A WILD RACE OF CANNIBALS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1297, 28 November 1911, Page 6

A WILD RACE OF CANNIBALS.

* .— TROUBLE AT THE SOLOMON ISLANDS. tßj TelccraDh.-Press Aesocia.tion.l Auckland, Xovcmber 27. On the arrival of the Mission steamci Southern Cross from the Xcic Hebrides and .Solomon Islands, it was reporte( that there was considerable unrest among: the No lives of the latter group, and tlial several murders had been committed, i> missionary being one of the victims. In the course of conversation with s reporter, Captain Sinker, who has been iu charge of .the vessel during her trip; to thu Islands during the last nine years, explained .the position ami the source oi the trouble. The disturbance, Captain Sinker said, was confined in tho main to the island of Mala, where the Natives were a wild raco of cannibals. The Kanakas win returned from Australia wero the Jirst to stir up strife. n.nd as soon as the Natives began to realise their power the position became serious. The bush tribes bitterly reseut the intrusion of the whitn man, and the chiefs employ hcad-hunt?r«, : .who, when opportunity, offers, murder anyone in'connection with the Mission villages and carry tho head of their victim to" the chief as imi indication of the Native's daring. It may be mentioned that when (he warship-.Torch landed a party to suppress the unruly ones the hill tribes concealed in the bush opened a fusillade with rifles. Ono bluejacket Ml with a bullet through his jaw, and tho party had perforce to retrtat. Thero is a police force on the island, but Natives have lo be employed, and they are not at. all satisfactory, as they only stay iu the force n. very short time, and llip'.v have, little more than learut their dutes when they want to return to (heir village. Captain Hinker considers that if Natives, could be imported from Fiji or s,orae distant groups more satisfactory results could be obtained.