Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-06-06

uOm NcW EtaiauNfl WI WV A1Ah " wv
same month, was busily engaged at
Papeetc, gathering historical informa.
lion about the Society islands mission,
assisted part OF the time by Elder Cut
Ter. But as no mission records Of any
kind has been kept so iar,it was no easy
task to compile history, there being
nothing to compile from except a few
letters on file from the different Elders
now in the field, principally for the year
1905. Unless historical data can be OBJ
tanned from the private Journals Kept by
the respective Elders who have laborcd
in these islands, the history Of this
mission will necessarily be incomplete.
According to the reports which have
recently been forwarded from the differ
en-, Elders TO the president Of the mis-
sion, there were gsi souls, including
children. belonging to the Church In the
mission at the close Of 1895. OF these
81 we're on the island OF Anaa IS on
Faaite, 50 on Fakaraya, u on Atatika,
40 on Takaroa, "a on Kauehi, - on
Raraka, 50 on Kaiiu. 81 ON Makemo, ma
on Hao, s on Amanu, ! on Tauete Is
ON Marokau, las on Hikueru, Is3 on
Tubuai, s on Ruru,u, o on Tahiti and )
scattered otherwise members. The
mission is divided into three confer
enccs, namely the Lower Tuamoiu, pre-
sided over by Elder Carl J. Larsen, the
Upper Tuamotu, with Elder Thomas L.
Woodbury. as president, aud the Austral
conference, over which Elder |. Frank
Golf prcsides. Elders Eugene NJ. Can.
non, Alonzo +. Smith and George +.
Despair labor in connection with Elder
Larsen In the Lower Tuamoiu cen
ference; Elder Arthur Dickefson is
Elder Woodbury's companion In the
Upper Tuamotu, aud Elder Fred {.
Rossiier helps Elder Goa in the Ausiral
conference Elder Cutler himself has
had no companion since he succeeded
to the presidency Of the mission in May
1895. From the foregoing Il will be
seen that there are nine Elders from
Zion In the Society Islands mission at
the present time. OF these, Elders Cut
Ter, Woodbury., Larsen, Cannon and
Golf have labored In the mission since
March 3Is,, 1895; the others arrived
January 4,h, 1896 During the year 1895
the Elders have done missionary work
on the following named islands; Anaa,
Abe. Aritika, Apataki, Aru,ua, Amanu,
Faaiic, Fakaraoa, Hao. kauehi, ka,iu,
Makemo, Morakau, Raraka, Takaroa,
Tahiti, Tubuai. Toau, Taiaro and
Takume.
The Society Islands mission embraces
three groups OF Islands, namely the
Society Islands consisting OF the SO
called Windward and Leeward islands)
the Tuamotu Archipelago and the scat.
tered Austral islanus, OF which .Iubuai
Is the principal member. The Lower
Tuamotu conference embraces all the
Islands Of the Tuamotu group lying west
OF longitude "a as west OF Greenwich,
aud the Upper Tuamotu conference all
the Tuamotu islands lying east OF the
meridian named. The Austral confer
ence takes Ia all the Austral Islands,
though nearly all the Saints reside ON
the Island oil Tubuai. As there Is only
very lew scattered Saints on the
Society Islands, and those lew all on
Tahiti, these islands are not included In
any conference organization; but as they
are otherwise interesting. and may per
haps become future missionary field.
will give lew particulars concerning
hen.
Tne Society Islands lie between lati
tude TO- ana iS' south, and longitude
IAS' and 1859 so west OF Greenwich
aud consists OF fourteen Islands exclusive
OF islets. They are divided into th,
Windward islands. consisting OF Tahiti
Moorea, Maitea or Mehetia. aud Tetua
roa; aud the Leeward Islands, consisting
oi Tubuai- Manu-, Huahine, Raiaiea
rahaa, Bombora, Motu-lt. Maupili
Mopetia, BellingshaIsen Tor l.or,
Iowe's island) and Sicily. Inc Wind
ward Islands we're formerly called tn
Georgian Islands, and the name Socitt!
Islands only applied 10 the Lecward Is
lands. The latter we're independent
s,ales until 1883. when they were takel
possession OF by the French. The are
VI the whole group u estimated At 50
square miles, and has a population Q
about 800 at the present time. Nearl
all the Islands Except the few coral Is
lands and islets) closely resemble eaeI
other In appearance They are mostl
mountainous IN the Interior, with tract
oil low.lying and extraordinary iertl
land occupying the shores all aroun
from the base OF the mountains TO th
sea, and surrounded by coral reels. Tn
laI .cst Islands are abundantly wa,eie'
by stree rs and ENJOY a temperate an
agfe ,able climate, considering thei
Location W the tropics Almost ever
tropical gegelable and irult known
grown here; bu, agricultural neglected
The native inhabitants belong to III
Polynecian race, end resemble IN
Sandwich islanders very much 10 cha
acler ~ disposition. They are ailabl,
ingen Gus aud hospi,able, but vo'aul
aud sensual. The women OF Tahiti ar
represented by many as being Oh
prcttiss; met with on any OF the Paeiti
Islands. The practice of iattooing ha
almost wholly disappeared, aud man
Of the natives pattern now alter Euro
peans in their dress. especially III
women, who are now generally in iu
dress, and only show their bare ieet an
usually uncovered head. The men wet
only shirt and breecheloth, the II
dispensible pareu,on ordinary occasion
Cobra dried cocoauuts) oranges an
lime juice are the principal articles e.
ported. The Tahitian oranges are SUI
posed 10 be the best Ia the world. Cob
Is the general article OF barter through
out the Islands for groceries and gener
merchandise. which are imported chiel