Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-11
GUNBOAT JUSTICE.

Teaching South Sea Natives That 1t is
Costly to Kill and Eat White Men.
The Solomon Islanders, who inhabit q beauti-
tiful archipelago stretching for 500 miles
parallel with the northeast coast Of New Guinea,
says q writer in the New York Sun, have earned
the reputation of being among the widest and
most untamable Of savages. 1t is only within
q few years that the missionaries have at
tempted to work among them. Before the
natives grew accustomed to the sight Of trading
vessels it was as much as a mans life was worth
to venture on shore, and the islanders
were left pretty much to themselves
until six or seven years ago, when England and
Germany divided the islands between them, and
then looked around to see if they were really
worth dividing. Since then a number of trad
ers and missionaries have built stations on the
islands and persistently wooed the natives to
barter and prayer. The coy and suspicious
creatures, however, have distrusted the good
intentions Of the strangers, and as they are
confirmed head hunters they have lost no op-
portunity to lop off the head Of white man
whenever they caught him alone.
The British government decided recently to
keep war vessel In the neighborhood and
teach the natives better than to eat mission
aries and adorn tabu houses with the skulls OF
traders. So her majesty's ship Rapid has done
tice upon villages indulging in cannibal feasts,
with white men as the most tempting delicacy
on the bill of fare.
When the captain Of the Rapid made his last
report he bad just executed native for the
murder of Mr.. Duval, a white trader The
crime occurred in Mott bay, among the south
ern islands Of the group. One day, soon after
the murder, the Rapid anchored in the bay
and sent word to the chief that unless the
murderer of Mr.: Duval was delivered within
two hours the village would be shelled. The
Solomon Islanders have had considerable ex-
perience Of this sor. and the chief knew lust
what to expect. The chief and one of his men
promptly set of In q canoe for the war ship
having in charge a native, whom they delivered
up o. the murderer OF Mr.. Duval.
The accused man made q full confession of
his crime. The captain OF the Rapid made
careful Investigation, convinced himself that
tho prisoner was the culpit he was after. and
sentenced him to be shot at O'Clock next
morning at the village where the murder had
occurred.
At daybreak next morning solemn procession
Of boats went ashore carrying the prisoner It
was thought that the treacherous natives MIGHT
be nl-manuered enough to attempt to interfere
with the program. A line of seamen was there
fore extended around the part Of the village
facing the woods to guard against surprise. The
prisoner was led ashore and tied to Q tree. He
was very calm, observed all the preparations
without O tremor, and did not utter a word
even when he was blindfolded. Several hun
dred natives grouped themselves around the
place Of execution, looking ON in awed silence.
A firing party Of ten marines was told Oh,
marched up in front Of the condemned savage
| and loaded their rifles. The color sergeant
gave the command, "Present!' and then. after
| . moments silence came the word, '.Fire!' and
then tbs ten rides blazed away. The murder of
the white man had been avenged. The doctor
| pronounced the victim dead and the marine
marched back 10 their boat, leaving the body
for the nativss to bury. Such lessons q this
WIN impress the natives, II anything WI. that
Il h bStte1, Ill Ground, TO lst white M Hye
] than - dn and ct then.