and examined the school at Lotahimamavi. This is as yet in embryo, but
the people were very nice and most friendly, and seemed quite in earnest
about their school duties. A proper school house has yet to be built,
but this they have undertaken to do as soon as they have dug their yams.
Their yam digging answers to our harvest. Leaving this place we went on
board the _Southern Cross_ to breakfast, and afterwards to examine the
school at Tavolavola. The Bishop was much pleased with the state of this
school, and the great proficiency attained to by some of the young
scholars. Prizes of knives, calico, beads, fish-hooks, &c., were
distributed and then we went to Lobaha, another school. Before leaving
Tavolavola, Mrs. Selwyn was anxious to see how the natives got up the
coconut trees. There are no branches of course, to hold on to, and many
natives tie a cord around their feet, and some use an ingenious
arrangement with cord for their hands. But these natives go up hand over
hand without any help or assistance. The lad in question was up the
tree, had thrown down green coconuts, and descended again with wonderful
and astonishing rapidity, with nothing on his hands or feet.
Before we got to Lobaha it began to rain heavily, and I was overtaken
with a fit of ague, and had to lie shivering on the beach while the
Bishop went alone to examine the school. It poured in torrents all the
way home, and I was very miserable.
_Thursday, November 11th._--Away early from Opa and started for Araga,
distant over twenty miles from this part of Opa. There the school was
examined, and we left in the evening for the South end of the island.
This we reached on
_Friday, November 12th_, the Bishop going ashore in a strong gale of
wind, and in pelting rain, to examine the school and bring off Mr.
Brittain, who had been spending some days there. They were not long
before both were on board, and Mr. Brittain, thank God, quite well.
When the boat was hauled up we stood out to sea, and so on our homeward
journey for Norfolk Island, which we reached after a stormy but quick
passage on November 18th, and found all well at home. “Praise thou the
Lord Oh! my soul, and forget not all His benefits.”
REV. A. BRITTAIN.
For the year 1886 my contribution will be concerned with the time
between April 3rd and November 18th. On the former date the _Southern
Cross_ left Norfolk Island on the first trip of the year, and on the
latter we reached it again at the end of our voyaging season. I had
never before left for the islands on the first voyage, but our plans
gave me a longer stay than usual. My own island, Araga, was to take up
the usual time, but I was to make a stay also in the Bank’s Islands,
which would be out of the ordinary course. As it turned out, however,
the arrangements were of necessity altered, and no stay was made in the
Bank’s Islands.
The _Southern Cross_ left Norfolk Island with a wind very strong, but
altogether fair. None of the regular Araga boys were on board, as they
were to return home on the second voyage, according to our plan. One
lad, however, we had with us, whose presence in the _Southern Cross_ was
quite out of the ordinary course. The explanation concerning him will
show something of the individual efforts made in various places to give
some sort of instruction to those who are taken from our islands to work
on the plantations and elsewhere. On the whole they are simply
neglected, with the result that they return home having learnt almost
all the vices, and none whatever of the virtues, of the white man.
Personal interest has in some cases induced thought and work for their
benefit. In Sydney was one instance of this. The visit of a young lady
to Norfolk Island on the occasion of the Consecration of the Memorial
Chapel increased her interest in the Mission, and on her return to
Sydney she sought some kindred work. A class was established for natives
from the islands engaged in different kinds of work in the city, and it
has proved most successful. Several of the lads are from our own
islands, and as it has happened that the Bishop has been in Sydney at
convenient times, he has twice held Baptisms of members of the Class.
One of these Baptized lads made a request that he might be taken home
in the _Southern Cross_. His home was Araga, and he came to Norfolk
Island in readiness for the first voyage of the _Southern Cross_. It was
apparently five or six years since he had been taken away in a labour
vessel to Noumea, whence he had found it possible to make a move to
Sydney. And this was the end of his life in foreign countries--he was
returning home a Christian, with, in some respects, a surprising
knowledge, with a perfectly good character from all who knew him, and
with a great desire to do something for the benefit of his
fellow-countrymen. All that had hitherto been done in Araga is in the
northern part of the island, the remainder of the island being partially
known only, while the extreme southern end was quite unknown and
inaccessible. The lad, Thomas Rorsal, gave us to understand that his
village was right in the south, close to the neighbouring island of
Ambrym, and we had then the prospect of breaking into new parts.
