MRS. G. F. JONES by Mrs. G. F. Jones

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Jan 5, 1905

MRS. G. F. JONES

By Mrs. G. F. Jones

From Rarotonga to Singapore

MRS. G. F. JONES

After laboring in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, exactly one year, it was thought best that Brother Piper should again take charge of that field, and that we should open up the work in the city of Singapore. To reach that place, we first took a steamer to Auckland, New Zealand. On board we found a crew of about thirty shipwrecked sailors, with the captain and officers, whose ship had struck the reef of the island of Mangaia early one morning at the very hour they expected to sight it. The natives of the island in the meanwhile treated them kindly, and supplied their wants, until the steamer picked them up and conveyed them to Auckland. We kept them well supplied with our literature, which they seemed to appreciate.

The four days we spent in Auckland most pleasantly at Dr. Caro’s new and well-patronized sanitarium, and we were glad to meet Brother Baker and the members of the Auckland church. In four more days we reached Sydney, where we were met by Brother Gates, who took us on to Wahroonga, where we stayed over Sabbath at our delightful sanitarium, which was like a haven of rest, and a foretaste of paradise.

The three weeks we were waiting for our third and last steamer were passed mostly at Avondale, and it will always be a source of much encouragement to us to think of that earnest band of students, preparing themselves to carry the light of truth to those who “sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.” We trust that some may come over and help us, in our labors, and also some

from Dr. Kress’s class of nurses, if the Lord so wills.

On leaving Sydney for Singapore, our first stop was at Brisbane, Queensland, where we improved the few hours allowed us on shore by visiting Brother Nellis and his family and a few others. This was the last opportunity we were to have of meeting any of the brethren until reaching our destination, when we hoped to see Brother Munson.

We were very fortunate in having a pleasant class of fellow passengers, one of whom was a young English missionary, who had labored mostly in India, and was on his way home to recuperate his health. He was always most willing, and even anxious, to converse on health reform, and to read all we could give him on that subject, and intends to put what he has learned into practise when he gets on land. He thought that while traveling on the ocean it was not the best time to begin.

Another of the passengers was a Boer gentleman, who at first fought in the war, afterward became a spy, then was taken prisoner and sent to Bermuda. We were glad to have a supply of Dutch tracts to give him, and to find that he read them very carefully and with great interest. He said war was a very bad thing, and had a most demoralizing effect on every one connected with it. It was distressing to hear of some of the sights he had witnessed—how, after a battle, some of the wounded would be cursing, others praying, and others imploring some one to put an end to their dreadful suffering. His home and fruit-trees were all burned down; and while he was away in Bermuda, his wife, baby, and another child died of grief and exposure.

Nearly five more days brought us within sight of British New Guinea, and adjacent islands. The scenery was very fine. We landed at Samarai, one of the islands off the extreme eastern point of New Guinea. It was intensely hot ashore, and we were glad to return to our steamer. The natives are very dark skinned, with thick woolly hair. It seemed strange to see the children with ringlets that looked exactly like wool. Hats are needless, and they wear next to no clothing. Their teeth are jet black, and their gums and tongues the brightest red color, from the betel-nut, which they chew almost constantly. This nut contains stimulating properties,

so the outward disfigurement is not the worst evil. Their huts are made from the sago-palm, and so constructed that no light is admitted. It seemed too bad to pass on and leave those people in such a pitiable condition, utterly helpless, with no one to tell them of a Saviour’s love. In two more days we sighted the island of New Ireland on our right, and, soon after, that of New Britain on our left, both of them mountainous. In the latter are four volcanoes, in close proximity, called “Father,” “Mother,” “Son,” and “Daughter.” The crater of one has entirely fallen in. The “Daughter” is still active, while the remaining two are completely covered with verdure of many shades, and rising abruptly out of the deep-blue water, form a most pleasing picture. In this island we called at three ports—Herbertshohe, Matupi, and Simpson’s Haven—all three at the northeastern end. The former is at present the seat of government, but they intend removing it to the latter place, it being a landlocked harbor, although a most deadly place for fever. This is about six miles from the scene of the late massacre of the Catholic missionaries. The day before our arrival, one of the ringleaders had been shot. Another boy, supposed to be less guilty, was brought on board our steamer, to be conveyed to New Guinea a prisoner for life.

