ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 332, 9 January 1889, Page 3

ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

German'wavships have the sbricbe3t orders not to meddle with the Tainasese govern men I', and under no circumstances lo inter-, fore with the same. Furthermore, ifc was tho talk ot the day Unit the Samoans should nob be obliged bo take notice) of tho German and Sanioan* Tieaty, by which the Samuan.s are not allowed to trespass on Uerman lands in war time?, because this would be against international law. It is said that the English and American oflicials ha\o often endoavourcd to induce the Geunan Consul to take I this view of the matter. Previous to this ,the Samoans have always rc-pected foreign propeity. About October even the rebel chict Mata- ! afa had issued a proclamation, in which he states tliat ho would protect foioign proj'perby as &oon as the same was marked out 'by the respective national flags-. The eflectb otthe leports abovo mentioned had bad influence, and for some weeks, the rebels lia\e behaAed worse than before. German pio perfy has been destroyed: (lie house ot a j German citizen has been torn down ; liis boat aho was destroyed ; his pigs were killed. When tho Gorman drew the attention ot tho rebels to tho Geinuin Hag, hoisted over his property, they laughed him to scorn. When the Olga had betn two days in Apia, and made no signs oi any action I against f,he rebels— Afalaafa's paity— -the piovocatious and insults against tho Germans were greater and more marked than ever botore. A fanatic haltcaste, who is undei Amcncan pioteetion, provoked a quauel with German sailOis ul tho Auubhips, on lca\e on the eveniug ot tho 16lh December, and at the sime moment when ho and his companions commenced the attack, the Samoans who weie concealed uL the back oi tlie pLeinisc-a opened a \olley of stones at the German bailors - even several shots were hied, ot \\ Inch one wounded a sailoi m the hand. On tho 17th December LI. I.G.M.S. Olga went to Saluatata, where tl I.G.M.S. Kber was at anchor, and theio the German Consul tiied to inform himself about the position of attairp. lie iound on inquiiy tliat another attack had been made on German property by tho rebels on the night ot the l(>th December. On the 17th the Olga letumed to Apia. On the ISth December it was intended to j lequeafc the natives of both parties to give j up bheiv arms. For this purpose, H. I G.M.S. Adler with the Commodore and Gorman Consul on boaid Ictt Apia harbour at 6.JJO a.m., and at the same time H. I.G.M.S. Eber left Saluafata. The Adler arrived off Lauiu at about S o'clock, the position of the lebel ciiief Mataata, and had a white Hag at tho foictop as a signal that they wished to open communication with JNlataala. The landing* party of ft. 1.0.M5. Olgo, which vessel remained at A.pia, went in boats, on tiie morning oi the ISth. to the German plantation Yailclc, for the purpose of presenting a possible disordcily retreat of the rebels to Apia through the German plantation, and al.-o to piotect the l.tttei. The Lindinjr party appioaehed the beach in two divisions. Meanwhile the Samoans showed thenihclvos at the beach. An Amuiiean citi/on who lias foi weeks been lesiding with Alataafa, had ghen tlie alarm. A large jjarty ot aimed tampans which had been bi ought together through .special mcsbcngeis were afasemhled around him. The boat 1 - of the Olga going along the beach weie accompanied by armed natives, uho were walking on the .shoic, and who shouted to them. Tho natnea stopped fust at Lelepa ; at the land ol the carpenter MeiHei they stopped the second time. Here the American and the natives held a council of war. Tho. Samoans drew the American'^ attention to tho delicate and critical situation they w ould be placed in it they should attack the German .sailon on German land without. pio\ocatibn or tlie slightest icason. lie! soon overcame their arguments, and commanded $he Manonu nati\es to yo to then wai cauoe* and to attack the Geimans at once. At tluit time some boats ot the G'cnnan man-ot-wai a[ipi cached the shcio at b'ag.iln ami other boats went iuvthci to the ea->t- I ttriiil to Vmlele The iuiti\c^ took up j eo\ercd positions, and when the boats with | i thui lauding pait^' maied, <no shot was hred at them by Matataas troops. ! 'I'iih was tlio signal tor a general atiaok. i Under a shower ot bulleU the Goimans S foiced a landing on German piopeitj and i took tiieir way to the Gorman plantation station, Fugaltf, the whole oi the place being German hind. Meanwhile r-he same occnrcncc had taken place at Vailolo, the only dillereneo being that the landing was etiected a little later. The natives who were sent away to Vailclc had the instructions also to Hie at tho German troops. J,lere the natives had no hesitation in tiling as they distinctly heard the pievious filing at Fagalii. j Meretoforo it has ne\ur been in the ! hi.-toiy ot Samoa that the natives ha\o e\cr j \cntuied to light against European powers, and also the malicious and cunning nature of the attack is not at all in accoidance with the Bamoan character. Only the influence of their American adviser, who will I not be held responsible by hi^ government, could have induced the natives, to bring themselves into the position they have now arrived at. . i The landing parly of 70 men being op I posed by ten times "their number of natives, there wa,s no other com so for them to puisne e.Ncept bv fighting" their way trom b'agalii to Vailele. Under tho command of Lieutenant Spingler and guidance of Sm\eyor Ilaidlen, the omall body of troops star ted on their dangerous- .vay Withbayonetslixed they charged forward. The road they had to travel was one English mile, whirh they succeeded in forcing by three rushos and three hurrahs. Volleys were hailed on them fivm all directions, butat last they joined their comrades at Vailele, who were in the &amo position. Tho whole party now numbered about 140 men. The lines now became thinned. Captain-Lieut. .Jackel, commander of the detachment, ordered his man to take a covered position near the station-house of the Vailelo plantation, and here these heroes had to stand the murderous fire of at least fifteen hundred natives for anothor two honrs, fcomo of whom were firine at them from the tops of the cocoanut trees. Tho sailors bohavod like lions, although tho thiee officers were incapable of command. Lieut. Sieger was shot dead. Lieutenants Spengler and Burghardt were wounded. At last, about eight o'clock, U.I.G-.M.S, Ebor came in sight and landed a party to support their comrades on shore. As soon as the reinforcement appeared things took a turn, and with a " hurrah " tho whole of tho German sailors advanced in line and drove the Samoans from their cover. Meanwhile tho Adler also appeared, and landed a further reinforcement, after which tho Vailelo plantation was entirely cleared of fta.r.oans in disorderly retreat they rotired to Apia. Now, nothing else had to bo done but to destroy tho Samoan villages

