The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-10-24
MISSIONARY WORK IN THE
FAR MICRONESIAN GROUPS
Interesting Tour of Two Christian Workers
Through the Mortlock Islands Where
Civilized Progress is Noticeable.

A full report has been received of a
visit paid by Mr. Price and Mr. Slim
son to this island group. Before Mr..
Price went to Guam last autumn, il
was arranged that a small schooner
should be chartered to take him TO
Ruk, where he would be joined by Mr..
Stimson for a tour through the Mort
lock group, which, since the wreck of
the r. w. Logan, has failed to receive
the needed missionary supervision. 1t
was February p when, on Captain Me-
lander's little schooner, Mr.. Price
reached Ruk, and after a short trip
among the islets of the Ruk lagoon,
Messrs. Price and Stimson sailed March
1 for the Mortlocks. The report of
what they found is deeply interesting,
and we give, nearly in full, what Mr..
Price has written:
Going southeast we visited, in turn,
Mama, forty miles from Ruk; Losap
and Pts, ten miles farther on; Mama
LUX, seventy miles farther; Etal, thirty
five miles beyond Namaluk; the Satoan
lagoon, in which are Mort, Kutu, Ia
and Satoan, few miles from Etal, and
lastly, Lukunor and Oniop, twenty
miles beyond Satoan. Enthusiastic con-
gregations of from 125 to 500 people
greeted US on every island. We preach
ed to them, examining candidates,
baptizing those approved, married
waiting couples, baptized infants, cell
ebrated the Lords supper, looked into
the affairs of the churches, and cor
rected abuses so far as possible.
THE trip was very pleasant with
nothing to mar the enjoyment save
seasickness. The people welcomed US
with songs and hearty handshakes, the
teachers rallied around us to a man,
and all evinced great pleasure at our
coming It is six years since my first
visit to these Mortlock Islands, and
my mind continually contrasted then
and now, and 1 call attention to the
| following:
POINTS OF CONTRAST.
81. Church Buildings-There are now
twelve churches in this district. Two
| fine new church buildings have been
erected, since my first visit, one at
Lukunor, a stone building very large,
and one at Oniop. Both these build
| ings have foreign board floors. Nine
buildings have been rebuilt, enlarged
and otherwise improved AT Mama, the
| building now has a corrugated iron
roof and floor of foreign lumber. AT
| Losap the building is greatly improved,
having floor and sides of foreign
boards. AT Satoan a large building
now shelters the congregation, compos-
| ed entirely of native material, and
| Etal. Mort, Kutu and Ia have made
| repairs and remodeled so that now
they have very good buildings Pts
has a very dilapidated house of wor-
| ship, and Namaluk is but little better
The improvement in buildings is almost
universal and very marked. Two of
| the churches are now purchasing bells
| 20. In the arts of civilized life the
| improvements are also very marked
| Clothing is worn by all, and there is
considerable taste displayed in orna-
mentations. The girls are wearing
prettier dresses, and their hair orna-
ments are more appropriate. A group
| of young misses in the Mort congrega-
| ton was especially attractive. l have
often described this audience in my
addresses in the home churches, and
as 1 sat before them a few days ago
and looked into the bright upturned
faces of the boys and girls and recall
ed what l had said about them. | felt
| that / might have said much more
| than I did. Only the girls and women
have discarded the crownlets of deity
|
tuted circular combs, often embellish-
| ed with red or blue ribbons aud
wreaths made of bright colored beads.
| OF course, these latter are more civil
! lied and obtained with far less trou-
! BILE than the old ones, but l think
! like the wreaths of flowers better The
| Improvement in dress is especially no
| ticeable in the old people. They are
neater and cleaner. People are putting
| IN better buildings and iT1nTOVjng
| their houses, and living more comfort
ably than they did a few years ago
80. Intelligence-The growth in intel
| ligence and appreciation of spiritual
| truth is most marked and most delight
full. Moses said to the people at Mort:
| I noticed when / visited you a few
years ago that when the missionary
came and talked to you, your faces
were turned away and you were look
| ing at other people, or out at the
| trees; but now 1 see your eyes fasten-
| ed on the speaker and your faces show
| that you are interested in what he
says He spoke of the same thing to
me several times. 1t impressed him.
| He said to me- When we made our
| first visit together here six years ago.
two of the churches had gone into the
| heather dance, and the people had
| lapsed into old heathenfsm; now these
same churches are strong and the peo-
pie are well instructed in the way Of
| life This did not impress him more
than it did me. Everywhere there was
evidence OF an improved intellectual
condition. In the singing and the read
ing of the Scriptures, as well as in
| responses to questions, this fact im-
! pressed itself upon US. There is also
an increased eagerness to learn, and
the schools are better attended. The