THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS TRADE.

Waikato Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 3484, 27 October 1894, Page 11

THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS TRADE.

During a recent address ab Adelaide, Captain Turpie, who has been for many years connected with the South Sea Islands as master of the London Missionary Society's ship John Williams, made the following remarks regarding the missionaries and their connection with the Island trade:—" The condition of the islands to-day ■ is very different to what it was 30 years ago. The mission flag has opened the way for the trader, and made it profitable, as well as safe, for. him, I like to be definite on this point, because I have had to fight ifc out before, and I distinctly state that the mission flag, L.M.S., has preceded the trader in the Society Group, the Austral Group, the Henry Group, the Samoan Group, the New Hebrides, the Loyalty Group, New Guinea, and many other separate isles of the Pacific. The Wesleyan Society can claim the same for Fiji, Tonga, New Britain; and other islands. The Presbyterians, too, have their claim in the northern part of New Hebrides. It is perfectly true that the trader pitches his tabernacle under the lee of the missionary in many instances, and there is no antagonism or ill feeling between the trader and the missionary. Undoubtedly, there has been a very great increase in trade amongst the islands during the last 38 years. It'was practically nil then, and we so seldom saw a ship other than our own that.-? Sail ho V would bring all hands on deck in double quick time. Very little clothing sufficed pii some islands, and that was mostly of a cloth from the bark of the paper mulberry; on other islands no clothing was worn at all. Now trading vessels follow each other .so closely that any group is seldom. without two or three cruising in Search of island produce; which is paid for by Bri tish manufacturers principally, and at central ports ships are continuously loading for European ports and Very frequently for Liverpool with copra;, which is the kernel of the cocoanut dried in the sun. The latest fashions now reach the islands, And silks and ostrich feathers, of all the colours of the rainbow, adorn the modern island belle. They like gay colours, look well in them, and like a good article for their money. It is a mistake for traders tosuppose ■ that anything is good enough for the South Seas.''