The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-12-07
The Fate Of Explorers.

From Singapore we learn that Mr..
Witt formerly an officer in the Austrian
army, an explorer in the service of the
British North Borneo Company, has been
treacherously murdered by ''head hunt
ers," who also killed several of his
native attendants. Mr.. Witt had, it
seems, been making his way to the head
of the Sibuco River. This region may
be considered at present quite beyond
the active administration of the British
Borneo Company. The Governor was
not aware that Mr.. Witt intended to
make so long and hazardous journey.
AT the same time, Mr.. Witt being an
experienced traveller, brave man, and
on good terms with the natives gener-
any, there was no reason to fear that he
might not go through the verv heart of
the country without molestation. He
had MADE, 1t seems, an important trip,
| and was, it is believed, on his way to
| Kimanis. Near the head of the Sibuco
River he would be on the froutier of
| Dutch Borneo, and in region where
| MIR. Carl Book found tho natives un
uually savage and unfriendly. Witt had
| q party of seventeen men. He divided
| them. Some nine or ten were told off
| to attend to the boats. They were navi.
| eating a river, and Witt had bought
| boats from the natives. The other men
| remained to push on ahead in company
with the explorer.
The natives had shown no disposition
| to hostility. The local chiefs (the tribes
are, no doubt, the Muruts, though one
i account says they are Tandjoeing
Dyaks) had Hospitality entertained Witt,
which is generally a guarantee of friend
ship. While his little party were pre-
pairing to move forward, Witt sat down
to make some notes in his diary. Sud
denly from an ambush in the river, some
three hundred natives, armed with
poisoned arrows and spears, rushed in
upon Witt and his men. Three of the
latter fell almost immediately. Witt
defended himself with his revolver and
killed two of his assailants. The rest
crowded upon him, however, and speared
him to death. The others of the party
had already run away, one of them, who
taking it off in his n:I1,ht. From hiding
| place they saw one of the attacking
| party decapitate Witt, while others cut
| off the lower limbs of his dead attend
| ants, fling them, with the explorers
| head, into q boat, and make off with
their bleeding trophies down stream.
| They also carried off Witti's papers and
| dispatch
The event has created sensation at
Singapore and at Labaun. A police
party, of the Borneo Company, has
been, or is about to be, dispatched to
| the scene of the massacre, with a view
to complete investigation of the affair
and the punishment of the Muruts. The
head of the Sibuco River is on the con-
fines of the British North Borneo Com
| pany's territory, occupied by tribes OF
an entirely different character to those
among whom Mr.. Frank HIATT IL. an
other scientific explorer, is at work in
the northern regions around about KIM
Bolu. He and his party, including an
| Australian engineer, have been well re-
ceived. They found the company'S flag
| flying at several somewhat remote
| points, and, so far as the real work OF
the company goes, it is moving on sat
isfactorily.
Mr.. Witt must have had the dangers
of his expedition in his mind at the out
set. 1t is quite likely, from what is
known of his adventurous spirit, that he
had resolved to accomplish u great
achievement even at the risk of his life,
for, prior to setting out, he made his
will and left behind him full instructions
as to the distribution of his property
He was known to the Geographical So
ciety of London, whose "Journal OF
Transactions" contains several of his
contributions to the geographical his
tory of Borneo. The commercial civil
zation of North Borneo is of great inn
portanceto tradingintercstsi in the eastern
|, seas, and it will be necessary in the in
terests of Borneo and ad jacent islands tC
make an example of the murderers-
LontL0,1 TELEGRAPH.