THE MELANESIAN MISSION.

Press, Volume I, Issue 9, 20 July 1861, Page 6

THE MELANESIAN MISSION.

The Melanesian Mission Schooner the Southern Cross was wrecked on the Coast of New Zealand, on the morning of June 18th, 1860. She was not insured, for the rate of Insurance was so high, that it was not considered right, to incur a large expenditure, when the risk to be encountered among the islands was, humanly speaking, much less than was anticipated at the Insurance Offices. As a matter of fact, the sum that would have been paid in Insurances from the time that the Bishop of New Zealand sailed in the Bordermaid Schooner to the time of the wreck of the Southern Cross, would have amounted to nearly £1800, the purchase money of the latter vessel. The Bordermaid was given to the Bishop of New Zealand for the purposes of the Mission, by his friends and supporters at Sydney. The Southern Cross was built in England and paid for by the money received for the sale of the Bordermaid, and by subscriptions from friends in England. An earnest appeal is now made to all those who desire to co-operate in spreading the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ among the islands of Melanesia, to raise a sum of money sufficient to purchase a Mission vessel. It is essential to this work that the Missionary Bishop of the islands and they who are enaaged with him in the Mission, should be enabled to visit the islands with whose inhabitants they are already acquainted, to provide for the conveyance and removal to and from the islands of Missionaries and teachers, and to prosecute their voyages among the more distant and still unknown islands of Melanesia.

The nature of the work requires a vessel of peculiar character. She must possess those qualities as a sailing vessel, which are not usually to be found in vessels built to carry freight, great speed in working to windward, and all those points which are looked for in a fast sailing yacht; for otherwise it will be impossible to visit the multitude of the islands lying at great distances from New Zealand, and to work backwards against the trade wind. It is moreover necessary that the time of the arrival and departure of the vessel should be regulated by the circumstances of the weather, the health or sickness of the scholars residing for the summer in New Zealand, and other contingent wants of the Mission—none of which needs can be adequately provided for by the uncertain chance of finding a vessel for charter at the time when a vessel may be wanted; even assuming that a fit vesssel for the purpose can be procured at at all.

Again, the interior arrangements of the ye sel should be made with especial reference to the work which it has to do. Ventilation, conveniences for carrying on school, for stowage of provisions, for the comfort of lar«e numbers of passengers; all these points cannot be obtained in vessels built for other purposes, and not intended to carry passengers but cargo. Again, it is most desirable that one particular vessel shodd be known in the islands as the Misson vessel. TheTeelings of confidence and security that were excited by the recognition of the familiar Southern Cross were most unmistakeable. Other matters there are which tend to prove the necessity of procuring a suitable vessel for the use of the Mission. The complete control of the crew, the absence of any divided authority in the regulations of all matters concerning the communications with the natives, the management of the boats and the taking thought for providing the proper kind of boats, the security for the vessel being well found in spare sails, canvas, spars, etc., —all these matters tend most materially to affect the safety and efficiency of a vessel. The expense of keeping a vessel of 100 tons Rc^is-

ter in repair, and of paying the wages of the crew will perhaps exceed by £150 or £200 a-ycar the costof chartering vessels on each occasion. But there ' always nncertanty about procuring a vessel at all the time when it is wanted, and there is no probabilit of obtaining at any time a vessel really qualified to do the Mission work.

It is evident that where nearly 10,000 miles of se have to be traversed annually, and the vessel has t work its way from the Solomon Islands to the limits of the South-East Trade wind, it is necessary that time should be economised as far as possible, and t this end a fast weatherly vessel is required. When the speed of a vessel dimishes by one third the length of a voyage, there is of course a proportionate diminution in the expenditure of stores, wages etc and (what is of no little consequence) more time is gained for carrying on the school work on shore where it can be pursued more methodically than on board even a well-arranged vessel. The nature of this Mission renders a vessel necessary —it is scarcely less necessary that the vessel should be of a peculiar character. To all therefore, who aeek by their Prayers and Alms to aid in the extention of the Kingdom of our Blessed Lord we confidently appeal, in the hope that the Melanesian Mission may soon be once more provided with another Southern Cross. J. 0. PATTESON, Missionary Bishop May 14, 1861. Taurarua, Auckland. Subscriptions in aid of the above object will be received by Mr. Frederick Thompson, Cashel-street; the Diocesan Treasurer. The clergy in the different parishes have also been requested to receive subscriptions.