brought into
Mulinuu I pressed Mr. Cusack-Smith to take some action. He proposed a
paper of protest, to be signed by the English residents. We made rival
drafts; his was preferred, and I have heard no more of it. It has not
been offered me to sign; it has not been published; under a paper-weight
in the British Consulate I suppose it may yet be found! Meanwhile, his
Honour Mr. Ide, the new Chief Justice, came to Samoa and took spirited
action. He engineered an ordinance through the House of Faipule,
inflicting serious penalties on any who took heads, and the papers at
the time applauded his success. The rebellion followed, the troops were
passing to the front, and with excellent resolution Mr. Ide harangued
the chiefs, reiterated the terms of the new law, and promised unfailing
vengeance on offenders. It was boldly done, and he stood committed
beyond possibility of retreat to enforce this his first important edict.
Great was the commotion, great the division, in the Samoan mind. "O! we
have had Chief Justices before," said a visitor to my house; "we know
what they are; I will take a head if I can get one." Others were more
doubtful, but thought none could be so bold as lay a hand on the
peculiar institution of these islands. Yet others were convinced. Savaii
took heads; but when they sent one to Mulinuu a messenger met them by
the convent gates from the King; he would none of it, and the trophy
must be ingloriously buried, Savaii took heads also, and Tamasese
accepted the presentation. Tuamasaga, on the other hand, obeyed the
Chief Justice and (the occasion being thrust upon them) contented
themselves with taking the dead man's ears. On the whole, about
one-third of the troops engaged, and our not very firm Monarch himself,
kept the letter of the ordinance. And it was upon this scene of partial,
but really cheering, success that the Consuls returned with their
general pardon! The Chief Justice was not six months old in the islands.
He had succeeded to a position complicated by the failure of his
predecessor. Personally, speaking face to face with the chiefs, he had
put his authority in pledge that the ordinance should be enforced. And
he found himself either forgotten or betrayed by the three Consuls.
These volunteers had made a liar of him; they had administered to him,
before all Samoa, a triple buffet. I must not wonder, though I may still
deplore, that Mr. Ide accepted the position thus made for him. There was
a deal