72 Transactions.— Miscellaneous. 
in cobra (dried cocoa-nut, from which the oil is extracted after its arrival in 
Hamburg). In order to obtain a monopoly of this material one of the 
principal instructions to their agents is to oppose the missionary. The 
minds of Polynesian chiefs are systematically poisoned against missionary 
teaching. If it were possible, German traders would keep the natives in 
their present savage state in order to profit by their labour. Of course, 
the missionary prevents this. The result of German opposition to mission- 
ary teaching even in Samoa is lamentable, civil war amongst the native 
tribes being constant. The Germans fan the flames by supplying the 
belligerents with arms. In Fiji the German residents strongly supported 
Maafu in his opposition to King Thakambou, and the desire of the chiefs to 
cede the country to England. Had we not taken possession, Maafu, with 
German aid, would have been King of Fiji. The German settlement in 
Apia (Samoa) consists of some 25,000 acres of land, purchased at about 
ninepence per acre, and paid for by arms and ammunition. What this 
implies anyone acquainted with natives can easily understand. It is a pity 
that so enlightened a firm as Messrs. Godefroy should thus oppose the 
advance of civilization. A present profit may be made out of the civil war 
among the natives, but it will be of no advantage in the end, when Samoa 
becomes depopulated. As to the missionary, Messrs. Godefroy should 
remember that had it not been for his teaching they would not now be 
established where they are, and also the fact that every year the mission- 
ary is opening up new fields for commerce. The Germans treat their 
labourers well, but are not very particular as to how they are obtained. A 
German man-of-war occasionally visits the Pacific in order to look after the 
interests of the colonists. German policy at the present time is not a 
colonizing policy, otherwise Samoa would long since have fallen under their 
flag. At any moment, however, Germany may take possession of the 
group. 
America. 
Ameriea is but slightly interested in the Pacifie. There are a few 
merchants in the Sandwich Group, and a few whalers amongst the islands. 
The masters and crews of American whalers have done much harm during 
the past fifty or sixty years. They have been the cause of a great many of 
the atrocities which have occurred. Wantonly did the ignorant captains 
murder and wrong the natives, who revenged themselves upon the next 
vessel which happened to touch their shores. Luckily a better and more 
educated class of merchant seamen now sail over these waters. Numerous 
acts of cruelty on the part of the islanders must be excused; all accounts 
prove that they have generally acted from a spirit of revenge. The whites, 
and especially the American whites, must bear a great part of the blame. 
