Thursday 6 June 2013

Thursday 23rd June 1898 HMS Mohawk Arrested Chief of Village of Head Hunters

Arrived  back again at Ronago during the time
Jean Pratt  was on board he reported to the Commissioner that
a chief of a village next to his station had made a raid on a
small island and had carried off 18 young women which
he had brought back with him, the commissioner then
asked the Captain to land an armed party for the purpose
of rescueing the women, so we man & armed boats and
set off on the expedition, we found out on landing that
out of the 18 women only two was left the others had either
been eaten or sacrificed for canoe launching, they had
taken the remaining two women with the women &
children of the tribe up into the hills we had a bit of of a
sharp brush with the natives who then fled but we man-
aged to capture the head chief we brought him on board and


placed him in Irons with a Guard over him, the Commissioner
and trader remaining on shore with 12 marines as a body guard
they held a parley with the natives and made known to them
that they had they brought the two women down from the the hills
and turn them over to us, so we could take them back to
their own Island, we would release their chief, we then got
under weigh, and cruised and cruised up and down off the island all
night.

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