Daily Alta California, July 23, 1851
MASSACRE OF A CAPTAIN AND FOUR OF HIS CREW AT THE LADRONE ISLANDS.--By
the arrival of the schr Odd Fellow, from the Ladrone Islands,
we have received an account of the massacre of a captain and part of
his crew, by the natives of a small island, known as McCoskell's, belonging
to the group of the Ladrones. The particulars were written for us, and
subscribed to by Mr. George Dawson, who was second officer under command
of Captain Luce. The occurrence mentioned took place on the 17th of
January last.
The sperm whaler Boy of Warren, of R.I., arrived
off the island of McCoskell, and was boarded by two men in a canoe,
who, in reply to a demand for provisions, informed Capt. Luce, master
of the ship, that the Island only afforded green turtle, and that the
native were hostile to strangers, advising him not to land. Capt. L.,
however, ordered a boat to be got in readiness, and calling for volunteers,
was joined by four of his crew, and accompanied by one of the strangers,
who were sailors, and had been stopping on the island for two years.
He gave orders to the first officer to send a boat for him in the morning,
and pulled ashore. The ship lay off and on, and the next morning a boat
was sent for the Captain, in which was the other stranger, and also
two natives, who had paddled off to the ship. On nearing the shore,
the natives assembled on the beach, refusing to allow the boat to land.
They were all armed with spears, and beckoned their comrades to join
them from the boat, which they did. The sailor resident was then about
to follow, when one of the natives warned him to remain in the boat.
They refused to hold any communication whatever with the crew, and Mr.
Dawson, who went in command of the boat, rejoined the ship and related
his adventure.
Mr. Merry, first officer, then provided the ship's crew
with arms, adn the boat was again sent ashore, under a white flag. The
men lay on their oars within a cable's length of the beach, where the
natives continued to assemble, armed with spears, and threatening an
attack if an attempt was made to land. Joseph Percy, the companion of
the sailor who accompanied the Captain ashore the previous evening,
endeavored to gain some particulars from the natives concerning the
fate of the Captain and party, but was refused all information; and
having stated his belief to the second officer that they had been killed
by the natives, a fire was opened upon them from the boat. The relief
party continued outside the reef until a signal from the ship recalled
them.
Mr. Merry waited until dark off the island, when, receiving
no tiding from the unfortunate, he bore off for Ascension.
The names of the seamen who landed with Capt. Luce, were
James Mackay, James Sweeny, William Taylor and Edward Rion. There is
no doubt that the whole party were massacred by the natives, who perhaps
suspected from the absence of their two comrades on board the vessel
durnig the night that they had been killed or detained as prisoners.