ANOTHER ISLAND MASSACRE

Dunstan Times, Issue 970, 19 November 1880, Page 3

ANOTHER ISLAND MASSACRE

News via Noumea states that the cotter Idahoe, engaged recruiting for labour at the Island of Sante, has been attacked. On the evening of her arrival at Noumea natives came on board, and promised to return in the morning with recruits. Two canoes, with about a dozen men in each, came aboard, bartering bananas in a most friendly manner, and most of them speaking good broken English. The ship’s boat, in charge of a native crew under the orders of a native named Sam, made a trip ashore As soon as she had gone the canoe left the cutter for oilier canoes to get tomahawks and returned to the vessel armed. They gradually surrounded M'Millan, who was at the stern of the vessel cleaning firearms, and suddenly split his head open with a tomahawk. There were no other white, men on board, hut there were three natives and seven recruits. These were attacked. Of them two were killed and a boy was wounded, and pitched into the hold where two uativea had sought refuge. These two men, seizing muskets, menaced the natives who cleared out, plunging into the sea. Simultaneously the boat’s crew, was attacked, and all killed save Sam au.l Santo Charlie. As soon as the attack began Sam jumped into the sea and made for a distant point of land, where he concealed himself in sight of the vessel until all was quiet. He then swam off, heaved anchor, and sailed the vessel as best he could, aided by the two men left of the crew ami recruits, for several days, when she was sighted 14U miles from the scene of the outrage.