The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-01-08
THE NEW HEBRIDES.
CRUISING EoR LABOR.
NOUS.

breeze that carried the Julia quickly
H. ross the bay. AS We wished To get
north as soon as possible, we wasted
no time running down the channel
through which we had entered the
harbor. but hauled sharp on the wind
and tackled through q narrow passage
between Deception Island OF the
right, and Il little one next to it on
the LEFT. There was eight fathOms Of
water in mid-channei, shoaling up to
two and one and IL half on either side.
The water was so clear that we could
see every lump of coral or block of
lava on the bottom, and as the lively
Julia whisked around as she tackled
close to the reef we almost fancied
she had pivoted herself on some one
Of the marine boulders SO plainly
visible under her keel. There was
plenty of water, however, we knew
from Nc Leod's statements, and in
few minutes we were out OLA the
ocean, and Havaunah harbor was
closed to our view.
AS soon as we had fairly cleared
the land, the Julia swung around
and, heading east, worked ui' between
Decep ion and Nuna (Nontague)
| Islands, and came TO anchor about 8
p. NJ. off the missionary station OIL the
| 5 E point of Muua. While standing
across the channel, we noticed that
the sky was very red, as if there was
nh immense conflagratiOn going on
| near uS--an island or two burning up
! perlIaps-and felt a "right smart"
earthquake shock. Hence we con-
| cluded at the time that the volcano
ON the island of Tanna, south of It's,
| had exploded, not knowing at the
time that KrakaIOa, Java, was the
| probable source of these strange phe-
uomena.
The station opposite our anchorage
was pretty place, being almost coll
cealed in the shade OF huge trees, and
consisted of very comfortable dwell
| ing, with domestic offices attached.
fhe groupO of b iIdings stood i'll a very
| pretty garden filed with fruit trees,
towering plants, aud vines, and fine
pineapples. Mr.. Peter Milne, Wes-
leyan missionary stationed here for
the past fourteen years, has his vile
| and three children with him, aud
though he had no occas inn TO feel
very kindly towards those who came
to carry off his people, or what is
| quite as bad, probably induce them
to- exchange their cOprah for the
worlds goods, vet he was very polite
-aimnst kind, in fact-in giving i'm
Formations regarding the islands and
the people. gathered from my con-
verSalion with him that the natives
who hav4 been brought under the
teachings of the missionaries i'm the
group undeI stand the great scheme at
III vlti0n "wrll enough # they want
TO-" That there was Indifference and
opposition To fl mt against. That one
great obstacle tn the rapid spread of
Christian knowledge language lay
n the f,ct that no one language was
common tn the group. This was illus
rated by Mr.. Mines taking up II
schOol-book printed in the New He
rilean language, and remarkIng :
The words In t"is primer are under
stood in the north part of Efati. not
IN the rest of the island. On Mosa,
Muna, and Pele. On part of Mai,
romgna, and the small islands aJjuin-
ing. OF the south eud of Apai, not
on the rest of the island. On Enae
aud Tonga a different language is
spoken on one side eff each island
from what is spoken OH the other
side" This is The more remarkable
from the fact that the islands are
close to each other; from one, in fact,
we cal see fourteen others. That the
people are still cannibals; that the
beach men" do not trouble the
white residents much, and that when
the bush men, cnme down and
kill anybody he, the missionary, tries
TO get the names of the offenders and
re, orts them to the first mam-of- wal
that comes along, and the commander
generally makes it very hot for the
mur,lerers or their villages. He also
told me that fever and ague prevails
hut is not fatal TO any but children.
(Ths last item he gives me when We
are alone.) He also told me that he
was expecting the frame for new
church from Sydney upon the arrival
of the D"y Spring, and finally adj
vised me-. if intended walking about
| the island. he would send Il man with
me, as it was not safe for any stranger
to wander about alone.
Upon returning tO the Julia l en-
barked in u canoe that looked like
the "twin'' of the half-tinished one
seen by Mcleod and myself. Tie
main pOin. of difference between the
two lny in the fact that while both
canoes curved badly to the right and
left. the unfinished one have spoken
of had bumped back aud a hollow
keel, while the Que I took passage in
from the shore TO the Julia was flat
on tffe bottom, and in its length de-
scribed reversed curve. There were
other canoes about, as we'll as the
schoOner's boats, but / wished to