SOMETHING ABOUT THE REV. J. ATKIN.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 21, 26 May 1909, Page 43

SOMETHING ABOUT THE REV. J. ATKIN.

THE FRIEND OF BISHOP PATTESON. The story of the first martyrs of the Melanesian Mission will always have a special interest for Auckland from the fact that one of them—the Rev. Joseph 'Atkin—was born on the shores of the tWaitemata. His sister. Miss Atkin, still lives at the old home overlooking the Waters of Kohimarama Bay, where the Mission once had its headquarters, and Whence the Mission schooners were Wont to set sail for far Melanesia, bearing the Gospel -Story. Kohimarama means “Focus of Light," a name which was strangely prophetic, for from thia spot radiated the beams which illumined the darkness, through which the Islanders were groping. They were bravo souls who carried the Gospel across the ocean. They knew the perils, but never flinched, and faced death with a calm front. I Joseph Atkin was the son of Mr. William Atkin, and was born at Kohimarama 18th October, 1844. At nine years of age he went to school, first at fet. John’s College, the Rev. C. J. Abraiham giving him his first Latin lessons; for two years to the Tarnaki School; nnd then to the Church of England Grammar School, Parnell, under Dr. Kinder. On St. John’s College re-open-ing in 1859, he entered as a scholar under the Rev. S. Blackburne, and won a competitive scholarship at St. John’s, tenable for three years. He then, together with his college friend, J. Palmer, joined the Melanesian Mission staff at Kohimarama—continuing his Greek and Hebrew studies with Bishop Patteson—and taking an active share in the industrial work of the school. During the voyages of the Southern Cross, his special work was to take charge of the iboat, manned by the Melanesian boys, which landed the Bishop at the different island statiorvs, and when he had learned to speak the language was placed- in charge of San Christoval, Mala, and lUlawa, Solomon Islands. In a note dated Febuary 3rd, 1863, written from Kohimarama to the Bishop of Wellington, Bishop Patteson says: “Joe Atkin, you will be glad to hear, has joined us on probation till next Christmas, but he is very unlikely to change his mind. ... I have a great regard for the lad, and I know you have.” “From that time forward.” writes Miss Yonge in her life of Bishop Patte son, “reading with and talking with ‘Joe Atkin was one of the chief solaces of the Bishop’s life.” On August 15, 1864, the first disaster to the missionaries took place, when the Southern Cross was at Santa Cruz. <*Young Atkin,” says Miss Yonge, “made tio entry in his diary of those days, and Could never bear to speak of them; and yet from that time forward his mind •was fully made up to cast in his lot with the mission.”. The Bishop, Messrs. Atkin, Pearce, Edwin Nobbs, Fisher young, and Hunt Christian, the three |ast being Norfolk Islanders, were in the |>oat. The Bishop had landed at two places without mishap, but, after re turn-

ing to the boat from a third place, the natives suddenly shot at the party with bows and arrows. Pearce. Nobbs, and Young were hit. but the boat, though chased by canoes, eventually got back to the schooner. How any of the party escaped was a miracle. Nobbs and Young both succumbed to their wounds, and the Bishop’s letters gave a touching account of their last moments. It was on the morning of September 20, 1871, that the noble Bishop suffered martyrdom at the Island of Nukapu, Santa Cruz. In accordance with his usual cu>tchn of disarming suspicion, he had readily acceded to the invitation of the natives to go ashore in one of their canoes. As the tide was too low. the ship’s boat—in which were Mr. Atkin, Stephen Taroniara, James Minipa. and John Nonono could not follow over the shallow reef, and she drifted about in company with the canoes which remained behind. There had been some attempt at talk, when, without any warning, a native stood up in his canoe, and calling out, “Have you anything like this?” shot off one of the yard-long arrows. Immediately there was a shower of arrows. John’s cap was nailed to his head with an arrow, Mr. Atkin was shot in the shoulder, and poor Stephen lay in

the bottom of the boat with six arrows in the chest and shoulders. The boat was pulled rapidly back to the ship, and no sooner was the arrow-head—formed of human bone and cruelly sharp—extracted from Mr. Atkin’s shoulder, than he insisted on going back to find his Bishop. He alone knew the passage through the reef in the rising tide. A boat was manned and pulled through the reef, and the body was recovcredin the mournful circumstances spoken of in the article on Bishop Patteson. On Sunday, September 24, during the celebration of Holy Communion on board the Southern Cross, Mr. Atkin’s tongue stumbled and hesitated over some of the words while administering the Sacred Elements. The native men of the crew looked at one another, and knew what would follaw. He. too, knew. It •was the first symptoms of the dreaded tetanus which nearly always followed spear wounds. Both Stephen and Mr. Atkin drank deep of the cup of agony before the end came. Stephen died on the morning of the 28th, and the following morning Mr. Atkin passed away. Thus perished the first martyrs of the Melanesian Mission—John Coleridge Patteson, aged 44 years and six months; Joseph Atkin, 27 years; and Stephen Taroniara, aged about 25 year*.