The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-08-04
MISSION OF
MICRONESIA
A Letter From Rev. A.
c. WIkup.
A SAILOR MISSIONARY
People of Butaritari Crazy on Dane
ing and Spend Thar Time
Waiting.

1t is a pleasure to give our readers
who are interested in Micronesian mis-
sions, late letter from the veteran
missionary Walkup. says the Friend.
The Rev. A. G.. Walkup called at Ho-
nolulu last December with his gasoline
schooner Hiram Bingham, which has
received a new and more powerful en-
gine in San Francisco. He sailed from
here December %, reaching Tapiteuea,
the southernmost island in his field, on
January Is. having had good passage
of twenty-seven days. We give the
larger part of his Jetters:
Hiram Bingham,
Nonouti, Feb. 10, 1890.
The engine took US in the 18th
in a calm. We anchored well in and
set awnings and had a good nights
rest. Both Tibwere and Abera came
aboard while We were anchored ou sid
oa Peacock anchorage. They piloted
us in as l. was in the engine room moss
of the time. Friday morning 1 went
ashore, but was on board again by
noon. This was fortunate as a squat
came and the wind changed to the
west. The anchor was dragging until
got the large anchor out aud awning
down. We were too close in to let ou;
all the chain / wanted TO, and in about
an hour the swells grew quite large.
and the vessel jumped until bang"
went the large anchor chain. 1t was
raining and blowing hard, but l set
the mainsail ard jib, then slipped the
chain and got away-not over a mi ute
to spare. as the second chain parted as
we were letting the chain run. We
were out at sea three nights before the
/ natives found one anchor, aad then we
had to run In and raise with the wind
lass, as 81 was well buried in the siIme.
The next day we got the second anchor
and slept better with the two anchors
out, as the westerly squalls still con-
| tinued
In fact. at daylight that next morn
' ing, we had the heaviest one of a |. but
having twenty-five to thirty fathomi
of chain we did not drag. They have
been having heavy rains all winter, but
very few nuts are ripe as yet, and very
little pandanus. and rough weather fol
| fishing-thus the people have been liv-
ing on toddy, and here at Nonouti al
except our Christians are drinking tht
sour toddy. (Toddy is the rich SAL
| which flows from the growing flower.
stem of the cocoanut, when the end ii
cut off. When sour, II intoxicates.-
Ed
|
growing some; a few seem to hav'
dropped out, but twenty-seven were
admitted TO the churches on Januar.
2S. Here at Nonouti some of the mem
bers will be disciplined for the SOU
toddy drinking, while some that hav'
not been attending the services ar
coming again. 1 was glad to see abou
twenty yesterday that came four mites
| to the midweek service at Buota. TIL
schools seem to be about the same
having sent eight at Kusaie, the las
trip of the Star. The r. G. B.saop ha
been performing miracles at Apaian
with his ring. Tobacco seems to be thei
bait. as the people have nothing to bu
tobacco with. The Bishop. as well a
tine commissioner, has gone to Fiji.
1 have Boan (my second mate to Sa
Francisco in 1880 and one of Tapiteu
, ea's home missionaries as helpers o
, the Bingham. also Mr.. Harvey. TIL
steamer was at Tapiteuea day befor
: us. thus some two or three NOR
, engine is working WELL and quite
curiosity to the natives. as / have use
II several times. They all want to Sc
: the "iti'' flash of electricity
, / keep very well and do not get tire
: as the weather is cool. / probably ca
write more later to send with this, a
the north end of the group, where III
r two of the old teachers have fallen ou
, during the year. and thus only maxim
: three after filling up the gaps. Whe
will we have eight or ten?
4 Butaritari, April z, 1900.
No mail has gone as yet. but Nep
: tune for Jaluij, and Loongana fror
\ Sydney are expected now daily. Thu
1 must have some general news read
3 in these manifolds North winds hav
II ha1 q
Y engine much. The 200 gallons of case
: line from San Francisco and so fror
e Honolulu are gone. The logs say 81
miles by engine, 56 hours. l find onl
l15 gallons here, as one l00-gallon drul
has rusted out. 1 hope to go from heI
to Marakei, Abian, Tarawa, Maian;
and on to Banaba. The work at til
, south cfour islands) is fairly encouras
ing, but here at these northern island
the people are crazy for dancing, an
!, last year they danced from sever;
weeks to months before each holida,
8 Here they have been told they coul
: only have week to prepare, but III
=, dancers want no less than five weel
to get the multitudes crazy. The Con
= missioner, went in Loongana last NJ
II Ivember to Sydney. and the dancers ha
q a big time before last New Years da
n The attendance at the villages hel
n and at Maxim have been somewh:
smaller than last year, but at ApaiaT
y and Tarawa about the same. 1t was t,
D. rough to anchor at Marakei, thus
II have not been ashore there, but Re
q Biribo said only a few had fallen
y dancing.
y Has the Star reached San Francis,
- all safe? When will she sail agair
's When will l hear from the old hon
y land? The rains have not been so hea'
'l the last few weeks. but quite plent