MR. ROBERTS' RESIDENCE.
(Mr. Goodman's house is to be seen in the distance.)
(Photo: The Rev. W. Vivian. F.R.G.S.)
SITE OF MURDER OF MR. ROBERTS, MR. PRATT, AND OTHERS.
(The mark X indicates the well into which their bodies were thrown.)
Mr. Goodman had hoped that the Tikonkos would have been strong enough to keep out of the war, but he was disappointed; and it was now clear to him that he could not rely upon their protection, or upon any assistance to reach the coast. The children and several of the workers had left the Mission and had taken refuge in Tikonko town, which consists of a collection of mud-huts surrounded by a fence, while he remained quietly at the Mission premises and watched.
On Monday, May 2nd, he saw many strange men loitering about the farm in a suspicious manner. It was evident a crisis was impending, and he steeled himself to prepare for the worst.
Suddenly, in the afternoon, he heard a great noise. Rushing out, he found that a lad, named Johnson, who was carrying a box belonging to some of the Mission people, was surrounded by strange men, who were seizing the box and ill-treating the boy.
Johnson and his wife hurried to the rescue, but they were set upon by the "war-boys" and beaten; their clothes were torn off their backs, and Mr. Johnson received such a frightful gash across the face that his nose was nearly severed from his body and fell off next day.
Seizing his gun and calling to others, Mr. Goodman hurried out of the house, and with a yell the "war-boys" rushed to the Mission. Mr. Goodman's little party were hopelessly outnumbered; and Mr. Campbell, the native school teacher and Mr. Goodman, seeing that discretion was the better part of valour, turned to the bush and escaped in different directions.