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on board his

62. Tamasese was not recognised by the Consuls, and on the 28th April, Malietoa Laupepa was received by the captain of the German corvette "Herthe " ship, and saluted as King.

63. On the 12th July 1881 an Agreement for Peace was signed by both Native parties on board the U.S.S. “Lackawanna.'

64. Peace was thereupon proclaimed, and Malietoa accepted as King, with Tamasese as Vice-King.

65. Two days afterwards, several individual fights occurred in Apia, between the party Chiefs of the King and Vice-King. The municipal policemen were severely wounded. Order was temporarily restored by an armed party promptly landled from the German gunboat “Möwe."

66. After numerous distractions, a new Government was inaugurated at Mulinuu on the 12th July 1882.

67. The whole of the Consular body was present, and the meeting was considered a thoroughly representative one." saluted as King and Vice-King. Nine laws or regulations were framed by this Malietoa Laupepa and Tamasese were again Government, and copies thereof sent to the Consuls.

68. With the exception of minor difficulties and rumours of divisions among the people, affairs went on more quietly until the middle of the

year 1883.

69. In July of this year, King Malietoa complained that the Tupua (Tamasese) family were again plotting, and sought the advice and aid of the Consuls.

70. The Consuls promised the exercise of their good offices, Acting German Consul von Oertzen stating that he held instructions to the effect" that so long as Malietoa “observed his agreements, and did not provoke war, he was to support him, by force.

if necessary.

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71. On the 29th September 1883, an agreement was signed between this Government and Foreign representatives, protecting [protracting ?] for an indefinite period the municipal Convention of the 2nd September 1879.

72. At this period, and owing to a variety of circumstances, commercial and political rivalries in Samoa and the Pacific generally were much quickened.

73. For reasons which have been explained by the Imperial German Government, its Consul-General at Samoà had, on the 10th November 1884, concluded a Convention with the Samoan Government providing for the creation of a Samoan German Council of Government.

74. King Malietoa refused or failed to execute the terms of the Convention.

75. In some other matters also King Malietoa offended the German Consul-General, who thereupon on the 23rd January 1885, by way of "reprisal." seized or attached the sovereign rights of King Malietoa in and over Apia, and hoisted the Imperial German flag on Mulinuu Point.

76. The reasons given for this act on the part of the German Consul-General are given in the annexures forming copies of communications from that officer to the King, the resident Consuls, and the public of Samoa. (Enclosure 5.)

77. The act of the German Consul was at once protested against by the British and American Consuls. (Enclosure 5.)

78. As few days after these occurrences, Tamasese, the Vice-King and head of the 'T'upua party, announced that he had separated from the Government. His party issued

a proclamation, hoisted a flag, and went into rebellion.

79. After the lapse of 12 months, during which the relations of all parties were much strained, King Malietoa, by reason of the pressure brought to bear upon him by Mr. Weber, was compelled to move from Mulinuu. He then hoisted his flag at Apia within the boundaries of the neutral zone governed by the municipality under the Convention of the 2nd of September 1879.

80. From this position it was hauled down by an armed body of seamen landed from H.I.G.M.'s ship-of-war

"Albatross ""

on the 23rd January 1886. 81. This act was again protested against by the American and British Consuls.

82. Upon the departure of the King and his people from Mulinuu, and its seizure by Mr. Weber for the company represented by him, the whole country became more dis- turbed than ever. King Malietoa, failing to hoist his flag in Apia, established his Government at a village a mile or two west of that place. The Tamasese, or Tupua party, had already hoisted their flag and fixed their quarters at Leulumoega.

83. On the 28th April 1886, Admiral Knorr, commanding a German squadron of three ships, arrived at Apia, when it was hoped that a better understanding would be arrived at.

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84. From official and other information it would appear that the Admiral accorded no recognition whatever to King Malieton or his Government.

85. On the 16th of the month the squadron left for the North Pacific.

86. On the 13th, however, Malietoa, alarmed by the support he believed was being given by the German authorities to the opposition Chier, Tamasese, had applied to the Consul for the United States for assistance and protection. (Enclosure 6.)

87. The application was acceded to by Mr. Grecnebaum, the United States Consul, who on the 14th wrote out a notification, which in consequence of delay in printing, or for some other unexplained cause, does not seem to have been published until the

16th.

88. Upon the 16th, after the German squadron had left the port of Apia, the United States Consul hoisted the Samoan flag under the American colours as an indication that he had, on behalf of his Government. assumed a Protectorate over Samoa.

ET

89. On the same day that the German fleet left, H.M.S." Diamond on the 20th the U.S. ship of war "Mohican" also anchored at Apia.

arrived, and 90. The complications were now daily growing more acute. therefore held at the British Consulate on the 25th, at which Captain Clayton, of A meeting was H.M.S. Diamond," and Captain Day, of the U.S.S. together with the Consuls of England and America.

Mohican," were present,

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91. It was then arranged that the two Consuls should proceed in the "Mohican to Leulumoega and endeavour to bring about a reconciliation with Tamasese, or obtain

a promise from him to keep the peace.

92. Tamasese behaved with rudeness, and peremptorily refused to accept advice. 93. Malietoa then prepared in earnest for war.

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94. The armed factions had now approached within striking distance of each other, though by the exercise of unremitting persuasion on the part of the British Consul, King Malietoa kept his force in camp.

95. The King declared to the two Consuls that the rebel party had been recognised by the German authorities, and that the German flag was flying over Apia, while the German Cousul kept his (the King's) down by force. He wished, he added, to “end it

at once.

96. Further meetings were then held between the Consuls, when the German Consui- General happily recognised the undesirability of pushing events to the extreme.

97. The German flag was then lowered, the attachment upon the municipality of Apia removed, and a joint proclamation issued that neither the Consuls nor the respective Governments did, or ever had, "in any way recognised Tamasese as King of Samoa." (Enclosure 17.)

98. But notwithstanding these remedial measures, the King notified that he would attack the "rebels" if they had not returned to their homes within the five days ending the 2nd June.

99. On the 29th May, Consul-General Stuebel, in compliance with a promise made to his colleagues, called personally on the Chief Tamasese, at Aana, with the object of inducing him to withdraw his forces and abstain from war. view was communicated to the American Consul in a letter dated May 30th, annexed. The result of this inter- (Enclosure 18.)

994. Upon the 8th of June, the "Representatives of Malietoa and his Government,” and the Representatives of Tamasese and his party," signed on board the U.S. "Mohican" an agreement of perpetual peace, that they, the two parties, should live "in friendship and cordial relations," and "all forts should be destroyed," and "no fire- arms be carried by any Samoan." sides buying, chiefly on credit, all the arms and ammunition procurable.

Since this date an armed truce has existed, both 100. The United states flag continued hoisted for some time. It was lowered, or perhaps more correctly speaking, not hoisted, upon the 24th August 1886, since which date the flag of King Malietoa has flown in front of the "Government Offices Apia.

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at

101. Having now taken a sketch of the previous political history of Samoa, it will be proper to furnish Her Majesty's Government with information as to the general character and capabilities of the Samoan people.

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102. The Samoans have been described as "A fine tall race of light brown colour. They are docile, truthful, hospitable, and are lively and vivacious in conversation among themselves, and in their intercourse with foreigners they are exceedingly courteous and polite. They have different styles of salutations, corresponding with

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