MASSACRE IN NEW GUINEA

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6695, 3 May 1883, Page 6

MASSACRE IN NEW GUINEA

In Ma report of the annexation of New Guinea, Mr. Henry M. Cheater says :—" If • De Quincey had visited New Guinea he might have added a chapter to hia essay on ' Murder considered as one of the Fine Arts.' In no part of the world probably is murder as an art more cultivated than in New Guinea. Apropos, of thiß 1 relate a tragic story told by Mr. Chalmers of the recent i massacre of an entire village by the Ltfai tribe. It may be remembered that a Dr. James and Mr. Thorngren were murdered on the coast near Yule Island in 1876 by the Roro tribe, who occupied a village some distance to the south-eastward of the XnJsi in llall Sound. During one o£ Mr. Chalmers' visits to the westward, being in the neighbourhood of this tribe, he determined to visit them and make peace, it being too late to punish them for the murders, but he narrowly escaped meeting the game fate, and reached his boat with difficulty. In an evil hour they surprised three of the L6ai, aDd killed two of them. Their doom was sealed. The L6si turned out in force, and lying concealed by day and travelling in their canoes at night, arrived after dusk at one of the many streams running into Hall Sound. Here they were at fault, not knowing which to ascend ; but fortune favoured them ; they captured a canoe, in v-hich tere a Roro man and two women, and gave them the option of guiding them to their village {Paitana) or being killed. The man consented to pilot them, and the women were let go. When near Paitana they allowed the guide to escape in his canoe. Sending a party to surround the village, the rest camped in the middle of it, and sat silently down to await the first streak of dawn. One of the villagers awoke, and to his astonishment found the place occupied by strangers. ' Who are you ?' said the Roro man. The others sprang to their feet and cried oat, ' We are the L6si, come to pay you ! You murdered foreigners; they did not pay you ; they were afraid! That we have nothing to do with ; but you tried to kill Tamate, and you murdered our men; and we arß here to avenge them 1 Come out and fight!' At the same moment they let fly a cloud of arrows, until wearying of the slaughter, the chief called out, 'We have no time to kill them all; burn the houses and those inside.' The order was obeyed, and when the sun rose Paitana was a blackened heap of ashes. Thiß happened last July, and Mr. Chalmers, meeting a chief of Roro in August, inquired how many were killed. 'Ah ! Tamate,' said the chief, ' I cannot number the slain ; I can only tell you how many are left alive.' A lad of aeven years old was brought to Mr. Chalmers. His father had lowered him down through a hole in the floor of his house, and he hia in the scrub. After all was over he returnad to find only the charred remains of father, mother, brother, and two sisters. I The murderers of James and Thorngren ; perished with the rest."