THE SOLOMON ISLANDS,

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIX, Issue 26, 27 June 1901, Page 4

THE SOLOMON ISLANDS,

The Solomon Island Group was discovered by the famous Spanish explorer, Mandana, in the year 1 567, almost 40 years before the other renowned Spanish mariner De Quiros landed on our Australian shores. The one important fact recorded in connection

with the discovery of the groups of islands hy Mindana is that Mass was celebrated with all possible pnin v i o > omp of tho islands, the first time that a solemn religions Chn^tini calibration was witnessed in the Southern Pacifi 1 . It is.i happy <><>i lenience that the Marist Fathers who have charge of th-s group of inlands in wbioh Holy Mass was thus first celebrated in the South Pacific have during the pa*t few weeks received the gre-it pa^ml charge also of the Glad-ttone (H-ttri 't in Q teent-ldfd the where Mnsa was first offered in Australasia on its ('i^'overy l\y L><> Quiros. Mandana was particularly struck by the nomn-hn of me #<n'.. ,m>l llu: magnificent forests of thousands of trees, and. vitnvi/.jr the mountain ranges from afar, felt assured th »t they umnt, abourul iv rioli uiiaeral resource. The name RHonvn Islands wus given to the ►•ronp, from the conjecture that King Salomon of old vent hither his ships in search of cedar and sindalwood, of gold and precious stones, for completing his great works in Jerusalem. All this would have sufficed to attract explorers from home countries, but there was the counterpart. Mandana reported that the natives were the most savage and ferocious cannibals of the Papuan race.

In the month of December, 1845, Bishop Epalle and hit generous companions entered upon their missionary enterprise in this group — first at San Christoval, and then at Isabel Island. The result may be briefly told. The natives showed themselves friendly, and readily accepted the gifts that were offered to them, and professed a desire that the white strangers would remain amongst them Two or three visits were made on shore to seleot a site for the mission chapel and residence. The natives continued to profess friendliness.

On the 16th of December the Bishop and his companions had scarcely begun to proceed inland from the strand when the Bishop was felled to the ground by a blow on the skull from one of the chiefs. Unconscious and covered with wounds, it was with difficulty that he was rescued from the murderers and borne to the ship. Three days Inter he expired. ' Father, forgive them ; they know not what they do,' would have been the dying pastor's prayer. It waß the fervent prayer of his fellow-missionarien. who would not allow the captain in charge of the vessel to attack or punish the natives. The missionaries proceeded to another islandNew efforts are made to conciliate the natives. At length three of the missionary band are surrounded, massacred, and eaten. Nor was this all. Monsignor Colomb, who was appointed to succeed the first martyred Bishop, was a few years later stricken with sickness, and died at his post, a martyr of missionary zeal. Within seven years two bishops and 11 of their companions had sacrificed their lives in obedience to their superior ; the survivors in 1852 bent their steps to other missionary fields.