MURDER OF MR BENJAMIN BOYD.

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 592, 17 December 1851, Page 2

MURDER OF MR BENJAMIN BOYD.

We Lave with much regret to announce the death, by the hands of the natives of one of the Solomon Islands, of Mr. Benjamin Boyd. The statement o/ Mr. Crawford (who has arrived in Sydney), whom Mr. Boyd had engaged at Sari .Francisco to go with him on his intended long voyage of discovery among the various islands of the Pacific — New Guinea, Borneo, China, the East Indies, Van Diemen's Land, and Now South Wales— is as follows; Mr. Boyd had already touched at the Sandw ich and other Islands, from which places he had shipped natives as seamen. Ho then proceeded to the Solomon Group and purchased the Sovereignty or right of one or two of these Islands, for the object (as Mr. Crawford aays) of establishing the head quarters of a Papuan Jlepuhhc : he had b?en on shore on these islands previously shooting birds. On the morning of the 15th of October, in coasting along one of the islands, he noticed on inlet, or cove, and at half-past six, left the "Wanderer in his boat for the inlet, accompanied only by a native boy whom he had engaged at Ocean Island. He took with him his double-barrelled gun, ■with his belt containing wadding and shot; and be left orders to get breakfast ready, as he should return Terjr shortly. On going- over the side of the vessel he told a favourite native whom ho called " Friday," not to allow any of the natives of tho island to come on board, as they were very treacherous, would take the we«3el, and murder all hands if they had an opportunity. After Mr. Boyd left, canoes full of natives came round the Wanderer, but they were kept off from the gangways, firing was heard several times, but it was supposed that Mr. Boyd was mprely procuring opecimens of the birds of the island. Nine o'clock came but he was not seen coming off to breakfast, the large gong- was therefore sounded, when the natives in

their canoes around the- vessel appe'iied to deiule md jet i 'it the ondonvouis to signalise to those on shoio, am! at the samp time nude an indpsciihable fiendish busing noise, and said something in tlu'ir language, winch ]\li. Hoyrt's native seamen tinu-latod to bo '' long sleep — white man (load, find would not conic b.icL ' Tins dreadful intimation mado the white nml native crow of (lie Wanderer frantic. A t the samp moment (lip natives id tho canoes Inert their utmost to hoard tlic vessel, using then clubs, spears, and louml stones in long Blinds; but the cietv were propaied ior them, and fortunately beat tliom off, killing about fwenly-fivo of the caninbal.s at that lime. None of the ciew were iujured by tli« speais liurled on deck. Some of the native ciew wished to cat the bodies of those killed, (o gratiiy iheioby the utmost limit of their revenge, but they were reshained by the whites. The islundois then retreated into tlioi' canoes, and collected in groups near the beach. 'I lie long t;uns of the Wandeier were then loaded with lound shot and ginpp, nnd di^clinrgcil at them. Numbers wei" seen to fall, and the wounded were earned away. After this the crew armed themselves and landed, and shot some more of the cannibals, the remnindei 1 mining away, and then tho crew went in seaich of the remains. 'I hoy found only the top of the scull of tl)p mm dei ed native boy who accompanied Air. l>O)d, at lensl they felt positivp fiom its appearance that it was his. Near this spot were the inaiks of Mr. I'oyd's shoes, which mailcs weic numeious> on the Hands, and around weie the n.il.ed foot-inml»s of thp islandeis, indicating that there must have been a desperate fight before ]\lr. Bojd was overpower'd. They saw plainly the deep iinpre°SKnis also of bis Knees and elbows, wheie ho had hnaliy fallen, and nLso icails of blood. Neaih; close to this snot was fouud t ho belt which contained the wadding, but it had been all used. They seat died in all directions for tiaces to prove that Mi. Boyd was no moie, and they lem.uned off the (-pot for a foitnighr, to lie eeitain tb'>t theie wab no fuitbei hopes, goin;; on shoio daily, until theii eontinning with the vessel b'-came dangeious. Mr. Ci.iwfortl s'iy<s tint Mr. P.oyd w.a? in mobt robust health at the tune, and possessed gicat hodilj stienglb. The sailing inasler of the vessel was an American. After they had a^cei tamed the fate of then unlortunate commander, the \Vanderer bore up for the coast of J\pw Holland, nnd was> wiecled at Poit Rlacquatie, as desciibed in our shipping intelligence.

