TO THE SAMOAN PEOPLE. SAMOANS!

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 373, 1 June 1889, Page 3

TO THE SAMOAN PEOPLE. SAMOANS !

Your country is more important to yo u than to strangers. Therefore serve it b v becoming one people It is the only way to save it for your children. To this end a mutual and general amnesty should be accepted by all bearing arms. This amnesty should be honoured and kept in good faith by all concerned,

thereby bringing back the blessings of peace, order, goodwill, and prosperity to all Samoans. Samoans,- become brothers and fri«nds, and bury the war in so deep a that it will sleep for ever, unseen and forgot. To love your country is a duty; by so doing you serve God and yourselves. Remember : United, you will stand, Divided, you must fall ; " As ye sow, so shall ye reap." (Signed) L. A. Kimberley. The Admiral caused these notices to be distributed amongst the Samoans throughout the islands. To make sure that the Tamasese party would peruse them he sent Captains Farquhar, of the Trenton, and Millan, of the Nipsic, to Tamasese's camp. They were accompanied by Mr Blacklock, U.S. Consul here, and Mr Trood, who acted as interpreter. The whole party was well received by Tamasese, who, however, stated thut through the absence of his adviser he could not givo an immediate reply, but promised to forward one in a few days. This he did, to the effect that he was desirous for peace, but that he must be recognised as King of Samoa. The situation had now become a serious one, for the Samoans were suffering from scarcity of food, and if a truce had not been proclaimed, would soo» be starving, owing to no food being planted to replace that which had been destroyed by the hurricane and eaten up during the continuance of this war, which has now lasted t-ince September, 1888. Admiral Kimberley, who considered all this, did not relax in his praiseworthy efforts tosecureatruce, and he was ultimately successful, for la9t we»k Tamasese wrote to Mataafa accepting the proposal that both parties should lay down their arms until the result of the Berlin Conference is made known, and in the meantime that the camps be broken up and the warriors return totheir homes, and plantfood, and repair some of the ravages which have been caused by war and hurricane. Needless to say, Mata<»fa at once accepted this offer, and to show that he was in earnest, abandoned his fort and came to reside near Apia, about a quarter of a mile distant from the German "Consulate. He also ordered the whole of his fol owers, with the exception of a small body guard, to return to their homes. It is hoped that this truce will turn out to be a peimanent peace. When removing from Magiagi to Vaiala, on Tuesday, Mataata was escoited on the road by his armed guard, and about 200 of his followers, also armed. The procession was headed by Mataafa's flag-bearer. The only music was the inevitable drum. The following are copies of the transla tions of the most important letters that passed between the rival Kings :