MASSACRE OF FIVE OF THE CREW OF THE WHALER NELSON.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume II, Issue 91, 13 June 1846, Page 3

MASSACRE OF FIVE OF THE CREW OF THE WHALER NELSON.

[From the Auttralian.'] The Nelson having arrived at this port on Thursday last, we are enabled to give a more detailed account of the above massacre than that published in the Australian of the 12th instant. On the 7th December, the Nelson being off Treasury Island, a party of the crew, headed by the third mute (Mr. Marshall), received permission from the captain to go on shore in two boats for the purpose with the natives. Having proceeded down the harbour a distance of a mile and a-half, they discovered a party of natives, and they lay off for five or ten minutes ; several of the natives brought down small parcels of tortoiseshell and offered them lor exchange for their axes, which was refused; and others were continually crying out, " Faphena," (meaning women,) which they endeavoured to make the sailors understand by signs, were further down the river, — offering at the same time to get into the boats and pilot them to the village. They accordingly took one into into each boat, who appeared very friendly, and had spent several hours with the wood party the previous day, and pn'led about three miles down the harbour when they fell in with two canoes fishing, which were hailed by the natives in the boat*, and a conversation of some minutes took place between then:. Nothing more transpired until they reached the village, a distance of about nine miles down the harbour. Mr. Marsall's boat being a-head, had been hauled well upon the beach when the second boat arrived, and the natives wished to haul her up also, but were not allowed. Three of the crew were left in charge of the boats, and the remaiuder, viz., Marshall, Wood, Goodwin, Lowry, Barton, White, Barnett, Ryan, Tucker, King, Paddy, (a native of New Ireland), and a native of Bermuda, advanced towards the natives. They appeared very anxious to exchange tortoiseshell for axes, but had none with them ; ore native offered White ten pieces for an old axe that he had with him, but the native not having the shell with him, spoke to a boy that was present, and endeavoured to make White understand that he had sent him for .t ; in the mea'i time another boy was directed to get some cocoanuts, and Marshall, Barton, and White took one each, for which the former gave the native a piece of iron hoop. The boy that had been sent for the shell having been gone half an hour, White began to suspect the native was deceiving him, and he then returned to the boat, where he left his axe ; the native still followed him, and made signs if he would get the axe, and go with him, be would give him the ten pieces of shell ; he accordingly got the sete;" stffti i proceeded the native about a quarter of a mile, w. eh he entered' his hut, seateJ himself very composedly, and made signs for him (White) to do the same, but not liking his appearance altogether, he declined his invitation, and made signs to see the shell ; the native arose and left the hut, followed by White ; they had not gone far, when they fell in with Marshall, who made a sign for water, which was brought to him in a cocoanut shell, and the native received a piecfc of hoop iron far his trouble: 'Sltbrtljr after, they Were joined : by Barfon, Tucker, Kanaka (a native of Bermuda), and several natives. They then proceeded, with the exception of Kanaka, towards the boats ; but after a few moments, White, having stopped to inspect a worm that was lying under some dead leaves, heard some groans, and at the same instant received a blow from a club on the side of the hca 1, which was followed up by a second. Although so stunned and confused that he could scarcely distinguish one object from another, he managed to recover his footing, — and immediately he did so, the native threw down his club and fled. White then made his way through a thick wood towards the boats, which were at the time about a quarter of a mile d.stant ; he was Joliowed by Tucker about 400 yards, and the last words he was heard to say were, " White, give me the cutlass," but being pursued by several native 3 with spears, White was compelled to continue his way to the beach, win re he found both boats lying off, and he immediately hailed them for the musket, which was all the arms they had in either boat, excepting an old cutlass. A few minutes before White reached the beach Wood had left the boats for the purpose of seeking for the remainder of the crew: he was immediately hailed back, but although only at a distance of a hundred yards from the beach, before he could return, he was struck with a spear in the right shoulder. Having got him into the boat, they endeavoured to extract the speai, which was barbed, but while doing so, they heard most awful groans from the shore, and shortly after saw Paddy fighting with three natives, two holding him, and the other cutting at him with his own axe ; after some hard struggling, he effected his escape, with two

severe cuts, one at the back of his right ear and another at the back of the neck. The boats lay off about an hour, the men lioj ing that some more of their shipmates might make their escape, but were eventually obliged to return to the ship with the loss of Mr. Marshall, W. Barton, B. Tucker, J. King and J. Kanaka.

Botany. — Dr. Hooker of Sydney, has in the press a Flora Novte Zealandice. A. young man, named Brady, son cf Sir Nicholas Brady, formerly Lord Mayor of Dublin, and nephew t j the present Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer, was lately committed to take his trial at Melhourne, Port Phillip, for stealing £10 from the pocket of a gentleman named Sutton.