THE MURDER OF BISHOP PATTESON.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2722, 7 November 1871, Page 2

THE MURDER OF BISHOP PATTESON.

We extract the following additional particulars from our Northern files :

During Mr Atkin’s stay at Wonga he was speaking to the captain of the Emma Bell, who told him he was going to Santa Cruz for labor. This news made the Bishop very uneasy, as he very well knew if a vessel went there mischief would result from it. He made his mind up to go to the Reef Islands, and to ascertain if any vessel had been about. On the 15th Sept, made Santa Cruz ; very light winds. Sept. 20: light winds off Nukapu. About four miles distant saw five or six canoes coming out. When within a mile or two from the vessel they lay to. We thought it strange they did not come alongside ; on former occasions they would have been alongside and have boarded us six and seven miles off the land. The Bishop bad the boat lowered, and went to them. [This was the last we saw of him alive.] It being low water, the boat could not go over the reef. The Bishop, as it was usual for him to do, got into a canoe and went on shore, accompanied by the two chiefs, Taula and Motu, the remaining four canoes remaining with the boat. About the time the Bishop would have got oti shore the natives in the canoes attacked tiie boat, firing several arrows at the crew before they could get the bout out of shot, Mr Atkin was hit in the back of the shoulder ; Stephen, a native of Bouro, had six arrow's in him, one in the breast; John, a native of Mota, shot in the side. The boat made for the Bessie, and we got the wounded out of her, Mr Brook looking after them. I immediately sent Mr Bougard (mate) with three of our crew and two black boys, Mr Atkin acting as pilot (for none of our people knew anything about the place), to see after the Bishop. I told thsm to keep outside the reef till they were suro they had plenty of water to cross, then pull towards the shore, and keep out of arrow shot, and, if they saw the Bishop, not to go in. All this time the Bessie was beealmed. Shortly after the boat left the vessel, a breeze sprang up, and I worked the vessel close to the boat, so that her presence might intimidate the natives from attacking tte boat. We saw the natives put off in two canoes from shore. One of them they turned adrift, the other went back t> the shore. Presently the boat went towards the drifting canoe, and found the dead body of the Bishop in her, rolled up in a native mat. A small branch of the cocoanut palm, with five knots, was stuck in the mat. What the palm with the knots meant we could not tell. He was stripped of his clothes, bis head frightfully smashed, and several wounds in the body. It is quite certain some vessel bad been here ill-using the natives a very short time previous to our coming, or they never would have killed the bishop. Every year he called at this place he would give the chiefs aud people presents, and remained a considerable part of the day on shore with them. We stood to the north-east. 21st September Committed the body to the deep. Mr Brook reading the service, 27th —Poor Atkin died. He was in great agony for four hours before his death. 28th—Stephen died, he being in dreadful suffering for two days. Mr Brook read tbe burial service in Mota and English. We committed both bodies to tbe deep. Nukapu, where the bishop was killed, is one of the small reef islands in the Swallow group, about three miles in circumference, and 150 feet above the level of the sea ; population about 100, all told. It lies about north-half-east from Graciosa Bay ; Santa Gruz about thirty-three miles. The natives in appearance are somewhat like tbe Maoris. Their language, too, is like the Maori, with a sprinkling of Spanish words, which enabled the bishop to converse with them.