BOUGAINVILLE

Waikato Independent, Volume XXX, Issue 2306, 4 March 1930, Page 5

BOUGAINVILLE

AN INTERESTING ISLAND.

PIONEER MISSIONARY WORK THERE.

The island of Bougainville, on of the Solomon Group in the Pacific, is little known. In the course of an address at St. Paul’s Methodist Church on Sunday evening last, Rev. H. Voyce, a pioneer missionary working on this island, gave some interesting particulars concerning the island itself, the Natives and their life and habits.

Mr Voyce stated that Bougainville is by far the largest island of the group. This island is part of the New Guinea mandated territory, under the Australian Government, most of the other islands being under separate government. Bougainville, he stated, was about 140 miles in length, and 30 miles in width. It was very mountainous. One of the active volcanoes was over 10,000 ft in height, and there was another intensely active volcano on the island, also a very high mountain. Mr Voyce spoke most interestingly of the beauties of the island—the N mountain lakes, beautiful lagoons, unexplored caves, immense and varied mineral wealth, the glorious tropical flowers, lovely bush, and distinctive fauna.

The population of Bougainville was roughly estimated at 70,000. The people are intelligent, said Mr Voyce, but fierce fighters. Fighting was still takpiace there, for much of the island was as yet unexplored. It was the least known of any of the Solomons. Many of the islanders lived inland, and up among the mountain fastnesses, and did not even know of the white men. The missionary stated that when his wife appeared in some part of Bougainville the natives ran away in dread, for they had never seen a white woman.

The people were full of superstition, but were responding well to the teachings of Christianity. There was wonderful work for the missionaries in this great 'and wonder.ful island.

INTERESTING LECTURE.

BEAUTIFUL PICTURES.

Last night at St. Paul’s Methodist school-room, R«ev. H. Voyce gave a most interesting and instructive lecture, dealing with the work of the missionaries at the Solomon Islands. There was a good attendance, and those present'wore delighted with what they saw and heard.

Mr Voyce gave some most interesting details about the Island of Bougainville, the.soil, climate, trees, etc. In the district where he resided, Sowai, the soil was most fertile and produced excellent crops and fruits, •while the forests contained much valuable timber.

The missionary stated that the real pioneer missionaries in Bougainville were Native teachers who were sent from British Solomons in 1916, but the speaker and his wife were the first white people to labour on the island, and the ground had been so well prepared by the Native teachers that they had been well received. The Bougainville natives indulged in head-hunting and were savage fighters, but were not cannibals.

One of the great difiiculties they had had to contend with was that of the language. A great many different tongues were spoken on the island, and most of these were very difficult to learn. There was no written language, and Mr Voyce had had to set to work to put these in writing, translate portions of the Bible, hymns, stories, etc. Pigeon English was used very extensively through the whole of New Guinea, and was found very useful indeed. Rev. Voyce gave a number of illustrations of the use of this means of conversation, causing considerableamusement.

The speaker told how interested the Natives were in the Gospel, and how generous they were in their assistance of the missionaries. The Natives wore intelligent people, and were anxious to learn more about the teachings of Christianity.

At the close of his address Rev. Voyce showed a magnificent lot of landern slides, from photographs taken by himself. These were most realistic and beautiful, and were greatly enjoyed by all present. Rev. Voyce also displayed a fine collection of curios from Bougainville, shells, Native money, Native implements, samples of Native work, etc., which showed the Solomon Islanders to be ingenious and clever people. A very hearty vote of thanks was accorded the lecturer, and a collection taken up for the work of the mission.