The New Hebrides.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7923, 4 October 1904, Page 5

The New Hebrides.

The Cause of the tribal War

(By, Eleclrio Telegraph'— CopyrigEt)

(Per Presa Association)* (Received-Oct. 4, at 9.3S a.m.)

SYDNEY, This,day,

. According .to a letter written by Cap tain;. Graspard, a resident of the.New Hebrides, to', the La France Australie, the recent tribal war between the coastal and bush tribes; originated over a very small misunderstanding. Some natives near the Presbyterian mission station organised a feast and invited the bush tribes. ~

'. The latter discovered, to their dismay, a few days later, that yams had been cooked in a utensil formerly used for roasting a pig. They regarded this as an outrage and took revenge for the insult.' ......

What eventually took place is not definitely known, but Gaspard says a native report states that theßev.MacKenzie, principal of the station at Santo, upon learning of the murders, summoned the warriors of the bush tribe to appear before him and assured them they need not fear harni. On other hand, it is said the bushmen .were given to understand that if they failed to obey the summons information respecting the murders' would be furnished to the British authorities.

The bush tribes were alarmed at the threatened visit of a warship and decided to approach the Rev. MacKenzie.

According to Uncorroborated reports, some natives told Captain Gaspard that they were required, on arrival at the door of the missionhouse, to lay down their firearms and other warlike weapons. It is further alleged by the natives that no sooner had the warriors from the bush entered the verandah than they were attacked with clubs and tomahawks by some of the natives at the mission, 13 bushmen being slaughtered. This is an ex-parte statement by the blacks who were concered in the first murders.