The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-10-23 00:00:00

two brave victims of the same massacre, which took piece on
the previous Tuesday afternoon at the St. Leopard's Cemetery,
.Ncrth Shore. Soon %liter twelve o'clock thousands of persons as-
sembled at the Circular Quay, and all the boats and steamers
that could he engaged were thronged with persons anxious to
pay their last mark of respect to the dead. A very large
muster of the volunteer forces was conveyed across to
Milsoe's Point in the steamers lireadalbane and Manly.
The permanent force, under the command of Major Airey,
and a large number of, the boys from the Vernon, under
the command of Captain Mein, were also conveyed to the
point from which the cortige was to start in steamers and
launches at an early hour. So great was the desire on the
part of the citizens to express their sorrow at the sad occur-
rence which has sent such a thrill of horror through the
community, that the means of conveyance, though large,
were found altogether inadequate for the occasion, and many
were prevented from joining in the procession through not
being able to get over in time As the hour of two ap-
proached the seamen and marines from both the men-of-war
in the harbour and the various companies, of rifles and bat-
teries of artillery and a large muster of the, Naval Brigade
and the Vernon boys, and also the Grammar School cadets,
were drawn up into marching order. Precisely at two
o'clock the first minute gun was heard from the Pearl,
and the procession from the ship was seen to start for
the Point. Eleven minute guns in all were fired. The
precession from the ship, consisted of a steam launch, con-
taining the bodies of the two seamen, and towing the com-
modore's gig with his remains on board. Then followed
the state barge of his Excellency the Governor. When-the
funeral had arrived at the Point, the coffin which con-
tained the remains of Commodore Goodenough was laid
on a gun carriage, and covered with the Union Jack, and
on it were placed the sword, belt, epaulettes, and hat
of the 'deceased offioer. The coffins of the two
seamen were placed side by side on another gun carriage,
and were also covered with the Union Jack and
the hats of the deceased. By this time the Point
had become so crowded that it was found necessary
to move a part of the procession off, and the marines
and seamen of her Majesty's ship Sappho and her
Majesty's ship Pearl, formed "fours," mid went at quick
march to the top of the hill. The general public were then
enabled to form into procession order. The cortege was
headed by the crews of the Sappho and Pearl preceded by
the band of the last named vessel. Next came the gun
carriages, with the coffins, which were drawn by seamen.
Immediately following these were the two children (boys) of
the deceased, accompanied by Captain Hastings and the Hon.
and Rev. Algernon Sistiley. Then followed Lady Robinson's
carriage with Mrs. Goodenough; the Governor's carriage,
in which were his Excellency Sir Hercules Robinson, the
Hon. W. Rely Hutchinson, Captain St. Johr, and Mr.
Anthony Trollope. lhe next-carriage was that of the Bishop
of Sydney with the Right Rev. Dr. Baker. Then followed
the carriages of the Ministry, in which were the Hon.
John Robertson, Colonial Secretary: the Hon. John Lackey,
Minister for Works; the Hon. J. Luca,, Minister for
Mines; the Hon J. F. Burns, Postmaster-General; the Hon.
J. Docker. Minister for Justice and Public Instruction;
the Hon. W. B. B. Dailey, Attorney General, and also the
carriage with his Honour the Chief Justice, Sir T. Martin.
Next in order of procession were the Grammar School
cadets, the volunteer rifles, the Highland brigade, the per-
manent force, the volunteer artillery, the naval brigade,
the Vernon boys, with their respective bands, the members
of the Seamen's Union, detachments from the Pearl and the
Renard war vessels, Lieut. Colonel Richardson, Majors
Baynes, Goodlet, Richards, and officers of the naval
brigade, officers of the men-of-war in port Paymaster
Aeiphlett, in charge of local naval office, and a large
concourse of citizens. When the cemetery was
reached the marines and crews of the men-of-war
passed into the grounds, and were formed into order
around the grave. The coffins remained outside where the
funeral procession was formed, and the rest of the eortege
passed in. Mrs. Goodenough, as chief mourner, with the
two children, each carrying beautifully wrought wreaths of
flowers, followed the remains towards the grave, which were
also accompanied by the chaplain of the Pearl, and the Bishop
of Sydney, his Excellency the Governor and suite, Captain
Hastings and Mr. Manley, and the members of the Ministry
and a few others. The graves lie side by side—that of the
Commodore being the central one, the grave of seaman Ray-
ner lying to the right, and that of seaman emale to the
left of the commodore's. The coffins having been de-
corated with flowers by loving hands were gently lowered into
their last resting place. The impressive Funeral Service of
the Church of England was read by the chaplain of Her
Majesty's ship Pearl, the whole scene being one of deep
solemnity. Many present were greatly affected, especially
the men who had been so lately under the oommedore's
command. The benediction was pronounced by the Bishop
of Sydney, and three volleys having been fired by n company
of men from the Sappho and Pearl, the vast assemblage,
which numbered some thousands, dispersed. Whilst the
service ov r the grave was being performed, eleven minute
mins were red from the Pearl, and eleven more from Dawes'
Battery.

