THE MELANESIAN MISSION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2206, 16 January 1868, Page 2

THE MELANESIAN MISSION.

By the courtesy of the Very Rev the Dean, of Cliristchurch, wo have been favoured with the following report of the proceedings of this mission. Tlio document is so interesting thf, we present it in full to our readers :-

Ebfobt op tub Meuhksiab Mission joe 1867.

Tho great event of tho past year is tfao removal of tho head-quarters of the Mission to iN'orfolk Island. _ Tho land wliioh lias been b ju»ht by tho Mission is on the western side of tho Island, about three milos distant from tbo " town." In respect of j'i chmalo, fertility, and nearness to the" Islands" Norfolk Island is far preferable to New Zvalanu. Wo grow he«! lino yarns, sweet potatoes, bunanri and Other fruits and vegetables, winch form the regular food of our Melanesia™ in their own homes, wo have also plenty of fish. Our young friends are unanimously of opinion that they pro great gainers by tho chango. Lust summer was our last summer in Now Zealand, We had no serious sickness among or--largo party of more limn seventy MelanesiaM, with tho exception of an attack of inlluenza, by which one little boy from Vanua Lava died. The liov J, Palmer, who was left with sixteen Melanesians at-Norfolk Island on our way from Melanesia to Now Zealand, was able to send us from timoto time excellent accounts of tho health of his party. In March the first detachment of orr party sailed from Koliimarama in the Southern Cross, under the charge of Messrs Atkia and Brooke. Tho Eev. It. 11. Codrington hod lately arrived from England, with C. Bico, Esq., a late student of St Augustine's College, Canterbury. As soon as we had sent off some thirty-live of our friends, we began to take down such of the wooden buildings as wo thought it worth while to send to Norfolk Island. Thrco or four weeks passed, and the Southern Cross mado her appearance, and we made ready to sa : l. However, we were delayed by for' winds, and wo were detained, not unwillingly, li'l Easter Tuesday. The quiet week, after the bustle of packing, etc,, was over, was a great gain, end enabled us to spend a few most happy days with the Bishop of New Zealand beforo we Anally left New Zealand for our new home. Wo had a quick pascago, and reached Norfolk Island on Saturday. All our friends werowell. By dint of hard work our goods were all landed on the same evening, though there was rather a heavy sea running; and our whole party slept for the first time at our new mission station. I was astonished to see the change in thepbve that I had left only a few months before unenclosed and without a hut or shed of any kind upon it. I found a large wooden house, of which the principal room is thirty-five feet long, and the dormitory attached to it almost as large, with four small rooms for Mr Palmer end others. Besides this, a wooden kitchen had been 'built, and two or three rough sheds. Six or eight acres of land were fenced in, and had already yielded a fine crop of yams, sweet potatoes, &c. Maize, potatoes, sweet potatoes, &c,, were growing well. A calf paddock, milking shed, and pigstye were finished, and other works in progress. Mr Palmer had some help occasionally, but the work had been mainly done by himself and his party of sixteen lads, of whom five or six were quite littl* fellows. The site for our station had been chosen on St. Barnabas Day, which we spent last year at Norfolk Island; a day memorable to us as the day o.: which many of our dear friends and supporters meet annually at Eton to commend the work of the New Zealand Church to God in Prayer and Holy Communion. I found that ourPitcairn friends had given the name of St. Barnabas to the Mission Station, and very willingly adopted it. Miss Yonge will forgive usfornotnamiugour new school after the old one at Koliimarama, according to our first intention. Twenty-four Melanesians remained during the winter with Mr Palmer. Mr Codrington and Mr Bice took up their quarters alto at St Barnabas. The Southern Cross sailed on Tuesday, April 30th, Messrs Atkin and Brooke going with me. Wecalledat Mae Island, where we landed two lads one of whom, Soro, an intelligent lad, we were never to st e again in this world, ne was delicate ; I told him that I would call lor him in a few weeks

if he wished, but he said he would stay hisfu'l three months at home, fully intending to join U! again in August. On our return we found that he died only four days before we reached the island:

We sailed from Mae to Mwerlavand Gfaua. landing scholars at each; and from thence to Mota Island. Here I went ashore with a large party of scholars, men and women,-boys and girls, and took up my quarters for a month. I think it is the last time our old hut will give us any shelter. It would scarcely have been habitable had the weather been very rough. But, indeed, we hope soon to occupy new quarters at Mota, where our scholars have themselves proposed to live all together on some laud which I have agreed to purchase for that purpose, so that, as lieorge Sa awia said, we may be able to support one another, and carry on our Christian mode ot life without interruption and distraction. The Southern Cross sailed at once for the Solomon Islands, returning scholars to Ulaua, Ss \ Cristoval, Malanta, Guadalcanar, Florida, Save, and Ysabel Islands. A month passed quickly at Mota. There is a good deal to encourage us on tue whole. There is much more desire to understand our tcachii";.

