CRUISE OF THE "BORDER MAID."

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume IV, Issue 92, 1 July 1852, Page 3

CRUISE OF THE "BORDER MAID."

(From the New Zealand Almanac.) The following account of the Northern Missionary voyage in the Border Maid has been drawn up from her log book, and from conversations with different persons engaged in the mission. The two bishops sailed from Auckland Harbour July 8, 18'il taking back the four Melanesians that Captain Erskiuo of 11.M.5. klftivannah, had brought away the preceding year. The rest of the ship's company were a student and a scholar of St. John's College, as first arid second navigation males, Iwo English boys, and one Maori lad (as the ship's carpenter) also or St. John's College, a Maori man of the Waikalo district, the sailing master and a sailing mate regularly nfmccled with the Bishop's schooner, and four other sailors. The first island they reached was Anaileum, J(i!)° 17' 20E., 13' S. There is a resident Presbyterian .Missionary (here, Mr. Geddie, who is labouring steadily among the people, entrusted one ol his boys to the Bishop to 'irought here and specially instructed in iug, for which lie shows great aptness.

There arc already sonic parts of the scriptures printed in tlx; Anaiicnin language. At this island lliey lound tlx: clearest possible proofs of the superiority of fair and peaceable dealing with the natives, over dishonesty and intimidation. An Knglish trader had originally built ;i fort there, and Irid brought s.nne cannon for his defence, but the guns were seen lying timeless on the beach: and there was a throughly good understanding between the trader and the natives, because from the very lirsl he had dealt honestly with them. They proceeded to T'uluna, and brought off two boys, whose language very much resembles the Maori. There were no signs of Christianity visible there; but the boys say that two Samoan teachers were murdered there some lime back; and lliey know several Scripture names and doctrines. An event occurred on board, which shows'one of the customs of this people, and is not confined to Ilieni ; and at the same time shows what a blessing the (iospel w ill be to them in ibis life as well as in the life to come. When one of the boys was very ill, his relation wanted to have him thrown overboard, as thinking, llie life of a sick man a burden to himself and others. From [■'alalia (I!!-.">i) S.) lliey steered their course to Tauna, guided all night by the ever active volcano that Captain Cook speaks of. Here I hey found a lillle. ta romango boy lending a sick Knglish sailor with an unwearying love and patience that would put Cluisti.ins lo the The man (cAlur l'!iili)r!ili.<) had been left at Krromango, and had come to Taima for the natural Iml bath*!. The boy had accompanied him a* his nurse > and both were taken on board the 11-r<hr Mahl; The Kiiglishuian by his own request was taken lo Sydney, llie boy is now at St. John's College. Only a few natives of Tanna have as yet shown a favourable disposition lo receive llie (jospel. From Tanna llicy sailed lo Niua, where lliey were kiijilly received by the natives, thence lo Krroaiango, where they arrived on the 7th of August. There are no Christians lliere, and the natives of Dillon's Day, on the south-west of the island, where John Williams was murdered, have still a bad charaelcr for lighting and treachery; but the sick Knglish sailor said that he had been once on shore there lo get water, and that he win very kindly received, and the nalhcs helped him lo carry his wa'er casks lo the boat. Two of the boys thai Captain Krskine had brought away belonged to Krromaugo, but not'from Dillon's Hay. .Nothing could have had been more amiable or satisfactory than llieir conduct during llie whole lime of their connexion with the college. The Bishop of .New /calami went »n shore with them lo nunkil, 011 llie south .side of the 'sland, and was most kindly received l.y their relations. He made l!:: ::i explain lo the rest what lliey had been laiiglil at the college, ami the object oT I he liishop':; visit to llieir Maud. The elder boy of llie two showed his attachment to the liishop and the college by swimming out lo the ship a fortnight latter on its return homewards ; and he is now here, and is the pattern of gooil humour and obedience, much of which is no doubt lo be altribnled lo the good discipline he learnt on hoard llie lie was exceedingly anxious lo convince l!ie liishop thai his friends were rail so savage as the Kuglidi had generally represented the Krromaugo people lo be; but lie owned that all llie neighbouring tribes were continually at war with one another. From Krromaugo lliey sailed 10 .Mare (which will probably he found tobe place d a quarter of a league or more 100 far wesl in the chart,) where the liishops remained (wo days. There are three laige mission stations oil this island, and probably more Christians than anyvi here else in these seas. At one station called Siguania lliey found a large chapel I'-20 feel long bv in which fitj'l) pei >ple assembled for sei vice. Tlicv found that one of the boys who had been at llie college the preceding year had adhered steadily lo the it teachers, and