Wreck or Tim Yacht Wanrehetc. — On Thnisday, tho 13th instant, Mr. B. Bond's yacht, the Wandeiei, anchoied olt the bar at Port Mjcquimo, and on tlie following morning a boat belonging to Messrs Cohen and Co. put olFlohor, to ascertain il any communication wfls required with tho shore. The ciow found lior in a disabled state, her mainmast and foremast both spiung above tlie deck, as well as her jib-boom. They reported that Mr. Boyd had been killed by natives, and (hey expreassed a wish to enter Poit Macquano, in order to got her ropaued, as (limns, (he night after hoi arrival off the bar the windlass had bioken in two from the centre, and it was impossible to piocecd to sea. Mr. Easton, master of the Klizabolh Cohen, advised that on account of her draught of water she should not come in, hut subsequently went off with his crew to assist. The yacht was lightened, and her anchors slipped (by ie:ison of the loss of her windlass), and a short boaid having been mnde, they stood in for the bai, favoured by a gentle breeze from tlie noilh-ra^t. Just on the bar, the bieeze suddenly abated, and the heol of tho vessel gently sirnck, and a stiong flood tide carried her to tho south shore, wheic, notwithstanding every exertion she stianded. Messis. Cohen's bar boat was stove in, but they sont out their tug bout, and at ebb tide all the moveables that it was possible to secure were got out, and conveyed to Messrs. Cohen and Co.'s stores.— [lezald, Nov. '25.

To the Editors of the Sydney Morning Herald. Gbni-i.lmin, — Having pi lor to my leaving this port in Apnl last for Honolulu and Cnhfornin, experienced much difficulty in discovering (lie usual route from benccto those places, with tbo winds and weather to be expected ; and subsequently dining the voyage, having, on vauous occasions, noticed the palpable errois and discrepancies in the charts now in use, 1 beg to send you the following notes of my voyage, trusting they mny not be without interest to some future navigator. I enter on the subject with much di hdence, knowing as L do how much moie conversant with (he navigation of the Pacific many of my brother shipmasters me, and some of whom will no doubt criticise this Immblo effort; but I hold it to be a duty incumbent on all mariners to contribute for the geneial good any nautical information they may become possessed of, however insignificant it may appear to be m itself. Wore all to contubute thenmite of knowledge in this way, wo should have beftei charts and fewer Josses at sea than we have. 1 have searched through files of the Shipping Cunelle from the time of the arrival hack here ot the ships ol our first California fleet to the present time, and have only found one instance, that of the Emma, Captain Devlin, wlieie the commander lias thought it worth his while to let us know the tiack he pursued, while fearful evidences of the dangers of the route are chronicled in that valuable periodical, in the numerous wrecks that have occuued, 1 trust, therefore, I slnll not be oncioaching too much on you valuable space, by adding the results of my own experience and researches. The chaits by which J was guided, and of which 1 shall have frequent occasion to speak, were two large sheets, styled respectively, as "New charts of the North and South Pacific Ocean, published by James Imiay, late Ulackfoul and Imray, 11(5, Minories, London, 1849." The scale not being large (about two-fifths of an inch 1 to a degree) I was prepaied for tiifling inaccuracies; but from the date being so recent, I of course expected that in all main points they would be coriect. The passage from henc to New Zealand being so well understood, I shall omit it, and commence fiom my leaving Auckland on May 13th. Aftei clearing the islands, which was clone before daylight of the follow- I ing morning, we had strong westeily and south-west winds for the most pait till the 2Jst, when in lat. 34"20 south, and long. Ifi4 west, we expenenced &trong | easterly and noitb-ca.st winds, which