SOUTH SEA ATROCITIES.

Evening Star, Issue 3391, 3 January 1874, Page 3

SOUTH SEA ATROCITIES.

The charges against some members of ■Melbourne families of note of bring concerned in some fearful atrocities, upon which the Government of Victoria is acting, first appeared in the ‘Telegraph.’ The person making them suppresses names for obvious reasons, but chiefly because “the only evidence at present obtainable is that of the Fijian sailors, who were examined separately by a thorough Fijian scholar, and whose statements fully agreed in all important particulars.” *• 1 give,” he says, “ their statemrnt just as one of them gave it, excepting that 1 omit everything which does not bear directly upon the treatment which the islanders meet with at the hands of our countrymen.” And this is the account given of a visit to an island called Savre. “There is a white man living here. We anchored and went on shore to his house. Uur white men asked him to get them some women. He got them two on condition that they should bo sent ashore again before nightfall. After we were all on board for the night, the white iftfm called oi\t from the shore, begging the women might be sent back, for the would kill him if they were not returned. ‘l’ll send them back by-and-by,’ shouted Mr . But when it was quite dark we weighed anchor, muffling the chain so that its rattling might not be heard, and fled away to sea with the two girls, who were both very yonng. That night (here follow details of filthy, shameless, and disgusting brutility). In the morning the girls cried, and asked to go back. We saw them crying and wiping f heir eyes. We knew they were asking to go back, because they pointed to themselves aud then to land. At Munggawa a canoe with two men in it, oame off with flying foxes, bones, and shells. We went to A. to meet them: got our boat, and took their canoe in tow. After towing it a short distance, A. quietly let go the painter. The natives cried when they saw their canoe Seating away. When we went about to put them down the hold the younger went quietly, but the elder refused to go. One of the while sailors struch him in the face so that the blood flowed. He was then seized by his hands .and feet, and thrown headlong down below. . . . When A. and B. were out of the way, the sailors used to take the two girls. . . . There was no concealment. . . When we reached Lcvuka the girls begged us (Fijians) to take them to our homes. I make no comment on this, excepting to say that it is no worse than many accounts which have come to my ears. This sort of work has been going on for years, and, in spite of the new cruisers, it will still go on. They may check it, but they cannot slop it. Truly, we have come to be proud of our civilisation. Well might Bishop Patteson, ask, * Who is the civilised' man, aud who the savage ?;’ ”