MURDERS IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LI, Issue 5599, 4 February 1879, Page 7

MURDERS IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS.

(From the Sydney Morning Herald.) Captain Brodie, of the Ariel, which has arrived in Sydney from St Christoval, one of the Solomon Islands, brings the following statement by W. D. Cartwright, partner of the late Eobert Provis, who with three Solomon Island boys was murdered at the Solomon Islands. Mr Provis was trading for Captain Schwartze, of the schooner Sephyr : —On Tuesday, Nov. 19, 1878, Eobert Provis and three boys belonging to Yisalli, started from the station at Visalli for Eua Vatu. On Saturday, Nov. 30,1878, some Savo men came over from Savo and reported that four canoes belonging to Savo had come over from Lunga (Port la Cruz) on the previous night (Friday) and that Eobert Provis and three Solomon Island boys had been murdered there at a town called Malambui, and that the trade chest, arms, and everything of any value had been taken ashore. The bodies of the murdered were out up into small pieces and hung up in the trees, and the white, man’s head and one Solomon Island boy’s were hung up in a tree at Port la Cruz, and the other two Solomon Island boys’ heads were taken to Malambui, and hung up in a tree there. The murder was committed either on Monday, Nov. 25, or Tuesday, Nov. 26,1878. James Morrow and James Martin, trading at the Island of Savo, on hearing this report on Saturday morning, Nov. 30, at nine o’clock, knowing that the Visalli natives would kill me in revenge for the three boys, endeavoured to launch their boat, but could get no men, and it was also a dead calm. About half-past six o’clock in the evening the Savo natives reported that the Visalli natives were going to kill me. Immediately on hearing this James Morrow asked the Savo natives if they were willing to go and save me. They agreed to do so if they were paid, and they then launched the boat. James Morrow and James Martin, with ten Savo men, left Savo in the boat at eight o’clock that night and arrived at Visalli at 11 o’clock the same night. They saw lights all along the coast. They waited until the moon had gone down, so as to get me away without being troubled by the Visalli natives. They called out several times, but could get no answer because I was away, the chiefs having taken me away, with all the trade, in the afternoon to another place. They saw a light in my house, which was immediately put out on their calling. They then fired a musket so as to ascertain if I was anywhere near, and they could not land, not knowing how many natives were on the shore; but on their lifting the anchor a native from the shore began to call out. James Morrow asked him where I was, and the native told him I had gone away with two or three natives in a canoe and taken all the trade, but ho did not know where. The Savo natives in the boat said not to believe him, and the Savo men in the boat getting frightened wanted to get back to Savo, and they said I was killed and it was no use staying, and it was decided to return. James Morrow wanted to leave the boat outride the eef until morning, so as to

see whether anything might be done, but the weather looked verydirty, and, taking all things into consideration, he thought it bettor to return. On the Monday following, James Morrow heard I was.still alive, and as there were a lot of canoes going Over tp a feast at Visalli, James Martin wrote a note, and sent it by one of the principal men of the island named Buto, and told him to deliver it to me as soon as possible, and bring one from me as soon in return as quick as he could. On receipt of this note James Morrow and James Martin ‘came over in their boat immediately to a viljage named Vatu Loon, where I was stopping. It was half-past II o’clock when they arrived. Next day (Tuesday) all the trade that was saved was taken down and placed in James Morrow’s boat, and we started for Savo. The natives of Visalli were getting very troublesome, and we should not hav6 been able to save any trade at all, and in foot they would have killed me had there not been about 250 Savo men from James Morrow’s station at Vatu Loon, and the Visalli natives getting frightened took to the bash.