of Tamesese's. On both sides the same enthusiasm without council, the
same senseless vigilance, reigned. Some took aim; some blazed before
them at a venture. Now--when a head showed on the other side--one would
take a crack at it, remarking that it would never do to "miss a chance."
Now they would all fire a volley and bob down; a return volley rang
across the ravine, and was punctually answered: harmless as lawn-tennis.
The whites expostulated in vain. The warriors, drunken with noise, made
answer by a fresh general discharge and bade their visitors run while it
was time. Upon their return to headquarters, men were covering the front
with sheets of coral limestone, two balls having passed through the house
in the interval. Mataafa sat within, over his kava bowl, unmoved. The
picture is of a piece throughout: excellent courage, super-excellent
folly, a war of school-children; expensive guns and cartridges used like
squibs or catherine-wheels on Guy Fawkes's Day.

On the 20th Mataafa changed his attack. Tamasese's front was seemingly
impregnable. Something must be tried upon his rear. There was his bread-
basket; a small success in that direction would immediately curtail his
resources; and it might be possible with energy to roll up his line along
the beach and take the citadel in reverse. The scheme was carried out as
might be expected from these childish soldiers. Mataafa, always uneasy
about Apia, clung with a portion of his force to Laulii; and thus, had
the foe been enterprising, exposed himself to disaster. The expedition
fell successfully enough on Saluafata and drove out the Tamaseses with a
loss of four heads; but so far from improving the advantage, yielded
immediately to the weakness of the Samoan warrior, and ranged farther
east through unarmed populations, bursting with shouts and blackened
faces into villages terrified or admiring, making spoil of pigs, burning
houses, and destroying gardens. The Tamasese had at first evacuated
several beach towns in succession, and were still in retreat on Lotoanuu;