THE LATE CHIEF HUAISILINE.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 4, Issue 168, 16 October 1880, Page 3

THE LATE CHIEF HUAISILINE.

Huaisilinc, the chief ox the wesl side of Mare, near New Caledonia, died June 1880, supposed to be about U.'i years of age. He *as a very remarkable man. Perhaps it is not to much to say, writes a correspondent, that the whole of the South Sea Islands would he searched in vain to find his equal in any respect. It was his lot to rule over a small trihe on a sumll island ; hut he was fitted to hn a great ami wise ruler had he been placed in circumstances to bring out his qualities. He was a man of undaunted enur-, age, of immense muscular strength "generous almost ..to a fault to his enemies, strictly just, firm as a rock, very truthful, and a friend to strangers, especially to white men. Up to about 00 years of ago ho was a savage and a cannibal, and knew no better. During that time ho practised polygamy, one son only surviving of that period, who now succeeds him in the chiei'tanship, named Jewoiic. Christianity was then introduced by agents of the London Missionary Society from Eastern Polynesia. He was pievented from openly espousing the cause of the teachers by his old father, Jewene; but he helped thorn all he could. When his father died he publicly cast aside his heathen practices, and all his wives hut one, and embraced Christianity on Mare. He married twice (luring his Christian career, and leaves issue of the last, wife, two sons and u:iu daughter. During his father's rule, many ships were taken ami their crows killed and eaten. Huaisiline, as a young man, did his utmost to prevent these cruel deeds, and succeeded in saving some of the lives of the white men. When he Decamo chief, ho was known everywhere as the friend of the I white man. Of late years he has been much in collision with the French Go-J vcrnmcut. They took possession of this ; island. He did not resist it, hut became a-loyal subject of the French Government from the first. Through untruthful reportsgot upbycertaineeclosiustiesnf Man', tie was regarded for a long time with great suspicion, and cruelly treated by the Government, beijig both imprisoned and exiled unjustly by them at differonttimos. This they must have done in utter ignorance of his true character, for it was! i n'y necessary t.o know him to at once, i respect and honour him. ft was a fur-! Innate dav for poor old Hnaisiline when his' Excellency, M. Olry. (he present Governor of New Caledonia. I was appointed to tint ofiic?. He had heard of t'.isi long-standing disputes on I ton island, and he set himself to dispense justice without regard to persons orerreds. I tie sought for, and obtained, the services I of a gentleman suited for the position ias Resident of the Liyally Islands, who would he capable of thornii-'hlv searching I ! into and effectually settlintr 'bo various ! difficulties irrespective of religious dis-1 j disputes.' Hi* choice of M. de Dollnn. I tho pres-nt Resident, was most happv. | Ho is evidently the right man in the right place. It may he noted that | he is an old Australian colonist of 221 years' standing. He has spent a great deal of time and labour in personal | investigation ; thoroughly examined the I history of the whole island, iudepen-1 dent of both priest and missionary ; employing an interpreter and takincr his in- j formation direct from the people them- | selves. The result, of which inquiry is tnat many of the grave didienitici' are j already settled, and lie has found Jluaisiline to havo been faithful and true : throughout. The reproach which so l long rested on his chanicter is now ro . j moved, and his memory is held in the greatest esteem both by the Resident and (lis Excellency the Governor and all tho French officials of New Caledonia. We j hope that now the island will be blessed j with peace ami prosperity. Ho was buried on June 18. His eollin wasj covered with th■> French Hag by the It"- j siilent, who, with his interpreter (Mr. L. j L,. Saiwone), follower] him to the grarc. i .The natives wished a funeral in accord- I anr.e Willi their customs, accompanied with a " pili'ii piloii " (peeloo-poeloo native dnncfO one. their M.-utal demonstra- I tious, hut waived l heir.desires in fnvourj of giving tho loved chief a " white chief's" ! interment. They refused at first tophice the body in n coffin ; but the wife educated in Sydney of the young chief Jewene. Huaisilinc's son. came forward gave directions and personal assistance, and the ! prejudice was overcome. Such guns as j the natives could muster were brightened , up, and their owners rigged out in their | best, forming a guard of honour to ac-! company the remains to their resting ! place. An equally ready imitation of tho white man's customs was shown I by the natives, when the 'Resident. M. j d* Dollnn, placed a palm -leaf and flowers on the coffin, They rushed to do like-! wise and loaded the coffin. Chieftainship j as of old litis died on Marc island with \ Huaisilinc. Svdnov Mail.

if any, not even Mr. Archibald Porbes'g celebrated ride in Zululand, will suroast. the feai performed by Mr. Thomas Strickland on Friday, tho Bth instant H..> vaat Carcoar, where he had been delivering •mine cattle, and received ft telegram it the morning, infornv'ug him of the aeeidon: to his brother, and implying that he wir in a dangerous condition. He could not . start until about 12.20 p.m., when lie commenced bis journey to Forbes, riding his own horse as far as Canowindra, 35 ; utiles, Here he procured a fresh lior=e, which took him to Eugowra, 2J miles, and ; at the last-named place ho got a fresh steed, width took him'into Forbes, which placehe reached at 0 o'clock, thus having accomplished a journey of S3 miles, with ■ three horses, in the wondeiful time of jo hours and 40 minutes, or, including 'stoppages, at the rate of 141' miles nn ; hour. Truly it wivj an extraordinary ; performance. Considering he had to wait rtt each plaeo toms time while he ; changed horses, he must have travelled [ fully 16 miles an hour all through. The. Odessa Vosttlik contains intelHi geiiee from the rapids of the Dneiper. 1 I slating -that one night lately a raft of timber, with forty men on board, got I swept into the Votche Oorlo (literally I the "Suck-in Gullet"), near Kitchkas, ! anil was dashed to pieces among the • rock*. None of the crew were saved. j Two versions are given of the cause iof the accident. Out is that the raft ! left its moorings at. midnight with the | object of'running the gullet in advance ■of another anchored alongside it. Tho second is that the crews of the two rafts quarrelled, and at midnight, when the men on the raft destroyed were asleep. the other men unslipped tho moorings, and the raft drifted too far towards the rapids to be brought up by tho crew when roused from their slumber. Government, officiate are on their way to the rapids to inquire into the affair. I A monster octopus, measuring 20 feet j across tiie body, with arms estimated at 30 feet in length, and its head and nock ! extending 6 feet beyond the body, is I reported to have boon i ; een by tho crow j of the Torca, schooner, on July 25, about | a mile off Cape Egjuont. Its colour is described to have been red, white, and ] yellow, iu longitudinal stripes; ami bo • huge was the bulk of the creature that when first sighted it was taken to ho a vessel bottom up. As may readily be imagined, it was found impossible to ship it to bring it on to Duuediu for exhibition.