As the blackbirding activities increased and the detrimental results became more understood, resistance by the Islanders to this recruitment system grew. Labour vessels were regularly repelled from landing at many islands by local people. Recruiter, Henry Ross Lewin, was killed at Tanna Island, the crew of the May Queen were killed at Pentecost Island, while the captain and crew of the Dancing Wave were killed at the Nggela Islands. Blackbirders would sometimes make their vessels look like missionary ships, deceiving then kidnapping local Islanders. This led to violence against the missionaries themselves, the best example being the killing of Anglican missionary John Coleridge Patteson in 1871 at Nukapu. A few days before his death, one of the local men had been killed and five others abducted by crew of the Margaret Chessel who pretended to be missionaries. Patteson may also have been killed due to his desire to take the Islanders' children to a distant mission school and that he had disrupted the local patriarchal hierarchy. At other islands blackbirding vessels, such as the Mystery under Captain Kilgour, attacked villages, shooting the residents and burning their houses. Ships of the Royal Navy were also called upon to investigate the deeds and deliver appropriate punishment upon islands involved in killings of blackbirding crews and missionaries. For example, HMS Rosario in 1871 whilst investigating the Bishop Patteson murder and other conflicts between islanders, settlers and missionaries as the Commander describes in his book.See for example: Commander AH Markham Cruise of the Rosario amongst the New Hebrides and Santa Cruz Islands London : Low, Marston, Low & Searle, 1873 pp76-79 and pp199-206. And later under Captain de Houghton and under Commodore John Crawford Wilson conducted several missions in the late 1870s that involved indiscriminate bombardment of villages, raids by marines, burning of houses, destruction of crops and the hanging of an Islander from the yardarms. One of these expeditions involved the assistance of the armed crew of the blackbirding vessel Sybil commanded by Captain Satini. Furthermore, two South Sea Islanders were hanged in Maryborough for the rape and attempted murder of a white woman, these being the first legal executions in that town. Early 1880s: Intense conflict The violence and death surrounding the Queensland blackbirding trade intensified in the early 1880s. Local communities in the New Hebrides and the Solomon Islands had increased access to modern firearms which made their resistance to the blackbirders more robust. Well known vessels that experienced mortality amongst their crews while attempting to recruit Islanders included the Esperanza at Simbo, Pearl at Rendova Island, May Queen at Ambae Island, Stormbird at Tanna, the Janet Stewart at Malaita and the Isabella at Espiritu Santo amongst others. Officers of Royal Navy warships attempting punitive action were not exempt as targets with Lieutenant Bower and five crew of being killed in the Nggela Islands and Lieutenant Luckcraft of being shot dead at Espiritu Santo. Reprisals from British naval ships based at the Australia Station were frequent and substantial. under Captain W.H. Maxwell went on an extensive punitive expedition, shelling and destroying numerous villages, while marines of executed various Islanders suspected of killing white men. Captain Dawson of led a mission to Ambae Island, killing native people and burning villages , while went on a "savage-hunting expedition" throughout the Solomon Islands  . At Ambrym, the marines of under Commander Moore, surrounded villages and massacred locals for the killing of Captain Belbin of the blackbirding ship Borough Belle. Likewise, patrolled the islands, protecting the crews of blackbirding vessels such as the Ceara from mutinies of the labour recruits. The later years of recruiting Forceful recruitment of South Sea Islanders persisted in the New Guinea region, as well as in the Solomons and the New Hebrides islands, as did the high death rates of these labourers at Queensland plantations. At the Yeppoon Sugar Company, deliberate poisonings of Kanakas also occurred and when this plantation was later put up for sale, the Islander labourers were included as part of the estate. Resistance and conflict also continued. For instance, at Malaita three crew members of the Young Dick recruiting vessel were killed together with about a dozen Islanders in a skirmish, while at Paama a large gun battle between the residents and the crew of the Eliza Mary occurred. This ship later sank during a cyclone causing the drowning deaths of 47 Kanakas. The policy of extensive punitive expeditions carried out by the Royal Navy against the Islanders persisted as well. The official report of the lengthy mission of which left a trail of destruction throughout many islands in 1885 was kept secret. also delivered severe reprisals which elicited condemnation from some sections of the media.
