THE SAMOAN DIFFICULTY. COLONEL STEINBERGER INTERVIEWED.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXXII, Issue 5800, 1 May 1876, Page 3

THE SAMOAN DIFFICULTY. COLONEL STEINBERGER INTERVIEWED.

feiN( K the depaiture of the »reat funambulist, interviewing illustrious strangeis lias gone out of fashion. Hlondin has passed on, and lo '. a yreitei than ho is hcie, in the person of Colonel A. P.. Stei.jberger, whose exploits at Samoa have .ihculy occupied sundiy columns of the Dvii-. Sui imiix Cri^s. Hiving leceived mstinotions fiom the chief of the itaff to "do " the lllustnoussti anger, I had little difficulty in ascei taming his wheieabouK I found the gallant colonel in the commeicial room' of the W.iitemata Hotel, in the cuntie of a gioup of jolly tais, who wuie pom ing out libatiuns of colonial beer, and talking over old memouts. I intioduced myself to the colonel sn;/(ucmomc, and for lack of card* 1 we coutuvcd a oivil exchange of names by wiiting on two sheets torn from my note book. Aud heie let me remaik that the kind of idea we may form of a man's peisonil appeaiaure by i»ading his hfo or exploits is often reiy difTeient fiom the reality. I had associated the name of Colonel Steinbeigur with a tall military man, of <=eveie appearance —a soit of fire-eater, in fact— but instead I found a man under the middlo height, but well pioportioned, with a gentlemanly exterioi, a decidedly Yankee accent and manner, quick, daik eyes, and a shrewd penetrating expression. The colonel has veiy little of a military look about him ; in fact, lie has more the appearance of a financier, or man of business ; altogether there is nothing very staking in his appear anco, except a general neatness, and the air of a man accustomed to act decisively, and to allow no obstacle to stand in his way. At a subsequent stage of the interview I hadoppoitunities of observing his manuei. Xow and then ho would pace up and down the loom with one aim acioss Ins bieast, m the style of the Fust Napoleon when planning his stiategic coupi, and he was evidently considei ably tioubled in his mind, as indicated by the knitted blows, bowed head, and fidgetty movements. He was often moody and uncommunicative, and it lequiied a good deal of tact to "'di.iw him out." However, I judged that recent events must have had anything but an exlnhrating effect upon the colonel's mind. His unceremonious banishment from the archipelago of Samoa, the anest of his peison and seizure of his pioperty, weie not calculated to awaken happy feelings. Aftei the hrst mtioductoiy matteis had been disposed of, the colonel instructed the laudloid to prepare the flowing bowl, and we got into conversation. " The only circumstance," said Colonel Steinberger, " which consoles me much throughout my recent tioubles, is the warm-hearted sympathy that I have received from the seamen of the 'Barracouta.' To-day they seized me in the stieet, and escorted me in triumph to my hotel, and tney would have carried me on their shoulders had I not earnestly protested against it. How can I be the villain some persons have painted me, when these veiy men whose comrades were killed and wounded in the fight, leceive me in this kind and sympathising manner ?" A seaman : " Well, the fact is, Mr. Reporter, we found the colonel of a light good soit, and not one of the ship's ciew has a word to say about lam." Kepoi tei : " Whom do you blame for the attack on the ' Barracouta ' pirty by the Stmoans.' - Colonel : " Well, it I had been ashore with them, theie would have been no h'ght. It was the way those pool people showed their regard forme." At this stage the colonel's cab diove up to convey him to the Junction Hotel, where he will be the guest of the propnetor, and will enjoy a few days shooting in the neighbourhood. This was the signal for paitiug bumpers, and a, good deal of handshaking and mutual expiessions of f 1 iendship and esteem. The colonel com teously invited your lepoiter to take a seat in the carmge, an invitation which he was not slow to accept. As soon as we wei e comfoi tably seated, The Colonel lesunied the conveisition thus : I '■ Well, I must say tint in all my experience I ha\e nevei met with so much genuine kindness and considi'i.ition, .xnd comtesy as I have le ceiveil fiom the officers and men ot hei Butxn nic M ijesty's .ship ' Barracouta.' '' Reporter. "I tiust you will pardon me, Colonel, for asking what may appear an intiusive question, but, of couise, you aie at libeity to .mswei it 01 not, as jou please." — Colonel : " What is- it '" Kepoiter: "Did >ou hold genuine ciedentials from the United States Government?" — Colonel: " Now do you think that the Washington Government would entrust a. man with important Jocumontu uuj vulu<«l>lo picacn'a, and escort him to his destination with an American wai-ship, if he were an adventurer, or a \ lllam, as they paint me .' ' Reporter : " Well, I must acknowledge that there is a gt eat deal of foice in what you say, JMt wheu Jie the cieilentials at the pioscnt tune' —Colonel: " Thoj seized all my papei-> and po-sessions, and left me only the clothes I I stand in. About 140 men came and sunomided me, and asked if I h id auy aims. (Heie the colonel smiled, and made a gesture of helplessness \ That was exceedingly amusing. They took my sealed boxes, which contained puvate papei-., 1 'tters, photographs, the mairiage certilicate ot my