Massacres in the South Seas.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3914, 15 July 1881, Page 2

Massacres in the South Seas.

■ Noumkaj Jruna ry l3 f , By the arrival of the Aurora froni the Islands we learn of aew massacres at Xojj^a, the island so famous for many massacres, those in connection with the vessels Daunt* less and; Mystery in particular. On the 29th ultimo the, May Queen anchored there for the purpose of landing one returned labourer and to recruit for others. Having landed the one man, the boats were on their return to thevessel Wfien they, were hailed to wait, as mans, men wanted to engage tain*!—t, 1> The boats backed i* t*;4¥p_b«*ib ft a^—•*, when they were ipmrtJßfctely attacked by the natives, who;, using Infra knives and tomahawks, killed one white mat! and the black crew* of the twpijhofts^ —all except two, who escaped to the vessel by swimming, though severelj wounded by tomahawk cuts. There^fero eight blacks in all killed, and no doufcfc a high festival was held over their cooked bodies, and that of the poor whit* man, very soon after thier massacre. The amiable natives of this now too celebrated island of Aoba, , by the immunity with which tftey'can put in practice their mufdeFiag l^embiiioalUtic instincts, take quite i f£id«n doing so on every possible ocoatiotfl :Zt-'Wa*;JbaM this island that the «e*jiegoat " Antoga?* was taken to Fiji*-where he wtfaTas a. matter of oou'tse, aeqtiitiej&gil( 4f^fm» that so many pigs—and, I am informed, that the very/ choice (meiw^Tbri^moduced—were accepted? 'in payment Jfor various murders. Since then the' islanders hare laughed at the idea of an Eaglib, man : of- war f iaiting them* say ititap bfmey were ready with pigs, ifatf fe'ry^Hljig to thus pay for a good feed oi! wUitjj Jatn't. flesh." Derisive messages, have Beeirient to the war-ships. " All are, h^|rever* eclipsed by this, which i»flow the.MuK. ing theme amoßgst these murder QK: savages viz, a defiant invitatkm to tk« big white chief <Gomw^s?l£* with his ships ; they, »/^PQjrat afSl medicine uiau, will cause a great irindtrt

,';.fifii»fs6ftaimMK his vessels, capture him * ~~«od bis orew, kill, cook, and eat them all, commencing with the "chief." Such a cordial, if not tempting, invitation has barely been bestowed upon a British commodore. ''•"

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