MELANESIAN MISSION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1196, 1 February 1895, Page 32

MELANESIAN MISSION.

Meetings in connection with the Melanesian Mission were held on Monday afternoon and evening in Thomas’ Hall. There was a very large attendance on both occasions. The chair was taken in tire afternoon by the Bishop of Salisbury, and the Bishops of Melanesia and Christchurch were also present. Before and after the proceedings a number of boys from the Southern Cross sang hymns translated from the English into the Mota language. The Chairman said it was a privilege for him to be allowed to say a few words on the Melanesian Mission. All of them, realised that it was a blessing for the Church of New Zealand to have such work to do. They had no doubt some difficulties to contend with in New Zealand in dealing with the Native race, but it was nothing in comparison to what had to be done in the Home Country in regard to the poor and similar questions. There was a prejudice amongst Englishmen that Native Christians were not trustworthy, but the firm hold which Christianity had taken among the inhabitants of Banks’ Island, where it had been established for two generations, showed that this opinion was not correct. He need not say how much he sympathised with Bishop Wilson in his work. Bishop Wilson said that Wellington came next to Auckland in its support of the mission, a position which he hoped to see reversed this year. He then spoke of the trip of the Southern Cross from Norfolk Island, which they left on September 10th, with 52 passengers, those being natives who had been educated there and were returning to their homes in the various islands at which th© vessel called on its i way to this Colony. Speaking of the j native teachers, he said their work would

compare favourably with that of the white man at the New Hebrides. There was a population of 3000 in Pentecost, 1000 of whom Avere attending school. Out of the 4000 inhabitants of Torres Island, 3000 had embraced Christianity. The native priests and teachers are paid in stores, such as tea, sardines, tobacco, knives, &c., the former receiving about *£2s worth of goods, and the latter from M to <£6. During the voyage 492 natives were confirmed. . There were about 12,000 scholars in Melanesia now, and 9000 of these had been baptised, the total population of the islands in charge of the mission being’ about 150,000. Bishop Wilson then gave an interesting account of the people, their manners, customs and language. He wanted ten mere men to engage in mission work, a<nd he would require <£6oo additional with which to pay them. Bishop Julius, in proposing a hearty vote of thanks to the chairman, expressed his great sympathy with the mission, and hoped that the subscriptions from his diocese this year would exceed those from Wellington. Bishop Wallis presided at the meeting in the evening and briefly introduced Bishop Wilson, who delivered a very interesting lecture on the islands of Melanesia, which was illustrated by lantern views, depicting scenes in the different islands, and showing pictures of schools, churches, dwellings, teachers and natives. At the conclusion of the lecture, which was listened to with the deepest interest by a crowded audience, and frequently applauded, Bishop Neville proposed a vote of thanks to the chairman and the lecturer. For a long time, he regretted to say, sufficient interest had not been taken in mission work in his own diocese ; but recently a Board of Missions had been formed, and it was now the rule that every parish should contribute something towards missions. The Bishop of Waiapu, in seconding the

| vote of thanks, remarked that some people I imagined that by giving to missions they i were taking- from the local churches; but ! this was not so, as the more that was j given to mission work the more that at home seemed to prosper. 1 On the motion of Archdeacon Williams, | a vote of thanks was given to Mr J. H. | Helliwell, who manipulated the lantern. - I A collection was taken up at both meet- | ings on behalf of the mission. 1 A sale of curios from the Islands was | held in the saloon of the Southern Cross on Monday, on behalf of the Melanesian mission. There was a fair number of visitors, especially in the afternoon, when good business was done.