PUNISHING NATIVES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1831, 20 December 1888, Page 3

PUNISHING NATIVES.

Auckland, December 18. H.M.S. Opal arrived to-day from Noumea. During her cruise in the New Hebrides the vessel shelled several villages in punishment for the murder of Mr V. L. Walker. The Opal was off the friendly village of Museeso on the 23rd, when the chief there pointed out the village of the people who had murdered Mr Walker, and said that it was quite unprovoked, and committed entirely to get possession of his trade. Messengers were sent to the chiefs of these murderous savages to come to meet the captain of the Opal and pay the penalty he should inflict, or that war would be made on the following morning. The chiefs, in reply, refused to come, admitted the murder, and offered a man and two pigs in reparation;' This was rejected as was also the offer of the "actual murderer," this being obviously a subterfuge, as there were over forty shots fired at Walker's boat, and the whole population was engaged in it; but as a test they were ordered to bring him down to the beach. On the morning of the 24th the ship approached close to the land which is very high and precipitous there, and there were no signs of □atives, the population having apparently gone Hp the hills out of the way of punishment, which they knew was to follow. The Opal then bombarded the whole promontory on which these villages stood.