Thursday 23 May 2013

Wednesday 25th May 1898 HMS Mohawk

During the afternoon we annexed annex-
ed an Island all by itself, this being a Volcanic moun-
tain standing out from the Sea about 5000ft high
called Hinakula, we steamed close alongside there
being plenty of water, it was then burning and
sending forth a large column of White Smoke, it
looked as if some time during its eruption it had

blown part of its side away, as there was a great vent in
it from the water, out of which molten Lava was run-
ning out of and down the sides like great streams of
treacle, occasionally great lumps of Rock was hurled
down into the Sea which caused a great hissing noise
so that you could hardly your self speak, our
Captain landed in the Whaler and buried the procla-
mation in a Bottle no flag being hoisted as the place
was uninhabited, at Night time it was a very
grand sight indeed large tongues of flame would
shoot up and light up the Heavens for miles
knocking Brocks display of fire works at the Crystal
Palace in a Tin Hat, when the captain returned om board
we proceeded and annexed another island    Inevanion
off Santa Cruz firing a salute of 21 Guns we them steamed
on to Rosia Granville landed Mr Harvest
our interpreter, two of our officers going ashore with
him to stay a few days, we then went on to Carlilse
Bay a rather pretty opening in Santa Cruz behind a
great Coral reef there being a natural
opening in it just wide enough for a ship to pass
through, here we moored and made ourselves
contented to stay for a time on purpose to give our

Engines a good overhauling and general clean up of the boilers
we had now finished annexing all the Islands of any importance
belonging to the Santa Cruz Reef and Swallow Groups. on shore
at this place was erected a monument consisting of a great iron cross
in memory of Commander Goodenough who was murdered with
two seamen belonging to H.M.S Pearl in August 1875, the Commander
had landed with an armed party to settle a dispute amongst
the Natives, everything went on all right and was settled
favourably, the armed part then embarked on their respective
boats and got ready for pulling off to the ship, the Commander
staying behind with his boats crew to present suge and that
to the chiefs, after thi9s was over they made there way down to
the boat and was just shoving off when a number of Sav-
ages jump from out of the bush, and let go a flight of arrows
making a dash for the boat, the Commander & two Seamen
was struck with arrows, three other being slightly wounded
by blow from the clubs but they managed to get clear of the shore
the natives when they found they could not capture the boat
returned at once to the bush, it was all done in a moment,
In a couple of days the Commander and the two Seamen had
died from the effects of the poisoned arrows, H.M.S Pearl
landed a large armed force which finished the natives and
burnt their Villages down.



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