ISLAND NEWS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XIV, Issue 2899, 15 February 1893, Page 2

ISLAND NEWS.

MUTINY AND MUfcDER.

(per press association).

Auckland, February 14. Arrived—Bichmond, a s , from Tahiti and Karatonga. She reports a mutiny and murder at sea on the American barque Vesper, of San Francisco. The barque put into Tahiti on January 27, bound from Newcastle (New South Wales) to Honolulu with coals, in chu-ge of Captain Sodergen. He reported that the crew murdered the second mate; that he and his wife and the chief officer were in peri ofthnir lives. The crew were arrested and will be sent to San Francisco for trial, n r barqne Darra. Two of the prisoners turued State's evidence. The crew were under the impreosion that the aaptain had in his possession a considerable sum of money, and proposed to kill the captain and officers, and g"t possession of the ship and gold; On January 13 the second mate, named Fitzgerald, was decoyed for. ward and killed with the cook's chopper, and his body thrown ovsrboard. The killing of the captain and mate was put off, the crew sayinp they had done enough for one night. Meanwhile the captain and mate were alarmed and kept the deck for a fortnight. The crew were all shipped at Newcastle. The Richmond reports that there are prospects of a good coffee crop in the Hervey Group. Oranges are Rise doing well in Raratonga. The missionary of the Juondon Mission Society objects to the British Resident's action in connection with th'i liquor laws in the Heresy Group. The French authorities in Tahiti have K9a.de a new protective tariff, placing prohibitive duties on British goods, so as to remove the disadvantage of New Zealand exporters, who carry on trade in meafc and provisions to Tahiti, per steamer Richmond. The new tariff will be er e forged in New Caledonia, where the French authorities are making extensive preparations for the repression of smuggling, likely to be tried in conscience of the pruhibitivt duties,