THE SAMOAN REPORTER.

Samoan Reporter, Issue 1, 1 March 1845, Page 1

THE SAMOAN REPORTER.

TO OUR READERS. The Mission of the London Missionary Society, at the Navigators’ Islands, the native name of which groupe is Samoa, now numbers 17 families, and one single member. Their labors extend over ten islands, two of which are nearly as large as Tahiti, and contain a population of between 50, and 60,000. Missionary operations were commenced there in 1830, and continued for six years by the location of native evangelists from the Society and Hervey groupes, and by the occasional

visits of brethren connected with the Missions at those Islands. In 1836, six British Missionaries arrived here, whose numbers have been slowly increased to the present total. But this Mission, with the aid of the Rarotongan, has commenced, and is prosecuting operations at the New Hebrides, New Caledonian, and Loyalty groupes, maintains a friendly correspondence with other Protestant Missions in Polynesia, and is cognizant of most of the operations of the Romish Propagandists.

The members of the Samoan Mission have, therefore necessarily to maintain an extensive correspondence; and find it difficult to gratify the wishes of their friends, in this respect. It was from such considerations, and with a view to augment the efficiency of their mission, that at a recent special meeting of the members of the mission, assembled on the joyous occasion of the arrival of the Missionary Barque “ John Williams,” it was resolved that An English Journal should be forthwith commenced, and continued half-yearly, to be designated, a The Samoan Reporter,” and to be edited Heath ; not with a view to its formal publication, but for private circulation. It was judged that in addition to periodic reports of their respective districts by the brethren, it might furnish an appropriate channel for the propagation of other useful intelligence, not merely in the shape of Polynesian news, commonly so called, but also relative to the history, manners, customs, &c, as well of this, as of other groupes. The general wish for information on these subjects, and especially in connection with Christian Missions, is evinced—by the extensive sale of numerous missionary publications, by the frequent notices of such matters in all the influential periodicals, and especially by the fact, that tire* British Association has a section appropriated to Ethnology, which, again, has given rise to the “ Ethnological Society”—a society which we think destined to collect and circulate a large amount of useful knowledge cn the most important of all topics, and accurately indicated in their chosen motto, The proper study of mankind, is Al an.

Hie i eports of stations, and occasionally other atucles w’lll be authenticated by the signatures of the writers ; for all not thus authenticated the Editor must be held responsible.