ISLAND MISSIONER

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17802, 10 June 1932, Page 4

ISLAND MISSIONER

15 YEAKS IN SOLOMONS LIFE OF CIIOISEUL Visiting Wellington at present is the Rev. Vincent le C. Binet, who is enjoying a five months’ furlough after 15 years’ service ns a Methodist missionary on the. island of Choiseul in. the British. Solomon Islands, flioiseul is one of the hundreds that constitute the great Solomon group, many of which do not figure at ail in tho ordinary maps of the Pacific, vet Choiseul has a population, of about 8000 Solomon Islanders, among whom "Mr. Binet has planted the Cross to some definite purpose. “When I went there 15 years ago,’’ said the missionary, “the natives lived in fortified and barricaded villages, and inter-tribal warfare was a normal condition. The natives were worshippers of the spirits of their ancestors, not unlike other Eastern peoples, and considered alligators and stingrays gods of some kind —gods of evil, T suppose, who had to be appeased by offerings of food which they were never slow in consuming. There was no human sacrifice, even in those days, but away back in remote times it. is recorded that the Solomon Islanders became cannibals after a battle with an enemy tribe.” “I can earnestly and thankfully say that Christianity is now firmly roofed in Choiseul,” said Mr. Binet. “Tutor tribal wars are at an end, and the people are not now afraid to build their little villages round the coast without barricades or defence of any kind, and. generally speaking, are lending decent lives under peaceful conditions. “Mv people are. so advanced.” said Mr. Binet, “that some four years ago thev built a church eanable of holding a thousand people. The whole of the building was constructed by the natives —native architecture and native builders. The church is built of a native hardwood called kivali (some call it .Indian teak), if is thatched with sago palm leaves, and not a. nail is used in tho structure. Hip roof and cross beams are all lied with native cane; for llm simple reason that nails cost monev and rano costs nothing. Tho fhatched roof has fo be renewed every seven years, and nnv weakness in tho cane building can easily be replaced. Such a building stands up to the weather well, and the earth tremors we experience from t ime to time, sometimes heavy enough to displace articles on shelves, have no effect on such native buildings. At Choiseul we have storms at times, hut never devastating hurricanes such as are experienced at Eiii and some of the oilier groups. Seven months ago a tidal wave swept. 900 ft. inshore at Ouadalcanar. and caused the death of many natives. No doubt this was the result of a, submarine disturbance near that island.’