LIVELY TIMES IN NEW CALEDONIA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5873, 11 March 1887, Page 1

LIVELY TIMES IN NEW CALEDONIA.

New Caledonian paperß to Feb. 11 report c. risiug of the natives of Kone* on Feb. £. There ia (aays the Argus) a post of twentyfive soldiers at that place, most of whom were having a bathjit the time chosen by a, couple of hundred to surprise tfcsm, but a small .number remained ok gu&rd. The insaigents* emerged from a wocd between the post .and the sea-shore, with the intention, it is alleged, of surrounding and disarming the sentinels, but they promptly took to their arms, and were preparing to sjsit the blacks on their bayoneta, when the Kanakas turned tail and fled, .pursued by a number of rifle balls, which, however, did more tarm to the boughs of the trees than fcothe rapidly retreating and.eluaiTe natives. All Borta of sensational sumouta were current in iNoumea with reajpect to the abortive, mowment, and it was feared -that the murderoua outrages of IS2B were about to be renewed ; but there seem to have been no just grounds for such an apprehension. The criminal tribunal in Noumea has boen occupied with a case which fiffmr' 1 •■ a #>.riking illustration of the depravity ot ooanict .character ia .New Caledonia. A woman •living in the environs of Canada was placed upon her trial for the murder of & liberated criminal under the following circumataneoß: — On Dec. 25 last, the man, who had been in her service, and had become an habitual drunkard* so that she was obliged to discharge him, returned to her house, and attempted a brutal outrage upon her. Exasperated beyond measure, she seized a table knife and stabbed him in the abdomen.. He made 'light of the wound, continued to drink for the rest of the evening, and on the following day applied for admission to the hospital at Canala, where fc he died of acute peritonitis the day after, A verdict equivalent to justifiable homicide was returned, and the prisoner was immediately liberated.