A CANNIBAL ISLAND.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1774, 12 June 1913, Page 6

A CANNIBAL ISLAND.

NEW BRITAIN.

STORY OF A MISSIONARY. Interesting information regarding one of tho lesser-known spots of the earth was yestorday supplied to a Dominion reportor by tho Kev. K. Schmidtt, a missionary associated with the Methodist Foreign Mission Society of Australasia. The Kev. Mr. Schmitt has recently arrived m .New Zealand from New Britain, an island in tile Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of. New Guiucn, where .savages still Rive rein to their cannibalistic tendencies; where women are treated as slaves, and recruited for plantation labour; and where an area ot' 30,000 square miles exists unknown and unexplored. Missionary societies are doing a great work in this field, but in the one small island, Aew Britain, it is estimated that 180,000 natives have not been reached by Christian influences. In the field from which the Kev. Schmitt conies, and it is one of tho six touched by tho Australasian Missionary Society, missionary work has been going on since 1875, when Dr. Brown, tho pioneer of the society, went from Auckland. During these latter years about 20,000 natives havo been reached— thero still remain 180,000 whom lack of helpers has made it impossible to touch. The natives themselves, it is said, are willing to bo taught, and to give up their savage ways. This missionary work, according to Mr. Schmitt, is to-day becoming moro imperative, as civilisation of a sort is being introduced by traders and planters, both European and .Asiatic, and this is causing ail ontiro revolution amongst the natives, not only as regards their worldly affairs, but also in their sniritual views. All their superstitious beliefs, and native customs aro crumpling down, by, contact with so callcd civilisation, and the natives, losing their own religion, must get something to replace it. It is hero that the missionary work comes in. Civilisation and men-of-war alono do not change the savago life and heart. The worldly affairs of the natives are also considered by tho missionaries. Tho Governments in whoso hands lies the protection of theso islands tako a tax from the natives, and the missionaries aim to teach them tho value of productive work, such as wood-working, and boat-building, etc., with the native wood. Tho mission ia New Britain has also, coconut planta-

tions whero. over 100 "boys" aro employed. ' The extent of the work carried on by tho Methodist Foreign- Mission Society may be judged from the fact that tho expenditure for last year, on the six groups, was over £13,000. Of this amount Methodist chur.ches in Australia and New Zealand contributed ,£25,(500, and the Christian natives themselves gave over ■.£17,000, thus giving evidence that their Christianity- has reached a practical standpoint. New Britain, or as it now. figures on tho chart, New Pomerffnia, is under German control, and the attitude of that Government has changed considerably during the last year, considers Mr. Schmitt, and despite the fact that the work is carried out by an English society, working from Australia and; New Zealand; the German Government has given much assistance and sympathy. This greater in-, terest has been shown also by the fact that the German Emperor recently called on the peoplo of the Empire to increase the funds of missionary societies working

in the colonics. Tho Eev. Mr. Sclimitt admitted that cannibals still existed in many parts. Punitivo expeditions had had to bo dispatched on occasions, but his personal opinion was the murders committed had-not been done through lust of blood, but through a desire to possess the goods.carried into the interior by bird-hunters and traders. A large trade in copra is done from New Britain and some 1200 white Bettiers lmvo taken up. large.tracts of land. Thousands of tons of copra aro every year shipped to Australia and Europe and tho plantation of tho Mission is starting to bear, so that tho proceeds will help to mako . the mission self-supporting. Mr. Schmitt referred to tho fact that it was often said that the native races were dying' out. This dying-out process would bo stopped as soon as tho womanhood was uplifted. As it was now, in some islands, women were still recruited for labour, and were treated littlo better than slaves. That meant, of course, that they camo back to their homes mere wrecks, both spiritu-! ally and bodily. When they were taken from their homes their young families were left almost uncared for, and the deathrate which resulted w,as heavy. Missionary societies had, he said, done good work in retrieving the wrong done by this system and the results had been most gratifying. There was still a large field of labour to be covered. Tho Rev. Mr. Schmitt Is at present touring Now Zealand doing deputation work under the auspices of the Methodist Foreign Mission Society of Australasia. Ho will preach in the Taranaki Street Methodist Church on Sunday night, and in tho morning in the Thorndon MethodlsS Church. He will also give a lecturo in tho Taranaki Street Methodist Church next week.