The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-02
A GRANT ARGOSY.
Is This Another St. Domingo
Scheme
A. B. Steinbsrger and q Condemned Howitz.r
OF for the Samoan Islands
MYSTERIOUS MOVEMENT OF ARMS.

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. !. 1878
AZ noon tomorrow the United States frtgAts
Pensacola win sail from this port for Honolulu,
and VIII carry ~ . passenger one A. B. Stein.
berger. who II bound for the Samoan Islands. the
nouncement that Steinberger 10 passenger BY
the Pensacola doubtless leads to the impression
that No 10 public functiorary OF some kind sent
ont By our government to the obscure group OF
islands In She Pacific above mentioned. Such,
however. Is not the case. Steinberger having M
on1ctal connection whatever with the government,
bus no IL fsvorite OF the President. and 20 tho
Initiated this explains Ill.
HI cARRIKs 4 HowIrzxR.
70 has purchased . condemned howttssr ana
$500 or $500 worth OF small arms. together with
number OF days, all OF which no takes with him,
thus converting the Pensacola into . freight boat
90 well % . passenger vessel. Arrived ct homo
lulu, stelnberger will transfer himself and MS
cargo TO the Tuscsrora ana OF once proceed to his
destination.
HAs BEEN ruRx BxYo8k
This 10 not the nrst time our hero has visited the
Samoan group at the public expense. In 1878 he In
duced his friend Cen. Grant to send him out-for
what purpose the Lord only Knows. His expenses
upon this occasion were paid out OF the secret
service fund. and on his return to Washington he
made report TO the state Department. whore It
was received with derision. Then, a. now, he held
no on,clal position; but now, ~ then, be Il sent
out BY the President
DELICATE MISSION.
On his previous trip he protested 70 be on .
dedicate MISSION" although his name nowhere
appeared on the register As an on1oer Of tho gov.
eminent He now endeavors to enshroud his trip
In mystery, bus asserted upon one occasion that
he was going out on an ofncal mission. ana upon
another that he WAS bent on the civilization OF
the natives. The truth OF the matter probably IL
that no 10 going to look alter the personal inter-
ests Of steinberger. The arms and trinkets no
takes with him are intended ~ presents for the
native chiefs. ana his arrival out In . United
States msn-of.wsr will give the natives an idea
that be 10 some public functionary OF the Great
Republic. and he viii doubtless b treated 40
cordlngly.
PROPOSES TO ARM THE NArIvxA
The fact OF his having spent most OF the winter
in Washington and Baltimore. where 10 Was In
close relation with prominent dealers In arms,
leads TO the very general belief that he II going
into an army speculation on behalf OF himself and
Grant The dealers with whom he had business
transactions in Baltimore said at the ume that he
was going out to the Pacthv Islands to sell arms,
but he claimed to Do going on . civtlising expe-
ditton.
FIELD BATTERY on BOARD
But there ID yet another theory In connection
with this expedition OF Steinberger's. During the
last twenty-four hours . rumor TO the effect
that Grant has determined upon another st. Do.
mtngo scheme, that the condemned howitzer Il
only cloak under which II hid full neld battery
ana largo quantity OF small arms and smmuni-
tion which have been secretly slowed away ON
board the Pensacola, has gained wide circulation
in this city ana other places. At Panco Panco
shere Ii very good harbor, and upon this place
the President u said to have . covetous eye.
TIN SAMOAN aRoCP.
OF al the many islands In the Pactdc Ocean the
Samoan group IL probably one Of the isass pro.
ductive and least valuable. They have been for
years the subject Of land specuattns schemes, and
last year plan for oolontsing them exploded tn
ssn 2ranoisoo, putting . number Of Californtsns
and some English capitalists 70 severe loss threugh
mismsnagement or worse.
wH1IE THEY ARE.
the islands, eight In number, ere situated BE-
tween latitude IS deg. 80 min. ana IL deg. % MIN.
south and longitude 1ss deg. and 17s dog. west
miles, with population OF upward OF $1,000. Tue
Inhabitants arc said to be superior In bodily and
mental endowments to those Of many other parts
Of Polynesia, and to seek for articles Of utility
rather tnan tr1nkets In their traf1o with Eu.
repeans There are number OF British missionary
stations 1t place called Upolu.
MOUNTAINOUS AND woHTHLuss.
Americans who have visited the group cfatm
that they are really worthless: that they arc
simply mountains rising ous Of the sea, having .
very narrow belt Of plain land along the shores on
which the native population live: the products
valuable to commerce are few, ana the area Of
arabic land ID very small. The mountains are
worthless even for graztns purposes, ami the
climate Is excessively hos wherever tho land cuts
or the sea oreezes. Some years ago Mr.. Webb, OF
New York. contemplated forming IN establish
ment In Panco Panco. where there Il . haroor
which might DO made useful a. . stopping place
for Australian steamers, but he saw sum cient
reason tor abandoning the project.
grKrrnHRnER,a REoonn N lAIrrrnux