The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-12-18
TRAGEDY OF THE SOUTH SEAS.
The Coolie Mutiny on the French ShiI
"Koaroa"-Terrible Scenes Of
Carnage.

Francisco Bulletin, has furnished us a copy of &
small sheet printed in the French language, en-
titled the Tahiti Messenger. 1t is dated Papeete
October 14th, 1869, and purports to be the
official journal of the French Protectorate at the
Society Islands. In 1t we find n detailed account
of the recent extraordinary tragedy in the South
Seas, which differs in some important points from
the ore published in the Bulletin of Tuesday.
Following is the strange story in full, together
with the Introductory remarks of the French
journal:
A MARITIME DRAMA.
A ship of this Protectorate has Just been the
theatre of a frightful drama, of which We cannot
give n better account than to publish the report
of the second officer, who has brought home the
vessel. The M0orod was purchased by Mr..
Stewart several months ago, and left Atimano IA
port of Tahiti with n cargo of cotton for New
Zealand, with the purpose of bringing back
natives of some of the South Pacific Islands to
labor in this Protectorate. The first part of the
voyage was successfully accomplished, but during
the return trip, Captain Blackett and part of the
crew found a frightful death. A widow and two
small children. objects of the esteem of all and of
the affection of many friends, are left at Papeete
to mourn the unfortunate Captain. Here are
the terms in which are conceived the report of
the second officer of the M0arOd:
NARRATIVE OF THE SECOND OFFICER.
Thrte-mastei bark MoGroa of Tahiti, Pacific Ocean, }
Latitude 7o7 81 south, longitude 1I5 IS east
~ ~ WIZ w 10 CO4hS
vessel of the Society Islands, before my arrival ut
Atimaono, / shall in that case have the honor to
transmit the report which / now write.
will commence by recounting that portion of
the Journal of the vessel which relates what trans
pired after we came in sight of the Gilbert Isl
ands up to the present day, and then l will con-
tinue the account until / speak some vessel, or
until nv arrival in port.
June l6, lSo9-At IL O'Clock this morning we
saw Hope Island. On approaching the island in
the afternoon. several piroques and q large canoe
came alongside, bringing mats, cocoa and other
products OF the islands, to exchange for tobocco
and red cloths which We mad aboard. We re-
manned near this island till the Goth Of June,
when we sailed for Byron Island.
June 2S-At 6 O'Clock this morning we were
near Byron Island, and before night from 800 to
400 natives came aboard. Part of them remained
all night. During the subsequent four days we
occupied ourselves bartering with the natives for
cocoa, etc.
July 2-The captain went on shore and tried
to persuade some of the natives to debark with
us. On the following day we sailed for Peru
Isle, but as n white resident of Byron Isle had
sent three persons i'll advance of us to warn the
natives that WE wanted men, no one ventured
aboard our vessel. The next day we met the
threc-masted bark Annie, of Melbourne, which
had ON board 159 kanakas, but no water. The
captain made arrangements to reship these natives
for Tahiti; but [ do not know on what condi-
tons. Mons. j. Il. Lathin came aboard at the
same time as passenger for Tahiti, and besides we
engaged rs interpreter, at 20 piastres per month,
a native of one OF the Southern Islands, who
had lived at the Fegee Islands. This man had bis
wife with him. Having taken on the kanakas
as aforesaid, and a quantity of powder from the
Annie, we directed our course toward Hope Isle,
where we arrived July 10Th. Two large canoes
came alongside with 81 kanakas, 80 Of whom
were transferred to our vessel. Next day 10
more We're brought us. and the day following 6
rnpnn aa,na 60 aE,ra fho LOT nF tEa., l-SH.,I.
We then sailed for Byron Island, where we
arrived ON the 10th, took on 6S more kanakas,
and then set sail for Tahiti.
THE MUTINY.
July l7-Becalmed six miles from Byron Isle.
At ) o'clock \. ". the captain gave PERMISSION to
all the natives To 90 ON the false OF upper deck,
and he distributed shirts and tobacco among
them. Everything was quiet, but the deck was
dcnsely crowded with nearly 800 men. The
ON watch were at the stern, busy preparing
some plank tc construct n partition 80 as to iso-
the false deck from the cabin and small deck
around il Mt the aft of the vessel. All mt once, |
n moments warning-U had, however,
previously seen n boy steal a knife belonging to
one OF the men, and urged the captain and Mr..
Iathin TO pass asiern)-all at once, as l said
before, the kanakas rushed astern and attacked
the men on watch. | was standing i'm front of
the cabin door, and saw a kanaka kill Mr.. Lathin
with one blow of u Ratchet. | seized n carbine
Aoh ~ Wv e'' ~ h6S hBNtAb - ~ "a " I
lie had been stabbed i'm back and face,
and fallen dead. Besides n terrible blow had
been dealt him with a Ratchet, which one of the
natives had stolen from the tool chest, which was
ON deck. | now fled to the cabin i'm company
the only one of the watch remaining alive. |
There was found the lieutenant and the steward
with n gun. The latter had, while trying to
relieve the captain, been wounded in the right
but he did not tell us of his partly
disabled condition for fear we might be dis
We defended the cabin against all
the kanakas, and | am convinced we might have
control of the vessel Immediately if we
had possessed good arms. Once having us in the
cabin, the kanakas completely cut us off from the
ieck by blocking tine passage way with bricks
taken from the kitchen, but with our carbines
kept them from approaching us.
While this condition of things existed near the
stern Of the vessel, the men forward were also
attacked but having four old sabers which
had placed there the day before, they succeeded
in defending u narrow passage way through
the natives dared not venture. Thus
matters contained up to 9 O'Clock A. NJ, when
TWO of the men forward succeeded in working
heir way through partitions in the between
lecks, and gaining entrance to our cabin through
he lower passage. Three others soon followed.
was thus reinforced by FIVE men, but we were
almost without arms, our long cavalry sabers
being n poor dependence for n hand-to-hand con-
with 800 men.
In this condition We waited for some time with
,ut deciding what to do. Near IL o'clock, the
insisted, Notwithstanding my protes-
alton, in endeayoring to open communication
the interpreter, whom the natives had bound
With cords and imprisoned in his cabin on deck.
lie left our cabin, and while trying to get within
iearing distance of the interpreter, was shot dead
the native who had possession of the i~nterpre-
gun. When the kanakas saw him fall, they
up a diabolical howl. followed by a prolonged
of laughter. Without doubt they were
anticipating the speedy destruction of us all, and
of the great quantities OF tobacco and
ed cloth goods that the Captain had shown them.
I now decided not to attempt to shoot any
more of the natives, as very little could be accom-
,lIshed in that manner with our two guns, and one
evolver, which would not go off. Finally 1 de-
ided to make a desperate movement. 1t was to
low off the upper deck Of the vessel, and during
he confusion and fright which would follow, rush
trough the smoke and overpower resistance in
he best way we could. We had within reach
S boxes of powder, each containing half a pound.