ARRIVAL OF THE MISSIONARY SCHOONER SOUTHERN CROSS AT AUCKLAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1165, 7 November 1871, Page 2

ARRIVAL OF THE MISSIONARY SCHOONER SOUTHERN CROSS AT AUCKLAND.

Murder of Bishop Patteson, the Key. J. Atkin, and 3 Natives. The Daily Southern Cross, Ist November, says : *'Yesterday, on the arrival of the missionary schooner Southern Cross, a sense of profound sorrow \vas spread through the city when it became "known that the Bight Rev. Bishop Patteson, D.D., who was expected to have arrived with her in this port, had finished his woik on earth. Every available source of obtaining any information respecting the event was literally besieged. Many Jioped that the rumor might pro' e unfounded, but the truth gradually dawned upon the public mind that Bishop Patteson and Iris co-worker, the Rev. Joseph Atkin. were now wearing their martyr's crown. The Cathedral bell in Patnell was tolled, and many other marks of sorrow were manifested at the sad intelligence. Those who knew the late Bishop best, and who knew how heartily and earnestly he engaged in the missionary work amongst the i-dands in the South Pacific, felt that one worker in the Lord's vineyard had been removed to whom it would be difficult indeed to find a fitting successor. Almost e\ery quality, mental and physical, which it was necessary to possess to attain an unwonted measui'e of success in the particular field of labor in which he was engaged, was possessed by the late Bishop Pa'tesori" * * Captain Jacob, of the Southern Cross, has furnished the Auckland papers with a long account of the, cruise of that vessel and the lamentable death of Bishop Patteson and his companions. We extract a portion of the same, relating to the circumstances of the murder, &c. ;-- During Mr Atkin's stay at Wonga he was speaking to the captain of the Emma Bell, who told him lie was going to Santa Cruz for labor. This news made the Bishop very uneasy, as he very well knew if a vessel went there mis chief would result from it. He made his mind up to go to the Reef Tslands, and to ascertain if any vessels had been about. On the 15th September made Santa Cruz; very light winds. Sept. 20: Light winds off Nukapu. About four miles distant saw five or six canoes coming out. When within a mile or two from the vessel they lay to. We thought it strange they did not come alongside ; on former occasions they would haye been alongside and have boarded us six and se\en miles off the land. The Bishop had the boat lowered and went to them. (This was the last we saw of him alive.) Tt being low warer the boat could not go over the reef. The Bishop, as it vas usual for

him to do, got into a canoe and went ashore, accompanied by the two .chiefs, Taula and Motu, the remaining four canoes remaining with the boat. About the time the Bishop would have got on shore the natives in the canoes attacked the boat, firing several arrows at the crew before they could get the boat out of shot. Mr "Atkin was hit in the back of the shoulder; Stephen, a native of Bouro, had six arrows in him, one in the breast; John, a native of Mota, shot in the side. The boat made for the Bessie, and we got the wounded out of her, Mr Brook looking after them. I immediately sent Mr Bougard (mate) with three of our crew and two black boys, Mr Atkin acting as pilot (for none of our people knew anything about the place) to see after the Bishop. I told them to keep ouk side the reef till they were sure they had plenty of water to cross, tben pull towards the shore, and keep out of arrow-shot, and if they saw the Bishop not to go in. All this time the Bessie wa.s becalmed. Shortly aftei the boat left the '-essel, a breeze sprung up, and I worked the vessel close to the boat, so that her presence might intimidate the natives from attacking the boat. We saw the natives put oif in two canoes from shore. One of them they turned adrift, the other went back to the shore. Presently the boat went towards the drifting canoe, and found the dead body of the bishop in her, rolled up in a native mat. A small branch of the cocoa-nut palm, with five knots, was stuck in the mat. What the palm with the knots meant we could not tell. He was stripped of his clothes, his head frightfully smashed, and several wounds in the body. It is quite certain some vessel had been here ill-using the natives a very short time previous to our coming, or they never would have killed the bishop. Every year he called at this place he would give the chiefs and people pre sents, and remain a considerable part of the day on shore with them. We stood to the northreast. 21st September : Committed the body to the deep, Mr Brook reading the seiviee. 27th : Poor Atkin died lie was in great agony for tour hours before his death. 28th ; Stephen died, he being in dreadful suffering for two days. Mr Brook read the burial service in Mota and English. We committee! both bodies to the deep. Nukapu, where the bishop was killed, is one of the small reef islands in the Swallow group, about, three miles in circumference, and 150 feet above the level of the sea; population about 100, all told. It lies about north half-east from Graciosa Bay; Santa Cruz about 33 miles. The natives in appearance are somewhat like the Maoris. Their language too is like the Maori (with a sprinkling of Spanish words), which enabled the Bishop to converse with them.