Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1885-12-18
The Solomon Islands Massacre.
Tho Schooner ElibaDk Castle
Wrecked The Captain and Grow
Murdered Only Ono Survivor.

tfC lhu/UWOU ". " Ut SOOktOWil, Stdtlllb
that the steamer Kildare had arrived
there, bringing on survivor from the
schooner Eh1ank Castle, which was
wrecked on the Solomon Islands. The
survivor brings intelligence that Cap
tain Routch and the whole of
the crew, except himself, were
massacred Immediately after the
vessel was wrecked. The Eh6ane
Castle left Brisbane few months since
on copra trading expedition, in charge
of Captain Routch. On previo s
cruise two of her crew were massacred
she being then owned by Routch, but
not sailed by him. On the last 0p he
determined to take personal charge, in
order to work up a friendly business
with the natives. He was between SO
and 90 years of age, and has wife
and family residing in Edinburgh.
The following is the statement of
David Brown, the sole survivor from
the schooner Eh6aak Castle, who
arrived at Cooktown yesterday on the
steamer hildate.' The Eh6ank Castle,
Captain Howit, left Brisbane in Octo-
Der last year for the Solomon Islands.
She first touched at Teste Island, and
then went to Bentley Island. Here
Captain Howit bought piece of land
from the head man of the island, and
built wooden shed on it to store copra
and other goods. Two of the crew
were left in the shed, and the vessel
proceeded to Goodwin Island, took in
some copra and then sailed on to the
Solomon Group, taking four native
boat boys. Whilst there trading with
the natives,- the captain went ashore,
with one European seaman and three
natives, and about 7 o'clock he return
ed with boat load of copra, accom-
panied by some natives, who took the
articles given in exchange. Captain
Howit, with the same crew, went ashore
again to trade, and when the boat
reached the beach they were attacked
by the natives, and all were murdered.
Then the natives began firing at the
vessel with rifles. Those on board then
slipped the chain, and made sail for
Port Douglas.
The vessel left again for the Solomon
Islands, under the command of Cap
tain Routch, the owner. He touched
again at Teste and Bentley Islands,
where he heard that one Of the men
left there on the previous voyage, had
been murdered, and that the other made
his way to Queensland. The vessel went
to the Solomon Islands and anchored.
Fifteen or twenty natives came on board,
carrying tomahawks and spears, and the
Captainwas showing them "trade" when
they suddenly attacked the crew. David
Brown was in the forecastle when he
heard the cries. He took a revolver,
and was going on deck, when one of
the natives struck him with tomahawk
and drove him below Another sea-
man, named Hugh Glide, came down
also, having one side of his face split
open with tomahawk. They both re-
manned below until evening, while the
natives were stripping the vessel of all
the cargo. Then, hearing no noise,
they went through the bulkhead into
the hold and up the main hatch, just
as it was getting dark They saw a
light in the cabin, and on going aft they
met native coming out Brown fired
at him, but the revolver missed, and
the native grappled with him, when the
revolver went off in the struggle, and
the bullet went-through Browns hand.
He called on Glide to fire, where
upon the latter shot the native in the
head, and he fell down the cabin ladder.
The sailors then closed the companion
and fired through the cabin windows al
the other two natives inside, and killed
them both. 1t then got dark, and they
slipped the cable and made sail.
In the morning, the dead bodies OF
the captain, mate, cook, one seaman,
and native boy were all found lying
on the deck terribly gashed, and were
buried at sea. The vessel drifted about
for week. They then sighted what
DioWh ouPPoscu " NC ~" N'niHN'i
and stranded on the reef. The vessel
got off, but leaked so badly, that the
men put all the provisions, water, and
the ships papers into boat On the
southwest side of New Guinea they got
into gale, and the sail, gibing sud
denly, knocked Glide overheard,
Brown being unable to help him, owing
to the heavy sea. Brown then sailed
and drifted about for 48 days, when he
reached Key Island, and was picked
up by Danish brig on September
a5th. He had exhausted all the pro
visions in the boat The captain took
him to Kaydula, and he was thence
taken to Sourabaya by a Dutch steamer,
where he reported himself to the
British Consul, who forwarded him to
Singapore. The crew of the Eh6ank
Castle consisted of the captain, mate,
cook, and three seamen and native
boy, all of whom persisted except
Brown.--Sydney Herald