continued till the 24th, on which day the wind veered to tho westward, { but only lasted two days. Having then reached the meridian of 55 west, ] stood to the northwaul, intending to make Tahiti, and crossed the tropic in long. 152 about midnight of the 29th, with a steady breeze at east-south-east, nnd veiy fine weather. On the 30th passed about 20 miles west of the Island of liurutn or Ohiteroa, which has a hill on its west extiemity that may be seen from a ship's deck upwards of 30 miles. Fiom henco shaped a course for the east point of Tahiti, but encountering strong winds from east south east, with thick squally weather, and a strong current setting to the westwaul. Wo found ourselves at daylight of the Ist of June, on ranking Tahiti, so far to leeward, that it became necessary to pass to the westward of thai island ; and here it first became painfully apparent to me, who was entering on an intneate and novel navigation, how little desei ving of credit my sole guide, my chart, was, as 1 found the south point of Tahiti hud down on it in lat. 18' Ib south, while the chart of that island and Enneo, on a large scale, published by the Admiralty, places the same point point m 17*53 south, a difference of tweuty-two miles. Tho noarcst distance between Euneo and Tahiti, on the goneial chait is tuentij-liLo miles, on the largo scale it is seven miles and a halj. Tho channel between these islands seemed to us to bo perfectly clear fiom the encircling reef of each to the other, and we passed thi ought it about noon ; but being much baffled with gusts and unsteady winds, occasioned by the great height of Tahiti, 1 would not be inclined to choose this channel again, but if unable to weather that island, and not intending to touch there, would pass a short distance to leewaid of Eimeo, by which means, I imagine, a continuance of the trade wind may generally be insuied. The next night was squally, with baffling winds and much ram, and the following clay ue had a hard gale from due south, accompanied by continued torrents of lain. We ran before this all day under closed leefcd topsails and foresail, on a course which by mv chart, would carry mo in the fair way between the islands of Recreation and Lazarolf, but the weather being excessively thick, and my experience of yesterday showing me how little dependence could be placed in the chart, caused an anxiety, which had T but possessed my subsequent knowledge le&pecting these islands, there would have been no necessity for. Some time after this, on reading Commander Wilkes ''Nairntivo of the United States Exploring Expedition," under his command, I found him stating that one of his ships, the Porpoise, about the commencement of October, 1839, ''passed ove> the pout ion of Jlecieulion South, lulhoul du>covei mg any sig/ts oj laiul ," yet in a chart published in England ton yenrs later, it still retains its old place. The other island, Lazaroff', I subsequently found bad been seen from H. M. S. Talbot, and its position accurately determined. This was communicated to the editor of the Honolulu Friend, in a letter dated April 1, 1845, from the master of that ship, and again copied from that paper into tho Sydney Shipping Guzclte, fiom which, as I prefer giving" authorities when possible, 1 transcribe) the notice veibatim :: — ■ P "As most of the chniis which have come under my Qb<wnfion place Ul9 JMand of Lazarofi much too f.u

