SOLOMON ISLANDS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18589, 27 December 1934, Page 14

SOLOMON ISLANDS

: WORK OF MISSIONARIES

liAW-ABIDING NATIVES

“Pidgin English is invaluable to us in th«;3ntish Solomon Islands,'’ said Mr. Bdbkrt C. Vance, of the South Sea Evangelical Mission, in an interview r.t Wellington. Mr. Vance, a brother to Mr. G. F. Vance, of Wellington, has just 'returned on furlough from the Solomons after five years-’ work. • -‘‘Although pidgin English is despised by many, it must be remembered that With' about 40 dialects iu one group apdi as ipany as 15 dialects being spoken oil one plantation or at one school, ‘pidgin’' English is indispensable. After all, rt uses simple English words in the idiomatic form of the islanders’ speech. In pidgin English, ‘my axo’ becomes ‘axe belong me,’ and ‘I don’t know him’ ir Tendered ‘Me no savee long him.’ —“The work of the South Sea Evangelical'Misaion is carried on mainly in three of -the British Solomon Island group, Mailaita, Guadalcanal 1 , and San Cliristoval. The people are mostly of Melanesian stock 5 nuggety, dark, aiid fiery in temperament, and on at least part of Maiaita are on the increase. The archipelago lies from sdeg. to 12deg. south of.jtEfc Equator* and has been a British Protectorate since 1893, under the High Commissioner at Fiji, and more directly under the Resident Commissioner, Mr Ashley, at Tulagi, Gela Island, the port of entry, to the group. “Each island is under a district officer, who, with his:,juniors and a native constabulary, administers British justice efficiently while conforming as far as possible to native custom?. The Govern nkiut also jias white doctors, .and native medical practitioners who attend to the needs of the people, and assists the missions with medicines for the benefit of the natives. Within recent years two of these officers have lost their lives in the execution of their duty. "• RESPECT FOR THE KING

“The natives, on the whole, are a very law-abiding people with a definite respect for the Government officers, and especially, for the King whom these Officers represent. There is an annual poll-tax- taken from all the adult males who are able to pay. Married men with four children are exempt from this tax. "The South Sea Evangelical Mission is what is known as an interdenominational fait-h mission, its chief aim being to bring . the heathen to a personal knowledge of the Founder of Christianity; 'Medical and educational work also havtHtheir place, - so that these natives ypPwr -th'e changing conditions of life. Started originally among the indentured Kanaka laborers on the

Queensland sugar plantations by Miss F. H. STYoung and others about 1886, this mission was later transferred to the

group when the policy of White Australia was inaugurated. Conditions were very primitive in those early days, one white missionary and many native Christians losing their lives at the hands of these avowed demon worshippers. “The, work of the South Sea Evangelical.. Mission is carried on along the coast" by launches and an auxiliary, motor schooner of about 60 tons, the Evangel. “There are approximately 9000 adher ients of tins mission in the British Solomon. Islands group at present out of an approximate population of 60,000 people. A large training school is conducted at One Pusu, Malaita, where an aver.lire of 200 natives are fitted for teaching Christianity in their own home ‘districts. The mission also runs a girls’ schmj 'at Aho, Mnrnmnsike. Passage. Sputh Malaita, where young girls are being taught. schools for the training of natives.include the girls' training school at "Wanoni Bay, San Christoval, which Is •the southern island of the group. The work of the South Sen Evangelical Mis sion j?. parried on by 29 white missionaries from Australia, New 7ealand, and Britain, and about 200 unpaid native helpers. 11 ;■ - _ •