Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

offers to our view in contrast with this tremendous sketch of possibilities is less striking and less fine-as, we fear, a Paradiso must always be. We do not know whether, if Mr. Greg should ever see these pages, he would be interested personally to know the effect produced by the reading of this article upon a simple soul with no great reason to render for the faith that is in her. This woman fell a-crying as she closed the book, and burst forth into a broken prayer (all his arguments notwithstanding) that a man so near the kingdom of heaven might have the Christ in whom she trusted yet revealed to him. Such a conclusion is not frequent with such a book.

[blocks in formation]

As far back as 1868 the deportation of the South Sea Islanders had challenged the attention of the British Government. It was known that one of our Australian colonies, Queensland, was regularly importing labour from the Pacific for plantation work; and though there were few instances - we believe only one wellauthenticated- of these natives being treated with neglect on a Queensland station, it was notorious that they were not all there voluntarily, but that many had been enticed on board the vessels and forcibly deported. In fact, so far as the actual procuring of labour, the trade was kidnapping. The Queensland Legislature, to their credit, stepped in and passed an act to regulate Polynesian labour. Since then the traffic has been carried on as free from abuses as may be. We use the qualification advisedly; for though we rise from a perusal of the voluminous blue-books on the subject with a conviction that Queensland has purged herself from the odium of a slave state, we maintain that no regulations can control the procuring of coolie labour. No one who considers the hundreds of islands scattered about the Pacific, the various dialects and languages, the powers of the chiefs over the tribes, and the possibilities of agents treating with the chiefs, will imagine that the Kanaka always comes on board, suâ sponte, or understands the nature of the agreement he signs.

With the Queensland legal labour traffic, however, we are not at present con

cerned. But in drawing the picture we propose of the murder, fraud, outrages, and piracy of the South Pacific slave trade, we are anxious to do Queensland the justice she is entitled to. Her Government places a paid agent on board. each vessel employed between the islands and the colony, as a check upon decoying and kidnapping, and has met the overtures of the Home Government by undertaking the cost of prosecutions brought by imperial cruisers before their Supreme Court. Apart and distinct from Queensland, another community, in the heart of the Pacific, was crying out for the importation of labour.

In 1859, Mr. Pritchard, H. M. Consul in Fiji, came to England to communicate the cession by the King Cacoban (Thakomban, Thakoban) to her Majesty of the Fiji Islands. What he offered was the actual sovereignty over the whole group, ratified by all the chiefs assembled in council. The Government thereupon despatched Col. Smythe, R. A., and Dr. Berthold Seemann, a name well known to botanists, to investigate on the spot. Colonel Smythe reported, in opposition to the views of several naval officers who had served in those waters, that annexation was not to the interest of Great Britain, asserting that it was not in the power of the King to carry out his engagements —an assertion which we can find nothing in the records of the mission to warrant. The Government acted upon this report, and Capt. Jenkins, in H. M. S. Miranda, was ordered to Fiji to communicate the decision. Fiji was left to follow its own devices, and work out its own salvation, with, we may well add, fear and trembling. Meanwhile it was gradually attracting to its shores a population, mixed indeed, but mainly drawn from the Australian continent. Some were undoubtedly men of genuine enterprise, drawn by the promise of successful cotton-planting; but the majority were the waifs and strays, the Bohemians of Australia, many of them bankrupt in name and fortune. On December 31st, 1871, the number of white residents had reached 2,040, scattered over several islands, while the native population was rated 146,000. There has been a steady increase since.

