The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-04-03
Massacre OF the Crew OF the American
Whaling Ship Superior, by the Natives OF
Treasury Island, in the Solomon Group.

Treasury Island, in the Solomon Group.
The Sydney Herald publishes a letter from
Capt. Mair, of the schooner Ariel, giving the
particulars of the murder of twenty six Il
the crew of the American whaling bark Su-
perior, which sailed from New Bedford, by
the savages of Treasury Island. Capt. Mair
sailed to the island to inquire the truth Of the
reported massacre. The following is his ac-
count Of the affair:
I found out that six of her crew were pris-
oners upon the island, and at once set abeu
trying to get possession of them. For three
days more crNs sed Off the island, having the
natives backwards and forward during that
time l went to the beach occasionally, and
could see the men, but on every occasion they
were strongly guarded. None of the prnci-
pal natives coming OH board, as n last resource
had to secure a native who was related to
one of the head chiefs. / put him in irons,
and next morning took him ashore, and again
offered the natives 10 pay them for the men,
They agreed at last to let me have one who,
on coming to my boat gave me the dreadful
intelligence that the whole of the crew of the
superior, with the exception of himself and
nye others, had been murdered and the ship
burnt. 1t seems there are two chiefs impli-
cated-Copan, the head man, and America,
the next. My prisoner being a relative to
America, resolved TO keep him until l got
the two other men that chief had, (fer each of
the two chiefs had, it seems, two men, and
was finally successful, after a great deal of
trouble. The three men, however, whom
Copan had possession of, l could not get eth =
er by persuasion or by threats. AT night
proceeded to the anchorage, where the ship
had been taken and remained there two days.
l saw no natives, but found the ships jib-
boom ON the beach, together with pieces of
burnt timber; slaves, &c.
The bark Superior, r. ID. Woods, master,
woods Owner) of New Bedford, sailed from
that port on the oath June, 1857, made Trea
ry Island on the 18th of September, 1860, and
nInr- ~. A., ~
the 18th, 14th and 18th of that month the
crew Were employed in wooding and water
Ing, and, from the mems statement, were
visited by great number of natives, armed.
On Sunday, the 10TH nine of the crew went
ashore. The carpenter and two men went to
the settlement and were murdered in one of
the native huts The natives then proceeded
In canoes and overland, to the ship, and those
who came by land fell in with the remaining
six close to the beach, and murdered them
About $50 natives got on board the vessel and
made rush on the crew, who were all on
deck except four, who were in bed. Those on
de.k were immediately tomahaWked, only
two escaping by jumping down the main
hatchway, and joining the four below in the
forecastle. One of the crew, whom l recoy-
cred, saw the captain and second mate mur
dered by a native called "Billy," who has
been to Sydney, and speaks English we'll
The chief Copan was the principal in this
dreadful massacre. The six men below, being
armed with lanceS, kept the natives from
"Billy" told my informant that if they came
up they should not be hurt. At length, there
fore, they did so, and were at once surround
ed, and by the chief Copan ordered to be put
to death. The chief America offered to buy
three of the men, and he persuaded Copan TO
keep the other three TO till the ground These
three, as l have already intimated could
could not recover.
The three men on board my vessel say they
We're we'll treated by the chief America, and
they tell me that the native Billy was at
the taking of the schooner Pearl, where l am
now atanchor, about eighteen months before
this happened. 1t is said that he went over
to Treasuary Island in the Superior, and had
an opportunity of seeing that there Were no
arms kept there being only seven old flint
guns, and none of them loaded when the ship
was taken. Twenty six men were butchered
in cold blood, amongst whom was a poor lad
ten years OF age-the crew consisting of
thirty-two souls when she anchored. The
natives took five boats, with quantity of
cordage and sails, which Were all cut up, and
everything else was destroyed by setting the
ship on fire. The Superior had on board 40
barrels of sperm and $50 barrels of right
whale oil.