San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-05-04

English gunboat parrolnhg those waters, w.
reported what Craig had told us. We were
assured the matter would be investigated
and we learned shortly afterward that the
gunboat visited Craig's cove and the COM
mander had a 'palaver' with the chiefs Of
that district. They were informed that If
they injured the property or hurt the persons
of the two foreigners living there summary
vengeance would be taken. Of course, they
were assured that nothing of the kind was
thought of, and so they sailed away.
"A few days afterward Craig's unfortunate
partner, while walking through their Cocoon
nut grove, was struck by one Of those slen-
der, noiseless, poisoned arrows the New He
brdeans use, and in an hour was dead.
Then the second mate # labor vessel
going in shore in answer to friendly smoke
signal from the beach, was killed, with two
of his crew. by q. volley from the ambushed
natives, armed with rifles, and the boats
contents pluGdered.
BOMBARDING THE HUTS.
las soon as the commander of the English
gunboat heard of these murders he FASTENED
to execute vengeance. Arriving off Craig's
cove, he found-from Mr.. Craig's evidence
that his murdered partner was an 'Ameri
matter, evidently presuming that in the
sweet by and by some war vessel flying the
Stars and Stripes would deal out the proper
punishment.
But, at the scene of the massacre of the
mate and seamen of the English vessel-a
few miles from Craig's cove-he resolved
unoroirtiicting coEdign punishment So the
gun0OaU ranged uPdir--rruwrJnaU sf1i5- % Sic
island, firing shells ashore, some of which
burst in the tops Of the trees, some in the
forest itself which clothes the whole island
so densely that not sign of a habitation can
be seen from the sea. And some, when they
did not fail TO explode, dropped and burst in
the midst of scattered huts whose primitive
rudeness was such that such explosions mere
ly altered their old features without damag-
ing materially their effectiveness as places of
shelter to the people who, at the first alarm,
were miles away. Now and then a shell
would be sent in the direction where black
dots on the seashore indicated that the saw
ages collected in curious groups watching the
bOmbardment.
I'm such cases it is reported that there was
some loss of life, but this is only surmised
from the fact that at spots where shells were
seen to explode there were afterward found
traces OF nreS, where IL looked as though
bodies had been roasted and eaten, and it was
presumed that the victims Of the assault had
there been utilized, as is the custom among
that primitive racel After the proper number
of shells had been thus exploded, body of
marines and sailors were sent ashore to
complete the task of destruction They
penetrated far enough inland to assure them
selves that no natives were in the neighbor-
hood, and, after destroying a yam patch or
two-the only serious damage done-they
came back with sundry fish nets, cocoanut
calabashes jaw bones of 'turky' boars, a
spear or two and other trophies, all of which
formed but poor compensation for the lives
taken by the savages.
"The latter, having seen the gun boat
move away from the shore, returned to
their village, where their womankind in
few hours returned everything to its wonted
aspect"
Such is the real mode of procedure and its
effects in Smelling a village" in the New
Hebrides, in punishment for the murder of
one or more Europeans.-F. l.. Clark in San
Francisco Chronicle.