MASSACRE AT CAROLINE ISLANDS. SOME INTERESTING INFORMATION.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 236, 7 January 1888, Page 5

MASSACRE AT CAROLINE ISLANDS. SOME INTERESTING INFORMATION.

Mr F. J. Moss, M.H.R., whose visit to the Pacific Islands in the schooner Buster wil 1 be remembered bj our readers, favours us with the following letter in reference to tho massacre of Spaniards in the Carolines, and the fighting that must now result from the force despatched by the Captain-General at Manila : — Sir, — When a cablegram appeared in the Star some time ago announcing the massacre of a Spanish Governor and soldiers at Ualipe, I ventured to state that there must have been a mistake in the name and • that it most probably meant Ponape in the Carolines. Your extract yesterday from the "Noith China Daily News" mentions the Rev. Mr Doane, and this makes it clear that Ponape was really meant. As 700 soldiers are to be sent from Manila, and as Ponape is on the high road to China from Australia and New Zealand, a few words may be interesting. The Buster arrived at Ponape on the 29th January,and anchored in theN.W. Harbour which was surveyed by the U.S. frigate Jamestown and named after her. A Spanish warship had been there in the previous Jnly after landing a Governor and some soldiers from Manila on the Island of Yap. ' The American Mission (Congrcgationalist) has been busy at work for many years in these scattered and numerous islands. The head - quarters are at Kusaie, or Strong's Island, where Dr. Pease and Mr Walkup are in charge. At Ponapo there are Mr Doane and Mr Rand, and at Ruk or Hogoleu there is Mr Logan. Mr Doane has been 35 years at Ponape and adjacent islands. He came on board the Buster at Mokil, a Lagoon Island, which the mission steamer Morning Star was leaving just as theßusterarrived. Avenerable white-haired man, of the old missionary school, devoted to the natives, but, unfortunately, equally disliking and disliked by the traders. Among these traders there are many very good men, some of whom helped the missionaries materially in their early struggles with the heathen natives. All, without exception, spoke with regret of the feeling that existed; and looked forward to the arrival of the Spaniards with pleasure. I should except from this the Rev. Mr Logan, who was universally spoken of with respect and even affection as one, to use their own expression, who cared for a trader as much as for a native, and was equally kind and considerate to all. My stay was but for a week, part of which was spent in a boat excursion with Mr Geo. Dunnett and Mr Andrew to the great and mysterious ruins about 25 miles down thecoast. Idonottherefore pretend tojudge, but state matters as 1 fpund. them. While the traders, as I have said, looked forward ,to the arrival of the Spaniards with pleasure, On the other hand it was stated that the missionaries looked forward to it with dread, and that some were giving the natives very highly coloured accounts of the Catholics in general and Spanish Catholics in particular. In this condition of affairs the Spanish Governor with the soldiers and priests, who must have arrived soon after our departure, might easily get involved in difficulty. Ho appears to have acted hastily in sending Mr Doane to Manila on charges to which the Captain-General there would not listen. Meantime the natives would naturally resent Mr Doano's removal and feel strong suspicions as to his fate. The soldiers and officials appearalso to havebeen Manila natives, between whom and the European Spaniards there must be a material difference in ideas of Government and religious toleration. The Governor was also to have brought with him a number of Manila convicts for road-making, and they might easily add to the difficulty. While Mr Doane was away the massacre of the Governor and soldiers occurred. From what I saw of the natives of Ponape, their soft character, and general physical inferiovifcy, the massaore is to me " a perplexity. I cannot but' believe it must have taken much illtreatment to work them up to it. They had arms of every kind, but tliere are not more than 2,500 of all- ages on the Island, and they are divided into five tribes, of which only three are Christian. They afo all scattered in small bodies round the coast of Ponape, an island some 60 miles round, very rugged, and covered, wherever I landed, with great' volcanic boulders and basaltic prismß of remarkable size and number. Tho seven hundred soldiers to be serit from Manila will be wasted on "these pobr' people, who must retreat to the unpeopled interior where they will give ,great trouble, ,but<be hunted down or destroyed if there should be any prolonged fighting. ■It is >to be hoped 1 in tlie interests of htimanity that this will be avorted. The mission is' American, and an American warship" will no doubtb'e despatched to watch events. Tlie traders scattered round' the coast do not .'number more*thari 20 l and- are English' and] German. American whal&rs frequent* tPonapo' foy Supplies,' and v a- Japanese 'man- 1 among these islands*seeking rtedress^for^the maimcreof the crew of a Japanese br&dirigjun.k^njm'tfof thfem"; <♦ ' Ppnape" aboaiSde'ln Valuable^timWry with whiph the 'hills' are thickly tfoveredr '' There roa'ds^of'kny^'fcrid." The" interior is quiie-WVnihhabited'^nd 1 ii>> ! is { itffco'getffrer)4r WoM&sayy an ugly country foFtiafcrye wSrfa'ro, though ' of* tFe'ulfcimaterWult there r Ca*nV ilo doubt if w&v Unhappily *be*gitfr The^ s,m<|ll:^m»anfc ! 6f ohce%ave been* a numerous I'peopl1 'people 1 -Wfll be^Bwept/awSy,*^' *Yoiir*, fec.^"'' *** *" f " A '"'^ F.-JV'M'dsgP*' v ''Stftr>'<* "■'* r V' isU)^'