Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-09-24

repairs. and sailing from Yokohama. Au-
gust Z, 1884, on her return, was never heard
from again. Another schooner bearing the
same name was built, in 1888, and is now,
in service at Ruck, under command of Cap
tain Foster.
On the Gilbert group are many churches
and several Hawaiian preachers and teach
ers. Owing to the low altitude of these
coral Islands no white person can live there
in health, SO the mission work for the Gil
berts, as for the Marshalls. is conducted
from husaie. This necessitates the con-
slant use of a vessel in which the mission
aries resident in kuSaie can make their
rounds among the Gilbert Islands. In 1892
the little schooner Hiram Bingham was
sent to Mr.. Walkup, the Gilbert Islands
missionary at kuSaie. She has a gasoline
engine, so Mr.. Walkup. who is captain.
mate and engineer, can smile defiance at
Gains and counter currents in his tours
among the islands
In Micronesia there are now three central
mission stations. all situated in the Caro-
line groun-two at kusaie, with fields en-
bracing the Marshall and Gilbert groups.
respectively, and one at RUk, whose field
includes the western Caroline Islands and
the Mortlocks. At POnape, in 1887. the
missionary outlook was most cheering. OF
the five native kings that ruled in the is
land, four, with their queens. and many
leading men, had been baptized. For four
teen years previously three Christian Po-
nape couples, headed by Princess opatinia
and her husband Opataia. had been work
more distant islands of the Caroline group.
But in the March of this year the Spanish
government assumed authority over the Is
land of Ponape, which practically ended the
work of the Protestant mission there. Mr.
Doane, the missionary, was arrested and
taken as a prisoner to Manila. Later he
was returned to Ponape, but in June. 1890,
the Spaniards burned the mission premises
at Qua and the missionaries had to with
draw from the island. Since that time no
missionary has resided at Ponape or, with
one exception, has been permitted TO visit
the natives there.
The population of Micronesia, as given by
the Statesman's Year Book for 1898, is a.
81, divided among the four island groups
as follows: Marshalls, 1900; Gilbe:ts, d.
200; Caroline, 10000; Ladrones, 10.1I2. The
population of Ponape is 10000. Owing to
the bigotry of the Spaniards who held them
no Protestant mission has as yet been
planted at the Ladrones.
American Board of Missions.
All the Protestant mission work in Mi
Cronesia is under the control of the Ameri-
can board of missions. The board main
tanss there at its three central stations 10
white missionaries, men and II women, "a
ordained and 30 unordained native pastors
and 81 native school teachers. 1t has 131
places for stated worship, 40 churches, /, roc
church members and BLOOD adherents
There are three theological schools in each
central station with 50 students; 3 girls
schools with 50 pupils, and 81 common
schools, taught by native theological STU
dents, with an attendance of 2,7JT pupils.
The grand total under instruction at the
Microne sian mission stations is 2 SO pupils
The cost of maintaining this mission work
last year was SIS 134.6i, of which S24 CTS 10
was Tor the current expenses of the three
vessels of the missionary navy.
Honolulu is the base of supplies for the
Mfcronesian missions. The Morning Star
spends about two months of the year there
renting and taking on board freight and
missionary passengers for Micronesia She
starts on her southwark cruise in the mid
die of June, passing through the Gilbert
Islands On her way TO Rusaie. Stopping
there to leave the supplies and mail she
goes to Ruk, the farthest point of her vow
aging. She is then about $500 English
miles in an air line from Honolulu or 4 oDa
by the route she has taken. The Morning
Star remains at Ruk week and then re-
turns to kusaie. where she takes on board
the missionaries that have the Marshall
group in charge and the theological stu
dents of their school, and makes ten
weeks cruise among the Marshall Islands
In its progress the missionaries visit the
out-StationS, found new stations and preach
to the unconverted tribes wherever the
chiefs will grant them permission to do So
On her return to kusaie the vessel starts
for ten weeks cruise among the Gilbert
Islands, bearing the missionaries and theo-
logical students of the Gilberts' stations
on an errand similar to that of the other
cruise. DO white Protestant missionary
remains permanently in the Marshall or
Gilbert groups In the first the teachers
are all Micronesians; in the other there are
also a few Hawaiians. In both groups
there are German Catholic missionaries
Capt. Bray at the Helm.
After her return to Kusaie the Morning
Star waits for the mail to be made up,