MELANESIAN MISSION.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 204, 3 February 1875, Page 3

MELANESIAN MISSION.

A numerously attended meeting was held last evening in the Oddfellows’ Hall, to hear the Bev 0, Bice speak on the work and prospects of the above mission, and the Bev B. S. Jackson, lately connected with the mission, give his experiences of the labor traffic carried on in the Pacific islands. The chair was taken by the Bight Bev the Primate, who opened the proceedings with prayer, and said they had among them that evening gentlemen who had been connected with the Melanesian Mission for eight years, and they had met there to hear from them of its working. The people of New Zealand were particularly interested in this mission, as it owed its origin to Bishop Selwyn, who founded it in 1849, when he. first visited the Solomon and Hebrides Islands, afterwards followed up by the late lamented Bishop Patteson, until it had grown into a strong institution. To Bishop Selwyn they were indebted for the establishment of the mission, and they had great reason to be thankful that these islands were brought into the religion of Christ. By the act of the General Synod, the mission was brought into the working of the Church of New Zealand, It had been hallowed by the blood of faithful servants, and ten years ago, they had the satisfaction of hearing from the lips of Bishop Patteson, of the progress that had been made in the work, and it would be remembered how hopefully he had spoken of the spread of Christianity throughout the islands. That evening they would again have the gratification of hearing from the two clergymen connected with the mission, the progress that was still being made, and he would now introduce the Bev Mr Bice, who had been for eight years engaged in this work. Whether the teachings of the missionaries had been so far successful or not, it was still their duty to continue to support

the earnest endeavors of those clergymen who were engaged in this good work. The Rev Mr Bice said he haa been engaged in the work of the Melanesian mission for eight years. There was a bright and a dark side to the result of their efforts, but, as had been said by the Bishop, whether the work of the mission had been successful or not, it was still their duty as Christians to assist in forwarding it. The word Melanesia was derived from the Greek words meaning black and island, to distinguish it from Polynesia. The rev gentleman pointed out on a map the relative! position of the islands from New Zealand and Sydney. Norfolk Island, aptly termed the centre of the world, was the base of operations. It was about 600 miles to the north of Auckland, 800 miles from Sydney, and about 800 miles south of the nearest island of the Hebrides Group. The missionaries visited forty of the islands, but they were so unhealthy that no European could live on any of them for more than a few weeks at a time, and Bishop Selwyn had conceived the idea of forming a native ministry which was then being carried into effect. Norfolk Island contained the centre school, in which 180 natives were collected from the various islands and taught by six European and lay teachers for six months in the year. The schooner Southern Cross visited the islands,* and collected the natives, who were brought to Norfolk Island, and there taught during the summer months. The natives on some of the islands were, perhaps, the most savage on the face of the globe, but their being so was no reason why they should not be taught, and from letters which he would read them, and a prayer-book that had been printed by them, it would be seen that these natives were capable of being taught. When the islands were first visited the missionaries were compelled to back their boat towards the shore stern on, and if it was seen that the natives collected on the shore were inclined to send some of their poisoned arrows at them, preparations were made to pull away on the instant ; but if they appeared at all friendly their Bishop used to swim or wade ashore, and would soon be lost in the crowd and taken to the village, and they would have to wait in the boat doubtful whether they would ever see him again. Now they could go ashore without any fear, and were always met with a hearty welcome, Mr Bice then described the different modes of welcome in practice among the natives of these islands. The natives were very treacherous, but still were honest. Instances of their honesty were given by the rev gentleman. Mr Bice contended that however savage or treacherous these natives were fit sul jects, as men and human beings, to be reclaimed to God. The rev speaker gave instances of the intense jealousy of the natives. The labor trade had been a source of anxiety to the missionaries, and on Lepers Island, where he hoped to have had a school of 160 scholars, after the trade started he could not raise more than fifteen ; and those who returned from civilisation came back greatar savages than when they left. As an instance of satisfactory progress, out of 120 natives on a small island 100 were baptised, and the remainder candidates for Christianity ; and all attended morning and evening school. The present position of the Mission was as follows : One native priest, three native clergy, thirty native lay teachers, and about 1000 Christians. [Applause.] In reply to questions, Mr Bice said that out of the 180 natives on Norfolk Island twenty would be returned to their homes each year, and their places be filled by others. Some of those who returned relapsed into barbarism, but this was not always the case, and many expressed a desire to and did remain on the island. On ten islands of the group Christianity was firmly established. On Norfolk Island there* were ten married couples with families growing around them. The reason why the Europeans could not live for any time on the Northern islands was through the unhealthy climate, but it was hoped this would be better when the drainage was improved. He had known a European who had lived on one of the islands for a few months who was as yellow as a guinea, and as thin as a gridiron. [Laughter.] Why the missionaries had ceased to visit a few of the island was, that in the face of a protest from them, the captain of the Rosario had shelled some of the native towns to avenge some murders that had been committed, and it was thought that it would be imprudent to risk any more valuable lives at present. Bishop Patteson’s death was not caused through personal dislike, but as some of the natives had been forcibly carried away from that island, and when the bishop visited them, and they saw he was a white man, they did not make any other distinction, and as he was a very great man they considered they had taken great revenge. The arrows found in the bishop’s legs had, no doubt, been fired at him after he had been clubbed, as this is their practice. Mr Bice then read letters he had received from a native girl and a native teacher, which caused some amusement, as to Christian expressions, and a wish to go to an island to teach the other natives, was added a desire to have a box with a lock on it, and a red shirt. The rev gentleman said that he had received letters from ten different islands written in one dialect, and expressed a hope that through the teaching in the centre school one dialect would eventually be spoken throughout the whole group, instead of the the 1500 now existing, and by that means the labors of the missionaries would be made lighter. The mission schooner had not been a failure, but would require alterations to the amount of between £2OO and £3OO, The Rev Mr Jackson said he had been asked to speak on the labor traffic, but he should call it the slave traffic which was carried on under the guise of a labor trade, not only in Melanesia, but throughout the Pacific Isles. He referred to the case of the Carl, and the difficulty in procuring a conviction. One mode of kidnapping the natives bad been to personate Bishop Patteson, A man was sent on shore and told that the Bishop was on hoard, and the pretended Bishop would appear on deck dressed in black and wearing spectacles, and when the unsuspecting natives went on board they were secured and placed under hatches. At other times a canoe full of natives would be enticed alongside a vessel, and a boat would be suddenly lowered on top of it and sink it. and the natives would be picked up and stowed away in the hold. Sometimes pig iron would be thrown into the canoes, and if the natives resisted they were shot, and • many of them were thrown overboard while still alive, but as he had said, it was very difficult to obtain a conviction, as when H. M. ship« visited the islands, fxwa