much less reserve in speaking te us of themselves, and their habits and superstitions. As I went about the islands, sleeping in the different villages, I found that the interest in hearing what we had to say was felt by persons in all the different districts of the island. A stranger to this kind of work would perhaps see but uttle sign of any progress; but, thank God, we think we see

it. At the same time, the effect that we hope to see produced some day upon the mass of tto people must be produced, humanly speaking, through the agency of our Mota scholars, and we are only now beginning to think of placing any cf them as teachers among their own people. The same remarks api ly to Area, Mot.'ay, and Valu» Islands, where we always meet with the greatest friendship ironi everybody, but where, as yet, we can only say that we have our regular scholars, whose conduct is excellent, and whose intelligence and, I am thankful to say, kuowledgeot Scriptural teaching, are most encouraging; but the result of their te.ichu.g upon the inhabitants of these islands gonerally has not yet been fully tried. I went on board the Southern Cross, on her return from the Solomon Islands, and for nearly three weeks cruised among the New Hebrides Islands, calling at nearly all of them, visiting old acquaintances, etc, I refused to take soholari, excepting from Ambryin, on the ground that we were begiuning a new station at Norfolk Island, and I could nut tell how many scholars I might be able to house and feed. Calling at Banks Islands on my way from the New Hebrides, in order to pick up one or two lads to help us in the boat, we sailed on to the Santa Ciuz Group. Wo visited the Polynesian people on the small reef islands north of Santa Cruz, and spent the next day at Sunta Cruz it elf. As usual, fleets of canoes came around us, and the deck of the little schooner was crowded, but we did m t succeed in inducing any one to come away with us. These islands, as yet, are closed to us.

In two days more wo wore in the Solomon

Islands. Wo culled at of our well-known Tillages, taking up our old scholars at one place, and being disappointed at some refusa'. from an old acquaintance at another, But, for the reason ah eaiy given to our New Hebridis friends, I was nut very anxious to bring any new coiners to Norfolk Island this year, and so I refused nil th eager candidates. At Florida I went ashoro with Mr Brooke, who speaks the language of the people, and has had the ehui'ge of that pari oi the school. I slept but ono night on shore nml rejoined the schooner, leaving hiin to spend two or three days among his wild-looking I'rie ds, Wo sailed to Ysabol Island, where we took on board threeol'ourold scholars, who had spout a year on shore. At Savo I saw no one whom I cared to

bring away ths year, my objet being to start our school lit Norfolk Island with a steady set of old scholars.

On re-visiting Florida, wo found Mr Brooke vory well, and well pleased with his oxpe ionce of a wild island hie. several of our old scholars were willing to come away after their short holiday—a suru sign ol tht'ir beginning to appreciate our mode of life—others were given by their parents in a quid pleasant way, Mr B ooke having had time to explain at length to the people our motives in wishing to como among their children for a time. Things seem encouraging at Florida; there is rii increase of personal friendliness, and they understand oinetbing moro of what we mean by coming among them. Wo bad an unusually fair passagoto the Banks Islands, an.i reached them belore tho time wo had mentioned to our scholars. It took but a short time to put all our party on board. And thon, aftor a stay at Gaua and Mwerlav, where wo took up our old scholars, mid alter calling at the New Hebrides Group, ai Aurora, Arabrym, and Mae, we eailoil lor Norfolk Island, which wo reaohed on August 13. h.

We Ibund all woll; another house built, consist'

ing id'the chapel, m.v two rooms, and a large dormitory i ii oro land fenced in and in crop. And so wo began our iirst season, spent by the whole of the Melanesia!! party in Norfolk Island. The schooner sailed the next day for tho old anchorago

at Koliimiiratmi. Our present party consists of the Sevs. E. H.

OodringUi and J. Palmor; Messrs Atkiu, Brooko, Bicoand Hall; and flixty-two Molanosians. But wo have lost Mr nnd Mrs Pritt, and that is in manj ways a great loss. For sovoral yoars lio roally manafjei tbo school. Beforo his timo wo taught a certain ainouut of reading and writing; we wed top.int too, andmndosome small attempts at teachiog the lnds to bo useful in othor ways. But ho conceived aud worked out tho idea of making tho school a thoroughly industrial working 5 istitution. Indoor and outdoor work is now done by tho Molanesians who havo boon Irainod by .him. We havo for years past had no paid Bernce hero. Molanosians worn trainod to know tow to do all that was wanted to carry on a largo school, aud to do it, Thoy acquired habits of lonesty, atlontion, carefulness, industry. Ho taught (hem everything at first, by doing oveivthing with his own hands; Ihon 'ho ovor|okcd everything, 60 that they might bo continual!} reminded of what ho had taught them. Our school farm, our dairy, ah grew up under his management. Tho school lecamo a school not in naino only. And Mrs Prit t trained tho girls and youn-r women as ho trained tho boys aud young men. They novor spared themselves any trouble, hut did their best for tho bouotlt of tho school. His health has not been good, and long ago when we talked of tho movo to Norfolk Island ns something in the future, ho used to tell mo that he must make that tho time for his leaving tho Mission, and takiug somo other work which would not requiro tho same peculiar k ; ml of close »nd constant attention to tho carrying out details of overy description, He is now engaged in working a missionary district in Now Zealand, on the WVkato river. But tho Mclancsian Mission will have good cause always to remember with thankfulness h's connection with it, J, C. Pattbsox. Norfolk Is'and, Oct. 20,1807. ! On Sunday last, the offertories in St' Michaelx, nud in some of the other ciiy churches, were devoted to the funds of t'.ie Mission. The total amount so collected amounted to £l4 lis. The missionary boxes containing the pence contributed by the children attending St. Michael's Sunday School amounted to neariy £3, and a considerable sura has been collected iu the various Australasian dioceses.