The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition, Vol. 17 Read online

  Produced by Marius Masi, Jonathan Ingram and the OnlineDistributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net

  Transcriber's note:

  The following typographical errors have been corrected:

  In page 58 "He was was an alien, he was supported by the guns of alien warships,..." 'was was' corrected to 'was'.

  In page 226 "I liked the end of that yarn no better than the begining." 'begining' amended to 'beginning'.

  THE WORKS OF ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

  SWANSTON EDITION VOLUME XVII

  _Of this SWANSTON EDITION in Twenty-five Volumes of the Works of ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON Two Thousand and Sixty Copies have been printed, of which only Two Thousand Copies are for sale._

  _This is No._ ..........

  SKETCH MAP OF THE BEACH OF FALESA AND NEIGHBOURINGCOUNTRY]

  THE WORKS OF ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

  VOLUME SEVENTEEN

  LONDON: PUBLISHED BY CHATTO AND WINDUS: IN ASSOCIATION WITH CASSELL AND COMPANY LIMITED: WILLIAM HEINEMANN: AND LONGMANS GREEN AND COMPANY MDCCCCXII

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  CONTENTS

  A FOOTNOTE TO HISTORY

  EIGHT YEARS OF TROUBLE IN SAMOA

  CHAPTER PAGE I. THE ELEMENTS OF DISCORD: NATIVE 5

  II. THE ELEMENTS OF DISCORD: FOREIGN 15

  III. THE SORROWS OF LAUPEPA (1883 _to September_ 1887) 27

  IV. BRANDEIS (_September_ 1887 _to August_ 1888) 53

  V. THE BATTLE OF MATAUTU (_September_ 1888) 70

  VI. LAST EXPLOITS OF BECKER (_September--November_ 1888) 83

  VII. THE SAMOAN CAMPS (_November_ 1888) 103

  VIII. AFFAIRS OF LAULII AND FANGALII (_November--December_ 1888) 112

  IX. "FUROR CONSULARIS" (_December_ 1888 _to March_ 1889) 128

  X. THE HURRICANE (_March_ 1889) 142

  XI. LAUPEPA AND MATAAFA (1889-1892) 156

  ISLAND NIGHTS' ENTERTAINMENTS

  The Beach of Falesa:

  I. A SOUTH SEA BRIDAL 193

  II. THE BAN 206

  III. THE MISSIONARY 228

  IV. DEVIL-WORK 240

  V. NIGHT IN THE BUSH 258

  THE BOTTLE IMP 275

  THE ISLE OF VOICES 311

  A FOOTNOTE TO HISTORY

  EIGHT YEARS OF TROUBLE IN SAMOA

  PREFACE

  An affair which might be deemed worthy of a note of a few lines in anygeneral history has been here expanded to the size of a volume or largepamphlet. The smallness of the scale, and the singularity of the mannersand events and many of the characters, considered, it is hoped that, inspite of its outlandish subject, the sketch may find readers. It hasbeen a task of difficulty. Speed was essential, or it might come toolate to be of any service to a distracted country. Truth, in the midstof conflicting rumours and in the dearth of printed material, was oftenhard to ascertain, and since most of those engaged were of my personalacquaintance, it was often more than delicate to express. I mustcertainly have erred often and much; it is not for want of trouble takennor of an impartial temper. And if my plain speaking shall cost me anyof the friends that I still count, I shall be sorry, but I need not beashamed.

  In one particular the spelling of Samoan words has been altered; and thecharacteristic nasal _n_ of the language written throughout _ng_ insteadof _g_. Thus I put Pango-Pango, instead of Pago-Pago; the sound beingthat of soft _ng_ in English, as in _singer_, not as in _finger_.

  R.L.S.

  VAILIMA, UPOLU, SAMOA.