]of Vailole and Letogo to the ground. It ia a pity that the victory cost 100 dear. Fifteon men were killed, and 37 wounded, besides oijicors. The poor fellows who were wounded in the advance from Tfagalii to Vailele were &avagoly attacked and their heads cut oJf while still alive; one man being slightly wounded in tho log only. The nativos then hold a war dance round the heads of these brave men, whom they had so ciuelly murdeied Such are the se\eie results fioni bill** disgraceful attack. It. is impossible to understand why, after this melancholy catastrophe, an American oiTicial has openly supported and cncoiuagcd the rebels. The commander of the U.JS.S. Nip.sic (Mnllan) appeared on the jjecne in the afternoon, lie, accompanied by several of liis ofh'ccrrs went on boa id the Oerman flagship, and it i-> aoppohed that he wished i to protest (against whafcwcaio unable to .say). AEtcr that he went on shore to iho headquartei -. of Mataafa. Jt is loported that Cap Lain Mullan told the Gu man Con&ul, who was also on hoaid, that he would advise the lebel chief Slatnufa, and that his advice fiould nob be in favour of the Germans. Dining the day of the 18th December, tho village of Letoga wa« bombaidcd, and on the same evening the bombardment ol Laulii \v;ii commenced to ]\]abaa r a at his hcadquavteis. The whole war.paiby of jVlataufa had alieady rotioatpd towards" Apia. On the morningof the l!)th J)ccember the hombatdment took place, and the village of Laulii was destroyed. Meanwhile the excitement and anxiety among the whiter in Apia was frightful, an attack on Ihe town being anticipated, although the town and its em irons had been declared neutial territory by Tamascbe and .Mataafa in the beginning oi October. Women and children were taken on board the war ships and othor vessels in haibonv for protection. The men armed themsche^, and with a few exception^, staged on .shore, to protect their piopcrty. The wai at. Samoa has caused bho inilux of a numher oi beachcombois, who arc only waiting an oppoitunity to enrich themselves at anyone's expense, and whose presence in Apia forms a moro dangerous element to the citizens than' the worst of the Samoans. On the lHth December, the excitement in Apia still continued. Only the eeremom ot the funeral of the dormant, who weie killed the day before made the people forgot for .1 time the danger they were in. ]\lore than 100 white ie«idenfs of Apia paid the last honour-* to the brave soldiers. It seemed to be universally considered a light that only German residents should have the honour to take the colHnte to the grave The 20th December was «, day of rest for tho German sailors, who absolutely lequired it. lint at daybreak of the 21st December a proclamation, signed by the German Consul, appeared, in which the rebels were requested to give up their aims, or otherwise the village of Alatafaeiatele, where Mataata, had hurriedly made hi.s headquarters, should be bombarded and destroyed. The rebels did not pay any attention fco the lequest, and H.I.G.M.S. Olga bombarded and destroyed Matafagatele The rebels have taken a loi tih'cd position in clo?e pioxiraity to A|>ia Karly in October the English Admiral Fairfax agreed to eufoice a neutral boundary, but now the Kn^lt&h consul will not u^e his iuiluencc to ha\e the said boundary observed and openly expresses himself in favour of tho rebels, lie also requires* the strongest guarantees for the gaiety and i property of the said lebelstrom the German consul. Luckily tho TCnglisb Consul is always in open opposition with tho commander ot H.I M.S. Alei t, the latter being quite independent of the first. . Captain "Hand has piomised his assistance a^ soon as the neutrality ot Apia should be \ iolaled This is the state of allaiis up to to-day. ?S Both whites and S.imoans arc anxious to know what will be the imal result The ue.xt movement mut-t be a forwaul one: it i.« impossible to back to the old sUite of things. The action aheady commenced by Germany must bo earned through to a successful tei initiation. Tho rebels would have t^n on themselves up long ago, if it were not f — di-graeetul to state — in consequence of tho malicious enciuragemenb and iiucifcienoe ot Iho irlesjion^iblo sub]cctti ot Ameiieaand 1 jii*.land, ot whom, untortunately, Samoa contains 100 mum . The following fact i.i the bc-t illusti.itiori ol tho present situation .- On Chnstmas \)<x\ an Amciican -chooncr ani\cd in Apia harbour, ami it was well knemn thab she brought fre^-h supplies ot ammunition lor an Ameiiciin firm The (Jennan Cousin requested the Amciican Consul to sei/.e 1 he ammunition, oileung at the same time to pay the lull amount ot the value, to s-avo further bloodshed. It is a pity that this oiler wa& made in A'ain. It is said that Air Klacklock declaicd that the American law did nob allow him to interfere in any way with the disposal ot auv croods of an Ameiican citi/cn : ard this is how the rebels icceivcd a fuithcr supply 1 ot another 0.1,000 cartridges.