A Footnote to History: Eight Years of Trouble in Samoa"The story I have to tell is still going on as I write [....] it is a piece of contemporary history in the most exact sense." -Robert Louis Stevenson, A Footnote to History (1887) This jacketed hardcover edition of A Footnote to History: Eight Years of Trouble in Samoa (1887), by Robert Louis Stevenson, describes 10 years (from 1882 to 1892) in the history of a civil war that Stevenson became involved with after moving to Samoa. During this conflict, three colonial powers-America, Germany, and Britain-battled for control of Samoa with the indigenous factions that struggled to preserve their ancient political system. This book is the author's attempt to analyze the "elements of discord" in Samoa, giving his writing the realism of front-line journalism. |
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Common terms and phrases
Adler admiral affair already Apia bay appearance arms Atua battle beach Becker began Blacklock boats Brandeis British brought bush Calliope camp Captain chief justice Coetlogon commander continued copra declared despatch Eber Eleele English Faleula Fangalii fell fire flag flag of Germany Fritze German consulate German firm German quarter German sailors German war-ship government of Samoa guns hand harbour head high chief honour hour islands Knappe Knappe's land Laulii Laupepa Leary least Malie Malietoa Manono martial law Mataafa Matautu ment Moors morning morrow Mulinuu municipality native neutral territory night Nipsic Olga party passed peace perhaps plantation Polynesians praam proclamation province recognise reef refused replied returned rumour Saluafata Samoan Savaii Scanlon scarce seems sese Sewall ships shore shot side stood Stuebel Tama Tamasese Tamasese's thought tion told town Tutuila Upolu Vailele Vaisingano Vandalia vice-king village volley warriors Weber word
Popular passages
Page 267 - ... each of the two angry powers was broken ; their formidable ships reduced to junk; their disciplined hundreds to a horde of castaways, fed with difficulty, and the fear of whose misconduct marred the sleep of their commanders. Both paused aghast; both had time to recognise that not the whole Samoan Archipelago was worth the loss in men and costly ships already suffered.
Page 278 - But perhaps few natives have followed it so far, and even those who have, were possibly cast all abroad again by the next clause : " and his successor shall be duly elected according to the laws and customs of Samoa.
Page 60 - ... were seen to dance; and day found the house carpeted with slumbering grandees, who must be roused, doctored with coffee, and sent home. As a first chapter in the history of Polynesian Confederation, it was hardly cheering, and Laupepa remarked to one of the embassy, with equal dignity and sense: "If you have come here to teach my people to drink, I wish you had stayed away.
Page 277 - Powers recognize the independence of the Samoan Government and the free right of the natives to elect their Chief or King and choose their form of Government according to their own laws and customs.
Page 35 - I never met any one, white or native, who did not respect his memory. All felt it was a gallant battle, and the man a great fighter; and now when he is dead, and the war seems to have gone against him, many can scarce remember, without a kind of regret, how much devotion and audacity have been spent in vain. His name still lives in the songs of Samoa. One, that I have heard, tells of Mist Ueba and a biscuit box — the suggesting incident being long since forgotten. Another sings plaintively how...
Page 80 - Samoa: On account of my great love to my country and my great affection to all Samoa, this is the reason that I deliver up my body to the German government. That government may do as they wish to me. The reason of this is, because I do not desire that the blood of Samoa shall be spilt for me again. But I do not know what is my offence which has caused their anger to me and to my country.
Page 28 - Surely these white men on the beach are not great chiefs?" is a common question, perhaps asked with some design of flattering the person questioned. And one, stung by the last incident into an unusual flow of English, remarked to me: " I begin to be weary of white men on the beach." But the true center of trouble, the head of the boil of which Samoa languishes, is the German firm. From the conditions of business, a great island house must ever be an inheritance of care; and it chances that the greatest...
Page 38 - Even on the field of Samoa, though German faults and aggressions make up the burthen of my story, they have been nowise alone. Three nations were engaged in this infinitesimal affray, and not one appears with credit. They figure but as the three ruffians of the elder playwrights. The States have the cleanest hands, and even theirs are not immaculate.
Page 33 - ... are so few — I am ashamed to give their number, it were to challenge contradiction — they are so few, and the amount of national capital buried at their feet is so vast, that we must not wonder if they seem oppressed with greatness and the sense of empire. Other whites take part in our babbles, while temper holds out, with a certain schoolboy entertainment. In the Germans alone, no trace of humour is to be observed, and their solemnity is accompanied by a touchiness often beyond belief.
Page 25 - Here, then, is a singular state of affairs: all the money, luxury, and business of the kingdom centred in one place; that place excepted from the native government and administered by whites for whites; and the whites themselves holding it not in common but in hostile camps, so that it lies between them like a bone between two dogs, each growling, each clutching his own end.