A PATHETIC STORY.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7549, 24 September 1886, Page 4

A PATHETIC STORY.

B&&L ';■'.-"■' . > The follo\ving from a, special reporter ': writinc f rom a vessel : bruising '/off tho Mhm'" ■- New Hebrides jlslands,, appears' ; in^ the HH. V ;..' ■ Aaa of .the 7tli irist. -.— ; . ' '. .- v ," fSSKS-' ■' ■ The scenery along this portion, of the ■B/ 1 .. - _.. coast is highly picturesque.- Many waterHH ; ': ;/ " ' falU'of considerable ; size, are. to -.be i seen WKBm ■'•'" ■ \ •' like silver .threads streaking tlie''sittes of ■MS' v ". ' : ■'' mountain and cliff. ' I am' shown". the site ■jjjs ; - '. -of a' 1 village which some little time ago IHH"/ 1 ' ''-'"■' was . !r by-i' ! the '"French warship H|4 ; ' .' ; L'Allier. ''^''Frenchman named Mathieu, ■H|(, ; . ' ■' ; „ - . in the employ of "Mr Morgan as a trade? HG 1 • ' on this -paH'-of .'ilievcoosti Avas •nmildered |BE}';',:'.'. - . hysomeofit^einha^tants.of .thq,village, HHBW. ••■; '' ' The L'Allier was.'sent te inlUc't- puinshHB;''4 -■ '; wont on his. nnmlerers, and on her arrival ■Hl^r -, '-.'■ ;' ofrthecoast'tlie 'captain 'sent'ash'dre-and SjSS' '- • demanded' 'that -they should' he suvren-; MS ' „ .\' dered ; to him, the alternative" being tbo [^H,"-; -i .destruction" of • thepyillage.r,-»,At WBt:- : . ■ 12 o'clock^ that. ; niglJii. ./a small- canoe, raß, ■-:,:• ' containing" a little boy, came off- to the bMJ' ■ ■'■ . slim, who (Jomauded to'soptlie captain, as, HH ' ■ ; - ■ ,ho had something important to communi-' HH|.i; ; " "..' cate; He'was'iishered into the' captain's" j^H : '":" : ■• presence, who,-,, by ,tho aid of an inter■H.'i - .>,' . . pretor, demanded his Imsiness.- The child HB - -•* ' ■ *n quavering tones, said that the big chief ■MB' /■ :of his .village had; ordered; him ; to go on Bbß, ; ,/-• - board the man-of-war and tell the captain HB-v—, ■ that ho might' Mil ! and eat him, on con-|HU-7- ' dition that "fight be.jinish.". In -other ■H'^-- i! •• words, tlyit.his ,pqor little. life' "should be BW ; .■■.■. ■ taken, mid 1 his infant body eaten, arid that MJjj ■■'.'■ ■ . considore^'.full, compensation for the loss KR ..' "W. of the murdered'-'lfrenchman, . The little Hv'--" : . .patriot^aSifully; persuaded. that'he liad HE'-v • V ''. . .looked-ihis.last on his belo.v'ed island.' ', He SW ' - - was kindly .ti«(ite3, and thb capfoin took, MB, \ rs , . :' .him to Noumea; as 'tlie'.poor little fellow's BBsl '> ; lifo vrouldhave been forfeited had ho been MB, ■ }-_■ ■ . Bont back to tho shore Svithout fulfilling HH ''■■'-: , ' his missiqn.i \ The village A r as shelled the MM -'•„ . . next day^ but I do- not thuikrany lives MB f- ■.■•■' were loajbion that, occasion , as the natives MB:." "■ ■""•"- having had- warning retreated to. the MB o : ,' ; ' interior of tho island ; " and-.did hot return |H[,s ■ '■! .. nntil the: departure, of the; vessel. ; 'They «h v-s i . found thfeirihouses burnt'and broken, and BjW'".' . ' . ' the ground torn up in all directions.- . 'This MR- ' .-' - ■ . -was not a.great. loss, as a few days' work 88 -:'-'' ' enabled" them^t'o repair the damage done. ■H\l ■ " Vengeance, however, 'Still pursued them. ■H- '';,•• ' They .discovered a number of she}ls^vh]ch BBS • ■ i had riot exploded, and wishing' to shojv. pH ; • their.contempt.of-the white man's lumps HB:>'\ " of iron ; built,a large fire, and rolled them ana' , into it. I .' 'The consequences may be SH';",, ,. . imagined,- Ay number of the, unfortunate WSt •"'" * wretches were killed on'tho spot. I asked Hhl- "v ' one of. rthem about tlie matter, ;and, after. fflj-'v' -„ . . describing, tho. incident, he concluded shy : ;.; "■ " Baying ? lil 'f:Man-a- wee-wee; ho- no: fight