HERE AND THERE IN MELANESIA.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume 25, Issue 11, 1 November 1935, Page 6

HERE AND THERE IN MELANESIA.

At Sea, Ist August, 1935. My Dear Friends of Melanesia, —

(By Bishop Baddeley.)

I returned to the Solomons on April 27th after my visit to Australia for the Annual Meeting of the A.8.M., and some weeks propaganda work m centres from Perth to Brisbane (during which I had the very great pleasure of spending a week-end with Bishop Cecil Wilson at Bunbury). "Southern Cross" was awaiting me at Tulagi, and we set off that night to San Cristoval and Pawa. Several days. later (S. Philip and S. James) at Siota, I had the privilege of admitting to Holy Orders as Deacons, Leonard Wobur, Lionel Lonorata and Timothy Titiulu; and admitting Ruth, Nesta and Mary Magdalene as Ta'ina of the Community of the Cross. We then began a general visitation of the Solomons, principally to return and! collect scjholars ifor Marovovo, Pawa and Bunana. I had intended to make this a hurried trip m order that we might get away to the South as soon after the middle of May as possible. However, so much urgent work cropped up m so many places that it soon became apparent that our provisional programme must be considerably extended. Our first trip was to Fuaba, Riu, Marau Sound, Maru Bay, Pawa, S. Mala and Tasimboko. At Fuaba the Sisters were delighted to hear that funds were now available to make it possible to reopen Qaibaita on a small scale as a Leper Colony, and the clearing of the ground has now.considerably advanced. We left the Masons (who had just returned from their furlough) at Fiu; and Mr. West at Marau to give Easter Communions m Willie Au's district. We were back at Tulagi for May 6th, and the Maravovo School Band — whose members also supplemented the choir — took part m the King's Jubilee Parade Service at Government Headquarters. Both band, and choir evoked very favourable comment from the white folk who were there m great numbers.

We then visited five of the villages on the Tasimboko coast, m all of which, slowly but, I think, very surely, signs of new life are appearing. Thence to Marvovo, and on down the weather coast of Guadalcanal where I instituted Timothy Titiulu into the charge of the pastoral district of Kolina. We called at a number of places on this coast, and Mama James Toganiade was highly delighted at our unexpected visit, and at the arrival of a deacon — reinforcement. Our third trip was via Bunana and Marovovo to Cape March, where Wilson's work is sure proof — if such be needed — of the great work our young native priests and deacons are capable of, after careful preparation, and with not too much "white" supervision. Thence to Ysabel with calls at Muana, Mara-na-tabu, Regi and Meringe to find sadness everywhere at the serious illness of Mama Fallowes and his enforced retirement. From Meringe we made for Lord Howe. Here at Luaniua the Brothers work is bearing good fruit, but m spite of Miss Saistrom's urgings — for she made the trip with us, being the first time m more than 12 years' service m M.M. that she had visited any other centre than Bunana and Gela — as yet they are shy at allowing their girls to go to school. It is not the parents, I think; for there has been no objection m the case of the lads. But the girls themselves are very tattooed, and I think they are rather worried as to what other girls will think of their appearance! (Did they know what some of "the others" look like!) On the second day I made my way m the whaleboat — towed by the ship's launch — 26 miles up the lagoon to the other village, Pelau, where a sub-section of the Brothers are at work. Flies! worse than France m war-time. And smells! But I was able to bring one lad away to the sweeter atmosphere of Marovovo. And it was worth 52 miles for this alone. We called at Mara-na-tabu on the return journey to collect Mr. Fallowes' pigs. Natives pay Government tax, varying from 5/- to £1 per head; and the taxes of our increasing number of Brothers now amounts to a considerable annual charge, which must, of course, be borne by the Church. Tasiu Charles argued m his way. Natives — feats — pigs — small pigs 10/ — more succulent ones £I—Tabali1 — Tabalia — co-

conuts — one boar, two sows — annual offspring, well at least a proportion of the Brothers' taxes, unless there be some such disaster as that at Gael ar a. So the ex-Mara-na-tabu pigs were hoisted on "S.X," Judging by the shrieks that rent the air they had become so attached to Isabel that they put every ounce of strength into their protests at being removed to Guadalcanal*. But to Tabalia they went — more shrieks. With a further consignment of youth we began our fourth trip — Tasimboko, Longu (a perfectly poisonous landing — but ample compensation m seeing Stephen Hagesi's work) Marau Sound (where we picked up Mr. West, who had had a most profitable three weeks' stay m that area), and thence to Heuru and Pawa. On to Ulawa, where Martin, as always, had work for me, and where, at Ahia, Miss Woods was able to do a great deal of medical work. On the following day m S. Mala, Miss Woods was kept busy at Saa, Peleile, and Nwalade, where we made landings for other work, and then after a day with the Brothers at Takataka, we made for Sikaiana. There, as usual, we had a busy day. Frank Bollen is the teacher m charge — having replaced the Brothers, now that practically all of the 300 people are baptised or schooling for baptism. Frank has obviously fitted m well, and I am sorry to say m a way to be bound by a promise that if he proved himself m this probationary period, he should return later this year to go to the Ordination Candidates' Course at Maka. It is early days yet for a teacher from among the Sikaianese themselves, although there are some very promising lads at school — John, one of the best, recently died very suddenly at Pawa — Mr. Rudgard had spoken of him as a possible ordinand later. From Sikiana we passed to N. Mala, visiting Uuru — where Malaci (recently on the staff at Marovovo) and a small group of Brothers have been preparing the way for Mr. Hipkin, when he takes over this "new" area m August — and thence to Fouia, where Jack was a little cheered about "teachers." He came on with us to Aama (Mallu) where George Kiriau is already making his presence felt. The latter had just returned from a three weeks' trek m the bush — we are doing our best to

