THE NEW HEBRIDES, NEW CALEDONIA, AND THE LOYALTY ISLANDS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 584, 8 March 1851, Page 4

THE NEW HEBRIDES, NEW CALEDONIA, AND THE LOYALTY ISLANDS.

[From the Nautical Magazine, for August.] 1.- —These islands, few of which have ever heeh visited by a ship of war, are, in a commercial point of view, of much greater importance to our Australian colonies than any others in the Pacific, from ten to twenty vessels being constantly engaged in the lucrative trade in sandal-wood, and beche-le-mer, with China. For the collecting and shipping of these articles, two establishments have been formed within the last few years, viz., one at Aneiteum, the southernmost of the New Hebrides. and another at the Isle of Pines, immediately to the south-east of New Caledonia, giving employment to a considerable number -of white men, in addition to those navigating the vessels. The former appears to be principally the property of a Mr. Paddon, formerly commanding a vessel in the trade, who resides there, and is extending his speculations, setting up saw-mills, &c.; and, the latter io a respectable man in Sdyney, a Mr. Towns and his partners —the establishment being under the charge of his agent. These and other merchants have also occasional agents at different islands, collecting sandalwood and beche-le-mer, for muskets, pipes, cloth, tobacco, &c., which is called for by the trading vessels, and taken either direct to China, dr to Sydney, to be shipped for that market.

2. —The inhabitants of these islands are of various mixtures of races, those of Tana and New Caledonia being blacker and more woolly-haired than the people of the Loyalty Islands, and Vate or Sandwich Island, to •the northward, who appear to have more of the Polynesian blood arid language than their .neighbours. They are, however, generally all cannibals (as many have confessed to myself and other officers); although, unlike the Feejeeans, they eat only the bodies of their enemies, and in some cases those of shipwrecked persons, whom they consider a fair prey, a fact expressed by the saying, that '‘all is fish that comes out of the sea.” The New Hebrides are more fertile than New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands, the latter (low •coral islands) being generally barren, and the ■inhabitants apparently very poor; but san-dal-wood grows more or less at all, being perhaps the most plentiful at Erromanga. 3. —-Since the commencement or revival of .-this trade about 484-0, it Has (with a •-'•’••' ia prevent competition and interference by regular authority), been carried on until lately with the secrecy generally observed in contraband transactions, which makes it still difficult to obtain precise information concerning it. It was well known, however, that the men employed were usually of reckless character ; and accounts of fights with the natives, and treacherous attacks on both sides, attended with considerable loss of life, occasionally reached Sydney. When at Tongatabu, I was informed by a young chief, (Methuselah Tae,) who was one of the party, that some years ago (it is believed about December, 1842,) two vessels under British colours, belonging to Sydney, the Sophia, Henry, master, the Sultana, Scott, master, and another, said to have carried the Tahitian .flag, commanded by a man named Dennison, •formed a regular expedition at Tonga, for the purpose of forcibly cutting sandal-wood at the .New Hebrides. Sixty Tonguese, armed with (muskets, were embarked, twenty in each vessel, under a chief named Maafu, brother of the •then king, Josiah Tobou. The expedition .called at Lakemba to procure more men, •which they did not succeed in doing, and then .proceeded to Erromanga, where the party was landed, and a quantity of sandal-wood ■cut and embarked. Having bad an affray •with the natives, one of whom was shot, they •went to Vate or Sandwich Island, and continued their depredations. The Tonguese •stated that his countrymen were landed armed, the white men remaining on board, and ordered to cut wood. They soon had a quarrel •with the people of the island, who, having •no muskets, were defeated with a loss of •twenty-six killed. The others having fled to .a cave for shelter, their pursuers secured the ■entrance, and piling up a heap of houses and •rubbish, set fire to it, and suffocated them all. One of the Tonguese only was killed by an arrow; but in spite of these affrays, and the remonstrances of Maafu, Henry* who commanded the expedition, kept them cutting wood for three days longer, before he would accede to their wish to return home. This statement was made to me in the presence of the governing chief, Shadrach Manuu, and all the missionaries; and several ethers were pointed out as having been on the expedition, the history of it being perfectly •current with all the inhabitants of the island. At Sandwich Island, Tcngaglulu and Talipoa Ufa corroborated the story, saying that on one side of the harbour forty, and on the other twenty, of their people, were killed on the occasion. The three vessels returned to

