MURDER OF MR. H. A. MAIR.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1025, 19 January 1882, Page 2

MURDER OF MR. H. A. MAIR.

A HORRIBLE SIGHT. The following extract from the log of the schooner Isabella, Capt. Hawkins, describes the murder or Mr H. A. Mair, Government labor agent, and boat's crew at Santo: —On the 3rd, fresh S.E. breeze and fine weather ; 7 a.m., got under weigh and sailed over to Tuva, Santo, anchored under it, to the nor'ard; boats away, no success. On the 12th, at 5.30 a.m., weighed anchor with a light breeze blowing off the land ; 7 a.m., almost calm, and vessel drifting off shore; 9.30, noticed fires—usually signal fires —on shore; lowered only the starboard boat, as Mr Mair, Government agent, said he only required one, although it is our usual custom to send two, one as covering boat. Until noon the boat was noticed working along shore, when it disappeared behind some rocks. The vessel was then about five miles away, becalmed and drifting to the southard.

At 6 p m., Captain Hawkins, seeing no signs of the boat, became anxious, so determined to send the other boat, which was done. On its nearing the shore, it being now dark, the boat was turned round, to back in stern foremost, as is the custom. A volley of musketry was fired at her. The boat then returned to the vessel, arriving there at 8 p.m. Captain Hawkins now became seriously anxious about the other boat, and seeing a fire some distance from the last place again despatched the remaining boat, at 9 p.m., to the said fire with instructions to pull along the shore and endeavour to procure some information from the natives as to the missing boat, but to run no unnecessary danger. Boats proceeded to opposite the fire and hailed the shore, when the fire was put out, and although the shore was repeatedly hailed, no answer was returned. At 11.30 p.m., the boat returned to the ship, on which a light was kept burning all night. At 5 a.m. on the 13th, a boat was sent on shore to prosecute the search after the missing hoat. On the boat nearing the shore, the place from which the boat was fired into last night, fire was again opened on her. Pulled along the shore to endeavour to get information of the boat and crew, met a boat from the schooner May Queen, of Queensland, who reported that two of the missing boat’s crew had that morning swam off to the May Queen, of Queensland, who reported that two of the missing boat’s crew had that morning swam off to the May Queen, and were both severely wounded. The two boats then proceeded along the

shore, landing and searching for the missing. On landing at the place ■where the Isabella’s second boat had been fired at (twice), the missing boat was found hauled some distance into the bush ; she had been gutted, nothing in her. She was launched; natives were hovering about, but at a respectful distance ; two oars were found in the bush on the opposite side of a small creek. The landing party then proceeded inland, leaving a man in each boat, to keep them afloat and be in readiness. The landing party come to a village, which was searched, some of the gear from the missing boat recovered. As the party only consisted of one white man and five natives, it was thought advisable not to go further into the bush, but to return to the vessel and report what had been done and seen. On going down to the boats the head of Mr Mair, Government agent, was found amongst the rocks, frightfully tomahawked; it was cut off the body close up, no part of the neck being there. A stronger party was then formed, consisting of two boats from the May Queen, two from the Surprise, and one from the Mavis ; this party then landed, and in a villiage, further in the bush than the one visited

before, parts of human body were found consisting of 2 feet, 1 hand, 1 thigh, a piece of chest, and the heart, and the liver; these had been scalded and ready for cooking; the feet and hands had been cut off close to the ankles and wrists. The remaining oars were also recovered and the boats then returned to the May Queen. It was then decided to bury the portions of the human body recovered, as well as the head of Mr Mair, which was done at 6 p.m. All the parts were put together in a box and covered with quick-lime. The burial service was read over the remains. The two survivors of this massacre who swam on board the May Queen are two half-castes, namely, Malaki and Jimmy, both boat’s crew. They state that they saw the two white men killed (Mair, Government agent, and Hampshire, mate), also the two other boats’ crew (Don Duani and Amosi, also halfcastes) ; the boat was attacked when about to leave the beach, having recruited three men. No offence was given the natives; they appeared friendly, and had brought the men down themselves. Malaki had two severe tomahawk cuts on the head, one being on the left side penetrating the skull; the blow must fortunately have been a slanting one ; it was quite three and a gif inches long—the brain was not cut; th?other wound was on the forehead between the eyes, the flesh hung on the nose. These wounds were sewn up by the captain of the May Queen. The other survivor, Jimmy, had a knife cut on the forehead. These two state they got overboard and swam away. The shore natives saw them swimming and gave chase, but fortunately they were able to land and hide among the rocks, so that when the moon rose they swam to another place, landed, and hid themselves until it should be daylight, when they again took to the water, and, with the assistance of logs of wood, swam to the May Queen. They both state positively that they saw the two white men killed, as also the two other boat’s crew ; that Mr Mair defended himself, shot oue man with his revolver, but was overpowered by numbers. Mr Hampshire was shot through the body, and received a cut from a tomahawk in the side. He jumped overboard and endeavored to swim away, but was surrounded and hacked to pieces, as was also one of the boat’s crew, Don Duani. Amosi was shot dead and fell [overboard. All having been done that could be done, as the natives had retired far back in the bush, it would have been impossible to have got at them. Captain Hawkins then deemed it his duty to at once return to Fiji, having no Government agent