THE LATE MASSACRE AT NEW CALEDONIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 283, 2 May 1857, Page 7

THE LATE MASSACRE AT NEW CALEDONIA.

(From the Sydney Morning Herald.)

We have endeavoured to obtain more complete details of this horrible affair. The Black Dog sailed so very soon afterwards that, although active exertions were in progress for searching out the causes and the perpetrators of this butchery, little or nothing of a definite character could be known.

It is quite true that eleven Frenchmen were assassinated, and that one of them was Monsieur Berard, formerly (not Com-missary-General of the French settlements in the Pacific,, but) an officer of the French navy. How many of the natives of the Vate or Sandwich Islands have perished is not yet known, but so many bodies of these men as were mentioned in yesterday's Herald (14 or 15) had not been discovered. The discovery, too, was not an accidental one, but was made by a small body of troops — fifty men — which had been hastily despatched to the spot from head quarters, in consequence of an intimation from the French missionaries that some such attack was to be apprehended. Unhappily they arrived too late.

The causes of this atrocity can only be guessed at, until better information shall have been received. It appears pretty clear that there was nothing in the conduct of M. Berard and his white companions which could in the slightest degree palliate it. The natives were not only treated by them with great kindness, but expressed for them the warmest friendship. It is already known that the way in which this crime was consummated on the part of the natives was by approaching the settlers in small parties, with their accustomed pretences of friendship, thus preventing suspicion, until a large party had been collected, when the work of murder was commenced in cold blood. It was not a fight, for all the settlers were set upon when, without arms in their hands, they were.engaged in their ordinary avocations. Tt was mere butchery, like that of the unfortunate Gazelle's. .crew by the Woodlark- Islanders.

As the bodies, were not eaten, (although the natives of New Caledonia are cannibals), the act was clearly meant to be one of vengeance. What offence, or supposed offence, it was meant to avenge, is at present not clear ; but in all probability the New Caledonians were displeased with the introduction of natives from Kote r or Sandwich Island, (one of the New Hebrides), whom they look upon with hostile feelings. It may be, too, that the fact of the settlement having been made in this quarter with the permission of the French (local) Government, instead of under the authority of the native chiefs, may have induced them to determine upon the slaughter of the settlers.

It is certain that this act is not, as has been supposed by some persons, the result of any conspiracy among the natives, for only one tribe is concerned in it. A general conspiracy or union of any kind is impossible among the New Caledonians, for their many and distinct tribes are mostly hostile to each other. The bulk of them are friendly towards French rule and settlement, and there is a native force (about eighty) along with the fifty soldiers who are on or near the scene of the massacre. It will be difficult to follow and punish the murderers, for the country is mountainous and heavily timbered, affording so many places for concealment and resistance that it would require a comparatively large force to penetrate its interior to any extent ; and the only force at present on the island is about 140 soldiers, to which may be added between 200 to 300 men belonging to the frigate stationed there. Something, however, will doubtless be attempted, and, as there is native assistance and guidance at command, will probably be attempted successfully. But should not this be the case a large force will doubtless be procured from Tahiti, for it is not the practice of the French Government to allow its subjects in Polynesia to be butchered with impunity. The murderers of New Caledonia will not, like those of Woodlark Island, have an inducement to further bloodshed held out to them by being allowed- to murder white men whenever they have an opportunity of so doing without any notice being taken of their indulgence in this savage pastime.