SOUTH SEA ISLANDS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5734, 15 August 1879, Page 6

SOUTH SEA ISLANDS.

Auckland, July 26. The report of tho cruise of the Melanesian schooner Southern Cross gives a generally hopeful account of the mission. Referring to the visit to Leper Island, Solomon Group, the report says tbs part of the island under the more special directions of the missionary gave many hopeful and promising signs of improvement ; but, sad to say, on the other side of the island there was work for a man-of-war as well as a man of peace] and the massacre of a labor boat’s crew of six persons (two whites and four blacks), who were cooked and eaten, brought the Wolverine to the island to exact due punishment. The actual instigator, planner, and chief actor in the tragedy was secured and carried prisoner to Fiji, and a heavy fine was levied on the people in pigs. It is a matter for much thankfulness that the whole affair was settled without recourse to force of arms or unnecessary bloodshed. The pacific conduct of the commodore was much appreciated by the natives when they saw what power he had for destruction, and they are aware that if they perpetrate a like deed of violence they will scarcely get off. The conduct of some whites there. is worse and more lawless towards the natives than that of the natives towards each other, and in a number of instances'tbs blacks are driven to revenge themselves on iD| conducted and bullying whites. But in th£ case there seems to have been no provocation for so terrible an outrage, love of slaughter and greed for human flesh being the only reason assigned for the onslaught.