Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-12-24

carry in travelling. A number of other
Tamasese men were killed, but the
Mataafa could not get their heads. The
rebels also had many men wounded.
Mataafas loss was four or five killed
and eight or ten wounded. Nine boat
loads of men arrived during the day from
the Island of Savaii for the purpose of
Joining Tamasese. The German gun
boat Eber arrived from the Marshall
Islands on November 81, and at once
began to take in stores. After driving
Tamasese's men from the forts at Salua-
fata, Mataafas men had foolishly gone
up the coast to have pig feast, instead
of following the enemy. Having
left the forts they could not
get back to the forts which
were on German ground. Tamasese's 3
men were soon in possession of the forts
again undisturbed and under protection
of the German flag.
Arrangements for general attack on
the big fort at Lauli were completed No
vember 25th, and it was expected that
the fight would begin on the Goth. During
the afternoon of that day fighting began
at Saluafata, the Tamasese men coming
out to meet Mataafa's 3 soldiers who re-
pulsed them, killing several and wound
ing many. Word was sent to the Mono
and Savaii men by King Malietoa in the
evening ordering them to come to
Lautuanu and join in the attack on the
big fort at daylight on the following
morning, they to make the fight from the
sea, while the Tumasasa, Atoa and Aans
men would begin the attack from the
shore. At daylight on the morning oi
the 9th the laval and Monono canoes
numbering thirty-four, with three
Samoan men-of-war appeared off Lau-
tuanu and began shooting cannon at the
small Tamasese fort on the beach. The
Atoa and Aana men did not begin to fight
at the time directed, having been told by
some unauthorized native that the hour
o'clock the Tumasasa, tired oi
waiting, began the attack suggested
by the Atoa and Aana men who had
meanwhile been ordered to fight at once
by the King. The Mataafa men were
received with most murderous fire by
the Tamasese men in the fort. King
Mataafa who had gone into the bush tt
ascertain why the fight had not com
menced had started to return to hiE
house. When the heavy firing was
heard he hastened to the beach with his
body guard for the purpose of ordering
the Savaii men to support the others Oh
land. The Savaii and Monono meI
had meanwhile quietly Withdrawn
to Latoso, two miles distant
believing that the attack had been post.
poned runners were sent out to ordel
them up, and they arrived as soon al
possible, 70 the number of about 1000
They were ordered to support the Tama
| sese, Aloa and Aana in the attack of the
third section of the fort. In about hal
an hour afterward the wounded men be
gan to come in assisted by comrades
while dead men were carried in. Gun
shot wounds were generally of the mos
serious nature, while many soldiers were
suffering from hatchet and knife wounds
The wounds were temporarily dressed
and the injured sent to Apia by boat ant
by land. The fight lasted all day, an(
by dark eleven dead men had been
brought in and nearly forty wounded
many OF the latter being fatally shot
The heaviest part of the fighting wa.
over by nightfall, but numerous shot!
were fired throughout the night. Wher
evening came it was found that Mataafa'l
men were in possession of sections two
and three of the big fort, while the
Tamasese party were still in possession
of the first or strongest section. The two
sections of the fort had been taken ant
retaken five times, and the slaughter or
both sides had been fearful. The mex
day, the 2Sth of November. the bodies
of Mataafa's men killed in the forts were
brought in, it having been found impos
sible to reach them before, owing to the
position which they occupied being
directly within range of Tamases' fort
Women from both sides finally went out
and brought in their own dead. Ma.
taafa's loss was found to be fifty-five
killed. Of these, thirty.six had beer
beheaded and the heads taken to Tama.
sese. AS the bodies were taken through
Laulii on their way to Apia and othe,
places the scene was most appalling
one, the trunks looking like the
bodies of dwarfs. Five high chiefs
we're among those killed, three
of these being beheaded. This was
on Mataafas side.
Tamases lost about fifty men in the
battle and as many wounded, although il
is matter of much difficulty to ascertain
the exact truth concerning the loss of the
enemy, no foreigners but Germans being
allowed to visit Tamases' stronghold.
The Germans who are not in spe akine
terms with the Americans and English
persistently claim on every engagement
that Tamases' loss is two-thirds smaller
than is actually the case. AT
Apia the wounded were cared
for in the most tender manner.
Or. Bandzey Oakley, of the Lizard, and
Or. Eckstein, of the Adams, and DR..
Deer, OF the Nipsic, were prompt in their
attention to the unfortunate. The wife
OF Colonel Coettoson, the British consul
was the subject of much admiration for
her ceaseless efforts to alleviate the con-
dition of the wounded, among whom
were three women shot in the battle of
the 2Sth while bearing water, etc., to the
combatants. Captain Hamilton and wife
also gave much valuable assistance. The
English man-of-war Royalist arrived
from the west coast of Africa on Decem-
Der 4th, and on the following day the
Lizard left for Fist, much to the regret
OF citizens of Apia. The United
States steamship Adams leaves to-
day for San Francisco under sail
During the stay of Captain Leary
in Samoa he has earned the lasting
gratitude of Americans by remaining
here two months over the time on which
the three years. cruise of the Adams ex.
pired. Since the battle of November
2Sth no fighting of any importance has
taken place, the Mataafa men waiting
Tor cartridges. King Mataafa and his