The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-01
MURDERED BY CANNIBALS.
TN FATE OF BARON VON NORBBOH,
THE JUS7RIIy EXPLORER.

He and His Tnrty Trcncherously Attaekeo
by Solomon Iuinnders-The Bodies OF
the S'nir Had 10 Be Abandoned. ans
Were Probably Entrn by the CnnnIbnIu.
Reports brought to San Francisco by the
steamer MonoNEi, which arrived from Austria
liza tho other day, tell OF tho death Of Baron
Henry Foullon Won Norbech. the Austrian
s%cicutIst and explorer. at the hands OF Solomon
Islanders on the island OF Guadalcaner early In
september. Besides the Baron, three of his
party were killed IN the fight with the savage
bushmen, and many Of the attacking party were
Killed, the exact number not being known. The
attack was an act OF treacherY on the part Of
the natives, who had pretended to be friendly.
Many parties of whalers and explorers have
been killed and deyoured 10y the cannlbals OF
these islands. 80 when Baron Won Norbcch
landed on GuAdalcAner from the gunboat Ale
batross. put ut his disposal by the Austrian
Government, II was with a strong party well
armed. There were with him Lieut.. Budik.
Midshipmnn Armand do Beaufort. the BGron'o
two body servants. two native guides. who
fought calamity against their brother natives.
and twenty sailors. The party landed at Titiri
on Sept. ; and set ont for q mountain in the
interior called the Lions Head. 1t was hard
going through tho brush and after two days Of
II, seven sailors under q midshipman returned
to the ship. being worn out and unable TO 20
further. The rest continued, reaching the
foot of the mountain In the evening OF
Sept. 10. Next morning Baron Won Norbeck.
with Lieut.. Budik. his two body servanta. and
seven sailors, set out for the summit. guided By
three bushmen who had Joined the party on the
previous evening. 10 all appearances these
bushmen were entirely peaceable. With sew
eral others they had come into camp during
the evening quite uunrmed. and evinced q dis
position TO be friendly. Forgetting or disre.
EardinG the treacherotis nature of the Solomon
Islanders. the explorer set out without any
weapons. probably because he wanted to be
weighted down as little AS possible in the ardu-
Gus ascent. Had his followers done likewise
the entire exploring party would undoubtedly
have been mRssacred.
In the ascent Baron Won Norbech took the
lead with his two body servants, the natives and
tho rest OF the party following on behind. About
o O'Clock. an hour after1they had started, shots
we're heard from the foot of the mountain where
Midshipman de Beaufort, with six sailors and
the two native guides had reme!ned in camp.
AT the same time a bushmnn in the trappings
OF a chief appeared on n rock above them.
and fitting his hand to his mouth sent forth
n peculiar. penetrating cry so hlRh-pitched
that no Caucasian voice could approach
its shrillness and force. At tho same
time II big native approached Lieut.. Budih
making signs, designed TO he friendly. that the
Lieutenant should give up his revolver, and
gil "a hhi-hpoLieAJ uGSDT dLtu war Cluua
which he had produced in o mysterious way. In
exchange. Very wisely the Lieutenant declined
TO do this. utterlng II shout OF rage, the bush
man raised his club and was Immediately shoe
down by Budik- In answer to the signal of the
chief. meantime. a band OF bushmen about tven-
ty or twenty-five in number. ran out from the
bushes and fell upon the exploring band. Before
the Baron could run back to the sailors and arm
himself he was surrounded. together with his
fu-n sarvonf nm ~ rrhnp, Md .. baavv hp;S. f..
cutting away underbrush. With this ne stabbed
the first native who had attacked the Baron.
a second. however. cut the explorer down with
a sort OF tonahawk. only to have 1t wrenched
from his hand BY the other servant, who hrained
ward. having driven t back tho that par. Of The At
lacking force which opposed them. and scat
WITH their he rias.. B siteSat they h iS sos to aai the soroa
and his two brave servants who had been fight
a man named Ntc.el. Vas down. int he va,
found to tie only slightly wounded. The Baron
huns hiIns''f h sf Lad thG a 06 Sad 0R Wound on ' a. t Rssf S. ssr If 50
hkuil. from the native's totnahawk.
from anv TIE to oy s ~ III, sn0t no Sntsh ' sns. the sSsre si had
returned with what haste they. could. Carrying
they reached the camp he was unconscious. ~
s sailors san eRa taf IN 's shs n nsa tahs p pfosso a%sAi b.S.a ass
they had no warning until the natives were
was when Johnny ParamStta. one Of the native
guides, seeing a bushnan'sf face peer out OF the
bushes and vanish, called out to. Midshipmaa
Look out! they're going to frh. us"
Hardly had tbs warning been uttered when
the bushmen attacked from all sides. Two fell
upon Midshipman de Beaufort and killed him
beiore he had time to draw his revolver. Az
who, however. killed g bushman before he fell
iqE one Of Che men who hsd' Eiiisd
rom q battle axe; shifting 81. revolver %
from behind Win club .uapiiitsd to brain him.
but one of the petty officers. Peter MAras. shoS
the guides shoulder. .Psramatta repaid tins
service before the fight was ended. for when
striking for his head with a lomahawk. Para
malta. whose revolver was empty, parr!ed the
the 1hsT Su tno Of his I pis,o aSii and q hSuled Ti ths of SseG 20 70
his feet. Dismaycd by the determined re-
s.i!ssss to . ,SsiF st'9 ,Seiit The S.s ssy rf,s 'ssS. y.
De Beaufort lay dead on the ground. and .
made Of the killed and wounded. to which
died an hour after reaching camp. The COM
pists list Of the exploring party was rs foilowsi
,o Ga's s.satsn 5. sSD SsEssSS' H ss.@na ca. de- R CIV.
lamps a. and native guide irom 7 t,ri; .
.Ss"eps'y woundsa, Pruy "hicers solomon q . Neubos,
refer SurCle, Anton GOV nceNle AEI Anton SaNFlC, anu
Seaman Franz Sepic.
Sl0InV "iotnaed.-Baron's servant Nickel, and
0uioe ~ParamattA-
In spite of his wound and the danger of being
captured by lurking bushmcn ParamAtta vol.
unteered 10 take the news to Tittri aud return
with help; but Lieut.. Budik. who had succeed
ed to the command on the death OF the Baron.
decided that he risk would be too great At that
time and ordered his little company 10 march
for the coast, Carrying the wounded but leaving
the tents and tse dead. On the following day,
MS there were no signs of native trailerA, Para
malta pushed on ahead OF tho slow-moviDG
column. and within twelve hours had covered
the distance which had taken the inward bound
party i've days 70 traverse before learning OF the
events, Capt, Manlrr OF the .AlDalross rent out
n r-scuing party. and all of Lieut.. Budik's men
were brought out IN safety. some OF the res
cuers kept on to recover the bodies OF tneir COM
panions, but were Obliged TO tnrn back on ao-
count OF terrific storms. 1t is supposed tnas
the cannahAlietic Eavages have eaten the bodies
OF Baron Won Norbech aud his companions.
Baron Won Norbech WAS AZ years old. He
was n NetLerinIder by descent, and had been
an Austrian GO, eminent official OF high rank.
AS ~ g~soloG!st, metu!!urgisl, and mining expert