THE RECENT MASSACRE B NEW GUINEA NATIVES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1403, 10 November 1886, Page 3

THE RECENT MASSACRE B NEW GUINEA NATIVES

The missionary schooner Ellangowan. which has arrived st < coktcw j, brouaht the following particulars of a shocking outrage by New Guinea natives : Mr Thomas Mnllens has reported to the Special Commissioner for New Guinea that he was at Ronald Island in the schooner Alice Mead and that the natives there told him of the murder of Captain Oraig and a 1! the crew of the ketch Emily, of Cooktown Captain Craig was p arl shelling off Johanne-. Island, near Gordon Tillage. Besides Captain Craig, there were working with him Walter Hollingsworth, an assistant named Thompson, a Greek, a Malay cook, and fonr Malay hands. He •Iso had in Ws employment seven natives of Jobannet Island. On September 14 a large boat belonging to the Emily went oat to the shelling ground, leaving the Malay cook on board. Three of the Jobannet natives, pretending to be sick, stayed on board also. The boa* anchored in the shelling ground in about 19 fathoms. Craig and Thompson were in the act of raising the «Rver when the natives cspsfz d itiuii ovviLourd, rutting the diver’s life-line, while Hoae, the Greek, was rlnbbed at the pump with a piece of fire* wood. The foot Malays immediately jumped rverboard and tried to swim to a neighboring reef. Craig and Th -mpson also struck for the rtef The Jobannet natives. In a large ho t, weighed anhor and went on board the Emily. They loosened the dingey, and taking a Winchester rifle, overtook the six men who were still swimming, and shot them all in the water. In the meantime the cook had been killed by the three natives <>n board the Emily Returning to the Emily, the natives plundered her of everything they want'd, spreading the sails about, and poured kerosene over them, and then set the vessel on fire. The ketch was burnt, and sank in 19 fathoms of water, f>n bearing the account of the natives, Mnllens crossed over in the Ahca Mead from Benard to Johann t Island, where he found the natives afraid to communicate with him. They had been previously friendly to him. Hearing that a large boat belonging to the Emily was at the village, he threatened to bring a man-of-war at once if they did not give her np, and they finally did a r , Malleus remained three days at Jrhannet Island, and then left for Sudest He returned to Gordon, or Sohannet Island, on the 28th September, and found there Captain Bobinaon, of the schooner albert, anchored In the same position as the Emily. He warred Captain Robinson. Be searched for wreckage of the Fmily, but conld not find any, or any of the dead bodies* He reported the matter to the Government agent, Mr H 0. Forbes, on the 11th October, at Dinner Island. Both Craig and Pollipg’worth have left Wives and fajpilies behind them. A yimiliar repoi| 'is furnlst ed by the Rev, Mr Dawes, wbo further states that the natives of Mairora, Milne Bay, attacked Charlie Berlin, who narrowly escaped aft t shooting one native.