MISSION WORK

Hokitika Guardian, 12 January 1929, Page 3

MISSION WORK

EXPERIENCES OK RICV. AY. A. SINCLAIR. IN NEAY GUINEA AND SOLOMONS. AUCKLAND, Jan. 10. . Seven thousand miles were travelled by the Rev. AY, A. Sinclair, genera! secretary .of the Alethodist Alissiorary Society of New Zealand, during his visit to the British Solomon Islands, the Alandated territory of New Guinea and Papua. ‘‘The average tourist who return from the Solomons ami Papua see i nothing of the interior and after a flying visit to the plantations along the coast almost invariably returns to say that he did not sec much missionary work,” said Air Sinclair in an interview to-day. “One can’t see mmli c what the missionaries are doing unless the interior is penetrated. One of our missionaries last year, in Bougainville Island, came upon villages where the islanders had never -ecu a European. The.v were naked and entirely innocent of European customs. The whiteness of the missionary’s skin intrigued them vastly, ami they clustered round to run theii hands over him so as to be sure : hat he was alive.” Though tiny may he lacking in mho: respects the natives of New Guinea have already developed air •■sense’ by reason of the fact that seaplanes are in regular use in conveying passenger: and goods from Port Moresby, the scat of Government at Papua, to iho Ed.t Creek goldfields. This seaplane service is, of course, operated by European aviators, but natives are some) lino? carried. The ijourney to the goldfields on foot occupies seven clays hut the seaplane does it in 1-xnctlv forty minutes. Special apparatus is attached to th(> ’planes to enable thorn to land eu

the ground. The fare is 25 for a European and £lO for lhc return journey

Goods lire charged at the rate of a shilling per lb, and it co.-.ts 5» Gel to send a bottle of oci r to a miner.

The Edic Crock goldfields have only recently been opened, hut womlciiul yields have been omamed A man returning to -Sydney shoved Air Sinclair a nugget of 470/., vki.-ii lie had picket.; out of his washpan. a find worth £197. In twelve months this man ha l ioumi gold w'M'tli nearly £2UIX>. Air Sinclair would not have visited

Port Aloresby had the 2000-ton steamer Morenda not run on to a reef between Samarai and the Gulf of Papua. This part of the coast is not properly chart ed, and no skipper is secure. The Morenda had run on to a reef in the same vicinity on her previous trip, and the company promptly changed the captain, placing one oi their lies* men in command. Ho fared no better, however, ami the Alontora, with Air Sinclair on board, was diverted to get her off. Passengers and goods were removed by schooner, but when the Alontora tried to tow the helpless vessel from the reefs a stout steel cable snapped like a cotton line, the Alorenda remained sixteen days oil the reef and was not towed off till Boxing Day, when there was an exceptionally high tide. . The Methodist mission is rapidly extending its medical work. So gratified is the Australian Government, with the efforts of the mission that it is <e operating in every way possible, and the work is wcli subsidised. Two qualified doctors, both of whom have diplomas in tropical medicine, foui nurses and a Blanket Nurse are treating the Natives with most pleasing results. Great efforts are being made by doctors and nurses to reduce the infantile mortality rate, which for main years has been so high that Air Sinclair hesitated,, to mention the actual percentage. The natives appreciate wliai is lieing done for them, and are not backward in seeking assistance and advice. Questioned concerning the roeem trouble at Rabid Air Sinclair said lie was there about three weeks ago, when there was no mention of any disturbance. There are about 30(X> indentured labourers at Babul, the majority earning £l3 per year on the plantations others being in the constabulary, A Sydney paper had a report desci.jhimr the trouble as a “mutiny.” but Air Sinclair believed that much had been made of very little.