Omaha daily bee., 1886-08-22
KIDNAPPING PACIFIC sAvAess.
Cruel Crimes of which Recent
Massacre OF Whites Was the
Outpntnn

islands in the western Pacific, and the
crew of the steamer This fight calls to
mind the attack made by the same island.
Crs some ten years ago upon a merchant
vessel plying between China and Sydney,
in which the captain of the ship, though
he had only a rusty revolver and a few
cutlasseS on board, beat the natives off
in a striklngly original manner.
He was bCcalmed when near Mayalta
and, in spite of all he could do he slowly
drlftCd toward the island. He could see
crowds of natives lining the shore, and he
knew they would come out TO attack him
as soon as he had driftcd little nearer
Every cooking utcnSil he could crowd
on to the stoves he filled with water,
which was soon boiling hot. Pretty soon
the natives came out in their canoes, and
tried to board the vessel. He drcnchod
each canoe load as il came up with boil.
ing water. The naked savagCs shriekCd
with pain, and were glad to push away
Getting out of boiling water range, they
let fly a shower of arrows, but did little
damage. They fully expected that the
vessel would be driven on the rocks, and
would then be at their mercy, but, for
tunately, II breeze sprung up, and the
gallant captain, who had kept his wits
about him when he needed them, made
his escape.
1t is almost impossible tor white men
to land on most of these bcautifuI islands,
and the more the natives of the Solomon
and some other groups come IN contact
with white men the more difficult they
are of access This state of things has
grown out of the labor traffic which for
years was nothing more nor less than the
kidnapping OF savagcs for the purpose
of carrying them into bondage.
The labor traffic of the western Pacific
was largely the result of our civil war.
When England's supply of cotton from
our southern states was suddenly cut off
there sprung up great demand for
every pound of the fibre that the South
Sea Islands could produce. We had also
sent great quantities of sugar to Europe.
and about the time our sugar exports
ceased it was discovered that Queensland
in North Australia offered great adj
vantagcs to sugar planters. Tahiti,
RaratOuga, Fiji, and Queensland sud
denly found that they had use for all the
labor they could get This was the origin
of the labor ships that crused among the
islands engaging natives to work on the
cotton and sugar plantations for two and
three years.
Many of these natives were well
treated, but many We're shamefullv mis-
used. They were not paid, or sent home
again, according to contract. They were
terribly overworkcd, and many, goaded
to thor heavy tasks by the lash, pershed
miserably. While the demand for labor
was still increasing, the natives, who
saw that their friends did not come back
to them, or heard stories of their cruel
usage, became chary about enlisting in
the labor service. The competition
among the labor vessels became sharp
and bitter. The Queensland ships would
tell the savages that they would certainly
be killed if they went to Fiji and the
Fiji vessels would assure them that they
would be loaded with chains and whipped
to death if they went to Queensland.
Sometimes Queensland vessel would
anchor off an island without knowing
what particular yarn the natives had
froms" the savages would demand.
Queensland, the captain would an
Swer.
"Ah, Queensland no good. Klllee us.
Too muchee workce."
There would be nothing to do but
heave anchor and put to sea. Then the
appearance of the vessel would be
changed as much as possible. 1t would
be wfI:tvwnsnuu, w. r"s. allu Us rigging
altered. Then it would put BACK in
about three days for another interview
with the natives: where you come
from" they would ask.
ly. Then the vessel would load up with
a cargo OF savages, and carry them off to
the sugar plantations of Queensland.
AS the eyes of the natives became more
and more opened to the abuses of the
traffic, the labor vessels found ever.in.
creasing difficulties in the way of collect
ing cargoes, and all sorts of tricks were
concocted to lure the poor creatures
away from they homes. Sometimes the
vessel would pretend not 10 be labor
ship AT all, but a missionary vessel. The
crew would gather on deck and devoutly
sing n few hymns. Natives would flock
on board, and before they knew it the
vessel would be putting out to sea with
its load of poor wretches who had been
humbugged into captivity.
Sometimes the ship would pretend to
be "A trading vessel. One by one the say
ages would muster up courage to 90 on
board. Down IN the hold, where it could
plainly be seen, would be set out Il tempt.
ing display of eatables, and the savages
would Chamber down the ladder for Il
feast. When a goodly number of them
had gone below, the matches would be
clapped on, and the prisoners would not
see the light of day until they were landed
on a foreign shore to slave away their
lives on the plantations of the whites.
When the natives grew timid and fled
to the woods as soon us they saw vessel
in the otling, all sorts of eXpedicnts were
employed to win their confidence and
collect Il crowd. Their fears would be
EIlled by exciting their curiosity. Men
who could tumble and walk on their
hands or perform conjurcrs' fcats were
hired to attract the simplc-mined saw
ages. One captain would go ashore
wearing tall cardboard hat, black
mask, and flowing calico robe.
Under his robe he would wear large
waterproof bag, Every now and then he
would appear to drink a bucketful of salt
water, which, of course, was introduced
into the bag instead of into his stomach.
He and his brother tricksters were gen
eraIly able, with perseverance,, to collect
n crowd, and then there would be n gtcat
hustlIng of natives into the boats, and
the stout-armed sailors would forcibly
drag OFF the human prizes which they
could no longer secure by peaceable
means.
The pressure brought to bear by civil
lied governments finally reduced these
revolving crimes to much narrower linn
its, but they have never been entirely sup
pressed. Only year and half ago
Queensland vessel near the New Guinea
coast kidnapped about one hundred isl
anders and the pirates shot and killed
several of the poor wretchcs while they
were trying to escape. Through the in
strumentality of the Rev. Mr.. LawcS, II