AN ISLAND DIFFICULTY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4908, 14 December 1876, Page 7

AN ISLAND DIFFICULTY.

‘ Mr. Sterndale, well known for hia writings on. the South-Sea. Islands;/-and/engaged by Henderson - and. Macfarlanejat Sauwaeoff,; was brought -up in"'the Ryno,/with a number of: witnesses, under .the following circumstances; U-Xhere appears., to-have-been - some-quarreU .between-Mr. gtenldale'andlCaptaih Fernandez, through the former threatening to shoot Gaptain Fernandez if he came <on the- island. .When Captain: Fernandez,; who; had • landed, was. standing, in.ifront; -of the,.houses,' |Mr. Sterndale-took up .a; carbine; and tbolc'aim at iini,: £ One of the men called out, and Captain’, Fernandez started to run, but the shot jhissefl CapUinfFen}ahdezlgot)oh board his ship.jand ,a general atjnihg,took pliceldn shore. A letter Iwas-sent- to— if ■he'did no¥ surrender- his ‘house swduld . be pulled down and he would be taken prisoner'; and that if He cam6'ont'with arms, he; would be shot down.' -‘Mri’Sterndale did come out; but delivered up his arms;'/ Cap tainfi'er-nandez-.mil lay a’ oomplamti today; but there; Seems some doiibt if'the-New Zealand courts' have junsdictipn.- J \ 3 ; | Stemdale’s statement-to the’reporter says he was iu 'sole’charge; Paid- management, and was selected’ by Him'-; .thafi-Re'-Waa responsible : fof the good order’ and-management of theoisland;; and waimed '’Feniandez''hot to : land on the £ island -without' notice; - as 1 he desired: to -prevent.a breach' of- peabe,;Fernandez havingi quarrelled -all irdtmd.Header- ■ son and Fernandez afteiwards’-tqpS forcible" possession, of. thes island, amd'hesieged .’Stepri .dale'.andhis wife sixteen days! / Hehy'erit'out to get water and met Fernandez,■ /who .made a motionj-as if'.to .raisa'his' revolWr^; I: .Stern(tole on this fired a carbine;reiFenialhdbzifell r pii pH fours, /scrambled' ;away, /arid ’»theft '• Rbrnandez has applied for a warrant; '- o'j'vj'.-jj* j ; • : Captain’s stateinefit to the 'Star reporter represents Sterndale sitting '-ih/state 1 ' amongst natives in silver-braided New f* Zealand-rhilitia uniform. He had three small ;i ca!st-iron, cannons, . which ’ were ’ fired occasionally; ■■ :l ;M|iir strutted about in pheasant'feathers l and- New Zealand war medal.’ During thp stabbed Sterndale.;- ■ Sterndale * was 3 ’ 'af rented three.times;at;;TaHiti;-khd fined-40’-’dpllai-s Jby the iTrench Government. The -captain gi\fes accounts' of /frequent brawls aud'afffa'ysi;Hen- ( derson,’ agent proceeded.to, Auckland, whereupon -Stefndale barricaded his house, and circumstances related”, to in yesterday’s I telegram -/oceurihd;’'//.The island is ont/'l 40 acres in v area. : ' To-day’ the Resident Magistrate refused, to issue' a wan-apt on the captain’s information, ofi’the-ground |of ;,no jurisdiction., - ’Sterndale (now ihtettds laying an information against Captain Fernandez, j