Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-01-11
A sOUTH.SEA MASSACRE.
only one survivor of an Expcdi
tion TO the solomon Islands.


The steamer "Kildare" arrived at |
Cooktown on November 25th, bringing |
David Brown, the sole survivor from the
schooner "Elibank Castle" which was /
wrecked on the Solomon Islands. The |
survivor brings intelligence that Captain |
Routch and the whole of the crew, except I
himself, were massacred Immediately |
after the vessel was wrecked. The "Eli- |
bank Castle" left Brisbane few months
since on a copra trading expedition, in
charge of Captain Routch. On previ-
Gus cruise two OF her crew were massa-
cred, she being then owned by Routch,
but not sailed by him. On the last trip
he determined TO take personal charge,
in order to work up friendly business
with the natives. He was between 80
and 60 years of age, and has wife and
family residing in Edinburgh.
Brown says that the "Elibank Castle
left Brisbane in October OF last year for
the Solomon Islands. AT Bentley Island
| Captain Howit bought piece OF land
from the head man Of the island and
built q wooden shed on it to store copra
and other goods. Two of the crowd
were left in the shed, and the vessel pro-
ceeded to Goodwin Island took in some
| COpTl anu tllen Sdllcu VII W Jllc
| group, taking on four native boat boys.
While there trading with the natives the
captain went ashore with one European
seaman and three natives, and about
o'clock he returned with boat-load OF
copra, accompanied by some natives,
who took the articles in ex-
change. Captain Howit, with the same
crew, went to shore 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 slipped the chain and made sail
for Port Douglas The vessel lett again
at Solomon Islands, under the command
of Captain Routcl, the owner. He
touched again at Tese and Bentley islands,
where he learned that one OF the men
left there on previous voyage had been
murdered and that the other had 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 captain was showing them
( "trade," when they suddenly attacked
the crew. David Brown was in the fore
castle when he heard the cries. He took
a revolver and was going on deck, when
, tomahawk and drove him below. Another
seaman, named Hugh Glide, came down
also, having one side Of his face split
! open with a tomahawk They both re-
Q mained below until evening, while the
: natives were stripping the vessel of al
:, the cargo. Then, hearing no noise, they
went through the bulkhead into the
hold and up the main hatch
3 just as it was getting dark
, They saw light in the cabin, and OIL
going aft they met native coming out
Brown fred at him, but the revolver
4 missed and the native grappled with him
: when the revolver went off in the strug
# gle and the bullet went through Brown
: hand. He called upon Glide to fire
whereupon the latter shot the native il
4 the head and he fell down the cabin lad
, der. The sailors then closed the compan
# ionway and fired through the cabin win
;, dow at the other natives side, and killed
u them both. 1t then got dark, and they
/, slipped the cable and made sail.
e In the morning the dead bodies of tn,
captain, mate, cook, one seaman and
: deck, terribly gashed, and were buried a
+ sea. The vessel drifted about for week
s They then sighted what Brown supposed
to be New Guinea, and stranded on tn,
: reef. The vessel got off, but leaked S,
badly that the men put all the provisions
g water and the ships papers into boat
u On the southwest side of New Guine,
they got into gale, and the sail
;, gliding suddenly, knocked Glide over
. board, Brown being unable to help hin
n owing to the heavy sea. Brown thel
IS sailed and drifted about for forty-eigh
days. when he reached Key Island, ant
y, was picked up by Danish brig on Sep
u tember 25. He had exhausted all th
d provisions in the boat. The captain tool
1t him to Kaydula, and he was thence takel
- to Sourabaya by a Dutch steamer, wher,
. he reported himself to the British con
u sui, who forwarded him to Singapore
G The crew of the "Elibank Castle" con
d sisted of the captain, mate, cook ant
q three seamen, and Il native boy, all O
= whom perished except Brown.