Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-11-04
euNsoAT JUSTICE.
Teaching South Sea Natives That II Is
Cossly to Kill and Eat White Men.

Teaching south Sea Natives That II Is
Cossiy to Kill and Hat white Men.
The Solomon islanders, who inhstit
beautiful archipelago stretching for 800
miles parallel with the northeast coast of
New Guinea, have earned the reputation
Of being among the widest and most
uutamable Of savages. 1t Is only within
A few years that the missionaries have
attempted to work among them. Before
the natives grew accustomed To the
sight of trading vessels 1t was Ms much
as a mans life was worth to venture ON
| shore. and the islanders We're left pretty
much TO themselves until SIX or seven
| wears ago. when England aud Germany
divided the islands between them, ANA
then looked around TO see if they were
really worth dividing. Since then
number of traders and missionaries
have built stations ON the islands ana
persistentlv wuocd the natives To barter
aud prayer. The coy and suspicious
creatures, however. have distrusied the
good intentions of the strangers, and AS
| they are confirmed head hunters they
have lost no opportunity To lop off the
head Of white man whenever they
caught him alone.
| The British Government decided to
| Keep Il war vessel in the neighborh0od
and teach the natives better tilan To- eat
missionaries and 10 adorn tabu houses
with the skulls Of traders. So her ma
| icstvs shin Rapid has done lively bust
| rrs, iutiict;us guuboat justice upon VII
| lagos in,lnlgins i'll cannihai feasts, with
white men rs the most tempting delicacy
| IN the bin Of fare.
When the captain of the Rapid made
| his last report he had just executed a
| native for the murder of Mr.. Duval. a
white trader. The crime occurred III
Mott bay, among the southern islands
| Of the group. One day, soon after the
| murder. the Rapid anchored in the hay
| and sent word IL the chief that unless
the murderer IF Mr.. Duval was deliv-
| cred within Two hours the village would
I've shelled. The solomon islanders have
| had cons siderable experience of tins sort,
| and the chief knew Just what tn expert
| The chief and one of his men promptly
set off in canoe for the warShip, having
| in Charge native, whom they delivered
up u, the murderer of Mr.. Duval,
| Tho accused man made II full confes-
sion Of his crime. The captain of the
| Rapid made careful investigation, con
WINGED himself that the prisoner was the
culprit he was after, and sentenced him
to be shot at 8 o'clock next morning at
| the village where the murder had oc-
Cured.
| At dayhreak next morning solemn
procession of boats went ashore carry
ing the prisoner. II was thought that
| the trcacherous natives might he i'll man
ncred enough to attempt to interfere
with the programme. A line of seamcn
was therefore extended around the part
| Of the village facing the woods to guard
against surprise The prisoner was led
! ashore and tied to II tree. He was very
calm, observed all the preparations with
| ont a tremor and did not utter word
| even when he was blindfolded. Several
hundred natives grouped themselves
around the place Of execution, looking
| on in awcd silence.
| A hrin% party of ten marines was told
| of, marched up III front Oh the cen
dcmncd savage and loaded their rifles.
The color sergeant gave the command,
| Present. and then, after a moments
silence, came the word, Fire" and then
the ten rifles blazed away. The murder
! of the white man had been avenged.
The doctor pronounced the victim dead,
and the ten marines marched back to
their boat, leaving the body for the ma
lives to bury. Such lessons as This will
impress the natives, if anything will,
| that it is better all around to let white
| men live than TO kill and eat them
| New York sun.