and discredit the solemnity of that emblem which was all he had to be a defence to his own consulate.  And Knappe himself, in his despatch of March 21st, 1889, castigates the practice with much sense.  But this was after the tragicomic culmination had been reached, and the burnt rags of one of these too-frequently mendacious signals gone on a progress to Washington, like Caesar’s body, arousing indignation where it came.  To such results are nations conducted by the patent artifices of a Becker.

The discussion of the morning, the silent menace and defiance of the voyage to Laulii, might have set the best-natured by the ears.  But Knappe and de Coetlogon took their difference in excellent part.  On the morrow, November 16th, they sat down together with Blacklock in conference.  The English consul introduced his colleagues, who shook hands.  If Knappe were dead-weighted with the inheritance of Becker, Blacklock was handicapped by reminiscences of Leary; it is the more to the credit of this inexperienced man that he should have maintained in the future so excellent an attitude of firmness and moderation, and that when the crash came, Knappe and de Coetlogon, not Knappe and Blacklock, were found to be the protagonists of the drama.  The conference was futile.  The English and American consuls admitted but one cure of the evils of the time:  that the farce of the Tamasese monarchy should cease.  It was one which the German refused to consider.  And the agents separated without reaching any result, save that diplomatic relations had been restored between the States and Germany, and that all three were convinced of their fundamental differences.

Knappe and de Coetlogon were still friends; they had disputed and differed and come within a finger’s breadth of war, and they were still friends.  But an event was at hand which was to separate them for ever.  On December 4th came the Royalist, Captain Hand, to relieve the Lizard.  Pelly of course had to take his canvas from the consulate hospital; but he had in charge certain awnings belonging to the Royalist, and with these they made shift to cover the wounded, at that time (after the fight at Laulii) more than usually numerous.  A lieutenant came to the consulate, and delivered (as I have received it) the following message:  “Captain Hand’s compliments, and he says you must get rid of these niggers at once, and he will help you to do it.”  Doubtless the reply was no more civil than the message.  The promised “help,” at least, followed promptly.  A boat’s crew landed and the awnings were stripped from the wounded, Hand himself standing on the colonel’s verandah to direct operations.  It were fruitless to discuss this passage from the humanitarian point of view, or from that of formal courtesy.  The mind of the new captain was plainly not directed to these objects.  But it is understood that he considered the existence of a hospital a source of irritation to Germans and