A MASSACRE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1051, 16 January 1884, Page 2

A MASSACRE.

Captain Hayward, of the Kate McGregor, who arrived at Auckland yesterday from Line Islands, reports that the Julia, a vessel belonging to Honolulu, landed on the island of Narouiti, one of the Gilbert Group, twenty or thirty returned people of Apiang and Tarawa, two islands south of the equator in the same group. These men were armed with Winchester repeating rides, sixteen shooters. “ From accounts I could obtain these Apiang and Tarawa men were constantly causing trouble, both at Honolulu and on board the ship. On their drat arrival on the island they behaved themselves for a little while ; their ambition, however, became awakened, and knowing their power they showed themselves in their true colours. Ten young girls of very tender years were publicly assaulted, and when two old men went to expostulate with the offenders they were shot down. Then followed a scene of butchery of the most revoking kind, men, women and children sharing the tame fate. Mothers cast their children from them, and with their husbands took to small canoes, preferring to trust to the mercy of the elements in their frail vessels rather than to the pitilessness of these fiends. Some natives of Narouiti had, through fear, joined the Apiang people. They were inflamed by drink, and emboldened by the possession of arms procured either with the concert or through the negligence of a white trader, who said on enquiry that he had some nuns, but they were in an old store, and probably had been given away by his brother-in-law. The same man sa'd that there were eighteen killed to his knowledge, besides some who died in the bush and were eaten by dogs. The people who escaped after the massacre in small canoes, without water and under a tropical sun, made their way to Kurea and Apamara, where they besought Timbunaka, the king, to give them succour, telling him that certain subjects of hia own who were on visit to Narouiti along with a missionary and two white traders, were in con stant danger of their lives, if they were not already butchered. The king having chartered a vessel lying at Apamama, requested the master to take off his people to Narouiti. The master, after some deliberation, and having received the King’s promise that there should be no bloodshed, but that the Chief Caliooa and his adherents should only be disarmed, acquiesced, Th® vessel, with Timbunaki on board, arrived of Narouiti on the morning of Dec. 6th, and was boarded by a canoe containing two men, these were taken on board by the King, fed, and then entrusted with a message to Calicoa to the effect that; Timbunaka had not come to make war but only to succour his people and to disarm the murderers, and compel their good behavior, and that if they quietly laid down their guns no harm should come to them. At 4 a.m. on December 7th, three boats were sent away from the vessel, but before a landing could be obtained a volley was fired at them, which had the effect of killing two and wounding one. The Apamana people then landed and requested those of Apiang to lay down their arms. This demand was not complied with, and a fight ensued, the result being a victory for the King. On the side of the Apiang people seven were killed and one wounded, whilst on the side of the Apamamas, there were three killed, including the two killed in the boat and nine wounded, several severely. Some prisoners were taken on to Apamama on the following day; amongst them was ona Pano, second in command, and a notor oualy bloodthiisty man, of a moat repulsive appearance.” Mr Gleeaon gives full details of the shocking scenes enac ed on the island by the returned labor people. He states that if Timbunaka and hia men had not come the lives of two European traders and a missionary woulc have been sacri ficed.