MASSACRE AT THE SOLOMON ISLAND

Dunstan Times, Issue 968, 5 November 1880, Page 3

MASSACRE AT THE SOLOMON ISLAND

Another horrible massacre is reporter! from the -Solomon Islands. The brigantine Borealis was lying outside a small island call', d Uru, and the captain aad a boat’s crew having gone ashore, there were on beard six Europeans and one Fijian, besides six islanders, on whom the captain gave instructions to keep a strict watch. Hearing screams from the vessel, the captain inline lively proceeded towards the vessel, but finding ber in the hands of the islanders, and many other boats leaving the shore; he deemed it advisable to pull round the island, aOont 45 miles, where other vessels were anchored. These he comma-nic.ve-l with, and all returned to the 80l ■•’.lis. On searching the vessel only one man was found—Ward, the steward—terribly wounded, while the vessel had the appearance of having b -en the scene of a sanguinary encounter. None of the other bo lies vr, re s j en. The steward’s narrative of the affair is as follows After the captain left the vessel, all hands were engage ! in setting up ringing and putting the ship in order alter bad weather. Ho was occupied in the galley, and saw soma people arriving but paid no attention to them till, while he was stooping, he hoard a signal given and heard a ru-h made on the other men. A Native aimed a blow at his heal with a tomahawk. He partially dodged the blow, but receive! a tearful gash on the ho id. It staggered him, but before it could bo repeated ho pointed his revolver an I shot the man. He thou tried to lire another shot, but found that someone h,.d emptied all the other chambers. He then seized a large knife, and f.night his wiy outside, where he found about eighty m-n on deck, who had evidently despatched the crew, as he saw none of them amongst the crowd. Hedefendel himself with his knife until he received a cut from a tomahawk on each arm, which completely disabled him and he was knocko 1 down the main hatch. He contrived to creep into a half-empty water-tank, where he remained for upwards of three hours until the Natives deserted the vessel. He chou crawled on -leek, where he saw the bodies of all the mu clerel men except Young and the Fijian, both of whom, ho supposes, were killed in the forepart of the vessel, hs managed to crawl into the captain’s cabin, where he bolted himself in and remained for three days (until relieved by the people from the Stanley). During the interval the Na tves repeatedly visited the ship, an 1 broke in the head of the tank which forme I his first hiding nlace. T iey also actually smashed in the skylight iu the

ro if of the captain's cabin, but it being a thick deck light it still hung together and prevented their discovering him.” His escape was nothing short of miraculous, since had they broken in the cabin door nothing could have saved him. Happily when the door is closed it appears part of the main cabin, and to this fortunate circumstance he owes his prevervation. No reason whatever beyond thirst for blood and plunder can ho assigned for the attack. From the Island 91)0 recruits have been engaged during the present year, and that pi ice has been looked upon as the safest of cruising grounds, George Ward whose life was so miraculously preserved, is rapidly recovering.