The herald., 1893-07-10
MISSIONARIES AND CANN|BALS,
Rev. Henry Tells About Life on
the Pacific's Islands.
Anthropophagi Who Are Experts on
Tender Points.
HIe Corrects Some Errors Regarding tho
Spread Of Christianity In tho
Society Isiands- Exciting
Incidents in His Life.

Yesterday afternoon the hall of the
Young Mems Christian Association was
filed to overaowing with an interested
audience, amongst which many of the
gentler sex were scattered.
The Rev. j. w. Henry of Tahiti the
largest island in the society group, de.
lvered an address which will always be
remembered by those who heard it, and
at the same time exhibited number Of
curios from the South Sea islands.
Mf. Henry Is an Englishman by birth,
but spent his childhood in the islands,
both OF his parents being missionaries.
Seventeen years Of his own life were
spentfn the different groups as a mis.
sionary. He was educated in America,
having graduated from Madison univer-
sity and the Hamilton theological semi
nary in New York state. Considering
his birth, education and the region
where most of his life has been spent,
he stated that he had been called an
Anglo Polynesean.
Mr.. Henry said that owing to his long
residence devoted to chriatianizing en-
deavors in the islands it would be seen
why he WAS so greatly interested in the
work, and why he had the right to talk
about the progress of the cause through
southern seas. i..f
Il will fret speak OF the island
world" said he, as, be turned to large
chart Immediately in the rear of the
reading deAk, ON which were delineated
both hemispheres. Indicating the west
ern one, ne continued 1.-The whole
southwestern part OF this part of the
globe is studded with countless islands.
The isles of the Pacific are as the stars
OF heaven, innumerable. We have
charts OF these islands, but 80 far there
has never been any thorough investiga-
tion, and many and many an island ex-
lists which has never been delineated
and is very probably unknown. These
Islands are principally in groups, and
these groups are scattered here and
there over many Thousand miles. This
map which is before you is known as q
missionary map, and on it are marked
those islandH where protestant mission.
ary work is going on. This work is
divided by different colorH into that car.
ried on by American interests and that
by foreign.
You will notice that the color which
marks foreign missionary endeavor is in
that part OF Polynesia around the island
OF New Zealand and running north TO
the line OF the equator, while the sec.
tion in which American efforts are ex-
erted is that portion of the Pacific north
OF the equator. The equator seems to
be the dividing line between our own
country and foreign ones in missionary
effort. -"
There is an impression held at pres
ent by nearly everyone that the islands
OF the Pacific have been 30 reached that
there are none of them which are not
under the effects OF Christian influence.
This is mistaken idea, as cannibaiism
at the present day exists on many of
them, and q stranger landing on their
sands would be quickly slain and eaten
with as much gusto as during the dark
ages before their discovery. i read the
other day in q religious newspaper that
20 yesrs ago there was not a Christian
In the New HebrideH group, while today
they we're all thoroughly Chfistlanized.
l tell you 1T is a mistaken idea alto
gether, and although some of them
have been Christianized there are many
on which it is unsafe to land and where
that editor, if he should happen to be
found, would in short order be roasting
over the Goals and the natives sitting
around discussing the relative tender
ness OF his several parts. I landed on
one of these unsafe islands once and
underwent an experience shall not in
a hurry forget. The natives thronged
around me, and some, pushing up the
sleeves OF my coat, pressed their tongue
against the, flesh OF my arms, while 9th
ers, putting their hands inside nv
clothes, felt my ribs, all the while emit
ting clucking noise with their lips,
similar to dog licking his chops, as il
to say, He'd 60 pretty WE'LL The only
thing which saved me from being eaten
was the fact that | was stabooed.' And
| was tabooed from the fact that the
king Of the islanu assembled the rail of
the vessel first, and when he put his
feet on the deck everything belonging to
her came under his royal prerogative,
and therefore I was safe, otherwise
should have been killed and eaten.
My grandfather landed on one Of the
Marquesas and the natives, after thor
oughly examining him, let him go,
probably because they considered him
too tough. One OF my uncles, however,
who was trader, landed on one OF tie
Fiji islands, and it is known that all of
his crew were eaten, and the supposi-