THE NEW HEBRIDES.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXIV, Issue 4870, 23 January 1903, Page 5

THE NEW HEBRIDES.

AIISSION WORK IN THE GROUP. THE NATIVES AND FRENCH TRADERS. SYDNEY, January 22. Dr Patou, who is visiting Sydney, speaks hopefully of mission work in tho Now Hebrides. Ho says that since the appointment of tho Anglo-French Commission, much of tho friction that formerly existed has been swept away. Disputes aro now settled with a degree of authority which commands respect and inspires confidence. Tho change will mean a largo commercial gain to the islands. Traders and settlers, however, strongly favour British annexation, and hope that it may still bo brought about. Now settlers, tho doctor considers, have good prospects, and with patience should do well in tho future. A great evil was tho trading in firearms, which was carried on to a lamentable degree among tho natives. Just before Dr Paton left, tho earn tain of a French schooner, while landing tho body of an Islander, who had died on board, was shot dead, and two of tho crow, wore badly wounded. goino parts of tho islands are suffering severely from drought. A settler at Epi gives account of tho kidnapping of throe of his native “boys" by an armed party of Frenchmen. Tho boys had run away from French settlors owing to ill-usage. Dr Paton alleges that tho French are allowed to buy and sell natives for a term of years. He gives instances whore they aro whipped and treated like slaves. Ho appeals to tho authorities, through tho press, to sot enslaved boys at liberty.