THE MASSACRE ON BOARD THE JAMES BIRNIE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4308, 11 January 1875, Page 3

THE MASSACRE ON BOARD THE JAMES BIRNIE.

(From the Hobarton Mercury, December 21.) On Sunday morning on our shipping reporter hoarding the brig Wolverine, from Bird Island, he was greeted with the tale of a horrible massacre perpetrated by the natives of Howe’s Islands upon the captain, officers, and crew of the brig James Birnio, of Sydney, that was on a trading cruise amongst the South Sea Islands, and had been prosecuting the objects of her voyage at Howe’s Islands. The supposed sole survivor of the ship’s company is the second officer of the vessel, by name Mr. William Rhodes, who arrived here by the Wolverine, and supplied the following particulars;— The James Birnie was a brig of about 197 tons register, and until purchased by Captain Barron, of Sydney, her owner, she sailed under the name of the Ziska. Captain Barron fitted her up at great expense expressly for the. South Sea Islands’ trade, and the hostile character of the natives of the islands being well known, the vessel was supplied with two pieces of ordnance besides a number of firearms, &c. She left Sydney about the 4th May last to collect heche-de-mer, shells, &c. The vessel was commanded by Captain E. W. Fletcher, an Englishman, whose wife and two children live ot Balmain. Mr. Christopher Kelly, of Balmain, a brother-in-law of Captain Fletcher, was a passenger by the vessel. The following composed the ship’s company ;—First officer, Joseph Leman, a native of London ; second officer, William Rhodes, the survivor; carpenter, John Taylor, a native of Auckland, N.Z.; steward, Robert McEwan, also a native of Auckland ; able seamen : Hugh Cleland, son of the second engineer of the City of Hobart (s.); John Davis, a native of Gloucester, England; Henry Smythe, a native of Dublin ; a man known as “ Charley,” and two colored seamen—one a native ot Vanu Lavu, and the other of Banks’ Group. After leaving Sydney, the brig steered for the Loyalty Group. Here, forty natives were shipped. The vessel then traded amongst the different islands of the South Sea, and about the 26th of August arrived at Howe's Group, which is situated in latitude 5‘30 S., and longitude 159'20 E. On dropping anchor, a number of natives came ou board, and professed the utmost amity towards their visitors, who treated them well. Three stations were at once formed ou three islands of the group situated in the form of an equilateral triangle, with sides of about thirty miles. The captain superintended one station; the second mate another, and Davis the remaining one. The chief officer, with a good force, remained on board the brig, which lay about two miles off the island on which the second officer was stationed, to protect her against any attack on the part of the natives. The shore parties, who armed themselves with guns and revolvers, lived • in huts, and at intervals of two or three days visited the ship, taking on board any beche-de-mer or other cargo, and bringing back provisions. The most amicable relations existed between the ship’s company and the natives of the island, who always appeared without their weapons, which were locked up by the chiefs in a hut. This conduct completely disarmed any suspicion, and the captain thinking that if his men remained armed, it would excite the ire of the natives, gave orders that all the firearms, with the exception of a few weapons, should be left on board the vessel. The fishing and trading parties were then readjusted. The captain took the steam launch and a large boat, having with him, besides colored laborers brought by the vessel, Mr. Kelly, the passenger, and of the crew, Taylor, Smythe, and Cleland. The second officer took a large and a small boat, with a number of colored laborers, but no white men, and, Davis, one of the crew, in charge of a party of similar natives, took a small boat. These parties proceeded to their respective stations, leaving on board the James Birnie the chief officer, the steward, Charley, a seaman, and a dwarf girl, a native of Solomon Islands. Early on the morning of the 10th August, the second officer took six of his men (natives of other islands) into the bush, and left them there to cut firewood, for which the natives of the island were paid. The second officer returned to the hut, around which, as usual, there was a large number of natives, to the number of about a 100, apparently unarmed. The chief came up to Mr. Rhodes, and asked him for some “ baccy,” and the latter went into the hut and brought out a quantity, which he gave to the chief. Mr. Rhodes then went into the smoke-house to give a look round. On coming out he stood near the wood pile, and was holding a conversation with the chief, when he was suddenly seized from behind and pinioned. At the same time he received several blows from clubs. This was the signal for all the native party who were with Mr. Rhodes, except six, seeking safety in flight. They took possession of the small boat and made for the ship. Simultaneous with the seizure of Mr. Rhodes, an attack was made on the hut, in which were the six colored laborers who stuck by Mr. Rhodes. Hera the attacking natives reckoned without their host, for they were received at the door by one of the colored laborers named Williams, a native of Uea, who fired a revolver at the intruders and killed one of their number. Tl" hostile natives who had charge of Mr. llhou, probably thinking that he was incapacitatea from doing them any mischief, left him lying on the ground, and joined forces with their companions in the assault upon the hut. The captive succeeded in freeing himself from the bonds and make a rush for the hut, and succeeded in entering it from the back without sustaining any mishap. On his arrival he seized upon a revolver and a gun, and fired their contents upon the hostile party, who were greatly frightened and retreated towards the bush. Mr. Rhodes and his remaining force of six laborers made for the large boat, which they reached in safety, and pulled to the ship. On approaching to within a short distance of the vessel they were received by a volley of firearms, and then noticed that the vessel was crowded with natives of the island, who Mr. Rhodes feels too well assured, had during the previous night boarded the vessel, surprising and killing the chief officer and his companions. Mr. Rhodes having expended the whole of his ammunition in firing at the natives who had attacked the hut ou shore, deemed it prudent to retreat. This resolve was hastened on his observing a fleet of canoes bearing down to vards the vessel from the direction of the islands on which the Captain’s and Davis’s parties were stationed. He was then joined by the other boat containing the colored laborers, who had made their escape from the island on the first outbreak on the part of the natives. Both boats then pulled for a passage running between two of the islands. On observing this, the blacks on board the James Birnie beckoned to their countrymen on shore to go in pursuit. About thirty canoes, containing about one hundred men, immediately started in chase. Whenever the pursuers approached within range of the pursued, who were pulling for their lives, Mr. Rhodes pointed the empty rifle at them. The savages, thinking it loaded, would stop and palaver among themselves. Of course this time was improved by the crews of the two boats, who managed to pull clear of the islands, when the pursuit was abandoned by the natives. The crew of the smaller boat were taken into the larger one, which was then steered in what Mr. Rhodes supposed, as he had no compass, to he the direction of the Solomon Islands. The boat then contained seventeen souls, who were without provisions and water, with the exception of six biscuits. Some mats that had been taken into the boats were used as sails ; and after enduring great privations for five days, the voyagers reached the Island of Isabel, Solomon Group, where they procured some water and tops of cabbage trees, on which they made a meal. The voyagers then worked along the eastern coast of the group, touching at several for water and cabbage tree tops, but not making any stay for fear of the natives. Twenty-two days after leaving the James Birnie, the boat arrived in Hadda Bay, at the island St. of Christoval, where tho American whaling barque Benjamin Cummings was lying at anchor. Mr. Rhodes and his companions went on board of that vessel, and were received with every kindness by tho captain, who, when the vessel loft a few days afterwards for the Bay of Islands, took them away with him. On her way tho vessel called at

