CRUISE OF H.M.S. BLANCHE.

Waikato Times, Volume II, Issue 100, 19 December 1872, Page 3

CRUISE OF H.M.S. BLANCHE.

H.'M.S. Blanche, 6 guns, Captain Cortland H. Simpson;' loft Sydney, N.5.W.,'011 12th May, for the South Soa Islands, with orders to visit as many islands, beeho-le-mer fisheries, and pearl stations, as possible; to obtain all the reliable information with regard to British subjects reported murdered, the practico of skull-hunting, treatment of islanders employed on fisheries and plantations, tho practice of kidnapping, and 'to colloet information on these and ail other subjects of interest. In the first place it will bo necessary to inform your readers that for somo years there hare been trading vessels running between Australia and the South Sea Islands, and thin trado is fast increasing. The principal produce of the islands (which are exchangod for barter in tho shape of tomahawks, knives, beads, cloth, pipes, tobacco, &c.) ia cocoanut oil, copra from tho cocoanut, beche-le-mer, pearls, pearl shells, and tortoise-shell. Tho practico of skull-hunting is a most barbarous custom of tho natives of these islands, who in many cases, undoubtedly, have been assisted by the white men, brought about in tho following manner:—A vesssel arrives at one of these islands, and tho king is informed by the master of the vessel that ho is desirous of trading and bartering; tho answer is, that he has so much cocoanut oil, Ac., which he is willing to barter for trado gear, provided ho will allow somo of his (tho "king's) warriors to tako passage in tho vessel to such and such an island with whom they are at war. This is agreed on, and a number of these so-called warriors are embarked. On arrival at tho island, tho unsuspecting natives, hi usual, come alongside, when these so-called warriors suddenly attack, kill them, and cut o/f their heads, which are ■ kopt and placed oil pogs in their taboo-houflo as trophies; j tho master of the vessel secures tho trado as before promised in oxchange for tobacco, pipes, &c., as most fancied and wanted by tho natives. It is but right to state, that although it has boon reported by tho missionaries in these islands that whito men have assisted in this barbarous practico of skullhunting, yet no single case has been fully provod. Although none of tho whito men on board actually lend a hand in tho tuurdors committed, yet tho master ought certainly to bo severely punished for his share in aiding and abotting, moro especially as tho natives of the island where tho murders are committed, thinking it is done for tho whito men, tako tho first opportunity of avenging themselves by murdering the next whito men who come for trade. Tho practico is to kidnap tho natives from these islands cither by force or by false pretences, and to tako thom to Queensland or Fiji, whore they are engaged generally at from £15 to £25 each. They are employed on tho sugar plantations, sheep walks, &0., labour being scarce (and very dear for white men) in tho abovonamed places, and at the end of three years ihoy are given about £5 or £10 worth of articles, and aro sent back to their islands.

During tho Blanche's cruise sho visited the Solomon, Caroline, Marshall, and Gilbert Groups; and at all tho islands visited —twenty-five in number—found the natives afraid of the man-of-war, and in consequence extremely wellbehaved and civil. The nativos of tho Solomon Islands are supposed to be tho most treacherous and bloodthirsty of any known savages thoy are tho most invotcrate cannibals, and apparently their solo object in lifo is to got each other's heads. Thoy are not, however, a courageous race, rarely, if ever, fighting openly, but attacking suddenly and from the rear. At Isabel Island, Solomon Group, they have a curious mode of building houses in tho trees, which is peculiar to this island only. The tree villago visitod was built on tho summit of a rocky steep mountain, about 800 feet above tho soa, and was very difficult to ascend; tho native path, which, without a guide, could hardly have been discerned, being very slippery, and leading through a wood thickly grown with bushes, creepers, &c. On arriving at the summit of this mountain, which was one mass of enormous rockp, amongst which wero growing the gigantic trcos, in the branches of which tho houses of the natives are built, tho stems of these trees arc perfectly smooth, without a branch for some 50 to 120 feet. Ono house was visited, which was some 70 to 80 feet from the ground, and tho ascent was by means of a ladder, made of somo pliable tree, or very strong creeper, somewhat resembling the vine ; this ladder is made fa9t to a post within the house, and can be pulled up at pleasure. The houses arc firmly and well made, capablo of containing a dozen people, and are used at night to sleep in when threatened by thoir enemies, so as to guard against surprise, all of them being fortified with a number of large stones which tho occupants throw with great dexterity and precision ; at tho foot of theso trees is the day hut, used for eating, &c. At ono of tho villages on tho seashore of Isabel Island, a most sickly and repulsive sight presented itself; across the door of tho chief's house wero nailod twenty-three or twentyfive human hoads, taken about three weeks previously by this chief and his followers, from some of his fellow-islanders, who, thoy stated, had turned bushmen. The attack had been from tho rear as was evident by the skulls, the flesh was still on tho bones, the eyes protruding, jaws broken, and the stench frightful; the bodies of all theso men had been eaten. At M'Askill Island, Solomon Group, we obtained seven large turtles for about 2£ lbs of tobacco, which cost 8d a pound at Sydney. These turtles avoraged 110 lbs of flesh each when killed and cut up, being at the rate of 38 lbs a

penny. At Lugunor Island, Caroline Group, where it is doubtful if any white mon had boon there for years, as no sign of trnlfio was found, the men wore their hair in regular European fashion, chignons being commonest, which wero kept up by a comb having four teeth, the top part of the comb that was visible being carved, and the whole surmounted with a cock's feathor, it gavo thorn rather an effeminato appearance. At Hogolu Islands, Caroline Group, the natives woro very much frightenod, having entirely deserted during the night the village off which the Blanche was anchored. The next day seeing a number of canoes collected together, a boat was sent to endeavour to persuado them to come alongside and batter. After a timo tho boat succeeded in getting amongst them. They were all quite naked, painted in regular savage style, and the boats loaded with spears, slings, and stones. Thoy eventually came alongside, and were very friendly. At St. Matthias' Island, Solomon Group, no anchorage could bo found. The natives camo down to the beach in groat numbors, and seemed very anxious for the vessel to atop, shouting and gesticulating in the most absurd manner ; both mon and women woro quite naked, tho latter wore a sort of apron behind. At New Hanover, Solomon Group, it is very douubtful if white mon had ever been there before, as the natives were ignorant of tho use of tobacco, and took in exchange for their spears, Ac, of which they brought forbarter, paper, printed or not, and whon obtained they knew not what to do with it. They were arrant theives, and very expert. Ono was detected stealing a shirt, which was hung up some distance inside a port, and, when chastised by the indignant owner, smiled pleasantly, apparentv only sorry at being detected. Visited the S.E. coast of New "Guinea, but it was so full of shoals at oven four or five miles from the land that it wns dangerous to proceed, so had to turn back after anchoring for one night j the natives came oft* to us in very large canoes, having enormous outriggers ; they were very fine looking men, qui to naked, and wore their hair frizzled out. At Bonham Island, Marshall Group, Lieutenant T. T. A. Smith died of remittent fever, after a few days' illness ; he was buried on shore with the usual salute of three volleys, in tho native cemetery ; and the ship wns detained while the carpenters made a headstone of wood for his grave. His loss was much felt. Tho Blanche arrived at Sydney on 15th, 189 days since leaving, during which time the vessel had been over 13,000 miles of water, being 70 miles a day including all stoppages', anchored at twenty-five islands, passed close to about thirty others. The engines have made 226,671 revolutions, and tho ship's company had eight days fresh meat and 181 of salt meat.