and Admiral Kautz had been invited and were listened to with interest. Mataafa appeared to have been the only person concerned in the difficulty who showed any hostile feeling in obeying the command of the Commissioners.

When his turn to testify arrived three boats, one from each of the nations represented, were sent after him and his followers. When the crews arrived at the appointed place they found the rebel chief had already embarked with about a hundred of his friends in an enormous Samoan boat. Two other boats also filled with natives were waiting to act as his escort.

To the annoyance of the British and American officers, the Germans immediately took the Samoan canoes in hand, and towed Mataafa and his followers. to the Badger. The rebels construed this action as being favorable to them, and sang and shouted with glee as they moved on toward the ship.

Arrived alongside the Badger, they immediately began to swarm up the side, and behaved generally as though they owned the ship. The guard put a speedy end to this manoeuver, and the too eager visitors were forced back into their boats, and made to wait there until the Commissioners were ready to receive them; then only those who had been especially invited were allowed to come on board.

The result of the conferences with the Commissioners was most satisfactory.

Mataafa expressed his willingness to abide by whatever decision the Commissioners might reach, and promised to disarm his followers.

The Commissioners told him they had been sent

1899]

Sessions aboard the " Badger"

819

out with full power to establish a responsible government, and that it rested with the Samoans whether a king should be appointed or not. Mataafa declared that he thought a king ought to be appointed. The followers of Malietoa also agreed to lay down.

their arms, and have already done so. Mataafa has also kept his word, and brought 1,800 guns to the Badger which he surrendered to the authorities.

The Commissioners appear to have done excellent work so far, and it seems as if peace may soon be fully restored. It is said that the natives throw the

whole blame on the Europeans, who, they insisted, had incited them to rebel against the authorities.

A number of rebels have surrendered, but the Commissioners do not intend to punish them. As the natives are gaining confidence and telling their grievances to the Commissioners, the impression grows that the natives have merely been catspaws used by the quarreling Consuls.

The British Consul, Mr. G. B. S. Maxse, and the German Consul, Herr Rose, were to sail for Europe. on June 17. The American Consul, Mr. Luther N. Osborn, will be retained for the present.

It is understood that Great Britain will not entertain the idea of allowing Mataafa to be made king, and the probabilities are that if a king is proclaimed, it will be Malietoa, not Mataafa.

It is rumored that the Commissioners will recommend that the title of king be abolished, and that the rivals, Mataafa and Malietoa Tanus, shall be appointed as chiefs of districts. It is also said that Chief Justice Chambers is to be recalled. At present, however, the only assured thing is that the natives are behaving very well, and if the Europeans only conduct themselves with the same good sense, all further trouble will be avoided.

Admiral Kautz left Samoa on May 21. Some absurd reports were circulated that he had been recalled on account of his indiscreet letter to his cousin,* but this is not the fact. The Admiral's orders were to return to San Francisco as soon as the state of affairs in Samoa warranted his so doing.

*See No. 131, page 621.

When the natives showed themselves so reasonably and peaceably inclined the Admiral felt that his work was done, set sail, and will reach San Francisco about June 25.

The Ice Breaker "Ermak.”

Russia is one of the leading powers on the globe. But it is not only in size and population that she excels. She is proving to other nations that her progress is very real in arts that relate to peace and war. The Trans-Siberian and Trans-Caspian Roads are illustrations of this. So also is her latest acquisition, the steam ice breaker Ermak.

This remarkable vessel was built by Sir W. S. Armstrong, Whitworth & Co., Ltd., at their Walker shipyard, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, after the plans of Vice Admiral Makaroff, who enjoys a fine record in Russian naval annals.

The Ermak was consecrated on her arrival at Cronstadt. Her principal duty will be to keep the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland ports free of solid ice and open for business the whole year round. Heretofore those ports were icebound for four or five months. During that time business was stagnant.

While intended chiefly to promote trade by keeping routes open, she will also be of immense advantage to the Russian navy.

Cronstadt is an important arsenal, and can now defy the ice since the Ermak is at hand. Cruisers and battleships with her aid can pass in and out with. out hindrance.

The illustration on page 819 is from a photograph

taken while she was crushing through pack ice seven feet thick, at a speed of eight knots (nearly nine and a half miles) per hour. The double illustrations on pages 820 and 821 give a graphic idea of the ice

fields through which she broke. The dark part in background is smoke, which the seamen watched as she came in sight. More and more the genius of man is conquering opposing forces,