to the westvnrd, it will be ■idvant'veous (o cipf.un>. of \essels pacing m that vicinity lo Know its nue posi lion, whuh, necoiding (o ii'v me isiiieiiii ut 11 1 out Tahiti with thioo chionomotois is as follow s : — " J ast end. ... 1 J!s''J() west of (Jicenwich " West end.... Uii-'ly „ „ t( The Intitudo and longitude, adopted foi inline tlio ohronomeieis fit tho Bntish Consul's house m J'apene Imrboui, 'lalim, was latitude 17'JV south, lou<>:iude tJ ( J.),r.> west of Greenwich. I t'lso lon\,ud you the position of Wnstor'c Island, seen by 11. M. K. A/m/fsfc on her passage horn these islands :o Tahiti in Decembei last. "Latitude 10-0 north. " Longiintlo. . to 2 IDM > w est of Given* icli. (Signed) " Hi miv Thompson, "Mtisier 11.1j.iM. ship "alboi." I am informed that the account was afterwaids published in the Nimlicid I)la»m/»r ; but bo lfi.il at. it may, lint cnmpilets of my mow rliuit in I'!. I .', seem Cither lo liavo known nothing: of it, or cued nothing, foi l.nzaioft Island ih theie placed in 1 J i> • J t-f west, oi tliulif-thiee minute's vi longitude Author west than tlio above well iiutln nticated position ; and .is (or the otl>oi island nipntionoil as being called Wastodc I-land, ;/ Inn no place whulri'Pr on the climt. Thus by ti ustiti|> to such blind guides as these, n commander, who nevei omits an opportunilj of dc.ci mining accurately the position of his ship, may (by runniii" with confidence horn his chait placing bun many miles fiom land) suddenly stumlilo on a dark night ovei one of thp.se "half-diowned islands," as Caplam Cook quaintly tpims the coial islets ot the l'aoiiio, and tho loss of his bhip and crow be the consequence of the tulpnble negligence of these chart compile! s. Fiom lat, 13- to ;!• '•oath, the wind was moderate from the eastwaid with occasion il showeis, but tbcio being always northing in the wind, .md a strong curient setting westwaul ol neaily a mik 1 per houi, wocould make no oastinn thiough all this space. Aftei this the wind allowed us to lip a little hi»hei, and we ciossed the equator on the l'Jtli of July, in long. 14{>- 10 west, with a hnobiee/,e at east by south, which continued till tho 16th, when it died away, and wus succeeded by a dny of battling, squally weather, with heavy ram. On the l?th, in lat. 3- noiih, long. 1 to-.>o svest, we g;ot tbo nocth-east trade, winch conlinuod fipsh, and, thougli still kee|iing close to the wind, we did not fetch much to windwaid ol Owhyhee, which island we made on the y.'?ul of June, mid, having passed to windward of it and ftlaui, inn, in tlie mgbt, llnoiigb the channel betwepn MoloKai and Oahu, and arrived at Honolulu on the 21th', at 9 a.m. My leason for clioo=i/i£j this loute, to windward of these islands, in piefeience to the shoiter one lo lcewnrd, was formed fiom some remarks published in the Nautical Magazine for July 3 8-18, by Mi. Thompson, 11.M.5. Tulhol, lbU5, fiom winch authonly I bavo'bofore quoted, lie says, ''From ftiy own expenence, which is also boine out by the opinion of the pilots, T consider it better for all vessels bound to tho port of Honolulu fiom the southward to pass to windward, that is on the north-east side of Owhyheo and between Molokai and Oahu, by which means they will geneially ensure carrying the tiade wind nalit down to tlio bar of Honolulu harbour; whereas, if a vessel should attempt to oam that harbour, by passing to south-west of Oh hyhee, in all probability seveial da\s will be lost in calms under the lofty mountains of that island. Moi cover, theie exists at all tunes a westeily cuuent in that vicinily, on some occasions running at the rate ol one and i a half miles an hour, which would piobably dnftavessel ! so far to leeward dunna: the interval of calm, as to cause her a dead bent to wmdwaid when the regular tiade vind reaches her, ere she could gain her dcs mauon." These rcmaiks, my own experience and enquiries lead me fully to coincide with. The port of Honolulu cannot bo entered without a pilot and a leading wind, buttheie it, a small spare outside the reef which forms the harboui , that is occasionally used for an anchorage. Hero the holding ground i^ very inferior, and during the inegular season from October to March, when tho trade cannot bo depended on, and occasional strong winds set in fiom sea, it is unsafe to lay here. Tho best anchorage in this indifferent roadstead, as communicated to me by the chief pilot and harbour-master, Captam IWuughan, is in fifteen fathoms with the native churc! 