EARLY DAYS OF A MISSION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1951, 13 March 1919, Page 1

EARLY DAYS OF A MISSION.

INTERESTING REMINISCENCEB. The Rev. C. C. Harper, formerly Archdeacon of Rangitikci, gave an outline of the mission from its very early days, his connection having extended over the tune when John R, Selwyn was Bishop, writes tho Post’s London correspondent. He had been honoured at his baptism by having Bishop Patteson as his godfather. “1 remember,” said Archdeacon Harper, “going for the first time in the Southern Cross, feeling our way round Mala, with that splendid old skipper, Captain Bongard, who was always full of fun. It was a very different thing in those days, in old schooner, full of cockroaches, which found out every crevice and spare place in your pyjamas, nibbling your toenails as you slept. I can remember one of our respected missionaries reading prayers one night when the cockroaches were coming out, and one of them settled in a place where the hair had forgotten to grow, with disastrous effects on the natives. 1 remember Mr Penny, in Chas. Sapimliana’s house in (Jela, regaling us

ilh stories of centipedes and their

awful biles, and .1 went to sleep with every conceivable part of me wrap-

ped up for fear of them. In those days it was not a case of frozen meat and frozen butter. One never touched bread or butter, and there was no milk. The great excitement of the week was Sunday morning breakfast, when we had tinned tripe

and onions; and it was exciting to sit: across a camp stool with soup plates in our hands when beating up against the trade winds, sliding hither and thither. Then the loneli-

:>ss of the missionary's life in those ays! No women were allowed on ic islands. Being born in New Zeaind, I feel that the British Empire ocs not quite realise always what owes to the pioneers. It was won-

erful what they accomplished. If re had no other reason to support

the work, we should only be doing what is justly due to their memories if we follow the lend they gave us. The hardships of (hose days have

ot quite pssed away. The mission-

aries do not talk about them. Mr Simmons no doubt could tell ns a-, bout spiders so large that if you put

saucer over them their legs come

out all round. Then there are cockroaches, illness, disease, etc. M e have, however, learnt of late years

that it is not necessary for a missionary to be uncomfortable. One

who is now an archdeacon in another part of the Church refused to wash in a basin because he thought a missionary ought to wash in a bucket. We show more wisdom now, and know that the more comforts we can give to the missionaries the bettor work they do. Those annual tuck boxes in New Zealand were a great blessing’ to the missionaries. That ought to he recognised.” FUTURE OF NATIVE.RACES. With regard to the native races,

Archdeacon Harper said there were three possibilities upon us: (1) To let them die out; (2) to make them slaves; (3) to develop self-govern-ment. In New Zealand, lie said, the people were proud to be associated in every phase of life with the

Maoris, recognising that they contribute something which nobody else can contribute to the Church, which would not reach its fullness until we had the contribution of every race and tribe and people in the rvorld. So we could not let them die out. Regarding the second possibility,

the time for such a suggestion was past. With regard to the third heading. “Have you realised,” asked Archdeacon Harper, “that the British Empire stands before the world to-day as the only first-class Power whoso method of government goes back into the ages. The AngloSaxon race stands before the world as having been entrusted with the development and power of self-go-vernment, and that is our call to the native races. We have just been told that..(he only possible way of getting true self-government is through flie agency of Christianity, and so we of the Melanesian Mission are going to show that we believe the native races have a contribution to make to the Church, and to the life of the world as a whole, that the native races are not to be used as slaves for the benefit of the white, but that they are to be given something of the power of enlightened and Christian self-govern-ment.”