Woe hear the following story from the Caroline group of ishnds. The particular island with which we have here todo is named Ponape, but it is to be found on very few maps on account of its insignificant size. It will be remembered by most of our ronders, riy doubt, that about two years ay there was some friction between Germany and Spain over the occupation by the former of some of these islands, the greater number of which had for centuries been regarded by his Most Catholic Majesty as forming part of his dominions. Thi known to the Spaniards as the Fe Nnerus or the New Philippines, and to other geographers as portion of Micro Nodoubtthe archipelago was first discovered hythe Spaniards in 1543, but it was to the subsequent explorations of the French navigators Duperrey, and @'Urville, the English Captain Hall, and later" still the distinguished Russian navigator Liitke, that the greater part of the knowledge which we possess of them was derived. Incidentally it may be also mentioned that the aboriginal inhabitants of the fifty and more groups comprised in the archipelago are a hybrid race of Malay-Polynesians, and form an ethnology cal link between these two great human families of the Southern hemisphere. But to revert to the subject. It appears that about a go a Spanish war-ship, the Manita, Frrocesded to one of the little islands, where there was a flourishing Ainerican Mission from Boston, as there is also on several of the neighbouring islands, and peremptorily pulled down the Ger-aman flag which had been hoisted there by a German gunboat. The Spanish flag was then hoisted triumphantly. The mission on Ponape, which is also known as Ascension, was founded 35 years ago when Dr. Gulick, who is now in Shanghai, was amongst the early missionary pioneers upon this distant Pacific island. "And it is to this gentleman that we are indebted for the facts of the episode under notice. The Captain of the Manila after reaching Ponape, at once contered with Mr. Deane the oldest Bliseionary and most induential resident in the place; and he having the greatest influence with the different tribes was used as a medium of communication between them and the Spanish Captain. It would seem that the people, who are only partly civilized, and who owe most of their progress in this direction tu the Missionaries, were opposed to tho- assertion of authority over them by the Spaniards. But Mr, Deane showed them the futility of resis The object of the Spanish autho Ponape would seem to have been to assert their suzerainty there as a sort of set-off to the action of the Germans, in running up the Teutonic flag over the Marshall group. All went well then Ponape and the Manila steamed ai ay. The Captain, who seems to have been a sensible man, departed on the best of terns from Mr. Deane, as a subsequent little incident proves, and Jeff the condition and status of the Mission very much as he found them.
But in March or April of the present year another Spanish ship, the Donne Muria We Moline, anchored off Ponape, and from her disembarked a governor appointed in Manila to rule the island. This gentle would seem to be the very impersonation of the medieval tyrannical alcalde, and he at once proceeded to assert his authority in the most h handed fashion ov i and missionaries alike. His comi been anticipated and hailed with d by numbers of desperadoes from every European country who find. the ished a veritable little para of idleness and debauchery, who, with nothing particular but mischief to do, have since their advent devoted themselves to coun-tracting the efforts of the missionaries, for their own degraded purposes. They are astly deserters from ships, and have always lived on the island without the trouble of working, and we presume dreaded the day when the other inhabitants were civilized enough to sce that they were useless drones and worse. and drive them out. They are described as "*beachcombers" of the very worst and most dangerous description, always plotting against those on the island who by their positions were antagonistic to their interests. Previous to the arrival of the Donna Maria de Moline, they wrote a letter charging Mr. Deane, who is described by Dr. Gulick as a most venerable, devoted and religious man, with all sorts of crimes, immorality, cruelt women on the island, putting them in irons, inciting the people to rebel against the Spaniards, pulling down the Spanish flag, and many terrible misdeeds besides. The Captain of the Muria de Molina hearing all these charges, arrived with a strong prejudice against Mr. Done. One of the first things he did upon his arrival was to take possession of the Jand of the Mission. Mr. Done promptly entered his protest against this step. He was thereupon seized, put on board the Spanish ship, and ordered to be imprisoned for fifteen days, as he was told, but this term of -confinement was afterwards extended to two months. As to how he was treated during this we have no information, but Spanish imprisonment is proverbial for its unsavoury accompaniments, to put it in the mildest way. On the 16th June the august individual who ruled as governor determined that Mr. Deane was an undesirable person to remain on the island, that he should be deported to Manila, and there tried on the various charges mentioned. He was hurried on board the war-ship which straightway steamed off for Manila. On arrival there Mr. Deane was fortunate enough to get a note sent to the U.S. Consul, Mr. Voigt. After this he had an interview with the Spanish Governor-General who treated him in the manner which his years and meritorious life deserved, and the outcome of the interview, and presumably the action of the American Consul, was that the tyrannical action of his Highness, the Governor of Ponape was entirely disapproved of by his superior, and he was to be, and is probably by this time, deposed. On the voyage to Manila, Mr. Deane wrote the particulars of his' arrest to Dr. Gulick who received the letter over a week ago, and at once instituted steps on his behalf, Dr. Gulick put himself into communication with the U.S. Admiral of the Station, and with General Kennedy, U.S. Consul General for China; but as a'second letter, which arrived in shanghai on Saturday last, showed that through the good sense of the Gov-error-General at Manila the matter had been amicably settled, further intervention was unnecessary. Had it not been for this very grave dispute between the great Republic and the proudest court in Europe might have been the result. Two years ago when the subject of these islands was in debate between Spain and Germany the U.S. Secretary of State informed both parties that the claims and privileges of American Missionaries who had very important interests in the matter, should be respected in the settlement, and this was agreed to, we believe, on both sides. A very pleasing incident in the affair was the action of the Captain of the Manila, (whose name unfortunately wehavenotascertained), Mr, Deane after his kidnapping found himself without money or means of raising itat the moment, and the Captain of the Manite kindly handed him a hundred and fifty dollars, and when offered an acknowledgement in writing peremptorily refused it, saying that he trusted Mr. Deane to pay him at "riy time, Mr. Deane in a passage of his last letter says that, the Governor-General undertook that he should be sent back to the island in a man-of-wur, and restored to his rights, and furthermore that he and his fellow Missionaries would not be interfered with ain in their work. All's well that ends and it is to be hoped that the undertaking will be carried out, and that the "beachcombers" will get a new Governor who will know how to deal with them as they deserve.
Further interesting particulars have been received touching the recent outrage on Mr. Deane. It is satisfactory to learn that the facts of the case have been throughly investigated by the U.S. Consul at Manila, and a report thereon has been laid before the Secretary of State at Washington, A Correspondent from Manila in a letter received here on Wednesday says "The Captain-General of the Philippine Islands, the superior of that queen, apparently crazy, oficial [local Governor of Ponape] is evidently deeply chagrined at this unfortunate occurrence, and does every thing iti his power to make Mr. Doane's involuntary visit at Manila as agreeable as possible, lodging him in as good a hotel as the place affords, putting a carriage at his disposal, and ly returned by a Spanish cruiser and assuring him that he shall be promptly to his island home, reinstated in all his possessions, with full liberty to continue his former labours. 4 " Mr. Deane seems to be an exceedingly gentle' old minister, and I am inclined to think that were he both younger and more spirited,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.