the number of dialects that existed, it was difficult for the officers to obtain full information. The rev speaker read a letter he had received from the Rev Mr Selwyn, relating a case of kidnapping that had recently come to his knowledge ; also, from thb Rev Mr Codrington, who had learnt of a case of kidnapping under the pnDe of labor. It was often the case that while one of H M’s ships "was at one side of the island a slaver was at the other side. The natives did not understand the meaning of a three years’ engagement, as they could not look so far ahead. And complaints had been made to him that when these men had been taken to Fiji, they would not work. The fact was, that in their own country they were not used nor required to work, or to restraint, and when compelled to work under authority they naturally demurred. A respectable planter had told him in Fiji that they (the planters) were compelled to use the lash pretty freely; and that was what was called free labor. He had heard of horrible atrocities committed upon the natives by overseers and planters in Fiji, and when any of the men did return to their native place, they could hardly blame them ' for being filled with a desire for revenge upon the whole race of white men. He could speak with certainty of the atrocities practised in Fiji, but of the natives taken to Queensland he could not speak as positively, but when Mr Codrington went there to enquire into their treatment, every obstacle was courteously placed in his way, and the few natives he was enabled to speak to told him. in the presence of a naval officer, that they had no idea where they were being taken to. About three out of every 100 taken away returned, and those who did were thoroughly demoralised through contact with civilisation. Boys, girls, old men, and women who could work were carried away, and when a native was returned to his island he found his native village utterly deserted, and as he could not go to the next village, as his tribe might be at war with it, he went back to the vessel heart-broken and prepared to be taken anywhere. In confirmation of this Mr Jackson read a letter received by him from a native boy who had been returned to his island, at one time fruitful and populous, to find it desolated and without vestige of cultivation. When taken away the boy was strong and healthy, and when returned weak and prostrated, from starvation and the hardships he had been made to endure. And when the natives avenged themselves in a moment of vindictiveness, after this treatment, could they be blamed ? They could not sufficiently discriminate that when avenging themselves it was on innocent men. Mr Jackson instanced a case where an iron rollock had been stolen from a boat, and the captain of the vessel was about to flog a native who was on board for the theft of others ; and also a captain of a man-of-war, who, because a native had stolen some small thing from his vessel, detained some natives on board until a heavy fine was paid by the other natives in pigs and yams. And if this was the kind of justice administered by the captain of a British man-of-war, how could they expect the natives to be to be more just or discriminating in their revenge. The islands were beautiful, and the natural products many and valuable and the resources vast, and was it not a sin to depopulate the islands of the only people who could develop those great resources. He would appeal to all Christian men to urge upon the Government to petition the home Parliament to take these people under their protection, and to put an end to the slave trade, when these men, women, and children might be improved, who were as capable of improvement as any of those present, [Applause.] Mr Justice Gresson begged to move a vote of thanks to the rev gentlemen who had addressed the meeting. From what they had heard that evening they must all take an interest in the work of the mission and feel gratified that the blood of the martyred Bishop had not been shed in vain. It was most painful to hear from the rev Mr Jackson that men professing Christianity should have been guilty of the acts of atrocity in connection with the labor traffic, and as related by Mr Jackson, which bore the internal evidence of truth. Personally, from what he had heard, he would feel inclined to take the side of the natives in opposition to that of their oppressors. He would move a vote of thanks to both the rev gentlemen who had addressed them. The vote was put and carried by acclamation.

After a few remarks from the Primate, in which he exhorted his hearers to give their practical sympathy and prayers for the success of the mission, the meeting was closed with prayer and a blessing.