North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1869-03-03

Cannihalism.
An Australian letter Of Nov. 4th, pub
lished in the Nep York Herald, has the
following:
"rhe British steamer Blanche has
returned from cruise among the South
Sea islands, where she was dispatched
from this port on August last to punish
the natives of Rondova bay for the muir
der and eating Of the master and crew Of
the Sidaey bark Marian Renney. She
arrived at the Solomon group in Sept.
and on the 18th anchored in Rondova bay.
The natives mustered in canoes in strong
force, but abandoned the place before the
crew of the Blanche were able to get near
enough to fire at them. The village at the
head Of the bay was then shelled from the
ship and soon destroyed.
IA party of sixty men landed, and after
searching among the ruins found hut
containing twenty-six human skulls, Eve
Of which were evidently those Of white
men. A quantity of ship stores, such rs
paints, oils, &C., was also discovered. A
number of very fine canoes were Recessar
lily left by the natives on the beach, and
these were also destroyed. The Blanche
then returned to Sidney, calling at new
Caledonia. 1t is hoped that the lesson she
has administered to the natives of Ron
dova bay will produce salutary effect
among the other inhabitants of the Solo
mon group, who are by no means SO
friendly as might be desired.
''Reliable information has been received
as to the fate Of the Australian schooner
Harmon, which LETT the port Of Levuka,
Feejee Islands, for the Line Islands, about
ten months since, with the purpose Of get
ting cargo of laborers. The Harmon
seems to have called at Hudson's Island,
one Of the Elise groupc, and while there
the captain and crew, numbering in all
the natives. Measures will soon be taken
for avenging this horrible crime.
"Captain Daily, formerly commander Of
the Spec, q small vessel engaged in the
South Sea Island trade, has been brought
on to Feejee by the Nymph, the same YES
sci that brought on the news of the murder
Of the crew of the Harmon. The captain
got separated from his ship, and gives the
following interesting account Of HE ad-
ventures:
"While cruising among the islands col
Letting cargo of cocoa nut oil, we put in
toward Speidcn island, and left the ship
ina boat manned by FIVE Sandwich men in
order to land raft of oil casks at our oil
depot on the island. The mate was left in
charge of the vessel; the sea was rough,
and the ship being a long way from the
shore, darkness overlook us before max
ing land, and after the most strenuous ex-
ertions to reach the shore we were CON-
PEELED to cut the casks adrift and try to re-.
gain the ship. As, however it was by this
time quite dark, we steered in the wrong
direction and got a long way to leeward OF
both vessel and island, and utter beating
about all night, we found, when the day.
light came, that our boat was fairly out Mt
sea, with neither ship nor land in sight.
Under these circumstances l laid o course
for the nearest island to leeward oe us
st. Augustines), and reached there in
five days, almost starved to death, having
had nothing to eat since parting from the
ship. On making land we found large
number of natives on the beach, who
would not allow us to 90 ashore until they
held council of war as to what was to be
done with US. But ultimately we were
handed over to an cd chief, who had first
sighted our boat, and who had generously
declared to his c0untrymen that, if they
killed us, as they wanted to do, they must
first kill him. This old chief behaved no.
bly,, and provided for us during the whole
time Of our nine months stay on St. Au-
gustine's. Unfortunately l fell sick of the
measles, and the disease spread like wild
fire among the natives, no less than 800 Of
them dying OF it. Strange to say, the ma
tives brought each corpse and laid it down
in front Of me before making away with it,
and from that time until l left the island,
the natives feared me as spirit who had
power Of infinching disease and death on
them. 1t was day of rejoicing among
the people when Capt. Fuller, of the
schooner Nymph, having heard at a
heighboring island of white man being
at st. Augustine's, came and took me off
with my boats crew of Sandwich Island,
ers."