About five o'clock
Then , as time was valuable , we at once concocted a plan to get the rifles -- fifty -- ashore without making too much of a show . Well , among some of the women present there were two great swells , one was the _ taupo _ , or town maid , of Palaulae in Savaii , and the other was a niece of Mataafa himself . These two , accompanied by a lot of young women of Manono , were to go off on board the barque in our boats , ostensibly to pay their respects to the white lady on board , and invite her on shore , so as to get her out of the way ; then I was to pass the arms out of the stern ports into some canoes which would be waiting just as it became dark . About five o'clock they started off in one boat , leaving me and the skipper to follow in another . I had sent a note off to the mate telling him all about the little game , and to be mighty polite to the two chief women , who were to be introduced to Miss Weidermann , give the old devil some presents of mats , fruits , and such things , and ask her to come ashore as Mataafa 's guest . `` Well , something had gone wrong with the Weidermann 's temper ; for when the women came on board she was sulking in her cabin , and refused to show her vinegary face outside her state-room door . Thinking she would get over her tantrum in a few minutes , the mate invited the two Samoan ladies and their attendants down into the cabin , where they awaited her appearance , behaving themselves , of course , very decorously , it being a visit of ceremony .