AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY'S EXPEDITION.
TheGunaarrivedrecentlyfrom Thursday Island. The captain states that when he left, two Papuan Natives had arrived from New Guinea with a report that all the members of the ex. ploricg expedition sent out by the Geographical Society of New South WaleS had all been attacked and murdered by the natives in tiie Fly Biver, district of New Guinea.
Further particulars respecting the reported massacre of the Geographical Society's expedition, shows that there is every reason to fear the account is true. It is alleged the natives stole a boat belonging to the expedition, and four days later mastered their fighting men, and returned in the dead of night and surprised and killed the whole party. It ie probable some aotion will be taken by the authorities to punish tbe murderers. Further details to hand respecting the massacre of the members ot the Geo-, graphical .-Expedition, state that Captain Everell, leader of the Expedition, having reason to believe the nativechief, Cairoßsa, who was piloting the boats up the Fly Biver, was misleading; them, threw, him overboard,, whereupon Caircssa,; in order to be revenged, stole a boat, obtained a number of -fighting men, and returned at night and massacred the party. Several savsges having been seen with new table knives ih their possession supposed to belong to the expedition, coupled with the fact that Capt. Everell failed to keep his appointment with Mr Macfarlane, tends to point to the truth of the reports previously received.
Telegrams from Cooktown state that the members of the geographical party are all safe, having arrived at Cooktown last night in the steamer Bonite. Details state that after ascending the Fly Biver aa far as ■'• it was possible to do in boats, they took to the whaleboat, and proceeded some eighty miles up the stream. Here they encountered' a numerous body of natives, whom their describe as a fine race, although exceedingly shy and hostile to strangers. Captain Everill states that he found it impossible to hold any friendly communication with them, and the jungle waa so dense that he had to return without being able to penetrate any distance into the interior of the country.
AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY'S EXPEDITION.
Press, Volume XLII, Issue 6304, 2 December 1885, Page 7
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