Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1880-12-25
Another Massacre in the South Sea Islands

CHdWbcrb Journal.
Another Massacre in the South Sea Islands.
Intense excitement was felt in mercantile
and shipping circles yesterday morning
when it became known that III. ID. M. s.
,Sdnafy had arrived from the Solomon Is
lands, that the commander and FIVE of her
crew had been killed by tho natives at n
small island of tho Solomon group, and
that one man was wounded. From Mr..
Bradford, acting sub.lieutenant, Mr.. Cough
Ian, the boatswnin, and A. b. Savage, tho
sole survivor of the massacre, we have been
able TO CLEAN full details of foul outrage
the latest of hundreds which have made
British seamen and traders abhor tho Sol
ONION group:
On "Wednesday, October 18th, tho Sand
.fy being anchored at Tesemboko, Lieutcn.
ant-commander Bower left in the whale
boat to survey the east coast of Florida is
land from Baranaga, intending to be back
on the 10th. With him he took crew of
five men Francis Savage, A. b.. Ben
jamin Venton, of Bethnal Green, London,
A. b.; Alfred Carne, Southwark, London,
A. b.; William Patterson, Belfast Ireland,
A. b.; and Jon O'Neil, Southwark, London,
A. b.
The 18th, 18th, and 10Th passed without
their returning, and on the goth tho
schooner weighed anchor, and made for
the east coast, Mr.. Bradford sending tho
gig round one side, and going himself
round the other, so that thorough search
might be made. The gig was commanded
by Mr.. Coughlan and manned by four sea-
men, all being well armed, and the start
was made from east point. When near tho
southeast coast of Florida Island, n canoe
was noticed coming off from the coast, but
as the gig nearod it, the four men in the
island craft rowed for the shore, closely
pursued by the gig. The canoe was beached
and Coughlan seeing number of natives on
the beach-he estimates their number at
15O-hnlted the gig without Bleaching her,
and opened parley with the Islanders.
One of the occupants of the canoe-a chief,
whose name was afterwards found to be
Billy-spoke few words in the native
tongue, and Immediately the peaceful.look-
ing people on the beach appeared armed
with spears, and bows and arrows and
English toinahawks. 1t afterwards trans
PRED that round a little promontory lurked
two well-manned war canoes, and that had
been riddled from front and rear with q
shower ofspears Coughlan, however,w was too
cautious not to turn his gigs bow seward,
and to have his men ready for n skirmish,
and so open hostilities were waived in favor
of an attempt to decoy the Englishmen to
their death. "Come in Canoe come in,
and you como in, )" shouted Billy and then
added 81 speak. Some native words
brought one Jack, an Islander, who could
speak pigeon English. Z" / Jack, save Louis
(Mr. Nixon, master ofthe schooner Pacfc),
you save Louis ?" said this worthy. "Yes,"
answered Coughlan. "Boat gone to Island,
all same Savo, reioined Jack, 5 fellow
oar, fellow men "-alluding to the COM
mander and his crew. Coughlan knew
that this was the Sandfy boat, and SO
pulled back to the ship with the news.
They then went to East Island, then along
the coast, whore in the evening they saw
many fires burning. and where they flashed
lights and did everything that might pos
sibly attract the wanderers; and they
noticed that the beach was literally alive
with natives, dancing and yelling like
tiends. They reached Mboli harbor at l:30
A. Nj. on Thursday, and about 8 o'clock
Coughlan, with two men-all we'll armed,
and on their guard-went on shore and
made coffee, but none of the natives would
own that they knew n word of English
The gig then went right round the island
and through Sandfy passage-traced and
named by Lieutenant Bower - and so re.
turned to the vessel, to find Savage or
board, with tho melancholy news of tn,
massacre Of which he was sole survivor. Il
may be stated that Mr.. Coughlan touched
Mt Nogu Island, and searched it thoroughly
He saw the naked headless bodies of tn,
missing crew, but they were baked blacl
by the sun until they looked like natives
and it was only when Savage told hi
story that the men could manage to OK
anime and identify them.
When tho whaloboat left tho ship OF
October 18th, her crew rowed to Seserga
where the captain took sight; and ther
they stayed that night. Next morning the
rowed to East Island, and camped thor
on Thursday night. On Friday they pule
over to Lavinia bay on the mainland, tn
spot where the terrible Lavina massacr
took place, and the men, answering til
cunning questions of the natives, told Their
where they had slept the night before, thu
letting them see that that they were AVA
from the ship. From this moment the
lives were in their hands, and all that sa,
age cunning could devise--iu an islam
group where mans Importance is reckon
ed by the number of heads Of murdere
enemies he can show, aud where the hea
of every well-known trader has a prize
fixed upon it by the chiefs-was set in m,
ton to cut of that boats crew. The cal
tain was on shore, but his men kept the
firearms ready, aud he got safely ON boar,
and kept along the coast, surveying, unit
he got to Nogu Island, ON Friday eveniu,
Here they hauled she boat up and mad
tea, preparing to camp for the night, in u
ter ignorance Of the fact that even thel
dark forms were fitting through the den,
bush and that opal eyeballs were hashiu
at the thought Of getting the white men
heads as soon as the camp was silenced
sleep Canoes had followed the boat, an
when it landed, the crackers stole round
the other side Of the island, and Gre
through the thickets to an ambush whe
they could be ready for q surprise. TT
moment came soon enough. Carne al