HEBRIDEAN WAR

Waipa Post, Volume 36, Issue 2145, 17 April 1928, Page 6

HEBRIDEAN WAR

OUTLAW CHIEFTAIN KILLED. Thingaru, the notorious outlaw chief, who for 16 years disturbed the peace of the island of Santos, New Hebrides, has at last paid the penalty for his misdeeds (writes Maurice Frater in a despatch from Paama to the Melbourne Argus). His death is the result, not of Government action, but of intertribal warfare. In 1911 he was proclaimed an outlaw by the Condominium Government, and a price was Gjet on his head, but amid the fastnesses of his native mountains he eluded all attempts to capture or kill him. In 1911 Thingaru was the leading spirit in a native rising which aimed at clearing Santos of its white settlers and killing native servants. The whole island was in a state of great unrest, and, owing to the influence of Thingaru among the wild bushmen, the outbreak assumed serious proportions. The Sondominium Government sent Captain Harrowell with a strong police force to the relief of the Europeans, and, making Hog' Harbour, his headquarters, he tyrned the mission station into a fortress. Thingaru made no attempt to attack the strongly-entrenched position of the Government forces. After a prolonged period of inactivity the garrison was withdrawn without ever having come into touch with the chieftain.

But Thingaru'a presence in Santos tended to perpetuate a feeling of unrest. Having failed to capture him by military methods, the Government tried to establish peace by conciliatory measures. Mr Smith-Rewse, the late British Commissioner, approached the missionary of the district to ascertain what likelihood there was of arranging a friendly settlement with Thingaru. Mr Anderson volunteered to visit the chief, and after a great deal of negotiations with friendly natives he succeeded in penetrating the mountain retreat of Thingaru and having an interview with him. Much to his surprise Thingaru received him in a friendly fashion, but, fearing betrayal, he refused to negotiate with the Government. At the beginning of November there was a renewed outbreak of hostilities among the tribes of the Hog Harbour district, and several leading chiefs were killed. The French yacht La Victoire was sent to Hog Harbour, but as the fighting zone was too far inland the Government force was unable to crush the rising. Inter-tribal fighting continued, and on November 16 news reached the coast that Thingaru had been killed and two of his wives strangled. Contrary to expectations his death has not quelled the spirit of unrest among the native population. In Santos the vendetta is still practised, and Thingaru's tribesmen are determined to kill a chief of equal rank their chieftain's death. The wild bushmen then descended upon the station village of Hog Harbour and an unsuccessful attempt was made to kill the chief. The vendetta warfare is causing considerable apprehension among the white resi-. dents of the district.