WESLEYAN, MISSIONARY SOCIETY. NELSON BRANCH.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 263, 9 November 1870, Page 2

WESLEYAN, MISSIONARY SOCIETY. NELSON BRANCH.

— ■ 0 : Committee for 1870—1. Messrs. Blick, Brent, Bum, Crisp, Lightband, Gr. V. Shannon, Usher, Wagg, R. Lucas, Secretary. Meetings were held last week in Nelson, Stoke, and Richmond, -when the following Report was read :— "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature," was the command given by the Great Teacher, Jesus, and then, to encourage his feeble disciples, adds this promise, Lo lam with you alway : and as far as the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society have had the means they have carried out this command, both among the civilised and uncivilised nations of the earth. . We are sorry that we are not able, as we have formerly done, to call extracts from the latest Report : from some cause or other the Reports have not yet arrived ; but, however, we learn from Missionary information received that the work of conversion is still going on in various parts of the Mission Field, multitudes are casting aside their idol worship, and embracing the Truth as it is in Jesus A loud cry is constantly heard " Come over and help us. : The successes that have attended the labors of your Missionaries in Tonga, Samoa, Fijis, and Rotumuah, call for loud thanks to Almighty God, and for, if possible, increased efforts in this part of the Mission Field. One good feature in the work of Missions among the Friendly Islands and Fijis is witnessed by the very liberal contributions they make towards defraying the expenses of the Missionary Society :— ln the January Number of the Missionary Notices for this year it is stated :— "By this arrival we have to hand the balance of the Cash Contributions of the Friendly Islands to the Missionary Society, as also 40 tons of cocoa nut oil, the " friendly offerings " of the same people for the year 1869." The entire amount raised in this District for the last year is— Cash Subscriptions and Collections — Tongo Circuit, £780 : Haabai, £2,007 Us. 2d, Vavau, £2,702 55.; total in Cash, £4,489 16s. 2d.; to which adding £1,200 for'the 40 tons of oil, now

to hand and sold, and we have the noble sum of £5,689 16s. 2d. contributed in one year, by this earnest and devoted Christian community." It is hoped that this instance of unparalleled liberality on the part of a people but recently in heathen darkness, wiil not only serve to excise the "thanksgiving of many," but also to stimulate those with fuller light ami larger privileges, to renewed and increased exertion in eiforts and gifts for the Missionary Work. We copy a few extracts from the journal of the Missionary Deputation appointed to visit these Islam's by the Conference — We have had some intercourse with some of our native brethren, knew them when they were young, meet them again now they are old, and notably amongst