had made groat progress in reading and writing in liis own language. These native teachers are from Samoa and Ilarolonga, and am some of the good fruits of John Williams' labors. They are to he, found scallored in all I hosegroups of islands, ami numbers liave laid down their lives by the sword or pestilence, for Ihe truth's sake. A few miles from this station Inwards Ihc soul'.i the people an 1 very savage, and opposed 10 Christian!:)-; bill it may he hoped thai if an effort be made now lo establish a regular mission there, the whole island will be brought under the iiilhicucc of the gnspd. *The bishops selected (ivo youths and brought them off to the ship, two of them having been al Ihe college before. l'rom thence they sailed lo Ihe Isle o r Pines, which is prc-oceupicd by Ihe Itoman .Catholics: thence to Lifii, where there are no Christians. 'J'hey found Ihe lillle boy Tliol who bad been so ill al Ihe college the year, before. His delighl al seeing his iriends again was only equalled by theirs at seeing him so well, and bringing iiini and a companion off to (he ship. As a proof of the natural gratitude of these, people, the bishop was greeted on bis lauding as " Tliol's failier;" and a message was immedialoly sent off for Tliol lo conn;, ll was gratifying to find that lie had not forgotten what he had been taught lar.l year, hut said his lillle prayer quile perfectly as if lie had been in the habit of saying it. Tlienre they proceeded to fate or Sandwich Island, 17- il S., where they look 011 shore another of the boys received from the Haemmuh. His father seemed very grateful for Ihe care and kindness shown lo his son, and offered large presents of yams, e. The wisdom of bringing ilirsc boys lo the colledge for instruction is proved by Ihe fact that tins boy, who ensured such a welcome for ihe bishop Ibis lime, said thai when Ihe bishop was Micro lasl year, and ihe natives saw Ihe Undine schooner lying in tin; harbour, lliey were forming a plot lo cul her off and seize her, when a violent storm drove her out of Ihe harbour. .May we not say, "He shall give his angels charge over thee, &c. ?" The Saiuoan teachers there arc well treated by Ihe natives. None of the places they visited after Fate seemed lo have ever heard of a missionary, or to be used 10 the English. The natives ! were very shy and timid at Apia, 10. IG S. j Their language resembles Ihe Maori. The farthest points Ihev reached were. Ambrym aiid Mallicolo, August 2,'illi. The ' lirst day they spent at this latter place, the natives near the S. K. were very friendly, j but 011 the following day another party who were supposed to have come from tin; oilier side of Ihe island, tried in vain lo excite Ihe friendly natives against (he bishop and his parly who were fetching water from a hill a quarter of a mile from the shore. Ity keeping the parly together, and showing no signs of alarm, liicy all got lo llieir hoal Willi no further harm than a volley of stones, from the few ill-disposed natives. The friendly ones brought oil a waler cask they had been obliged lo leave. Soon tiller Ibis Ihe stale of ilie ship's gear forced them lo rcliirn homewards. They arrived al Newcastle, j September *2olh, and al Sydney in Ihe evening ' of that day, and reached Auckland, October ; "7th, with a Melanesian force of I n in all, | who are now steadily working al II c college 1 and making considerable progress in the . English language, arilhaiclic, and writing; | and most of them apparently are able lo ) comprehend and willing lo accept some of j the first and saving truths of the Christian I failh. Deo (iratias. I Tim .Melanesian scholars brought back in ' (he /loitlcr Oclcjlkt, lS'il. {

Ii may lie allowable lo mriilion Jhat-tlie Diocese of Sydney not only lihcral alms, but iis prayers in every clnnvli, in helwll or lliose t>n-a K ed in llic mission during tlu! coniiiuiance of ilieir voyage.

Dila Didam; ng Lidia, Solomon Isles. Siapo Kulciugo | Kaiwhul . Clio I Isle of Marc or N'engone, Loyally Isles. Napai Tliol 1 Apale J Lift!, Loyally Isles."' Saliwa ) I i':i i j Falunn, New Hebrides. '1'iipua Amtilenm, New Hebritlos. Sellok Nivi UlllilO J Li'romango, New Hebrides.