THE UNITED STATES AND SAMOA 213 



throughout the islands. The white man was given the 

 heartiest welcome, and has never since found an enemy 

 among the Samoans, except when his own misdeeds have 

 driven the simple natives to desperate retaliation. 



H 



Previous to the year 1872 no interest whatever in the 

 United States attached to these distant islands. They were 

 of neither political nor commercial importance. In that 

 year, however, Admiral Meade, who was cruising about the 

 Central Pacific in the U. S. S. Narragansett, entered into an 

 agreement, quite upon his own authority, with a certain 

 chief on the Samoan island of Tutuila, whereby the local 

 chief granted to the United States the exclusive privilege 

 of establishing a naval and coaling station in the harbor of 

 Pago-Pago. In return for this favor the chief expected the 

 friendship, and if need be the protection, of the United 

 States. The value of a coaling station in that locality was 

 appreciated, especially in the event of the completion of an_.. 

 isthmian canal. When Admiral Meade's agreement with the 

 chief reached Washington, the Senate hesitated to sanction 

 the " friendship and protection " part of the bargain, and no 

 action was taken upon the matter. Soon after this (1873), 

 having been urged by " certain highly respectable per- 

 sons " who represented to the government the importance 

 of the growing trade between the United States and the 

 South Sea Islands, President Grant sent Col. A. B. Stein- 

 berger as United States Commissioner to Samoa, with in- 

 structions to make a full report concerning the conditions, 

 commercial possibilities and general importance of the islands. 



A report was soon made, and Mr. Steinberger was again 

 invested with authority (1874) to revisit the islands for the 

 purpose of "observing and reporting upon Samoan affairs, and 

 impressing those in authority there with the lively interest 

 which we take in their happiness and welfare." Instead of 

 returning at once to Samoa to carry out the object of his 



