A SOUTH SEA TRAGEDY.

Marlborough Express, Volume XIX, Issue 189, 27 August 1883, Page 2

A SOUTH SEA TRAGEDY.

Fitou Captiin Francis, of the schooner Meg Merrilies (says the Fiji Argus of July 1.1), we have obtained the following particulars of an outrage which occurred at New Britain o = n May 10 last, a? related to him by Mr Carroll, a trader for the firm of Godeffroy and Co., of Samoa ;-" It appears that the master df, the schooner Fanny, of Queensland, oil arriving at that island for the purpose of recruiting, obtained at the first town visited an interpreter, and with him proceeded m one of the ship's boats, m company with the Government Agent and a priest, win was a passenger, to a distant villiage for the purpose of obtaining labourers. At this village the interpreter was recognised as a renegade member of . the tribe, and immediately set upon and slaughtered, his head being cloven open with an axe. The body was recovered and taken into the boat ; but when it was found that life was extinct it wa3 buried In the sea. As the schooner was lying off and on at the town where the interpreter was obtained, the oaptain determined upon proceeding therj to inform the townspeople of the sad occurrence. The idea was carried out, but when the sad story was told to the Natives, who had assembled on the beach m large numbers, all well armed, they expressed doubts as to the tntth of the statement, and expressed then" belief that theit! friend had been murdered by the white men. They then retreated from the boat and opened fire. This was returned, two of the Natives being hit. The fight then became general, and m the course of it the captain received two bullets, a serious cut from a tomahawk, and a spear wound — his injuries being_ so serious that his life was despaired of. The Government agent was also severely wounded, and the priest received a bullet m the thigh. Some of the boat's crew were also wounded, and they had the greatest difficulty m escaping with their lives. It appears singular that the captain, Government agent, and passenger were all m one boat ; but Captain Francis assures us that New Britain being a new field, this often occurs m the anxiety to be first to visit a term incognita,' besides which the Natives are generally so friendly that much confidence is reposed m them, and the traders and recruiters resident there are of opinion that had the captain taken the body of the interpreter back to his friends instead of throwing it over the side, tho lamentable occurrence would never have happened."