Colonial Office
5.6
Wreck of "Lille"
118 AFR 80
Printed for the use of the Foreign Office. April 17, 1886.
CONFIDENTIAL.
(5231.)
In: Langen of Jan 17, 1886 memo.
4 Bis 8. Her to let of april 14, 1881
Memorandum respecting the Visit of Her Majesty's Ships "Comus" and "Lily" to the Pelew Islands in 1881-82.
A BRITISH schooner, the "Lilla," of which Mr. G. Keats was master and Mr. D. D. O'Keefe was owner, was wrecked on the north-west coast of Babelthuap, one of the Pelew Islands, on the 21st July, 1880, and was subsequently plundered by the natives, whereupon Commander Stanhope Grove was dispatched to the island from Hong Kong, in Her Majesty's ship "Lily" (a gun-boat carrying three guns), to endeavour to recover as much of the pillaged cargo of the "Lilla" as might be practicable, and to see that adequate punishment was inflicted on the perpetrators of the outrage by the "constituted authorities of the island, if any."
Commander Grove left Hong Kong on the 30th December, 1880, for Babelthuap, carrying thither with him Messrs. Keats and O'Keefe. He put into Manila for coal on the 3rd January, leaving again on the 5th; and on the 14th the vessel arrived at Korror, a small island adjoining Babelthuap, when Commander Grove at once communicated with King Abba-Thule, and conveyed to him (in accordance with the instructions which he had received from the Admiral) the 'expressions of the appreciation of the friendly and sympathetic feeling evinced by him to British subjects in distress." At Korror Commander Grove found a British subject, a Mr. James Gibbons, residing there, and he at once availed himself of his services to negotiate with King Arracklye—King Abba-Thule having expressed to
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