The times., 1899-08-20
CAUSE OF THE SAMOAN WAR.
a High Chief Native Girl Gives Her
Version of the Conflict.
Rrom the Outlook1

cniel samoan girl 10 MISS tQe, the Qaug1-
ter of Mr.. Henry C. Ide, formerly Chief
Justice of Samoa:
Apia Samoa, Jan. q, 1899.
To the High Chief Level -malo:
Truest friend Of my heart, l thank you
many times for the letter from you that
you wrote TO me the first of December.
Pagai i was glad when ! found / was not
forgotten in your heart.
Now / must tell you about the war o!
the Samoan people about the choosing OF
our King. The win of Samoa was TO make
Mstaafa the King. This they eou'd no:
do, as small body of Insignificant men
made a hindrance, because they were OPP
posed 10 Mataafa; and from that came the
war. All the chiefs and men of Samoa are
angry at the Chief Justice, who is with
the small following of Tamasese AMI Tanu,
The Samoan Government at Mulinuu all
said with a strong heart that they were
agreed against Tanu, and that he should
not be made King, and if the Chief Justice
and the white people made Tanu King,
then war would come at once, fo- al Sa-
moa was unwilling 10 be ruled by a boz
whose tattoo was net yet healed. There
stood together the Chief Justice and the
English Consul and the American Consul
against Mataafa, and the people OF Samoa
spoke these words: That if Mataafa was
ernment would join with the German Con-
sui and President, whose hearts were
turned toward Mataafa. And now from
these things has grown the war.
Aneei You know the decision of the
Chief Justice on the 31st day of December,
when he spoke thus: That Tanu should be
King, and that such was the law and the
wish OF the white people. Then Tanu re-
joieed greatly, and also his fighting men,
only about 700 in number-a very small and
Insignificant force. Thereupon the Samoan
Government sent messengers to the Chief
Justice 10 say that there must be war; and
then the trouble began. Alas that day, tbs
31st of December. when he called Tanu
King On the next day, the first day oi
January, the war commenced. Talofa, poor
Samoa, The war grew and rebellion grew
As soon as the words Of the Chief Justice
were spoken on that day, the 31st of De-
cember, all of the chiefs hurried to Mu-
linuu to gather their warriors. There was
much excitement, and men were running
about with guns and axes and clubs and
all the things they use in war. Talofa!
On that same day I went together with
Ali, into the bush where Mataafas fight
ing men were gathered and / slept in the
bush, ! and the other Samoan girls who
were to bring water to our chiefs during
the fight There we waited for the morn
ing 10 come. the 1st day of January. when
they would begin to fight Paga, / was
afraid on that day. And there was very
heavy rain all that day, so much that the
rivers rose. even TO the bridges. The Mat
aafa men marched and surrounded on all
sides the warriors OF Tanu. All Mulinuu
went 10 Apia and stayed at the Tiyoli Ho-
tel, and Tanu's people hid in the bush
some near Magiagi and some at Vaia even
to Taufusi. And there were 300 of them
fighting men from Savaii, who gave up
their arms without fighting and went
into the Mulival inclosure, even to the
Catholic cathedral, and there they gave
themselves up TO Mataafa.
The troops of Mataafa were near the
Mulivai and the Catholic Mission. while
the Malietoa Tanu party stayed near the
Tivoli, and some hid in the sea. Talofa
when the next day came. our people sur
rounded and shut off the Tanu forces.
The people of Safata We're stationed al
Luatimu (the Chief Justices house,, and
Ali and were there, together with the
people of our village And the warriors
from the district of Faleata We're sta
toned in the road there, and those from
Aaua waited in the space in front OF
Parker's house. The Aaua men were in
and around the house where Miri Geissler
lived, and they all stayed waiting for the
were 10 prepare to fight. On the next day
all was quiet in the morning, but in the
space between 4 and in the afternoon
they began 10 fight, and they fought until
night fell, and even when the hour was
midnight guns were heard and war drums
through the heavy rain. ] slept in Sa-
moan house in Siamau, and when the var
riors stopped fighting (for IL was a black
night, they slept in the land belonging
- ii
lay down in the rain and the darkness.
Paga, II was cold in that night. And
while our men were sleeping, the Tanu
party. rebels against Mataafa, ran away
under cover of night and escaped TO the
English man-of-war and they stayed there
under her guns. Many of the wounded
died that night from the cold. heavy rain.
There were many of our people killed and
also of the Malietoa party-the number ]
do not know-and heads were taken by
both sides. Our party numbered about
5000 and the Malietoa side 1000.
All the while people were afraid and hid
in cellars or ran to the mission and the
man-of-war; but none of the white people
We're hurt. The Chief Justice and all his
family went on board the English warship
and many rushed 10 the British consulate.
On the next day. January 2, at the first
light Of dawn, our people rushed into Apia,
and. as is the Samoan custom, they burned
the Samoan houses-about 200-and carried
away pigs, COWS, horses, dogs, mats and
all that the people of Tanu had left behind
in their fight. They cut down trees. both
breadfTuit and banana and made rings
around the others with their head knives
Talofa, what shameful thing is war
After the Malietoa chiefs had been one
whole day near the man-of-war. fed by
the sailors and some white people from
the beach. the boats of the warship took
them 10 Mulinuu, and the Mataafa party
took counsel and sent away all the high
chiefs into exile TO the island of Tutuila,
and they sent all the people of Apia and
Matafele and Tanumanous 10 the islands
Apolima and Manouo. But Malietoa Tanu
and Tamasese and their talking men are
still on board the English man-of-war
Anee, Talofa, My heart weeps at the
trouble in Samoa and the wickedness OF
war. But now my letter grows too long
and ! will finish. May you be blessed and
may you live. may you and ali your family
live and be blessed, through God who SO
loves Us. May you live and prosper in
that love until the day you return to Sa-
moa- Whether it will come, who knows
Level, tofa, good-by. Do not forget your
Samoan friend, whose skin is brown, but
whose heart is white. Good-by TO you. !
am, SINIUA.
Memories of Lydia Thompson.
{From the New York SUM