explode the idea which some of our native clery have that they are priests m charge of a number of "Church villages" rather than shepherds of all the people m their pastoral districts. From Aaama via Fuaba and Fiu to Tabalia and Marovovo, and so across to Savo. Here there was the dedication of a church at Pagopago, and I have every hope .that we have now discovered m the person of John Pita, a most effective innoculation to overcome Savo inertia. Two days later (June 12th) we left Tulagi for the South. After calling at Tasimboko, we made for Ulawa, where I had promised Martin to leave two women workers for a period. Miss Piers (relieved temporarily at Bunana by Miss Piggot and Miss Woods, were therefore landed with camp-beds, frying pans, hurricane lamps (and, hope, kerosene) and food and supplies for a six of seven weeks' sojourn. There are some people, I believe, just a little dubious about the value of such short periods of work. But if you cannot have workers m ann the needed places all the time, then lets' have some of the staff m some of the places some of the time. And I've never refused a man 6d. for a "light lunch" because I could not give hims 2/6 for a -good dinner. However, Miss Piers and Miss Wbods were not troubled about "values" — they went ashore like the G.F.S. going to camp (does the G.F.S. "camp" or holiday home?) We then made a call at Pamua, where our experimental farm is going to be a great asset — not merely to our schools but to the Solomon Island community m general — and then, picking up lads at Pawa, we made our way down the San Cristoval coast. At Heuru and Asimanahoa (very sad at the death of the recently ordained deacon Simon Asimanahoa) I dedicated churches and confirmed some 41 candidated — these being the first occasions m more than two years that I have had the pleasure of having Bishop Dickinson with me — and so on to Wanoni Bay. I was anxious to visit one of our somewhat isolated villages — Rumatare — where landings are usually quite out of the question. On the map, it seemed not far; a local among the ships' crew said it was "close up." It was four hours solid walking We got back to the ship at 4 a.m. to hear the engines "warming

up"; for I had arranged with the skipper to said at 4.15. But it was worth it — especialy, I think, to the teacher (down with fever) who sat huddled m a blanket and talked from 11 p.m. to midnight of what had been, what might have been and what is. The following day we were at Funarite, Santa Anna and Santa Catalina — a long and hard day, and I was not sorry to get back on "S.X." and see her nose turned towards the open sea for our 36 hours run to the Reefs. At Lomlom we left Sister Madeleine and Ta'ina Marie — content to be left there, they declared (if the ship failed to call on the return journey at the end of July) until November, or even later. And certainly" nothing could have been warmer than the welcome they received, together with Mr. West, returning from his furlough. Mama Wilson Doedoke had a big programme of work for me that had temporarily to be held over — until our return. Then to Santa Cruz, where we landed Mr. West, joyful m the possession of a new whaleboat with an engine; timber for a better house at his place m Graciosa Bay, and memories of England, Ireland and the Holy Land. While Mr. Tempest (who was with us, going home via the South, to re-visit once agiain the Banks Islands and Vureas) walked through the villages at the far end of the Bay with Lionel Lonorata (ordained deacon on May Ist), Mr. West and I crossed the "nariow" part of Santa Cruz to the Nabanlui area where are the Brothers. It rained even harder than it does m Leeds when you've hoped to have a day watching cricket. The path was bad; one stage was down a waterfall, and at the end (birds' eye view) an almost precipitous drop of some 400 feet. Some of the boys m the party suggested that the Brothers be fetched so that I might talk to them at the top! They paid for their temerity by having to take me down by the famous Isabel wrist-grip. It was one of those walks which some members of the staff m their lighter moments call "laming the Bishop." The Brothers have done well m this area m spite 1 of difficulties — two of them had been very ill. Tasiu Stephens we brought away with us and he was attended by a doctor, travelling with us to Vanikoro, but poor lad! disappeared overboard some nights later.

At Utupua we picked up the Brothers for the journey South. As it would be hopelessly inconvenient to get them later for the Tabalia Conference, I offered to take them to the southern conference instead. They have done remarkably well, and all five villages are now re-established. At Nimba, there is a fine new church; the walls are panelled (each family providing a different patterned panel) with the plaited bamboos and leaf, painted m red, black and white (paint made from bark, burnt bark and coral) and with cross beams and supports similarly decorated. I felt justified m expending 30/- of Mission money to buy timber m Villa, from which Mr. Buffett made an altar, and a few shillings on calico, from which Mrs. Williams, made a frontal, before dedicating the church on St. James' Day (on the return journey) and baptising 19 adults. Tasiu Basil tells me there is a similar newly built church at Avata, but this I could not visit; and m the other three villages school has recommenced. Yet only one of these three Brothers has been to a central school — the others are just village lads with their local schooling and a period at Tabalia as "tinqoros." We "cleared" from the Solomons at Vanikoro, and made for Tikopia. It was just a call to leave Mama Stephen Talu and a small party for a period of six weeks or so. Thence to the New Hebrides.

(To be continued.)