Tribal Clash

Broken Tapu Leads to Serious Assault

From Our Own Correspondent

Gizo, Nov. 1.

IT is reported elsewhere that there is un rest among plantation labourers in the northern Solomon Islands. Another kind of trouble has been reported among natives here.

The local natives of Lukra, Rendova Island, Gizo District, visited the neigh bouring island of Tetipari, for the purpose of selling fruit and vegetables to the resi dents of the plantation there.

Joni Curri, the Methodist Mission teacher, accompanied by his wife (a half caste woman) was of the party. During their stay at Tetipari, this woman is said to have entered some tanuboo (forbidden) place of the Malaita men; so, to get the matter settled, on the first opportunity they went over to Lukra in a body, led by Eropena, their boss, who acted as spokes man.

They landed at Lukra and the argument started. Seeing no way out of it, Joni Curri shut up Eropena with a blow on the jaw. The latter retaliated by felling Joni to the ground.

At that stage, the teacher’s brother grabbed a knife and ran it in and out through Eropena’s body. He then slashed another Malaita boy across the abdomen with the knife. The latter wound is not considered dangerous; but in the other case the knife went through the lung, and he is not expected to recover.

The Government vessel Tulagi, on her way back from Faisi, called to pick up representatives of all sides in that row, and took them on to Tulagi for medical care—and trial.

Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Heron, of Tovakum dum plantation, Rabaul, accompanied by Miss Clapperton, of Kywong, N.S.W., ar rived in Sydney from New Guinea en route to Melbourne, by the Neptuna, on November 10.