A TERRIBLE MASSACRE BY BLACKS.

Inangahua Times, 23 January 1880, Page 2

A TERRIBLE MASSACRE BY BLACKS.

(From the Cooktown Courier.) The s.s. Ocean brings news of a horrible murder by the bloodthirsty savages at Raine Island, situate about sixty miles from the mainland, The following particulars were received from Mr J. B. Robinson, partner of English, one of the murdered men, Mr Robinson writes from Raine Island under date Bth November, and states that he left the island on the 27th October last for the mainland for wood and water, intending to also visit the piper Island lighUshup^lßcre letters for

the fiini were sent, leav ni, ben^^^^^^| Knglisb (bis partner), two China^^^^f six natives, of which three, including^H <>in and a boy. were taken off one of tb^ islands south of Kaine Island, and 'he re» maind<r of tlie party Itrtd s -cured from the mainland lefore starting. On his return to the island on the s'h November, Robinson found only the boy, who ins formed him that on the niyht he had Ie f t Rain 3 Island English sent two boys to sleep in the boat, so as to be able to bring her close to the shore in the morning, he CRobinvon) having taken the dingy away, and the sharks being 100 numerous to swim off with safety. English went to sleep in his grass hut, the two Chinamen sleepiug in another hut, and the woman in the sto:T*room. which the mainland na« tives also occupied. The latter, it ap* pears, had a ' corroboree ' that night, after finishing which they committed the terrible deed, employing to ace mpiish their devilish purpose a knife used for cutting up turtle. Their work on shore done, the bloodhounds made for the beat, where they found the boy who has esea, ed to tell the mcurnful tale, who was asleep on the deck, when he was s'abbed iv either his left or his right side and thrown overboard for dead. He, however, recovered, and swan> to the opposite side of the other boat, which was at anchor. The otber boy was asleep below, but was not so fortunate, as he was killed before being thrown overboard. The camp was then plundered, and before daylight the | perpetrators of the atrocious crimes left | with the boat. From the above it will be seen that the slayers selected the hour of sleep for their murderous work, and Robinson states ii:at he found the bodies of the victims in what was apparently the position they were lying in when asleep. Peath was no doubt almost instantaneous, as there were what Hobinson terras ' spear wounds ' behind each ear of the bodies, the knife before referred to being doubtless the weapon employed to make those gashes, English's rifle and revolver, which the unfortunate man always kept at the head of his bed, were amongst the things taken away ; and it seems singular that the savages made no attempt to carry off the second boat at anchor; The explanation is perhaps to be found- in the smalhtess of the party, which was nmsfc probably formed solely of the three blacks from the mainland. In fact, there were, if the surviving boy is to be credited, no others to join, them. . Mr Robinson states that the native woman's corpse was found in the store» room, the other four murdered being English, two Chinamen, and the southern ( blackfellow, who was asleep on board one' of the boats at anchor, with the black boy, who escaped. The reason for puts tins to death the gin snd the blackfellow, and the attempt to do likewise with the bl'ck boy, is easily explained by the fact that the three were southern aboriginals, and the three slayers natiu^to^^j^ne York. ____^^^^HI