Tonga -tabu, taking some natives of Erromanga with them (two of whom 1 saw), and afterwards went to Tahiti, where Henry is said to be at present engaged as a pilot, by the French Government, to which one at least of the vessels, the Sultana, was afiterwards sold, and is now in their employ. 4.- —Forcible measures, though not to the same extent, have frequently been resorted to by other vessels, and . all kinds of excesses have been committed by the undisciplined crews, who always carry arms, and are but too ready to make use of them. It is not surprising that the natives of the different islands (anxious though they are to traffic with Europeans) consider themselves justified in taking every advantage of men who treat them in such a manner. During the last few years, accordingly, constant disputes, attended with loss of life on both sides, have taken place. The following list comprises probably a very small number of what have actually occurred, information being very seldom given by the white men engaged, and impossible (from the want of interpreters and knowledge of the many dialects) to be obtained from the natives: —

1. Boat’s crew killed at Marr; supposed to have belonged to the schooner Martha, of Sydney.—About the end of 1841. 2. Brig Star, of Sydney, taken, and all the crew killed, at the Isle of Pines, —October, 1842. 3. Brigantine Catharine, of Sydney, attacked, several killed and wounded, the vessel nearly blown up at the Isle of Pines.— Early in 1843. 4. Barque Magnet, of Sydney, attacked at Lifu, chief and another native shot; afterwards long-boat attacked, and several natives killed, their canoe and catamaran seized and kept.—October, 1843. 5. Brig Brigand, of Sydney, attacked at Marr; seventeen of the crew killed and wounded.—November, 1843. 6. Cutter Sisters, of Sydney, taken at Marr, and the crew (eleven in number) killed. —End of 1843.

7. Affray at Tana with the crew of a vessel in which some Samoan missionary teachers were embarked ; one seaman and five natives killed, several wounded.—Early in 1846. 8. Barque British Sovereign, wrecked off Vateor Sandwich Island; all the crew, except two, killed.—April, 1847fl. Schooner Elizabeth, of Sydney, boat cansized at Erromanga, with five men —two killed ; this vessel had several affrays with the people of Erromanga, and was at last lost in February, 1848, when all the crew perished.—lB47.

10. An expedition undertaken by the boats of the Barque Spy, of Hobart Town, up the river Kanela, in New Caledonia ; one man wounded, and many natives said to have been killed. —184711- Two boats’ crew of the Schooner Vanguard, of Sydney, eight in number including the master, killed at Numea, in New Caledonia.—October, 1847.

15. Two boats’ crews of the Barque Avon, of Sydney, attacked at the same place, several wounded, first mate lost an arm and an eye.— January, 1848. . 13. A small vessel taken off Resolution Bay, Tana, master, (White, notorious among the islands,) and two others killed. The perpetrators of this deed was afterwards clubbed by his own people.—May or June, 1848. 14. Schooner Terror, of Sydney, boat taken and one man killed at Erromanga. Another vessel, the Daniel Watson, is said afterwards to have sailed down the coast, firing at all natives indiscriminately whom they could see. The master or mate of another vessel is also said to have fired at and killed a friendly chief, whowasswimmingon shore from the schooner.’

5 As a means of checking such proceedings for the future, I determined to call at as many places frequented by sandal-wood traders as my time would permit, attempting to open some communication with the chiefs,°and explaining to them the necessity of both Barties adopting a different system in trading*. In all these places I found the chiefs perfectly disposed to listen to reason, having generally no concealments about the fights, &c., which have taken place, but seemed to consider them a necessary consequence of carrying on a barter with Europeans. The Bishop of New Zealand had told me at Auckland his intention of visiting these islands about this time, to communicate with the Samoan teachers connected with the London Missionary Society, and ascertain the practicability of placing missionaries at different localities. I fell in with his lordship accordingly off Tana, on the 2nd of September, and continued in company with him until he quitted the Isle of Pines on the 22nd.