As the blackbirding activities increased and the detrimental results became more understood, resistance by the Islanders to this recruitment system grew. Labour vessels were regularly repelled from landing at many islands by local people. Recruiter, Henry Ross Lewin, was killed at Tanna Island, the crew of the May Queen were killed at Pentecost Island, while the captain and crew of the Dancing Wave were killed at the Nggela Islands. Blackbirders would sometimes make their vessels look like missionary ships, deceiving then kidnapping local Islanders. This led to violence against the missionaries themselves, the best example being the killing of Anglican missionary John Coleridge Patteson in 1871 at Nukapu. A few days before his death, one of the local men had been killed and five others abducted by crew of the Margaret Chessel who pretended to be missionaries. Patteson may also have been killed due to his desire to take the Islanders' children to a distant mission school and that he had disrupted the local patriarchal hierarchy. At other islands blackbirding vessels, such as the Mystery under Captain Kilgour, attacked villages, shooting the residents and burning their houses. Ships of the Royal Navy were also called upon to investigate the deeds and deliver appropriate punishment upon islands involved in killings of blackbirding crews and missionaries. For example, HMS Rosario in 1871 whilst investigating the Bishop Patteson murder and other conflicts between islanders, settlers and missionaries as the Commander describes in his book.See for example: Commander AH Markham Cruise of the Rosario amongst the New Hebrides and Santa Cruz Islands London : Low, Marston, Low & Searle, 1873 pp76-79 and pp199-206. And later under Captain de Houghton and under Commodore John Crawford Wilson conducted several missions in the late 1870s that involved naval bombardment of villages, raids by marines, burning of houses, destruction of crops and the hanging of an Islander from the yardarms. One of these expeditions involved the assistance of the armed crew of the blackbirding vessel Sybil commanded by Captain Satini. Furthermore, two South Sea Islanders were hanged in Maryborough for the rape and attempted murder of a white woman, these being the first legal executions in that town. Early 1880s: Intense conflict The violence and death surrounding the Queensland blackbirding trade intensified in the early 1880s. Local communities in the New Hebrides and the Solomon Islands had increased access to modern firearms which made their resistance to the blackbirders more robust. Well known vessels that experienced mortality amongst their crews while attempting to recruit Islanders included the Esperanza at Simbo, Pearl at Rendova Island, May Queen at Ambae Island, Stormbird at Tanna, the Janet Stewart at Malaita and the Isabella at Espiritu Santo amongst others. Officers of Royal Navy warships attempting punitive action were not exempt as targets with Lieutenant Bower and five crew of being killed in the Nggela Islands and Lieutenant Luckcraft of being shot dead at Espiritu Santo. Reprisals from British naval ships based at the Australia Station were frequent and substantial. under Captain W.H. Maxwell went on an extensive punitive expedition, shelling and destroying numerous villages, while marines of executed various Islanders suspected of killing white men. Captain Dawson of led a mission to Ambae Island, killing a chief suspected of murdering blackbirders , while went on a "savage-hunting expedition" throughout the Solomon Islands which resulted in no casualties on either side . At Ambrym, the marines of under Commander Moore, raided and burned down a village in retaliation for the killing of Captain Belbin of the blackbirding ship Borough Belle. Likewise, patrolled the islands, protecting the crews of blackbirding vessels such as the Ceara from mutinies of the labour recruits. The later years of recruiting Forceful recruitment of South Sea Islanders persisted in the New Guinea region, as well as in the Solomons and the New Hebrides islands, as did the high death rates of these labourers at Queensland plantations. At the Yeppoon Sugar Company, deliberate poisonings of Kanakas also occurred and when this plantation was later put up for sale, the Islander labourers were included as part of the estate. Resistance and conflict also continued. For instance, at Malaita three crew members of the Young Dick recruiting vessel were killed together with about a dozen Islanders in a skirmish, while at Paama a large gun battle between the residents and the crew of the Eliza Mary occurred. This ship later sank during a cyclone causing the drowning deaths of 47 Kanakas. The policy of extensive punitive expeditions carried out by the Royal Navy against the Islanders persisted as well. The official report of the lengthy mission of which bombarded and burnt numerous villages in 1885 was kept secret. also bombarded numerous villages in punitive expeditions which elicited condemnation from some sections of the media.
R
indiscriminate
naval
R
native people and burning villages
a chief suspected of murdering blackbirders
A
which resulted in no casualties on either side
R
surrounded villages and massacred locals
raided and burned down a village in retaliation
R
left a trail of destruction throughout many islands
bombarded and burnt numerous villages
R
delivered severe reprisals
bombarded numerous villages in punitive expeditions