The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-04-06
THE HAWAIIAN BOARD.
a CoNrERENCr wITu A NG~iTING
MISSIONARY.
Evangelical WORK iu the south seas
Dr. Whitmco aud His Rocompicn-
dations samoa.


of the Hawaiian Board. last evening
held conference 10y previous appoint
ment with Rev. 5. J. Whitmee, b. d.,
who arrived ia trdHsifa, per Monowai.
I DR.. Whitmee is one Of the oldest mis-
sionaries Of the London Missionary
Society in the South Pacific. lie is in
especial charge Of the location
and support of the Society
native preachers and catechists.
/ New Guinea is at present their largest
! field of labor. The work u done by the
aid of the missionary ship, the John
/ Williams. The latest edition of the
John Williams is now on the way out
10 the Pacific. She is a steel steamer Of
/ $50 tons. triple expansion engines, max
/ ing ten knots. thus double the size and
speed OF the Morning Star
The chief training school is at Samoa
where POlynesian youth are educated
| for service as preachers and misslonaries
/ They have mission in the Gilbert
group occupying the five southern isl
ands or atOlls, where thirteen preachers
are located. These have done most
successful work. The twelve central
and northern atolls from Tapituea to
Butaritari form a separate mission I'M
der the care of the Hawaiian Board.
There are several native Hawaiian mis-
siOnaries labOring on these islands.
/ Three veterans have just returned on
/ the Morning Star TO their native land
two of them worn out in the service.
The Gilbert Island mission of this
! Board is under the immediate superin-
tendence Of an itinerating missionary,
| the Rev. A. G. Walkup, who
voyages from atoll 10 atoll in
the gasoline yacht the Hiram Bingham.
1t is also cared for by Rev. Mr.. Chan
non, who conducts the training school
on Kusaie for preachers and catechists,
from which a large number of such
helpers have been sent out, and are
now labOring throughout the group.
As is well known, Great Britain Ia.
annexed the Gilbert Islands. Her rule
is welcomed by our missionaries. and
secures peace and order, hitherto greatly
lacking.
The errand Of DIR. Whitmee
was 10 present a PROPOSE
ton from the South Pacific
missions 10 unite the two separate mis-.
sions in the Gilbert Islands TO be under
their care. The members Of the com
mittee present were Messrs Bingham
Bishop, Emerson, Hyde and II. Water.
house. Or. Bingham, As the veteran
missionary in that field, took the lead
ing part in the discussion. For many
cOgent reasons our committee were moi
inclined 20 entertain the plans OF the
friends in the South.
| A leading motive on their part was e
make provision for training their Gil
bert converts as preachers and teachers
Those natives, through ignorance
) of the Samoan language, are unable
prohtably 10 attend the Samoan training
, school. DR.. Whitmee, however, stateC
! an alternative plan to reach the same
end, which was to place "A missionary
, and his wife on the best island of thu
, Ellice group, 100 miles south Of the las
r Gilbert island, and train pupils there
= Very singularly, one of the Ellice i'll
; ands is inhabited by 1000 people speak
ing the Gilbert language, although tina
Of the other islands closely resemble
! the Samoan.
j In reply to questions about the dis
( turbed condition Of the Samoans, DR.
: never be at rest, until they wer
/ unanimous desire. To be governe
0plfig ny biNhb iSihb az VI
3 other South Pacific groups they derive
8 their Christianity and civilization fror
: England. Their chief trade has bee
with the English Australian colonie
DIR. Whitmee does not think that sue
English occupation Of Samoa woul
interfere with the rights TO a coalin
!, station at Pago-pago already acquire
by the United States. DIR. WIS opinion
carry great weight as those of a
e expert in matters relating to Sout
|. Pacific tribes.
a. 1t should be added that all the Scri
lures and other literature in the GLIDE
= tongue used by the Samoan mission
!. their five islands, were obtained frol
=, the Hawaiian Board. DIR. Bingham
e who last year completed the printing {
is a beautiful Gilbert Bible, is NOV engage
in producing other needed literatu
J. and school books for them, all whiC
!. they eagerly purchase.