AVENGING A SOUTH SEA MURDER.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1620, 30 April 1879, Page 3

AVENGING A SOUTH SEA MURDER.

[Press Special Wire.] AUCKLAND, April 29. The " Sydney Morning Herald's" Noumea correspondent writes on April 4th :—H.M.S. Cosmorant, Captain Bruce, anchored here a few hours after the departure of the mail. She comes from a cruise of some months amongst the South Sea Islands, and reports the discovery of no less than forty or fifty shoals and reefs not laid down upon the charts. These were caused no doubt during the Tolcanic disturbances, which some months since so altered tho soundings at Tanna Island. One important mission of the Cormorant was to enquire into the circumstances of the murder of Mr Ingham at Brooker Island. Captain Bruce asserts that the good results which would have followed the visit of tho Cormorant were much lessened by the fact of the Nativeß boing forewarned by traders of what they had to expect. On arriving at the place they cunningly pretended the most lamb-like innocence, coming off in canoes to trade, bringing island products, and conducting themselves in such a way that Captain Bruce rofused the aid he fully expected from the missionaries, and found it impossible to treat such confidence in any but a friendly manner while persevering in searching for proof of their culpability. The remains of poor Mr Ingham's boat and the plunder were discovered by tho search party. Then the " innocent " natives made themselves scarco, as before they had been confiding. When the murderers fled for protection to the other side of the sheltering hills, distant a milo or two from the ship, they found themselves pursued by rockets, which followed them " over the hills and far away," and burst amongst them some thirty

or forty seconds after the watchers on the hill-top's ! ad reen the shot fired from the vessel. They must have thought that the Yi'ry "devil," their only god, was pursuing them to death, more especially when, after the ship had Jolt, thoy found their village devastated, though not a man had put his foot on shore.

A new and very great danger is being fostered by traders among the South Sea Islands. One ,of tho articles most in demand by the islanders is dynamite. Sooner or later there is little doubt but some of these cunning civilised fellows, who have spent years amongst whites in Queer sland, New Caledonia, or Fiji, and who speak good English, and aro perfectly acquainted with the use of many articles of civilisod life, including the death dealing dynamite, will blow some vessel to pieces with this explosive. This dynamite question reminded Captain Bruce of an expedition up the Niger, in Africa, the shores of which river he found lined with cannon of various calibre sold to the natives hj the vory merchants whoso interest tho expedition was sent to protect.