IV

In 1844 the French occupation of Tahiti occasioned great alarm among the missionaries in Samoa, for it was supposed that the French intended also to hoist their flag in this group, and England was believed to have refused to intervene.

"Unless [wrote Mr. Murray] God graciously interpose, we have nothing between us and French oppression and tyranny. A fiery trial is doubtless coming upon us. Would that we were in a more prepared state for it! We are not without decisive tokens of the presence and power of God among us; but we want another shaking, such as we had in the close of 1839 and in 1840."

The compilator of Missionary Life in Samoa (the mother of Mr. Lundie), however, pinned her faith in other measures.

"O Britain! [she wailed] wilt thou suffer the boar out of the wood to trample down this vineyard? Wilt thou suffer the precious of thy countrymen to be chased as partridges on the mountains? … It becomes all the servants of the Lord boldly to protest against this national sin, that they may, by that means, escape sharing in the judgment."

Possibly the servants of the Lord did make their influence felt, for in the same year of this peril, 1844, the British warship Hazard visited Samoa. During her stay the chiefs of Tutuila drew up a petition begging Queen Victoria to take their island under her protection. There is little doubt that they were prompted to this by Mr. Murray.

When then, in July 1845, arrived H.M.S. Daphne—who had on board Mr. Pritchard, a former member of the London Mission, just appointed Consul of the group for Great Britain—there came also a reply from Queen Victoria to the chiefs of Tutuila. The purport of her message was that the Queen declined to take their island formally under her protection; but that she would befriend the people and not allow any other page 65power to interfere with the independence of the native government, or have a greater share in the island than herself. This reply is said to have given great satisfaction to the chiefs and people, as it met their request in a way that satisfied them, "and they were not a little surprised and pleased that they should be treated with so much consideration by so august a personage as Queen Victoria."

In the same year, 1845, a party of Roman Catholic priests arrived at Samoa in a small schooner; and (my authority for the statement is Lieutenant Walpole of H.M.S. Collingwood) the London Mission having persuaded the chiefs of Apia to prevent them landing, established themselves at a village a few miles away.