In 1864 the Europeans in Fiji, in need of labour for their cotton-growing, turned their attention to the New Hebrides as a source of supply. In 1867 the New Hebrides missionaries of the Reformed Presbyterian Church furnished a statement to the Synod in Scotland, which

very circumstantially sought to prove the trade was established beyond a doubt. native traffic was simply a slave-trade. The rapid increase of white settlers, and Readers will, according to their bias, at- the demand for black labour, were alike tach more or less credence to the asser- favourable to the "blackbird-catching," tions of missionaries. Where these latter as the term goes, in the South Seas. The encounter traders and settlers on the market was expanding, and the article rissame semi-barbarous soil, jealousies will ing in value. It was not to be expected exist and counter-accusations be bandied: that the men who were engaged in this neand the Pacific has proved no exception. farious traffic would be very scrupulous as Admiral Guillain, the Governor of New to the means employed for catching the Caledonia, stated to Captain Palmer, of natives, or squeamish as to their treatment H. M. S. Rosario, that the missionaries at on shipboard. Murder was added to manthe Loyalty Islands connived at the kid-stealing. The horrors of the trade were napping, and engaged in trade with the increased by native reprisals. Massacre natives. Be that as it may, Captain was the only return these savages could Palmer ascertained that between May make for the blessings of contact with 1865 and June 1868, a brisk trade in na- the European trader and on Sept. 28, tives had been carried on by British ves- 1871, at the island of Nukapu, Swallow sels. group, John Coleridge Patteson, Missionary Bishop of Melanesia, paid the debt his countrymen had incurred, and won the crown of martyrdom.

By August 1869 Lord Clarendon had grounds to write: "A slave-trade with the South Sea Islands is gradually being established by British speculators for the We cannot here attempt to do justice benefit of British settlers. . . . Reports to the memory of that noble man and his of entry are evaded, fictitious sales of ves- noble work. Neither the one nor the sels are made, kidnapping is audaciously other are to be introduced ik πapépуov. But practised. . . . An intolerable responsi- no record of the South Sea slavery would bility will be thrown upon her Majesty's be complete if it did not mention, howGovernment if the present state of things ever briefly, the story of its greatest vicas regards the introduction of immigrants tim. into the Fiji islands is allowed."

un

Great as was the shock caused by the Bishop Patteson, in a letter to the news of the Bishop's murder, and irreBishop of Sydney, writes (1868): "I am parable as seemed the loss, a more fitting very anxious as to what I may find going end could not have been found to close on, for I have conclusive moral (though, such a life. We doubt if his life, if properhaps, not legal) proof of very disgrace- longed, could have wrought so much good ful and cruel proceedings on the part of as his death. No one in the Australian traders kidnapping natives and selling and Pacific Seas affects to question that them to the French in New Caledonia it was the result of kidnapping and murand in Fiji, and, I am informed, in Queens- dering which had been going on land. Whatever excuses may be (and checked in the Melanesian group. Those have been) made as to the treatment they who know the Pacific, know that revenge receive at the hand of the planters, and is a religious duty binding upon the whole the protection they may have from a con- tribe, and threatening every member of sul when landed, it is quite certain that the wrongdoer's tribe. All the circumno supervision is exercised over the trad-stances of the Bishop's murder prove it ers at the islands. All statements of to have been a premeditated, prearranged 'contracts' made with wild native men act, executed for tribal reasons, without are simply false. The parties don't know how to speak to each other, and no native could comprehend the (civilized) idea of a 'contract.' One or two friendly men, who have been on board these vessels (not in command), and were horrified at what they saw, have kindly warned me to be on my guard, as they may retaliate (who can say unjustly or unreasonably, from their point of view?) upon the first white men they see, connecting them naturally with the perpetrators of the crime."

The existence of a systematic slave

personal animosity against the, victim. The body was unmutilated save by the death-stroke, and it was placed in a canoe that it might float back to his own people.

It now remains to sketch the practices of the traders in procuring labour, and the atrocities perpetrated on the voyage. Unfortunately for the credit of our countrymen in Australia, fortunately for the case we desire to state, we have no need to cite "missionary yarns," nor quote from a volume which contains such unwarranted aspersions of the New South

Devescote, one of the crew, who was arrested on the same charge as Mount and Morris, was accepted as Queen's evidence. We have no need to add to the horrors of the picture by any heightening of the colours. No descriptive language based upon the evidence could leave half such an impression as the plain, unvarnished disclosures of the agents who told the tales of their own deeds.

