REVOLT AND MASSACRE AT NEW CALEDONIA.

Waikato Times, Volume XII, Issue 950, 25 July 1878, Page 2

REVOLT AND MASSACRE AT NEW CALEDONIA.

(From the ' Sydney Morning Herald's ' Special Correspondent.) NOUMEA (New Caledonia), June 29. By the Lochlee, sailing ves^o' 1 , which left here this morning at 9 o'clock, for Sydney, I wrote details of a terrible revolt of natives in the districts ot Ourail and Boularpari, distant GO and 90 miles from here. Ou the. 25th the first intimation of l.h« outbvrst reached Noumea. It was reported that a " posse " of five gens d' arines on the River Foe, near Ourau, had beeii attacked, and ail the five men murdered. Soon a general murderous assault upon the " colons," farmers, and every white resident \u tiie neighbourhood of Ourail was telegraphed. The Soudre was at onco despatche I with troops to the scene of con diet, the first movement which seemed to convince the inhabitants of Mouine i that the report was correct, so astonished was evevone at an event so utterly unanticipated. NEWS OF THLK MASSA.CRB. On Wednesday, news arrived that environs of Ourial were in flames,' and twenty-one whites known to be massacre 1, the revolt sp.e.uluig toward-? Boularpiri, thirty m:U* ne trer Noumea. Thursday morning, intelligence arrived of the massacre oc the " colons" and other residents in Boulapari and the surromidinif rlistiicts. Fug : tivcs bewail to arrive

in town, and the excitement was intense, verging during the da. upon ;i panic. Mounted civillians, to the number of , twenty, armed by the Government, had started to the scene of carnage at midnight,' but the demons had done their work. Thej arrived to find the place in ashes, , corpses lying in every direction, cut and hacked as savages delight to do. Family after f'anrly were found murdered in heaps, no mercy having been shown to men, women, or children. Treacherous surprise was the lot of all ; perhaps none anion? the victims had a moment's idea of the fate which awaited them, accustomed as they had been for many

years to duly friendly intercourse with the natives. The Ginala natives have taken up arms against the revolted tribe, headed by the great chiefs Gelimah and Kaka, the former of whom has been slightly wounded—s sure cement to their alliance with us. The main instigator of this proceeding was a functionary named Lecarte, who was ignominously dismissed from his office on arrival of the new Governor, Monsieur Olry, and is to proceed by the frigate Fage to to France to account for the many evils he has done here. He has now, in the opiuion of mauy the blood of many innocent victims upon his head. Other causes are advauced as briuging about this terrible calamity, in especial the forced and ill-paid service of a certain number of natives exacted by the Government from the chiefs, and the inroads of the settlers' cattle upon the native plantations. A very panic has seized the people; families preparing to embark on board ship, mothers showing terror for their children, the latter crying in fear, and trembling until reassured by the efforts of one or two well-informed people who exerted themselves to calm the agitated ones. News arrived during the day of the capture and execution of eleven natives on the Dombea River. June 30. Military, gendarmes, and a large number of armed civilians are iu

pat-suit, and 150 Cauala natives are aiding to surround them.

The band of twenty horsemen who Kipni&ht on Weduesduy, returned late last, night, brino-in** heart-rending descriptions of °the sights they have witnessed. The latest ndves from Boiuarpavi states that natives made an attack upon a band of convicts, seeing them protected by four sailors only. They did not reckon up*>n those who were on watch in the camp. The convicts were all brought in but one, who had taken too much wine by some means. He was e( ?>.. an d a surveiilant wounded whilst crying to get the man on. The sailors attacked and killed eight of the natives before they knew what they were.

July 2. The military, armed sailors, and friendly natives surrounding the insurgents who are knowu to be frequenting the sea-shore for the purpose of procuring fish, their only means of present subsistence. Inform ition received of the utter destruction of the large village of Narai by our men, and the cutting off of all cocoanuts, bunches* and flowers. Eugene, a friendly chief of Paita district, captured six of the revolted blacks, and delivered them to the military, by whom they were executed- A number of Arabs, prisoners for tue insurrection in Algeria aie in pursuit of the natives. Several other New Caledonia natives will also be enlisted 'n the pursuit. Telegraphic communication is interrupted with some of the country districts. At the commencement of the. native rising the telegraph post 3 were cut to the ground, but the wires were left intact. It is extremely fortunate that the frigate ' Fage ' had not departed for France, taking with her the usual complement of return soldiers. We have her Urge crow of GOO men, and the company of infantry she brought from France, in addition to the usual forces of the colony. A special commission has been formed to collect subscriptions in aid of the 3unerers by the revolt. The Government are devoting to this purpose, the amount of 6000 francs (£34'o) which ihey annually give to the fetes, races, &c, upon the anniversary of the -colony, the 24th of September. There will be little spirit for the usual rejoicings this year, and the money will be much better em ployed in the manner indicated. The list of victims whose bodies have b;en found, numbers at present eighty-five. July 5-. No extension of the revolt. The Kanaks are being gradually hemmed in on all sides." A large military camp is to be. at once formed at Bmlarpari, as a centre from which operations may be carried on in all directions. Noumea is perfectly calm. . r! There is-no. cause-for approheusion respecting the town of -Noiime*. The insurrection did not come this side of Bo larpari and its neighbourhood, distant fifty or sixty miles from Noumea. Further, the revolt is conh'ied to the tribes at :\"arai and B mlaroari, with the ingenue liate places, and is now oiscuinscribed with a radius of ihout twenty-five miles.

5 p.m. The whole place is thrilled with horr.ir on the receipt of the news just irrivcd —that Gaily-Passebosc, Commandant Militaire of New Caledonia, who went with the first detachment of troops to the scene of action, had been wounded at 11 a.m. yerterday, and died at three o'clock this morning. He was nnrehiug with his men, restoring the telegraphic communication with Noumea, when suddenly shots were tired from the bush, and he fell wounded in the thigh and the pit of the stomach. Colonel Gally-Passebosc wrs the youngest colonel in the French service, having worked his way up from the rank of a common soldier. LATEST. <£- 7th, 9 a.m. The latest news is, that yesterday eighty-four houses of the natives were burned near Boularpari. Some captives were taken and executed. All remains perfectly quiet throughout the other parts of the colony, and everything is progressing to the complete satisfaction of the authorities.