Result of Slavery on the South Seas

Feilding Star, Volume V, Issue 9, 24 January 1884, Page 3

Result of Slavery on the South Seas

. « . The details of a terrible massacre at the Gilbert Group have been made public by Captain Hayward. of the Kate McGregor, who arrived in Auckland on the 15th instant, from the Line Islands who reports that the Julia, a vessel of Honululu, landed on Narouti, one of thp Gilbert Group, twenty to thirty returned people of Apiang and Tarawa. These men were armed with Winchester repeating rifles, sixteen shooters; constantly causing trouble, bat on their first arrival on the island they behaved them • selves for a little while. Their ambition, however, became awakenvd, and, knowing their power, they showed themselren in their true colors. Ten young girls, of very tender years, were publicly ravished, and when) two old men went to expostulate with the rarishers they were shot dowu . They followed a scene of butchery of a most revolting kind, men, women, and children, sharing the same fate. Mothers cast their children from them, and, with their husbands, took to small canoes, preferring to trust to the* mercy of the elements in these frail vessels, than to the pitilessness ef these fiends of their own race, for some natives of Ramauti had, through fear, joined the Apinng people, and inflamed by drink, and emboldened by the possession of some arms procured either with the consent or through the negligence of a white trader. This same trader said there were 18 killed to his knowledge, besides those who were wounded and died in the bush. Several of the people who escaped in canoes made their way to King Timbunaka for succour The king took his chartered vessel to Narouti, where she was boarded by a canoe containing two men. These were fed and entrusted with a message requesting the disarmament of the mur derers, also promising if they gently laid dowu their arms no har-n should come to them. These terms were not accepted, and on the boats from the ship attempting to land they were fired into and two men killed and one wounded. The boats then landed and a fight ensued. Seven of the Apianga people were killed and one wounded, while on the side of the attacking force three were killed, including the two killed ia the boat, and nine wounded. Several prisoners were taken the following day. Two European traders and a missionary were resident on the island, which will amply account for the possession of arms and strong drink.