Moreton Bay Courier (Brisbane, Qld. : 1846 - 1861), Saturday 14 April 1855, page 2


SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE

April 5. Blackfriar, ship, 621 tons, Wrangles,

from London 16th November, 1854, and Newcastle 26th March. Passengers— Miss Kent, Mr. and Mrs. John Kent, and two children, Mr. Arthur May, and

twelve in the steerage.

" 10, Waratah, steamer, 350 tons. Warner,

from Sydney 5th instant. Passengers —Mr. and Mrs. Kingsford, Miss Kingsford, Mr Elliot, Mr Button, Master A. Fullerton, Mr. Linden, Mr. Miller, Mr. Golding, Mr. and Mrs. Oliver and child,

Mr John Pettigrew, Mr. H. C. Gregory,

Miss Parlett, Mrs. Jephson, Miss Arabin, Mrs. Hendren, and twenty-four in the

steerage.

DEPARTURES.

April 7. Palermo, brig, 134 tons, Wyborn, for Sydney.

April 10. Souvenir, schooner, 70 tons, Mansfield, for Sydney

" 12. Waratah Steamer, 350 tons, Warner, for

Sydney. Passengers—Mr. Raff, Mr. Garling, Mr. Melfet, Dr. Dorsey and son, Mr. E.B. Southerden

and four in the steerage. " 13 Mary Holland, barque, 364 tons, Watts

for London.

IMPORTS.

Waratah : 39 pkges sunds, care Buckley ; 68 do Boyland; 12 h

29 P^.T^.^?0lftGHl; ii bgs rice, Hood lPc]* i'mnV I cseimolUlaui-auf, 1 bx, Hart

&Co; I«,,08 Kin^ford ; 3 do, Kent ; 13 "i'fTiÄfil l truss. Markwell; 1 IK V0I?riri?,«Id 29 pk-es sands Nott* Co.; trunk, M'Donald, «T*» w & Co. ; 15 pkgos 8do, O'Rourke ; 20 bgsfloni w. » "and., Order ; 35 do Panton * o ^^ ^

írt'iío' 1 bx, Bolc'-ts; 1 pel, P. B.

Rundle & Co , 1 w _ Soutberden ;

r,r Swan 8 Pkí unds, Sutherland ; 1 esk,

1 oso, Swan , » pi" g] , (lo Sinciair . 2

SlZcoleÄ; 3 pkges -*. JT *

pcis, 0""^vi Mpkges Bunds, Wilson; 9

?°> li Vi on 30 bgsPflo°ur, Windyero ; 3 pkges

1 l-tin,Wal>h. EXpoRTS>

Palermo: 8bles skins, 2 do wool, MAA, 4 Wo» wool S «Mesan AWC; 18 .lesdo,CMcK:

8 bles wool, 1 bdlo skin«, Puts.

? Souvenir- 83 eses tallow, St. Clair; 2J oies * 1 V noss . 15 Lils beef, H. Watson.

* V«£tS i co une«, Welton ; 1 ose, Sneyd ;

Ifitób : T-ili tjW, HL * Douglass ; 1SrÄ£i:1^a.o^Ä,ool,

p A lorli'es; 10 ble.s do, 0. Coxen : 64 bles do, Vnrti.- 17Gbles dp, Jno. Smith; 59 bles do. J.

i (v iit ni; 29 bfes do, W Gray A Co. ; 26 bios Jo, ¿S Master ; 28 bles do Mo.itneore ft Co. ;

oo Mm ck HiK-h Maetaiy; 85 hies do. A-Hodgson ; î?3blesdo, J.Richardson 4 Co. ; 20.Wes do . J & G. Harris ; 37 bios do, Rundle A Co. : 20

bins do, J. Watts ;..l cso specimens of Natural HMorv, Kerfoot. Recapitulation-1001 bles wool, 78 csks tallow, 183 hides, and 1 case spe-cimens.

The German barque Merbz cleared out for Callao yesterday.

The Barque Bella Vista is employed in bringing up cargo from the Blackfriar to Brisbane.

