THE LATE MURDERS AT TORRES ISLANDS.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 121, 20 October 1874, Page 4

THE LATE MURDERS AT TORRES ISLANDS.

(From the Rockhampton Bulletin, Sept. 18.) By the Tinonee, yesterday, Mr G. B, Shaw received a letter from Mr Vivian Bowden, giving the sad details of the late murders committed at Torres Islands. The letter was written on board the schooner Southern Cross, off Hodda Bay, San Cristoval. It is dated 14th August, and mentions that the Lyttona, schooner, homeward bound, was then in sight. With respect to the murders Mr Bowden writes :

“ I am sorry to have very bad news to communicate. Poor Mr Obbard and the mate were killed by natives of Lau, one of the Torres Group of Islands, on the 2nd iust. The circumstances of the case are these : On the Ist instant we arrived at Boka Boka, the southernmost island of the Torres Group. The boat was kept going between the vessel and shore all day, purchasing yams, &c. The natives appeared friendly enough, but are great thieves. On the 2nd inst, at half-past 2 p.m., the boat went ashore at Lau, the second island, in charge of the mate, Mr Haskill; Mr Obbard, the Government agent, accompanying him. She touched at two or three places, the vessel at the time being hove-to, drifting off shore. Abut 4 p.m. we saw the boat leave the shore with a number of natives in her. The vessel then stood in for the shore. When the boat had pulled off for a short distance, the natives jumped overboard and swam ashore. The boat then pulled inshore, and backed stern on to the beach. A large crowd of natives surrounded her, and she was presently seen to go suddenly over on her broadside ; at the same time a great noise was heard ashore, and it became evident that there was something wrong. The other boat was got out as quickly as possible, but as she was bottom up on deck, this took some time. Got all the arms into her, with the best crew we could muster, and pulled in for the shore. At a short distance from the ship met three of the boat’s crew swimming towards her. They declinpd assistance, but asked us to go after the fourth man, who was much further inshore. We did so, and picked him up. He told us that the mate and Government agent were dead. As it was now late, and nothing could be seen of the boat or natives ashore, we returned to the ship, and rendered what assistance we could to the wounded. One of the men was shot with a bone arrow in his right temple, just above the eye ; a wooden arrow was in his left arm, above the elbow ; and a nasty wound on the top of his head, caused by a blow from a club. A second man had a bone arrow through his right arm. The third was severely bruised about the small of the back, from blows given with clubs. The fourth escaped unhurt. The arrows were taken out by their countrymen, and the men are now nearly all right. It seems from the statements of the crew that the natives got into a boat, expressing a wish to ‘go Brisbane,’ which was about all the English they could speak ; that they jumped overboard, as already stated ; that when the boat backed in the last time the natives crowded around her, and at a given signal from the beach threw themselves upon our men, so that they could not use their firearms ; and that some held while others clubbed the mate and the Government agent. The crew then took to the water, and swam off. They saw the natives taking the dead bodies into the bush. Next morning we landed at Boka Boka, and got an interpreter ; then went back to Lau, pulled inshore with the boat, and anchored her within pistol shot. The interpreter then swam ashore, and after a deal of talk they brought the boat and four oars from the bush. We tried to get the bodies, but without success, as they said they were buried a long way in the bush. We also recovered Mr Obbard’s Snider rifle and the mate’s revolver, but the trade-box and firearms of the boat’s crew were lost. Landed the interpreter, and stood away for Makira Bay, hoping to fall in with a man-of-war. Arrived at Makira Bay at noon on the 10th, and filled up with wood and water. As there was no man-of-war at Makira, we left a statement of the affair for the first cruiser that arrives there.”