THE BOYD MASSACRE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 154, 2 July 1877, Page 3

THE BOYD MASSACRE.

? The following id 'from the Auckland Stars— The 18-poonder gaa which belonged to She fioyd, and was brought to Auck- ~ land for the Museum oa Saturday last,' .:ia &, relic of one of the most interesting* periods in the history of ehts colony: The Boyd waa a trader from byduey, c ajod ishe was engaged in the purchase : horn -ths Maoris of a cargo of timber aad flax. At one of the ports she look on hoard a chief of some rank, who i .was engaged aa a pilot tor the harbor .of Waagaroa. The sailors, knowing j nothing of Maori eustoma, aad regard.; 'Ipg' the natives with coo tempt, subjected him to insult, which he reseated.; Being assaulted by one of the officers' | Me returned the blows with interest.! For this he was . sie.sed, tied up, andj ' logged. To a Maori chief this was! .worse than death. It degraded him W the level of a slave, and denuded Lira! of his tnaaa, unless he could wipe out: tuV insult by revenge. Whatever! rfealings may have rankled in his breast! "ttodid not allow his d&maanor to betray j theia. On the arrival of fcteeßoyd iuj ' Wangaroa. harbor he went ashore andj negotiations with the natives wettt 'dgieaed Meantime thechief told the story of his wrongs to his country man , whose 1 ganger had. also ,been incensed against j the i ofScora and crewoi tiießoydbyi 1 (heir trespass upon (apued ground. A; secret auatk and massacre werd plan- 1 Mad. vVhiia one portion of the crew were ashore m the oust), engaged iv 'Cutting timber, they were audleuiy" set upen by a strong boJy of natives; and massacred* . t.'MoaQUtaa another > party oi natives had' got on board ana dia-i tributed themselves aoout tllu veVsal. A native intormant says that they went, on board iv cauooa misei with and eonceabd tbeir tuutcthawka bendutu | thair mats. Suddenly ihey attacked the crew, slaughtering all with tUe ! exception of a womau and child, who were passengers for Sydney. Tuese two aurvivors. livod at: Waugaroa tor seveial mouths, -but were ultimately j

given 'tip to the missionaries, who fee that time rendered many services lo calming the anger of the Maoris and io ; the sattlmeat of quarrels. Tha child,"' a girl, is, we believe, still alive, and rdcalla the scenes of her infancy wiJh horror. After murdering the cre^, the natives ai tempted to sail tha vessel vp r the^harb,Qr to^Waipp^u^b.ut rancher 1 <wl ita] baakj/wh'Qr^'athaJ copped -U"ltjll visible at low water. They tben beg^n/ plundering the- wreck, aad oar notice informant who was present says they ; wej^ao^rgCoWf MIWHq Taafi^S" 9f T European stores, that some commenced : Q^Pg.iSpa^wliUa^sh^a ;SnaiQg /ilje" salt nauseous, threw it overboard, aok mistaking the flour for Bal6-al&o cas£^t< : into the sea. There were two separate tribes on board, and^, their mpd^ 6fdividing the spoit w T a&p4ctiliar. -^Thje"' stronger party took T thejart behind tbje--raainmaai, leaving- -Me 1^ to tbje'" weaker. Afterwards .they had a fight over tne-piunVler, ia 'wilted maay were killed and Iwo.uadedij.l|a1 wo.uadedij. l |a the coofusiop ' a barrel of gunpowdar waa exploded, 3t^gSlire@i;niiscQ;ief. The gun wais one of those on board. We ma^ mention! that lis'-'atfotheTr^'gun ajt the Bay of Islands, which ought to op brought dowa-'faV a- ! com^aaida li Vbr thb one from the Boyd. It belonged fcp b.aaffißi-< Hi'ss^Kbiid lies near thb township of Kororareka, at the foo;t of a hill, whare-the marines and sailork fought with the natives, and close th where LieptenM^J^binson, of the Hazsard, ioughfc so bravely. cr<:,\ ;