The New York herald., 1878-11-24

in New Britain and had been very kindly received by
them and urged 10 visit them often and preach TO
them about the tod which seems 10 mean gospel or
something of the kind
An OUTBREAK cANSIDALIsM
On the 18th of February Mr.. Brown heard that
there had been ghting among the natives and chief
| were going to eat He determined to prevent the
feast and started of for that purpose in company
with Mr. Turner, botanical collector. They reached
the village in the midst of beating of the drums,
| greatly to the surprise of the people, and
| almost the first thing they the mangled body
of slain hostile chief tied by the neck tn u large
tree III standing position. The other bodies were
in another village. Mr.. Brown sent for Torogood and
| talked to him earnestly and kindly begging him to
bury the bodies and not allow any them to be
eaten. Torogood said it was not his fault; told of
the bad acts that the slain chief had committed and
seemed TO wish it TO be inferred that 1t unrea-
sonable for to wish to deprive him of the pleas
urc of eating him. Mr.. Brown appealed to
1 he paid war damages. Mr.. Brown determined
to the affair out but in little while Torogood
| have the man buried. Mr.. Brown started for the
other village but as he approached 1t perceived the
already nearly cooked. Thinking he had accomplished
all that it safe to attempt ut the time he did not
| follow the matter up further
| Some time after these events Sailasa, one OF the
native ministers. told Mr.. Brown. ut quarterly meet
ing that he had been up inland in New Britain, and
had been kindly received by the natives. and that
| they had all wished him to go again. He asked
a. presents and Mr. Brown gave them to him tell
1
| ing him that he, too, was going over soon to
New Britain and would also so inland further up the
coast and hoped to get some fine openings for the
iotu At the beginning of April Mr.. Brown prepared
to take his family for change of air to New Britain
/ and spend week or SO on the island. On the oth,
| when they all ready to start, native came to
/ the window of his study, where he was sitting at
night and told him that he had just heard that the
New Britain natives had murdered Sailasa and some
teachers. The report was confirmed on the next
day. An inquiry into the circumstances OF the mur-
90 inland in separate parties OF four each under
the charge of saasa and the other under Ratu Lvai
another trader The party under atu Livai went for
some distance inland slept at of the villages and
returned the next day having been in some little dan
ger The other party lSailasas 81 started the same
| day. aud slept at of the villages the first
/ range. Tali chief from the north coast,
sent up after them, telling the bushmen to kill them
| The natives from the town where they slept fol-
1 lowed them on the road and continued calling, as
they went along the road to other natives who
working their plantations to join them, until they
got large number collected when they able to
attack them and overpower them ut once The teach
crs do not seem 10 nave ham any suspicious ana were
| taken quite unawares The eating OF all the nlur-
| dcrcd men not denied, but was confessed to by
persons and the places we're found where the
feasts took place The bones OF some OF the victims
| were recovered broken and charred.
| STEPS TO PUNISH cANNInAIS.
After receiving the Mr.. Brown visited Saasa's
| house where he met the widows of the murdered
men and heard horrible accounts OF their death which
] made thc blood boil He was told also that Talili
1 the reputed murderer, had from his vii
lage and proposed to chief in the neghborhood to
murder the widows and children and burn the house
/ He also discovered that the Samoan and tijian
| teachers had consulted together and were planning
an expedition inland that night and were determined
to 10 without telling him. for fear that he would
vent them. Two white men who were with him in
the boat, had also agreed to go with them Fearing
that such expedition would be failure and would
probably cause loss of life he begged the teachers
to trust the matter with him. He was now placed in
critical position, and gives the following AS the
| sons which influenced this decison:--
! firsi-Therc first the fact that the teachers
themselves were actually preparing to go that they
i was IL
| murdcrers were not punished
sccond-Thc few whites here also assured me that
| unless something was done their lives also
longer safe. They volunteered their help and urged
immediate action. Talili, who is said to have or
life Of Mr.. Hicks, trader at Matupit The cook Of
the bark Johan Caesar also had very narrow escape
tho schooner Franziska. Since the murder also he
had very insulting messages to the whites
| Third-My own convictions also were that unless
| these murders punished they would soon be
| followed by others.
Being satisfied that the murders were not in any
way connected with the position OF the victims AZ
| Christian teachers or prompted by enmity 10 the
| lotu but committed because the natives
wished 10 eat some foreigners and get their property
he decided to enlist the well disposed natives with
| him. He successful and secured considerable
party, who. 1t was arranged. should so as soon as
| possible and attack the offenders from two sides.
| Having prepared to send the women and children
back to the Duke of York Islands, he
! went up to Bullala noted chief Of
the part Of the island where he was.
This chief was shy Of white men having conscience
that he would go to him with only native teacher.
but with other white man. II Wished. he says,
Ito secure his help il possible but II not It least to
some distance inland, and, after many precautions
had been taken by the natives. was taken to the
small house in the bush where the old
4 chief was. I sat down by him. told him
what had come about. and reminded him
| that peni zone of the murdered teachers
his teacher and under his protection. He told
me at that he loved Peni that all his people
sorrowing for him. and finished By telling me that he
aH tlee vhn
| told him that could not allow any cannibalism
it not our custom to cat men, and that 1t was
which seemed at to express surprise at our
and pity for folly but declared himself quite
| ready 10 help us.
After eight days OF preparation at the Duke of York
| Islands the party, consisting OF Mr.. Brown, three
white who were at the station, the teachers and
q boat from Fort Wesley, with native crew. started
! for New Britain. Their numbers were increased the
/ next day and additions received ON the way,
| and u corps of considerable strength ready TO
march. Tho main party took one side OF the island
| while Mr.. Brown. with two other whites and sa-
moan teacher went round to the north coast 10 take
charge of the natives there On their way the smaller
! party learned that Bulilaai and the other chiefs
| who mad been engaged to cooperate with them had
/ been tsmpercd with and had not done what they had
agreed 81 do 1t necessary to be cautious. On the
beach five hundred natives. profcssedly friendly
but unwilling TO commit themselves by any positive
act. After little parlcy ing these natives in
duccd TO Join the whites ana ,hey started away At
| that evening. We then went back to Talilis house.
and burnt IL and destroyed his canoe, after
/ which laid at our anchors close In shore all
| day. waiting for the Blanche Bay party to
/ come down but we heard nothing from
| them left at night, slept at Nodup, came
back again next day tfrday) and stayed until Satur
day, when received note from Mr.. Powell telling
me that they had returned to Matupit and
awaiting us there. We started at once and at night
reached the island, and we're glad indeed ~ find them
all safe and well after arduous but successful
peditlon. They started from Matupit Henderson
island after midnight on Wednesday night,
landed ON the mainland travelled by the moonlight,
and before dawn we'll mp the first range. Here
they rested and waited for the dawn. All the natives
had very strict orocrs about cannbalisnI, any
tilating Of the dead and also against killing any
women children. There large towns here,
| but every family lives in its little enclosure
The houses not large, and la most instances
| merely small huts, which be put UP in day or
| two. All that were seen were burnt, and about
| twenty of the nurdcrcrs were killed. Among the
.l,o