The Sun.
London, England, 1849-05-24 00:00:00

THE MURDER OF CAPTAIN DA COSTA AN

HIS MISSING COMPANIONS.
The surmise that Captain Da Costa, of, the Royal En-
gineers, and Lieut. Dwyer, of the Ceylon Rifles, had
been murdered, has been confirmed, though only one
body—that of Captain Da Costa—has as yet been found.
During the first search spots of blood were traced
along the path below the village for a considerable dis-
tance, when they were suddenly lost sight of. The search
was continued unsuccessfully during that and the follow-
ing day, when, about six o'clock in the evening, as the
police boat was shoving off from the rocks for the purpose
of returning to Victoria, a piece of bamboo fell from the
boat into the water. The attempt made by one of the
men with a boat-hook to recover the bamboo seems to
have disturbed the water, and caused the body of Mr.
Da Costa to rise gradually to the surface, about 20 feet
from the shore.
Next morning, on examining the rocks close to the
spot where the body was found, a good deal of blood was
observed in various places, leading over the stones to-
wards the part of the pathway where the track had for-
merly been lost sight of. From the marks of blood, the
police are of opinion that the body must have been
carried along the pathway, and then turned off to the
rocks, over which it had been thrown.
A coroner's inquest sat on the body of Captain Da
Costa on the Ist March. The place has been visited and
scoured, not only by the police, but by large parties of
troops, and the crew of her Majesty's steamer Fury.
From the evidence at the inquest we select the fol-
lowing
"Penwell Martin Tweddell, being sworn, states—l am
a surgeon attached to the Ceylon Rifle Regiment quar-
tered
at Stanley. On Sunday afternoon last, the 25th
of February, I left our quarters, in company with
Lieutenant Dwyer, Captain Da Costa, and Lieutenant
Grantham,- for the purpose of taking a walk. I
accompanied the party some short distance—
perhaps a quarter of a mile and then sepa-
rated, as also did Lieutenant Grantham. I returned
to my quarters about twenty minutes past five.
Captain Da Costa and Mr. Dwyer proceeded towards
the village of Wong-mi-kok, which is situated
about a mile and a quarter from our barracks. We
dine at seven o'clock. As Captain Da Costa and
Mr. Dwyer did not return to dinner, I became alarmed,
and went out to look after them, with a sergeant, cor-
poral, and three men. We proceeded to the village of
Wong-ma-kok. lat that time saw nothing to excite
suspicion.
icion I saw an old man there, who was very civil,
and gave us oil for our lamps. In answer to some ques-
tions I put to this old man relative to the missing gen
tlemen, he said that he had not seen any Europeans
about; I consequently returned homewards. When
about 200 yards from the village, close to the pathway,
I found a three•pronged spearhead, broken short off,
which I now produce. I took the spear to our station,
and reported to Lieutenant M`Donald, being the senior
in command. He, with a party of soldiers went out, in
order to make further search. I did not accompany
them. They returned about two o'clock the following
morning. On Monday morning Mr. May wit!? a party
of police arrived at Stanley. I accompanied them, in
order to show the road which the missing party had
taken. We separated in various directions. I first dis-
covered marks of blood in the immediate vicinity of the
village of Wong-ma-kok (corrects himself), I first dis-
covered marks of blood about 600 or 700 yards on the other
side of the village, which I traced close into the village;
from thence to he sea side, which is, perhaps, half
a mile from said -village. The water was deep where we

• Amongst these has been the erection within the past
week of a gallery of bamboo, with sentry-boxes at intervals,
along the roofs of the houses fronting the river, and
stretching from the factories to the extremity of the city.
It would thus appear that an attack of the ladrones from the
water is apprehended. The erection might be pretty effec-
tual against their spears, or such weapons as they are likely
to use, but is exposed even to pistol-shots from the river, and
cannot, therefore, be intended to resist foreigners.
j' The Phlegethon conveyed the Marines from Hong-
Bong; but having been damaged on her way up, the Cor-
sair was chartered to take her place until she was repaired.
The accident to herself was, unfortunately, not the only
damage done; for, having got foul of a junk, a Chinese was
killed—a pod untoward event at thi4 cnsi