SYDNEY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 689, 7 May 1879, Page 2

SYDNEY.

April 12>. H.M.S. Oobmoraht, Captain Bruce, anchored a few hours after the departure of the mail. .She. comes from, a cruise of some months among the South Sea Islands, arid reports the discovery 61 no less than forty or fifty shoals not. laid down upon the charts'. "These were caused, no doubt, 'during the volcanic disturbances which some months since so altered the soundings at Tanna Island, as you were advised. One important mission of the Cormorant was ,to inquire into the circumstances of the murder ; of Mr. Ingham, at Brooker Island. . Captain Bruce asserts that the good reßiilta which would have followed the visit of the Cormorant were much lessened by the fact of the natives being forewarned by traders of what they had, to expect. On arriving at the place they cunningly pretended the most lamblike innboence, coming off m their canoes tq, trade, bringing island produce, and conducting themselves m such a way thatf'Oaptaiu Bruce, being refused the aid he fully expected from the missionaries, found it impossible to treat such confidence m any way but a friendly manner, until, persevering m searching for proof, of their oulpability, the, remains of poor Mr. Ingham's boat' and the plunder were discovered by the search party. Then the " innocent" natives made, themselves scarce as before they; had been " confiding." Possessed of the appliances and the determination to make their, power known Captain Bruce soon convinced the wretches of their pbwerlessness when one of H.M. ships, doing more than merely show her teeth, proves that she can bite, and very hard too. When the murderers fled foi* protection to the other side of the sheltering hills, distant a mile or twb from the ship, they found themselves pursued by rocket shells, which, followed them "over the hills and far away,"' and burst among them some thirty or forty seconds after the watchers on the hill tops had. seen the shot fired from the vesseli They must have thought that the very " devil," (their only god) Was pursuing them to; death., More especially when after the ship had left, they found their villages, devastated, though not a man had put his foot on shore. Captain Bruce very wisely punishing the treacherous cannibals m a most effective manner without useless risk to his crew, one man of which is of more value than the whole population ten times told of one.of the ' ' Gaoinibal Islands. " A new and yeiy j^af langer is being fostered. by^tea^M J . ( amongst the. South Sea Islan^arfone of the articles most m 'demand by the ' islanders is dynamite !i Will the greed for money pause at nothing with some people? It is; devoutly to be hoped that these meroehary spirits who, for the sake of gaining a few. paltry shillings, place m the possession of these blood-thirsty blacks so powerful a weapon of destruction will! be the first to fall a victim to its employment.. Sooner or later there is little .doubt that; some of these cunning civilised, "fellows,' who have spent years amongst the whites m Queensland, New Cafedonia, or Fiji, who speak good English or French, and are perfectly acquainted with the use of many articles of civiUsed life, including the death-dealing dynamite, will blow some vessel to pieces with this explosive. What easier than for these cunning fellows to visit a vessel m the most friendly spirit, find out if she has plenty of trade on board, then at a given signal the canoes all leave the vessel. One of the besti speaking, most friehdly.f ellows, remaining on board till the canoes are at a safe distance, when he drops his charge of dynamite m the ship, pluriges overboard, diving like a fish, and coming up to see the vessel sinking, and the canoes returning to get theit trade and ijhe furnishing of a cannibal feast for nothy ing. Is there no power to make the selling of dynamite to the South Sea Islander a crime severely punishable? There is surely enough murder and blood-shedding already amongst the Pacific Islanders. This dynamite question reminded Captain ,Bruce of. a» Expedition up the Niger, m Africa, the the shores of which river he found lined with cannon of various - calibre sold to the natives" by . the' ' 'vfery merchants whose interest the expedition, was 'sent to proteot.— Sydney Morning jffemW.'