MURDER OF BISHOP PATTESON, THE REV J. ATKIN, AND THREE NATIVES.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 23, 2 November 1871, Page 3

MURDER OF BISHOP PATTESON, THE REV J. ATKIN, AND THREE NATIVES.

We extract the following from the D. S. Cross of yesterday : On the arrival of the missionary schooner ‘Southern Cross,’ a sense of profound sorrow was spread through-the city when it became known that the Right Rev Bishop Patteson, D.D.,who Was expected to have arrivedwith her in this port, had finished- his work on earth. Every available source of obtaining any information respecting the event was literally besieged. Many hoped that the rumor might prove unfounded, but the truth gradually dawned upon the public mind that Bishop Patteson and his co-worker, the Rev Joseph Atkin, were now wearing their martyr’s crown. The 'Cathedral bell * in Parnell was tolled, and many other marks of sorrow were manifested at the. sad intelligence. Those who-knew" the late Bishop* best, and who know how heartily and earnestly he engaged in the missionary -work amongst the islands in the South Pacific, felt that one worker, in. the vineyard had been removed to whom it would he difficult indeed to find a fitting successor; .Ahnost every quality, mental and physical, which it was necessary to possess to attain an unwonted measure of success in the particular field of la]?or in which he was engaged, was possessed by the late Bishop Patteson. Though not owning a robust constitution it was one particularly adapted to.a hot climate. He was possessed of mental qualifications which left him few equals. Naturally fond of philological studies, he had cultivated this gift to a very high degree;

indeed, for linguistical attainments we believe that, out of Germany, few equalled him, and still fewer excelled him. We haye no doubt a short biographical sketch, and a notice of a few of the v «leadihg'events of his" activ6 and useful 'life, Tvill**at this time be read with a melancholy interest. The late Bishop of Melanesia, John Coleridge Patteson, D.D., - iyas a son of Judge Patteson, of Fenniton - Court, Horiiton, Devonshire, England. He was born on the Ist of April, 1826, and was thus somewhat more than 45 years of 'age at the tithe of his' dentil. "‘/He was "educated at Eton College ; and the late •*Bishop' Abraham, of Wellingtorn; formerly of Parnell, was one of his teachers. On leaving Eton, Mr Patteson entered Merton ample opportunity of indulging in his ruling taste. In time he became a Fellow of Merton College, and retained his /Fellowship up to the* period of his untimely death. ~ We do not know the exact date of his ordination to the ministry of which he afterwards became .so bright a luminary, but believe that that event occurred in 1852. In that year he visited the Wesleyan and London Missionary stations in the Friendly and Navigator group, in H.M.si ‘ Dido,’ and touched at Aneitium, the most southerly of the New Hebrides, and at the Isle of Pines, adjoining New Caledonia. Then there were no European teachers in the whole, of Melanesia, but Bishop Selwyn saw enough to. convince him that the work might be begun/' The reports of this cruise by Bishop Selwyn seem to have made a permanent impression on the mind of Mr. Patteson. . From the cursory view thkt Bishop Selwyn had obtained of the various islands on the occasion referred to, he seems to have formed the conviction that, from the very unhealthy character of many of the islands,, a prolonged residence upon them by Europeans would he Impossible; and, if they were to be occupied as a mission field, natives of those islands must be removed and ‘ educated elsewhere, by Europeans, 1 in some place less trying to European constitutions, and sufficiently mild, for the children of those sultry climes. New Zealand was chosen, and, as is well known, the establishment at Kohimarama was devoted to that purpose.

