TRAGEDIES IN NEW CALEDONIA.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1434, 28 November 1885, Page 3

TRAGEDIES IN NEW CALEDONIA.

On the 19til ult., on the estate of M. Roger, at Gadji, an ex-convict named Yeschi got drunk with some companions while his employer was absent on ‘a sporting excursion. M. Roger left a doublebarrelled gun in Vescbi’s possession, and had instructed him to follow, but the fellow remained behind, and becoming quarrelsome in his cups, turned furiously upon his comrades, and shot three of them. Their names wereTellier, Qandin and Bart. Two of them fell dead on the spot, while the third, although mortally wounded, managed to stagger down to the sea coast at Paiti, nearly a mile distant, where he raised an alarm. He lingered on until next morning. Yeschi fired at a fourth assigned convict, and also at a Kanaka, but they escaped. He was soon afterwards arrested.—The barque Ernestine, on her way from the New Hedrides to Noumea, with a large cargo and several blew up about four o’clock on the morning of the 21st of October, shortly after leaving her anchorage at the entrance of the Havanah passage at Gore. An intelligent native of Lifou, named Georges, who speaks French fluently, had charge of the helm at the time, and he states that Madezo came upon the bridge at the time named, looked at the compass, and at the direction of the wind, and then deoended into his cabin, without saying a word. Soon afterwards a violent explosion occurred, and on looking down the gangway, Georges saw the cabin was m flames, and that its three occupants namely, the skipper, the carpenter, and a girl named Julia—had been literally blown to pieces. With great presence of mind he cut the rope of the whaleboat, and jumping into it, called upon the passengers to follow. They did so to the number of twelve—three white men, and nine Kanakas —and by the time they were well clear of the barque she was one mass of fire, and very soon went down. She belonged to the New Hebrides Company, and was insured, as well as her cargo. She appears to have been about thirty miles from land whan the disaster happened. The flames were perceived by the British ship Dauntless, but were supposed to arise from a bush fire. The men who had escaped io the boat were without provisions and without compass, but they were fortunate enough to reach the land in safety, and the Governor of New Caledonia promptly sent the Loyalty to their relief. The origin of the explosion is a mystery, and is likely to remain so.