THE REPORTED MASSACRE OF MISSIONARIES.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 959, 23 July 1877, Page 3

THE REPORTED MASSACRE OF MISSIONARIES.

The Rev. George Brown, writing from Levuka to the Auckland “Herald,” gives the following particulars regarding the reported massacre of missionaries and their wives who were left on the Duke of York Island: — Just before leaving Sydney I received a note from Captain Levison, of the German barque Etienne, at Duke of York Island, giving me a few particulars of the events which have occurred since I left that place, which may interest your readers—many of whom take a great interest in our mission—and will at the same time throw some light on the “ Reported Poisoning and Massacre,” as given in one of your issues a few weeks ago. Captain Levison wrote in great pain, as he was suffering from some wounds received by falling into a trap set round with pointed bamboos, but from his note, and from a letter written by one of our Samoan teachers to the Rev. J. S. Austin in Samoa, I gain the following particulars : Mr Jamieson, a young man, who was located as trader in Port Weber, New Britain, by Captain Levison, when we were there together in July last, was murdered by the natives, and (lie trade was all taken. What became of his Samoan wife and some Hermit Island natives who were with him, I do not know. Captain Levison says that he went to look after the woman, and to try and get some of the trade, and whilst doing so, he fell into a trap made by digging a deep hole in the road, putting sharp-pointed spears of bamboo in the bottom, and round the sides, and then covering all over with earth and leaves. One of these spears went through his foot, and another one wounded him in his leg. He does not say anything about any actual collision with the natives, but the teacher says in his letter that several of the natives were killed. The case of poisoning occurred at another station on the same island (New Britain), at a place called Nogai, where a Mr Brunow, a German, was stationed at the same time that poor Jamieson was left at Port Weber. A native of Nogai gave Brunow’s wife (a. Samoan) some poison in a banana, from which she died. Tins

occasioned great trouble, and the station had to be abandoned. This is all we know about that case, though it may be that the natives reported to be killed were killed here, and not at Jamieson’s station, where they would probably keep up in the bush. Then a little nearer to Blanche Bay, on the same island, at a place called Nodup, the trading station has been burnt, but afterwards rebuilt. At this place also Captain Levison informs us that our church and teacher’s house had been burnt, but “ not from any fault of Livai’s (the teacher),” but simply through “ their own native troubles.” He says also that everything “ looked very black to him just then, and he expected more trouble was in store.” Our teacher at Matupit (Henderson’s Island), Blanche Bay, he said had been well taken care of by the natives, and had been successful amongst them. From the teacher’s letter we learn that two Fijian women and two infants had died; that all the party had suffered from fever, but were recovering, and that they were now all living together at Duke of York Island. I suppose from this that they have withdrawn from some of the stations, and live together at the safest place for protection, or it may be that they are simply living there for some weeks engaged in building a large Fijian canoe which they purposed building when I left. On the whole, as regards our mission work, the news is quite as favorable as we could expect. None of our teachers have been attacked, and in every place where these were stationed the trader has been safe. We had no station either at Port Weber or at Nogai. At Matupit (Blanche Bay) the trader is located close to our teacher’s house, and has done well, though Messrs Nash and Warne, who were placed there by Captain Levison some eighteen months before our occupation of the island, had to flee for their lives after shooting three of their assailants, leaving the station and some two thousand dollars’ worth of trade to the natives. The group was then abandoned, and the second attempt to establish a station was only made after we had occupied the place for twelve months and were on friendly terms with the people. The teacher tells us of difficulties which we of course expect to encounter, but he also tells us of success as great as we ever dared to hope for in such a short time. His simple language literally translated will give some idea of the men, and the feelings which actuate them, as well as tell us something about the work and their success as considered by them. He says at the close of the letter, “ I dwell in a difficult land, the people of which are continually doing evil. We declare unto them the Word of God in every village in many places. This it is which makes our work for the Lord difficult here, this preaching the Word of God to so many villages in the bush. We go with fears (literally tears), doubtful whether we shall die or live through these foolish people, but we go with love to them who are in darkness. But though the hearts of these foolish men are difficult, still the work here is beginning to be successful.”