WHEN 'KOHI' WAS YOUNG

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 198, 23 August 1928, Page 8

WHEN 'KOHI' WAS YOUNG

COLLEGE AT MISSION BAY.

STORY OF THE EARLY DAYS.

ISLAND BOYS AND WHALE BOATS,

A story of the earliest days of the settlement at Mission Bay when it served as the b»so for the vork of the Church of England in the islands of Melanesia was obtained this morning from Miss M. Atkin, who was found working happily among her flowers on the sunny slopes abovo Koliiniarama. "Yes," she said in reply to the interviewer, "I should be able to tell you something about the early days here because this is my birthplace."

Above the mantel in the living room of Miss Atkin's home is a picture in water colours of St. Andrew's Mission College as it was some seventy years ago. It is a picture which suggests sunshine and placid life. Facing the beach are three substantial buildings, with an outline of the Maori settlement in the background, while on the blue waters of the harbour is a collection of quaint craft as used in olden times.

The purpose of the college was to train island ,boys for mission work in Melanesia. There were as many as sixty in residence at a time, and when they visited Auckland for supplies they travelled to and fro in whaleboats.

The first training of island bovs in Auckland dates back to 1840, "when Bishop (t. A. Selwyn brought a party of six from the Solomons. For ten years the training of these and subsequent parties was carried out at St. John's College, but, living on the clay soil, the lnds suffered from colds and so Bishop Selwyn established the college in the warmer bay at Kohimarama.

For eight voars the work flourished there and so happy were the hoys. Miss Atkin says, that when they went to a new school at Mota. in the Banks Islands, they called the place "Koliimarania." Last of Historic Buildings. The use of St. Andrew's College was discontinued when the mission headquarters were moved in 1 Bfi7 to Norfolk Island. One of the three buildings which had heen erected as a residence for Bishop Patteson (but which he had never occupied owing to ill-health) was removed to Norfolk Island. A second was removed to Howick to serve as a church institute, and later it was destroyed by fire. Finally there remained only the historic stone hall, which, in its renovated form, is to be re-opened on Sunday afternoon by Bishop Averill in the presence of Bishop J. M. Steward and later will serve as a museum for curios and relics from the islands of Melanesia. Miss Atkin remembers quite clearly the erection of the college buildings, and can describe with minute details the arrangement and work of the college. Her picture was painted by a Mr. Hoyte, from whom she took lessons in painting at St. John's College. He came down to the Bay one day, and taking Miss Atkin and her friend, a daughter of Colonel Haultain, out in a boat, he made his sketth from the harbour. Martyr with Bishop Patteson. The most poignant memory of Miss Atkin's life is of her brother, who gave his life in the work of the mission as- a fellow martyr with Bishop Patteson. When at the age of 18 years his scholarship expired, the brother went to Melanesia for a trial trip. He went again for a second year, and when two young Norfolk Islanders died as a result of being fired on in the mission vessel at Santa Cruz, he decided to join the mission permanently.

In his book on the life of Bishop Patteson. Captain Tilley refers to the work of Mr. Atkin as the one who was in charge of the boats, and states that owing to his expert seamanship there was not in his time a single accident. While on a visit home after seven years of work in Melanesia. Mr. Atkin heard of Bishop Patteson's illness, and he set out immediately to return in a small cutter. The bishop was brought home by the Southern Cross and sailed again three months later.

"It was on that trip that their lives were lost," said Miss Atkin. On reaching Santa Cruz they were warned that a ship had been recruiting natives for labour —'blackbird! ng' they called it— and the bishop thought it would be best to land at one of the small islands of the group. The vessel, therefore, anchored off Nukapu. Owing to the coral reefs a large boat could not enter, and so the bishop landed on the reef. He was taken off in a canoe, but did not return." Two Burials at Sea. Then fo v ved a retelling of the, old story of «sion martyrdom, of*the putting off of a ship's boat with a volunteer crew, of the finding of the dead body of Bishop Patteeon in one of the native cHnoes, and of the wounding of Mr. ; n, a Mr. Pearce and a native boy. 7 ■. Pearce and the boy recovered. Mr. Atkin, though wounded, conducted tlu> burial service for Bishop Patteson at . i»a. On the following Sunday he was conducting Holy Communion at sea, ' -hen his voice faltered and the ship's company knew that it was the beginning of the end. "My brother had a little godson named Joseph Wate on' board," said Miss Atkin. "He called him for a parting message. The bov said. "What will our people do if we lose our father?' My brother consoled him, and told the boy that he must take his place. Tetanus had set in, and very soon my brother died. Ho was buried at sea." Thus by the ceremony at the quiet little bay on Sunday afternoon will there be revived some of the earliest and most interesting memories which are recorded in the history of Auck--A.. ■ ■