St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-09

"a Journal.
u "Oh, they have come
&c III from Booker Island.
~ u some way north o f
a this" was the reply.
~A Booker Island! What
was there in t h t
name IL make one start, and the warm
blood mount 10 my temples?
Those who wish to know may learn
from the following narrative.
OF all the men knew at Oxford l can
recall no cheerier companion or more
open-hearted friend than W. He
did not belong to the same college as
myself, but that did not prevent my
seeing 4 great deal of him. 1t used to
be a matter of chatf that W belonged
TO no college in particular, his acQuaint-
ance in the university was so varied,
and his popularity so universal. He
differed much from the ordinary run of
undergraduates in that he had travelled
pretty nearly over the whole world,
having served for eight years as mid
shipman in the royal navy. He had
seen some sharp fighting with pirates in
the Chinese sees, and had spent some
years cruising among the Islands of the
South Pacific. His description of the
tropic luXuriance of the South sea
islands made many of us long to "pitch
Greek to old Harry" and start for those
abodeS of bliss.
At the time l speak of he was twenty
six years of age, in height barely five
feet nine inches. his figure 1.-THE and ac-
tive. His features were more pleasing
than handsome, his hair very fair and
curly. He wore full beard and mus
tache, the former cropped short in Van
think, lay in his eyes, which were of
the brightest blue. There was some
thing so fresh and honest in their eX-
preston that you felt drawn to him at
once. In addition to other accomplish
mentS he was a Skillful musician, play
ing both the piano and violin very well.
The rooms in which he lodged in the
High street were veritable museum.
Dyak shields, Malay creaSeS, Australian
bOomerangS covered the walls. One
very precious relic was piece of bark
broidered with beads, This, W-uSed
to tell us, was the ball dress of Fijian
princess with whom he had danced at
Levuka and on whom he made such an
impression that she took it off and pre-
scented it to him. Coming into these
rooms one morning toward the end of
the summer term l found my chum
porting over Wallace's narrative of search
after birds of Paradise. 81 tell you
what it Is, old chap" he said, ''if don't
get through my examination this term |
shall chuck up Latin and Greek and 90
off and explore New Guinea. Won't
you come with me?'' Il wish could"
/ replied, but it will take me another
year to get my degree and till then
can't leave England for any time" We
had a long talk over New Guinea, then,
as now, almost a terra incognita.
OFF TO NEW GUINEA.
The examination took place. and poor
W was plucked, or, in other words,
failed to pass, and month later we
started for Norway to explore the beau
ties of the land of the midnight sun.
1t was during his tour that W finally
decided not to return to Oxford, but in
stead to carry out his project of eXplor-
ing New Guinea. His idea was to pro-
coed on the lines adopted by Rajah
Brooke in BOrneo, to endeavOr to gain
the confidence of the coast people by
opening up trade with them, and after
time induce them to accompany him
into the interior. Time was of no OBJ
ject to him, and / remember his saying
that he should consider himself except
ionally lucky if he succeeded in cross
ing the island in three years. On our
return from Norway he set to work
making preparations for his departure,
and in November he started
for Australia. He came up to Oxford
for couple of days to say goodbye to
his old friends. We gave him fare
well dinner, at which. in returning
thanks for his health, he promised to
send each and all of us whatever trOpi-
cal products we might wish for. The
most of us asked for princesses, and he
promised to lend shipload as soon as
he arrived there. Well, he started, and
the next | heard from him was some six
months later, when / received letter
from him dated CoOktown, Northern
Queensland. He said he had bought a
small steamer, suited for coast and river
work, and that he was going to COM
mence trading on the New Guinea
coast at once. He was going to work
his little boat himself, with a crew of
three KanakaS and Chinaman cook.
He wrote in the best of spirits, and was
full of enthusiasm for his prospects.
A few months after the receipt of this
letter started myself for Australia to
take part in an expedition which was
being organized for the purpose of eX-
ploring the country lying between the
Diamantlne river and Port Darwin.
Before leaving England l wrote to
W telling him of my proposed Jour-
ney, and asking him to meet me if pos
sible in Northampton. 1t seemed as
though the hope so often INDUCED in
during our college days was about to be
realized, and | had firmly resolved to
join my friend in his New Guinea
venture on the termination of my work
in Queensland. Alas for the fallacy of
human hopes! On my arrival in Sidney
/ received the sad intelligence that
W had been murdered and eaten by
the cannibals on Booker island. The
news of the massacre had reached
Australia by means of the little mis-
sionary steamer ElIangowan. Whilst
visiting the mission station on the
New Guinea coast, the captain
of the EllangOwan was i'll
formed of the massacre of white
man and his companions on one of the
small islands of the coast. He at once
proceeded to the island indicated, but
the attitude of the natives was SO hostile
that he did not even dare anchor, much
less attempt to land. He proceeded 70
Cooktown and reported the story, and
Admiral Wilson at once dispatched IL.
NJ. s. COrmorant to make inquiries and
if possible punish the murdererS. On
arrival. the COrmorant found the island
completely deserted. A part of blue
jackets were landed, and the village,
which consisted of some forty huts, was
carefully searched. In one of the huts
they found VS. binoculars and sex
tant, and in another were some OF his
cabin fittings. The island, which was
only some seven miles in circumference,
was carefully searched, and in a fetch
house were found quantity of human
bones, which had evidently been sub
United to the action of fire. These were
carefully buried. The village was then
burnt and the cocoanut and banana
trees cut down, so as to render the ISL
and uninhabitable for some time to
come.
THE STORY OF THE MASSACRE.
A Visit was then paid to the main land
opd from gonna friandl.y ,,o4ira, IT, foI