POLYNESIAN NEWS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 691, 29 May 1885, Page 20

POLYNESIAN NEWS.

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Auckland, May 22. \ By the s.s. Triumph, from Sydney, one day ‘ later dates have been received from Sydney. The following items of news are by H.M.S. Undine, which arrived in port from the New Hebrides, via Noumea. She has been away from Sydney since 13th March, and has visited most of the islands of the New Hebrides group. The Natives were found quiet, and it "* was ascertained during the cruise that the French authorities had taken action in the case of Joseph Booth, a British subject in the employment of the French Company, murdered at Port Stanley a year ago, under circumstances already related. An armed party was landed from a man-of-war, which attacked the villages known to contain the murderers, and in an action which ensued two natives were killed and six captured, including several chiefs. These were conveyed to Noumea, where they are now in prison. With regard to the murder of a British subject named Peter Cullen, who was in the service of the German Company on Little Island, to the southward of Mallicolo, where he was staying when he met -with his fate, the German Consul at Noumea was engaged in making inquiries into the matter, as no German man-of-war was available for the purpose. It will be remembered that the German agent and two native servants were killed at the same time as Cullen at Tanna. One of the missionaries, Mr Gray, had been informed by the Natives of his village that some of the residents of an adjoining village had threatened to shoot him, but for Vjffiat reason was not stated. Grey, however, informed Captain Le Cross, commander of the ~ Undine, that he felt perfectly safe under the protection of the chief of the village in which be carried on his labors. The only circumstance that gave color to the threat was that one Sunday while service was being performed by Mr Gray in the church, two of 'the illdisposed Natives were discovered prowling round about the building armed with guns. Whan disturbed they promptly decamped. The Natives of Mr Gray’s village are determined no ill shall befall him, and mount guard round ** his house every night fully armed. At Espiritu , Santo Captain Le Cross was informed that the masters and crew of the French schooners Ombroa and Idaho had some two or three months previously attacked aud burnt a village on that island, alleging as an excuse for their conduct that the Natives had stolen a •*- boat from one of their traders. The French authorities took action in the matter by arresting the captain, mate, and a recruiter of the Ombroa, and taking them to Noumea, where they are now in prison. The French ~ gunboat Bruat visited the scene of the outrage, with the intention of arresting the captain of the Idaho also, but when she reached there it was found that the captain had deserted the vessel and hidden {himself away in. the bush. He had njt been found at the time the Undine sailed. The Trench authorities have stopped recruiting in the New Hebrides group, pending the decision, of tha

French Government, who, it is said, intend to 'take the labor traffic into their own hands. It would seem that the Natives are getting very shy of going away from their homes at _3.11, as two vessels which were recruiting when the Undine was there, one for Samoa and the other for Honolulu, had been unable to get a single recruit. Captain IMcLeod has resigned his connection with the French New Hebrides Company, and has started trading among the Islands on his own account, having purchased fche schooner Windward Ho for the purpose.