THE CRUISE OF THE ALBATROSS.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7527, 30 August 1886, Page 3

THE CRUISE OF THE ALBATROSS.

(Sydney Daily Telegraph, 9th August.) The Albatross is a German gunboat of 800 tons, and belongs to the South Sea Island station,' and her head-quarters are at Apia, Samoa. The vessel lias on several occasions visited Port Jackson. Her last visit to tins port was in April last. Some time ago, it will be remembered, she trained some notoriety in consequence of the active part she took in connection with the annexation of the Caroline Group. Since then the Albatross has 'been in active service. At the early part of this year the vessel was told oft to punish the natives of various islands in the South Seas for the massacre of German subjects. The usual custom of shelling villages and destroying plantations, &c, was resorted to and a number of natives were killed. Since leaving this port on 3rd May last this vessel has been engaged on a similar mission, and once more has taught the natives a lesson. The first place of action affcel 1 leaving the port was at Havannah Harbor (Sandwich Islands), where the French troops were recently landed. Here the commander of the Albatross secured the services of a pilot and an interpreter and proceeded to a village named Lenure, at Mallicollo, where some 18 months ago a German trader namedKlein, in the employ of the German Plantation Company, and his companion, an Englishman, named Peter Cullen, were brutally murdered by the natives. Arriving off the village, the natives could be seen on the beach well armed with rifles and spears, and apparently prepared for any attack from the ship. To land among the savages would have been attended with great danger to life and limb ; consequently the captain of the Albatross decided to go to work cantiously. Having ascertained that the natives of the village were implicated in the crime, the captain ran the vessel close in to the beach and opened fire on the savages as they stood in a group not many yards from the bush. The big guns, broadside-mounted, Gatling guns, and rifles were brought into action, and although the natives lost no. time in making their way to the bush, about a dozen fell victims to the deadly fire poured out from the ship. Firing having ceased, a party of 40 marines, in charge of two lieutenants, were landed and sent inland j to the village. The village lay a few miles from the beach, and after a rough march the men came across it quite deserted. ' Fires were burning in the huts, and the general appearance of things ashore showed that the natives had made good their escape only a few ininutes before the mavines arrived, having first buried the bodies of those lulled. Clothes belonging to a white man were found in the village,' and identified by the captain of the cutter as those of the unfortunate trader Cullen. After destroying the huts and plantations the men returned, and soon after the vessel opened fire on another village close to Lenure, the natives of which were concerned' in tho murder of the traders. About half a.dbzen natives, it is believed, were killed at this village, and the armed party, which was afterwards landed, destroyed the huts and plantations and killed a number of pigs which were run- ! nirig loose. ; Not one native could bo seen' I at the village, but the beating of their " tomtoms " could be distinctly heard in the distance. A chair belonging -to the trader Klein, who was killed by the savages, was found in the village, and fully convinced the captain of the Albatross that he had sheeted home punishment to the guilty natives. From Mallicollo the Albatross went to Penticost Island, and there punished the natives of Tombolonga for the murder of one of the officers of tho German schooner Upolu, owned by the German Plantation Company. The unfortunate officer was killed while batliing, and gave the natives no provocation whatever. News of the murder was furnished the officers of the Albatross by a trader who had met the Upolu. The Albatross first of all shelled the village, and thereby killed half a dozen natives, and afterwards tho crew landed and burnt the huts and wrecked the plantations. The Albatross returned to Mallicollo (Sandwich Islands), and having reported her doings at . Tombolonga, set sail for New Britain on 22nd May. Matape was reached after a voyage of nine days, and the vessel having^oaled made a flying cruise through the group. During the stay at New Britain the officers of the Albatross discovered a new harbor, which, although possessed of a narrow entrance, affords a fine anchorage for large vessels. The Albatross steamed into the harbor, and her officers made a flying survey. The harbor lies close to Cape Palliser, but the entrance is so intricate thatit can only be entered by steamers. From New Britain the Albatross sailed for the Caroline Group, and there was engaged hauling clown the German (lag which was hoisted last year. . The Germans, it appears, hail annexed the islands, but afterwards entered. into a treaty with the Spaniards and retracted. .The Albatross visited Ulie, Truck, Ponape, Pingelap, and Strong, where the German flag was hoisted, and having lowered it and left a notification that the islands had been placed under Spanish protection went to the Marshall Group, ..which was annexed by the Nautilus three months ago. Juliat Island was reached in due course, and the vessel ' having ' coaled left on 14th July. The Albatross has a complement of 150 officers and men. The officers' names are : — Commander, Count Baudissin ; Lieutenants Randewig, Schroder, and Sass ; Surgeon, Dr Sueider.