The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-12-17
LATEST FROM SAMOA.
Heavy Fighting With Crest Slaughter
The Insurgents Triumplaing-Ap-
healing In the F,oxrs

Sydney papers have lengthy accounts
from Samoa up TO Nov. 18th. describing
| very active hostilities. About the irst
| OF November the Telegraph correspond
ent visited Tamasese in his stronghold
IN the Atua district, about 10 miles from
Apia- At Saluafata he found two formiel-
able war canoes, one capable OF carving
500 men and the other so, with FIVE can
mons on one and four on the other Ia
masese was perfectly satisfied with his
army, claiming that Il contained 5000
men.
Writing on the Sth from Apia, the
same correspondent tells. OF Mataafa' 5
talking man, sent 10 Sayaii, getting
ahead OF Tamasese's chief in the same
capacity. As result about ! 800 more
| Savaii people joined the rebel King, Civ
ing him an army OF nearly 6 600 men, or
! two to one against Tamasese. a mon
ster talolo, or feast, was given to Malta
/ ala at his headquarters at Matauta.
! over 4,O0O natives took part IN i, and
| the proceedings were witnessed tv a
! great number OF the foreign residents
and officers OF the British and American
/ men-of-war. November 9Th a heavy
/ battle ensued when Mataafa s forces in
vaded Tamasese's fort. The assailants
| fought well but were repulSed with loss
| OF Is killed and % or 80 wounded. They
| would have been worse beaten but for
| cannon they had posted on a command
| ing position, which, the correspondent
/ heard but scarcely credited, was sighted
| by one of FIVE foreign residents who were
at that point OF the battle. An I'M
T2a ar
the British Consulate, where ali the
wounded brought IN were attended by
| the British and American naval surgeons.
! Tamasese's loss was killed and 10
/ wounded. Desultory firing was kept up
for the next two DAYS, but without much
effect. Tamasese's war boats did . lot
of firing in the battle, but their aim was
ineffective from rough water. Mataafa' s
men were going TO build men-of-war TO
| cope with those OF Tamasese.
Another Apia correspondent OF the
Sydney Telegraph, under date or Nov
ember 18th, says the rebels continued
their light attacks on the 10th and 18th,
each time being repulsed with great loss.
While the British hospital was provided
for all wounded native warriors, those
belonging 10 Tamasese's party dared not
| attempt 10 get there for fear OF losing
their lives when passing through rebel
/ territory As consequence the hos
pital was almost entirely at the com
mand OF the rebel party, which led 70
some little friction between a German
trading firm and the British Consulate,
the former refusing to allow piece Of
their property, adjoining the latter, to
be occupied by q native OF the rebel
party suffering from gangrene. This
correspondent SAYS Mataafa Is Cath
Ole. and that his followers have done al
kinds OF damage to the mission grounds
London mission as well as Wesleyan
SO much so that the missionaries make
! bitter complaints against them. tie
adds:
IS Mataafa himself expressed his deter
mination to protect all foreign property
After all 1t is a great pity the war is still
/: going on Trade is going down, fooC
getting scarce, and plantations OF cocoa
, nuts and breadfruits are being ruthlessly
DESTROYED The Great Powers ought,
think, speedily to put an end TO it, Tor a.
long as the natives are not forbidden Il
fight BY one OF the Powers they will keel
t at it. The natives are simply tools II
the hands OF a few unprincipled trader
here, who seek only to FIJI their Owl
pockets and do not care for the welfar'
0 OF the population"
? 4 correspondentof the Sydney Herald
writing from Apia on November 18th
gives accounts similar to those iron
i which the above are taken. Referrln!
q TO the German refusal OF land TO tn
! British Consulate for hospital purposes
+ he SAYS the incident affords an Insigh
! | into tire state of party feeling in Apia
5 He writes further:
+ - The Germans are only anxious to Sc
. the rebel movement crushed out; an'
! the citizens and officials OF the Unite'
. States are at least equally anxious 10 se'
: | Malietoa victorious. 1t Is, indeed, tn
, dissensions of the Washington Confer
ence transferred TO Samoa. 1t Is NOR
! | than likely that the Malletoans, VINO ar
short of ammunition, are resting thei
hopes on American traders in Apia, VIII
advertise the speedy arrival or vesSe
from San Francisco with arms, etc, 10
Samoa.
= Captain Leary, of the U.S.S. Adams
|. has from the first given active encouT
agement to the MaGetoans, and II l
IaroeIy due TO his assurance to the ma
tiyes that Germany would not or coul'
i not interfere in the internal affairs c
a Samoa that the rebellion is as strong a
{ it is.
T There seems no prospect OF speed
y termination OF the war, which is sadi
g demoralising and impoverishing tn
e DeopIe. It is a disgrace to QUE nine
E teenth century civilization that ther
. should be representatives OF tire
a Christian nations, each with ships {
!. war within sight of the conflict that
r raging between members OF one family
!, and vet that the one word which woui
0 effectually. stop the war cannot be spoke
e by them"
: This is followed by q suggestion that
n if it is granted that union OF tn
Powers upon policy is impossible, -
should not be impossible Tor one OF ID
three Powers 10 assume mandator
2 mower in Samoa, and only thus can tn
. neace of Samoa be secured" He say
the natives expect foreign flag, and tn
best of them would rejoice in that gual