THE UNITED STATES AND SAMOA 239 



steamed in between him and the shore, announcing that if 

 the German commander intended to carry out his purpose he 

 would be obliged to fire through the Adams. 



In September, 1888, Mataafa, having been crowned king 

 by his own supporters, led another attack upon the gov- 

 ernment forces under Tamasese and Brandeis which were 

 intrenched upon either side of Apia. The battle of Ma- 

 tautu (September 12) raged all day and well into the night, 

 and was perhaps the greatest battle ever fought upon the 

 islands. The amount of ammunition expended is said to 

 have been something quite extraordinary, and u the noise 

 deafening" ; when the smoke cleared away the government 

 forces were found to have been driven back into their 

 stronghold of Mulinuu. Only about forty dead were left 

 upon the field, no doubt a humiliating disappointment to 

 both sides. 



With American and English sympathy avowedly in favor 

 of Mataafa and hostile to the Germans, social relations in 

 Apia were rapidly reaching an uncomfortable stage. Those 

 ordinary amenities that render endurable the association 

 of men of opposing interests were cast aside. Opportunities 

 came daily for the commission of unfriendly acts which served 

 to inflame further the growing enmity of Germans and Ameri- 

 cans. For example ; one Scanlon, an American half-cast, 

 owned a house near Mulinuu which was raided by Tamasese 

 men, more for the purpose of adding Scanlon's pigs to their 

 rations than on account of any especial ill-feeling toward 

 Scanlon himself. The matter came before Commander 

 Leary, who welcomed an incident that furnished another ex- 

 cuse for an adventure. With military pomp and a show of 

 force he occupied the Scanlon house and declared his inten- 

 tion of shelling Tamasese across the way. The Germans 

 were greatly outraged by this "meddling" in Samoan affairs, 

 but they nevertheless advised the king to shift his quarters. 

 It was thus by American threats that Tamasese and his 

 warriors were obliged to abandon their fortified position at 

 Mulinuu and take to the bush. Then it may be said the 

 point of war was almost reached between the supporters of 



