MISSION WORK IN THE NEW HEBRIDES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 157, 29 October 1900, Page 2

MISSION WORK IN THE NEW HEBRIDES.

TRIBAL WABS OX EI.IiOMANGA

ISLAND;

; The. Rev. 11. A. Eobertjsph, missionary on Erromanga Island, New Hebrides, in connection with the Canadian Presbyterian Missionary Society, returned, to Sydney a few days ago by the s.s. Ysabei, of Messrs Burns. Philp and Co.'s island line. A Sydney "Herald" reporter saw Mr Robertson at his honie in Balmaih,. and in the course of a conversation elicited some interesting facts. . The Rev. lI.V A. Robertson said, that after a delightful passage, he arrived at Billon's Bay, Erromanga, on the morning of September 10, tlie steamer having delivered cargo at Lord Howe Island and mails at Norfolk Island en route. He found the church, school-house, and mission premises intact and in good order. Everything was scrupulously clean, and nearly the whole of the natives of Dillon's Bay were waiting on the beach to greet him, and to express their pleasure at his return in a time of difficulty. He found the island in, a state of siege. Every man was afraid of his neighbour, and barricades and stockades' of huge pieces of timber and logs were erected for safety by the Christians against the onslaughts of the heathens. The heathens burnt down several houses in a village, and destroyed several plantations. Following the bush, armed with spears, clubs, battleaxes, and guns, -the heathen party attacked three boys, aged 10, 12, and 14 years of age, two of them sons of teachers. The two younger ones were hacked to pieces on the spot, but the elder boy ran away, and was chased by,the howling mob. He was making for the forest through a cleft in a rocky place when he was hit in the hip by a bullet, and while disabled was speared. The massacre of these defenceless children enraged the Christians, especially the young men, who were only restrained by the calmer judgement of the teachers and the elders, and also by the fear that it would be highly displeasing to the missionary. A large number of. the Christian party gathered tog-ether, and traversed the whole of the west and south sides of the island, but were unsuccessful in their search for the instigators of the depredations and murders. They destroyed the buildings and plantations of the Chief Ldvo, who was one of the Christians' greatest i enemies, and who, with 50 others, men and women, had returned to heathenism, and most of whom had been bribed by the gifts of precious stones. Then, during a fight, one of the heathen party was shot dead by the Chief Nalial, and in another part of the island the heathens shot a Christian. In short, the' heathens killed one man and three' boyfy while the Christian party killed one man and wounded two.

At the conclusion of the conference the Rev. H. A. Robertson exacted a promise from the teachers to the effect that they would not act in the aggressive, . but entirely on the defensive. He was satisfied, he said, that the teachers who had been implicated in the trouble were not:in any case the aggressors. He was not opposed to the action they had taken, and commended their caution and. mercy. Prior -to his returning, the Lord's Supper was celebrated at the Martyrs' Memorial Church, at Dillon's Bay. About 200 were present }h the chui'ch, and over 100 were unable to gain admission. There were 125 communicants. On Tnesday, October 2, the teachers and their friends returned to their homes on various parts of the island, and on the following Tuesday the Ysabel picked up Mr Robertson, and brought him back, to Sydney. It is the opinion of the missionary, knowing as he does what war means on the island, that it will be fully three years before peace will be restored there, and he, with sorrow, mentioned that under the most favourable, circumstances it would take at least five years to restore the island to what it was when'he left it a year ago. Notwithstanding ;this, tlie .missionary had not lost heart, and said that if he had been there at the time of the outbreak ' peace'" would have been restored long'ago. He intends to complete his work as .soon as possible, after which he will return to his labour at .Erromanga... . v