On April 8th, that is on the fifth day from Norfolk Island, we were in
the passage between Araga and Ambrym. A boat was lowered, Tom’s
belongings placed in it, and we pulled in shore to find his village,
which he could not distinguish from the vessel. A clump of cocoa-nuts
was recognised by him, and at last we pulled into a good sandy beach
with very good landing, where a crowd had already collected for our
reception. Their returning brother was at once recognised, and his goods
shouldered with great readiness. The Bishop’s bad foot forbade his
leaving the boat, but I landed and went up with the people to their
village, which was quite close at hand, though invisible from the beach
owing to the very thick bush. Tom had previously expressed his
determination to build a house for school purposes as soon as possible,
and I, through him, told the people of our plans and something of what
we hoped to do among them. We thereupon, in consequence of the readiness
they expressed, chose a convenient site for the house, and I promised to
make a boat voyage to them as soon as I could conveniently get away from
the northern district. It was evident that there could not be a great
population in the immediate neighbourhood, as there was only a small
level tract lying off the beach, backed up by somewhat high hills, which
would doubtless form a separate district from the beach villages.
On the next day, the 9th, we arrived at the north end of the island,
having been almost becalmed on the way thither. The _Southern Cross_
anchored, my belongings were put together, and in two or three hours I
landed at the usual place, and was at home again at Qatvenua. It was not
a bright reception--the unusual quietness all about, the absence of the
usual vociferous greetings, and the depressed looks of the teachers were
not enlivening, and it was easily seen that there were unpleasant
tidings to be heard. Gradually all became known. With regard to the
chief school at Qatvenua the report was altogether favourable. It had
decidedly advanced. Several outside adults, who had hitherto kept aloof
from us, had come forward and joined themselves to our congregation, and
the ordinary work had proceeded quite satisfactorily. But the other two
schools in the district had met with interruptions, and one was in a
state of temporary suspense. The cause of all was the fruitful source of
trouble to us, the labour vessel. Some short time before one had visited
that part, and a party of men and lads, almost entirely baptized or
scholars, had departed in her. It was all to be put down to one man who
had been of some importance. He had done wrong, and to avoid the
retribution that in some form or other would have fallen upon him, he
decided to leave the place, and then persuaded some of these men to
accompany him, and the rest followed them. Amongst them was the teacher
who had been in charge of the school at Lamoru, whose going was a great
surprise, as he had always been so quiet and well-conducted. Fortunately
his helpers were able to continue the school work by themselves without
any intermittence. At the other place, Vathuqe, the school was closed
for a time, as there was no one to take the erring teacher’s place. He
had been left there with some misgivings, as he was not of equal
standing with the teachers generally, but it was thought that his zeal
and expressed desire for the post would be equal to the demand made upon
his steadfastness. Some of the others that embarked were his relatives,
and so he had the unusual temptation before him, and gave way to it.
My first fortnight on shore was spent at Qatvenua. The landing was done
in very unfavourable weather. It rained very heavily, and the very steep
path leading up to the school village, bad enough in fine weather, was
extremely troublesome for carrying up my goods and chattels, and they
got very wet. My own little house was not in good condition, and until
we repaired it I slept in the large boys’ house.
Within a day or two we pulled some little distance down the coast to a
small bay, where I heard some white man had been recently buried. We saw
his grave, with an inscription, and in time I heard the story of his
death. No outrage on labour vessels has been made or attempted in Araga
for several years, but in January, as it appeared, when a vessel from
Samoa was visiting some place about thirty miles down the coast, one man
was shot by a native as he was on shore with several others from the
vessel bathing. It must be said that this man, a German, showed a great
lack of wisdom in his behaviour. The native had come down some distance
from the hills under the impression that his two wives, who had
disappeared, were on board the vessel then to be seen lying at anchor,
and in his rage the man was shot, while all the time the women were
elsewhere. The body was brought up along the coast, and buried near our
station. The whole affair had caused much excitement, even at the
Northern end of the island. Some time after the place was visited by a
German man-of-war, with results that will be spoken of further on.
The great man to the South, Viradoro, expressed his continued desire for
us to do something in his part, and we visited him several times, and
were well received and listened to always. There is a lad at Norfolk
Island who has connections with this place, and when they make a
beginning at a school-house we may begin work with him as teacher, but I
decline to put him there, as they desire, before this is done. Within a
fortnight of my going ashore two labour vessels anchored near us, one
from New Caledonia, and the other from Fiji. In the latter there
departed a young son, quite a small boy, of Viradoro’s, whom I had hoped
to take to Norfolk Island some time or other. His father was greatly put
out by his being taken away.
I had decided to remain at Qatvenua until Good Friday, and then to go on
to Tanrig in Maewo for Easter. There are several communicants there, and
I should have taken the Araga communicants with me that we might have
our Easter Communion together. During the whole of Holy Week the weather
was bad, and I feared that our voyage would not be practicable. On the
Saturday, when we should have left, there was a strong wind blowing from
the North, which would have been dead against us, with continuous rain,
and there was no possibility of our going. Our Easter, however, was very
pleasant, and the joyful hymns told of really joyful Christian hearts.
In Easter week we left for my first visit to Wonor, the village at the
Southern end where we had put Rorsal ashore. My intention and
arrangements for going there caused much talk. The distance would be
nearly forty miles, and I suppose no one had been more than half that
distance down the coast, and it was thought to be a very long journey.
