Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-05-02
HORRIBLE MASSACRE.
A Remarkable Story Of the HassaGre Of a
ships Grew by FIiabs,

A letter from Sidney, New South
Wales, under date Of March j, to the
San Francisco AhG, gives the follow
ing remarkable story Of the massacre
OF a vessels crew by Inhabitants OF
the Fiji Islands:
Again the Marian Kenny schooner
hiss been the scene Of a massacre. On
the first occasion the kanakas muir
dered evely one belonging to this ill-
fated vessel. Next was a loss Of part
Ofthe crew, and now nine lives have
been taken by those wildly disposed
children of nature, who form such a
standing dish at missionary meetings.
The Marian Kenny left FIJI in the
beginning Of December on trading
voyage among the Live Islands, COM
mauded by Mr.. Rae, one Of her own
er5. Mr.. Diehl, chief officer, with a
crew Of fourteen, Of whom three were
whites and the remainder islanders.
On December - they arrived of
Cherry Island, situated between
Banks Group and New HebriGes. On
the following morning Mr.. Rae, four
Rutamah BOYS, and one Sandwich
man. went ashore in the long boat.
As Mr.. Rae was getting over the side,
the mate asked him ''lf he had not
better take his revolver Ills reply
was. "Oh, no, I baVe been here belOrei
thew all know me-" As Rae left the
schooner. two canoes, each carrying
about a a dozen men, put OIL from the
shore, and subsequent events snow
that the massacre was premeditat6d
and planned only too well.
The Fijians state that on reaching
the shore, a quarter OF mile distant,
Rae and the boats crew went over
the sandy hillOcks into q scrub, and a
number of natives ran down the bank
again and pushed of the boat, some
oIthem even going up to the arm pits
10 send her of shOrei at the same
time an attack was made on those on
board by the natives, who had come
of in the canoes. The crew were to-
tally unpFepaFed. Tho mate was
killed ia the deck house, and a white
man named Bill had his head cut of
by an ak, and the others were
wounded frightiully. The steward
got a loaded gun, and a FUian and
the surviving white man fired alto
gether, but killed nobody. 10 had
the effect Of frightening the assailants,
who Jumped overheard. The rest Of
the crew tried to weigh the anchor,
but were not able, SO slipped the ca
/ bic; the lOng-bOat was hauled by the
natives on shore. The mate, Mr..
Diehl, snd the white man, Bill, were
buried at sea the next day. The
steward and a seaman named Charley
were the only two white men remain
ing, and the COlOred portion Of the
crew state that the former was badly
wounded during the attack on the
vessel.
lie stayed in the cabin for FIVE days,
and on the morning Of the sixth came
on deck, patted the FJian At the wheel
on the back, saying: Sa Vlnaka
kOikOU q YOu'rea good man ~. He
then walked forward and deliberately
shot the steWaHiRiead with revolver,
which he fred Through the windows
OF the deck-hOuse. Then he turned
aud fired at the man at the wheel and
missed him. The Eijian Immediately
rushed AZ and bore HIM to the deck,
calling on mis- cOuntrymen Tor assist
ance. Tney took the revolver rom
R0bey, who must have gone mad, and
held a consultation as to what tney
should do, and came 10 the conclusion
that he was beyond the hope Of TecoV-
I cry, az the wCunds on his head ana
I different parts Of his body were NOR
/ tiiying, and that as their own lives
/ were ia danger, their best plan was 10
/ insure their own safety by throwing
| him overheard. They therefore con-
signed the unhappy wretch to q VS..
! tery grave, and succeeded in bringing
the vessel back to Iona Iona, one
of the Fijlan groupe.