THE SOUTH SEA OUTRAGE.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2118, 7 December 1880, Page 3

THE SOUTH SEA OUTRAGE.

SYDNEY, November 29.

Her Majesty’s schooner Sandfly arrived this morning from the South Seas. She reports a terrible outrage. On the 13th October the schooner anchored at Te Zembokoli, and Commander Bower and five seamen left in a whaleboat to survey the east coast of Florida Island, intending to be back on the 17tb. The 18th and 19th passed without their returning, and on the 20th the schooner weighed anchor ;and made for the east coast, sending the gig' down one side, and herself going round the other, so that a thorough search might be made. The crow of the gig pulled into one bay, where they saw a very strong party of well-armed natives, one of whom, King Billy, called out, “Come in; come in; canoe, oome in; come in.” He then spoke in the native tongue. As the gig’s crew taking the alarm, shot back, the natives appeared armed with bows, arrows, knives and tomahawks. One of the natives called out that ho was sick, and tried to tempt them back, describing the whaleboat, but they kept on. Next day they went to the Bast Island, and in the evening reached Niboli harbor, which was alive with natives. On their return to the ship they found there Savage, who formed one of the crew of the whaleboat, who gave the following story : —He says that when they left they went to the East Island, and on Friday pulled over to liavinia Bay, where the Lavinia was captured and the crew slain. They then went to Nagu Island and hauled the boat up and had tea. The men asked leave to bathe, and while Carme and O’Neill went into the water Savage and Faterson went along the beach with the captain, Yenton looking after the boat. Fatereon went back for something about a quarter of an hour afterwards, and Savage heard a yell and ran back, and saw a crowd of about fifty natives round the boat, and more hurrying through the bush. Eetarning to the captain he shouted “ Boats attacked.” The captain, also returning to see the truth, espied the natives, six of whom broke off and ran for him. He cried out, “ My God, Savage, it is a case,” and darted into the bush. Savage saw no more of him. Subsequently we learned that he had eluded pursuit by climbing a tree. The murderers sought him in vain that night, and next morning paddled all round the island, and seeing him in the tree landed and shot him twice through the body with the rifles they had taken from the boat. He dropped to eartb, and then a series of nameless horrors ensued. When found, his body was naked, headless, divested of the right arm, with great pieces of flesh stripped from the back. The men who were bathing had been clubbed at once, and Paterson, taken from behind, shared the same fate ; but Yenton, who had time, seized the boat stretcher, and fought hard for life. There is only too much reason to believe that ho was tied to a stake and tortured slowly before being beheaded, in revenge for the injury he inflicted on his assailants. Savage, the solo survivor, ran into the scrub low down on the beach, shook off his pursuers, and swam out to sea. It was now dusk, and the night being cloudy, the fugitive hoped to reach ■ another island unnoticed; but the strong tide running swept him back opposite the fires, where the cannibals were dancing and yelling. The clouds parted, and a chorus of yells showed that a moonbeam had revealed him to hie enemies. Two or three canoes were manned, and those men put off to capture him. They were only fifty yards from him, when a black cloud swept across the moon, and when it next cleared the fugitive saw his pursuers far off making back, their companions evidently having thought that ho had gone down. His next danger was from sharks, which literally swarmed round these reefs. At one time no lee* than three back fin* were sweeping round him in that ominous curve, ever growing doner, which precedes a rush, but he splashed faintly, and so kept them off until he landed on a small uninhabited island. This island is tabooed to the king of the tribe adjoining the murderers, and Savage rested there in safety during a heavy storm. Then, despair-

ling of rescue if he remained there, he made a little raft and paddled towards the mainland. When half-way across a dozen canoes swept down upon him, and the natives took him to , their chief, who clothed him and gave him a hut tabooed to save his life. After a long , struggle, and a palaver whether they shou'.d ; brave British vengeance by giving him up to the murderers of his mates, the chief decided i to save him, and when the Sandfly passed the island on her search, the look-out saw i Savage signalling, and took him off. i The vessel sailed on into Rita Bay, right 1 opposite where the murderers committed the outrage. A crew was sent ashore to bum the canoes and punish the natives. Mr Bradford, who was in command, had eight men under him, who burnt several canoes, but saw no natives to punish until they pushed off to return to the ship. Then droves of savages sallied from the bush, and opened fire on the boat, shooting a seaman named Buckle through the heart, and wounding a sailor named Whitlock. This was on Sunday, and on the Monday following the Sandfly weighed anchor, and after a twenty-eight daye’ passage reached Sydney.