Outrages at Solomon Islands. Traders Killed and Eaten as a Religious Rite.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 140, 6 February 1886, Page 3

Outrages at Solomon Islands. Traders Killed and Eaten as a Religious Rite.

H.M.S Diamond, which lately returned to Sydney from a cruise among the South Sea Islands, reports having in November last sailed from Port Moresby for Solomon Islands. Hawthorne Sound was the first place touched at, and then the vessel proceeded to Bddyetone, or Narovo Island, to punish the murderers of the late Mr Childe. It appears that Childe was 73 years of age, and that he was murdered by about forty natives of Baage, who had gone across from their island for the purpose, and after committing the crime had taken away all his "trade." Their object is stated to have been this, They had built a canoe, and, in accordance with their religion, they wanted a skull and to partake of human flesh before they launched it. On assembling near Childe's residence they enticed him out, tomahawked him to death, and then carried his body to his own kitchen, where they roasted it. They then took the remains away to another island, where they ate them. The Diamond went to the murderers' village, sent in her boats, and got their canoes, which were destroyed, and then anchored in the harbour off Narovo. There the skull of the late Mr Childe was obtained, the canoee, &c, were burnt, and the villages destroyed, the natives refusing to give up the murderers. In addition, an armed party was landed, which marched through the island and destroyed all the cocoanuts and villages that were met with. The Diamond left there again on the ISth, after burying the remains of the late Mr Childe, and arrived at Ugi on the 22nd. From there she started again on the 26th, with the schooner Belle Brandon in tow, for San Christoval, to inquire into the murder of George Adams. It appears that the vessel he was in was wrecked near this place, and he and four other white men landed on the beach. They had to cross a river to get to a friendly village, and as he could not swim, he was left behind until assistance could be obtained, When they returned, however, they found that he had been murdered, his dead body, with five spear wounds in it, lying on the beach. Superstition was in this case, as in many others, the object of the crime, the chief of the tribe at that particular place having just died, and the natives desiring to take the " tambo " off by sacrificing a human being and eating the body. Captain M'Donald, of the Belle Brandon, and another man named Howard, landed and went to the village, where they ascertained that the five men who had committed the murder had separated themselves from the village, with the expectation that the majority of those left behind would join them in making a new village, but in this they were disappointed. As the five men were not to be found, the Diamond was unable to punish the natives, but they were told that the ship would return in a certain time, when the murderers, would have to ba given up.

A now " everlasting" wood pavement has been brought oat in France. Tho wood blocks are boiled in a solution of sulphate of copper, sulphate of zinc, and chloride of sodium, mixed with heavy mineral oil, linseed oil and tallow. The blocks are afterward compressed to about one-tenth their original volume. In this state they are, said to be practically unwearable,