MELAESIAN MISSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6064, 25 April 1881, Page 6

MELAESIAN MISSION.

Xk;s report of the Melanesian Mission for 13S0 is published; From this wc notice that tha total receipts during the year were ;Cd24o 5s 2d, made up as follows :—Balances at the ciul of tiie previous year, £42fi 10s lid; from the Melanesian trust account, £350 ; donations from En-land iuuoit" u ' l xrzitio it* vi ; rrom m».t, Sd; from Australia, £1121 14s 2d; from Melanesia, i'l2«> lf>s; the balance made up by sales, store, freights, and landings, X*c. The expenditure left a credit balance of £491/3s *2d. The heaviest item in the list of expenditure was the mission vessel, which amounted to i! 1907 fis 10d. Tho stipends amounted to £1040; salaries and wages, £062 14s M ; fuod and clothing, IT>!5 15s Sd and 2s lOd, respectively; Island stations cost £514 14s 7d, and the farm was worked at the .small cost of £G0 4s Sd. The work of tho. mission appears to have l)een fairly successful, though many circumstances of a trying character occurred. It is slated that just as the Bishop was coming out of the chapel at Norfolk l.sland, where lie had admitted some boys from Florida by baptism to the Church, he heard tho first new:? of the recent attack upon the boat of ILM.o. Sandfly which necessitated the visit of tho Emerald, and which may be of disastrous consequence to the infant Church at Laugo, in that district. Ho went to meet ihe m.r! and then learned the full details of how the natives had murdered in cold blood theoaptam of one of Her Majesty's j;hips and Ids boats crew. It is now known that the ollendcr was Katikona, the chief of Gaieta, who, though nob a Christian, has always upheld and defended the work of Uew Charles Sassibuana, an Lanso. At the time occurred Rev. Charles Sassibuana was at Norfolk Ulan I preparing for deacon's Orders. Had he been at home it is probable, the report stated, that his inlluenee have been of use on that occasion. The report notices the connection of the miftjuou with the Church of New Zealand and of Piji. During Bishop Selwyn's visit lo Fiji /e was enabled to visit all the islands where Melanesian people were employed, snd in every case be found them 44 kindly treated and happy, and well-e.,.red for under tlie Government regulations. Rut provision for their moral Mid spiritual ftdvansement there was, as a rule, oone, arid they form, in this waw a contrast to the Fijians by whom they ;i Isurrounded, who arc eared for with that perfection of organisation which is characteristic of the W'csleyan community. The progress made at the different croups of inlands is noted. The work of civilisation appear.-; to have be:un at the Santa Cruz gro'jp, though it had such unpromising bjiginiui.g.-, at the murders of Bishop Patternn<i Commodore Gocdenouirh. The Mission people could not get any boys from this c, roup to educate, but on one occasion K-jiue Men were'picked up who had been Jb.owii-way to Malanta from the Reef Island. ali .v.e were carried home, aud next year Rev. Mr. Vfadrokall was statioued 011 their island. He had been visited by the people from the niair. isl uvl, who earnestly sought him to Visit tnem. This year the mission went over with s.oHie of the leading men of the Reef islands, who were taken to introduce the mission party. It has been decided that V/adrokall stay at Santa Cruz, and thev have promised him every help possible. The place where lie is stationed at is Leluovu, fiva Miles from where Commodore Goodenough was killed, and rather more from (4rac:o.sa Bay, where Bishop Patteson was attae:;r<j. At the present time there arc being educated at Norfolk Island IG3 males and o2 females, besides 9 children. The total number i~ therefore 204. The mission fairly prosperous and progressive.