THE SOUTH WEST COAST SOUNDS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8118, 17 September 1904, Page 2

THE SOUTH WEST COAST SOUNDS.

HYGIENICS, SCENICS, TRAITS AND TRADITIONS. (By R, CARRICK.) VII. HBATIOAL BSOAPASSS. It is surprising, the number of stray threads in the historical narrative of New Zealand South to be picked up at sea. That gem of the ocean, Norfolk Island, ! supplies my case in point. It is, the story ! of a wild, lawless gang, terrorising the '] southern coast, and rendezvousing in Dusky. Its leader, Blaok Goff, was a " coloured gentleman," of Easb Indian extraction. His felony racord was very bad ; ' so much so that his life sentence hung in. the balance against sudden death. ;;. Indeed, how he retained possession of " his respiratory organs as he did is a mystery. The story tola at- his trial for a "secondary punishment offence" showed he was ft man deeply imbued in the brutalities of crime, and that maay far less deserving cases had gained for themselves the "short shrift." It panned, or penned, out as* fol-lows:—-A Chinese junk was employed conveying passengers from Hong Kong- to Swatow— a seaport 180 miles northwards. A few miles off Lymoon it fell calm, and she dropped anchor, . Later on, probably about midnight, a larger junk ran alongside, % number of her men jumped on board,, and, before the passengers and crew could chow resistance, they were entirely in the power of their pirate captors. The crew and passengers were all secured under the hatches, and the junk, getting under way, steered for the bade, or south end of the island of Hong Kong. Soon after daylight, these unfortunate people, m«n, women and children, to the number of fifty-seven, were brought on deck, their hands and feet tied, and they were ruthlessly flung overboard. Goff was known to have been a participator in this cowardly outrage, and it was to escape ths consequences he made his way to the western world, eventually reaching Sydney Oove, a prisoner of the British Crown. Getting further promotion in. the felonies, he was transferred to Norfolk Island, and at s tha date when the Dusky escapade occurred, we find him working in a stone-quarry gang on the island. The gang camped out in the neighbourhood of the workings, a boat service, with supplies, visiting them weekly. AVhaler operating on the coast was no.ticed by the- gang. Some of them had served aboard whale ships, and naturally looked with longing eyes towards .the offshore visitor. The supply boat being signailed, th«y knocked off quarrying, and were set to landing the stores. .That afforded these enterprising spirits the requisite for gratifying their- longings, and; they were prompt to avail themselves of the opportunity. With Black Goff in the lead, six of the gang seized, ana made off in, the supply boat. Left withont means for pursuit, it was impossible the shore party to follow. By the time the news reached headquarters, the absconders were well out to sea, "and further pursuit} was deemed hopeless. They did not readily accomplish, their purpose. They had lost all trace of the whaler, and, losing sight of land, they completely lost their reckonings. The food they had been able to carry off was sqpn consumed, and the second 'day of their escape found them starving. In that plight they gave themselves up to sullen despair. Suddenly, during the darkness of the night, a heavy blow was struck. It must have been well aimed and effective, as not a groan escaped the victim. When day dawned, the body, eaten into, was. -lying at the bottom of ths boat. It was that of one of the more hapless of their number, and there is reason to assume ha was decoyed away on the off chance of sueh v a crisis. The body was touched by no one during daylight, but, when night set in, the attack was renewed. On that horrid fare they subsisted five days. A few rainfalls relieved them of . thirst. Becoming absolutely listless, the boat was left to drift at the caprice of the tides. No one seemed to heed what was transpiring, and the wonder is they survived at all. Black Goff was first to regain his faculties. During the night he found himself stretched out S among the stern-sheets, with his face tiirned upwards. Rain had fallen, which must have revived him. When daylight broke, bis astonishment was great to find the boat drifting inside a. bight, with the land .on all sides. His companions were lying in the bottom of the boat, dreamily chewing the viscera and bleeding remains of another and more recent victim. The sight of land braced them ujf, and they were soon on shore amongst a plentiful supply of birds, in tho thick of the nesting season. ~ They had landed on Philip Island; situated a day's sail to windward of. NorfolkThey found* a complete try-plant., together with other/races of recent occupation. l The state of things showed that the' whaler meant returning very soon. In that, appearances were not deceptive. The Matilda, an American ship, commanded by one Fowler, came upon the scene. Being shorthanded, he willingly shipped the absconders. Getting under way, she sailed south, spending some months in Southern New Zealand waters. There she met with a run of bad luck. Sydney. Customs' records are my authority for saying:— "The Campbell Mocquarie arrived from Otahejti, where she left for Matilda, with a short crew, having lost no fewer than fourteen hands, together with three boats. One of the latter was carried away by six of her own men, Lascars, supposed 'to be rendezvousing in Dusky Bay." ' ■.• -y "New Zealand South, Historical Records " writes : — " That picturesque and deservedly popular sea-roost had at this time a most unsavoury notoriety. It is mentioned in Imperial papers as a- pirate nest. Its seal and shore -whaling gangs acted as ' fences '—making detection of their piratical confederates all but impossible;" Black Goff was leader of the Lascar mob. They established themselves . on what Captain Cook had named Indian Island. They had likewise retreats among the throuph channels from Dusky to Breaksea, as far inland as Vancouver. A rogues' march or freebooters' camp could not have been better provided for. jt3 facilities for concealment and escape were innumerable. Harlequin in pantomime or the proverbial pea, of the tbimble-rigger w*r© fools compared ..with these strategics. They shot their boatrin* amongst sea caverns, leaving; their pnrsuere perplexed as to the speculative value of their own eyes- The mouths of these cavernß, arrased with thick herbaceous webs, made their transformation scenes refienabie the supernatural j and Black Goff hisnself was not ineptly bracketed with the other coloured gentleman— the "Father of

Lies." Tbeir nestings in Dusky extended over a period of years. We may rest assured they succeeded in hatching some very bad eggs. Complaints were constantly reaching Sydney Cove, and in response thereto armed cruisers repeatedly visited the Sound, but the Lascars invariably man- », aged to elude surprise. A whaleship put into the Sound in quest of careen, making snug in Pickersgill Harbour. Shortly after her arrival she wa« visited by a party of coloured mem The account they gave of themselves was that they were working an inland sealery, and their ship -was timed to return for them, in a few weeks. They remained about during the day, and on taking themselves off .promised to return and assist in watering th* , vessel. At first the whaler believed their story, but something transpired to arousa suspicion. When they left a boat was dc? spatched to observe their movements oil shore. Instead of proceeding inland in th« direction of where they said they were, ' cajmped they disappeared into a cove not" far from the mouth of the harbour. That confirmed the whaler in his suspicions. He made every preparation against surprise. A good look-out was kept throughout th« night. An hour or so before dawn a boat was reported stealthily approaching in the dark. Getting in under the ship's chains, the intruder made fast, and a moment site* two objects climbed up over the bow*.' A well-directed volley was fired, and the twe dropped down into the wafer. Finding the ship was on the alert the intruder* casfcoff; and, bending on" their oars, shot away in the dark. Another 1 ! volley was sent afte* them, but darkness prevented the whale?. ascertaining the execution done. ..■.-..' i• ■. A few days later a European gang visited the ship. They brought a pnaonet^tne • sole survivor of the Lascars. The TJaifce^s admitted having leagued with them,.pu6 protested it wss under compulsion,' Tjiey /. had been overawed and forced to assist in their depredations. l!fow that the gang had been broken up they were only too pleased to be rid of them. The two. men shot in the act of boarding proved to be. Black Goff and a confederate.; The volley, sent after the boat killed one .and mortally wounded two.