In the Government Gazette last received, is a

notice that again strikingly illustrates the ab-surdity and injustice of managing Moreton Bay affairs in Sydney. The Harbour Master notifies, under date 27th March, that applications for the post of Pilot at Moreton Bay, (lately held by Mr. Wishart) will be received for 14 days from that date, and that applicants must attend personally at his office on the 10th instant (last Tuesday.) The notice only reached Brisbane on that day, so it must be manifest that no mariner residing in Brisbane or here on the passage with his ship, could possibly avail himself of it; and as such persons would be the best qualified for the post, it is very likely that public convenience may again be sacrificed.

The Lady Franklin Pirates.—We have been informed that the prisoner James Merry, has

turned Queen's evidence, and made a full confes-sion to Captain Denham, of H. M. S. Herald, at Sydney. By his confession it appears that the

taking of the Lady Franklin and the outrages then

committed were nothing in comparison with what were subsequently perpetrated at the South Sea Islands. Amongst other fearful acts, as mentioned in this journal some time ago, Merry states that the pirates took a Dutch barque, murdered and plundered the officers and crew, afterwards scut-tling the vessel about ten miles from the shore.—

Hobart Town Paper.

The Great Britan.—We believe that the Great Britain is taken up by the Government, and will be fitted up to receive troops on her ar-rival from Melbourne, which is expected to take place about the end of this month. The whole of the large screw boats belonging to the South Ame-rican and General Steam Navigation Company are chartered.—Liverpool Albion, December 11.

The Murder of Mr. Strange and Others.— The aborigines remanded from Tuesday last on suspicion of having murdered William Spurling and others belonging to Mr. Strange's party, were again arraigned to-day. Walter Hill, a botanist, residing at the Gardeners' Arms, York-street, deposed that he accompanied Strange to the Percy

Islands on board the ketch Vision, 43 tons regis-ter. They left Moreton Bay on the 29th of Sep-tember, and anchored on the 29th at a small is-land off Cape Capricorn, and on the 14th October they anchored at the Second Percy Island. The master of the vessel was George Elphinstone Maitland, and the crew consisted of William Spurling, mate, William Vann, able seaman, Jef-frey Gray, ordinary seaman, and Andrew Gittings, cook and steward. The passengers were, F. Strange, Richard Spinks, his assistant, witness, and a black they took on board at Moreton Is-land, named Deliape. On their arrival at the second Percy Island the vessel was secured, and Mr. Strange and Deliape went ashore, where they remained about an hour. He saw the tracks of natives, but not the natives themselves. On the morning ensuing he (witness), F. Strange, Richard Spinks, William Spurling, Andrew Gittings, and Deliape, went ashore in one of the boats belong-ing to the vessel. Mr. Strange had a single-bar-reled gun loaded ; the others were unarmed : they were also accompanied by a couple of dogs—a Scotch terrier and a half-kangaroo. The party made its way about a mile inland, in search of water. On returning they heard the natives shouting. They commenced cooing, whereupon about nine natives came to meet them, all unarmed except one, who had in his hand a knife. They laughed and danced, and one of them brought in his hands a piece of turtle, which was supposed to be an offer-

ing of friendship. Mr. Strange gave them some fishhooks and tobacco. They were then invited to visit the boat, but were not inclined to accept the invitation. The party then returned to the

boat and found all their provisions had been pur-loined. They then cooied for the natives, and

tried to explain to them what had taken place, but they did not appear to understand. They then all seated themselves on the ground,and while there, observed another party of about twelve natives in the mountains, about a mile off, but they could not discern whether they were

men or women. Mr. Strange made the natives

who were present understand, if they would take their canoe round to the ship at high tide, he would give them presents ; and Mr. Strange, him-self (witness), and Spinks, then walked along the

