MALIKTOA IN EXILE. THE DEPOSED SAMOAN , RULER AT JALUIT. THE BANISHED KING CLOSELY WATCHED.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 350, 13 March 1889, Page 4

MALIKTOA IN EXILE. THE DEPOSED SAMOAN , RULER AT JALUIT. THE BANISHED KING CLOSELY WATCHED.

The San Fiancisco " Chronicle " of January 26th says : The American schooner H. L. Tier nan, Captain Molander, arrived from the Marshall Islands yesterday afternoon with a cargo of copra. She brought but one passenger, but her arrival has been eagerly looked forward to, as she comes from the place of banishment of Malietoa, th» rightful King of the Sainoan Islands, j The report reached here some time time since that Malietoa had .been consigned to the Marshall group, but the report lacked confirmation. The Tiernan is the first vessel which has arrived from this place since the trouble in Samoa. It was learned from those on board that the deposed King arrived at Jaluit, on Bonham Island, about November 25th. being landed there by the German warship Olga. He had first been taken to Germany, but the diplomatic Bismarck feared to keep him there, and he wa3 accordingly placed on one of the Sydney steamers at Bremen, and it was understood in Germany that he was being sent" back to Samoa. He never reached the latter place, however, and his whereabouts has been a mystery up to tins time, although it was rightly conjectured that he had been placed on one of the islands of the Marshall group. He was placed on the German steamer and given a steerage passage, the better to conceal his identity ; but one of his fellow passengers got into conversation with him and learned of his troubles. The steamer airived at Aden, a point in the Red Sea, one night, and that was the last that was seen of Malietoa for a time. Captain Melander, of the H. L. Tiernan, was inclined to be conservative in regard to affair? on the Marshall Islands, but it was learned from those on board that Malietoa was left at Jaluit on November 25th by the Olga, which then left for Apia. The Marshall group is in latitude 8 degrees north, and is about 1,500 m'les northwest of the Samoan Islands, so the schooner brings no direct news from the scene of trouble. Malietoa was accorded the liberty of the island, but he was jealously guarded by the German soldiers, and was prevented from holding any intercourse with the white people of Jaluib. E. M. Morgan, the United States Consul at Jaluit, endeavoured to get into conversation with the King, but he was prevented from doing so. Malietoa has aged considerably since he has been placed in captivity and seems to have lost all his former energy. He has become quite settled down and wanders aimlessly about Jaluit, as if he had given up all hopes. He is not alone in his exile, there having been three chiefs from his native land placed there before him. The idea of escape has apparently never entered his mind, nor has it been entertained by those who have been there before him. A strong guard has been placed over them and an attempt to leave the island would mean certain death. Banham Island is extremely low, and a man-o-war lying in the harbour could sweep the entire land and send a ball from a gun wherever she wished. The guard from an elevated position in Jaluit could also command an extended view of the entire island, and this fact is sufficient to exclude all idea of escape. The schooner Dashing Wave arrived at Jaluit from Apia on December 9th, and by it Maliotoa received the news of the battle which took place between the forces of Mataafa and the usurper Tamasese. The Tiernan brings news of this scrimmage, but has nothing to add in regard to it. The one pa&senger who arrived on the Tiernau yesterday is in possession of all these facts, and it is said that he could furnish some very interesting details, both of the battle mentioned and also concerning the abduction and subsequent captivity of Malietoa. He could not be found last evening, but friends of his here said that he would decline to talk on these matters, as he wa-s in business in Oaluit, and feared the actions of the Germans there should he be indiscreet enough to speak the truth.