CRUISE OF THE ROSARIO.

Evening Star, Issue 2844, 1 April 1872, Page 2

CRUISE OF THE ROSARIO.

It will be remembered that on receipt of the news of the murder of Bishop Patteson H.M.S. Rosario sailed from Sydney. The Xcw Zealand Herald of February 27th, published the following account of the voyage : “Tlie Rosario arrived off the island of Nukapu on the 29th November, and the captain wished to effect a friendly communication with the natives, sent a boat in charge of an officer, with most positive 1 orders not to offend in any way so as to provoke hostilities, and not to fire even though fired on themselves by the natives, the chief object being to find out the cause which induced them to make the murderous attack on the Bishop. “The boat went iu, and though signs of peace were mule by the natives, waving ureen branches and beckoning them to approach the shore, when within about ninety yards they were assailed, in a treacherous manner, by a flight of arrows. According to orders, the boat then returned to the ship. “The boat was sent to the island a second time, with orders to wave white handkerchiefs, and to call out the names of two chief, Taula ’and Motu (the two men who had accompanied Bishop Patteson on shore when he was killed), but with the like result. “ A third trial to effect alanding and open friendly communication with the natives was made ; but such an attack was made on the boat, that, in order to protect the boat’s crew, a shell was fired from the ship to disperse the natives. Up to this time a single shot had not been fired by the ship or landing part iu the boat. “Having been received in such a hostile manner, Captain Markham deemed it only judicious to force a landing, to show the savage islanders that a man-of-war’s boal was not to be attacked with impunity. He therefore pulled iu with his boats. Being a long way iu advance of the others, Captair ) Markham pulled close in, and waved a white ! handkerchief. He also stood np in his gig, ► and held up his hands, to show that he was I unarmed, being still determined to lane l neaeeably. At tho same time he called oui i for Taula and Motu in fact, doing every thing possible to establish friendly communi cations with the islanders. But the onlj answer he received was a shower of arrows . many striking and going over the boat, th< J natives at the same time shouting, yelling . and dancing in a defiant maimer,” , “On the arrival of the other boats the ordei , to land was given, which was speedily of I fected, though not without a uios" deter [ mined opposition, To punish them for theii , ac ive hostility, the village and severa , canoes were burned, the natives retreating , into the bush, though not before two of tin best men on the ship’s roll had been wounded ; one of whom has since died. “If it had been Captain Markham’s wisl to punish the islanders more severely, or, a: it has been stated, ‘ to take vengeance foi Bishop Patteson’s death, it could easily hav( been done, the island being so small the whole population might have been exterminated. As it was, their loss could not have [ been great. So far as those on board the [ Rosario know, no casualties occurred | amongst the natives. ' Our informant proceeds to justify Captair ! Markham, who could not, he alleges, have ! gone quietly away after his boats and the \ British flag had been fired on. The natives ’ would at once have said that they had beater off a man-of-war. It is to be regretted, how--1 ever, that Captain Markham was unable to ! find out from the natives their reason foi 1 attacking the Bishop and his party. Our informant continues:— “ The account which has appeared iu the newspapers is merely a narrative of the Rosario’s engagement with the natives al the different islands. Nothing is sa : d ol , what was done by Captain Markham for the protection of the poor natives, who appear ; to be more sinned against than sinning ; nor , has a word been said of the very bard and i trying work on tbe late cruise, with the vessels engaged in the so-called labor trade (which is nothing more than downright i slavery). During the late cruise of the Rosario, sixteen of these labor vessels were boarded, two of which were reported to the Governor of New South Wales for illegal trading, the masters of which Captain Markham caused to sign a paper to that effect, the production of which, in a Court of law, it is hoped may be sufficient to convict them. The vessels were not seized, the precedents in the Daphne and Challenge cases being a sufficient deterrent. “ Two mouths after punishing the natives of the island of Nguua, for the massacre oi the crew of the English schooner Fanny, the Rosario returned to that island, when Capt. Markham had an interview with the chiefs, who told him that the murder had been committed ou account of one of thoir women —an albino woman, the wife of one of their chiefs, having been stolen from the island by the schooner Donald M'Lean, taken down to Tauna, and there sold for labor. By a curious coincidence, about a fortnight afterwards the Rosario was cruising about visiting the different villages on the west coast of Tauna, and in one of them this identical woman was discovered. She was released from slavery, and although it detained the ship several days, taking her many hundred miles out of her way, the woman was returned to her own friends. Capt. Markham receiyed quite an ovation from the islanders, who were anxious to load his boat with pigs, bananas, &c. Ou leaving, the natives ran along the beach, cheering the boat as it pulled off to the ship. There can be no doubt that what was dene at this island will have a good effect ou the natives, and will quite establish their confidence in men-if-war and honest white men. “The Rosario visited, during the last three months, no less than six-aad-twenty different islands belonging to the New Hebrides and Santa Cruz groups, and tho natives who have come under the influence of missionaries, were everywhere quiet and well-disposed, and willing to trade. At other places, where the missionaries had not obtained a footing or influence, the natives were wary, and inclined to be hostile and treacherous, which is all attributable entirely to the numerous cases of kidnapping and other outrages which are continually being committed by the slavers, or, as they are generally termed, labor vessels. Until this most nefarious traffic is put a stop to, no man’s life will be safe amongst these islands. The cruise of the Rosario was a most

o rentful one, and was productive of benefit to the unhappy natives in the islands visited.”