Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-02-08
A SOUTH SEA MASSACRE.
The Horrible Butchery OF an Engs
hsh BOat,s Crew in the solomon
Islands,


London Post, jan u.
The details Of the recent massacre by
South Sea savages Of Lieutenant Com
mander Bower and i've seamen Of Her
Majesty's ship Sandfy have been re-
ceived at Plymouth from Sydney. On
October 13, the Sandhy anchored at
Teyemboka. Lieutenant Commander
Bower and the seamen, Carne, O'Neill,
Savage, Patterson and Venton, left in
whale boat to survey the east coast OF
the Florida Islands, intending TO 60
back on the 18th. The nth, 18th and
10Th passed without their returning,
and on the Goth the schooner weighed
anchor and made for the east coast,
sending the gig round on ore side and
going herself round the other, so that
thorough search might be made. The
gig was manned by four seamen, COM
manded by Coughlan, all being well
armed. The gig was pulled into one
bay where was very strong party OF
well armed natives, one of whom king
Billy called out: Come in, come in,
you; come in, and Immediately after
wards he spoke in his native tongue.
Taking alarm, the gig now turned back,
for the crew noticed that the natives
carried bows and arrows, knives and
tomahawks. One who called himself
Suck" tried to tempt them back
by describing the whalebOat, but
they kept on. They went next
day to the East Island, and the
same evening to Nioboli Harbor, which
was alive with natives. Returning to
the Sandtly on the 23d, they found there
rxyhN bod nd nf tho
of the whale boat, and who gave the fol-
lowing narrative: 1--WE went to East
Island, and on Friday pulled over Law
mia Bay, where the Lavinia was captured
and her crew slain. Thence we went to
Mega Island, hauled the boat up and had
tea. The men left to battle, and while
Carne and O'Neill went into the water,
Savage and Paterson went along the
beach with the Captain, leaving Venton
looking after the boat. Paterson went
back for something, and about fifteen
minutes afterward Savage heard yells,
ran back and saw a crowd of about
fifty natives round the boat and
more h1rrying through the bush.
Rushing back to the Captain, Savage
shouted, The boats attacked! and the
Captain, also returning, was espied by
the natives, six of whom broke and ran
for him. He cried, BY -, Savage,
it's case, and darted into the bush
Savage sew no more of Commander
Bower, but subsequently learned that he
eluded pursuit by climbing a tree. That
night the murGerers sought for him in
vain, but next morning they padded
round the island, and, seeing him in the
II oh 4
the body with the rifles they had taken
from the boat. He dropped, and then
nameless horrors eusued. The men who
were bathing were dubbed at once
Paterson, taken from behind. shared the
same fate, but Venton had time TO seize
boat stretcher, and fought hard for his
life, as the natives afterwards admitted.
1t is believed that Venton was tied
to stakes, tortured, and then beheaded
in revenge for the injury he in
fiicted on his assailants. Savage ran
into the scrubs, low down on the beach,
shook off his pursuers and swan to sea.
1t was dusk, and the night being cloudy,
he hoped to reach another island IN
noticed, but strong running tide swept
him back opposite to the fire where the
cannibals were dancing and yelling. The
moonbeams revealed him, and instantly
two or three canoes, each manned by
three men, put off to capture him. They
were only fifty yards from him when a
black cloud swept across the moon, and
when it cleared off his pursuers were
making back to their companions,
evidently thinking he had gone
down. His next danger was from
the sharks. At one time three
went sweeping round him, but he
splashed family, and kept them off until
he landed on small uninhabited island.
Despairing of rescue, Savage made a
raft and padded to the mainland; but
when half way across a dozen canoes
swept upon him. The natives took him
to the Chief, who clothed him. gave him
a hut and 'tabooed' him topreserve his
life. After long struggle and long
palaver as to whether he should brave
the British vengeance by giving him up
to the murderers of his mates, the Chief
decided to save him." When the Sandfly
passed the island in search the lookout
saw Savage signalling, and took him TO
the vessel.