MASSACRE IN NEW GUINEA.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1107, 19 May 1883, Page 3

MASSACRE IN NEW GUINEA.

bis report of the annexation of New Guinea, Mr Henry M. Chester says “If De Quincey had visited New Guinea he might have added a chapter to his essay on ‘ Murder considered as one of the Fine Arts.’ In no part of the world probably is murder as an art more cultivated than in New Guinea. Apropos of this I relate a tragic story told by Mr Chalmers of the recent massacre of an entire village by the Lesi tribe. It may be remembered that a Dr James and Mr Thorngren were murdered on the coast near Yule Island in 1879 by the Roro tribe, who occupied a village some distance to the south eastward of the Lesi in Hall Sound. During one of Mr Chalmers’ visits to the westward, being in the neighbourhood of this tribe, he determined to visit them and make peace, it being too I late to punish them for the murders, but he narrowly escaped meeting the same fate, and reached his boat with difficulty. In an evil hour the Rorors surprised three of the Lesi, and killed two of them. Their doom was sealed. The Lesi turned out in force, and lying concealed by day aud travelling in their canoes at night, arrived after dusk at one of the main streams running into Hall Sound. Here they were at fault, not knowing which to ascend, but fortune favored them. They captured a canoe in which were a Roro man and two women, and gave them the option of guiding them to the village k (Paitana) or being killed. The man consented to pilot them, and the women were let go. When near Paitana they allowed the guide to escape in his canoe, Sending a party to surround the village, the rest camped in the middle of it, and sat silently down to await the first streak of dawn. One of the villagers awoke, and to his astonishment found the placeo ccupied by strangers. ‘ Who are you V said the Roro man. The others sprang to their feet and cried— ‘ We are the Lesi, come to pay you! You murdered foreigners ; they did not pay you—-they were afraid. That we have nothing to do with ; but you tried to kill Tamate , and you murdered our men ; and wo ase here to avenge them! Come out and fight!’ At the same moment they let fly a cloud of arrows, until wearying of the slaughter, the chief called out, ‘We have no time to kill them all; burn the houses and those inside.’ The order was obey and when the sun rose Paitana was a blackened heap of ashes. This happened last July, and Mr Chalmers meeting a flhief of Roro in August inquired how many were killed, ‘Ah! Tamate,’ said the chief, ‘ I cannot number the slain ; I can only tell you how many were left alive.. A lad of seven years old was brought to Mr Chalmers. His father had lowered him down through a hole in the floor of his house, and he hid in the scrub. After all was over he returned to find only the charred remains of father, mother, brother, and two sisters. The murderers of James and Thorngren perished with the rest.”