JOTTINGS FROM AMBRIM.

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume XII, Issue 1172, 5 August 1893, Page 3

JOTTINGS FROM AM BRIM.

We are indebted to tbe Rev W. West, for the following extracts from letters received by him from Mr McDowall one of tbe Missionaries stationed at Ainbrim, and who is well known m this district — • The schooner 'Lark' with supplies only arrived on June lltb, three months after the hurricane. In the meantime we were reduced to spoilt flour, and sometimes came to the isst meal before getting relief. We never really wanted for oue good meal, anj our large family of natives were as well off as we. Just one day I had to go away and look for tbeir evening nual. I got just enough for it and n.xt day. 'lhe labour vessel •Locheir which hai already relieved our necessities frte of charge, came again and landed a quantity i f gra.n. Later on the Doctor and M — - returned irom Ranen with GOO lbs of rice generous y piven us by Fiancois Rossi, a French trader who suffered the loss of almost all things, including ship, horses, goode &c. The arrival of our store ship has put us m possession of a great quantity of food, but nut more than we cun dispose of. The Hour and oatmeal, how ever are not so useful as the ric. for the natives. We don't know how to be thankful enough to all those friends wi o came forward m our need. No one died of starvation and tl>ey might well have done so had they been dependant on the early arrival of outside help. Exactly two months after leaving New Zealand the food arrived, fc'ome one has blundered and ttie necessity of a steamer has teen manifested. The natives generally aie baying a bad time of it. Une meal a day and tbat contidtuig m most cases ot roots and leaves which are not leckoned as good enough for pig food m good times. Scarcely any yam or cocoa nuts and those only lor the chiefs, no bananas, bread, fiuit, nuts &c, which ought to have been m season. They havo scarcely a pig to carry on thtir feast's for the dead, lhe teason has been wonderfu ly good and givi s promise of abundance when fruit time cwms, that how«-v«-r, cannot be for _.ur njou'hs, On some parts of the Inland the cocoa nnfsu f s are api-erently miued for a long time to come and only m Hlielt. red pans ar* there a few ones fir drinking. We could i give away gratis, m one or two wetks, ; aU the foot we have got, but we can't I pauperise cur people bo. W e bave told them that we will pay lib. rally m food for all work ('one and for all building; materials brought on the premiers. On Saturday one woinun took as many as JJ2 bismitß, and a boy IG for grass which we are using for thatching our pew boj's houats, Pl^pe thmk per-'

sonally aH those who gave subscrip An* for the relief of the ' l.urriean •• sm. k« h Ambrimese ' We can't write 'o all tut we do thank them. Mi_a C and those who do not belong to us we would especially thank.'