BISHOP GRIMES.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14161, 29 September 1911, Page 8

BISHOP GRIMES.

HLS SOUTH SEA ISLAND TRIP.

SOME IMPRESSIONS.

A very hearty welcome home awaited his Lordship Bishop Grimes yesterday when he returned to Christchurch after a health" trip to the South Bea Islands and Australia. It was in Juiy last that his Lordship left Christchurch to renew hie acquaintance with tho Islands, which he had visited seventeen years previously with Archbishop Redwood. He vvu/iwxxj.iipaniea "oy I/r. ivennedy, in the capacity ot secretary. J.i is p.caeing to record that Bisuop Grimes was benefited greatly by his holiday. Ho gave a lnaui'oer of ouj; suitt some very uuertecing couiuieine on the Islands and their people. The islands &teamer was the s.s. Atua, which sailed from Auckland, and made Tonga the first objc-c.ive. The first port of call was .Neukoloko, the capital ot Tonga, and here the Bishop was very weii rtceived oy the missionaries, and by Bishop Oher. News -it the death of Bishop Olicr was received in Chris.church only on Vvednesday. He was in very poor health when seen by Bishop Grimes, but ho was, nevertheless, extremely kir.d to the visitors. His death closed the career of a remarkable missionary. At one of the mission stations, Bishop Grimes met a priest whom he Tia"d ordained tweutyfour years ago, and in a native college ho found that the college was tindc* tiie direction of a priest who had spent two years in England before going to Tonga. Bishop Grimes, with a number of other passengers, proceeded by ship's launch to Koiognn. sixteen miles from Hie capital. He was received most cordially by the natives wiTo recognised him as an "epicopn" tbishop). A visit was paid to the principal native house, where kava (the champagno of the Islands) wap eprv-d, and several speeches were given. The Bishop made it known that he desired to visit the mission at Mua Mua, and he and In. Kennedy were driven there by the native schoolmaster. The coming of an "epicopo"* had been announced at Mua Mua by an advance messenger, and when the visitors arrived, most of the Catholics wore gathered in front of the preec-tery and the church. The Missionary, Father Thomas, oame out to meet them. Seeing the Bishop, he cried out: "Why! It's Bishop Gnmes, who ordained mc priest just after his own consecration in 1887." It may be imagined that the visit waa enjoyed by both sides.

A visit to King George of Tonga was one of the incidents at Neukoloko. His Majesty received tho Bishop and Dr. Kennedy and two missionaries at his palace. The King, who speaks English very well, said that ho remembered the Bishop's previous visit with Archbishop Redwood. He regretted jery much the illness of Bishop Olier, who, he said, was a personal friend of his. The stalwart frame of Dr. Kennedy attracted the Royal notice, and the King eniilingly remarked that he would be very pleased if the Bishop's secretary would stay in Tonga. At Apia (Samoa) the visitors were welcomed by the missionaries, and they visited Bishop Broyer at his beautiful residence, which is surrounded by what is known by tourists as the botanical gardens of Samoa. One of tho most interesting incidents of the trip to B.eb.op Grimes was the interview with the famous Mataafa, whose claim to Samoan sovereignty will bo remembered. Mataafa is approaching the end of his life, and is now very ill indeed. Hβ was reclining on a native mat, with some thin wnite material wrapped round him. Bishop Grimes couidnot help being impressed with his fine expressive features and truly manly • form. Mataafa courteously expressed hie regret that he oouJd not rise to receive his visitors from distant New Zealand. Hβ rejoiced that they had come at a time when they could see his people 01.joying peace and tranguility, and subject to -authority. Bishop Grimes replied that the visit •would always be a memorable one for him, and that the respect and veneration he had felt for Mataafa as a great warrior and model Christian had, by meeting him face to face, been increased a thousandfold. Mataafa's son made a nice reply, and the kava cup was handed rounds first to Bishop Grimes, then to Bishop Broyer, then to Dr. Kennedy, then to a missionary and finally to the old chieftain. The Bishop could not help noticing with what reverential respect, grace and dignity, the cup was presented on bended knee by one of Mataafa's attendants. The Bishop was made tho recipient of several gifts, including some kava, a portion of a pig, a fish, a pigeon, and two pieces of fine tappa or native cloth. An amusing incident, which goes to, show how history repeats itself, occurred during the interview with Mataafa. After the presentation of presents, a native got m>, and in a most ludicrous manner said something that made everybody laugh aloud, while even the venerable Mataafa smiled. Bishop Grimes enquired from Bishop Boyer what had caused the amusement, and was informed that the remark was made by Mataafa's jester, or tool. The man could say anything he liked, and take a great many liberties, whioh in former days would have called down death or some severe penalty upon a less privileged person. _The Bishop stayed for a fortnight in Fjji and saw the islands at a rather interesting, though unfortunate, time, a great deal of damage having been done by a recent storm. .He noticed that many great changes had taken place since his previous visit of seventeen years ago. Suva, the capital, hae become quite a cosmopolitan place, but it is overrun with' Indian coolies. It is certainly not a white man's ground. The Pijians themselves seem to ba dying out. In 1860 there wp.re 200.000 "Fijians in the group, but at present there are only 86,000. There seemed to be an annual loss of 1600. While it was true that in 1875 over a quarter of the population succumbed to an epidemic of measles, there were other causes for the great decrease. Contact with undesirable whites had introduced diseases of which the primitive Fijian knew nothing. The alternate dressing and putting off of dresses had resulted in pulmonary diseases being contracted. There were also enidemic diseases, and the native ignorance of the treatment of diseases to be taken into consideration. If anyone could make Fijians realise that work was an honourable thing, he would confer a blessing on the people. The Indian coolie, said the Bishop, is becoming one of the gravest problems of the Fiji Group., There are now 40.000 in the group, and they are increasing at the rate of 4000 a year. They are paid one or two shillings a day for their labour. It seemed that unless steps were taken to prevent it, Fiji wotHa become an Indian colony to all indents and purposes. They live in huts which are poor and filthy in the extreme, and the conditions are most evil and insanitary. The condition of affairs is a disgrace to civilisation. During his travels through the islands, B'ehop Grimes visited many schools, churches, and mission stations, and he has nothing but admiration for the devoted band of men and women who are'labouring in the cause of the Church in the islands. His journey was a pleasant one, and he has the pleasantest recollections of the many friends, new and old, whom be met.

