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Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 100, 30 August 1879, Page 2

MiKUI-.llous Assault.--Selene, Vigo, Taeise, and Toa, four Samoans, were brought up before the three Consuls on Wednesday last, charged with having committed a murderous assault upon a native named Siaturiuu. They were fined in the lump sum of SSO, 825 of which to be [laid to SiatUUUU. The prisoners are held in custody until they armngo for the payment of the tine.

Dynamite Shooting.—The killing of tish by the use of dynamite is still per•natediu, .notwithstanding that so many have already sacrificed an arm to their love of tho sport. Twice during thu past fortnight our oflico has suffered a severe shaking through charges of this dangerous combustible having been fired within one hundred yards of it. We would suggest to tho Neutral Territory Government that thuy should issue a regulation prohibiting the firing of dynn- , mite within a least five hundred yards of | any building. Wc do not object to those who liko the short blowing their aim off or destroying the sight of their oyes, but I wo do object to having our type knocked down after it has been net up, and our devil frightened out#ii .seven year's growth. J

The Weather—During the hut fewJays of the past nek the weather h«s been very unsettled. Heavy showcis of roin having fallen, mueli to tho detri--1 nient of tho cotton crop which in .several places is in full bloom and readv for pickDaunt and DisoßDEiu.v.—ASanumn woman named Siga was charged on TuesIday last, before J. 11. Graves, Esq., ; H.Ii.M. Consul, Neutral Territory Magiaj trate for the woek, with being drunk I and disorderly in a public place. Fined I $5.

CaiCKET.—It having been intimated that the Cormorant officers went in for cricket, an impromptu eleven lias been got together uu .shore, ami a friendly mateli arranged for 10 o'clock on Monday, at Vailele.

| iicRRiCAXE at Samoa.—"A corres--1 poudeut writing to the Augsberg Allgemeiuo Zeituug, from Apia, the port ou the northern tide of Upolu the middle island of the Sotuoan group, gives an account of the mischief wrought by a hurricane which swept over those islands on May 3 and following days. Some days previously ho had written an account of the country in glowing colours, and holding out brilliant prospects both for the islanders and the German settlers from the development of trade and mutual intercourse. But the storm, he says, has destroyed the hopes of thousands. Almost everywhere the huts of the natives were swept away and most of the plantations destroyed. Almost all the bread-fruit trees have been uprooted, and, as the supply of flour which has been saved is limited, there are fears of a famine ! Even the more solidly-constructed buildings (many of them of stone) of the foreign consulates, of the Government, and of the missionary societies were levelled by the storm. There were warnings of the approaching hurricane in the enormous waves and the furious surf which came driving iu on the shore. On the third day the correspondent ventured out and viewed the scene from an eminence. As far as he could see, the ocean was one mans of seething foam. In every direction wreck and devastation met his eyes. But the natives, both men and women, were already at work, trying to save what they could, standing up to their waists in water; oven the children were busy rescuing cocoa-nuts, fruits, &c. He complains that they also did not hesitate to appropriate all they could find among the ruins of the stores and warehouses of the European settlers. All the bridges had been carried away, so that communication was difficult. It was impossible yet to estimate the damage ; hut the correspondent thinks the European houses who have business relations with Samoa will be heavy losers. At the time of writing no loss of life has been reported." We recommend the writer of the above as a person well able to tell a good tall lie. it will be noticed that there is not one tittle of truth in the whole paragraph. The statement with regard to the famine has created such a sensation in England that a correspondent writing from there informs that the English people are contemplating sending out a ship bioad of biscuits for us. We do not object to people corresponding to foreign newspapers but we would like them to write the truth.