Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-26
FROM MISSIONARY FIELDS.

the Gospel. There are nve in the
group. which is west and north OF
Tahiti about one hundred and fifty
miles. Raiatea. the natural center Of
the group, preserved its autonomy I'M
Ill less than n year ago when the
French bombarded and subjected the
natives after killing some and taking
captive more than a hundred. Pre-.
vious to their conquest by the French
their native laws prohibited any re,
ligious worship except Professionalism
As might be expected their seizure by
the French at once annulCd all of the
old native laws and granted religious
tolerance. This the first opportunity
for opening the field It was seized and
two Elders, j. Il. Wiley and H. L.
Grapes were sent to Raiatea. The
prospects were so favorable and the
time SO propitious that Elders Curtis
and Kennard We're sent over to aid In
arrived from Tahiti. We succeeded IN
tracking four of the islands, have hap
| tized u number and have number of
listeners. The time is fully ripe for
preaching the Gospel among this
/, group.
The one great thing that interferes
with expeditions work Is the poor ia
cilities for travelling. Those Elders who
are laboring in fields nettcd with rail-
roads or good foot roads must certain
" appreciate their advantages Some
times we Elders lay In port for
weeks, waiting for u boat and fair
| wind TO carry us to our fields of labor.
| Apropos to this. we might mention
| thnt these voyages on small boats
among the islands are the most dis
| tasteful of all the experiences. Some
| idea of the wide extent Of the mission
can be formed when we learn that It Is
| 4 journey of twelve days from the
| Marquses the most northerly group OF
| the mission to Tubual. the most south
eriy. Many OF the Islands are SO iso-
lated that the Elders get mail only
semi-annually. on other islands travel
| Is so uncertain that some of the Ell
ders have been compelled to wait five
| months for mail. Yet with all these
| disadvantages we are contented and
| feel that We have "A great many adj
| Nantages that are not found in other
fields
In the old fields the purse and scrip
! plan is feasible one and may In the
near future be so in the new fields
Owing to the fact that the French gov
| ernment dlscountenances IL because
| they think 1t borders on vagrancy,
necessitates some precaution in the
new fields In Gentle fields we gem
| orally rent a small house when in the
main city, but when we are out we
generally have POOR roads and many
of the native villages must be reached
by travelling along the seashore or by
means of the dug-out canoes. The ma
tlves are generally very kind to us, for
they welcome strangers from every
land to their shores. Two Elders en-
tering a native village with grip in
hand is occasion for wonderment. only
equalled by the arrival of circus in
a country village.
our April conference will he held at
Takaroa. one Of the islands in the
Tuamotus. This group has long been
n stronghold for the Latter day Saints.
The people there have means Of oh
tanning money very easily. Bounteous
nature has filled these waters with the
valuable pearl shells. During tho div
ing seasons some of the native Saints
earn as much as hundred dollars In
n single days diving. The shells find
a ready market among the traders.
At present there are Eve Elders
laborlng in this group they are: a. r
Smith, George F. Despair, David Neff
Il. T. Hatch and w. II. Chamberlain
William Chapman will take tho arst on.
portunity for Joining Elder chamber
lain. President d. 4. Miller will he
present at conference. Elders A. r
Curtis. /. E.Roppleye, l.. II lNennnr1
William McGregor, Grant Andrus ant