NATIVE OUTRAGE AT BROOKER ISLAND.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5642, 30 April 1879, Page 2

NATIVE OUTRAGE AT BROOKER ISLAND.

(PEU PUBBS AGENCT). . .-, -Auckland; Tuesday,

The Sydney Morning Herald’s Noumea cor-respondent.-writes "on April ,4 t—Cormorant,' Captain! Bruce,’anchored here a few hours after the departure!of ;the. mail. She comes from a cruise of some months amongst the South Sea. Islands, and reports .the discovery of no less than forty or fifty shoals and reefs not laid-dbivn upon the " chart’s. 1 - These were caused no doubt, during .the.volcanic disturbances, which some months' slned so altered -the: soundings at. -Tanua, Island, were advised.;' One important. Emission ’of the Cormorant was to inquire into the circumstances of the death of Mr. Ingham at Breaker Island. Captain Bruce asserts that the"good- results which would have followed the visit of the Cormorant were much lessened by the fact of the natives' being forewarned by traders of what they had to expect. On arriving at the place they cunningly pretended the most lamb-like-innocence, coming off in canoes to trade, bringing island "produce, conducting themselves ,in ■ such .’.a, way that Captain Bruce refused } ttq - .‘aid’, he fully expected from the missionaries,' and found it impossible to treat such .-confidence in any but a friendly, manner until,-persevering in searching for proof of their culpability, the temains of poor Mr. Ingham’s boat and the plunder, were discovered, by the search party. Then the “ innocent” natives madb themselves scarce as before they- had been confiding. When the murderers fledvfpjr protection to the other side of the sheltering hillfi, distant a mile or two from the ship, they ,‘fonnd themselves pursued by rocket shells, which.followed them, and burst amongst them some. forty seconds after, the watchers on the 'hill-tops had seen’ the shot fired’ from Their villages were’ devastated, though not a man-: had put bis foot : on shoye., fA new and very great danger is being fostered by traders . among; the-Sputh Sea rlslands.; ;. One of the articles most in. demand by the' islanders is dynamite. Sooner, or later there; is-little doubt but, some. o£ ; these, cunning .civilised fellows, who have spent.* years,: .amongst.: whites in Queensland, New .Caledonia, or Fiji, who speak gobd'Engliah arid are perfectly acquainted ;with'the.uso,Qf m a ny ofjqivjlised life, including; the death-dealing dynamite, wilj blow some*vessel to pieces with this explosive. This dynamite question reminded Captain Bruce of an expedition up the Niger in Africa, the shores of which-fiver be found lined with cannon ..of. various calibre, soUl .to the natives by the very--merchants whose interests the expedition was -sent to protect. :