THE NEW HEBRIDES ISLANDS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 231, 8 February 1869, Page 3

THE NEW HEBRIDES ISLANDS.

„' {From the Melbourne Herald, Jan. 26 ) < <In our issue of Monday, we gave publicity to a rumour that had reached us respecting a massacre said to have been perpetrated at Tanna, one of the Hebrides Islands. We are stili anxiously waiting the receipt of further intelligence that will either refute or confirm the truthfulness of this rumour. We have received news by our Sydney flies that gives ground for fearing that -such provocation has been given to the natives of Tanna as would almost certainly ■ lead to the committal of some fearful retaliation upon any parties connected with Captain Boss Le win. .Captain Lewin, it would appear, has for some time "past been engaged in what, plainly stated, may be called kidnapping the aboriginals of Tanna. so. as to dispose of them as labourers in Queensland. The barbarity of thi9 tralflc has often been laid bare by the Press in each of the colonies, Universal horror and indignation have, been excited against the revolting cruelties connected with it. Captain Lewin has, however, succeeded in importing into this horrible trade elements of atrocity that the mind shudders at, and the pen shrinks from writing. But it is only by placing the facts prominently before the public that such a sentiment of public feeling can be aroused as -will lead to a cessation for ever of such traffic, and cover with infamy fi'l who engage in it or share its profit. ' Lewin, it seems', was an immigration agent for the introduction of Polynesian labourers into Queensland. As such, in April last, he was supercargo- of the ship Spunkie, having prior to this 'sailed' in 1 the King" Ocar antt' the Martha'Ellen,and after tbeSpunkie's voyage, in the 'Daphne, from which vessel he was arrested in Bri'ubune. At Tanna, iii 'April, one of the chiefs of the island, named Xi Xi, came on board the Spunkie. Lewin, being desirous of filling up his number of labourers, detained Xi Xi onb oard. Eventually he consented to let Xi Xi go if he woiild procure another man in his place. Xi Xi failed iv this, and when lewin and he were at the beach, Xi Xi called to his daughter Mary. The wretch Lewin would not let go his hold of Xi Xi until he personally got hold of the girl Mary; with her he rows hack to the Spunkie, and, horrible to tell, turns her naked into the hold, wlu>re some ninety islanders were already stowed away. This outrage committed by -one calling himself :i civilised man, and filling. an official position in cjiuiection with a British colony, is sufficiently vile and disgusting. From the evidences given it appears that Lewin not only turned tiiis poor native girl without ;■. vestige of : -clothing down below amrtr-gst this m«u kidnapped from Tumia, but it is alleged tliat during the night he himself went down into the hold, and in

spite of the cries of his victim violated her person. On this charge Lewin was arrested and indicted at the Brisbane Police Court, and because of some difficulty in proving the actual commission of the offence, he escaped from his richly merited punishment. That justice was unable to overtake anil sternly punish Lewin, is to us a matter for deep regret. The only consolation we have in the matter springs from the hope that such a revelation of inhumanity and brutal violence may cause the total abandonment of the unholy traffic that has hitherto been fostered by the Queenslanders, and in which Mioh men as Lewin find congenial employment. Bearing in mind the above facts, and al-o that Lewin chartered or bought the Daphne, in which the persons whose names we guve on Saturday sailed from here to Tanna, we cannot help thinking that Lewin may have been carrying on still more recently his atrocious exasperating practices, and the unfortunate party he left on the island, landed from his vessel, may hare had . visited upon them the results of his iniquity. Should such be. the .case, no one. can wonder that uncivilised savages did not see the difference between him and- his associates, and that they .retaliated upon them for , the injuries Lewin h:id inflicted. We blush to own that the same fiag covers both us and him, and shall never be satisfied till it shall be impossible ■for such atrocities to be committed with impunity under the British flag. Every British subject must hear a share of the opprobrium that clings to this Lewin, and Queensland •tfill never be free from participation in such men's v nil t 'until she absolutely refuses all co-operation in a traffic so capable of being 'tainted to such vile 1 purposes, and with the utmost severity of her laws punishes every ! man taking any part in kidnapping, and | «ither by force or fraud supplying her labour market with the natives of Polynesia. Far I better had her cotton and sugar and rice plantations remained for ever untilled, than ! be tilled ;»t such a frightful cost and by such ! inhumanity. If Queensland is willing to 1 enrich herself by the employment of Lewins," ' >»nd the toleration of such cruelties as men of 1 Ins stamp are willing to perpetrate, then she ' must bear the infamy, and be willing sooner 1 -or later to pay the awful penalty which ever- | la-sting and unfailing justice is a ire to exact ; for all such violations of the laws of righteous- ! ivess and humanity/ and for every oppression |of the weak and defenceless. '"We would «<till trust that the report of the massacre at 1 Tanna is either unfounded or exaggerated. ' If 'so, however, as we have shown above, we shall h;ive others than our own cbuntrynieii to ; be'thanl(ftil to.*- Lewin ...knows; the' danger in which his breach of faitli with the chief, Xi Xi placed his countrymen and.countrywomen, whom he-left on the island ; and this is'not the least item- in. the bill of i'nilic'tmen't ■which civilisation 'prefers''; against this man ' and all otlters of the same typei