Captain Thompson entertained me with many yarns. I am fond of yarns, and believe everything that is told me: it saves worry. He was for some years in the South Sea Island trade, and on board the Carl brig of such infamous notoriety, and knew Dr. Murray, who was such an unmitigated ruffian. The actual details of the atrocious massacre which brought the doings of Dr. Murray and the Carl to a climax, I forget. They used to kidnap the natives in order to sell them—which was what it amounted to—as indentured slaves in Australia. On one occasion the natives, having risen, were all driven down into the hold, where Murray and his men fired down on them, killing and wounding the helpless wretches. Seeing one of H.M.’s ships bearing down on them and knowing they would be overhauled, they threw the dead and dying natives overboard, and quickl whitewashed the floor and walls of the hold to hide the blood stains. All was, however, discovered, and these miscreants met with their just punishment.
Captain Thompson related an amusing story about Bishop Selwyn. Some man went to one of the islands, and being attacked by the natives put on a white robe and announcing that he was Bishop Selwyn, whose fame had reached them, commenced reading to them out of the Nautical Almanac, not having a Bible handy. When the real bishop turned up afterwards they would not listen to him, regarding him as an impostor. The Captain said that in those days in the islands he never carried a revolver or any arms with him, and was never molested, and his opinion was that if you left their women alone, adopted none of their vices or customs, but treated them in a friendly manner, that ‘they would never harm you.
