CRUISE OF H.M. SCHOONER SANDFLY.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3978, 15 December 1873, Page 3

CRUISE OF H.M. SCHOONER SANDFLY.

The second schooner built by Mr Cutbbert for the Imperial Navy, for the suppression of the slave trade, arrived at Sydney on Decem» ber Ist, after an absence of nearly six months. The voyage is full of incident ; — The Sandfly left Sydney on the 22nd June, her mission being to oruise around the various islands forming the Solomon Group. She arrived at Makaira on the 4th July. The first case of importance ocoured on the 30th August, on which date the British brig Aurora was fallen in with, and there being 11 natives on board under suspicious circumstances, the ship was taken possession of, and being placed in charge of an officer was dispatched to this port for adjudication. The particulars of this seizure have already appeared. The Sandfly then proceeded to the Duke of York Island, to institute inquiries respecting the seizure of the schooner Lavinia, and it was found that the vessel was destroyed the day after being captured. At Duke of York Island the Sate Kearney, of Sydney, was fallen in with ; and Lieutenant Nowell gave Captain Fergusso", of the Kate Kearney, permission to capture, it possible, the ohiefor king namad King Tom, who bad been the leading man in the seizure of the Lavinia, but cautioning him that no aggressive measures should be used.

The cruise was continued round the various islands forming the Solomon Group, and scientific information obtained as to the outlying reefs, &o ; at one part of the coast off whioh the Saudfly anchored the following incident occurred : — The natives of the hill, or as they are designated, bush tribes, are at deadly enmity with the beach or shore natiree. The daughter of a bush man had married one of the beaob tribe ; the father, anxious to see his child, ventured from his bills, and by atratrtgeui an interview was effected with his daughter, but during this interview the husband suddenly came on the scene, and at once tomahawked the parent in the presence of the daughter. The murder took place on the 19ih September, on which date the Sandflj put in an appearance. The custom of the 'natives ia

Lthis locality is simply to roaat and eat the bodies of their enemies, and this was being actually carried out but for the timely advent of the cruiser. Lieutenant No well learning the particular at once took prompt measure?, communicating by means of an interpreter his intention of burning the village unless the dead body wes given up. His threats had the deßired effect, and the chi«f was compelled not only to bring the corpse alongside, but afterwards to tow it to sea and sink it. This being accomplished, presents were given to the chief. On October 4, the schooner arrived at Port Praslin, where it was found that some eighty canoes, fully manned, from a neighboring island, were busily employed in skull-hunting and slave-catching. The practice appears to be that when a strong tribe makes a foray, the older branches of the weaker lot are at once killed and eaten, their skulls being alone retained, while the children are seized and taken into slavery ; but the sudden appearance of one of H.M.s schooner in this instance brought affairs to a very different termination. Lieutenant Nowell on the following day manned and armed the boats, himself proceeding in the whaler, and placing Mr Bourd, the gunner, in charge of the gig, in which was fixed a rooket tube. The party started at 1.30 p.m. The gig was anchored 300 yards from the shore, and the rooket tube brought to bear on the village. Lieut. Nowell then pulled in, and by means of the interpreter gave the aggressive tribe to understand that within an hour the slaves must be liberated, and the heads given up, or he would fire the village. The effect is described as electrical. The canoes were at once launched, and all the live and dead spoil left on the beach, but to teach a lesson, and as a wholesome warning of what might be the result, as soon as tbe canoes were well clear of the gig a rocket was fired across their sterns, which effected a complete stampede. On Lieutenant Nowell and his party landing they found fourteen children whose parents had been killed, and a number of skulls, some of them being on the fire for the purpose of removing the flesh. That night the liberated captives were left in charge of the principal chief, and the next day were sent rejoicing to their homes, with presents of tobacco, pipes, and biscuit. The chief was also compelled to bring all the skulls alongside the schooner and then take them out to sea and 6ink them, and on his return was presented with some presents of tobacco, &c.