Stewart’s Islands, and while there a native of Honolulu who had escaped from captivity among the natives of Howe’s Islands said that he had heard of no less than six vessels being captured by those natives, their crews massacred. After leaving island, one of the colored laborers died, and his body was committed to the On the 18th ultimo, the Benjamin Cummings arrived off Bird Island, and there observed the brig Wolverine lying at anchor. Next morning, Mr. Bho les went on board, and asked Captain Walker to give him a passage, a request which was granted. The colored laborers who escaped ■with Mr. Rhodes from the massacre remained on board the whaler. The Wolverine left Bird Island on the 29th ultimo, and arrived here yesterday morning. Mr. Rhodes intends proceeding to Sydney by the first opportunity, m order to communicate the intelligence to the owner of the ill-fated vessel. : Mr. Rhodes states that he believes the whole of the members of the parties commanded respectively by Captain Fletcher and by Davis had been attacked and murdered by the 'natives of the islands. He forms this opinion from the fact that the canoes, containing hostile natives, which had pursued the two boats manned by himself and the colored laborers who escaped with him, came from the direction in which the two parties were located. Also, that the chief with whom he had conversed prior to the attack, stated that several days previously he had seen a large fire on the island on which the captain and party were stationed. This fire, Mr. Rhodes surmises, was caused by the burning of the huts by the natives.