The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-04-22
BISHOP WILLIS
WORK IN TONGA
What He Says of the Pro-
posed Bishopric for
Polynesia.

Bishop Willis has lately had the
whooping cough. Sixty years ago he
had it, and thought himself immune.
But an epidemic of this disease of child
hood has lately spread over Tonga,
claiming him as one of the victims of
its uncomfortable and discomforting
symptoms He tells about it in his an
nuaI report of the Anglican Church of
Tonga.
A copy of his report, fresh from the
press of William Cate, Limited, Ho-
garth House, Bouverie street, E. c., has
been received in Honolulu. His account
with the Tongan missionary fund shows
receipts of PSF pounds, / shillings, 3
pence, and expenditures of zoo pounds,
s shillings, 10 pence.
The Bishop now has six licensed lay
readers in his work in Tonga, of whom
FIVE are Tongans. These lay readers
represent three of the islands of the
group. During 1907 he baptized nine
infants, and confirmed five persons. The
following are the principal features OF
his report:
NV Dear Friends: With regard to
the question of a Bishopric being form
ed for this side of the Pacific, il is
probable that you have later informa-
tion than l have. All that / know is
what L have read in the Guardian, that
the s. P. G.. has appropriated $500 a
year for the support of a Bishop for
Polynesia. Beyond this, nothing def
mite has reached me.
The year that has just passed was
marked by a series of epidemics that
followed one another throughout all the
IsIa rais of the South Pacific. First,
there was the dengue fever, which at
tackled large numbers in Fiji 1t was
brought to Tonga by man-of-war;
bur. happily, there were only few
sporadic cases. Then came the whoop-
causing no little mortality
among. our native children throughout
the group, and not sparing the whites.
Having had it sixty years ago. | cher-
ished the supposition that / should en-
ioy immunity. But not so: 1t incapa-
citated me from the middle of Septem-
berf tn the middle of November. Ap-
parentlv the rule of having this dis
tressing complaint once for all doesn't
obtain on this side of the equator.
There were several elderly people, VINO
like myself, were surprised by having
a second edition Then. in December,
,yhen T had inst recovered my strength,
some kind of fever came along, pre-
sumablv a variety of influenza, which
prostrated in turn everyone in my
house. There were very few whlte
1eople in Nukualofa whom il spared.
These misadventures have somewhat
eurtailed the record of the years WORK.
MoUGA-ONE.
1t is gratifying to report that the
church, for which the people OF this
sIand in the Haabai group have been
collecting funds for many months. has
1een built. having been finished IN
November. The total cost was about
G 100. of which I contributed e20 from
he Mission Fund The people. are de-
lighted to have a decent and commo- |
lious building for their worship. Not |
)eing well enough to visit the island |
It that date. I sent my Lay Reader |
10 with the furniture.-altar. font, lec-
ern. and prayer-desk,- which he had |
made on my premises, and he conveyed |
ny permission for the immediate oc-
upa ton of the building. it being nee
ssary 10 postpone the conservation I'M
IL some time in the present year.
Continued on Page Three.l