SAMOA.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVII, Issue 30, 27 July 1899, Page 15

SAMOA.

There was very little of interest in the Samoan news brought by the Government steamer Tutanekai, which arrived in Auckland last week. It appears that while she was at the Islands she was partly engaged in taking the Commissioners round the various settlements. The Commissioners explained matters to the natives, and exhorted the two factions to live in harmony and peace. The day before the Tutanekai sailed with the Commissioners on their inter-island tour, word reached Apia that on the opposite side of the island of Upolu the Malietoa and Mataafa sections had quarrelled, and a fight had ensued, in which three natives were killed. H.M.S. Tauranga and the German warship Cormorant went off to the locality to quieten the natives and restore peace. At the island of Savaii, while the Commissioners were ashore, a Mataafan boat's crew landed at a Malietoa settlement, and a squabble arose in which one Mataafaite was killed and one Malietoa man mortally wounded The Commissioners were still going on disarming natives and pacifying the country.

It had been decided that T anu, Tamasese and Mataafa should meet the High Commissioners on the warship Badger, with the intention of making friends. Mataafa had signified his intention of being present. Tamasese, who was on board the Badger, was informed by the Commissioners that he must cea*e making claims or demonstrations in any way, as he was only a private citizen.

The three High Commissioners expected to leave Samoa on the 18th inst. in the United States ship Badger for San Francisco.