A VISIT TO STEWARD ISLANDS, OR SIKYANA.-STRANGE DOINGS OF AN AUSTRIAN VESSEL OF WAR.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 236, 24 January 1860, Page 2

A VISIT TO STEWARD ISLANDS, OR SIKYANA.-STRANGE DOINGS OF AN AUSTRIAN VESSEL OF WAR.

(From the Sydney Morning Herald, January C.) These islands which are situate to the eastward of the Solomon Group, in latitude 824 S. and 163* E. longtitude, are of coral formation, elevated only a few feet above . the surrounding ocean. Tljey are1 five in number. Sixyana, the largest pn which there 'is a village; Jfowny, the second; Metelator, third; Matawab'a, fourth. These have each a few families residing on them; the smallest which is a mere islet, is uninhabited. They are surrounded by a coral reef, the interior of which contains very deep water, but unfortunately there is no available passage for vesssels into it, a whaleboat having considerable difficulty to get into the only passage which does exist. This is on i fie west side of the reef, between the northern and the middle island, and is only available in tine weather.

Could an entrance be made into the Lngoon, formed'by'the coval reef, it would be an excellent harbor for the whalers frequenting these latitudes,'fdr the inhabitants are the most quiet arid respectful race that- we have had the fortune u tg meet with. ' ' " "" * '■';•' -'<■ ■'

We were both surprised and grieved to hear an account from the natives of a visit paid by a man-of-war from Leghorn —this was all the information the natives could give concerning her, but we have subsequently learnt that the vessel was the Novara, engaged on a scientific cruize on behalf of the Austrian Government.

It appears that about twenty months ago, a raan-of-war called at these islands, and landed about one hundred men with muskets, who began to help themselves to cocoanuts, and shoot pigs and fowls right and left. None of the people belonging to the vessel could speak English, or the native language. One man had C hey lie's Sailing Directions, which contains a vocabulary of the Steward Island language; by this he and the natives succeeded in making out the names of a few things. . Some of the natives who took fowls and produce for sale, had a few beads given them, and from some they took their property without making the slightest return. The result of these doings was, that the natives came to a determination to kill all the men that landed in the boats; but some of the elder natives a&certained by signs and the use of Cheyne's book, that the vessel had about 300 men on board, so the Steward Islanders, who could not muster 100 men, saw that they had no chance, and from the superior of their robbevs, they were compelled to submit to the wrongs inflicted upon them by the representatives of a nation so far civilised as to be possessed of vessels of war, and to employ some of those vessels in scientific pursuit. Surely they could not advance the cause of science by robbing these poor islanders; who gave them no provocation to commit such a raid upon them. Neither could they advance their own commerce or that of any other country by such proceedings. What they have done, has caused these islanders to hold not only them (the Austrians) but every other (white) nation, not speaking English —in great contempt, for they have sufficient sense and experience (from their dealings with English vessels) to kaow that the proceedings was dishonest, and that dishonesty is contemptible whether in white or black men.

Had these people been a race of savages, similar to those of the neighboring islands, there can be no doubt but that the next trading vessel visiting their island would have been attacked, and a reprisal made causing the innocent and helpless to suffer for the strong but guilty. Fortunately, however, they have been brought much in contact with Englishmen, whom they appear to understand and respect, many of them nave been away from their island in whalers and some have visited Sydney ; and on their return to their own land have related to their friends the wonders they have seen there, which has caused them to respect white men speaking the English language. One of these islanders told a story which he had heard from his father, who was a very old man when he died, —and, we think, belonged to some other group of islands further north. That when he was a young man plenty of whalers used to come to the islands, and that he had seen three taken and their crew massacred and eaten. That he went to Sydney, and saw plenty of ships and plenty of big houses belonging to white men; saw white men buy and sell, work and build, and never saw them fight one another, nor did they fight him. So when he came back he toli all his people all that he had seen, and told them that it was not good to fight white men any more. The natives of this group aye a'fine stalwart set, the men stand five feet ten inches to six feet three inches in height, and stout in proportion. Their complexion is a light copper color, and they tatoo various parts of their bodies. Their dress is the most decent we have seen on any of the islands, consisting of a short smock made of native cloth, fitting over the shoulders and chest, and a pair of dwarf trousers of the same material. The men have but one wife, and treat her with great consideration, fetching her fuel for cooking, and the food to cook. Each family has a house to themselves, which is kept very neat and clean, and the parents appear to have great affection for their children, whom they bring up with the strictest morality. It appears from their own traditions that their fore-fathers had been drifted to these islands from some others to the S.E., and their appearance would seem to confirm the tradition, for they have a strong resemblance to the natives of Samoa.

To our ears, their language appeared to resemble that of Sandwich Island, and a native of that island who was on board of us, could make himself understood by them. We had no difficulty, however, in conversing with them, for they could all speak English— many of them well ; not in the half-English half-Kanaka style usual in the islands, but in grammatical English—making such enquiries as " Who is the owner of the vessel?" and such replies as " I understand." The questions they ask about other places shows an amount of intelligence, and an anxiety to learn, which could scarcely be expected from a race so isolated. It is astonishing to find so much of civilization and morality in the attsence of any missionary labor.

As a field for missionary enterprise we know of none to equal it, for the way appears so plain. The harvest being ripe, the laborer only being required to reap the harvest. For situation, too, and probable advantage as a mission station the prospects are good ; with the race of these islands converted to Christianity and well educated, there is a school at once formed for Christianising the whole of the Solomon Group. Such a race as this have a double advantage over white missionaries in such a work, the majority of them being of gigantic size (compared to those of the Solomon group), and this is an objept of great respect with the Solomon islanders J and their being fully inured to the heat of these latitudes, they coujci gq through work under which a white missionary would faint and die.

The food of this race consists chiefly of cocoanuts and. fish. They take great care of, and rear a large quantity of pigs and fowls, for sale to ships. The whole of their islands are densely covered with cocoanut trees, and a considerable quantity qf oil could be manufactured, but the natives say they do not care about taking the trouble to make it; they have got no (jasks, and they cat) always get sufficient tobacco^ :&c, for their pigs and fowls,

In conclusion we would say that we sincerely hope that some one in authority will take the part of these defenceless natives, and obtain some reparation for them, and some punishment for those who made sucli a wanton raid upon their property. We have always considered vessels of war as protectors of commerce, but here we have an Austrian vessel attacking helpless natives, and by example teaching that the strongest has the right and creating in their mind a hatred of civilised nations.

To those interested in missionary operations we would say—here is a fine field—go and rgap, and the seed you may gather here, sow on the neighboring islands, and with God's blessing it shall return "sixty or a hundred-fold."