AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 2, 12 December 1911, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Melbourne, December 11. The Melba Company received an enthusiastic send-off at their final performance. They are returning to Sydney. They were inundated with floral tributes and ■ presented with ' r ' Sydney, December 11. There is'ho break in the heat. Nine-ty-two was'registered in the city yesterday. t■'

Hice and Kidson are passengers by the Moana. Kidson’s services will be utilised for practice purposes in connection with the Davis Cup. With the alleged intention of testing their bravery, three young men armed with pea-rifles fired several snots at a party of Boy Scouts, one bullet passing through a Scout’s hat, attackers were arrested. The Island steamer Mindini has arrived with five native prisoners, en route to Fiji to stand their trial for attacking Austin’s station in the Solomon Islands. Austin shot his two attackers dead. Advices indicate that a lot of white men in the Solomons had a price set on their heads by the chiefs of native cannibal tribes.. The trouble which recently resulted in the murder of Jones, mate of the schooner Ruby, and other outrages, is attributed to the influence of Kanakas returned from Australia, who incited the natives to a realisation of their power. The native mission stations also taught that it was unchristian to hgiit on the stations, therefore, were practically unprotected, the missionaries working m danger of their lives. The warship Torch landed a party to suppress unruly hill men. They met with a stout resistance, the encounter resulting in a number of natives being killed.