THE BOREALIS MASSACRE.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 4, Issue 177, 18 December 1880, Page 3

THE BOREALIS MASSACRE.

[Fiji Time*. October t3.]

S"ml misgivings were entertained jn shore yesterday morning when the labm brigantine lloivalis. which left port 01 the Ist ult , was seen ■iitciing tin harbourwith the ensign U half-mast these forebodings were unhappily realised as soon as ti.lings amid be obtained from the vessel, when it was known that H v Europeans iitnl one Fijian had been ruthlessly massacred at Muyiata in tiic Solomon" Group The particulars if this most horrible -Ifnir are as follows :—On Monday, the 13th if September, tit,. Borealis was lying outside > small Islivid called rT m; which :s situated .n a deep bight formed by the main land Mid ,s separated from it by .i -liamiu! ".bout half a mile broad. Aboiii seven o'clock in tho morning the boat with Captain McKenzie, Mr. Hankin, Government agent, one European xnd two ''ijians .is boat's jrew, left the vessel for the purpose) if recruiting; leaving on board. Daniel (Jremer, Ist mate; James Nutherwood, A..8. ; William Kershaw, A.li. ; Win. McKenzie, the Captain's son ; AVm. E I ward lluntly, in apprentice; George Ward, steward; and .Johnny, a Fijian, one if (he boat's crew who having a son. band loniained. When be lett the vessel, the Captain states, there were but six of the islanders or. board, and be uavo strict instructions lo the fist mate to keep 3 sharp look-out against surprise. Aft. : being m -bore about three quarters if an hour he beard a scream and immediately retained to the vessel. Tin. recruits ami interpreter at once jumped over fr en the boat-, and on his getting within bail, he found the ship in possession of tie. natives mid was saluted with a shower of arrows and spears, lie could sec none of the vessel's people, and having made, every effort to retake her until ammunition ran short, while ut tho same time canoe-, were rapidly approaching from the main land, ho decided to pull for Sua Ray iibout forty-five mi'.i- to 1 eward, where he hoped' to find some ;thei' vessels anchored. He arrived sun time after midnight, ami found the schoou rs Flirt. Dauntless, and Sta: icy there He ran alongside ihe Elivt, which quickly ooinmuuieated with tilt tier v,ssels and all made sail for the sc.ne of tie disaster. Half a jalc of wind was ulowing d.-el ahead at'the time and tie- progre.-V was of necessity sb.iv. • Tbu'Stniiley nrriucd tirst on tin- aftenioon f the Ifith. and found Ward, tin -steward, teirihly wounded, but stil! a' u-, in {he Captain's c .bin. Nou- of the holies of the alio]men wen- to he seen, but the doaks bole sel evidence if th -anguina-.y work which had been in progress old pm-finn of an -inn v.'ns found in the seupp.ers. and ■■!, .pp d inn! ini.-ked ihout in every iirertion. Evervt.l,iii2' l\-iriL' on deck b.,,1 hj e, i-browi. .v.-rheard, and the ,11 i -ea-iere'l about tin -1 -ks. A- th Stanley's'ooatseami alongside the natives th- Stnnlev i.i.i vill hi hromjit bv iicr ; T.-vuk,-.. I'll.- Reward's narrativ: is to tie followiu-.' •Il'rct. After die i'ap-.-ain lefi lb. vessel all lends ~. board iven _ii'jageii setting up 'h- riggiui.' md iiitlini: the -hi] in udei- after the bad -.vhethei she hini ■X|iericuced. dc vas iccupied in Ids j-ilh-v and sonn pemili irr-vini- hut •mid :i. illentioi. t<them till, vbil in ■■•is -h, i|)ii|..', ifheard n signal uiven, heard ■, rush or, tie ilber in. n aid saw a native ai blow it his bead villi - -oun.l.awk. He parriallv lodired the hlow and received - fearful -ash i. 'ln- side of the head. l\ repeated In reached his revolver and sh, • tin man wli wounded him. He then tried u tire ..notlier shot but found ►lml sonu on.- iiad nnptied .ill the -itlier chambers. -'lem In-s-hv-d i ' .rj.> knif and fought bis wnv outside and found about eiithty men li. b- deck, evidently despateliiit!: the crew is be saw none of them amongst tin -. iv'i. lie del'en lei himself vitli his knifi- mtil he received n cut from a tomahawk >u each arm. which completelv disabled him. Then In was knocked lown the main hatch and contrived -i. -reel bit. a hnlf-cnipti. -1 watci tank, wher. in rem lined for upwnrds of three hours iinti! the natives le.-erl.'d the vessel, lie then irawled in deck vbere he su" tin bodies of all 'lit- murdered men ' \. qil tin young apprentice and the Fijian, botli of whom be supposes wei- tilled it: tin fore part of tin ussel. He managed t. crawl into l.i- Ci plain's cabin, where he 'nii.d himself in : tnl riunaiiicd for thro-, days, tin til relieved by the people f.mll til Shmi-y. lining the interval tho natives repeatedly visited the ship, ovideiilly in search of him. Tiny broke in tin head if the tank which form id his first hiding place, and actually smashed ths skylight in (he cnptaili's cabin, but being a thick deck light it still bung together and prevented their discovering th. wounded and helpless prisoner. His ultimate escape is nothing short of a miracle, sinco had they attacked the- .labia door with the toiuaiiftwks, nothing could have saved the pour fellow's life. Happily when the door is closed it appears part of the main cabin wall, turn hj this fortunate oircuuißtanco ho doubtless owes his preservation. Absolutely no reason whatever, beyond the thirsl fot blood and tho ilesire to plunder, •an be assigned for the attack. From lbi> s.tine Island nine hundred nee have ici-n rooftllted (111I'll)ji the present year, and it has boon looked u t iuii m the safest af

j .iie cruizing rivt '{.■■■ [;••]:,'!•.■- ■•«i'V!? I lirtßrrivws?> iftei hj? Stnnlo\ksv\ -sch lent hands r hria.i tin Bonvli I'-aeh to no-t, Mr. Hutchi.iso:,, hrnia't if tiic St»ul=»v, was ruiwieii: From that vessel o ;m- ritnealis. i i j steward Geo. Waul, . v |, os< . life has L-vi aii miraculously preserved is rapidly .v covering. Cicmer, tho lirst mate, wb has been killed, is the man who bu lately brought, tho Pi-i;»wsi cutter dow. from Sydu*y, and it wan his first lnl» voyage.