NEW HEBRIDES.

Samoan Reporter, Issue 13, 1 July 1851, Page 2

NEW HEBRIDES.

A few weeks ago, we had a letter, under date October, 1850, from our esteemed brother the Rev. John Geddie, now labouring at Aneiteum, New Hebrides; from which we extract the following interesting particulars respecting the Mission on that island, together with one or two brief notices of the labours of our teachers in the New Hebrides and New Caledonia groupes. “ We have now entered on the third year of our Mission. In taking a review of the past, though we cannot discover marks of signal success, yet we can see enough to cause us to thank God and take courage for the future. During the first year of our residence on this island, the average attendance on our Sabbath-day services, after the first excitement was over, was about ten persons. The average attendance for the second year has been about forty-five. Our third year commences well, for, as yet, the number has been about eighty. It has all along been our practice to itinerate on the Sabbath-day; and thus we have access to many who do not attend our public instructions. I will now give you a very brief outline of my labours.

The Sabbath.

“ The Sabbath is, of course, our most important day. At half-past eight o‘clock a.m., we meet for Divine Service. The conduct of the natives in the chapel is, in general, decorous, and any impropriety now meets with such marks of disapprobation from the audience at large as seldom to require any rebuke on my part. At ten o’clock a.m., our Sabbath-school meets. Mrs. Geddie attends to the females, while I take the men and boys. Attendance in all, about forty-five. At four o’clock p.m., we again assemble for worship. I give a short sermon or address, and call on one of the natives, whom I have previously instructed to prepare himself, to give a short address also. There are three natives whom I can now call on, with some degree of confidence, to address their countrymen. Their addresses are very simple, pathetic, and effective. It would warm your hearts, could you hear these poor islanders, who have but just emerged from heathenism themselves, pleading with their ‘ brethren, their kinsmen according to the flesh,’ to abandon their superstitions and turn to the Lord. Christian Church. “ I have said but little, as yet, about the organization of a Christian Church in this dark land. My object all along has been, to lead the natives to ‘ Jesus, as the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world ; ’ but it is time now to direct their thoughts to the observance of all the Redeemer's commands and ordinances. Though I write thus, it is not my design either speedily or hastily to dispense the sealing ordinances of religion. I must know far more about native character; and I begin to feel already, that it is a difficult matter to form a just estimate of native piety. We see so much in the poor natives to admire, and yet so much to condemn, that our hopes alternately rise and fall. Schools. “ Our efforts at schools have not been encouraging. The natives do not appreciate the value of being able to read, and, therefore, they are unwilling to spend the time and labour needful to this acquisition. After much patience, however, we have made a few readers, and others are coming on. But we must not be discouraged. A great many of the natives who never come to us, during the week, for instruction, know their letters and even small words. They appear to teach each other in their own houses. lam of opinion, that the business of teaching will come on us suddenly, at no distant day; and when it does, it will be heavy work. The religious instructions of the natives must beget in them a desire to be able to read ‘the wonderful w’orks of God, in their own tongue.’ Printing. “ During the past year, we have printed an elementary school book, some copies of which I sent to Samoa; and lately a catechism of Christian truth has been issued from our Press. Your Samoan Catechism has formed the groundwork of the latter. May God bless these little contributions to his cause ! “Of the school book there have been printed 2,000 copies, or 24,000 pages Of the catechism, 1,000 copies, 0r... 16,000 ~ Total 40,000 „ Results. fi Many of the natives have thoroughly abandoned their superstitions, and professedly, at least, are worshippers of the true God. Family worship is regularly observed in many houses. A few, I trust, are not far from the kingdom of God. Several of the natives have lately cut off their long hair, and say, that they wish to give up all their dark customs. The little party who have joined us are objects of deep interest, and awaken our most anxious solicitude. How very peculiar and perilous is their situation. They have not yet any portion of God’s Word in their own language, and on verbal instructions, communicated very imperfectly to them, they are entirely dependent for their knowledge of saving truth. All surrounding influences are likewise of an adverse character. May Israel’s Shepherd feed them and keep them. Opposition. “You must not infer from the account which I have given you of our labours and partial success, that we have been permitted to go quietly on. Our infant Mission has encountered a degree of hostility from various sources, which might have vanquished any other than a divine cause. But the history of this Mission is not singular in this respect; for where is the Mission in which the first labourers have not ‘sowed in.tears.’ But, after all, when I think of the arduous field on which we labour, and the severe adverse influences at work, I feel thankful to God that we have not more to endure. Satan will not give up his dominion over a people who, from time immemorial, have been enthralled in the bonds of a debasing superstition, without a struggle. How cheering to know’, that He w’ho is for us is greater than those who are against us. You will not be surprised to learn that many of the heathen party have taken the alarm. They understand now’ that we aim at nothing less that the establishment of Christianity on the ruins of heathenism. A degree of feeling has, therefore, arisen between those w’ho have avow edly abandoned heathenism and those w ho are still its votaries. Indiscretion of Young Converts. “ I fear that the Christian party are not always prudent in their intercourse with the heathen. They have just given up heathenism themselves, and now that they see their former folly, it is no wonder that they speak of the old system in a way that is displeasing to its friends. But this is not all, indiscreet acts are sometimes committed. One of my neighbours, not long since, went to a sacred grove, broke down the altar on which offerings are presented to the gods, and cooked his food with it. Another altar was also broken down by a party of women ; and they felt themselves justified in the act, because they saw the fragment of a Samoan canoe in it. Our servant boys are likewise blamed for eating the bananas and destroying other food given in offering to the gods; and, I fear, they are not guiltless. Such an act, at one time, would have been regarded as the certain forerunner of death. But a more serious affair than all occurred some time ago. We were making some alterations on our premises, and sent off a few natives for wood. They found some very convenient for our purpose in a spot that has been held sacred from time immemorial. Fearless of the spirits who inhabited it, they set heartily to work, and cut all that they wanted. As soon as the heathen party found it out, they were filled with horror and rage. They threatened the lives of two who were more deeply in the affair than the others (one of them the chief’s son), and the destruction of the plantation of a third. As soon as I heard of the affair, I w’ent to the offended party, and endeavoured to allay their excitement. They seemed

