LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 267, 8 November 1895, Page 2

LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

VISIT OF THE JOHN WILLIAMS

A CENTURY'S WORK

The London Missionary Socieby's new steamer John Williams, wibh which tbe Society carries on miaaion work atnongsb the islands of bhe Pacific, arrived here from Sydney and the South this morning and will be open for inspection to bhe public to-morrow and Monday between the hours of 10 and 1 and 2 and 5.30 o'clock. iShe is lying at the Quay-Bbreet Jebby. On bhe 12th inst. she leaves hero for bho South Sea Island. She ia due bo call ab Manga.a (Cook Group) on the 26th inßt., and wiil then go through tho groap. She leaves Rarotonga on December 10th and will call at Niue (Savago island) on December 14th. Next day Bho will leave for Samoa, where she is due on December 18th, and will stay there seven days. On the 25bh December she is to leave Samoa for the Tokelau, Ellice and Gilbert Group, and thence will go direct to New Guinea. In February she will leave New Guinea for Melbourne.

Amongst bhe passengers on board the John Williams ia the Rev. Joseph King, the organising agent of the Loudon Missionary Society for Australasia. Mr King, who «va3 for ten years at Samoa, and who is tho author of an interesting work entitled "Ton Decades; The Australasian Centenary history of tho Loudon Missionary Society," informs us that the present viait of bho John Williams to New Zealand ia to afford those interested in tho Society's work and the subscribers to tho ship to inspect the new vessel. Ib ia now just a century since the London Missionary Society first began work in the South Pacific, and it will be of inbereab to local subscribers to the work to coo the advance made during thab tiino, aa evidenced by tho presence here of .his fine vessel solely devoted to miasionary work, Tho complete round of the vessel's voyages includes 36 islands, the largest being New Guinea, and tho smallest the tiny island of Quiros, with abotib forty

inhabitants. On her la.b trip, M r gsays, the vessel voyaged over 15,000 mil!? taking supplies to 36 places, and coMev*. European and native teachers _• bances of from ben to 3,080 mil The London Missionary Society, Mr ft/ 8' says, still maintains the original undenon.^ nabional form in wjjich ib was first founded" although nowadays it is chiefly supported by the Congregational body, Presbyterian and others assisting to a certain extent All those who conbribube a certain amount are given a certificate of ownership of a share in the vessel, thus giving contributors a sort of personal interest in the welfare of the mission.

To-morrow nigbb Mr King lectures in the Beresford-streeb Congregational Church 0 _ " Our Missionary Ships." On Monday the annual meeting of the L.M.S. Auxiliary will be held, ab which Captain Hore and others will speak.