Wales authorities as Captain Palmer's closed the secrets of the voyage to Mr. "Kidnapping in the South Seas." Nor Marsh, British consul, who admitted him have we very far back to travel in point Queen's evidence, and gave him a certifiof time. On the 19th of November, cate to that effect, to be his protection in 1872, at the Central Criminal Court at Sydney. The New South Wales GovernSydney, Joseph Armstrong, James Clan- ment felt bound to abide by this action of cy, S. McCarthy, William Turner, George the consul, and Dr. Murray was admitted Woods, John Bennett, Thomas Shields, “approver,” and formed the principal witand Augustus Shiegott were charged withness in the case. In Victoria, Matthias, having on the 20th February, 1872, on board a British vessel called the Carl, unlawfully assaulted, beaten, wounded, and ill-treated a man named Jage, the said prisoners being master and part of the crew of the said vessel. On the following day Armstrong (the captain) and Dowden were tried for murder on the high seas. Clancy, M'Carthy, Turner, Woods, and Shiegott were sentenced to two years' imprisonment, Armstrong and Dowden to death. When the news reached Melbourne, the Victorian Government at once put their police in motion to arrest any persons in Victoria who might be implicated. Two men, Messrs. H. C. Mount and Morris, were arrested, brought before the Police-court on December 5th, and committed for trial on the capital charge. On the 19th and 20th they stood their trial in the Supreme Court, before the Chief Justice, a verdict of manslaughter being returned. From the evidence given in the respective courts, we shall construct a narrative of the case.

We went on

James Patrick Murray deposed: "I am a medical man. I was part owner of the British ship Carl, sailing under British colours. I was first residing at Melbourne. We left Melbourne for Leonka, with passengers, on a cotton-plantation speculation. . . . We tried to get labour in a legitimate way, but without success. The next island we went to was Palma, and there we tried to get labour by that again; we were however not able to capture the natives at that island. One of the passengers (Mr. Mount), dressed as a missionary, attempted to lure the natives ou board, but it failed. to several islands, and captured the On June 8th, 1871, the brig Carl left natives, generally by breaking or upsetMelbourne for Leonka, Fiji. Her owner, ting their canoes and by getting the natives Dr. James Patrick Murray, sailed as su- out of the water into which they were percargo. On arrival, having changed plunged. We broke up the canoes by her captain and crew, she started on her throwing pig iron into them. The pasfirst kidnapping expedition in Western sengers used to pick up the natives, and Polynesia, returning to Fiji to dispose of used sometimes to hit them on the head, her labour. On a second voyage Dr. in the water, with clubs, or with slingMurray was attacked by serious illness, shot when they dived to get out of the way. and brought to death's door. Whether And so on from island to island. In a from genuine repentance, remorse, or short time we had about eighty natives sheer fright at the prospect of death, on on board. ... On the 12th or 13th of the return of the Carl to Leonka, Dr. September there was a disturbance durMurray, the instigator and principal of ing the night. . . . . On the following the bloody deeds we have to relate, dis-night it commenced again, and the man

Lord Kimberley, in a despatch to Lord Belmore of 8th January, 1872, writes: "I request that your lordship will inform Mr. Robertson that, in my opinion, his statement completely exonerates the Government of the Colony from the charges brought against them by Captain Palmer in the work in question." Captain Palmer, in a letter to the Secretary to the Admiralty, 27th Janu"and I have only to add that the paragraphs alluded ary, 1872, withdraws all the expressions complained of, to shall be expunged if my book should go through

another edition." But the book may not reach a second edition, and many who have taken their impressions from the first will not see the Parliaraentary correspondence from which we quote. The best cause is damaged by such intemperate zeal.

on the watch fired a pistol over the hatchway, and shouted, to frighten them, as on the previous night. Other methods were tried to quiet them, but all the methods failed; the men below (natives) appeared to be breaking down the bunks, armed themselves, as with spears, and and with the poles so obtained they fiercely attacked the main hatchway. They endeavoured to force up the main hatchway with their poles. The row now appeared to have started in a fight be

