MELANESIAN MISSION

Evening Star, Issue 19709, 9 November 1927, Page 12

MELANESIAN MISSION

An interesting and instructive address on tho work of the Melanesian Mission was given by Major H. N. Robinson, general secretary of tho Melanesian Mission, last evening in St. Paul’s Schoolroom. Pic illustrated his lecture with a number of lantern slides. Archdeacon Curzou-Siggcrs presided and briefly introduced the lecturer. A map of tho Melanesian islands opened tho address, and then Major Robinson described that tlio mission islands extended from the New Hebrides to tho AVcstern Solomons. Tho distance from Auckland to the beginning of the Melanesian Mission was approximately I, miles. He referred to the visit of Bishop Sclwyn in the ’forties and tho bringing from England of the Rev. J. (J. Pattisou, who was afterwards consecrated first Bishop of Melanesia in 1800. They first started their work at tho Eland of Mota, which was perhaps tile first_ island in the group to bo Christianised. There were now three or four schools in tho New Pl.cbrides and three or four in the Solomon Islands, where the central school was situated. The old vessel Southern Cross made frequent trips to the small islands, and took the native youths to the central school, where they remained for a three or four ycar.k training. There was a stall' of 40 white teachers and 700 native teachers in the Solomon Islands to-day. A white missionary had charge of a large district, sometimes comprising two or three islands, and a native staff under him. Every year the Southern Cross called at these islands and took the trained native teachers to smaller islands and returned with, those who had been trained.