NEW HEBRIDES.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 807, 23 January 1903, Page 3

NEW HEBRIDES.

SLAVERY. By Telegraph—Press Assooiation—Copyrighl Sydney, Jan. 22. Dr Patton, head of tho New Hebrides Mission, is visiting Sydney. He spoaks hopefully of tho mission work in the New Hebrides, and says that since the appointment of tho Anglo-Fronch Comission much of tho friction that formerly existod has been swept away. Disputes are now settled, and the parties agree to the authority which commends respect and sproads eonfidonco. Tho change moans a large commercial gain to the islands. Tho traders and Bottlers, howover, strongly favor British annexation, and hope it may still bo brought about. Ho considers the new settlers have eood prospocts for the future. With patience thoy should do well. A great evil was trading in firearms, ' which was carried on to a lamontable degroo amongst the natives. Just before ho loft the captain of a French schooner, while landing the body of an islander who died aboard, was shot dead, and two of the crew badly wounded. Some parts of tho islands were suffering severely from drought. A settler at Epi gives an account of tho kidnapping of threo of his nativo boys by an armed party of Frenchmen. The boys had run away from some French settlers owing to ill-usage. Tho French are allowed to buy and sell natives for a term of years. He gives instances where boys are whipped and treated like slaves, and appeals to the authorities through tho press to sot the enslaved boys at liberty.