WILD TRIBESMEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 134, 8 June 1936, Page 8

WILD TRIBESMEN.

IN NEW GUINEA.

MISSIONARY'S CRUSADE,

BISHOP'S VISIT BY AIR.

Missionary work in the Pacific is still not devoid of danger. In the unexplored wilds of New Guinea there a;-? about 200,000 natives whose existence until two years ago, was not known. A year last January two Roman Catholic priests were murdered by these natives, and as a result the Government of the mandated territory closed the area. Now the Rt. Rev. W. 11. Baddeley, Bishop of Melanesia, will pay a personal visit to the region, travailing by aeroplane, and further missionary work will be carried out among the natives.

Bishop Baddeley, who arrived in Auckland yesterday by the Aorangi, has spent three months in England doing deputation work, and at the same time creating interest in the work among these new tribes. He said the tribes, the discovery of which was credited to the Leahy brothers and Mr. Jack Hides, of New Guinea, were reported now to be more friendly disposed to the white man. The great development of the gold industry in New Guinea was gradually opening up the hinterlands, and the white population was rapidly increasing with the advent of organised air transport.

The Rev. V. H. Shcrwin, formerly of West Australia, anil the assistant to the bishop, Bishop Dickinson, were at present in the goldfields, where there was much work to be done among the white population. Bishop Baddeley said he would be visiting the greater part of the diocese of Melanesia, the area of which, including sea, was about 2000 square miles. After visiting the New Hebrides he would work through the Solomon group and expected to reach New Guinea about the end of the year. For a good deal of his travels' he would utilise aeroplanes. Speaking of the work in his diocese Bishop Baddeley said there had been tremendous developments. His staff comprised about 20 white clergy, 50 white laymen, and about 50 native clergy. The European staff was chiefly engaged in the colleges and schools, and the natives in district work. Bishop Baddeley, who is accompanied by Mrs. Baddeley, will remain in New Zealand for ten days. This evening he will deliver a lecture, under the auspices of- the Auckland Diocesan Missionary Crusade, on "Experiences in My Island Diocese." He will leave to-morrow for Hamilton.