The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-09-11

more mixed race, with decided marks
of a strong Polynesian strain, but
showing some Papuan characteristics,
and, in some of the western islands
of this division, mixture of japanese
blood
My special subject, Micronesia, has
been so many times presented to this
Woman's Board that no general de-
scription of the Little Islands is nee
essary. 1t is enough to say that they
extend some $500 miles from east to
west, ranging in size from veritable
''pinpoints of creation uninhabited,
because too small to sustain human
life, through all sizes of low coral is
lands, up to the few rarely beautiful
high islands in the Caroline Group. The
estimated population is about 10000,
with nine distinct languages. In most
of the groups the people are governed
by a more or less elaborate chiefish
system. They are saturated with su-
perstition, which peoples moon and
stars, trees. and stones, air and ocean,
with spirits, powerful for evil, but sell
dom for good; but there is no attempt.
except in isolated cases, to embody
these spirits in idol form.
With this brief preface L will give
short sketch of mission work in Mi
cronesia, which seems the most fitting
division of the subject for this after
noon.
THE SPANISH ADVENT.
The first historical event in this far
away corner of the world was the rails
Ing of the Spanish flag in the Carolines
about three hundred years ago; but no
active possession was exercised, and. up
to the middle of the last century, this
part of the island world was left to
whalers and beachcombers. The shad-
ows of heathenism were deepened by
the presence of men from the lands of
light, for the civilization that they in
PRODUCED was of the square-gin and
musket order. This first contact with
whites was an unmitigated curse, the
seeds of all the vices of civilization TAX
ing quick root in that soil of savagery.
In November, 1851, the first mis-
sionaries to Micronesia, BENZ. G. Snow
and Luther H. Quick, NJ. D., with
their wives, sailed from Boston on the
little Esther May" A request to go
by the newly-opened Panama route
was refused on the ground that mis-
sionaries to Micronesia needed the
discipline of voyage around Cape
Horn. Two months later Rev Albert
Sturges and his wife left Boston to
join the others. Some of you who find
a six days trip on the Alameda" an
evil will sympathize with
their four months of wretched dis
cipline'' to these islands. In Honolulu
Z how nv II
helpers and their wives, and the little |
was formally organized into
the Mission Church of Micronesia
Great was the interest among the |
Christian Hayyaiians, and Kameha- |
meha III wro@e for them a letter of |
to his brother potentates |
whom they might meet.
This company, with the addition of |
two delegates, sailed in July, 1852, on |
the Caroline, after a farewell SER
vice which was destined to be the first |
Of a long succession of such meetings
held in this harbor on the decks of I
vessels. The schooner was
tiny, and so crowded that no state
rooms were possible. The Hawaiian
cook was ignorant alike of English
and cooking. Mrs. Sturges writes:
w t three WoUl0n DldQC dU Tile
etc., that ever graced our table; and
as we sifted flour and baked in our
by 10 galley, struggling often with
we thought we were get
ting a little more of the discipline
which our dear secretary thought we
needed"
The Caroline touched at two of
the Gilbert Islands, then went on to
Kusaie and Ponape in the Carolines,
where they We're willingly received,
With the result that the Sturgeses and
Sulicks, with one Hawaiian family,
we're left at Ponape, and the Shows,
With Oponui and his wife, at Kusaie.
rhe death of Oponui within a year left
Mr.. Snow alone. Then, for the first
irne impressed with the extremity OF
heir isolation, he writes, mo physi-
ian within four hundred miles, and
,othing but a small open boat to
each him over the painless deep!"
MISSIONARY DRUDGERY.
These early missionaries, having no
helpers. were Obliged for long time
O depend on their own hands for all
ervice. They became acquainted with
he kitchen and the wash-tub, but be-
SO mucn time spent Oh HSCSS-
ity on manual labor, with the Ian
-uages to be reduced to writing, and
% many possibilities of work for the
,eople opening before them. In each
language there are two distinct
ialects, the common and the chiefish;
nd it was necessary to acquire both,
or it would have been as much out
f place for one to address the Deity
n the language of the common peo-
lie as for your minister to use the
owest slang in his prayers from the
ulpit.
In 1854 smallpox broke out on Ponape
nd wrought terrible devastation.
about this time, too, Mr.. Sturges'
.ouse was burned, with all its con-
ents. in place where absolutely
othing could be obtained to make
God his losses. In 1855 the Doanes
nd a Hawaiian helper reached Pona-
70. and a little later DR.. and Mrs.
person sailed from Honolulu to re-
oforce the lonely workers at Kusaie.
,he small schooner on which they had
AIKEN massage made her way through
he Marshall and Gilbert groups
tonping here and there to collect oil
nd copra, and thus these new mis-
- CT