AFFAIRS AT SAMOA

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9023, 31 October 1892, Page 5

AFFAIRS AT SAMOA

A.M.S. RINGAROOMA ORDERED TO APIA. Dn Saturday morning considerable excitement was created in the city on it becoming known that H.M.s. Ringarooma had been ordered to proceed to Samoa with haste. It appears that early in the morning, Capbain Bourke, the commander of the Ringarooma, received a cable despatch from Admiral Lord Charles Scott, of the flagship Orlando, who is at present in Melbourne, ordering him to proceed to Samoa at once. The work of coaling the warship was proceeded with, and everything on board was hurry and bustle during the day, and the ship left for her destination shortly before nine o'clock on Saturday night. It is expected that she will reach Apia on Thursday night or early on Friday morning. In the afternoon the Union S.S. Co.'s steamer Upolu arrived from Samoa, Fiji, and Tonga, she having left the former port on the 17 th inst. Up to the time of her departure everything at Samoa was quiet, nor was there any expectations of any trouble arising between the followers of King Malietoa and those of the chief Mataafa. Of course, as is well-known, ever since the return of Malietoa from his enforced exile by the German authorities, and his subsequent choice as King by the | natives over Mataafa, who held sway during Malietoa's absence, a good deal of ill-feeling has been apparent, the followers of Mataafa being seemingly determined not to obey the mandates of the King, refusing to pay the taxes levied, and generally showing a spirit of rebellion. It was thought not long ago that matters would reach a climax and civil war eventuate. The evil was tided over for a time being, though Mataafa's followers still refuse to acknowledge any authority bub his. Files of the Samoan Times up the 17th instant contain nothing of moment relating to the state of the parties, and the officers of the Upolu say that they conversed with various residents at Apia, but nothing was sven hinted at that would lead one to believe that an outbreak was feared. It is surmised that the German mail steamer Lubeck (which left Samoa several days before the Upolu) carried despatches to Sydney, which were cabled home to the authorities, and that the Admiralty have ordered the Admiral of the station to keep a man-of-war at Apia, as a precautionary measure. The German warship Bussard is at Apia, but there is no American warship there at present. The New Zealand Government have received no communication whatever on the subject.