beach in company with three natives, leaving Spurling sitting, and Deliape in charge of the boat, with the other six natives to keep them company. Thev had orders to take the boat to the other side of the bay and meet them as soon as the tide rose. Witness then separated from his party, in order to explore the mountains. He was absent about an hour, and when he returned it was not high tide ; he, therefore, expected to find the party with the boat where he had left it and accordingly made for that spot, when about 50 yards off he observed a body among the man groves, and on examination, he found it was Spurl-ing. He was quite dead : having received a cut on the left side of his neck, from which much blood had issued, as well as from the nostrils : —he was naked; his clothes and boots hav-ing been taken away. He thought the wound might have been inflicted by a boomerang. Witness saw nothing more of the natives ; he made his way abreast of the vessel at anchor, Deliape came to him in a state of great excitement, and in answer to a question respect-ing Mr. Strange, said one of the natives had speared him in the thigh, and he (Mr. S.) as soon as he had extracted the spear, shot one of the blackfellows, the natives then closed upon them, and commenced waddying Spinks and Git-tings, and threw a spear at him (Deliape,) but he ran away and escaped. They got aboard, but saw nothing more of the rest of the party. They did not land to search for those who were missing, because they had not sufficient strength—two of their crew having been seized with the meazles, and Deliape would not go ashore again. There was therefore only himself (witness) and the captain. They fired several vollies of musketry next day, but it was not answered. On the 16th May, weighed anchor and beat about the Island ; on the 25th they observed a large fire. They ar-rived at Moreton Bay on tho 13th November, and on the 15th, he (witness) related the circumstances of the case to Captain Wickham. He identified two of the prisoners, as having been among those who were left with Spurling when he had charge

of the boat. Prisoners were remanded for fur-

ther evidence.—S. M. Herald, April 2. The case against the natives of Percy Island, which had been remanded on three former occasions, was again called on. The accused heing placed in

the dock the evidence of one of the officers of the Torch relative to the finding of a human skele-ton, supposed to be that of the murdered Mr. Spurling, was taken, as also that of the assistant-surgeon, Mr. M'Donald. Francis Hixon deposed : I am second master of H. M. Steamer Torch. We arrived at Percy Island on the 29th January last, and in the afternoon of that day I was sent ashore to find, if possible, the traces of the natives : some recent traces were discovered, and on the following morning the natives themselves appeared on the beach. After some time the means used to induce them to come on board succeeded, and one of them came on board, where he remained about an hour and then returned to the beach : the native and his companions immediately afterwards started off to the other side of the Island, and I was then sent with an armed party to track up. I discovered their dwellings, which seemed but temporary, and were situated about three or four miles dis-tant in the interior from the beach. I searched their dwellings, but nothing was discovered to excite suspicion. On the following day I was again sent ashore to examine the Mangrove swamps. And in our search there we found the skull and skeleton of a human being ; these remains were lying a short way from a footpath made through the swamp to a river in that part of the Island. The skull and skeleton were brought to the ship, and were examined by Dr. M'Donald. After this (on the succeeding day) I was again sent ashore with an armed party, having orders to make prisoners of as many natives as I could seize. I captured two of the men before the Court, and the women and children, all of whom weeo sent to the ship. Subsequently the third prisoner came voluntarily on board and was there

made prisoner. None of the natives were present. when the skeleton was discovered. They denied

when questioned, and when the skeleton was

shown to them, they at once showed signs of fear and dread of detection. The second time I went ashore with the armed party, I destroyed three canoes which I found on the island. There were two interpreters on board, but there was great difficulty in making the prisoners understand the questions put to them. John Denis M'Donald deposed : I am assistant surgeon on board her Majesty's ship Torch ; I examined the remains of a human body, which was brought on board the second day after our arrival at the Percy Islands. The skeleton appeared to be that of a white man of about 18 or 19 years of age, under the middle stature ; I examined the skull, and found a fracture on the right side, and a large portion of the temple bone broken in, and the lower jaw likewise broken into three pieces. One of the native women stated through the interpreter that the fractures were inflicted by blows with the small end of a nulla nulla ; they appeared to have been so inflicted ; the fracture on the right side of the head was quite sufficient to cause immediate death. This concluded the evidence taken to-day, and the case was then further remanded till next Tuesday.