More talked of even than the distance, however, was the belief that
attaches itself to a particular place at the extreme Southern end. To
this place were supposed to go all the spirits of the departed, and to
remain there in some sort of community. Of all places in Araga,
therefore, it is the one of the greatest superstitious interest and
fear, and many of my chosen boat’s crew’s relatives did their best to
dissuade them from accompanying me, but without effect. We started on
the appointed day, and as I knew we could not do the whole distance in
one day, as we went along the coast we made several calls at the
villages as they appeared, and fixed upon one not quite half-way, known
to some of the men, in which to pass the night. Our various stoppages,
however, so delayed us, that it became clear that we should not reach
our destination before night, and so when, upon rounding a point, we
came upon a labour vessel quietly at anchor, and were hospitably invited
on board for the night, I thought it wise to take advantage of it. It
was a Fijian vessel with a number of men on board, lately recruited, and
a Government agent whom I had met before. We passed the night quietly at
least, though not comfortably for any of us, and pulled away in the
morning, very grateful for the hospitality shown to us, and resumed our
journey. The evening found us ashore at Wonor, where there was
considerable excitement over our landing. Although the place is quite
open to the prevailing Trade wind, a reef and a sand bank that lie off
the shore shelter it quite effectually, and make the landing on the
shelving beach easy and pleasant. In the fortnight that had elapsed
since our calling here only a little had been done towards building the
school-house. The site was cleared of all its timber, and some of the
posts were ready. During our stay we had therefore to sleep in the men’s
common house, which, being much smaller than is usual in the northern
part of the island, we found rather inconvenient. On the whole our visit
of a week was a great success, and it excited much interest. The house
was proceeded with with great vigour, and all the people in the district
showed a very friendly spirit, making things look bright and promising
for the future. Thomas was doing all he could in the way of teaching,
and his Scripture Picture Books were all well thumbed. I confined my
doings to the immediate neighbourhood, and saw but little of the
adjacent country, though the report of our sojourn caused people to come
from a great distance to Wonor, and they were very desirous of being
visited. My boat’s crew were thoroughly well treated, and feasted to a
great extent, and our entertainers did us the honour of dancing to us
one evening. I had not intended to make a long stay this time, and
having made some arrangements in the North, which required my presence,
we left at the appointed time, in spite of the pressing invitation for a
longer stay. Our return journey was accomplished with a little
difficulty. The ordinary winds would have taken us back pleasantly in a
day, but we fell in with a contrary wind halfway up the coast, and were
delayed. Some time after night-fall we decided to land at a village then
quite close, but the tide being out the reef was uncovered, and not
wishing to have the boat injured we continued on our way, and at last
reached our own beach, after very hard pulling, two or three hours
before the dawn of the new day. It was not surprising that some of the
lads should be knocked up for a time after this, but it was thought to
be quite in accordance with the character of the place visited, that
they were all, one after the other, laid up for varying periods. It did
really seem peculiar that it should so happen at this particular time,
when so much was being said about the superstition connected with the
southern part.
After this there was a month’s stay at the two Northern schools. At
Lamoru a new house was built, larger and in better style than the old
one which had seen the beginning of the work, and new arrangements were
made concerning the teaching staff. At Qatvenua also repairs were made
to the various buildings, and a boat-house, sufficient for the purpose,
but not of any great size or beauty, was erected on the beach. The whole
of this time was more or less wet, and there was much sickness all
through the district. The infants suffered most, and very many died,
several being children of our congregations. A girl also died, one of
the two belonging to this place who had been to Norfolk Island. She had
been declining for about a year, and my attempts to improve her health
failed. Her lengthened sickness tried the patience of her friends
greatly, and it was suggested once or twice by relatives that her end
should be hastened. By these who made this suggestion it was of course
believed that the illness was due to some unfriendly person’s charms,
who would be rejoicing at seeing her suffering. One of our Catechumens
lost his only child, a very engaging little boy, and his account of how
he prayed that it might recover, and how he felt when death came, and
his prayer seemed to be in vain, was very touching. This child he had
been in the habit of bringing frequently for me to see, and when I once
gave him some beads for it, he was delighted. These, he told me
afterwards, he had buried with him.