In 1849 Bishop Selwyn made his first voyage amongst the islands of Melanesia in, quest of scholars, and succeeded in bringing away five—three from Nengone, one from Lifu, of the Loyalty Islandp/andone from New;Caledonia before the French took possession of it. In the following year the scholars were returned to their homes, and others were brought away’ in his little vessel, the Undine—some from the Loyalty Islands and the Southern Hebrides, and one from the Solomon group. Irt Australian Board of Missions was formed at a Conference of the Bishops in Sydney, and the .Melanesian Mission was solemnly adopted as the work of the Australian and New Zealand Colonies. The Bishop of Newcastle; together .with Bishop Selwyn, paid a visit to a large number of those islands in a small vessel, the ‘Border Maid,’ liberally provided by the Churchmen of New South Wales. In 1851, thirteen scholars were brought from those islands to New Zealand, to be educated as teachers to their fellow-countrymen ; and in 1852 the Rev William Nihil, who had for some time been engaged with the Melanesian scholars at St.John’sCollegc, was stationed on the Island of Nengone, with the language of which he was well acquainted. At this time so great had been the effect of the labors of the teachers for Easter Island, followed up by the working of the New Zealand school, that no fewer than. 19 natives of the island were considered fit for baptism^and who were accordingly baptised by Bishop Selwyn in the presence of their own people. The perusal in England of the reports of these "and other missionary expeditions, undertaken by and under the direction of Bishop Selwyn. made a deep impression on the mind of the youhg Mr Patteson, and although enjoying a quiet country curacy in England, his thoughts were frequently amongst ,the islands in the .South Pacific. This was his state of mind When Bishop Selwyn visited England as above stated in 1855., After the Bishop had been some time at home, when rumors reached Judge Patteson that the Bishop of New Zealand intended to visit Devonshire, he felt satisfied that-lie wdhld lose Ids, son, the Rev. J. C. Patteson, the subject of our remarks. These forebodings were but too well •founded, < and events resulted as anticipated, and the Rev. Mr. Patteson joined Bishop Selwyn, and in 1856 they arrived in New Zealand together, followed shortly afterwards by the missionary schooner 1 Southern Cross,’ which had been provided by the liberality qf friends at home. In 1857, in this neW vessel,'the most complete survey of the islands in Melanesia, which had taken place up to that time, was made, 78 islands being visited, and landing effected on 60 of them. 33 scholars were brought back to New Zealand from this cruise, and thus the future Bishop Patteson entered on his work. By the occupation of the island of Nengone by representatives of the London Missionary Society,

that island was lost to the friends of the Melanesian mission, and the group known as Solomon Islands was closely searched to find a suitable point whence the native teachars might be distributed. This resulted in the discovery of an excellent harbour in. Banks; -Island, which was named Port Patteson. This island had the advantage of being situated about the centre of the group, and the natives of which, though in some respects behind the * other Melanesians, were alone not cannibals, and by their friendliness and docility seemed most, promising subjects of missionary influence, this group having since been the pipst thoroughly worked of the numberless islands in that great archipelago. In 1861, on St. Matthias’s Day, the Rev. Mr. Patteson was consecrated a Bishop, at . St. Paul’s Church, in this city, by Bishop Selwyn; Bishops Abraham. Hobhouse, and the present Primate of New' Zealand,. Dr. Harper, assisting. From this time the whole direction of the Melanesian Mission Avas entrusted to the

hands'of Bishop Patteson, and Bishop Selwyn, the first founder and director of it, retired from the position he had so long filled, although up to the time of his departure from New Zealand lie took a most lively interest in its progress. With Sir William Martin, Bishop Patteson * was on the most intimate terms, and, the tastes of both gentlemen having been di■rected , to philological > pursuits, their,, friendship was thus unusually intimate. With many European languages the late Bishop Patteson was thoroughly familiar, but the language of the East bad a particular attraction for him. Tbe ancient Hebrew was a favorite study-, and we believe lie bad latterly found a key to satisfactorily unlockithe difficulties presented by the arbitrary rules laid down respecting the tenses of that language. For several years past, Bishop Patteson had been a*constant correspondent of the celebrated Max Muller, upon the subject of tbe languages and dialects in Melanesia. With 16 or 17 of these be was

thoroughly familiar, and we believe a short time ago, under an impression that his end -Was drawing near, fie prepared complete grammars of seven or eight of these languages. Some time ago, on his recovery from an attack of inflammation, a thanks offering of £Boo' was -anonymously presented to the'mission fund, and some time before that a.stlm exceeding £l,lOO was similarly presented. Of course it was well known whence those sums came. During the last few years he has been in the habit, under a presentiment of coming danger, of making his will previous to the undertaking of each voyage. On this last voyage these strange foreshadowings seem to have almost presented to hi» mind the force of reality. He not only prepared a will, as was his wont,- but he asked the Rev. Robert Henry Codrington, M.A., at the Norfolk School, to promise to take charge of the mission in the event of anything happening to himself. We understand that • the required promise was given ; but not satisfied—with a strange consciousness of a death near at hand—he wrote on board the schooner to the Rev. Mr. Codrington on the same subject, forcibly repeating his former request. It has so proved to be his last voyage, and a spirit so conscious of approaching dissolution, could not have been unprepared to meet the fate which awaited him. It will be remembered by all who had the pleasure of knowing him, that for years past his appearance has been of the most gentle and saintly character. There is little doubt but his last wish in respect to his successor will be carried out; but the cause of missionary effort has lost in him truly a master workman/