MURDEROUS ATTACK ON MISSIONARIES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 99, 16 June 1911, Page 2

MURDEROUS ATTACK ON MISSIONARIES.

POISONED ARROWS SHOWERED ON HOUSES. TROUBLE AT SANTA CRUZ. The steamer Knlambangra, the Lever's Plantation, Limited, regular island trader, arrived at Sydney on Sunday, June 4, from a cruise among the islands of the Pacific. On tlic outward voyage, when a call was made at Santa Cruz, there were signs of trouble among the natives, and not a few of the white residents were preparing for emergencies. The cause of the native disturbance was iiot known, but when the steamer returned to the place from Pago Pago and the other islands it was found that two missionaries had been obliged to quit their quarters and seek refuge blsowhero. A party visited the spot where the missionaries had boon quartered, and found it deserted, while the dwelling was practically smothered with arrows, indicating that the natives had literally showered the place with poisonous arrows. A number of those were secured by members -of the party as trophies of the visit. It was ascertained that no person had hccii killed, hut the exact whereabouts of the missionaries was not known when the steamer left, except that they had escaped with their lives. It was stated- that they were French missionaries.

. Trouble of a different kind was reported at. Wallis Island, where French traders were complaining of the unfair conditions imposed upon them by the native king. It was. alleged that he was supported by a French priest in his policy of demanding heavy charges for copra. The planters were practically up in arms and wore preparing to have their grievances placed hcloro_ the French Government with the view to a visit from a cruiser, so that full enquiries could ho made. The Knlambangra landed at Wallis Island M. Bouge, a French Government official, who was to make enquiries as to the exact position of affairs. M. Bongo had previously been in the Now Hebrides, and it was thought that the result of his visit would bo to improve the conditions under which the planters' at present worked.

Pago Pago, the. American naval station, was visited, and it was found that an epidemic of measles had set in. The hospital was crowded with patients, and in order to cope with the outbreak the authorities had selected an area of land on which a

number of tents were erected and these wore tilling up quickly. No deaths were reported up to the time the steamer left.

The drought at the 'Ellice Island has broken, and when the Kalumhangra was there the rain simply poured down. The position of affairs had been reversed, and the complaint was, that too much rain had fallen. One of the passengers, describing the rain, said: “It came down in sheets, a perfect deluge.” I full and .Sydney, islands, on which hundreds of eoeoaimt trees were planted a few yours ago, were visited for the purpose of . finding out how far t!io trees had progressed. It was found that, on each island, dry weather had parched up the whole’scone. There was not a single tree remaining, and instead of nourishing -plants tin ns, the visitors viewed a barren waste. While the steamer was at Giv.o, in the Solomons, it was reported that Mi C. Bornays, a Government officer, had boon found shot near one of the lagoons. lie had gone out duckshooting, and as ho did not. return a party set out to search for him. When 1 is body was found, the face was disfigured as a result of a gun shot. It was thought that ho had been accidently killed, as the natives in the locality have net been troublesome of late.