OUTLOOK IN MELANESIA

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1948, 3 December 1906, Page 3

OUTLOOK IN MELANESIA

BISHOP WILSON’S VIEWS. .

Bishop Wilson, of Melrmesia, was interviewed by a representative of the New Zeeland Horald, who obtained his views regarding the outlook in tho Inlands, wiih special roferouce to the coining wholesale ( deportation of kanakas from Queensland. His Lordship admitted being very anxious about tho future. “ I think the trouble will begin early next year,” he said, 11 whan 2500 of the boys will be sent back to the Islands. I havo mado representations in the proper quarter for a British man-of-war to be sent to the Solo- < mons in January, for I fear that tho white people’s lives will be in very great danger. There aro 9500 islandorp to be oont bock. Of 2000 of them I havo very little appre. honsion of trouble. Thoy have been regular and faithful attendants of the mission schools in Queensland, and will aet to some extent as an antidote to the influence of tho others, but of tbo 7000 odd I havo grave fears they have ocme under the iefluenoe of the moan white. They aro very wroth at being oont out oi iho whito nuan’d country, and they oharish ihe idea of retaliation by turning tho shite man out of their oouulry. Tho lativos are rather glad that the boys are joming baok, however —I refer t < na Ohristian boys—as thoy will 't i bhoole, jb thoy invariably do, and me school of Christian village of some strength in point uf numbers, offers less inducement to raiders to visit it than do the small and isolated Christian communities. “ I would like to say with roferonce to the Godden murder,” added the Bishop, ‘I that this arose entirely out of a personal matter. The native who killed Mr Goddcn was regarded by his own people as a dangerous man, and by the traders as half-witted. He had been punished in Queensland for stabbing a man, and had served three years’ imprisonment for that oli'ence. The imprisonment and all ho had experienced at the hands of tho white man in Queenland hail rankled in his mind. He was bent upon vengence. lie hesitated to attack a white trader, not from fear, but because he thought the trader was not important enough to murder, and that the missionary would have more friends whoso feelings would he wounded by his death. It was a murder attributable to a personal grievance, and so far from tho islanders as a body participating in it, thov rendered every assistance by inducing' the murderer to come to them and drink kava, so that they might capture him easily, which they did. Godden was a bright young Australian, and much as lio desired to take orders in his youth, there was then not the slightest chance af his ever being ordained. He expressed the wish to his wife that ho might die as did Bishop Patterson. And poor fellow, the wish was gratified. He was exceedingly successful i’u his relations with both traders and natives. Cannibalism was rampant in tho island of Opa (where Godden died) when he wont there, but now a white man could walk all over the island in perfect safety. Godden was the one man you would not have expected to be killed.” The Bishop was asked why bo thought thte would bo trouble whin tho kiuakas returned to their island?, and ho explained that many of thorn had recruited to esoapo tha vengoaopo of people thoy had wronged. All the mission rohoola wore practically aanoiuaries for thrm, but the villsga ai Fiu, on Malaita Idaud, in the Solomons, was a village ci refuge. Tho island of Malaita was, however, in a ferment just now, and there had been twolvo murders in six week?. A halfeasts women had been killed, but no whiter Wherever there is a Christian ehool there is a oantro of peaoa among

tho nativos thomßolvoß, but, of oourso, thoy aro neoessutlly all.wol to livo in ptaoo by tbotr bush noighbrra, | Tbo Bishop wub asked to stato in what I rospoot Christianity mudo tho nativos hotter " oltizsns," and ho replied that a yillugo that hue acoeptod Christian touching, if raided, rofusos to raid baolc in retuliulion, and it woh by tho eproud of Ohriotiun touching Shat it could bo hjpod that tho islanders would booorno poaoefui j pooplos. Thoro were very grrat possibilities for tho Pacific Islands. Spooking in a common sonar, copra, whioh sold ut £0 10-. t u ton when he wont to tho islands thirteen years ago, was now I fetching £lO a ion at tho islands, and ‘here was uti unliaind notmnd for it. I

I Thu Northerners, or Molnnusiaus, arc not a lazy race. The Polynesians arc not industrious, but tho Melanesians oftcin work vary hard, for their lands aro nut always fertile Bishop Wilson spoke most highly of tho efforts of sho authorities iu tho Now Hebrides to put down tho drink traffio, and nnt only was yigiluuoo exorcised in tbo N w HobiiJrs, but in other islands also. A strum-hip oompany had doolinod to carry spirita foe native trade, and when tho liquor traffic was kept woll under, if noi abolished n togsthor, then peace might bo locked for in tiro islands.