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Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 45, 10 August 1878, Page 2

Obituary.—Many of our readers will no doubt be sorry to hear of tho death of Alfred L. Poppe, Esq., who was for some time German Consul and manager of the business of Messrs. J. C. Godeffroy and Son, in this town. iiis demise took place on the 27th of January, at Freiburg, in Baden, after a lingering illness. The deceased gentleman was in his 64th year, and leaves a wife and seven chil i dron to mourn their loss. Consular Jurisdiction.—The United I States Consular district of Samoa ha boon divided into two, and ea Ii division

is to have its own officer. The ben 1 quarters of the western division will be in Apia, and the ollieer in charge will have jurisdiction over Upoln and all islands to tho westward nearer to Upolu than to any other American Consulate. The head quarters of the eastern division will bo Pogopago, and tho officer will have jurisdiction over Tutuila, Close the Tonga group, and islands to the e ward. Consular Court.—A Court was held at tho American Consulate yesterday, for the purpose of inquiring i ut > a charge laid against A. H. Hought ,:.■, for using insulting language towards the British Consul. It appeared from the ovidenoo that the defendant had gone to the house of General Bartlott, tho General not being at home, Mrs. Bartlett became alarmed, and, in the absence of the American Consul, sought the assistance of the British Consul, who went immediately to look for tho defendant, and having found him the language complained of was used. The defendant stated that he had no knowledge of tho British Consul or his uniform, and that he was under the influence of drink. Defendant was lined $25, with $8.50 costs. The defendant gave notion of a) pen. Samoan Court.—On Saturday aftornoon last a sitting of the Samoan Court was held at Mulinuu, for the purpose of investigating three charges brought against a native named Tna, through the British Consulate. The first was for destroying proporty belonging to Mr. G. Dedden, on the 3rd of Juno; the second was for assaulting Mr. Stead, upon the same day ; and tho third was for assaulting Captain Laurenson, on the 2Hth of July. To each of these chargns the prisoner stated thai ho was so drunk at the time thai he could not tell whether they were true or not The Court found eacn charge proven, and Judge Finsi, in passing sentence, said that they hadcomo to tho conclusion that it was no use lining in such cases as this. The Court had k'.'i. in tho Lnlit of fining, lut la most

iuj uoi been nnllDOUn] t t,:s day. These interferences witl irvigncrs, and drunkenness amongst thi jauioans, were increasing so fast that th> Jotirt had come to the conclusion to d< •heir utmost to stop it, therefore they in ended to introduce the lash in lieu o ines. The prisoner was then seuteiKeu to receive a dozen lashes for each case, the same to be administered at 3 o'clock on Monday afternoon, at Matuutu—the scene of his outrages.

The Lash. —On Monday afternoon, in accordance with the decision of the Court on Saturday, the prisoner Tua was marched over to Matuutu to reeoive his

punishment. A large number of Samoans and foreigners were present to witness the proceedings. When everything was made ready for action, Judge Pinal called the attention of the Samoans to what was about to take place, particularly those who were r-'bcllious, rowdy, and drunkards. He said that they had found that the infliction of fines was of no effect, and that henceforth any Samoan found guilty of interfering with foreigners, irrespective of their colour or nationality, would be punished in like manner. The sheriff then proceeded to intiiet tho punishment, which was executed in such a manner as to be a caution not only to the prisoner, hut all others of a like character. While too much praise cannot be given to the Court for the steps they have taken in this instance to punish drunkenness and assaults on foreigners, wo hope tho dealers in intoxicating liquors will aid the Samoan authorities by refusing to supply natives with the liquid fire and fluid damnation which urges them on to these deeds of violence. We are afraid, however, that till some punishment can be inflicted upon them, there are a few amongst us who care not who suffers so long as their avaricious natures are satisfied by a few cents profit on a bottle of gin.

Submarine Eruption in the South Pacific.—Captain Harrington, master of the British barque Pacifio Slope, recently arrived at Shanghai, supplies to the Shanghai Courier the following extracts from his journal:—" Friday, March Ist. —At daylight found ourselves well up to the entrance of Bougainville Straits (Solomon Islands), and commenced to beat through; at 9 a.m. encountered heavy tide rips, ship unmanageable at

times, and the current sweeping her round and round with a nine knot breeze ; at 5 p.m. got through the Straits, ami took our departure from Cape Alexander. Saturday, March 2nd, at 4 p.m., strong winds from the N.W., squally unsettled weather, ship making nine or ten knots per hour on a N.E. course throughout the night. Sunday a.m. same weather experienced a heavy swell from the northward ; at daylight found ourselves amidst fields of pumice stone and volcanic ashes, sxtonding as far as the eye could reach, in largo patches and lanes ; at noo:i got good observations and fsund that tho ship had been set S.S E. 110 miles in twenty-four hours, the course and distance made by log throughout the night was N.E. 140 miles, whilst the actual course made by observation was E. by Si 00 miles, tints finding ourselves in dangerous proximity to the unsurveyed reefs and shoals of Lord Howe's Group. Alter four days' boating amidst pumice and ashes, we got the vessel cut of danger, t'.iu-, making a clear IOSS of seven days of our passage. Many ■■< the patches assumed the appearance of islands, and wen: thick enough to retard the progress of the vessel considerably, ai.d their appearance at night at first became alarming. During the whole time we experienced little or no current. i can therefore ti'.y attribute this axtraor diuary set to tUo action of an immense volcanic wave, which carried the ship twelve points to the southward of her course at. a maximum rate of five to eight knots per hour ; and on looking over the side we found the metal as bright as silver and the bends scoured thoroughly clean." Referring to the report of the Pacific, Captain Harrington infers from the fact of the two vessels having ob-

served similar phenomona at the sarao time, although some three or four hundred miles apart, that they resulted from one wide-spread upheaval, and recommends vessels navigating iii the vicinity of the Solomon Islands to uao groat caution until the changes from the present charts, of which there will probably be many, are ascertained. [We have very little doubt but that the pumice driftod on to the Ellico Group has oome from the same source as that passed through by Captain Harrington. But the question is where has it come from ' Captain Evers has reported that Raiatea and Borabora, two of the Tahitian islands, had burst up. This however is not true, for the German ship of war Ariadne was for several days in the early part of June in that group and saw both of thoso islands, and the pumice ooinmenced to arrive in the beginning of April, therefore we must look in anothor quarter for the cause. It will no doubt be remembered that in a letter from the Rev. Mr. Brown, at New Britain, published a few weoks ago, he mentions about Home volcanic eruptions there, about an island or two being brought into existence and immense quantities of pumice being thrown up, on tho 3rd of February. We have very littlo doubt but that this pumice has been carried along by tho current whioh, to tho north of tho line, seta to the eastward, crossing the lino probably in the vicinity of the Phoenix Islands, then getting into tho westerly ourrent, falls in with the Ellioe Group. We believe this will prove to bo tho case.—Ed. ' & T.]