THE WESLEYAN MISSION AT NEW BRITAIN.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIIL, Issue 200, 21 September 1878, Page 4

THE WESLEYAN MISSION AT NEW BRITAIN.

(2V. Z. Herald )

The telegram referring to the Wesleyan mission at New Britain, which was recently published, shows the dangers that attend that mission, which was originated and has been presided over for some yoara by our courn>eous townsman, the Rev. G. Brown. Five of the native missionaries are reported to have been killed, cooked, and eaten. These nntive ieaohera will probably prove to bo the Fijians that Mr Brown took with him when the mission wis first opened. Thus those who but n few years ago were eavßges and cannibals of the most disgusting type, have ooiv become martyrs in the cause of the world's advancement. The date of the etinck upon the mission station by the inland snvages is not given, nor ere the particulars under which the at'ack was rniiile. These end other details will probably come to hand in a week or two. In the absence of fuller information we can form no idea of the

cause of the disagreement which resulted so disastrously. Some time ago we published a Bummary of <he journal of the Rev. George Brown, the head of the mission, in which he told bow he had been successful in preventing a cannibal feast. In the light of recent events the particulars of that oocurence will be read with interest. Under dote of February 13, Mr Brown, in his journal writes : —

Heerd last night tbat Torogood bad benighting tiie Kabiobia people again, and that they had got five bodies which they were going to eat to-day. Previouß to this I had never known of these cannibal feaßts unlil it was too late to try and prevent it, but as I heard of this one soon sfter the people had returned, I started off early in the morning to eee Torogood — Mr Turner, botanical collector, accompanied us. His village is four or five miles from the station, and about two millee inland from the coast. As we were goiDg through the bush we heard the peculiar beating of the drums announcing that their horrible feast was in progress We hurried on and aoon entered the. village, evidently to the great surprise of the people. Almost the fiist object which we eaw was the horribly mangled body of the chief they had killed the day before, tied by the neck to a large tree in a standing position, the toes juet touching the ground. This was the only body they had, as the others had been all apportioned out to the neighboring village of Oufam. We eat down in the square, and I sent, asking Torogcod to come, which he did in a short time, and I then talked to him earnestly and kindly, and begged him to bury the bodies, and not allow any of them to be eaten. He told me, of course, that it was not his fault, that lie did not wish to fight; it was the Kabiabia people who wished to fight him, &c, but he did not give me the assurance I asked for. Alter another talk he told me that the man they had Becured hod killed his mother years ago, and bed committed some other very bad aclt— haviog it to be inferred by me (I Euppose) that it was rather unreasonable cf me to wish to deprive him of thb pleasure of eating him. I then spoke a few words to the people nround u°, and urged them to join with me in atking the chief to have the men buried. Torogood then said that if the Qutaro people paid him back the diwara (shell money), which he had paid to the fighting party, he would bury the man. This, however, was not likely to be done that day, and, in the meantime, the question of cooking or or burying the man muet be settled at once, in a climate like this. I felt pretty certain ibat no cooking would be attempted whilst I was there, and so I prepared to sit there until night it necessary. After a little more talk, however, Torogood assured me thßt from respect to the lotn he would have the man buried whether he was paid for him or not, and as 1 fully believed him we prepared to return. I first, however, went some distacce on the way to Ouiam, where the bodies of five women and girls were, but the strong smell from there soon told us tbat it wag do use our going, a9 the bodies were already on the fire. I felt also that it waß well to be satisfied with the success we had achieved, and that it would not be wise to pbee the Outam people in the predicament of having to give up the bodies or cf displeasing Torogood by not following his example. Prom the above, it would appear that the eating of human flesh was no uncommon thing by these islanders, but whether the attack upon the Mission has been caused by the curtailment of the privilege of thus eating, it is impossible at present to say. It would seem that the inland tribes had made an attack on the natives of the coast tribes, with whom Mr. Brown has the most intimate relations, and these in turn marched to attack their enemies, accompanied by Mr. Brown and several traders. It was only to be expected that Mr Brown would accompany the natives and the traders. He will be able to take advantage of any opportunity that offers to make peace, and he will no doubt be of great service to the wounded. He has escaped the first onslaught on the Mission station, which Tfas the greatest danger, and although it is impossible to get quit of the idea that he is undergoing considerable risk, his many friends in Auckland will not, we think, suffer any great apprehension