The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-05-21

In November, 1857, the Morning Star
on her first voyage to Micronesia, hav-
ing touched at Ponape and Kusaie.
sailed for the Gilbert group. One
morning Rev. Hiram Bingham climbed
almost to the top of the mast and
low coral reef some fifty miles in cir
conference. This was to be his home
for many years. Landing on one OF
the islets of the reef, they found a
solitary old man walking among the
trees, the first Gilbert Islander to re-
ceive the missionaries. On the 18th of
that month the Morning Star entered
a beautiful lagoon and anchored near
the kings village.
It has been Rev Mr.. Walkup's cher
ished desire to celebrate the fiftieth an
niversary of this commencement of
work in the Gilbert Islands. A year
ago he hoped to have a new Morning
Star with which to bring together the
people from all the isIands of the
group for the celebration. Failing to
get this vessel. he urged the people to
make ready for such a gathering as
could be secured. We have just re-
ceived his brief account of the cele-
bration held on Apaiang in November
last. The story, though brief, presents
some striking facts. 1t seems that the
unusually large crop of cocoanuts on
Apaiang had enabled the people to
give a general invitation to all who
would come for the celebration. These
nuts not only provided food, but they
were salable at 1.-The top-notch price of
two cents a pound"
Mr. Walkup. whose brief visit to the
United States last year will be remem-
bered. arrived at Tarawa on the 18th
of October on the German steamer.
ProvidentfaIly there were two small
steamers in the vicinity, one of which
had brought number OF people from
Apemama. and another, twenty five
people from Maraki for the jubilee
meeting. Mr.. Walkup was able to Sc
cure one of these vessels, The Titus, |
to bring the company from Tapituea, |
Nonouti. Aranuka, Kuria, and Maiana. |
The other steamer brought the people |
from Butaritari and Maxim. The Tara |
wa people crossed in boats and canoes |
the channel between their island and |
Apaiang. The Banaba Ocean Island) |
people had a chance to come on a |
steamer calling at Tarawa, but as the |
mumps were prevalent on the island |
the people were kept in quarantine. |
Mr.. Kaure. who had been in Honolulu |
assisting DR.. Bingham on his Gilbertese |
arrived in season to bring |
greetings from the pioneer of the mis-
sion. The visitors were nearly two |
hundred. and these. with the more than |
two hundred Christians of Apaiang,
made good sunrise as we'll as evening
Mr.. Walkup writes:-
Our first gathering was on Novem
Der 9. in honor of King Edward VII: |
this gave us opportunity, such as we
had wished, for a weeks conference
before the 18th, the jubilee day. The
first important work of the conference /
was in hearing reports from the labor
ers on the several islands. Three of
our workers have been called to q
higher service in the spirit land, two
have deserted us, possessed by a wicked
spirit. Six of the catechists received
ordination as ministers, and six more
This makes nine of the natives who /
are now ordained ministers. Four of
the teachers have been placed on the
list of catechists.'
To note the contrast between the past
and the present we need to read what
Mr. Bingham wrote as the Morning
star left him and his wife alone on
after that November day in
1857:
What shall I say of the people among
whom we have come 10 live? The sight
of naked men, boys, and girls. and
more than half naked women. the OBJ
of their extreme poverty. their
worship of false gods. their extremely
immodest manners and customs. their |
RIGHTEOUSNESS, their covetousness, their
lying. their thievishness,
their bloody warfare. make me long
10 teach them. But no miraculous gift
of tongues comes to the missionary
I have had To set myself
to work to pick up one word after an
other. one sentence after another Of
heather jargon which noisy savages
are shouting about my ears
Now Mr.. Walkup reports that at this
jubilee celebration hundreds of Chris
tan people were present. taking part