The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-08-26
From the Fiji Times, Wednesday, July 90, 1851
Horrible Massacre of Captain and Crew
of Dancing Wave.

Captain Mcdonald, of the schooner Star of FIJI,
has kindly given US the following particulars Of the
murder Of the master and crew of the Dancing Wave
at the Florida islands in the Solomon Group -
The Dancing Wave, chartered by a Pearl Fishing
Company, in Sydney, TO recruit labor for their pearl
fisheries, and commanded By Captain Harrison, who
was well known in FIJI. having been mate with
Captain Brown for a considerable period, and with
him at the time when some Of his crew were muir
dered, arrivedsin Makira harbor, Solomon group, in
May, and engaged an American negro, named Free
man, as recruiting master, also q boy belonging to
Makira. She left for the island eff Guadalcanar, re-
cruited twelve laborers. and stood for the small
group of islands-the Floridas, came to anchor, and
began recruiting. The men on board all spoke
English. AS each man consented to accompany the
vessel, he received a tomahawk or knife as an &C
knowledgement of the engagement. Freeman. the
recruiting master saw that instead of passing these to
their friends they kept them themselves, and there.
upon told the Captain that these were not the sort
of men to recruit, and that he had better arm the
crew. The Captain replied, sob, you need not be
frightened, they are all missionary scholars and
returned Queensland laborers." Freeman then said
he would recruit no more until he had his shooting
irons, and shut the trade box but instead of going
down to the cabin for them, he went forward. The
carpenter was sharpening t~omahawks, and the mate,
who was standing close by, said, che Is right, you
are sharpening that tomahawk for the last recruit,
and he will, perhaps, cleave your skull with it,
This was scarcely uttered when with a yell. the
patiyes: Who had; IN the m nSan Ibs crew ssgde an9 c mgI
menced hacking them frightfully with the tomahawks,
while one seized that last ground sharp, from the
hand of the carpenter, and planted it in his head.
The captain had Jared no better for as he was
writing o name in the book he was struck down. He,
with the mate, steward, and one Of the crew, manag-
ed, amidst the blows that were showered upon them,
to get down to the cabin, where the captain expired;
the steward got a revolver and shot himself the
mate said, l am dying, and ] will do the same.''
The seaman got a rifle, loaded, it and fired through
a port hole. Immediately after, he heard the report
of another gun or revolver, and on turning round
saw that the mate also had shot himself he then lost
all self-possession and going on deck jumped over
board. By q strange coincidence, the shot thus fired
killed the chief in command of the murderous as
s~ailants, who thereupon used all speed in getting
clear of the vessel. While in the water he heard the
Makiri boy, who was up the rigging, call to him
that all the natives had fed, whereupon he came
back on board, and found that the only natives re-
naming were ten of those recruited at Guadalcanar.
the other two having been killed these men had
taken no part whatever in the cowardly and fatal
onslaught. He slipped the cable and getting a sail
up made for an island called Suva where the baroue
Sydney Was at anchor, but the Guadalcanar natives
demanded to be taken back to their own island, and
took charge of the ship. At this determination on
into the boat ; the Makira boy followed him, and
they pulled away to Saw. The captain of the
bsrque sent o boat after the Dancing Wave, but a
breeze sprang up and they were unable to catch her.
When the boat returned the captain got the baroue
Sydney under weigh, and chased the schooner for
three days, at the expiration of which time they
discovered her lying wind bound at Guadalcansr.
They found everything in complete disorder, the
vessel having been thoroughly ransacked by the
natives before they left her, and stains Of blood
everywhere. She was taken as q prize, and placed
in charge of the mate of the barque, who conveyed
her to Makira harbor, where the man Of war schoo-
ner, sandHy. lWss lying at anchor. Captain Bell