Letters

History Of The Henrys

Sir, —On August 26, 1798, in a barn on the banks of Sydney’s Parramatta River at Kissing Point (now Ryde), the Rev. William Hemy preached the first sermon in the district. This event is commemorated annually at the historic church of St. Ann’s at Ryde, where the re mains of William Henry were buried after his death on April 1, 1859.

Together with other missionaries, Henry left England in 1796 in the ship Duff for the Pacific Islands, but the ship was wrecked and Henry found his way to Australia. Whilst awaiting transport to Tahiti he served for a few months in Sydney and it was during this time that the sermon was preached. He served for over 50 years in Tahiti and surround ing areas.

Relatives are known to exist in Hawaii, Auckland and Australia and it is thought that there may perhaps be others in some of the Pacific Islands or that there may be people is those areas who have heard of his ministry. We would be very grateful if any information of his adventures and of his work could be made known to us at the address below.

Headstones in the family grave— restored by members of the family and cared for by St. Ann’s—include the following:— Henrietta Nott, youngest daughter of William Henry, wife of J. Greer, born at Tiarei Island, Tahiti, July 9, 1834.

Ann Moorea, wife of G. F.

Wundenberg, of the Sandwich Islands, died October 30, 1878.

James Shepherd, son of Fev.

William Henry, died February 20, 1891, age 71. Jane, his wife, died May 17, 1898, aged 78.

S. C. G. Moon.

26 Fifth Ave., Eastwood, NSW, 2122. • A revealing chapter on the Rev, Henry is included in a new book (reviewed “PIM”, Nov., p. 85), “Pacific Islands Portraits”, edited by Davidson and Scarr.

Poor Old Joe

Sir, —It was good to read your report of the formation of the Mela nesian Tourist Federation. However, I am sorry that your list of those present at the Vila conference om itted the representative of Newson Advertising and Marketing Ltd., the Fiji-based agency which handles the Mvorld-wide advertising of Fiji Airways

Ltd. and the New Hebrides tourist My good friend Joe Jlders is also more likely to Smoulder” than “moulder” when he ;ees how you have spelt his name!

A. V. Barker.

Advertising and Vlarketing Ltd., Suva. • We're sorry we spelt Joe's name vrongly, as we really know better.

We didn't mention Mr. Barker's company because, as our November 'tory clearly said, we were reporting he formative meeting in Honiara, not Vila. But we think you do an it tractive job with those Fiji Airways ids. (See p. 78).

The "Seeadler"

Sir, —Allow me to make some comment on “Adventures as a >risoner of Count von Luckner” riiich I read with great enjoyment n PIM (August, p. 91).

In the early twenties I was skipper >f the American four-masted chooner Melrose and for several r ears I had with me as AB a man >y the name of Robert Bruce, a lative of Lerwick, Shetland Islands.

Df course he was an A 1 seaman; le had been AB on the American chooner R. C. Slade when she was »rought up by the Seeadler.

His account tallies nearly word or word with the story by Whit ombe. He differs in a few minor •oints. But the capture of the Slade yas nearly the same.

Bruce says the R. C. Slade was tecalmed in the Doldrums, sails latting, not a breath of wind. They ighted a sail to the northward, that apidly lifted itself above the horizon.

Phis fellow is bringing wind, they aid. No one thought of auxiliary ngines. They soon noticed their aistake, when the ship came near, nd ordered them to abandon ship.

Stores were removed from the hip, and so was the slop chest. They lid not forget the coils of new ropes nd bolts of new canvas. By the way, Pbunt von Luckner handed the kipper an itemised account of the ;oods he took from the skipper’s slop best, with an order to the Imperial jerman Government to pay for same, is he considered this to be the kipper’s property, which it was.

The R. C. Slade was now aban loned and the Seeadler moved to a ►osition right ahead of the R. C. lade. They lined up the four masts nd in one shot all four masts went »ver the side. Down she went in all ier glory—holy stoned decks, masts craped and oiled, houses and mlwarks freshly painted—all that vork for nothing. That burned Bruce pV If she had to be captured, why

couldn’t it happen before all this Vork was done.

W The crew of the R. C. Slade were all well treated and they worked in the rigging and did other ship’s work to pass time, for which they were supposed to be paid—he thought in German marks.

Robert Bruce claims that Klinge, the Executive Officer, was the best seaman of them all.

By the way, the French schooner that Klinge captured at Mopelia was the Lettuce, formerly the Gauloise, built in New Zealand and for many years owned by the German Trading Company, Societe Commercial del Oceanic, called SCO for short.

For the life of me, I cannot see why von Luckner would anchor the ship in such a dangerous place as the entrance to the lagoon at Mopelia. There was such a fine place available, Rapa. As the only export was about 30 tons of coffee a year, it was seldom visited by traders out of Tahiti. As shipping was at a premium after the outbreak of the war, ships could not be spared to visit Rapa, and it may have been a year and a half (so I have heard) before the natives of Rapa and its gendarme were informed that a war was going on.

By the way, I am sure that it was Captain Winchester, the father-in-law of James Norman Hall, who com manded the schooner which brought von Luckner’s captives to Tahiti.

Robert Bruce was in the US dredge Culebra when I last saw him. A sail ing ship man at heart, he served in the windships until the very last of that “age of sail”.

Fred K. Klebingat.

Research Associate, San Francisco Maritime Museum, San Francisco.

Who Knows The 'Muritonga'?

Sir, —[ wonder if any of your readers can help me to compile a history of the 38 ft Bermudan stay sail schooner-rigged auxiliary yacht I have recently purchased in Darwin.

I understand she was built in 1948 at the Lyttelton Shipyards, South Island, New Zealand, and was originally named Muritonga. She is said to have sailed at some stage in the area of the Cook Islands.

