The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1882-12-06
The Fate Of Explorers.

Witt formerly an officer in the Austrian
army, an explorer in the service of tho
British North l'orneo Company, has been
treacherously murdered by "head hunt
ers," who also killed several of his
native attendants Mr., With had, IL
Gems, been making his way to the head
If the Sibuco River. This region may
DC considered at present quite beyond
the active administration of the British
iOrneo Company. The Governor was
not aware that Mr., Witt intended to
make so long and hazardous a journey.
At the same time, Mr.. Witt being an
experienced Traveller, brave man, and
on good terms with the natives gener-
ally, there was no reason to fear that he
might not 60 through the very heart Of
the country without niolcslation. lie
had made, it 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 frontier OF
Dutch Borneo, aad in a region where
Mr.. Carl Book found the natives un-
uually savage and unfriendly. Witt had
party of seventeen men. He divided
them. Some nine or ten We're told off
to attend to the boats. They we're nayi.
eating 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
account says they are Tandjoeing
Dyaks) had Hospitality entertained Witt,
which is generally 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 ambrsh 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
was carrying Wits Winchester rifle,
taking il off in his il:.ht. From hiding.
place they saw one of the attacking
party decapitatc Witt, white others cut
off the lower limbs Of his dead attend
ants, fling them, with the explorers
head, into Il boat, and make off with
their bleeding trophies down stream.
They al7o carried off Wits papers and
dispatch-bOx.
The event has created n sensation at
Singapore and at Labaun. A police
party, of the Borneo Company, has
beer, or is about to be, dispatched to
the scene OF the massacre, with II view
TO a complete investigation of the affair
and the punishment of the MuruJs. 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 20 those
among whom Mr.. Frank llaii IL an
other scientific explorer, is nj work in
the northern regions around about KIM
Bolu. lie and his party, including IN
Australian engineer, have been well re-
CclNcu. lncy loUIu lic CVHiplIS ~ "
flying at several somewhat remote
points, and, so far rs the real work of
the company goes, it is moving On at
isfactorily.
Mr.. Witt must have had the dangers
of his expedition in his mind ut the out
set. 1t is quite likely, from what is
known of his adventurous spirit, that he
had resolved to accomplish a great
achievement even n, the ri,k of his life,
for, prior to setting out, he made his
will and left behind him full instruction,
as to the distribution of his property
He was known to the Geographical So
ciety of London, whose ".Iournal ot
Transactions" contains several Of hi;
contributions to the geographical his
tory of Borneo. The commercial civil
cation of North Borneo is of great inn
portanceto tradingintercsts in the eastern
seas, and it will be necessary in the in
tcrcsts of'Borneo and adjacent islands to
make an example of the murdcrers-
LomL0n Telegram.