The coffin bore the following inscription :—" Commodore
Jams Graham Goodenough, died 20th August, MTh, aged
forty-four years."

The inscriptions on the coffins of the two seamen gave their
names as Edward Rayner and Frederick Smale respectively.
Both were eighteen 5 ears of age.

We may mention, says the Sydney Morning Herald, as
bein4 a somewhat singular circumstance, that the last
public act of the late lamented commodore in this colony
was the unveiling of the statue of Captain Cook, at Rand-
wick—a statue which had been erected to the memory of a
brave man, who met with a fate in many respects similar to
that which brought his own useful life to an untimely end.
At the beginning of an eloquent and masterly oration, which
he delivered on the occasion, he applied these words in
speaking of Captain Cook's character "That life was an
example of diligence, of industry, and.of devotion to duty ;
and the character which became developed was one which
shows perseverance, constancy, courage, and generosity."
How truthfully may these words now be applied to the de-
ceased officer, whose praise is in every one's mouth.
We may also mention that Santa Cruz, the island upon
which Commodore Gooßenough was massacred, is the name
of an individual Hand, and also the name of a group of
islands situated a little to the north of the Banks and New
Hebrides groups, and a short distance to the east of Solo-
mon's group The Santa Cruz group comprises some 10 or
15 islands, the largest being the island in question: Bishop
Patteson was murdered at Nukapu, a smaller island, belong-
ing to the same group.

It was at Santa Cruz group that Bishop Patteson met his
sad fate. The savages that took the life of the Commodore
took the life of the Melanesian bishop just four years ago.
Not only did these two distinguished men receive their
fate at the hands of the same race of savages, but there is
a remarkable similarity of circumstances connected with the
massacre of the Bishop and the Commodore. The Bishop,
says the Sydney Morning Herald, was desirous of visiting the
group as a messenger of peace, and the object of the Com-
modore was the establishment of friendly intercourse. The
bishop, it will be remembered, trusted himself in a canoe
with the natives, unprotected, as he had always found that
the entering one of the native canoes was a sure way of
disarming Fuspicion ; and the Commodore and his men
trusted themselves in a native village unarmed, the party
having left all their arms in the boats. Both the Bishop
and the Commodore fell by the deadly arrow, which the
savage uses with such perfect skill and with such fatal
effect. Two men fell with their chief at the massacre)
of bishop Patteson, and two have fallen with Commo-
dore Goodenough. The public sorrow that was created
by the intelligence of the murder of the Bishop will still be
fresh in man) memories ; and we need not say that a sorrow
as genuine and as deep was felt throughout the city on the
publication of the fate that has befallen the Commodore.
Other islands in the South Seas have been dishonoured and
stained by cruel massacres, but the Santa Cruz group has
acquired for itself a savage pre-eminence as the place of the
Inhuman massacre of both Bishop Patteson and Commodore
Goodenough.