Goaribari Island  Goaribari is an island in southern Papua New Guinea. It is located in Gulf Province within the Gulf of Papua. During high tides, parts of the island are inundated. The vegetation is thick rainforest. Headhunting was evidenced by the discovery of thousands of skulls in village houses and the longhouse in the early 20th century. In 1901, two ministers and ten missionary students were murdered and cannibalized by island natives. Goaribari Island measures about in east-west direction. Risk Point is the eastern extreme and southward of it there is a sand bank, nearly dry at low water, which extends nearly off the southeast side of the island. The island is covered with tall mangroves. The island is a formation at the delta of the Kikori and Omati Rivers. Its highest point is about above sea level; it consists of mud formation, sedimentary in nature. During very high tides (king tides during storm events), parts of the island become inundated. This has caused some deltaic villages to be relocated to higher ground. On 8 April 1901, the Revs. James Chalmers and Oliver Fellows Tomkins (1873–1901), together with ten missionary students, were murdered with stone implements and cannibalized by the natives of this island, at Dopima village when they tried to preach to the natives and convert them; their bones were hung as trophies. Following the massacre of the white missionaries, an Australian Royal Commission was called in 1904 to inquire into the scandal. This mission was led by Judge Christopher Stansfield Robinson. The object was to apprehend a native called Lake who was allegedly involved in the murders and who had refused to return the mortal remains of the missionaries for a Christian burial. The mission also wanted to train a few natives as a police force to serve the island. A clash ensued between the natives who stormed the Australian ship "Merrie England". The clash was implemented without forethought, turning violent. Guns were used on the natives. As many as eight were killed and many were injured. There were no major injuries to the Australians. During this reprisal raid, missionary Rev. Harry Moore Dauncey reported that between 4 and 700 skulls were found in various village houses, and nearly 10,000 skulls were counted in the longhouse and burnt during this raid. The mission considered the natives to be savages as they greased their body for cover instead of wearing clothing. Professor Matthew R. Keller believes the commission viewed the population of the island as a different biological species.