Mission Work In
p. 65 · Read in the full issue
Malekula
Remarkable Change In 30 Years
WHEN I paid my first courtesy visit to the British Administration office in the New Hebrides in 1916, on my way with Mrs. Stewart to take up work on the island of Atchin, off the coast of Malekula, New ’Hebrides, I was asked by the superintendent of police to which part I was going.
Upon being told, the superintendent ob served: “Hm! the toughest place in all the group. If you make any impression on those people in 20 years' time you will do well. They give this Government more trouble than any other native people. I wish you luck.”
They had certainly earned a bad repu tation. Having murdered the wife of the only European resident on the island, a French trader, a few years before, they decamped for several years into the jungles of Malekula, lying about a mile away, and there defied the Government.
They were insolent and hostile. They were armed with muskets and had a supply of ammunition. A party of Pres byterian native missionaries had just been shot a short time before we arrived, and the people of Atchin were charged with the murder.
My predecessor, the late Pastor C. H.
Parker, bought the trader’s station for use as a mission and had been there for nearly three years, but his health was failing. We made this place our base of missionary operations for seven years, and had the satisfaction of seeing a con siderable change effected. While it was recognised as the stronghold of heathen ism on that coast, and probably the strongest in the group, the influence of
the Gospel steadily overcame the super stition of the people on the island, still numbering about 450, until to-day the majority have completely renounced heathenism and are endeavouring to practise the principles of Christianity.
This is perhaps clearly demonstrated in their latest effort to carry out the golden rule. When the news was passed along to them that Christian churches in Aus tralia were sending relief to Europe in the way of food and clothing, these native people also took to the idea. In writing of this a few weeks ago, Mrs.
Ferris, wife of Pastor David Ferris, who is working among the lepers of that coast and who is herself a trained nurse says: ... Atchin alone raised round the £lOO mark for European relief. We thought it good. They aimed at a bag of copra or £2 ner man, and the women and children half a bag. One or two heathen joined in with the offering.”
Surely, as the Good Book says: “By their fruits ye shall know them.” From what was once an almost hopeless situa tion, where life was lived in fear, ignor ance, superstition, and filth, there now has developed this happy, healthy, help ful group of children, youths, and adults, who cheerfully labour and give to assist those who, for the time being at least, are less fortunate than themselves.—A.