On June 5 the _Southern Cross_ returned to me again from the Northern
islands, and I went on board to be put on shore at Wonor. It was my
intention to go there to stay until the vessel’s return again from the
South, which would be in about six weeks’ time. Two boys were to
accompany me for the stay, and I took my boat. We could not land until
the next day, after spending an unpleasant night on board. On pulling
in, the school-house appeared well on to completion, showing that they
had been working well at it since my last visit. It was not possible yet
to sleep in it, so I spread my rug again in the men’s house, but we
assembled the people together in the school-house for such instruction
and talking as were found possible. A large party of Ambrym men was
weather-bound here. Their home was plainly visible, about seven or eight
miles distant, but across a very disturbed passage. They had already
been here ten days, and were anxious to return. They had a sorrowful
tale to tell. A short time before they had come over from Ambrym to go
on an ordinary bartering expedition along our coast, and when the German
man-of-war, the Albatross, mentioned above, arrived to avenge the death
of the man who was killed in the beginning of the year, they happened to
be at the very place. Naturally they thought themselves quite safe from
any attack, and sat quietly on the beach awaiting the arrival of the
boat. They all knew that the culprit was in a village two or three miles
away on the hills, and they were prepared to assist in punishing him.
Suddenly however, without any warning, they were fired upon more than
once from some of the big guns of the ship. They at once fled in great
fear, and did not know until the evening, when they ventured out of the
bush again, what had been the result of the firing. One poor fellow had
part of one leg blown away, and was found lying in great agony. A day or
two after he died. Having thus fired and cleared the place of all
people, a large number of men went ashore from the man-of-war, and
succeeded in killing a few pigs, and in burning down the large men’s
house of the place, which belonged to perfectly innocent and unconcerned
people. Such a proceeding is not calculated to induce in the people any
thoughts either of the justice or of the courage of the white man. It
was a very weary time for them while waiting at Wonor, before reaching
home to tell of their missing brother, and it was not pleasant for the
people of Wonor, as the vessel had picked up two lads of the place as
guides, and they were on board when the firing occurred.
Instead of spending six weeks at this place we spent only ten days. They
were busy days, as we all worked at the house, and as I could not get
about very much to the neighbouring villages, I had to content myself
with talking to the people as they came about us. It soon became evident
that my two boys from the North were very home-sick. One I discovered
sitting in the dark one evening crying, and although they said nothing I
could see what they wished. I therefore decided to return with them, and
after some little difficulty got a crew together. We started on a not
very promising morning, but did not go far before the hearts of the
Wonor men failed them entirely. There was a good breeze blowing, and
some sea on, and the prospect of a long journey before them, and they
formally requested to be allowed to return. It would have been very
awkward to get back in the boat, as both wind and sea were dead against
us, so I decided to put them ashore at a convenient spot, and continued
the journey with the two boys. We had a fair wind, but rain commenced
and continued at intervals all through the day. At last we reached our
destination as evening came on, and never was home more welcome. Our
wonderful journey, as it was thought, with only three in the boat,
caused much talk. Had the wind failed us we should have been in a great
difficulty, but as it was we did the forty miles without much labour. I
hoped to be able to get a crew together, and to go South again to
complete my stay, but we were over-ruled. Three or four days after
reaching Qatvenua the place was greatly disturbed on hearing that a
large canoe, which had left Maewo with Araga people in it more than a
week before, had not been seen or heard of. They were either drowned or
had been blown over to Opa. After a day or two more of suspense I
decided to go to Opa to enquire. It was a relief to everybody when we
started, and the people at home rejoiced greatly when they saw our
signal fires in the evening to let them know that we had found the
missing ones. It was so--they had been blown away from Araga, and could
do nothing but steer for Opa. We remained there one night, and a Trader
who lives there kindly gave the hospitality, and next day we started on
our return with some of the canoe crew. A night had to be spent on the
way at Maewo, but early the next morning we reached home. This was on
Friday, and on the evening of the next day I commenced to be unwell,
and continued so for three weeks. All plans came to nought, as I found
it impossible to get rid of the ague and consequent fever, and only now
and then could I manage to rise at all. The arrival of the _Southern
Cross_ on July 17 was therefore very welcome, and I went on board at
once. All plans as regards the Bank’s Islands had to be given up, and
instead of my staying for a time in Mr. Palmer’s district at Mota and
Motalav, as I had anticipated with great pleasure, I was forced to see
the wisdom of remaining on board for the voyage up to the Solomon
Islands. Much of great interest occurred during the voyage, but the
greatest event was a visit we paid to Nukapu, where the Memorial cross
for Bishop Patteson had been erected two years previously. It was found
to be well cared for, the people were more than friendly, were most
hospitable, and there are bright hopes of something being done ere long
in the place where the Martyr’s death occurred.
I improved so much during the trip that on our arrival in the New
Hebrides again, I decided to continue my stay in Araga. I was on shore
therefore again from September 14 to November 12, and all the places
were visited, and I was no more hindered by bad health. Wonor advanced
most satisfactorily: my later visit found the house completed and quite
fit to sleep in, and I saw much of the surrounding districts and people.
At Lamoru we had the only adult Baptism of the year--five men were
Baptized after much preparation and a long time of trial. November 18
found us again off Norfolk Island, and the Island Voyages were a thing
of the past for 1886.
NETHERTON AND WORTH, PRINTERS, TRURO.