The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-10-14
EVANGELIST GEL IS NOW
TOURING FAR NEW ZEALAND

The New Zealand Herald of Sept. 25
has the following about VIM. Edgar Gel.
the evangelist who spoke. last winter, in
Central Union Church:
Mr. VIM. Edgar Cell. an American gem
tleman hailing from Philadelphia, arriv-
ed recently from Tonga. He is on a mis-
sion of travel, which will occupy him for
three years and half. a Herald repre-
sentative interviewed him at the Star
Hotel and ne was courteous enough TO
vouchsafe every information concerning
his movements.
Would you kindly give me some infor
nation as TO the mission on which you
are engaged, and your impression of the
islands you have already visited?" said
our representative
Well" said MIR Gel, Il am studying
the aboriginal peoples of the world. and
am taking a three and a-half years jour
ney. ! have been in the Sandwich ISL
ands, Samoa, Fiji, and Tonga, spending
q month in each My studies are parity
chronological and to study the questions
as to how the aboriginal races came into
their present condition. My mission Is
Independent and personal, although I
hav a number of prominent friends in
the United States who are interested in
the result of my Investigations. As far
as the Sandwich Islands are concerned,
came to the conclusion that the native
populate is not increasing. The Ha-
waaians are intellectually progressive,
though that is hardly matched by moral
and religious progress. American Samoa
ne
improving in every respect and Tutuila,
next to Auckland. is the most valuable
harbor / have yet seen in the South Pa
cific. The United States government have
constructed waterworks, and have added
shower baths for the natives free of
charge. A native school for the higher
education of girls has just been complet-
ed by the London Missionary Society,
and will accommodate over 100 boarders
1 found the general condition of the ma
tives TO be good. At German Samoa
spent some time, and found great dissat-
isfaction among the natives concerning
some of the regulations of the German
government The authorities are for
bidding the rebuilding of decaying school
houses, and have forbidden the teaching
of English in the schools. They object
to the London Missionary Society taking
up their yearly collection for the mainte-
nance of the missionary institutions. In
the only college at Samoa. the professors
are forbidden to teach English. This is
a hardship, because it has been custom
airy to prepare young men as teachers
to be sent to the various English archi-
pelagos. I was faVorably impressed with
Fiji. The governor tSir George O'Brien)
has done. in my opinion, some good work
for the natives, by the obstruction of
an val of viii
layers from miasmatic ground to health-
er surroundings. and by conveying pure
water to various villages. l believe, how
ever, the government will find it advis-
able to modify some of their regulations.
There is a danger of stamping out in
dividuality, which makes for progress,
while some forms of communism have a
tendency to retrogresSiOn. The work
done by the Wesleyan Mission has on the
whole been very good. The college at
Navaloa. to which brilliant young man,
Mr. w E. Bennett, NJ. A, has been APP
pointed, is to be placed on a new basis,
as 1 understand, and the whole system
of native education which is practically
in the hands of the Wesleyan church, re-
vised The natives have a very contract
ed literature, and it Is strongly urged
that English be taught in all the schools
OF the colony, and thus throw open to
the native Fijian the whole realm of
English literature. / was favorably i'm
pressed with the Tongans, and found a
kindly feeling developing between the
Wesleyan and the Free Church sections.
During my stay in Tonga l delivered
course of lectures upon my travels at
the request of the British Consul and the
most prominent business men, They We're
given in the Parliament House, and We're
attended by all sections of the communi-
ty. The Tongans are a mathematical
people, high-spirited, and progressive.
Throughout all the islands in my travels,
1 am sorry to say, I have noticed traces
of the influences of evil-disposed Euro
peans I left Tonga for Auckland with
view of investigating the condition of the
Maori race"
What will be your movements in this
colony?"
II am going to Rotorua, and also other
native settlements, to see the social life
of the Maori in his own settlements, /
have three years travel ahead of me yet,
and will publish the result of my inves-
legations in three volumes After visit
ing the Maoris in the North Island, 1 in
tend to go south and visit Wellington,
Christchurch and Dunedin
What do you propose to do in the
Australian Commonwealth and New
Guinea z?
After touring New Zealand / go on to
Australia, to investigate the condition of
the Australian blacks, and the races in
New Guinea. L hope to so up the Fly
river and visit the district where James
Chalmers and his mission party We're
What is your program after that?"
I'm due course 1 will visit Java, Suma-
ira, and the wild men of Borneo. Two
months will be spent in the Philippines,
delivering several courses of lectures to
the soldiers, and investigating the social
and religious condition of the Philip
pines. A great question has arisen re-
garding the religious orders and their
landed possessions. This will furnish an
interesting subject for my attention and
pen. 1 go to FOrmosa, an island seldom
frequented by the traveller, but which has
come into prominence through the recent
war between China and Japan, and
which is now a Japanese possession.
Then to Japan, where l study the
French of the East I cross over to
Vladvostok, the northeastern terminus
of the trans-Siberian railway, and go out
of that line about 5000 miles. and then
cut south over the Cobb desert which
will require ride of about fifty days on
coming into China on the edge
Of Thibet, and travelling the whole length