MURDER OF A SETTLER AT FIJI.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1830, 3 June 1874, Page 3

MURDER OF A SETTLER AT FIJI.

A cobbespondent of the Ferald at Levuka writes:-Mr llosf • Lewin, : ■'» planter, residing at Tanna with his family, had for come time past been; annoyed by the depredations committed on hit crops by .pigs belonging to the natives. He repeatedly complained to the natives of their, pigs breaking through hit fence and destroying his crops, but without any notice being taken of it, His rembri" strnnc s proving useless, and receiving no redress, he determined to try other measures. Seeing some pigs amongst his crops one owning, he took his gun and shot one of them, afterwards throwing the body over the fence. The native who owned the pig discovered it, and wont to Mr Lewin, telling him deliberately that he would shoot him in revenge for killing his pig. Mr Lewin offered t > ompensato the native for the loss of the pig, and explained why he had killed it. The savage refused payment, and left with these words, '• [ shall have you for the pig." After this conversation, Mr Boss Lewin was) observed to be in a vory desponding state by the people about the plantation, He told his wife what had taken place, and remarked that the native would be sure to carry out his threat, He requested that, if he should be killed, his people would bury him at sea, alleging that if buried on shore the natives would dig his body up again. A few days after this he was engaged repairing a boat on his premises, and'while in the act of stooping down to lift a plank, a native approached from bebina and shot him dead. The native then took to flight. The people on the plantation then proceeded to carry out the unfortunate man's wish, —namely, to bury him at sea. Hit widow, accompanied by all the white people of the pice, took the body out to B<*a in a boat, and there committed it to the deep. Un their return to the shore, the wind came off the land, and the party were unable to reach llavanna harbour. After enduring some days of dreadful suffering and privation through exposure and want of water and food they were picked up at sea in a famished condition by the schooner ' Donald McLean,' on a on labour cruise. Their troubles were not ended liere, for alter getting on board the schooner a very heavy gale sprang up, and the vessel was driven out of her course, i hree of the white men died ou board the schooner of dysentery, while the sufferings and anxiety borne by Mrs lioss Lenin brought on a preuiaturo confinement at .sea. it. was, homer, fortunate they, fell in with the schooner, us otherwise mine of the party would have survived to tell the tale. The schooner 'Donald McLean,' which!had been instrumental in Btving their lives, had also had bloodshed ou board: whilst engaged in her labour cruise. The chief officer had been cut down with an axe, and murdered by one of the natives, and one of the seamen had been shot through the mouth nith a poisoned arrow.