LECTURE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3589, 1 April 1886, Page 3

LECTURE.

NEW GUINEA: ITS NATIVES AND MISSION WOEK AMONG THEM.

A very instructive and interesting lecture wa3 delivered by the Bey. Mr Mucfarlane, m the Presbyterian Church, last evening, on the übovo subject. Thero were on the platform, besides tho speaker, the Beys. Messrs Gillies, Dean, Foster, Fuirclough, nnd Brown. The church was well filled, and the speaker wu3 frequently applauded. The Key. Sir Gillies introduced the lecturer m a few appropriate words.

The Rev. Mr Macfarlane paid ho was there that night to give them a littlo information on tho ways of tho natives of New Guinea. There had been a great deal said lately of New Guinea, and he would like to say a liltlo mote. 110 then related how the mission work had been commenced m New Guine.i. But first of all, ho would like to inform his hearers that New Guinea was 1800 miles long, and GOO wide. The Dutch lmd a largo territory m the island, but wero doing nothing with it. They had a settlement m a small island on the const, The Germans also held a part of the island. Tho natives were dying fast, and m some instances tho white men were dying also. He felt Buro tho island would belong to the English some day. They had the coast from (he Fly river right down to the coust adjacent to Australia. The mission work was started m Murray Island. Tho natives wero quite willing for the missionaries to ecttlo on their island at first, as long as they got hoop-iron and beads, &c. Tlio missionaries could not trade because they had received orders from the London Society not to do so. They did their work and tho traders who camo to the island did their work, The language generally spoken was like the I'o'ynesian. The mi-siun work was started about 18 H. Various missionaries performed the mission work m different parti of the island. A central station was fixed upon after some hunting about. Tho natives did not want the Gospel, but they did not mind (he missionaries settling on the island as long as they got the hoop-iron and other tilings from them. It would not do to tell them of I hi: lave of Christ first. They wanted U< krow what wns the object of the mission. When they found that out, the heathenish eu«lon;s were seen to be dropping away and civilisation camo m. Before that timo he had known natives come j down to a prayer-meeting from a cannibal j feast. On the western side of the island there was a delta 30.) miles wide, and Ihvroi wero mission stations about 40 miles up the river. That locality wa3 planted with cedar and other trees. Some of the mountains were about 13,000 feet hi: h, and the valleys were very fertile Tho land was splendid, and very suitable for sugar, cotton and rice growing, but tho trouble was who was going to cultivate it ? There was the fever, climate, and natives to contend with. There was ulao gold m the island. Ho thought the native language was far better than tho English, ll was not so complex, but was more clear and distinct. Some of the native houses were 512 feet long, and the natives lived together for! feav of attick, bo that they might bo pve- ] pared to defend themselves. Ho could thank God that he had opened up tho way for tho missionaries to further the work commenced by him. Ho had translated several books into tho native tongue, including the New Testament, He had baptised nearly COO ) natives. Whilo if he had stayed at home m the Old Country he might have been poking about m a little village with a congregation of about 30 or 40. No ono could be happy unless they were engaged m a good work. It is what a man is, not what he has, that makes him happy. Iho natives wanted to know what the English people did. Ho cave nn illustration of a little boy coming to him and saying he wanted to go to England to see the white people, because a native h::d teen over to Sydney, and had come back eaying what wonderful people tho English were. " Why," said tho boy, " if they have a broken eye, or a broken leg or arm, or want new teeth, they can bo lilted up with them." The little boy asked whether the English ever died at all, because if they got so fitted up ho thought they would never die. He wanted to go and see these people. The natives wero very treacherous, and would steal anything.' Tiiey wonld take your umbrella and offer to sell it to yon tho next day. ]f they were caught stealing, thoy would feel ashamed, becauso the other natives I would laugh at them. They went so far as to kill to get hold of property. An institution for improving tho natives was formed, but it was a trouble to get them to go to it. Ihey attended it for some live years, and :\ro now professing the Gospel. To test thorn tho missionaries asked tlio natives to give them twenty of their young men to educate them, and they gave them till a certain timo to do it. At the appointed timo tho young men wevo forthcoming. This showed that t]io natives had faith m the missionaries. The natives had great affection for their children. The institution would help to open up Now Guinea. One thing was Jacking, and that was that tho nativo missionaries could not speak English. But now anybody could go to the school and write a simple sentence on the bla?kboard, and it would be read off fluently by the boys. Another very good thing was the starting of an Industrial School. At that school all sorts of trades were taught, and he was now pleased to say that as ono outcomo of that school, a yacht had been built which could compete with any of the yachts about Now Zealand. If any of his hearers wanted a trip round m her they had only to go to Thursday Island, and they would gladly be shown round m the yacht by his brother missionaries. There were threo churches on the western side of tho Island. The natives when they get to know tho truth give to tho church very freely ; even from tho father down to the littlo children. Books wero offered to them, but they said they had no money. But the missionaries told them to mako fibro out of tho cocoanuts and cultivate vegetables and sell to tho traders, and they would then get money. They did this and succeeded. At ono collection taken up there was £44 on one occasion and on another £64 10s. This was given by natives who a few years ago knew nothing about monoy ; everybody gave something there. There were policemen m the island also, who wero very strict, and if they saw anybody do anything wrong they would " run him m " and ho would be brought up before tho native magistrate and bo fined. The natives ought to be treated with simplicity and it would be all right. A great deal had been said about the work there, but he did not think that any Society would do the amount of good among the natives that the London Society had done. When they showed tho natives how to woavo, etc., they simply laughed at them, but it afterwards proved it was no laughing matter, and they now did the work themselves. If all tho natives wero to be civilised thoy muat be evangelised. The only thing wob to take the Gospel to them, This would raiso and bless

them. Ho had seen native girls when brought under tho sound of tho Gospel quite changed. Tho streets of tho now civilised natives wero a credit to them. Some of the houses wero two-storied, and m fact everything m Bomo parts wore a civilised appearance. When tho fishermen came home the fish-wives would bo scon down on the beach bartering just as they ny& at Houjo. - 'A ]io tliinir to do dono wns to put forth the effort, sow the seed m New Guinea, and tho rest could ba left to God Ho would bless tho work done. When Christ was on earth Ho did what nobody else could do. Ho raised Lazarus to life, but tho peoplo untied him. Ho turned the water into wino, but the people filled the jars with it. The seed should be planted, and they should do all they could to Bprcad the Gospel among the natives.

On resuming his seat, tho reverond gentleman was loudly applauded. 'I he Boy. Mr Fairclough paid a high compliment to tho lecturer. He (Mr Fairclough) waa delighted with tho instructive and interesting addresß, und waß 6ure he was only expressing tho sentiments of all when he moved a hearty voto of thankß to the lecturor.

The Rev. Mr Brown had much pleasure m seconding tho motion.

The Key. Mr Gillies was sure that tho lecturer was a practical man. When reading a book by that gentleman, he was much struck with tho method m which the lord's Supper was administered m New Guinea. Instead of importing wino into the island, the lecturer thought it best to use cocoa-nut milk. In. New Guinea each ono gave something towards the church, and he hoped those present would illustrate their good feelings m a practical way by contributing freely to the London Missionary Society. He quite agreed with the voto of thanks passed to the lecturer.

The Rev. Mr Macfarlano responded, nnd after the singing of a hymn, tho Benediction was pronounced by tho Rev. Mr Foster, and the audience separated.