late wife, and other relics ot gieat value to me, and they knocked them down foi .1 few cant". ' lJe;ioi ter : " I should esteem it a, gic.it favour if you could tell me something about those | uedentials." -Colonel : "I c m a^suie you that I hid credentials fiom the United St.ites Government, and they aie as genuine as Captain Stevens"s commission Kepoiter: '"Then I think you committed a hlundei in not showing them." — Colonel : " Well, they coiit lined secret iust motions, which I was not at libeity tj show to anyone. The whole thing will come out somo day." Reportei : " What steps do you intend to tike in Older to obtain iedie->s v ' — Colonel* "The bieak m the cable prevents my corumuni eating with Washington ; but the United States Government will see me thiough it, and demand satisfaction, and I expect the Bntish Government will have to hand over a pietty considerable •mm." Kepoiter: ''How much.'" — Colonel: ''Well, 1 cui'iot fiv it exactly, but I leckonit will be pretty considerable." Kepoiter: "I think I have heard that you, in conjunction with alessts. Goddefioy, intend to claim u million of money as compensation ; is that con ect .'' — Colonel : " Well.it is premature to say what amount we shall claim until the niattei comes before the propel tribunal. I have eveiy confidence in the tail ness of Butishois, and I would submit the case to one of youi Coinfcs without feai, but that I mean to '^oto a highei tubunal.'' Kcpoitei : " Aie you a native of Amonca ? '-- Colonel : " Yes, a bom Ameiican citizen.'" liupoitei : " To what do you uttnbute the action taken by Ciptain Stevens at bamoa ? Is it tine tli it you implicate the missiona lies '"—Colonel : "Well a goo I ded of the mischief was done by Tinner, and by anoldbeaJicoinbei who calls himself the Ameiican consul .' ' Repoiter: " Then youdo attiibute blamo t> the missionaiies .'"—Colonel: "Yes, a gieit deal. ' Itepoi tei • " Ha\ e you tha me ms of obt uning lediess.' I mention this because I know that some mei chants in Auckland entettain the opinion th.it you have good substantial giounds foi claiming compensation, uid ono gentleman went so far as to say that j he would go into the matter with j ou as a speculation.' '—Colonel : " I want no assistance from any one. I have plenty of means ot my own, and I sh ill b^ able to cany this thiough without any pecuni.iiy ml." Repot ter: " Whom do you blame for the fi','ht at Api t?"— Colonel : "I blame Captain Stevens. It was the way thoso poor people had of showing tlieii love forme, and theie is no use in denying th it they diore the sailois oft the Point." Kepoi ter : "What was the state of S uno i when you left?" Colonel: " It was very cutical in deed, and I am afiaid that seiioua outbreiks have occuired since I left. I can tell jou this, if the 'lianacouta' had stayed there 10 000 Samoaiis would have stoimed her, «nd caui'il her too ; and I would just lcmind you of tnu, doe-, not the conduct of those men move to you that I .i-n not such an all flied villian as some poople want to make me out '. ' By this tune ihc c.ib had reached the Newnuikct toll-gite, and the kitin of ninepence ia cuient coin of the lefilm beinj, theie and Man ilcmindod, the colonel pulled out a hvidful ot silver consisting of dollars, half and quaitm dollars and English coins. The colonel ,\\> pe.ued to be strmgoly puzzled in selecting the uvmiied niuejiei.ee, tinning the coins ovei l ipidly and inqmiing, " Wliat's this?" The ditHculty was uKimitely settled by the colonol permitting the toll-keeper to select the money for himself ouc ot the handful of sil.'ci. The convers ition wh then lesiuned : K.'porter : "Have you seen much service ?'— ! Colonel : " Well, about my fair share." Reporter: "1 saw some hi-ivite too." - Colonel : " Well, I lockon I*ve seen a thousand dead ineii for cvety one you've seen." Reporter: "Have you ti ivelled much':"— Col'jni'l : " Seen most every country in the world. I supposo there iin t much foi inc to i' j enow\" Reporter : " You will have a great deal of difficulty in pushing your claims."— Colonel • "Wt'll, I expect so, butlni-rer allow anything to

stuid ill my way, and it would take a gmit ilc.il to me when I begin." On the arrival of the cab at the Junction Hotel the colonel remained some timo waiting for Sir. Perkins, who had gone to a neighbour's, but in a few minutes he returned and gave the colonel a cordial welcome. I had an opportunity of learning during the next few minutes that the colonel is somewhat punctilious with regard to attention to his comforts. The conversation w.is continued while the colonel was awaiting the niival of his port mante.ui fiom town, but nothing of any importance was elicited beyond the f i ct that the colonel does not intend to dispute the sui/ure of the 'Peei^s,' wLii.li, howevoi, he believes to bewhollyilleg.il, umvau.intible and .abiti.iry. The utmost diplomacy fiiled to elicit anything more of interest, and the follo'vin_j note wiitten by the colonel to Mi. Peikms, and obligingly shown to your lcpicseutative by thelattei, is at once a testimonial to jour reporter's zeal and pertinacity, and an outrunning of pain and sonow from a tioubled and wearied soul: ''Dear Perkins, — Please endeavour to get rid of this newspaper lepoiter. He has bored me to death. — A.B.S." So it must be apparent that your representath e did not discontinue the inteiview a moment too soon.