The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-08-19
Massacre of British Sailors.

THE CAPTURE OF THE BRIGANTINE "PRoPoNTIs " AND
THREE OF HER MEN MURDERED BY PATAGoNIAN
INDIANS.
The following letter was forwarded to the Brit
ish Admiralty. 1t contains the particulars of the
murder of four British seamen by Indians on the
Patagonian coast
H. \. s" CHARYBDIs." SANDY POINT.
STRAITS OF MAGELLAN. May 20. 1871.
The British brigantine PTOpontiS, on her pas
sage from Bremen to I~queique, in passing through
the Straits of Magellan. touched at Port Gallant,
on the PaiagoniaH coast, on the morning OF The 4th
of March last. On the afternoon of the same day
the master. James Barnes. with three of the crew,
landed for the purpose of cutting wood. Two days
elapsed and none of the party having returned tn
the vessel. a second boat was sent on shore TO try
aud discover what had become of the missing men.
After a short search the iit-less boGy of the master
was found in the bush. with IA large guSh across the
head and both legs cut OF.
The men We're frustrated in their attempt to bring
the corpse down to the boat by the threatening ap-
pearance of a party of Indians, who now APP
preached. They therefore got back TO the boat and
returned to their vessel. Shortly after they got on
board, a boat with a number of Indians in it, was
seen making for the brigantine. The cable was
consequently slipped. and sail made for the Chilean
settlement of Sandy Point, where the vessel ar
rived on the 9th inst.
Passing through the Straits of Magellan in this
ship, l thought it right to call in at Port Gallant,
and therefore anchored there on the 18th instant.
| shortly afterward sent an armed party on shore.
in the hope of getting some Intelligence as to the
fate of the missing men OF the PrOpOntiS, but no
human being was seen. Shortly after dark the sam
night. there was heard cries from the shore. | con-
sequently despatched an armed force. with insLruc-
tons to the lieutenant in charge to bring on board
any Indians he might meet. On the party landing
several natives were seen, but they quickly re-
treated, into the thick brush. After a considerable
chase, one man was captured. In the expectation
that he might throw some light on the subject OF
the horrible catastrophe. | took the man TO Sandy
Point. and handed him over to the Governor. but
nothing was ELECTED from him.
His Excellency, who is fully impressed with the
gravity of the case. informed me that he had al
ready been in communication with his government
on the matter. and that he had made arrangements
to send a detachment of troops from the force un-
der his command to the neighborhood of Port Gal
liant. with the view OF Furnishing the Indians.
L fear there is but little doubt that the three men
who accompanied Captain Barnes shared his miser-
able fate. L have, &c.
ALGERNoN Lyons, Captain.
p. S.-Since writing the above | have been in
formed by the Governor of this settlement that the
indiana Fnegian-whom l brought with me from
Port Gallant has made a statement to the following
effect: Captain Barnes and the three men belong
ing to the PrOpontis who had landed with him,
a party of Fuegians, and with the hatchets with
which they were armed they slaughtered all the
four Europeans; a part of the body Of the Captain
was eaten. and the corpses OF the rest of the vic
Tins thrown into the sea. essa -....
The plea for the attack is that the Captain had
first fired at and wounded one OF the Indians.