Page 3 Advertisements Column 1

Lyttelton Times, Volume XVI, Issue 907, 20 July 1861, Page 3

A N APPEAL ON BEHAIF OF TII E ME LANES lAN MISSION FOE THE PURCHASE OF A " MISSION VESSEL. THE Melauesitm Mission Schooner the Southern Gross, was wrecked on the coast of New Zealand, on the morning of June 18th. 1860. gli'e was not insured, for the rate of insurance s s0 high that it was not considered right to • cur a large expenditure, when the risk to be encountered among the islands was, humanly speak- • )lT Huich less than was anticipated at the Insuran % Office. 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 jjordermaid 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 liordermaid, and by subscription 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 sura of money sufficient to J purchase a Mission vessel. / It is essential to this work that the Missionary Bishop of the islands and they who are engaged 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 bailfc to carry freight, great speed in working to windward, and all those points which are1 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 back 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 ©f 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 vessel for the purpose can be procured at all. Again, the interior arrangements of the vessel 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 large 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 should be known in the islands as the Mission vessel. The feelings 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. ,r The complete con.trofcoP-the crew, the absence of, any divided authority in the regulation 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 register in repair, and of paying the wages of the crew, will perhaps exceed by £150 or £200 a year the cost of chartering vessels on each occasion. But there is always uncertainty about procuring a vessel at all at the time when it is wanted, and there is no probability of obtaining at any time a vessel really qualified to do the Mission work. It is evident that where nearly 10,000 miles of sea have to be traversed annually, and the vessel has to work its way from the Solomon Islands to the limits of the south-east trade wind, it is necessary that time should be economized as far as possible, and to this end a fast weatherly vessel is required. When the speed of a vessel diminishes by one i thud 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 conse- ■ quence)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. s i The nature of this Mission" renders a vessel necessary—ifc i s scarcely less necessary that the : vessel should be of a peculiar character. ! To all therefore, who seek by their prayers and ; alms to aid in the extension of the Kingdom of our ! jessed Lord, we confidently appeal, in the hope \ tiiat the Melanesian Mission may soon be once i| more provided with another Southern Cross. \ J. C. PATTESON, I m " Missionary Bishop. 'I iauvarua, Auckland, May 14,1861. \ Subscriptions will be received by Mr. P. Thomp- ! son, Diocesan Treasurer, Cashel Street, Christ- I cnm-ch ; also the Clergy have been requested to i for this object. SALE OF FARMING STOCK AT THE • ISLAND, KAIAPOI. IV/TR. THOMSON has received instructions ! from Mr. D. Courts, who is relinquish- i »ig farming, to Sell by Public Auction : ON THURSDAY, JULY 25, 1861, I At Bankhead Farm, the Island, Kaiapoi, the whole ! of the . FARMING STOCK (LIVE AND DEAD), \ twisting of draught mares, yearling colt and filly, : ojdney made horse dray with shifting sides, Ran- i r? C S *7£ s plou£h ' cart and Plou2h harness, ! side ß addle, churns, milk pans, dairy j HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE AND DAIRY< STOCK: , i he latter consists of seven head of broke in dairy > nZ' *nry su Perior quality—three of which are i t Z ! n t u!l miik > and the remainder within from i Wlf mo"ths of calving : twelve to -fifteen ! S y°Un? stock ' PaU fed;-four bacon piga, two j b'ood sows, &c, &c. Also, !■ ] ABOUT FIVE TONS FLOUR; I r>r\ t0"6 and pollad, and about eipht tons \ cm a L The flour ' bran» and potatoes will, if re- ' g™. be sold deliverable in Kaiapoi or Christ-; A TO BE LET. i HOUSE, containing six rooms, with; w . g-arden attached, pleasantly situated in be'in dSter street 5 rent moderate. Application to ■ S. DIMOND, i Winchester street.