The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1873-05-03
THE PACIFIC
Commercial AOOrrtlsrr.
SATURDAY. MAY g..
The New Testament Tranlated into the
Gilbert Island Language.

EngilSn ana AMERICAN papers contain ire
queut allusions to the efforts OF the leading
Biblical scholars Of the age, to revise and
improve King James translation Of the Bible.
This is doubtless a great and good enterprise.
While learned divines and scholarly profess
sors have been thus engaged, with all the
helps of modern science and learning, the
work Of translation OF the Holy Scriptures
has been progressing on the opposite side OF
the globe, but under entirely different cir
cumstances. The last verse of the New
Testament was translated into the Gilbert
Island language on Good ~Friday-llth Of
April. The peculiar circumstance under
which the Rev. Hiram Bingham and wife
have accomplished this work are such as
should call forth devout thanksgiving on
the part Of all friends Of missionaries and
Christian scholarship. Herewith we take
great pleasure in publishing a history of this
work of translation, furnished by Rev. Mr..
Bingham. It was read on the evening of
Good Friday, at one of the most pleasant
gatherings of ladies and gentlemen, which it
was ever our privilege to attend, who assem-
bIed atthe boardingch ool of the Misses Bingh-
am, TO congratulate their brother and sister,
on the accomplishment of this great under
taking.
We do not hesitate TO speak of it as Ca
great undertaking." Sixteen years ago,
away nearly 1000 miles to the 5. w. from
Honolulu, there were living 80 or 10000 in
habitants on the Kings Mill or Gilbert Group
Of Islands. They were living in the very
lowest state of heathenism, without a writ
ten language, reported very cruel and savage,
dwelling on low coral islands, without any
commodity except cocoanut oil TO exchange
for articles of civilized life, and having no
desire for trade except for tobacco. Their
clothing consisted of the veriest fg-leaf ar
Engagements made of the pandanus leaf.
Among such a people, Mr.. and Mrs. Bingh-
am took up their abode in 1857, and COM
menced the study of their language, and now
after sixteen years have rolled away he
has completed the translation of the entire
New Testament which was finished on the
Ilth of April 1878. They took passage to
those islands in the first trip of the Morning
star, and on the fifth trip of that vessel, in
1861, it was our privilege to visit those
islands, and there we found our good friends
engaged in their work. From our intimate
knowledge of the history of this mission and
having once seen the people for whom this
translation and other books have been writ
ten, we can write knowingly upon the
subject.
LIST OF GILBERT ISLANDS LITERATURE.
IT, NJ, To~.o,,oa. ..ox-Io.oJ L., D.,
Hiram Bingham.
flynn Book, edited by Rev. Hiram
Bingham.
Reading Book, edited by Mrs. Bingham.
Old Testament Bible Stories. written by
Mrs. Bingham.
Primary Geography, prepared by Mrs.
Bingham.
Primary Arithmetic, prepared by Mrs.
Bingham.
Catechism, translated from Hawaiian by
Rev. J.. H. Mahoe.
At the gathering to which we have re-
ferred, nearly all the old missionaries resid-
ing in Honolulu were present. 1t was emf
nently a social and congratulatory occasion.
His Majesty honored the gathering by His
presence, and the informal but highly appro-
pirate manner in which He conduct
ed the venerable Mrs. ThurSton TO the
adjoining room, where a generous repast was
spread, was a most pleasing feature OF the
occasion. Before partaking of the "good
which were provided, there were
exercises worthy of note. Prayer was
offered by the Rev. Lowell Smith, the Rev.
Mr.. Pogue, Secretary of the Hawaiian Board
of Missions most appropriately addressed the
Rev. MIR. Bingham who read the subjoined
% historical sketch" One most interesting
csatrra of tbo ~, ,boriD~ ebo,,I1 49, h. o,,;t
ted, several Gilbert Island natives came for
ward and received each a copy of the New
Testament on that day completed. The
price having been fixed at 60 cents, each one
paid for the book as it was handed out.
Among them was the one who has been as
Sistiug in the work of translation, and his
intelligent countenance and prompt answers
indicated that an educated Gilbert Islander
will take a high rank among Polynesians.
We improve this opportunity to congratu-
Mr.. and Mrs. Bingham on the successful
accomplishment of their translation of
other books in the Gilbert Islands dia-
ect. Missionary work with good health and
agreeable surroundings is not always pleas
but i'll health, and many trials and hin
i~erances nave been their lot during these
sixteen years. Once and again has the
work been broken of, much voyaging has
'een accomplished. a long visit to America
las been undertaken, and a return trip around
Horn performed, still in the good :
Providence of God they have perservered and }
le was enabled TO affix his signature to the final :
work of translating the entire New Tesla :
nent-the following being the last verse of :
he Book of Revelation in the Gilbert Islands 9
Iielect {" E ma mena ana akoi te Yea are I
esu Kristo irouia Kiritian mi Kabaneia. {
,
They have performed their literary work q
f translation when in Honolulu, in the old
Bindery, hence we shall hereafter !
Ook at that building with something of the c