6 ’~A‘ R ' esolution Bay, Tana, I found t«at an Englishman, who had deserted but a few days before from a Sydney vessel,, had on the day previous to our arrival joined a war

party of the natives, at the request of one of the chiefs (from whom he expected some favour), and shot a man of the opposite side. I accordingly detained and removed him from the island, explaining to the chief, who was perfectly satisfied of the justice of the proceeding, my reason for doing so. Ihis man had belonged to the Vanguard schooner, when her boats were seized and their crews killed at Numea, in New Caledonia, in October, 1847, and was afterwards useful in pointing out that and other places on the coast. I have since set him at liberty at Sydney, it being impossible to produce legal evidence of the act of which he was accused. 7. —I proceeded to sail round the Island of Tana, where there are several anchorages frequented by vessels, and where 1 had reason to believe squabbles had taken place during the last few weeks, landing occasionally to communicate with the natives, and induce them to come off to the ship, that they might have some notion of the purpose of our appearing there. I then ran across to Vate. or Sandwich Island, anchoring in a capacious harbour, on its south-west side, which I named “ Havannah" harbour, she being the first of Her Majesty’s ships who had anchored there. Having had the same satisfactory interview with the natives, I proceeded (touching at Nea, the westernmost of the Loyalty group,) to Jengen, a harbour on the east side of New Caledonia, about 50 miles to the south-east of Balade, where the chief, an intelligent man, who had been at Sydney, and speaks some English, is considered a very friendly person to Europeans. I continued down the coast, calling at the other two Loyalty Islands, Lifu and Marr; at the latter of which some of the most desperate attacks on vessels had been made. As the character of the people, however, has so much improved as to admit of six missionary teachers residing among them, and the chiefs (father and sod, who had headed the attacks alluded to) were dead, I thought it sufficient to demand that a chain cable and some smaller articles, said to have belonged to the unfortunate cutter Sisters, should be delivered up, which was done immediately, with the most positive promises that no cutrage of the kind should be again attempted. It should be stated in fairness, that the reason given by those people for the attack on the Sisters, was the fact of the principal chief, Tewe, having been ropes’-ended by the master during a dispute about the payment for sandal-wood—an insult which no islander in the Pacific, especially one of high station, could brook. 8. —At the Isle of Fines, where, as mentioned before, there is a settlement of Englishmen collecting wood, &c., for Sydney merchants, and where, in consequence of the considerate manner the natives have been treated, the best feeling exists between both parties, I procured a native pilot or guide for the district of Numea, on the south-west side of New Caledonia. On arriving there on the 25th of September, I sent for the chiefs who were supposed to have instigated the attack on the Vanguard and Avon’s boats, in October, 1847 ; two of them crime on board, without any pledge being given on the officer’s part for their safety, but weie not identified by the man (Robert Stephens), who had been in the former vessel, as having been among the attacking party. Having been informed that the boats in question were still in the possession of the people of another settlement, Jitema, a few miles down the coast, I sent Lieutenant Pollard to demand them, and detained the chief (Angulla or Muiru) until they were given up. Lieutenant Pollard returned with two chiefs of Jitema, who bad at once given up the only remaining boat, which, however, was not in a fit state to be brought off. Seeing that they were all thoroughly alarmed, throwing the blame of the quarrel on the master of the vessel, and the people of the Isle of Pines; and finding it quite impossible, from an ignorance of their language, to ascertain the true facts of the case, I thought it unnecessary to take any further steps, feeling satisfied that they will not willingly engage in any more treacherous enterpiwesw All the chiefs, on quitting the ship, and being relieved from their fears, made as far as they could be understood, the most’solemn promises’ to protect white men in future. Whether they will be enabled to keep their word; will nf PAnreo A > - V.VJ/C.IU upon me wav ney may be treated ; but the occasional visit of a ship of war, and publicity in general on all matters connected with these people, would certainly be the best means of ensuring