them, Jocli Bulu, one of our o'dest native Ministers, and one of our best, he has been in Fiji 32 years. July 2. — Embarked on board the csnoe 'Zaceheus,' tho captain Joeli Buhl, and nffer a pleasant voynue made Ban. . . . Bau is ths Bclgravia of Fiji. Chiefs here, chiefs there, chiefs nil around The church, which was something off. wench r. which took so much time to build, which vas to beautiful to lock at, and which was worth so much, was blown down in the hurricune, and hardly a vestipe of it is left; it will take years to build another equal to the one that has been destroyed; the services are held in the large home used for the reception of s rangers. The histojy of this little Island would be terribly bednbbled with human blood ; nnd Mdeous with the records of envy, hatred, and malice. The present condition of the Island is that of as quite a Christian town as any in the colonies, if indeed Ban Ims not the advantage. Within si.aht of Bau is the island of Viwa. small, but much larger than Bau-, it was here lhat John Hunt lived and labored, suffered and died, and there his remains lie buried. Bau is the liead of one circuit as large as it is small. Viwa is the head of another, the extent of which would frighten a lazy man, and overtask a weak one. ~We have paid a visit to the palacp here, seen the woithy wife of the preat chief, if he is Emperor she is Empress: she seems a very nice lady indeed; she had for her companion a married daughter, who, as well as her mother, is a Class leader; there was the daughter's child who was named at bnvtism Prince Alfred. July 5. — Were present at the Native services yesterday, the congregation good. Thakombau and his wife amongst the worshippers; all seemed devout; Mr. Tait the minister in the forenoon; many thoughts passed through the snind; cause! by the scene before us. Fiji — this Fiji ! these were cannibals, they were heathens. they are now worshipping the true God, hear and read and obey God's Word; are as good as most •Christians, better than mnny who claim that name. What hath God wrought ! The singing ami chanting sounded sweetly. Have attended a school examination tc-day, and an interesting affair it was. There were nearly two hundred young people present, of ages varying from fifteen years to five ; and of different ranks, from princes of the blood downward, all patricians though we are told. The girls were most clever ; a feature in the schools penerally. The girls were nicely dressed ; the examination was in various branches, and was creditable to teachers and taught ; they are taught the substaLce of a commentary oa the New Testament prepared by Mr. Tait — the first work of the kind we have yet had in our missions. Honor to the pioneer. There wts a dumb boy amongst the scholars who strange to say can hear. A fine boy physically, and he seems to be of quick intellect. Blind Semi the poet and singer was there, : and he teems like many of his companions in misfortune to have a good idea of tinging. Ihe • singing on the occasion was very good indeed. We have been gratified by what we have seen and heard to-day ; there have three large proces- • sions, the school children, the stewards and the 'leaders, local preachers and teachers. Each procession was numerous, each individual brought something as a present, in each case there was a • complimentary speech to omselves, and expressive of gratitude to the church for sending us. "The sight was a fine one lo see, but one difficult to describe ; the young people favored us with such music as they could make with voice and hands; and sweet sounds they managed to produce certainly. July 10. — Have returned to) Ovalau. Spent -come time at Viva, and haTe to fay the same thing over again of kindnesses received. July 12. — Yesterday the new chapel at Levuka -was opened ; the opening services were in three "languages ; and they went off very well. Fijian - — Mr. ' Tait, Tonguese — Mr. Eabone, English — Mr. Watkin. All the brethren but four were ; und there were good congregations.' The building is of stones, nicely plastered iaside, =and is a neat structure, Levuka has a large population of white people, -and bids fair to become another Kororarika or Honolulu. Stores and shops and public houses - abound. Two or three Consuls live there, and '■ some sort of justice is dispensed. la the interest -of the natives it would be well if England had accepted the sovereignty of these island* ; which • are being irregularly colonised, and chiefly by her - subjects. July 26.— We did not get away from Ovalu - antil the afternoon of the 24th, when we bade 'farewell to our dear friends there; some of them ■we may see asain on earth; we hope to see them -all again " Where all the ship's company meet." July 30.— Left Fiji, beautiful Fiji, with its many thousands of inhabitants, some partially -enlightened, more in gross darkness. Fiji has -exceeded our expectations. The largeness and beauty of the islands, their fertility, the beautiful • climate, the comfort in which the missionaries live; the respect in which they were held; the ' success they have had, our ideas of these things -were not up to the mark. If we were young, selfishness might induce the wish to be employed iln the Foreign rather than in the Home woik and notably in Fiji. We hope that there will not < arise occasion to take up lamentation on behalf of Fiji — that we shall not have to mourn over - the work undone or injured by the example of ' their Christian neighbors if colonisation should 'goonas it seems likely to do. Heaven avert the - evil that many fear. Extract of a letter from Rev. F. Langham* { Fiji :— Sunday 29th. — At 7 o'clock I led the usual -.prayer meeting, and at 9 o'clock preached. About r 2OO rersons present. At midday went to the • school. The building was quite full, and as the adults have not yet learned to read, the teach. rs ' were, with the exception of the catechist and his wife, all young persons. One little fellow, not ■ "more than eight years of age, was teaching • several old men to spell words of one and two syllables, and all seemed very much in earnest. • One of the men I recognised as the Society Steward. Another lad about 14 years of age had in his • class the Chief of the District and another adult, *' besides two girls end a boy. Another lad about

