THE MELANESIAN ISLANDS.

Colonist, Volume XV, Issue 1478, 24 November 1871, Page 7

THE MELANESIAN ISLANDS.

UEEADFUL MUBDBRS BY NATIVES

MURDER OE BISHOP PATTESON, REV. J.

ATKIN, AND NATIVE TEACHER,

SUPPOSED CAUSE— EEVENGE FOR KIDNAPPING.

(From the New Zealand Herald, Nov. 1.)

The Melanesian Mission schooner Southern Cross arrived iv harbor yesterday morning, bringing us the sad intelligence of the death, at the Island of Nuhapu, in the Swallow Group, of Bishop Patteson. The following brief account of the death of Bishop Patteson reaches us by private hand :—

This sad event took place at an islet called Nukapu, thirty miles to the N.E. of Santa Cruz. It was the Bishop's plan to call here first, because he can make himself understood by the natives of this place, which ho is unable to do at the larger island. There was a special reason for taking ever}' precaution on the present occasion, for the captain of a labor vessel which called at Contraieto, Solomon Islands, where the Rev. Mr. Atkin was s'atioued, had announced his intention of paying a visit to Santa Cruz, which rauAt have taken place (if at all) shortly before our arrival. Wo reached the islet on September 20, and were surprised to see four canoes hovering to windward, and not coming out, to us as usual. The Bishop determined to pull off to them, and took with him Mr. Atkin, Stephen, of San Ci'isto\al, and James and John, of Mota. The tide being lovv,_ the boat could not cross the reef, so the Bishop went ashore in a canoe manned by two chiefs. When he had been absent about three-quar-ters of an hour, a volley of arrows was fired into the boat, which immediately sailed off to the ves?el, Mr. Atkin, Stephen, and John were all wounded. Mr. Atkin, however, returned in the boat in quest of the Bishop. The tide having risen, the boat passed into the lagoon, and in a tenantless canoe was found the Bishop's body, wrapped in native matting, and with a palm frond, tied with five knots, thrust into the breast. The right side of the skull was completely shattered, and there were several arrow wounds about the body. The face bore no mark of agony, but smiled sweetly. The eye 3 were closed. Mr. Atkin died seven duy3 afterward, and Stephen followed on the eighth. They wero buried at the same time. John's wound was slight, and he was f=o far recovered when he reached his own island of Mota, in the Bank's group, that we left him there on shore, where he would be m re comfortable than on board ship.

Another private letter says : —

Nukapu is surrounded by a reef, nnd tho shore only can be gained when the tide is high enough i;o admit of a boat passing over the reef. It so happened that it was low water, and the Bishop went into one of the cauoes with a chief he knew, and went on shore. It was usual for the Bishop to go on shore iv this way whenever the boat could not pass over the reef. Two canoes went on shore with him and four remained with the boat. These last did all they could to get the boat's crew to haul the boat on to the reef. This roused Mr. Atkins suspicions^ and when the natives found that they could not get the boat on the reef and thus capture her crew, they fired a volley of arrows into them at twelve yards distance. Every man bent to his oar, but before they got out of arrow shot they received several volleys. Mr. Atkin was wounded iv the back of the shoulder slightly. John, a native of Mota, wounded slightly; Stephen, native of Christovl, a very quiet worthy fellow, had five arrows broken iv him ; one we could not extract. the boat returned to the vessel (we ware about three miles off, with a very light air of wind). We all seemed at once to know that there was something wrong with our Bishop. It was about two o'clock in the afternoon. The mate of the schooner, and three of the crew, armed, with two native boys, were sent ashore, and Mr. Atkin, who had got his wound dressed, accompanied (hem as pilot. Instructions were given by Captain Jacob to the party on no account to fire on the natives unless pursued, and even then, if the boat could get clear, not to do so, if the Bishop were ahvo. If they suw him on the beach they were to bring him off. The boat had to remain outside the reef waiting water to cross. Meantime a breeze sprung up, and we worked the vessel close up to the boat. We saw two canoes leave the land and paddle a short distance from the shore, when they let one go adrifr, and the other returned to the beach. I kept watching this canoe drifting. Presently I saw a boat dash in, and pull towards the canoe. I saw them lift something out of the canoe into the boat, and at the same time the demons on shore gave a fearful yell, which was heard very plainly oil board the vessel. The boat was alongside in a few minutes, and we hoisted her up, and passed the body out on to the skylight. Not a word was spoken by anyone, and many of his old scholars were in tears. The vessel's head was put to the north, and what little wind there was, was from the east. On examination I found his scull was fearfully smashed iv two places, a cut in the calf of the leg, as if a knife was put through, another cut in the abdomen, and several arrow wounds. His eyes were closed, and there was a kind of calm resignation about his countenance. They had stripped him of everything but hia shoes, and rolled him up in a mat, and tied it. They had stuck a small branch of the cocoa palm with five knots in it in his brea3t. This was probably meant to signify that five of their men had been killed or taken away by the vessel that was the cause of the attack, and this was their revenge. On the 21st, we committed the Bishop's body to the deep, the funeral service being read by the Rev. Mr. Brookes. On the 27th, poor Mr. Atkin died. Ho was in great agony for six hours previous to his death. On the 28th, poor Stephen died. He was in great pain for two days before his death. Both bodies were committed to the deep together, and the funeral service whs read in English and Mota. The weather was calm, and the therometer at 22°.

