The Wesleyan Foreign Missions.

Te Aroha News, Volume XIV, Issue 2072, 29 January 1898, Page 2

The Wesleyan Foreign Missions.

The. Wesley an Church was crowded on Thursday evening last, when the Rev. W. Slade delivered his promised lecture on mission work in Fiji. The chair was taken by Rev. S. Griffith, who, in his opening remarks, expressed Ms pleasure at welcoming to Te Aroha the lecturer, as one with whom ha had been, happily associated in years gone by, when they were fellow students at Three Kings College, Auckland. The lights were then lowered, and with the aid of a capital lantern, and a long series of clear and effective views, the reverend gentleman sustained the interest of the company for about an hour and a half.

Commencing with a; picture of a typical Fijian lagoon, with its circle of coral formation, the various coral theories were alluded to. Then, followed a graphic series of views,, illustrating the various types of the Fijian race. These pictures were greatly admired, one in particular, of a handsome pair of Princesses, winning special admiration.

With an unexhaustible store of information, interestingly and humourously applied, the lecturer endeavoured to familiarise his audience, both, by ear and eye, with the various phases, of Fijian life. Fijian fruits and other products, the manners and customs of the natives,, their industries, games, etc., were all dealt with in their turn. Allusion was. also made to the dark past of cannibal days, and a thrill of horror passed through the compauy as in one of the ‘ JBau ’ views, they saw the upright stone, on which had been ruthlessly slain, unnumbered victims for the cannibal feasts. Stained and, polluted as it was with the gruesome tokens of blood, brains and hair, this very stone, after thorough purification, has now been, removed into the Ran church, and serves a very different purpose,, as a. Baptismal font, the lecturer’s own child having been christened therefrom at a recent date. Theclosing picture showed the grave of one of the early and most renowned missionaries, the saintly John Hunt, who, with soul on fire with Zeal for Fiji, aft r a shortened career of herculean labors, died a martyr- to. zeal, at the early age of 31, with the prayer upon his lips, “ God Save Fiji.” That prayer, said the lecturer* had been answered. Cannibalism, with all its associated vices, had ioug become a dark memory, and now out of a population of about 110*000* 95,.000 were declared Wesleyaus, and 30,000 actual church members, meeting regularly in class-meeting. The country was virtually christianized. The lecturer concluded with an earnest appeal for deepened sympathy and* increased: support for the Foreign Mission cause. Tim collection, having been taken up, a cordial vote of thanks to the lecturerw.as moved by the Rev Mr McFarland, seconded by Mr G. Devey and carried with acclamation, and then the Dox-o-logy and the Benediction brought the proceedings to a close.