1 , a conspicuous stonc-colourcd building, beaimg N. by E., and Diamond Hill E. S. E. As this bank is of no gieat extent, it is necessary to be cautious m bunging up, as some persons, fiom disdaining tho use of the lead, have found, on letting go their anchor, that they could get no bottom with a u'/ii)te chain. We remained in tins poit nine days, leaving it on the 3rd July foi San Francisco. J)uri»g the time wo weie there, tho mdo wind fiom N. E. blew freshly eveiy day from about (.0 a.m., and as its direction is light out of tho haibour, tho only time when a squaro-ngged vessel could got in was befoie that timo in the morning, when the wind generally veered moie easteily. When withm the bar, you can be tiacked in by tho natives, who come down on the reef for the purpose, tho pilot sending them a line from the ship. Jn our case, sixty men were employed, who leceived about a real (sixpence) each. The passage fiom hence (o the coast of California is nearly all plain sailing. After clearing the islands you stand to the north waid across the trades, till b«,\ond then- limit, when the usual variables of high latitudes will be expeiienced according to the season. 1 had to stand as far as 'JO* north before 1 gotnd of the east ' winds, and fiom this to the coast the weather was so finethatourroyalsweieneverin. The only known danger in the track is a rock seen by the American sloop of war Falmoutli, in May of this year, in lat. 37*24 north ; long. 137*27 west. It had been seen before by a vessel from Tahiti, but I believe has not yet appealed in the charts. Tho coast of California about the entrance of San Francisco, and probably other parts of it, is much fur« ther west than my chart places it, and 1 believe in this instance it is not singular. According to the recent surveys by order of the U. S. Government, Point de Reyes is m lat. 38'1-SO N. ; long. 123-2-00 W. and the north-west Farrallone lat. 37-44 N. ; long. 1238 VV. Point de Reyes is considered by those experienced in the trade to be the best place to make the land when bound for San Fiancisco, especially in the summer months, when the north-west winds prevail almost constantly. But the great bane of this coast in the summer season is the almost constant thick fog which renders making the land vciy difficult. We came into the fog when about forty miles off th° land by our reckoning on the morning of [July 31st, we ran slowly onwards till 4> p.m., when it still continuing 1 very thick, hauled ofi' for the night, and got soundings in 40 fathoms sand and mud. This was within a foiv miles of Point do Reyes, as we found on making that point the following morning. Tho fog setting in again almost immediately after, we did not got a pilot on board till the afternoon of August 2nd, and even after tint had to anchor outside the Heads all night in a thick fog, in which a ship that bad been in company with us for nine days, with a pilot on boaid, ran ashore half a mile fiom us, without being peiccived, and became a total wreck. Should you think this worth publishing, I shall be happy to send you an account of my voyage back. Yours, most obedientlj r , Henry T. Fox, Master of ship Maty Catherine.

Engiish Shippino.— The Carlhagcna, for Sydnoy j Lady Fraser, for Geelong; Colonist, loi JJobait Town; Senator, for Sydney ; Melbourne, tor Port Phillip ; Chailotte Jane, for Adelaide; Anna Robertson, lor Swan Jlivor — all entered, outwards at London on the 13th August. — Ib. Boat ron thl Prince or Walts. — Noulton and Wyld, of Lambeth, have just completed a handsome boat, to be presented to U.K. 11. the Prince of Wales by the body oi Thames watermen. It is built in the old style of wherry; of mahogany planking, with maple timbers and bird's-eye maple thwarts, highly polished and copper-fastened. The rail is mahogany, with the Prince of Wales's crest carved in the centre. The Pnnce of Wales's crest is painted under each rowlock and on e.ich sido abaft the rail. The city arms is painted on the bridge under (he sailing thwart, and the watermen's arms on the fashion bouid in the stein. — Builder,