For the past two years the craft has been known as Red McGregor and has cruised from New Zealand to Sydney and then to Brisbane via the Barrier Reef, along the NE, N, and NW coasts of Australia and around Timor and Indonesia.

Flearsay suggests that she has been involved in a number of colourful and adventures and I would ■ like to confirm some of these stories.

I would also be glad if someone can )tell me what Muritonga means as I 'intend to revert to this name.

I would be very pleased if any information could be sent to me.

With best wishes for the continued success of PIM.

R. H. Timperley.

6 Cooper St., Fannie Bay, Darwin, Northern Territory 5790.

Admiral Nimitz Museum

Sir,—ln Fredericksburg, Texas, birthplace and boyhood home of Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, we have under way the Admiral Nimitz Naval Museum, devoted to telling the story of the life of the admiral, and dedicated to all of the fighting men and women of World War 11. It will be one of the finest museums of its kind.

We are seeking objects of all kinds relating to the war in the Pacific (provided they are not too large to be transported to the museum) landing craft, tanks, field guns, objects from ships, aircraft of both the Allies and the Japanese. Especially, we hope to find objects which have stories or legends to go with them, because this will add much to the human interest.

If any of your readers have such things, or know of their where abouts (either above water or below, if they can be salvaged), we will appreciate hearing from them. This could be an opportunity to give a permanent and protected home to objects which will otherwise be lost or destroyed when their present owners pass on.

One example: What about the story of the Coastwatchers—has this been adequately told in any museum? And what of their equipment—radios, personal gear, etc. Has any of this survived? This could be a dramatic exhibit, and we’d like to do it.

I hope that anyone with informa tion or objects to place in the museum will write to us.

Douglas H. Hubbard.

Director, Admiral Nimitz Naval Museum.

Fredericksburg, Texas, 78624.

Malaita's Revival

Sir, —On seeing the report in your paper under the heading “They’re Being Revived on Malaita” ( PIM , Nov., p. 34) I would be grateful if you will give me space to state some real facts concerning this revival. I feel, since the subject has been opened, a movement vitally affecting the lives of over 10,000 people in three months deserves more than a

sketchy, misleading report such as Jas in your November issue.

I have been very closely connected with the revival since it broke out in August and only want to state what I have personally seen and shared in.

One very pleasing feature of this revival has been that very many are being used and not any one particular leader.

As with most spiritual revivals, after the first upheaval there is a steadying down to consistent Christian living, but the movement continues unabated on Malaita and is extending to other islands also, and I believe will eventually have far-reaching effects for good on the whole country.

Personally I have seen hundreds of people delivered from immoral living having been slaves to alcohol and other vices of the white man as well as demon possession, something of which we Europeans know very little, no one having come into contact with such possession would ever think of it as something of a “joke”.

These deliverances are real and only in very isolated instances have I heard of any turning back. Rather are they rejoicing in the joy of coming to know the living God as a mighty reality in their lives.

I have been present when long standing feuds over land and other matters have, I believe, been per manently settled in a spirit of love and forgiveness. As one, I am told, a revived backslider for many years, said to a government officer, “If all Malaita were truly Christian you would have a lot less work to do”.

Yes there are excesses as with all revivals, these are our major prob lems; the enemy is most real and the spiritual warfare intense, at the same time these excesses are grossly exaggerated by some and give mis leading impressions. This applies to your correspondent’s reference to a former mental patient being a local leader.

I hesitate to say anything about miracles of healing; it is easy to ex aggerate so it’s best for those helped to speak for themselves. If your correspondent comes to our house the next time he visits Auki and I happen to be home I will take him to a case where he can see and hear for himself and so get reliable infor mation first hand.

Lastly let me say that attitudes to revivals vary greatly depending on the person to whom one is speaking, it is true what the OLD BOOK says, ‘The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they Ke foolishness unto him. neither can

he know them because they are spiritually discerned”. 1 Cor. 2:14.

George Strachan,

SSEC Missionary.

South Sea Evangelical Church, Auki, Malaita, British Solomons.

Sir, —The signer of this letter, Rev.

John Pasterkamp (from Holland) is the Dutch Pentecostal missionary re ferred to in the article on the Malaita revival. It is clear that your corres pondent who visited Auki recently only heard some of the story but was not well informed at all. This whole article gives a wrong impression of what is happening.

The signer visited the protectorate from June 16 until August 2. Places visited were Tulagi, Honiara and two villages just north of Dala station, North Malaita. At the same time many crusades were held all over the Solomon Islands. These crusades were conducted by Rev. Muri Thomp son, from New Zealand, who was in vited by the SSE Church. What is happening is part of the charismatic movement which is touching many churches in many countries. Through this movement many people have found new realities in their Christian life.

However, we regret that your maga zine associates this movement with a former mental patient and his fol lowers near Auki, which is certainly not the case. TTiis former mental patient was already known in this area long before these revival meet ings were held. He is absolutely not the leader and has no connections whatsoever with this movement, as your magazine likes to state.

If there are any leaders, we like to refer to some pastors and elders of the SSE Church, North Malaita.

Every normal thinking person will abhor the very thought of beating up people.

We would appreciate it very much if you would make rectification of this statement in your magazine as it puts many people in the Solomon Islands and followers of the SSEC in a bad light.

Rev. J. Pasterkamp.

Evangelist, Rabaul, New Guinea, and Dandenong, Vic., Australia. • We’ve had some other letters on the subject besides these. Some of the other letters indicate that the church really is faced with some “excesses” over the revival, and that it has got a lot of unwanted fellow travellers who are doing nobody’s image any good. We hope the church can overcome the problem, but we’re cynical about its chances.