MURDEROUS OUTRAGE BY BLACKS AT WHITSUNDAY ISLAND.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1433, 19 September 1878, Page 3

MURDEROUS OUTRAGE BY BLACKS AT WHITSUNDAY ISLAND.

The Bowen correspondent of the " Brisbane Courier," on the 16th August, writes the following particulars of a treacherous attack upon the master and crew of the schooner Louisa Maria:—■ Fearful excitement was caused on Wednesday by the news of a most treicherous outrag?, committed by our partially civilised town blacks, on Whitsunday Island, in our clos' proximity. It, had been noticed that mos" of the blacks had disappeared from town tor some time past, in consequence, as it appears, of several deaths, said to bo from measles. The facts of this sad affiir, as elicitKl by an official inquiry, held by Mr Sandrock, tho harbormaster, are as follows: The schooner Louisa Maria, 39 tons, well known in Brisbane, owned by Mr Johnson, timber merchant, of Bundaberg, was bound in ballast from Townsville to Bundaberg. Her crew consisted of Alexander MTver, master; John Johnston, of Brisbane; and John Morrison, cook ; a man named Andrew Walker was also on board, working his passage. When Whitsunday Passage was reached the vessel became almost unmanageable through tho foulness of her bottom. Thereupon Captain M'lver determined to beach her on a nice sandy part of the shore of Whitsundiy Island. This was successfully accomplished on the morning of August Bth. Numbers of blacks were gathered round, many of whom spoke English. They were employed to assist in the cleaning, in catching fish, and in getting firewood, for which they were paid in food and tobacco. On Saturday afternoon, the 10th inst., two blackfellows and a gin came over from Mollo Island. They appeared to be very quiet, but suddenly the old gins, to whom they were talking on the beach, began yelling and rolling themselves on the sand. The captain then asked them where they came from. They replied from Bowen, and that several blackfellows had died in the town. Apprehending danger from the increasing number of natives, the captain determined to finish as soon as possible, and get the vessel into deep water. The two blacks who had come from Molle Island left after getting tea ; when all the rest shifted their camp to some distance from tho schooner. At dusk the captain, finding they were short of water, took the boat and two of the crew, with a blackfellow, to get some, leaving the cook by himself. During their absence a blackfellow and two gins went on board looking for the tomahawk and axe, and demanding food. When the others came back, without having effected their purpose, owing to darkness, the blackfellow was nowhere to be seen ; but the two gins were on board. Morrison complained bitterly of having been left alone, whereupon Mclver promised to stay with him in future. They got the vessel off at about 8 o'clock, and anchored half a mile from shore. Next morning (Sunday) several blacks and gins came off in canoes, one of whom was sent with Johnstone and Walker to get water. While they were away, three canoes full came from shore, and six or seven men (including the two who had been there the day before) and some piccaninnies came over from Molle Island, and boarded the vessel. The captain, thinking they were friendly, did not try to keep them off. One fellow picked up the axe, saying he would cut firewood. M'lver took it from him and threw it down the forecastle ; then, seeing the boat coming, he rigged up tackle to get the water on board. While standing at the 6ide a blackfellow came behind him, seized him by the back and threw him clean overboard. At this time the cook was standing near the galley, and nothing further is known of his fate. That he was murdered there is unfortunately no reason to doubt. As soon as the captain rose to the surface he called out to the cook to throw him a rope, but received no reply. The blacks then speared him with a bowsprit and handspike, and threw firewood and the sounding-lead at him. The last missed him, and the sprit was ultimately the means of saving his lite, for, by using it as a buoy, he waa enabled to keep himself above water, being no swimmer. By this time he had drifted out of their reach; but one fellow put off in his canoe, armed with a fi«hspear and tomahawk. He cried out, " You wretch, baal you giv'm tobacco," and drove the spear through his cheek, where it remained sticking in the wound. Probably thinking he was killed, tho black returned to the vessel, when M'lver plucked the weapon out. In the meantime the people in the boat had approached to within half-a-mile, and noticed the turmoil on board. Tho native in the boat became excited, and called out to those on the schooner, whereupon he was taken off by a canoe, and joined the others in their fiendish revels. Not seeing the captain or cook on the deck Johnson called them by name, receiving of course no answer. Walker then perceived M'lver in the water about 150 yards from the ship, and picked him up quite exhausted after nearly three quarters of an hour's immersion. They stopped near the vessel in tho faint hope that their enemies would satiate their desires and depart. When it was seen that the sails were put into the canoes, and tho vessel set fire to, they left, steering for Bowen. Finding wind and tide against them, the course was altered for Mackay. Before they had gone far tho cutter Riser hove in sight, and they were taken on board. Thus reinforced, they returned to the fatal spot, arriving there at 4 a.m. on Monday. At daylight the master of the cutter and the men of tho Louisa Maria went ashore. The blacks merely ran behind the rocks, from which retreat they jeered the whites, and pelted them with stones. Three shots with a revolver were fired at them, without doing any good. The mastheads of tho schooner were visible, but not the hull, the water not being clear enough. Finding that nothing further could bo done, they started for Bowen, where they were landed in their own boat on Wednesday morning.

It is said that the authorities will send a body of black troopers to tho island to disperse tho savages in tho orthodox (Queensland native police fashion. Most of tho blacks engaged in this diabolical act can be identified. If caught, it might have a wholesome effect to hang them, and compel as many natives as could be brought together to look on. The unfortunato Morrison was a native of Stornaway, Scotland, between 40 and 50 years of age, and unmarried, so far as is known. No firearms were carried on board.