THE FIJI MASSACRE.

West Coast Times, Issue 651, 25 October 1867, Page 3

THE FIJI MASSACRE.

(TO THE EDITOB 01? THE MEBCUBY.) Deae Sie — Hundreds of your readers will be glad to read an authentic accovnt of the recent massacre of the missionary Baker at the Fiji Islands. I therefore ?laee the accompanying letter from Rev. . Carey at your disposal. The word Jotic means Christian religion. I reget to say that Mr Baker's body waa eaten. Yours truly, Joseph Wateehoitse. Westbury, October 4, 1867. Rewa, Fiji, July 27, 1567. My deae Bbothee — Last week I was beginning to see the end of a great deal of work that seemed to be pressing upon me immediately after our district meeting, and I thought that in a day or two more I would write you a long letter, telling you something of our joys and sorrows, and of the progress of God's work in many parts of this group. The death of our dear sister Eooncy had cast a cloud over all our mind 3 ; then came the news of the death of "Brother Rooney's little one, and als£ of Mr and Mrs Eobson's first born. These things were occupying my thoughts when a dreadful event occurred in this circuit, which has pushed everything else aside, and made our heads to hang down and our hearts to break with grief. Oh, how I wish you were here, so that I might be spared w riting you a tale of deeds of darkness, such as the history of this mission has never before recorded. I will not keep you in suspense, but say at once that my beloved brother missionary, the Rev. J. Baker, has gone to his rest. His work is ended, — the faithful, hard-working man — but your heart will almost break when I tell you the dreadful event which closed his ■ earthly course. I saw Brother Baker for the last time on Thursday, 11th instant. He came down with Mrs Baker and the children to spend the day, and to open a small place of worship near Rowa. Our house was pretty full when he arrived, as some officers of H.M.S. Falcon had just come up from the bay. He left us again in the afternoon for his residence at Davinlevu, and on his arrival, home found the Revs. Moore and Tait there. They remained at his house till the morning of Saturday, 13th inst., when they came down to see me, bringing me a note from Mr Baker, in which lie informed me that he was just leaving for some of the inland towns — that lie should preach in English, in Mr Lee's house at Natansa, near Viria, on Siinday, 14th, and on Monday press on Ms way up that branch of the liver ca^ed the Wai Levu. During the week after his departure I received a message from Mrs ' Baker to the effect that Mr Baker had sent to te 11 her that if, during his absence, he should decide to try and cross over th.o island to Vuda on the west coast, she might expect a letter from him on Monday or Tuesday, 22nd or 23rd inst. This was the very first intimation that any of us had of any such idea occupying his mind. From this moment my anxiety about him began, and continued to grow till Tuesday, 23rd instant, when two pencil notes were received from him, one for Mrs Baker and the other for myself. Mine was dated " Dawarau, 19th July," Mrs Baker's, "Friday evenisg, 19th July," from the same place. These notes stated that as he had got so far it was his intention to press on in the moniiog to the next tribe called Navosa. That he felt no fear, and that if the people would let him pass, he would continue bis route westward to Vuda, and return, per canoe, via Nadroga. Now his intentions were so far clear to me, I began to strangely uncomfortable. Mr Baker was accompanied by Shadrach Seileka, N.A.M., two teachers, who joined him on the way, and six young men, students in our institution. They were all without arms of any kind. The chief of Namara at Dawarau gave him two young men as guides to the said heathen tribe of Navosa. This place is, as far as I can at present ascertain, situated about 177 degrees 53 minutes E. longitude, and 17 degrees 45 minutes S. latitude, and I believe Captain Jones, V.C., and party slept there, on his way across the island from south to north. But Captain Jones had a pretty strong escort with him which was given him by the chief of Wamosi. Early on the morning of Saturday, 20th inst., Mr Baker left the district of Dawarau — which, by the way was only partially " lotu." , He arrived late 'in the afternoon of the same day at a town called Gagadehwatu, in the Navosa district. He saw the chief at once, and presenting a whale's tooth, asked to be conducted to Magedo, a tribe near Yuda. The chief replied, " Very good ; you shall have the path to Yuda." Mr Baker a*? 0 begged him to "lotu 5 "; but he replied, •• No, not :I," and pointing to a battle-axe, said, " That's the thing for the lotu/ No food was given to the weary travellers that night. During the night the native : assistant missionary went &°& ° ?? 6*° about, when He saw EL \? Ve I the c ? mfa y. coming toE? 8 .. 1 ? 6 ** 0*?0 *?- Mrßaker then said to hun, Let us be off at once " ; but the chief overheard him, and said, -No; the Consul slept here, and so must you."

Our friends, therefore, remained till break of day. Sunday 21st inst., and very early in tho morning, Mr Baker went to the door and observed that the town had a good many savage looking fellows in it. He then said to his young men, " Lads, we shall die to-day, let us be off." He went outside and his young men followed him. The chief of the place then came up and said to him, " Come, let us put you on the road to Yuda." Mr Baker and his men followed, but had not gone more that one hundred yards, when the last man of the party, who carried Mr Baker's small iron box, was clubbed by the second chief of the place, who was now leading on a band of armed young men. The blow took no effect on the man, who threw down the box and dashed aside out of the line. The noise of the blow and the box caused Mr Baker to turn round to see what had happened, and with uplifted hand he was calling out, " Don't, don't," &c, when a man who had been following close behind him gave him a dreadful cut "nith his battle-axe at the back of the neck, and little to tho right side. The poor missionary fell over on his right side. The native assistant missionary, Shadrach Seileka, knelt down to kiss him, when he too was killed, and, one after another, the others, until the whole party, save one native teacher, were destroyed. Oh, my dear brother Waterhouse, my heart is well nigh broken as I picture this dreadful scene. Since I got the first news on Wednesday last, I have had no rest, but in the midst of blinding tears have been writing our chairman and all the missionaries. And then we have the poor widow and fatherless children ; and who can comfort them ? Brother Tait came with all speed to see us, and while I write this to you I am expecting the Rev. W. Moore, our beloved chairman. But the news has come so like a thunder clap upon everybody, that hearts seem to be turned to stone, and the feeling keeps coming over us that we cannot believe it. The King ot Ban and the chief of Rewa have despatched messengers to Navosa and up the Rewa River to the in 1 and tribes to gather further information, and, if possible, to secure what we know will be but distressing remains of my late zealous and hard-working faithful colleague. I hardly know how to write to our brother Lingham, who is now in the colonies, and preparing to return to this field of labor. I shall have to write you often now about this awful event. Oh ! pray for the widow and the little ones, and for us, your fellow missionaries. With much love from Mrs Carey and myself to you and Mrs Waterhouse, I am, my dear brother Waterhouse, Your deeply afflicted brother, Jesse Caret. P.S. — Poor Mrs Baker is keeping up, but Oh ! at times you c?n imagine the scene that comes up before her, and then the broken heart. There was no war or any disturbances among the tribes inland at the time. J. C.