9_. I sailed from the coast of New Caledonia for Sydney on the 28th September, and regret that my time did not not allow me to see more of all these islands, particularly the two larger of the New Hebrides-Espiritu Santo and Malicolo, which are little known except to a few sandal-wood traders. ’ ; 1 ? o ‘7? Or l r e reasons above stated > it is impossible to form any estimate of the populatrnn of these islands. On all the coasts- they show in great numbers; and from the appear-

ance of New Caledonia, especially north-east coast, where the hills are cultivated and irrigated, and where they of hostile inland tribes, it must be cong’i ble. There are no English the group, but there are Samoan and R 1 tongan teachers in connexion with th . ? the Navigators, at the latter island gy/V at Vate and Marr. ’ 11. The Bishop of New Zealand du r ;„ his late visit selected, from among maiiv V offered at different places, three ot fo u j whom he has triken to Auckland for educi at the college, and who, it is hoped willT useful, ultimately as interpreters; and i- ! Lordship is, I understand, in hopes of be 1 " 1 able to place one or two missionaries in Caledonia. There are two belonging t o \-? Scotia, who are ready to take advantage any opening, residing for the present at Ao ’ teum. where, as at the Isle of Pj Oei / French Roman Catholic mission has stA f with the same view. At the latter place I the French Bishop, Vvho, with his been obliged to leave Baladd, in New nia, about two years ago, now returning ' (0 Europe by way of Tahiti, with several pries” to re-establish themselves at Jengen, they had formerly purchased about 200 acre* of land. 1 was given to understand that hostility of the natives to them at BaliZ 1 arose from the conduct of the crew of French corvette de charge La Seine, after the wreck of that ship in 1846 re'l mained there some months, until vessels coalj be procured to take them away. The Crew'of the Brilliante, corvette, who afterwards ca#< to remove the mission, were attacked, a |j five men wounded by the natives. Thoseil Jengen, however, being tolerably well dispose! towards foreigners, and under the author® of an intelligent chief (Bassett or Barrett,) who had carefully protected the land ofiji mission during their absence, and fully at. knowledges their title to it, it is probable they will find no difficulty in settling, and vid common prudence on their part, establishing themselves firmly there. Should another Go. vernment entertain (as is generally believed in these Seas) any scheme for the occupatioi of New Caledonia, such an establishment would (as in other places) afford cause forth visits of ships of war, and perhaps occasional interference on its behalf, with the chiefs au.hor.ty. The Bishop himself told nie iuii he was to have left Tahiti in a ship of war, if one could have been spared, and he did rm to Aneitcuin in a schooner (the longing to the Government. 12. —That a little regulation only is necessary to establish a fair and practicable intercourse between our people and the inhabitant! of these islands, is evident, from the beneficial effects already produced in this respect by the two establishments (or factories u they may be called) at Aneiteum, and th Isle of Pines.

The Europeans there live on the best! terms with the natives, (those of the lat-| ter island only a few years since considered! the most savage and treacherous of any,) wb| are rapidly acquiring even the English lis-l guage, and seeking employment as seameM &c. Difficulties, however, must he expect! ed to arise, as the numbers of white soeil thus employed, increase, and (as is alreaijl beginning to be the case) they spread then selves as settlers over all these islands. De-I sertions are numerous, and many are inducel! to come from Sydney, who are afterwari'l employed by the agent's of the sandal-wool! houses on their own terms, Shore whalioj| has already been attempted at Aneiteumfi where fish are extremely plentiful; and many circumstances are in favour of its being| carried on, it is not likely that it will s to ?| there. Should, therefore, nd precaution bl taken by the Government, a few years rij probably produce (on a smaller scale) 4 uei 'l tions as troublesome to settle as occurred! New Zealand previous' to its occupation British colony. f

13.-—The very slight acquaintance with th hydrography of these countries (the I*rc ßC ? chart of New CJ-aledonit. and Lnvaltv Islsnbj by the Astrolabe and Zelee, being’ scarify worth the name) is a serious impediment ft commercial intercourse, and regular visits 1*! her Majesty’s ships, ] Dunng our hurried cruise, Mr. the master of the Havannah, has been vbli diligent in acquiring information, and nwW drawings of some, harbours, which * useful in future.