RAROTONGN MISSIONARIES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 798, 22 April 1910, Page 11

RAROTONGN MISSIONARIES.

■ EETUENING HOME FEOM NEW ■ ■•' .•;■■'■ : GUINEA.;. • .; : : •■- ' ;;; By the Moeraki, which arrived from Sydney on Wednesday, were: a party of four Earotohgana and their wives;/who have been labouring under the banner of the' London' Missionary Society, at . New Guine'a.for different periods/.not without a good. effect it is said.. Their names are Bongo, Paku, Elisaia, ; and Erangi. The. two first-named havo not seen their native land for eleven and thirteen years respectively, sb that it is with no small amount of pleasure that they aro anticipating viewing, the silver strand of Earotonga, from the lofty decks '■ of the Mokoia, by .which vessel they leave Wellington to-day. Two of the men—Bongo uhd Paku—speak a little English, but the others, including the women, have no 'knowledge whatever of the dominating tongue. ..Bongo says that, their work has .done'good in Now Guinea. Formerly New Guinea was a .dangerous place' for an 'outsider 'to . visit—"it was kill, kill, then, .no kill' now/' says; Bongo. With their limited English vocabulary anythink like a : story of consecutive interest was impossible. , They seemed-' bright, happy- people, with a keen 6onsb of humouivaud good powers of observation. The Congregational Schoolroom in Bowen Street wae orowded oh Wednesday night, when' a meeting of welcome was held for the Earotongean ; missionaries, who are on their way homo from New Guinea to Earotonga. The Bev. J. B. Glasson, Who was in. the chair, said α-few words of welcome, and the Hon. G. Fowlds, M.P., paid a very high tribute to the work of the London Missionary .Society, which has a : training institrte in Barotonga, and exerts a great influence in the islands of Southern Polynesia. Mr. Prank Meadowcroft, chairman , of the L.M.S. Auxiliary, also spoke a- few words of welcome. ,

The Rev. John Hutchens, who accompanies tho teachers, acted as interpreter for the four men :tenchers»and the woman teacher who addressed the meeting, and also gave a very interesting account of .the growth and wbrk of the L.M.S., which , has been established iu Barotonga for 70 years, and out of the 8000 natives of those islands counts 2600. church members, while it has 20 churches, which are self-snpporting. These church members raised about <£500 list year for their own support. During the evening the natives song several hymns in their own language, or that of New Gninca. The Missions to _ Seaincn. Institute was crowded .on Wednesday evening, when the Wesleyan Literary and Debuting Society, under the direction of Mr. Fuller, provided a delightful concert. Mr. James Monro,' tho missioner, occupied the chair. The programme !was contributed to by'tho following:—Pianoforte solo, Miss'll. Hill; song, Miss Graves; recitation, Miss Luke; song,- Miss Bnker; recitation, Mr. E. Cummings; song, Miss Rogers; song, Miss E. Lawson; recitation, Miss 51. Dixj song, Madame Mueller; comedietta, Misses P. and M. Dix; sons, Miss V. Mueller; fluFe solo, Mr. C. J. Hill; song, Mr. M'Naughtou (R.M.S. Ionic); song, Mr. Digby. Misses Hill and Tomlinson played tho accompaniments. -Several popular choruses wore sung by the audience, and a very amusing conundrum compotition was hold and won by sailors from ships in port. Daring a short interval, in the programme, the missioner delivered an earnest temperance address, taking tho words "How the Ranks' are Filled" for a subject. Six men subsequently took tho pledge. Hearty ohecrs were; given to the performers, Mr. Puller briefly responding. '