The evidence given on the trial of Mount and Morris in Melbourne supplies some particulars not elicited in the Sydney trial, and we shall give such extracts as appear to us to throw additional light on the incidents of this iniquitous slave-trade.

tween the quiet natives and the wild ones. | However they got two women for the Most of the wild ones were battering at old man.- - February 27. Mem. of Malthe hatch. The attempts to pacify the grave Islanders jumping overboard and men below having failed, the crew com- fired at.- March 5. Cook going to clear menced to fire on them. The firing was out, but brought up quick with a pistel, kept up most of the night. I think every- after which he went to sleep." But we one on board was more or less engaged need not multiply these revelations. in firing down the hold. . . . During the night, by way of directing aim, Mr. Wilson, one of the passengers, threw lights down into the hold." At daylight it appeared "there were about sixteen badly wounded and above eight or nine slightly. In the hold there was a great deal of blood with the dead bodies. The dead men were at once thrown overboard. The sixteen badly wounded were also thrown overboard. I saw that the men so thrown overboard were alive. We were out of sight of the land. Some were tied by the legs and by the hands."

R. Wilson, a passenger, corroborated Murray's witness in the main.

Matthias Devescote deposed: "We fitted up the hold with saplings. When I saw that the poles were taken in, I thought that the pearl-fishing expedition was cooked then, but it was too late to back out. . . I heard Dr. Murray say (this was off Palma), 'This is a big ship, and we can make it pass for a missionary ship. If we disguise ourselves we can get some of the natives to come on board, and can then put them down below.'" Another witness will supplement this:

George Heath, a seaman, gave evidence not so favourable to Murray, as that miscreant had suppressed certain facts. On the night of the disturbance "saw Dr. Murray with a musket in his hand singing the song' Marching through Georgia.' At daylight a party went into the forehatch and fired in amongst the natives. Believed it was Murray and another man way. Mick, a sailor, put on a blue coat, now in Leonka."

We must not omit that the poor wretches who were not butchered, were, on their way to Leonka, taught to hold up their fingers and to say "three yam," meaning three years, as though they had agreed to give three years' service.

On one of the prisoners, a warder in the Sydney gaol found a log of the cruise. We give some specimens.

James Fallon deposed: "The captain and Wilson went ashore. The former turned a coat inside out and put it on. Wilson dressed himself in an unusual

and old Bob, one of the Kanakas, put
something round his cap. Mount was
dressed in a long red shirt and smoking-
cap, but he did not go ashore. They
said they would dress like missionaries.
Mount got up on top of the house on
deck and walked about. He held a book
in his hand. The ship was anchored
about a couple of hundred yards from the
shore.
Wilson commenced sing-
ing Marching through Georgia' and
'Wait for the Tide.' Wilson tore out
some of the leaves of a book he had with
him and gave them to the natives, who
fell upon their knees before he commenced
to sing. They were kneeling down all
round him. "

[ocr errors]

"Monday, 15th January (1872). Got five men down in the forecastle threading beads, and hauled the ladder up. Five more were laid hold of on deck and shoved down in the hold. The ship was then got under way for Santo.- January 22. At night, in the first watch, one of the stolen blacks slipped over the rail: Devescote relates when the canoes whether he fetched the land or was were alongside: "I had heard Murray drowned, I don't know.- February 4. say to the captain to get all ready, and Got under way, and went closer in shore. he would give the word of command. This day stole twelve natives-four wo- Murray said, 'Are you ready, Captain?? men and eight men. One woman came and he said 'Yes,' and Murray said off to give them warning and she got 'When I say one -two-three, let the nailed.-February 9. Stole four men. men jump on the canoes.' This was Three swam for the reef. Lowered boats done... Dr. Murray would say, 'Are and picked them up. Kept one. The you ready? Look out! one two other two were old men. Took them on three,' and then the crew would be lowshore, and three came on board to take ered down, the canoes swamped, and the canoe on shore, and were kept on board. men thrown into the water. The na

