THE FRENCH COLONISATION SWINDLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6578, 16 December 1882, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE FRENCH COLONISATION SWINDLE.

TRIAL OF THE "MARQUIS BE RAYS." The Paris correspondent of the Sydney Morning HerMd writes :—Some little time will probably elapse before the trial of M. du Breil, for fraudulent practices in conneatioD with what 13 known as the " Marquis de Kays' Colonisation Scheme," comes on. The case has not yet passed out of the hands of the Judge d'lnstruction, whose business is to examine witnesses and prepare all the evidence for the prosecution before it can be dealt with in open court. As time goes on, however, additional light is thrown upon a scheme, which may be described, without hesitation, as one of the most terrible episodes iu the history of colonisation. The trial will show γ-here the responsibility lies. If fraud be proved, it is to be hoped that the punishment inflicted will be in proportion to the loss and misery undergone by the uahappy sufferers. Anion:; the witnesses who have been examined by the Judge d'lnstruction is the French captain, Henri, commanding one of the two ste liners provided by Du Breil to convey the emigrants to Port Breton. The name of this vessel was La Nouvelle-Bretagne; the other was Lu'Genii. The latter took the first batch of victims. The Nouvelle-Bretagne left soon after, viz., in the spring of ISSI, with 150 emigrants on board. On reaching Pointe de Galle Captain Henri received a telegram from Du Breil, stating that enemies and traitors, by whom he was surrounded, had placed him in an embarrassing position with regard to his enterprise, but that he hoped he would obtain the upper hand of them. At Singapore the captain found another telegram awaiting him, nominating him provisionary Governor of Port Breton, aud instructing him to divest Captain Kabardy of his command of the Genii in favour of one Coll, a Spanish subject. Henri's suspicions concerning the business in which he was employed were fairly aroused, aud, instead of carrying out his orders, he took council with Rabardy on his arrival at Port Breton as to what they had better do, under the peculiar circumstances in which they were placed. Rabardy satisfied Henri that he could not be dismissed, inasmuch as neither he nor his crew had received any payment for their services, nor had the vessel been purchased. At that time the situation at Port Breton was Bimply horrible. The island of NewBritain, which had been represented to the emigrants as a terrestrial paradise, turned out to be an "abomination of desolation." There was little to distinguish it from the merest rock rising out of the ocean. It would be impossible to conceive anything more dismal than the accounts given of it by those "colonists" who were so fortunate as not to leave their bones there as the only testimony of their sufferings. They declare that there is absolutely no soil to cultivate on the island, the little that there is of any depth beiDg at the bottom of deep ravines and fissures in the rock, whence most of the existing vegetation springs. The few head of cattle which they were able to bring with tUem could find no pasturage, ind had to be fed while they lived with branches cut from the trees. One side of the island was wooded, but the declivity being sharp, and the soil extremely light; no sooner were the trees cleared a little than everything was washed away down to the coral by the torrential rains. These rains, indeed, were one of the chief sources of disaster to the colonists, for the hilly region around Port Breton appears to attract all the humidity in those regions, with the result that the island six mouths out of the year is subject to an incessant downpour. The heat at the same time being great, the air becomes poisoned by the gases given out by rotting vegetation. The barrenness of the soil was alone sutiicient to take all heart out of the colonists, seeing that starvation stared them in the face, and the malaria came as a deliverance to many Inputting them out of their misery. To complete the picture of woe, earthquakes, acting in sympathy with the neighouriug volcano of Matupy, were of frequent occurrence. Such was the state of thiugs at Port Breton when the Nouvelle-Bretagne arrived there. It had been vastly aggravated by the failure of Du Breil to keep his engagements with the colonists. He had undertaken to send them out provisions and money, but nothing of the kind had been dispatched. Captain Henri had no alternative but to aggravate the situation by landing his fresh batch of emigrants. But, filled with pity at the condition of these unfortunate people, an;l after taking counsel with Captain Rabardy, he decided to steam back to Manila to obtain succour. His coal being exhausted, trees had to be cut down to supply fuel for the fires. He left the island on the lGth Sept. last year. At Manila fresh perplexityawaited him. An embargo was laid upon the steamer by one of Du Breil's creditors. Henri telegraphed to Du Breil, and received a reply ordering him to sell the vessel and satisfy the claim. Henri, however, whose kind and manly conduct is all we have to relieve the gloom of this sad history, thought of the starving wretches at Port Breton, and having put provisions on board before the embargo was declared, gave the Portugese authorities the slip one night, and put on all steam for Port Breton. He had barely reached his destination, when another steamer was observed in tho offing making towards the island. It had been been sent in pursuit of the runaway NouvelleBretagne. It arrived too late, however, to stop the provisions being landed. The inhabitants had by that time been reduced to a still more deplorable condition, for it was three months since Captain Henri left to obtain relief. He submitted himself a prisoner to the Portugese, but before starting again for Manila, he took on board a large number of the surviving colonists. He was tried at Manila on a charce of violating the embargo, and also of baring carried away some Portugese carbineers who had been placed "in possession" of the vessel. It is certain that Captain Henri had no motive for stealing the carbineers; he even tock the first opportunity that presented itself for putting them ashore ; but his conduct in taking the representatives of authority with him when he slipped anchor appeared most outrageous to the Portugese mind, and, although ho was acquitted on the first count, in. consideration of his philanthropic motive, in defiance of all logical sequence ho was convicted on othere aud sent to prison. Another witness who has gone before the Judge d'lnstruction is uderstood to have given very damaging evidence against Du Breil with regard to the alleged purchase by him of the island of New Britain. This person was one of those who appended their signatures as witnessess to the " act of purchase" by which Du Uriel claims to have acquired the island from Maragano, a neighbouring king, although it appears that with or without title he had previously enjoyed the advantages of ownership, inasmuch as he had sold portions of the land. The following is what this witness is reported to have deposed : —"When I was first spoken to about the acquisition of the territory, I could not conceal my surprise, I believinc as I did from all I had heard that Du Breil was really proprietor of the island, he having already sold a largo number of its acres, Tho acquisition I was told had become necessary in consequence of the protests of Kim l ; Maragauo, who resented the notion of people settling upon territory of which he considered himself the ruler. To take no notice of his protest would have been to bring England upon the scene as an arbitrator—a very undesirable eventuality, and one to be avoided at any cost. In the absence of the Governor, Captain IX. (probably C.iptain Rabardy) treated with the King for the purchase of all the southern part of the island, M. Du Breil, in selling, several years previously, much of the same land, had evidently disposed of what did not belong to him, and gave nothing in'return for the money. The deed of purchase was prepared in all haste, and I aud another were asked to put our signatures to it. Notwithstanding my disinclination to let my name appear in such a transaction, I consented, but I maintain that the deed is a fraud, inasmuch as it mentions the sum of lfi.lO franca as having been paid Marangano, whereas he received no money whatever. In lieu of it, however, he received about 2011). of tobacco, some axes, a few pearls, and a gorgeous red coat. His Majesty was so much impressed by this coat that he got insidu of it immediately, and to show his delight he performed one of the most picturesque aud extravagant dauces conceivable."