AN ISLAND CRUISE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 285, 3 December 1890, Page 2

AN ISLAND CRUISE.

H.M.S. ROYALIST IN THE SOUTH &EAS.

THE ISLAND LABOUR TRADE,

REPRISALS ON THE NATIVES.

Detailed accounts are to hand from Sydney regarding tho recent interesting nruiso of the British cruiser Royalist, 10 guns. Captain E. H. M. Davis, in the South Scan. Tho Royalist left Sydney last for the Now Hebrides on September Bth, and arrived afc Noumea on September 22nd, and left there for the Now Hebrides on October 11th, arriving at Havannah Harbour, Efatii Island, on October 13th. H.M.s. Dark was there, and had nearly completed surveying tho island.' On October 14th the Royalist visited Vila Harbour, and she sailed the same evening for Apia and Mallicolo. There appeared to be no intention at present) to form another municipality ab Port Vila At Salisun Bay, Mallicolo leland, on October 16th, an "inquiry was held by Captain Davi3 with reference to charges against the Queensland labour schooner May of illegal recruiting. These charges were proved, and five natives having been taken out of her the May was ordered to cease recruiting and return to Queensland. This meant) a very serious loss to her owners. The labour traffic coming to an end very shortly, the premium offered in Queensland for labourers has increased to as much as £30 or more per head. This high premium tends to illegal acts on the part of masters of vessels and recruiting agents, who are nob as particular as they should be as to where they obtain their recruits. Very often they steal the recruits from European omplovers. This was tho case with the May, the"five men..taken out of her by Captain Davis having been in the employment of the Caledonien-New Hebrides Company at Havannah Harbour. It was eventually found that one of the " recruits " had originally boen stolen from an English missionary in the Solomon lelands. Captain Davis, of the Royalist, recovered the Islanders through the captain of the French man-o'-war Saone, and he hastened back to Biehop Solwyn. Since the May's return to Quoeneland it is reported that she had on board a number of other labourers recruited in the samo manner.

October 17th and 18th were spent by the Royalist's officers in making inquiries into tho caao againsb the natives of Mallicolo Island of having massacred tho survivors of the wreck of the labour schooner Eliza Mary in March last. On October 19th the Koyalieb proceeded to Malo and Aure to inquire into the murder of George Dβ Labour and son, which took place on Aure Island on the night of September Bth. _ The murderers were secured by the assistance of a chief of Malo Island. The result of the inquiry, lasting for several days, was that a native of Aure Island and two Malo men were found guilty of having shot tho Dβ, Labours and afterwards tomahawked them. The murderers wore sentenced to death, and on Octobor £7 they were executed near the scene of the murders.in the presence of the assembled natives from A\ir6 aud Malo Islands. A native woman, who was employed as housekeeper of the Dβ Lntours, apparently connived at the nurrlors. Thie woman was pent to the chief of the island to which f he belonged/ Tho islands of Pentecost, Aoba," and Aurora, and the Banka_ and Torres gropps were vieitod. Bishop y i ■ vn was mot in hie whaleboftt off Santa >:*:ia on October 30. The bishop was then engaged visiting the mission etation and echools in the Torres in the mission schooner Southern Cross. Tho Queensland labour schooner Roderick Dhu was met with off Santa Maria, and

the result of an inquiry showed that the vessel had been engaged illegally recruiting two native boye under the prescribed age. After visiting the mission station at Santo, Tangoa, and Malo, the mission and trading stations on Vao, Retchin, Walla, Ratio, and Urumbo Island*, the Royalist proceeded to Pankuma, Mallicolo Island. On November sth tho inquiry concerning the wreck of tho Eliza Mary and the illtreatment of her survivors by tho natives was concluded nt Brv;lon Bay. The evidence wenfc to show that several of the survivors of tho wreck had boon ill-treated, but not to the extent of the exaggerated reports which appeared in the papers. Ono man only, a native of Buka Buka, who was missing,is supposed to have been killed, but the evidence was not strong enough to prove it. Three natives wore supposed to have taken part in the attack on the survivors of the wreck, and of these two were soverely floggod in the presence of their tribe by two of tho natives they had illtreated, and who had been brought from Onslo and Noumea as witnesses. The third culprit being to ill to receive punishment, was let off with/a warning. Without doubb moat of the men missing from the wreck were either drowned or dashed to pieces on the rocks. All who remained by the ship were saved. From Mallicolo tho Royalfst returned to Sydney via Noumea. Everything is now quiet ab the Islands, and Captain Davis reports having received much valuable assistance from the missionaries in tho various Islands.