Mower County transcript., 1869-12-02
A TRAGEDY IN THE SOUTH SEAS.

A Horrible 0tOfy-maSo1Ceeb bY-C0OAbS0
Overheard.
= From the San FIancisco Bulletin, Nov. 10.
BY the brig Nautilus, Capt: Turner,
.hih tSiye tfomN Iabiti yestasdeg, mele
ing rh4Gcke1 {rip On RECORD daygfcr
the rot thh trip Ntees.isleceivsd eY FMS
mess Dpse in hi&city Of onI Of Nie most
lhrif (tg trSd 4es so saecab o4 4ihs Ugh,
seas. 1t brings to mind the fearful scenes
witnessed on board tho African slnvers
years ago, and surpAsses any Of the dark
deeds on ship.board TINT have been chron-
icled for D long time. Some two years ago,
1ne11enud bafk 4 1aMfuriiadi wAs~ii itteta-sp by.
the Tahiti Cotton Company, and sailed for
the Gilbert Islands, near Auckland. osten-,
sibly Oh u trading expedition, but really for
tho purpose of securing " cargo OF coolies,
to Be used rs slaves Oh the ptHntation. She
was provided with stocks, and arranged III
all respects like SLAYER. She procured her
human freight, and after considerable diff
Guilty succeeded in completing her voyage
mi ii 1safatY, III Spite Of the. .ubstacies placedin
her path by the French government and
n m13e ,ftss Essia1lI voot.re proved So , 4emun!
erative that the company could scarcely
curb their impotence and, wait for tho ex-
citeaieiit <t1ie ont' Before sending for
another cargo of coolies. About six months
bsrk @ MayAfet 'Bratidsf, aIra;ae eda(ikst An.
liar to the Muriadi, and sent her to the
Gilbert Islands. under; tho ;Tahitiap flag,
after more ''laborsrs" for their plantation.
No unusual precautions were: taken in
eqntppina the vessel to enable the officers
and men to Withstand any outbreak Which
might take place, and the owners saw the
gallant bark sail away with, ny apprehen-
sion that the voyage would prove 9disasa
trously.
- TIE Brander~ arrived, at the Gilbert isl
ands in due season, and. Immediately set
to work procuring the 'laborers" wanted.
In doing this, moretrouble inexperienced
than had been anticipated: The natives of
Gilbert islands are fierce and revengeful,,
and are ebitter:in ,thtjF hatred, toward: the
whites. Atfast, hoxetef, the complement
was obtained, and the vessel sailed away
With 100 men se'nd women, r. BY
some means or other, the ma
tives discovered the destination of
the Brander,. found that they were to be
snb]ectedr1o 1ol slAvery oand{ tho Muriadi's
cargo had been converted to that purpose
Instantly they became sqllen, and eyed
their. captors with . wicked, look Feeling
some~hat insecure; 'GAbEs ;Blackett,- who
had charge of the vessel, ordered the strict:
est watch to be kept of the movements
made fNtbn cpQies, Is4al ~ possible pre-
cautions for the safety Of the vessel, o3-
GERS and Grew, were taken. His fears were
pqt sFeq9d3ess for xhs9 eers se tx9 weeks weeks
Capt, Blackett, two of the officers and sew.
.eral Of the men, and charged around, the
~e1saef Id The widest fury hackihg} their
victims in tho most frightfal manner.
While the poor wretches were carrying on
ufing 5hair victims, tie mate 81 the vessel
managed to secrete himself below. His
absence was soon. discovered, and the half
lcraksd savaess set' 70 work TO discover his
whereabouts. W
Mistrusting their intention, and with "a
.presenca Of mind seldom equaled, he placed
! 'keg Of powder under the main hatch, and
arranged fuse. Then calling out to the
coolies above, he ,scampered back from the
powder as far as possible. When the fel.
lows had crowded around the hatchway,
ardivelS pesring down to'see; him, he fred
his fuse, and the explosion which followed
killed nearly all on hoard. The resk were