Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1851-07-17
massacre. and Cu.hIbnru.n.

A recent letter from Paris 10 th'
London Times contains the following
extraordinary particulars Of a horri
Bile occurrence not heretofore made
public: y 70. sa91 s.figsI ,l,aJ-
Private letters have been received
from the corvette Alcmene, comman'
ded by Capt. d'Aarcourt, which men
ton an incident Of horrible kind,
II appears that about the end Of No
vember last. the Alcmene reached
the bay of Balade, one OF the ports
Of New Caledonia, in the Pacific
On the 29th an armed boat, under
the orders of Second Lieut.. Deveres
me, was sent to find passage for the
corvette on the Westerns side of New
Caledonia. The boat, that was to be
absent only eight days, had not re-
turned on the 10Th, and serious ap-
prehensions began TO be entertained
on board the corvette.
Y On the 10Th the barge, under the
orders of First Lieut.. Ponthier,
reached BouIabria, to look after the
boat, and the crew soon learned that
the tribes OF Menema and Bellep, the
most savage among the savage, had
massacred the crew OF NJ. Deveres-
mes boat, and that three seamen on
ly had escaped death. This was the
more strange, as the young officer
and his men had been perfectly well
received at first by the natives Of
Hienguebune, and it was only at the
moment they were preparing to re-
turn to the corvette that, all Of
and at signal from one OF
the natives, they were fallen on and
massacred, without having moment
to make use of their arms. Three
men attempted TO escape by throw
ing themselves into the sea. They
were, however, dragged back, and
naked and bleeding from many
wounds, they were forced TO remain
on the spot while the bodies of their
were devoured by the saw
ages.
For nine days they lived with
them, and TO all appearances were
reserved for the same fate, when, al
the last moment, the barge providen-
tally approached Hienguebune, but
still kept at some distance from the
shore. The only person that landed
was a priest, one OF the members of
a mission in these islands, who cour-
advanced into the midst OF
the savages, and assuming a bold at
titude, threatened them with destruc-
ton II the surviving seamen were not
instantly restored. The cannibals,
finding the boats crew preparing
their arms, gave up their captives.
On the 10Th the Alcmene quilted
Balade, the men burning with desire
to take vengeance on the. savages.
On the 18th, the whole Of the huts
at Tulze were razed to the ground,
the plantations destroyed, the canoes
of the natives captured, and twenty
Of the tribe shot. At Hienguebune
and Paubla the huts and plantations
were also destroyed. On the I'd Of
January the Alcmene quilted New
Caledonia.
A later letter gives the following
additional particulars:
The names of eleven of the VIC
inns belonging TO The crew Of the
Alcmene, at Hienguebune, in the Pa
cifc, as mentioned in my letter some
lays since, are not known. They are
Twelve in number. Among them
was an English pilot, name not CIV
IN. 1t appears that the boats crew
amounted TO fifteen men, three of
whom, as also mentioned, also es-
:aped the horrible butchery OF their
They were dragged TO
The spot where the dead bodies were
Iying, and were forced 10 look on
while the savages tore out 4hs en-
trails with shells, which served them
as knives.
The three survivors naturally be-
Iieved that their last moment was
come; they fell on their knees and
their souls 10 Heaven,
while the burning brasiers, for which
they were in all probability destined,
were close by them. They were,
however, taken from the spot, but
again brought back at nightfall, when
they were offered share OF the hor-
rible repast of the cannibals; aud
their hearts were filed with horror
when one Of the cannibals presented
10 them human arm, still bleeding,
and half roasted The letter from
which these details are taken is dated
Hobart Town, Jan. %. 1t states
that the number Of savages sacrificed
10 the vengeance OF the comrades oi
the massacred amounts to 40, and
everything they possessed was burnt
or otherwise destroyed. f