Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-06-01
A LONG NIGHT OF AGONY.
Desperate struggle for Life with a
Band of BtRck MurdeEerR- ThH
story Of Horrible Tragedy OF
One of the bOuth BeR Islands.

LONDON, May 1.-THE natives
of the South Sea Islands should
either be speedily brought under
the influence of Christian civiliza-
tion or suffer extirpation. The
latest case of horror which reaches
us from this section of the world is
the massacre of a crew belonging
to a Melbourne vessel, the particu.
lars of which have been furnished
by a correspondent of an Austria
liam paper.
1t appears that in January the
schooner Douglas, with a crew of
ten white men, including officers,
left Cairns for Chicot Island, lying
200 miles to the east, to take in a
load of guano. On the passage the
vessel stopped off Drink Island and
shipped three blacks, who boarded
the Douglas from a canoe. On
arriving at Chicot, small, de-
tached, uninhabited island, u brig
belonging to the same owners was
found there partially loaded. A
member Of the firm who had gone
out with the schooner decided that,
as there was not black labor enough
to screen the guano as rapidly as
desired, he would return with the
brig and fill up her cargo with cedar
at the Daintree. In the presence of
the three blacks shipped at Drink
Island, nearly all the arms belong
ling to the schooner were trans
fsrred to the brig, and the latter
sailed on the morning of the
18th. The arms, it may be said,
were taken because the Dain-
tree was known to swarm with
treacherous natives, and no one
dreamed that the blacks on the re-
naming vessel would undertake
the murder of more than three
times their own number. A hut
had been erected on shore for the
storage of water and provisions
Early in the night this hut was oc,
cupied by two white men named
Cochrane and Mcintosh, and two oi
the blacks. The blacks seemed
cheerful and happy, and the white.
were under no apprehension o
danger. Watching their oppor
tunity the two negroes stealthily
approached their victims and dis
patched them with an instrument
known as a halifax, Retaining theil
weapons, the murderers swan of
to the vessel. The whites were al
sleeping in fancied security, ant
not a soul was on the alert save tn,
r third black man, who waited tht
coming of his fellows Softly the,
stole about their bloody task
Two of the whites were sleeping
on deck, and murderous blow
rendered them incapable of utter
, ing a sound. Leaving these tw,
men for dead, the blacks next enter
ed the hold, and, finding a sailo
named Purcell, they chopped hi
head. face and arms in a frightfu
manner, and cut a huge gapini
/. cash in his back. They believe,
$ him dead, but subsequently b
8 managed to crawl through the hol
n into the after-cabin. The actini
g second mate, Deasy by name, VIII
:, S was asleep in the forecastle, hearin
! the outcry made by Purcell, rushe
\ on deck. He lodged the blow Of
s : bloody ax and cried out, "Oaptair
: the blacks are numbering us!"
The three murderers attacke
him, but he managed to get ava
with numerous flesh wounds and
severe chop on the arm. Once the
.. had him on his back and one a
n tempted to chop off his legs viii
re being held by the other two. Il
:. managed to free himself, and struc
40 down one Of his assailants with
" small grindstone lying on the dee
: Deasy and two men then succeedG
r. in reaching the rigging, II
blacks followed and reached Il
foreyard, but the men kept them
bay with blocks cut away with Il
i. mates knife. The struggle arous,
7" lAn rantnin. lie starteh To 90 {