A PERILOUS LIFE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 439, 23 February 1909, Page 10

A PERILOUS LIFE.

: : MISSION WORK IN .MELANESIA. . LECTDREBY CAPTArN'siNKER;R.N.R.' "'■■"■ The view of a kyman was, tho■■description which Captain Sinker, It.N.'R., applied last night to his lecture.on mission work in Melanesia, and a very eiitertaijiingviewit proved. Captain Sinker, who commands the mission -, steamer,, Southern Cross, • described in a vervbright.manner.jtlie' perils and hardships which mission workers in. this- field have 'to undergo. The audience completely filled the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall.

Tho.Right Rev. Dr. AVallis, Anglican Bishop of Wellington, in introducing tho, lee-" turer, said that tho Wellington dioccso' ; ha'd' always taken a great interest in-the. Melanesian mission, and he hoped that ; .Botin'it would do more by sending out a missionaryof it-s own. A hymivfor the mission, "Lord," her watch. Thy Church is keeping," w»s"then: sung by.the:hudience.' .. . ..- , '.. Captain Sinker,, in commenoing.his lcctuijei;' said that he would ask his.audietoce/jto.jina- , ' gine that they.were taking a trip on-the; missionary steamer, tho Southern Cross. The first set of pictures thrown on the screen showed-.Norfolk.'lsland, which was used. as : a sort of training'college for the ' missionary' teachers.: Tho missionary teachers .had., to work mother fields than that.of tlie churclij for the: mission boy had to earn his living, and could not. be expected to. do anything, which was degrading .for, his Master..- Tho Southern Cross had a great variety of duties, to perform.. She was used as the -postal ste'amor,,,and. had Xa r , take, the native teaohere': pay, which was''in'-kind) not coin'. The, vessel, was also the only link- connecting many of the mission stations with civilisation. On some occasions many months would elapse between the. visits : of the.ship, and soiiietimes when she did, arrive those on board would find that "no ; news" was not good news. Thb lecturer-told: a sad story of a who. was murdered, and whose wife had to'live on the island where he .was' assassinated,-"with- no; companionship save' that of a native woman, until .the ship came. Things, however,-wercnot always'.thus. On one occasion. Captain Sinker had given a .flag, to -a missionary, and asked him to keep it-flying, but not to have.it half-mast... On his next visit the captain looked'for the flag, and saw that riot"only-iva's.''.'it at halfmast,, but , it. was upside'. doiiTi—evidently, double distress.'- . The anxiety ..of those, on board was I increasing,.,. when, just asr'-they were nearing'the shore,-they saw' a -boy .'swarm up the flagpole and carry the flag to the-top. : The only trouble.on.the ; ,island,was that the halyards. ! attached -to' the flag ;had become, entangled. , : ' : : -.- :"■ That's BishopscouH," !said the'- lecturer as'a. picture . was thrown on. 'the screen. ,''. Bishopscourt," was. not. easily discernible, but on looking the second time there .might be. seen a little thatched, hut, certainly, not , of an imposing appearahco;'.,Tlie.-lecturer' do- : scribed.in humorous'stylo the time'which the bishop; must have ;liad s there, .but which tho bishop "himself had' described as , ;" a .jolly, timcl". ; '-~ --' : V V .-,■.,....'!'■ -.(•'•'•",■•■'^ ; '.■-,.-;.'. , The ;natives were, described, as. very re; vorent, and so enthusiastic, that they went to .church with, great re'giilarity, -though ■ ; in. somqiof the islancig they had to keep a'sentry outside .the building:to prevent'the li'nconverted ones from taking potshots, /through the windows at : the';-'congregation.,;' v Nitivo ; teachors had ah 'even- more. try.ino; 'tiihe.Jthan the .whites, for they were'.subiectcd ti? all -kinds: .of tempta.tipne,'whioh-tlio white:men-'ha3 liiot' , ■to!encounter. = A3 an illustration, a story : was, : told of a native teacher'/.whb;.for-refusing t« kneel to .the, island king, v\-«e,set' adrift ih : a canoe with one paddlo and one cocoanut. The. riativCj/howpver, degree .of: pliick, : 'ahd'"pai3dlod' himself a distance of 190 miles to "another island. Not satisfied to keep quiet nfter, his narrow escape, he;.Rftetw.ard3 returned in-tilie-.niis-Ezohafy shin to. the island from which he had 'been banished, and on this occasion his reception was a good .deal more favourable.-; " i.'i Brief reference was m.ndp,by the lecturer, to the manner in" Which , Patterson "came to bo murdered at a'time when : the.,mission work was in its early stages'.: -'Mention''-was ,also made of\the lady missionaries, who endure great. hardshins and : --accbmrjlish taskn which; are impossible: for : 'tlio. men:.: • 6ther helpers are. the Kan.->kasj.-.wh.o..have- returnedfrom. Queensland:: When*these.,have,, during their stay in 'Australia,, iin. contact witli schools and/: churches...they,:.'are«., of especial assistance. '■' V .;..':. ; . , ..'.,■ ,' ,/■ . ,'' ;.■.'. ,\. *. : , At thexonclusion.of::tl)«;:lecture, theaiidi-: ence joined in■ singing-. the hymn,.." Thy -Ein';:■dom and a collection ■in aid ;of.the mission was takon.up. .'....