at once. This was not done, however, and after a protest in writing had been given to the officer in charge, a' forcible entry was made by smashing in a Targe window and scattering the glass all over a person by the name of Forster, who was lying sick in bed immediately under it. The object of their search, however, was not to be found, and the party then retired. ’ The most ludicrous part of the affair was, that during the time that the search-party were breaking into the store at Matautau, Captain Wright met the commander of the man-of-war, and asked him if his men were looking for him, for if so, he was at their service, but the commander said it was a person by the name of Dunn that they wanted.