登陆注册
15529400000038

第38章 THE SAMOAN CAMPS(1)

NOVEMBER 1888

WHEN Brandeis and Tamasese fled by night from Mulinuu,they carried their wandering government some six miles to windward,to a position above Lotoanuu.For some three miles to the eastward of Apia,the shores of Upolu are low and the ground rises with a gentle acclivity,much of which waves with German plantations.Abarrier reef encloses a lagoon passable for boats:and the traveller skims there,on smooth,many-tinted shallows,between the wall of the breakers on the one hand,and on the other a succession of palm-tree capes and cheerful beach-side villages.Beyond the great plantation of Vailele,the character of the coast is changed.

The barrier reef abruptly ceases,the surf beats direct upon the shore;and the mountains and untenanted forest of the interior descend sheer into the sea.The first mountain promontory is Letongo.The bay beyond is called Laulii,and became the headquarters of Mataafa.And on the next projection,on steep,intricate ground,veiled in forest and cut up by gorges and defiles,Tamasese fortified his lines.This greenwood citadel,which proved impregnable by Samoan arms,may be regarded as his front;the sea covered his right;and his rear extended along the coast as far as Saluafata,and thus commanded and drew upon a rich country,including the plain of Falefa.

He was left in peace from 11th October till November 6th.But his adversary is not wholly to be blamed for this delay,which depended upon island etiquette.His Savaii contingent had not yet come in,and to have moved again without waiting for them would have been surely to offend,perhaps to lose them.With the month of November they began to arrive:on the 2nd twenty boats,on the 3rd twenty-nine,on the 5th seventeen.On the 6th the position Mataafa had so long occupied on the skirts of Apia was deserted;all that day and night his force kept streaming eastward to Laulii;and on the 7th the siege of Lotoanuu was opened with a brisk skirmish.

Each side built forts,facing across the gorge of a brook.An endless fusillade and shouting maintained the spirit of the warriors;and at night,even if the firing slackened,the pickets continued to exchange from either side volleys of songs and pungent pleasantries.Nearer hostilities were rendered difficult by the nature of the ground,where men must thread dense bush and clamber on the face of precipices.Apia was near enough;a man,if he had a dollar or two,could walk in before a battle and array himself in silk or velvet.Casualties were not common;there was nothing to cast gloom upon the camps,and no more danger than was required to give a spice to the perpetual firing.For the young warriors it was a period of admirable enjoyment.But the anxiety of Mataafa must have been great and growing.His force was now considerable.

It was scarce likely he should ever have more.That he should be long able to supply them with ammunition seemed incredible;at the rates then or soon after current,hundreds of pounds sterling might be easily blown into the air by the skirmishers in the course of a few days.And in the meanwhile,on the mountain opposite,his outnumbered adversary held his ground unshaken.

By this time the partisanship of the whites was unconcealed.

同类推荐
  • 唐鍾馗平鬼傳

    唐鍾馗平鬼傳

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 东溟奏稿

    东溟奏稿

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 石室秘录

    石室秘录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Last Days in a Dutch Hotel

    Last Days in a Dutch Hotel

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 西湖杂记

    西湖杂记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 魔武尚风

    魔武尚风

    人世间的权位,你们去抢夺好了,我不稀罕,要争就和高高在上的神争夺神位,那才是真正的至高无上。----特里斯、晴天
  • 凤抚天骄

    凤抚天骄

    建宗十七年,中原终于结束百年的战乱,天下初定。中原大地被瓜分为三大国,南方是锦绣富饶的大鄞、北方是兵力雄厚的大秦,西方是地势广袤的大漠。建宗廿一年,大鄞长公主胤莱在面对父皇被害之后,性情与之前判若两人,自取封号晦主,远嫁大秦和亲。一夜间她的命运会如何,大秦等待她的是死亡还是爱情?谁说女子不可称帝,看她如何绝处逢生。
  • 母爱耀皇宫

    母爱耀皇宫

    本书介绍了顾全大局的赵威后、女中豪杰萧太后、影响三代皇帝的窦太后、被妖魔化的慈禧太后、善良的慈安太后等27位皇太后。
  • 信仙游

    信仙游

    “你相信这个世界上有神仙么?”“我相信”“那我们去寻仙吧!”
  • 爷贵神速

    爷贵神速

    怀揣着一个少年梦准备到大城市里闯荡的陈小七,怎么想也没有想到,被那个东西砸中之后,他的人生轨道会偏离那么远,简直偏了八万十千里啊!不过也好,此后他见识到的,就是常人想都想不到的了,像什么变异人、半兽人、僵尸、妖兽、鬼神、忍者、人魔、吸血鬼……
  • 傲娇老公,轻点撩

    傲娇老公,轻点撩

    “亲爱的,我的试用期什么时候结束,转正成正牌老公呀?”傲娇总裁讨好道。叶雨欣冷冷扫了他一眼,“我们之间只是契约婚姻!”“可是我们之间都有名又有实了……”“我怎么没印象!”叶雨欣咬牙切齿的不承认。某傲娇一秒变腹黑,一把将娇妻抱起扔到床上,“哦?那我不介意多帮你复习几次。”
  • 无解终局

    无解终局

    烧脑文,不解释————————独一无二的能力并不等于无敌;愚蠢的人不存在于这场游戏;规则是不择手段;生存的资本是身后的尸体;终局,无解。
  • 环境科学知识(青少年科普知识阅读手册)

    环境科学知识(青少年科普知识阅读手册)

    本套丛书的编辑对知识的尊重还主要表现在不断追随科学和人类发展的步伐以及青少年对知识的新的渴求。希望广大青少年通过阅读这套丛书,激发学科学的热情,以及探索宇宙奥秘的兴趣,帮助他们认识自然界的客观规律,了解人类社会,插上科学的翅膀,去探索科学的奥秘,勇攀科学的高峰。
  • 画境凡尘

    画境凡尘

    来历存疑的“鼠胆之辈”加入朝廷精锐组织后抱得帅哥归的“肮脏史”。
  • 位面世界

    位面世界

    陆子铭因为年幼时目睹父母双亡变得懦弱无比,当自己心爱的人在自己面前惨遭杀害时却懦弱的逃开。诸多历练最终改变了他,当昔日的场面再度出现在面前他究竟该如何选择。