THE CRUISE OF H.M.S. OPAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9241, 19 December 1888, Page 5

THE CRUISE OF H.M.S. OPAL.

After an absence of about ten months from Auckland, this well-known vessel returned to port yesterday afternoon. It will be remembered that when the Opal left Auckland in February last she proceeded on a visit to the South, and has since then been visiting the Australian ports. Leaving Sydney on November Ist, she sailed 011 her present cruise, and reached Noumea 011 the 10th. After a stay of six days she proceeded to the New Hebrides, calling at Tanna on the 16th, and reaching Havannah Harbour 011 the 19th. After doing a little survey work there she sailed for Api Mission Station, where she arrived on the 21st. Intelligence was there given to Captain Bosanquet of the murder of a Swedish trader named Coster, who had drifted from Apia to Paama Island, where ho and two men had been killed and eaten by the natives. The same clay the Opal called at Port Sandwich, where the outrage upon the Government Agent, Mr. Cecil, in tho schooner Eliza Mary, by the Faama natives, was also reported ; and on the '2'2nd sho reached Pangkumu Station. Leaving tho same evening, a course was steered for Henderson's Station, Ambrym Island, where Mr. Henderson gave valuable data regarding the locality in which Mr. V. Leo Walker, of Malicolo, had been murdered cn December '21st, ISS7. This was at Pentecost Island, and the Opal, in company with the French corvette Fabert, proceeded there on the 23rd, and communicated with a village inhabited by natives who wero at enmity with tho tribe which had committed tho outrage. This village was some two miles further along tho coast, and a party was sent ashore to demand reparation and tho surrender of tho guilty parties. These wore promised to be sent down at daybreak the noxt morning; but, as they failed to appear, and no attempt at explanation or palliation made, orders were given to shell the villages. The Opal, therefore, fired '27 shells from lior 4-poundora, and 100 rounds from her Nordenfeldts, destroying the houses and plantations, breaking fences, and killing tho pigs of tho o(lending natives. After this salutary lesson to the murderous tribe, the Opal returned to Port Sandwich, and then went to tho Ambrym village of Si, where a cowardly and unprovoked attack had been made upon Captain Heath, of the Queensland schooner Helena. After a consultation with tho commissioner on board tho Fabert, it was rosolved to thoroughly punish the natives for this outrage, and tho murder of Coster by the Paama tribe?. A war party each from the Opal and the Fabort landed some distance from tho village, and made a detour, to prevent the islanders from getting into tho back country, but. tho natives had taken the alarm, and decamped to tho hills in haste, leaving behind all their stocks and property. Procuring guides from friendly fratives of a neighbouring village, the shoro parties pursued the culprits, but owing to the timidity of their guides and the impenetrable nature of the jungle, were unable to come up with them, though lengthy forced marches were taken over hilly and thickly- country. Tho village, however, which was a large one of eighty huts, with extensive plantations, was burnt and tho plantations and stock thoroughly destroyed. According to arrangements made, tho Opal and iaberc then parted company, tho former proceeding to Paama to avenge tho outrage to Air. Cecil, while the latter sailed for tho other side of the island to punish the murderers of the Swede Mr. Coster. The natives, who bear a very bad reputation in the group for thieving and marauding propensities. fled at the approach of the warship, and the Opal had to be content with destroying the villages and property of the olleiiding parties. After these retributivo measures, which will no doubt have a great deterrent effect upon the islanders in future, tho Opal sailed for Havannah Harbour, where she arrived on December Ist. Sailing again on the 4th, she reached Noumea on the 11th instant. After a stay of a week, during which she took in coal (kindly supplied by tho French authorities), the Opal sailed for Auckland, and reached port as above ufter a tine weather passage.