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

tives were very bruised when they ger held up three fingers and said, 'Three came on board, and the bilge-water of fellow yams.' The consul then said the the two boats was mixed with blood. men were passed, and that was all the inCanoes were smashed again,, as usual."quiry he had made. Lewis was the interOn the night of the row in the hold he preter. There was no other." This is saw "Scott, Dr. Murray, Captain Arm- one of the heroes of the auger-hole strong and others firing down into the butchery. Could this farce be exceeded? hold. . . . At one o'clock in the morning. We have selected the latest and bestthe mate raised a cry that the natives had authenticated case of slavery in the South charge of the deck, and Dr. Murray Seas. But these atrocities have been parcalled out, 'Shoot them, shoot them; alleled within the last few years, and the shoot every one of them.' At four Carl brig is no singular offender. Two o'clock everything was quiet.... One points, however, are prominently brought of the crew said, 'Why, there is not a out by this case the uselessness of our man dead in the hold,' and Mount said, war-ships for the purpose of regulating 'That is well.' Dr. Murray put down the traffic by overhauling and examining his coffee and went forward. He was the labour-vessels, and the farce of conabsent about five minutes, and then re- sular inspection. The Carl was boarded turned and fetched his revolver. The from H. M. S. Rosario, not long after the second mate got an inch auger and bored massacre, and no suspicion excited. The some holes in the bulkheads of the fore- survivors of the massacre were examined cabin, through which Dr. Murray fired. . by Consul March. If the examination .. The first and second mates fired as was as superficial as stated in evidence, well. After a bit Dr. Murray came aft. we need not wonder that such a humbug Lewis, the second mate, said, 'What and sham left the natives where it found would people say to my killing twelve them. The regulation of this traffic is a niggers before breakfast?' Dr. Murray myth. Consul March has swelled the replied, My word, that's the proper way blue-books with the exhaustive and comto pop them off Lewis said, 'That's a prehensive system he has planned for fine plan to get at them,' meaning the holes preventing the abuses of the trade; and bored in the bulkhead." The throwing he has shown us his practical working of over of the wounded is told the first, a them. boy, wounded in the wrist, being pushed overboard by Murray. The dead were hauled up by a bowline, and thrown overboard-thirty-five. The hold was washed, scrubbed, and cleaned up, and ultimately whitewashed. The vessel was boarded subsequently by an officer from H. M. S. Rosario, but he seems to have left satisfied. Murray wanted to procure more labour, but after this last butchery passengers and crew alike refused to have any more of such work.

[ocr errors]

The only satisfactory regulation is total suppression. Total suppression is the duty of Great Britain, and there is only one way to do it—viz. to convert the Fiji Islands into a British colony. The situation at present is full of difficulties awaiting solution. King Cacoban has blessed his subjects with a Constitution, and a responsible Ministry of seven five of whom are whites -a Legislature, and a Chief Justice. A large number of British subjects have protested against the establishment of the Government there, and have announced their determination

The consular inspection was as perfunctory as the man-of-war's. "We had about fifty natives when we reached to resist it, on the ground that British Leonka. Consul March then came on subjects, who constitute the majority of board and passed these natives. He the white population, cannot form themasked Lewis, the supercargo, who was selves into a separate nation. Lord Kimalso second mate, how he got the natives. berley has directed Colonial Governors to Of course Lewis swore he got them in a deal with it as a de facto Government. proper manner. The consul asked Lewis The Law Officers of the Crown have adif the natives could answer to their vised that her Majesty's Government may names, and Lewis said 'Yes.' 'Then,' interfere with the acts of British subjects said the consul, will you swear you got within Fiji, and that British subjects bethese men by right means?' 'Yes,' said yond the limits of the new state, not yet Lewis. How long were they engaged duly recognized, should not be accepted for? Three years,' said Lewis. One as citizens of the new state. Meanwhile, of the niggers was then called, and asked the British consul declines to give any ofby the supercargo, 'How long? How ficial recognition to this Government, and many yams? The poor innocent nig- according to the complaint of the leading

« VorigeDoorgaan »