OUTRAGE BY BLACKS AT PALM ISLAND.

Waikato Times, Volume VII, Issue 352, 15 August 1874, Page 2

OUTRAGE BY BLACKS AT PALM ISLAND.

The following; is from the Cleveland Bag Express: Captain Mackay, of the cutter Albert JEdward, arrived in port on Thursday, 2nd in»t., from the Herbert Eiver and leports that after leaving Card* oil, on his return pamer bo was met by head winds, which occasioned him and his mate, Duncan Henderson, great fatigue and lofs of rest and finding they could make but little way, ran mto Challencer Bay, m the islands known as the Big Palms, Jor the night • and when bleeping heavily they were suddenly awakened by a number of burning brands being thrown down the companion into the cabin, he himself receiving a spear wound the point of the spear entering immediately below the cheek' bone, passing completely through, and smashing the lower jaw ; the captain meantime with great presence of mind lav perfectly quiet, and rolled a bag of sugar in front of him into which the savages kept prodding their spcare They then attempted te smother those in the cabin, if not already finished by their wounds, by holding a sack oTer the entrance te the companion. The mate having by this time somewhat recovered his reuse, and the blacks being pretty quietdoubtless congratulating themselves on their easj conquest and concerting measures for the further disposal of their booty— the captain suggested that their only meam of escape was to make a sudden and simultaneousrallyby rushingupon deck, which course tbej pursued successfully, as the brutes immediately fled, dropping m their haste to get away many of their weapons, and even abandoning their canoes by means of which they had got on board. Immediately on arriving in port, Captain Mackay called in Dr Frost to attend to the wounded man, and under his directions he was conveyed to the hospital. We ourselves saw him, and con safely say that it is scarcely credible that he should be still alive, some of his wounds being of a fearful character, his skull in one place being laid bare for a space of three inches, the result apparently, of two strokes of the wooden swords, the flesh being completely taken away, his breast being also laid bare besides sevenil other cuts and bruises. After the blacks had decamped, Captain llaekay, thinking he saw signs of their preparing for another attack, got the boat under w ay and ran back to Oai dwell and reported the occurrence to Mr Sheridan who, we believe, has since visited the island, accompanied with some black troopers, but without being able to fiud any blacks. Amongst the weapons dropped on the deck of the Albeiti t Edward was a cliitel branded WS, which may possibly have belonged to old Bill Smith, who was murdered on Green Island some time since.