Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-14
ENGLISH sLAvE-TRADERs.
kidnapping of Inhabitants of Pacia
Ocean Islanda

ocean ISLANDS.
There has recently been distributed in
London as an Official Parliamentary docu-
ment a report by Mr.. Romilly, Commits
sioner in the Western Pacific, setting
FORTH Information respecting slaVe-tYading
and kidnapping Of island natives By Eng.
fish vessels sailing under the English flag.
The kidnapping is done under cover of a
pretended bargain between the kidnapers
and the natives, by which it is made to
appear On the record haiti he after agree
to leave their homes to 90 and work for s.
certain period. In reality, however, they
are sold into serYitude. From the Pail
MGll Gczette'S account Of how this man.
stealing is carried on the following is
taken:
''There are very many sdodges,' as they
are called, resorted to in order to obtain
recruits. For instance, when the trading
boat is on the beach there are great
many natives who are simply lookers-on
and have nothing whatever to do with
trade; and one of the little tricks played
on them is to get hold Of the son of a
King or Chief, drag him into the boat,
and away with him on board. There will
then be a sensation on shore, and the
boys parents will think they have lost
him, while the kidnapers will declare that
the boy was fairly bought and paid for.
The result is that the parents in their de-
spair will go to the schooner and try to re-
cover their boy, but before they get on
board the youngster has been questioned
and made to say that he was quite willing
to 60 to Queensland, and consent to be
hired out there at few shillings per
month to work in the canehelds OF a
sugar plantation until his time had ex-
ba ha haa m 20
island with large chest of trade of his
own. Of course the thing is absurd. The
boy neye understood wha the was agree
ing to, bu the has been induced to put his
mark to the papers and gone through the
regular form in the presence of the gov
eminent agent, so the crew decline to give
him up. Then his friends in their despair
say they are willing to buy the youngster
of, and that is exactly what the kidn1p-
ers want them to do. A hard bargain is
now driven with the boys friends. The
kidnapeTs will say: Before we give this
boy up you must find US ten other boys
In that case only will they give the young
Prince, or whatever he is, up. The num-
Der Of recruits agreed upon, the King or
the Chief will 90 on shore and get them
somehow. At this stage the schooner is
ready to get under way, and as soon as
the exchange IS made she ig OF, and soon
GiCLT CT kISl S1A4Hs 4 IhSS 4ED q Ell5 80
happen seVery times in my own expert
ence. Is it to be wondered at that the na-
tives murder boats crews when an oppor-
tunity offers?
SIT is not an unfrequent occurrence for
vessel arrive ct enc Of these
islands with an unsCrupulcus Captain ard
crew on board, who will go on with all
kinds of atrocities besides kidnapping.
They even go so far as to destroy the CO.
coanut trees, which are the verv life of
the natives, and having done so viii make
their escape, and the result very often is
that the natives will take revenge on the
first ship that comes after that. They
will by any means in their power entice
the boats crew on shore, get them up into
a village, and there murder them; or they
sometimes adopt another course; they will
wait until the two boats are away from
the ship recruiting, and when those boats
are out OF sight OF the ship, which they
very soon are, the canoes will go along
side of the vessels one by one under the
pretense of trading, and when a sufficient
number are on board they will turn round
on the few people that are in charge of the
vessel, murde them, and after footing the
ship viii set fire to her; those in the boats
will escape with their lives and either
make for another island or 90 in search Of
another vessel, and will report the cir
cumstances to the first official they meet,
perhaps to the commanding officer of a
who will perchance go to the
island and lombard it and destroy the
villages"