The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-01-06
THIRTY YEARS WITH CANNIBALs.
The Experience of the Rev. John G.

The Experience of the Rev. John G.
 Patton in the New Eebrides Islands.
 The career of the Rev. Dr. John G..
 Patton, returned missionary from the New Hebrides, from the time that he
 left Scotland, thirty-one years ago, to
 his return to America is serial story
 Jf adventures and hardships, of escape from death, almost incredible. And it
 was not in the part of conquest or lead ing the serried ranks of battle that Dr.
 Patton met and surmounted dangers and
 difficulties and brought many thousands | of ignorant savages to an understand ing of the arts of civilization, but It
 was in preaching the Gospel that Dr.
 Patton and his associates wrought their
 work.
 Educated in the parish school in Dum-
 fries, in southern Scotland, and finish
 ing a course of study in the classical
 and medical departments of the college
 at Glasgow, Dr. Patton immediately be-
 gan work as a city missionary in Glas-
 gow. His special field was among the , town police, and so appreciative were
 the policemen of his eleven years labor
 among them that upon his departure
 they gave him handsome gold watch,
 which he now carries. Dr. Patton had
 established clubs and reading circles
 among the police and it is remarked l that both Protestant and Catholic l policemen contributed to the gift. The
 watch bears the inscription: Presented
 to pr. John G. Patton, city missionary,
 by the c Division of the Glasgow police
 as token of their appreciation of his
 zeal in the promotion of their tempor-
 al and eternal welfare, March, 1857" In 1858, Dr. Patton, accompanied by
 his bride of year, left for the mission
 ary field in the New Hebrides. The
 New Hebrides are a group of islands in | the South Seas, an archipelago of Poly
 nesia, a chain extending from latitude | 13 degrees south, longitude 166 degrees east to latitude 20 degrees south, longi- tude ITO degrees east, about five hundred miles long, and adjacent to the island of Borneo.
 Weeks later Dr. Patton arrived at the Island of Tanna, one of the northern islands of the group. and landing began his labors. For time the intrepid mis- sionaries were unmolested, but a white trader visiting the islands made an un- Iwarranted personal attack on Dr. Patton, and following this the savage natives plundered the house and hardly a day passed without some attempt upon the lives of the missionaries, compelling them to leave the islands and seek refuge with native chief in another island. When the party landed at Tan ma there was fine harbor, capable of accommodating a large number of ves- al h,,t ,r1, al Of ', pletely destroyed it. After the escape of the party from Tanna they were giv- en shelter for a time with a friendly chief but the natives were hostile and an attempt was made to escape from the island in an open boat, but a rough sea compelled the gallant workers to land again. On the following night the missionaries were assailed and the house in which they were stopping was burned and the life of Dr. Patton was attempt ed. pr. Patton in speaking of the at tack said:
 q defed the natives, and apparently in answer to my prayer tornado came with incredible swiftness and so alarm ed the natives that they ran away and molested us no more."
 The next day the party escaped by vessel to Aneityum, an adjoining island, one of the missionaries and his wife dy- ing on board before the port was reach- ed from the hardships and dangers
 '"The mission passed through a bap- tsm of blood in beginning the work in the South Sea Islands," said Dr. Patton. | "The population of the group was then estimated at 150000, all cannibals, with | out clothing, and with no written lang uage. On Aneityum, where we did our | first work every widow was strangIed | to death the moment her husband died | Child murder was common, and children | destroyed their parents when long sick | or aged. Neighboring tribes were often | at war with each other and all they | killed were feasted on by the conquerors which was also the fate of all ship- | wrecked sailors and strangers who fell | into their hands. while crimes of the l most revolting character were delighted l in. Five missionaries were murdered | and two of them eaten on Errumbanga. | A sixth fell by my side and died in of an attack upon our lives at Tanna. Members of the mis- sion families and many native teachers with their wives and children either died or were murdered and eaten by the heather. Those associated with me either died of were killed, leaving me the only misiosnary north of Aneityum living to tell the story.
 Tt was thirty-six years ago that barely escaping Tuith my life found my way to Australia and by considerable effort secured our first mission schooner, the Dayspring, and since then the work has steadily progressed and Christian influence has been extended to twenty two islands. The Bible has been trans ated and is now read in twenty-two different languages and about eighteen thousand natives have been redeemed rom savagery. Out of the savage can nibals, among whom we were first plac- ed. we have educated over three hun fred native teachers The high chief of 1ne island cheerfully gave up eleven wives in obedience to the creed we taught"
 Dr. Patton married a second time in S62 and now has two sons engaged in missionary work in the islands. From