13 years of nge had a class composed entirely of adults. I had heard this youth the previous night conducting family wort-hip with his friends. I wns delighted while listening to his earnest, impressive, and comprehensive prayer, "Lord have mercy upon . Save his wife and children. Bless the visit of our Missionary. May his sermons he made successful," were some of his words. Of course he did not know that I was outside listening. Then there was one of the king's wives teaching a little girl and several women, among whom was the other wife ! | Wednesday, I walked to Duguca, passing on my way a small village in which all tiie people are Papists. -An inducement held out to the Fijian to profess himself a Koman Catholic, is that he shall not be amenable to the laws passed by the chiefs. A rather amusing case occurred in the circuit a little while a?o. Some Fijian s " Lotn Pope," were ehirged with breaking the sabbath by gathering cocoa-nuts, or climbing the trees for some, and were fined in the usual way. The priest, however, obj: cted to the men being fined, telling the Judjze that he had told them to get the nuts. '•Well," said the Judge, "we consider that the men have violated our law, and have therefore fioed them. If. however, y;.u consider you were the cause of this act of law-breaking, you had better pay the fine— for the fine must be paid." Anl it was said that he did pay the fine. Another case occurred at Lakemba when I was there A man had been fined a cask of oil for repeated violations of the 7th commandment, but the Romish teacher told the man not to make oil, and when the chisfs appointed to collect the fine asked for the oil, this teacher stated that the offender was a Roman Catholic, and therefore ought not to be fined. "To w hat country does he belong ? " asked the chief, "is he a French- 1 man, or a Fijian?" "A Fijian, sir," was the answer. " Very well," said the chief, he is subject to the laws of his country, nnd must obey them, or pay the penalty. He has been fined for immoral conduct, and if he does not get the cask of oil ready by the time I come again, 1 11 do something to him that will convince him that he is a Fijian, and subject to Fijian law. We rule his body every limb of it, but his soul we have nothing to do with, he can do as he likes with it." Mr. J. Rooney says, writing from Lakemba :— J Early on Thursday morning I preached on " The Lake of Fire." During the sermon I noticed that the people were remarkably serious and attentive; at its close I asked f.ood old Joel to engage in prayer: then the power from on high visited us: crying broke out on every hand, and tears fell thick and fast, some of joy, others of penitence. Even Joel .himself was so^affected that he could scarcely proceed. God was indeed present in our midst, and ready to bless. May the fruit remain. About 9 a.m. I met the members on trial from all the towns on the island, and questioned them closely on their conversion to God, and present experience. I was highly delighted with the clear and distinct statements, confirmed by their blameless lives, which most of them gave of their repentance and conversion. With fey exceptions, they could fell the day and the hour when the new fire was kindled in their hearts, the flame of which is still bright and lively. But what more particularly struck me was the fact that most of those before me were youths, many of them mere children. Out of fifty whom I examined, at least forty were under sixteen years of age, several of them not more than nine or ten, and these have all been consistent members of Pociety for upwards of two years past. Nearly all the adults on this island are members of the Church; but such a work of God amongst the young people I have not seen before in any part of Fiji. ! Many more extracts may be given, but it would occupy too much of the time of the mdeting, especially as we are to be favored with some good music from the Choir. In conclusion : "The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad." And the best of all is, "God is still with üb." Tens of thousands are willing and waiting to welcome your missionaries. Those now in the field cannot reach them, their hearts sink within them as they behold the multitudes as sheep - having no shepherd, and hear their cry for help, which help they cannot give.' Can we plead ignorance of their state and danger, or shut our bowels of compassion against them? This be far from us. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth laborers into his harvest. Let every minister and member of the Church of Christ feel that they have a personal interest in this work; and when each and all discharge their duty thereto, " Then'shall the earth yield her increase, and God, even our own God, shall bless us, God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear him." The following is a General Summary of the Stations occupied by the Australasian Missionary Society : — Number of Chapels ... ... ... 725 „ other Preaching Places ... " 416 Missionaries and Assistant Missionaries . 123 Catechists ... .. .. 843 Day School Teachers ... ... 1,940 Sabbath School Teachers ... ... 3,232 Local Preachers ... ... ... 1,499 Class Leaders ... ... ... 3,038 Full and accredited Church Members ... 27,207 On Trjal for Membership ... ... 6,705 Sabbath Schools ... ... ... 1,142 „ Scholars ... ... ... 63,190 Day Schools ... ... ... 1,585 „ Scholars ... ... ... 59,308 Attendants on Public Worship ... 131,727 There are Two Printing Establishments.