The following is a portion of the account of the cruise of the Southern Cross has been kindly supplied us by Captain

Jacob: —

Left Auckland on the 20th April, and had a good run, arriving off Norfolk Island on the 24th. Noon of thy 17th the Bishop and Mr. Bice came on board with about forty Melanesians, for Mota. Made sail and stood to the north. May 13.—Bishop went on shore at the north end of Penticosta; natives very shy ; told the Bishop that a thieving vessel was there a few days before, and took some of their people away. It is very singular that amongst all the islands from the New Hebrides to the Solomon Islands, the natives have all the same name for the vessels who take their people away, in their language, the " thief \essel." August 30.—Off Ovouli; the Bishop went on shore, and found Mr. Brook quite well, after his stay on the island of eleven weeks. The day before we arrived there was a black brig (name unknown) off the island. A canoe went out to her with five natives, although Mr. Brook and the chief did all (hey could to prevent them. Two boats were lowered and the canoe captured ; one man escaped, lie atated, when he got on shore, that the men were killed, their heads out off, and bodies thrown to the sharks; and it was blackmen who were in the boats, and were from the N.W., their enemies. Brook is quite certain the meu were killed. The excitement on shore, he says, was dreadful. At one time he was very uiuuh afraid of his own head. We anchored at Oboule. The vessel was crowded with natives. I counted at one time one hundred on board. It would have been very easy to take us if they were f?o inclined. Duriog Mr. Brook's stay at Florida there were eighteen natives killed and fifty taken away, September I.—Left Oboule and sailed for Savo, and anchored under the lee of the island. There is a white man at Savo trading for cocoa-nut oil and shell, who told us the Wainui, steamer, of Dunedin, was here, and had a great row with the natives, taking some of them away, also two women, wife and daughter of the chief Saro. The women on shore I made a fearful howl. Ho (the white man) had to

barricade himself in his house for more than twentyfour hours, until their rage cooled, as the natives thought he had something to do with the people of the Wainui.

September 20.—About five miles from Nukapu; light winds. At eleven a.m. I observed some canoes lying to about about two miles from us. The Bishop went in the boat to them. The bout could not cross the reef, so he <;ot into one of the canoes, and went on shore. About the time ho would reach the shore the natives who remained in their canoes with the boat attacked the crew, wounding Mr. Atkin, and three others; one, a native Bauro, very severely ; six arrows went into him. The others are very slightly wounded. The boat immediately pulled to the vessel. I sent the mate (Mr. Bougard) and three of our people, with, two black boys, (Mr. Atkin going in tho bout as pilot), to watch the beach, to see if they could see the Bishop. Ie being low water, the boat had to wait outside the reef till the tide would rise. While there, they observed a canoe drifting towards them, to which they pulled, and found the murdered corpse of the Bishop in it. The boat pulled immediately for the vessel, bringing the corpse with them. They had divested him of all his clothes. His skull was frightfully broken, arid several wounds about the body. September 21.—Mustered the people. Mr. Brook read the burial service, and committed hid body to tho deep. So much for your kidnapping vessels and your civilised whito man. A vessel was here and took away some natives, and otherw-.se abused them. We being the next vessel, and the Bishop being the next white man that came this way, the natives were sure to be avenged. Tlm-e is not an island we were at, this cruise but we heard of vessels being there and taking away natives. A schooner called the Helen, of Auckland, Kenneth M'Kenzie, master, would undoubtedly have been taken at Florida, only for Mr. Brook, who was on shorn at the time the vesse called. It appears that a brig was there a few days previously. A canoe, with five people, went out to her; four of these were killed, the other clinging to the rudder for some time, and watched his chance and swam on shore. Tho natives all assembled armed, and were getting their war canes ready. Mr. Brook told them he would go out first, ai>d see if it was a bad vessel; perhaps it was a trader that came to trade with them ; however, Mr. Brook pacified them. September 27. —Poor Mr. Atkin died ; he suffered very much for about six hours before his death. Th> arrow that hit him was poisoned. Sept ember 28.—Poor Stephen died; his sufferings for two days were dreadful; it was most heart-rending to see him. Committed both bodies to the deep, Mr. Brook reading the burial service in Mota aad English.