satisfied, when I promised to forbid similar conduct in time to come. They say, that their gods will send sickness and death among them, as the punishment of these sacrilegious acts. “ It is hard to control the feelings and acts of natives w’ho are, in a great measure, guided by momentary impulse. I have always warned our natives to guard against every act that would unnecessarily outrage the feelings of their benighted countrymen. The plan which I have recommended is, to visit their heathen friends, converse with them, and pray with and for, and endeavour to win them over by love. Persecution of Converts.

“ But, while I lament such indiscretions as I have noticed, which, in an abstract sense, cannot be said to be morally wrong, yet, I must say, that in some instances our friends have much to bear. They have been reviled and, in some measure, persecuted, and all manner of evil falsely said against them. We could record many interesting incidents relative to the intercourse of the Christian party with their heathen friends, but they would be out of place here. I would just mention one fact which came under my own observation some time ago. I went into my yard one day, and saw a native woman standing there with a large club in her hands. I soon recognized her as the mother of a young man and woman who had, for some time previous, been living with our native domestics. They had come for religious instruction. The old woman was much excited, and had apparently been scolding her son, who was there also. I asked her what was the matter. Sh® made no answer; but her son replied, that she had come for him and his sister to go and do some nedo aupat (dark customs), in view of an approaching feast. I remonstrated with her on the wickedness of her conduct, and told her, that they were welcome to remain on the mission premises, and that no person should compel them to leave for such a purpose. While I spoke to her, she shed tears —whether of affection or rage, I know not; but she left threatening to kill the daughter, when she could find her inland. I have been reminded by the above and similar incidents of our Lord’s words, Matt. x. 34, 35: ‘Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.’ Strangling. “ The horrid practice of strangling goes on to a much greater extent than we had anticipated. Mothers are often strangled when a son dies. I have known a young man and woman to be put to death when a petty chief’s wife died. An instance occurred, since we landed on this island, of two women being strangled when a child of some rank died. During the past year, I interfered in three places ; and, in two of the instances, the women were saved. Truly, ‘the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.” War. “ You will regret to learn that this island has lately been visited by war. It broke out in July last, and fighting continued every day for about two months. The war was commenced by the people of Annauntehai making a sudden and night attack on the people of Aneito. The district of Annelligauhat, where we reside, unites with Annauntehai; and, in the present instance, their aid was expected. As soon as 1 heard of the war, I went to Nouhat, the chief, and intreated him not to interfere ; and, I am glad to say, that the Christian party here declared, with one voice, that they would not "fight, as that was opposed to the Word of God. The aggressive party, finding themselves in the minority, sued for peace. Hostilities are suspended for the present. Three men w’ere killed, and I think as many women strangled. One of the killed was cooked and eaten ; the other two would probably have shared the same fate, but their bodies were saved by their own party. A great many have been wounded. Encouragements. “ During the past year, many stirring events have occurred. But, if the monotony of our course is occasionally disturbed by exciting incidents, in these we can usually discover as much to encourage as there is to discourage, so that the mind is kept in a kind of balanced state, and we are still enabled to go heartily on in our work. My own opinion is, that heathenism in this island has received its death wound, and now we shall only have to combat with its expiring struggles. The contest may yet be severe ; but, with a vigorous agency and the Divine blessing, it will not be of long continuance. But, another Missionary is indispensible for the work ; and may I cherish a hope, that one will soon come from some quarter or other ‘ to the help of the Lord against the mighty’in this dark land. An evangelized island in the midst of these dark groupes, where ‘ the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace’ have never trod, would be a lovely spectacle.

OUT-STATIONS. Fate, Tana, Mare, and Lifu. “ The remarks which I have about this Mission have a particular reference to the station at which I reside. At the out-stations, the work has been interrupted by the sickness of the teachers ; and, therefore, at most of them, little has been done during the year. “ A sandal-wood vessel touched at Fate, and saw' both the teachers, on the sth of June last. They heard no complaints from them. So I hope they have not suffered much from sickness. “ I had letters from Tana, last month. The teachers were well, and had much encouragement in their work. The natives behave kindly towmrds them. I had about fifteen Tanese living in a spare house on the mission premises, between two and three months. They behaved very well. I am not aware of their stealing a single article from me, though they had much in fcheir power. “ I had letters from Mare, about two weeks ago, and a visit from a native of that island, who lives with the teachers, and speaks the Samoan language with ease. The teachers are well there, and give an encouraging account of their work. One of the teachers went over to Lifu lately. Peace has been restored on that island, and all parties are now anxious for teachers.”