The San Francisco call., 1896-10-23
He and Several of His Com
panions Were Ambushed by
the Natives.
THEIR BODIES NOT RECOVERED.
While on an Expedition Into the
Mountains They Were Attacked
by Head Hunters.

The arrival of the. Monowai from Aus
tralasia yesterday brought the details OF
one of the most horrible massacres that
has ever taken place in the Solomon
sroup. A noted scientist and several OF
his companions were cut down by the can
nibals and their bodies were never re-
covered. The chances are that the dead
men were eaten.
The story is tragic one. Henry Baron
Foullon Won Norbeck and. an exploring
party landed on the island of Guadalcanar
from the Austrian gunboat Albatross to
make an examination OF the island.
Striking into the interior the party sepa-
rated and were ambushed. The following
is the list OF the killed and injured:
KfIled-Henry Baron Foullon Won Norbeck,
Midshipman Armand de Beaufort. Seaman
Jakob Dokovic, Seaman Gustav Chalanpka, a
native guide from Titiri, Petty Officer Peter
Maras.
Severely wounded-Petty officer Kolomon
Neupob, Petty Officer Peter Curcie, Petty OFF,
Ger Anton Covacevic, Seaman Anton Loyric,
Seaman Frantz Sepcic.
Slightly wounded-Native Johnny Para
malta, Baron's servant Nickel.
A writer in the Sydney Morning Herald
tells the following story of the massacre:
You remember the Austrian man-of-war AL
batross that was on training and scientific
cruise 10 the Solomon group? Well. after
cruising about among the different islands in
the group she came TO the north coast of
Guadalcanar some time in the beginning of
Septe mber and anchored at place called
Tiliri From there party consisting OF Baron
Foullon von Norbeck, Lieutenant Budlk, Mid
shipman de Beaufort, twenty sailors, the
Baron's two servants and two native guides,
started for the purpose OF exploring noun
tain in the interi or of the island called the
Lions II cad. (By the way, there was also
another midshipmaa of the pRrty.l The eXpe-
dition started from the ship on wednesday,
the 9th inst.
After two days marching one midshipman
and seven sailors returned the men not being
able 10 stand the heavy walking in the bush.
The Baron's party that proceeded on reached
camping-place at the foot of the Lions II cad
on the evening of the 10th. Next morning the
party divided. The Baron, with three bush
men for guides, and accompanied by Lieu
tenant Budik and seven sailors and his two
servants, started about O'Clock in the morn
ing for the purpose OF reaching The top OF the
mountain. Those left at the camp were Mid
shipman de Beaufort, six sailors and two
guides from the coast.
The Baron and his servants, with the native
guides, were in the lead going up the hill.
several natives being apparently near or
mixed with the party. When up near the top
they heard two shots fred in the neigh bor-
same time they saw what appeared to be a
bushman chief standing on the top of a rise
q little above them making some signs.
Whether he could see the camp from where he
was or not is not known, but he apparently,
on hearing the shots from the camp, gave the
signal TO attack the Baron's party. Natives
from different parts Immediately rushed on
them with tomahawks and clubs, but. as far
as l can gather, no guns. The Baron being en-
tirely without arms OF defense, a native rushed
at him with q tomahaWk or small and cut
m U q hlOyV hQ ha n 90
Others were killed, and several of the men in
the camp only escaped by scratch.
No doubt it would have been some consola-
tion to the friends of the dead could they have
been told that the bodies of their relatives
had received decent burial; but l think no
lives should be sacrificed even risked to
satisfy what is, after all, but a sentimental
feeling. AS the bushmen are cannibals /
think it is highly probable that the bodies
would have been cooked and eaten long before
we could have reached the place.
The wholesale butchery of the Aus trian
scientist and his companions has greatly ex.
cited the traders who stop at the Solomon
Islands to deal with the natives, and the peo-
pie of sydney are taking of schemes for
policing the islands. They seem 10 think that
the home Government could not be expected
10 defray the expense, but suggest that the
merchants of Sydney and the traders could
establish q police system and meet the ex-
pense by charging more for the goods which
they sell to islanders.
Speaking of the Solomon group and OF
Guadalcanar correspondent of the Aus
tralasian says:
1t is the most fertile and beautiful island oi
the group, and extremely rich in bird and in
sect life many OF the species being apparently
peculiar to it. The extreme length of the
island is about eighty miles and the breadt th
about thirty. lis mountains reach height in
one place OF 5000 feet (that is probably the
mountain Lions Head. upon the slopes OF
which this massacre took plaee), and there
1-1z Ytsl--
many small islands in the group, and they
were first discovered by Ne ndana, Spaniard
In 1868, who gave them the name of the
Islands of Solomon, in order that his country
men, supposing them to be the islands whence
King Solomon got his gold might be induced
TO eolouize them.
That the late Baron was one of the most
distinguished OF Austrian scientists was
the. testimony of those who had had the
good fortune 10 meet the leader of this ill
fated expedition. A man about so years
of age, short, stout and not unlike in build
and stature the Prince of Wales. 1t was
specially for his convenience in making
his observations and researches that the
Aibatross was fitted out and sent to the
South Pacific. When she called here a
few months ago she remained a consider
able time in port, and 1t was the intention
of the Baron to revisit Sydney toward the
end of this year.
II. NJ. S. Pylades is at present on patrol
duty in the Solomon group, and has by
this time probably taken some action in
connection with the massacre. The Dep
uty Commissioner would invoke the aid
of the captain of the Pylades in making an
attempt to capture the murderers. though
it is thought that to send detachment OF
men up IN the mountains where this affair
occurred would be risking unnecessarily
the mems lives. Captain Davis, formerly
of Il. M. S. Royalist, once led a party into
the bush and taught the Solomon Island
ers lesson, but he said it was done at a
tremendous risk, the men being at terri
BILE disadvantage in the dense vegetation
through which they had to march.
nIrnr