A DEPORTED MISSIONARY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1090, 31 March 1911, Page 6

A DEPORTED MISSIONARY.

-— o „ MISUNDERSTANDING ON BOTH . SIDES. By Telesraph—Press Association—Copyright Brisbane, March 30. The Rev. Dr. Brown, the veteran missionary, has returned after having completed his inquiry on behalf of tho Methodist Mission Board into' tho deportation of'tho Rev. Ernest E. Shackle, a Methodist missionary at Outong Java, in the Northern Solomons. - It was stated in January that the natives had made allegations that Mr. Shackle had desecrated their temples and idols, and had resorted to flogging. The islanders threatened to kill Mr. Shackle unless he wcro immediately removed,.and in order to save trouble the Resident Commissioner, Mr. Woodford, ordered his deportation from tho Outong Java group. Dr. Brown says.ho.found that there had been misunderstanding on both sides. An arrangement had been made for a Tongan native minister to take the'place of Mr. Shackle. The natives wcro allowed to attend church, as they pleased; there was -.no , ; or'.' interference. STRANGE AND SAVAGE PEOFLE. " Little is known of Ontong Java and its ' savage, people, over whom;'reigns a King, Kepea By name, who wears a large bone ring'through his nose... He.it is who is 's'aM?'to"'havo ddnmnded' the -deportation of Mr. Shackle, their relations irom the first having been anything but pleasant. Ontong Java is, correctly ' speaking, a group of small islands—a circular formation.of lands and reels in an area of some 50 miles, and there are only two passages into ithc, sheltered inside, whilo the outside is beaten upon by tho open ocean, and is almost inaccessible. Tho principal place is Liuniuwa, and it .is Here that.tho mission.station is located, and that Mr. Markham and a German trader. named Schwarz have their stores. .The, steamer Upolu, .belonging.'.to Level" Brothers, visits the place four times a ytur." -".' :;,,.. , , , '~', Mr. Markham, manager at Liuniuwa for Messrs. Lever Bros., stated to tho "Sydney Morning Herald": "When Mr. Shackle started there he all against him. He wanted to inuuec them to.attend church and school, and couldn't. Of course, some. went. He made a mistake in trying to include in .the mission men 80 to 90 years of age. I said to him: 'Why don't you leave the old men alone, and confine yourself to tho young people,, who will grow up and then help you as teachers'?' King Kepea became very angry, and told him to go away. Personally, I was afraid of some violence befalling him. "He used to get about a dozen men and boys who joined his church to march round tho native temple—tho natives call it their 'devil-devil house'—which contained their idols of;'wood and stone, beating a tin' drum and singing hymns. .This only made tho people more angry. On.one occasion Mr. Shackle started to chop down one of their big wooden idols —about nine or ten feet high—but after ho had started on it with his axe the natives became so vicious-looking that he had Ho stop. "One day he borrowed; my gun and shot a pig, which happened to belong to one of the natives. This also caused dissatisfaction. ' "But the most serious, allegation was flogging tho natives. ' The natives alleged that they were flogged. One day a boy came to me and showed mo big welts on his body, saying Mr. Sharkle had lloggc him. 'What did- he flog you for?' I asked.' '.Me dunno—no savee,' said the native. The King and the people sent' a petition to the Resident Commissioner, Mr. Woodford, asking him' to 'take Mr. Shackle away." , rj Before his departure Dr. Brown said: "Mr. Shacklo .is..a young mali—he was a probationer—and it wbulct appear that lie has been putting on foolish airs, and attempting to do things he shouldn't do; but I don't think.some of the allegations made by the traders are true. At all events, I cannot say much until I go there and actually see for myself. The position is a serious one, and it has given us much concern."