MASSACRE OF A SCHOONER'S CREW.
While remaining here wind-bound, in imaginary security, and amusing
ourselves with noticing the curious customs and peculiarities of these
islanders, a dreadful tragedy was taking place only a few miles' distance
from us, and to which I before alluded, when I mentioned crossing the bar
on our first arrival from Port Jackson. The Enterprise schooner, a very
fine vessel, which was built at the settlement on this river, had been
sent to Sydney, and while we were lying there we were in hourly
expectation of her return. She did return. The unfavourable weather which
detained us so long proved fatal to her, and she was wrecked a few miles
to the northward of the river's mouth, and every soul on board perished.
The moment this catastrophe was known every European hastened to the
spot, and, with feelings of horror, perceived but too plainly, from the
appearance of the wreck and the boat, and by finding also the clothes of
the crew, that they had reached the shore in safety, and had afterwards
all been murdered; but how, or by whom, it was impossible to discover.
The most probable conclusion was that the tribes situated around the
European dockyard at Hokianga, having meditated for some time past a
great war-like expedition, waited the return of this schooner from Sydney
to possess themselves of an additional supply of arms and ammunition,
which might enable them to take the field with a certainty of conquest.
They had regularly purchased the cargo of this vessel by their labour
and their merchandise, and the schooner was merely employed to convey it
thither from Sydney, for the use of the natives; unhappily for the poor
creatures on board, in running for the mouth of the river, she fell to
leeward, and got stranded on the beach, in the very territory of that
tribe against whom these preparations were made--the tribe intended to be
invaded. Though no formal declaration of war had taken place, the tribes
well knew the preparations that were making against them, and the nature
of the cargo contained in The Enterprise; falling into the hands of such
fierce and vindictive savages, the fate of the crew may be imagined--all
our poor fellows were sacrificed to gratify their feelings of revenge.
Mooetara (the friendly chief of Hokianga) no sooner heard of the fate of
the vessel and her crew than he hastened with his party to the spot; it
was owing to the investigation which then took place that the conclusion
was arrived at that all had been murdered. What remained for Mooetara to
do (according to their savage notion of what was right) was to take ample
revenge on all the hostile tribes that might fall in his way, whether our
poor countrymen met their deaths through accident or treachery. Mooetara
instantly commenced the work of destruction; and, having made his
vengeance complete, he returned laden with spoil. The promptness with
which he acted on this melancholy occasion greatly increased the feelings
of security possessed by those Englishmen settled on the banks of the
river, as it proved to them that he was both able and willing to protect
them, and though the dead could not be restored, yet he had inflicted an
awful punishment on their murderers.