SAMOAN NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 5995, 3 February 1881, Page 6

SAMOAN NEWS.

We Jiave files of the Samoan Times to the 25th December. We quote the following :

Captain Scott, late of the brigantine Active, hasi chartered the brigantine Matautu, from Messrs. H. M. Ruge and Co., for a voyage to' Auckland, calling at several places. en route, in completion of the trip which would have been undertaken by., the Active, but for her unfortunate mishap on Faleula reef. ' - .■■.,.-..:.■.- ■:■-■ : •'--

Intelligence reached us on the 22nd. December that that section of the Old Party: which had for some time been hemmed in by the Kiug forces near. Lano, Savaii, had surrendered on the previous' Monday. 'After some consideration it was resolved by Malie-. toa's followers that they would 'meet the wishes of the O.d Party, provided the latter agreed to an unconditional surrender. These terms were considered hard, but were ultimately assented to, and on Monday the Old Party marched out of the forts, delivering up their arms to a guard—"faa-papalagi." On the 23rd, as a boat belonging to JMeapuna was hearing, the shore close to the premises of the London Missionary Society at Malua, it was pounced upon by some Atua people who were lying in ambush, and two of the occupants—a sick man who had been brought to Malua for medical aid, and his brother who was tending' him —decapitated. Of the other parties''in the boat, three men escaped seaward, while three women and a child were rescued by the missionaries. After the skirmish was over the body of the sick man was taken westward in ; the boat which had been captured ; the other headleas body-lay in the sea for time but was subsequently removed westward "in a canoe. Div Turner and the other foreign missionaries at Malua did all in their power to prevent the outi - age recorded above, reminding the Atuans that the Mission laricV was sacred, but without avail. , The; Samgans '■ are'. evidently retrograding. A few years ayo all church and mission' property - was .looked upon , as sacred, but this, state of 'affairs.'is' now at an end. ';■' ' ■'.'■'■ ' -. : > '-.'■■-.' '""