THE NEW HEBRIDES MISSION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5456, 7 January 1896, Page 2

THE NEW HEBRIDES MISSION.

Recent mails from the New Hebrides bring fcews • .(Mays the ; Post) -concerning the progress of the re-erection of the' mission Btation on Ambrym under Dr Lamb. Both the doctor's house and his assistant's were finished and occupied ; the walls of the hospital were up, and there was every prospect of the building being finished by Christmas. The usually wet season, upon which the fruitfulness of the islands so much depends, has been an extremely dry one, and there was every indication of a failure in the native crops of yam and bread fruit (their staple food) if the drought continued. A large influx of rafcives from* neighbouring islands and villages for medical treatment had taxed the resources of the missionaries for food as well as physic. The half-decked boat, a gift from Auckland, had proved of immense service, her exceptional sailing qualities enabling the missionaries to travel long distances in search of native food in a third of the time hitherto occupied. The station's industrial efforts have suffered in many ways for the want of a tower bell to indicate " the time for every purpose under heaven," but that want is about to be supplied through the efforts of a few who sympathise with that branch of the mission work, as a bell has recently been cast to their order by Mr D. Robertson, of the Phoenix Foundry. It weighs about 2cwt, and has a rich musical tone, which was duly attested by a number assembled for the purpose at the foundry one day last week. The bell was shipped to its destination by the Tarawera on Thursday.