were marked by great heartiness, and the programme of vocal, instrumental, and other items was of a high artistic standard. .

At the conclusion of tho first part of the programme J>eau Begnault, of vVoilingwn, who has been in charge of the diocese during bis Lordsnip's absence, welcomed Bishop Grimes homo in an interesting speech marked, in passages, by a fine sense of bumour. The gathering, ho said, was an evidence of the love and loyalty of his Lordship's flocl;. Twenty-four years ago his Lordship had marked out a programme that, in ordinary circumstances, would be least 75 years to accomplish, yot, with his indonntablo will ana energy his Lordship had completed it in about 24 ' years. His Lordship's flock fervently hoped that before completing the 25th • year of his episcopate the cathedral would be consecrated. Dean Regnault also welcomed home Father Kennedy. i Mr H. H. I/oughnnn, on behalf of the ! Initr, snid that bis Lordship's flock offered him a sincere and affectionate ■welcome home.

Bishop Grimes, who was received with prolonged and hearty applause,' said that the occasion was one upon which words failed to convey nil that one, liko himself, would like to convey. He was deeply touched and deeply grateful for the henrtineas of their welcome, and dosired Father Prire. the administrator, and tho artists who had contributed to the. evening's pleasure, to accept his sincere gratitude. His Lordship thanked Dean Regnanlt for having undertnken the charge of the diocese during his absence, and referred to some of his experiences in tho South Sen Islands, spoaking in eulogistic terms of the work done by the Feeling rcforer.ee was made by his Tx>rdship to the lossD 1 ? suffered By the dioo«sp hy the death of eonw whose familiar fnocs they grontly missed. During tho evening eonjjs were pivon hv Mi?s Vern Humphries, Mrs Gower Burns, Mrs W. Joll, md by Messrs S. Allwright and A. L. Oropp: giw? w«r© sT)t"<t by a quartet narty; Mr Alfred Bfinx jjave a pinnoforte* selection ; Miss Thelma Brown, from Tasmania, who posp««p©s much tn'ent, pnro a musical monologue: Miss Doris McTntyre gave a violin solo; ajid Mr W, Penpem pave a humorous recitation. THe jio<y»mpanimente M-ere played by Miw Burns, Mr A. "ROnss. and Mr It. A. Home. All tho it n ms'wore w'l received. nn<3 recalls were demandeu and responded to.