NEW GUINEA.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3754, 27 July 1883, Page 4

NEW GUINEA.

The Rev. Mr Chalmers, who lias lived in New Guinea as a missionary for seven years, and is described as probably knowing more about that vast aud mysterious island than any other European living, recently spoke ou the subject at Brisbane. He is reported by the Brisbane Courier to have said that " Queensland ought to lie very proud of their new acquisition. It was a magnificent island, and inhabited by a fine race of men. Ho earnestly hoped that the occupation of the island by white men would not mean the extinction of the natives, but would rather tend to teach, instruct, and establish them. He felt lie would not bo doing his duty if lie did not give hin full opinion on tlio subject of the trailic in coloured labour. 110 knew that they did all they could iv Queensland to check the abuses complained of, but it was impossible to regulate tralHo in labour carried ou thousands of miles away. As for the natives of New Guinea, ho was confident they would never consent to leave their country if thoy understood thoroughly the length of time for which they were required. They might agree to come to Queensland as labourers for throe years, but if they were asked to enter into a contract to servo for six moons not one would come. But looking at the matter in a moral light, why should we deprive them of liberty? What right have we to take them from their wives and homes;- And it must be borne in mind that it was not the old and useless men we required, but the very pith, marrow, and muscle of flu; people. He did not wish to see the people civilised in the usual conventional manner ; he did not believe in disguising the blacks, nor in shirt-and-trouscrs natives. Eor his part, he preferred pure, unadulterated savages. Six years ago he landed in Port Moresby, and settled among a cannibal tribe, encountering many troubles and difliculties at the outset. Afterwards things became more settled, and they we're invited to a cannibal feast, but thought it better to decline the invitation. His wife, however, had made friends with a neighboring chief, who looked in during tho evening with a piece of flesh, which ho thought would prove an acceptable morsel to his guests. Great was his astonishment at their refusing to eat a portion of a fellow creature, however delicately roasted. For tho last three years there have been great improvements iv their habits, and for that period cannibal feasts have been unknown at Port Moresby. Many have joined tho Christian Church, and havo been baptised; and though, perhaps, they aro not great theologians, still their faith is pure and simple. When the gold prospectors visited the island some years ago, one of them shot a native. Tho natives then became hostile, and threatcued the lives of the teachers. He called the natives together, and explained that the feathers had come simply to instruct them, and wanted nothing iv return. He succeeded in pacifying them i'or the time, and they agreed to accept their teacher, who, however, became unpopular, and was shortly afterwards murdered when the great massacre of teachers took place. The missionaries had had a hard struggle ; some had fallen through the unhealthy climate, some had been murdered ; but daylight was now dawning over that island, and he trusted the time was not distant when it would be prosperous and enlightened/