The natives here have a more savage and less intelligent appearance than those we saw in New Guinea, and are said to be so fierce in the interior that no white man has ventured farther than twenty miles from the coast. We were told of a chief who keeps slaves for the purpose of eating them, and kills one every few days. Their native money consists of a particular kind of small shell resembling the cowrie, bored and strung together on a narrow strip of cane. A fathom is worth about two shillings English, or one-half dollar American. Their lack of clothing is evidently compensated for by their numerous ornaments,—necklaces; armlets (always very tight and worn on the upper arm, serving also as a receptacle for their pipes when not smoking); feathers fixed in their hair; rings, sticks, or bones through the nose, which are from two to six or seven inches long; large rings inside the hole bored in the lobe of the ear, and generally touching the shoulder; strings of dogs’ or other teeth round their foreheads; red paint round their eyes, ears, and mouths. When not chewing the betel-nut, almost invariably a pipe is seen in the mouth. Quite a number bleach their hair with lime, which contrasts strangely with their dark skin. Many are covered from head to foot with ringworm, but they seem to pay no attention to it.

In the harbor between Matupi and Simpson’s Haven were two strange-looking islands, which made their appearance in one night some years ago. It is said that one is inhabited by three hundred people. At the edge of the sea, just below the volcano, the water could be seen steaming, and one day we sailed up a creek where the water was of a yellowish color, from the sulphur contained in it. The water became hotter as we went along, until it steamed, and we could not hold our hands in it.

Our next stopping-place was Frederick Wilhelm’s Hafen, on the north coast of German New Guinea—as deadly a place as beautiful. Here we were joined by a German missionary and his wife, who were returning home to save their lives. He told us that out of thirty missionaries who had gone there, twenty had succumbed to fever. He himself had been there, in all, fourteen years, and intended returning again when he had recovered sufficiently. He had learned to love the natives, and they him. He said they had never tried to harm him, although at a short distance from his station they lately planned to kill every white man and capture the steamer on her arrival, killing every man on board. Fortunately, their murderous design was frustrated by its becoming known a few minutes prior to its intended execution.

A planter told us he often found it necessary to shoot down numbers of them, to keep them intimidated. It is not hard to see which plan is the successful—love or fear; God’s way or man’s. This good missionary learned the language for only four hundred natives, each village having its language, not dialect, and, as he expressed it, “as different from one another as German is from Greek.”

And after spending so many years among them, only one boy converted is, apparently, the fruit of his labor. He says, however, he hopes for more, and that if he had lowered the standard, he could have had many, like the Catholics, whose missions seem to be in a very flourishing condition. Those he has known have a legend of the flood and ark, and say that first a dove was sent out, then a cassowary, and, lastly, a pig, which did not return. They also believe that a good spirit was once among them, but went away, and will return from the east.

In 1873 when a Russian man-of-war called to leave a botanist, they thought this was the good spirit’s return, and prepared quantities of food in his honor. But when a gun was fired, they all decided this could not be the good spirit, and were afraid. The first time they saw a white man, they thought he was an evil spirit, and that his clothes were a part of himself. On one occasion, when they saw Mr. Hofmann, the missionary, take off a shoe, they ran away, and were very much afraid. This people have never, so far as is known, worshiped idols, but have a great many ceremonies, are strong believers in ghosts and magic, and are very unwilling to give all this up.

They have a kind of temples which they call “ghost houses,” where they place the skulls of their dead friends, and hold their religious feasts. These the women are never allowed to enter, as it is believed they do not have souls. Their noses and ears are bored through when they are infants of about three months, as a preventive of death. They were much concerned about Mr. Hofmann’s little girl’s nose and ears not being pierced, and did all they could to get him to do it. They are invariably fond of children, and however much they may hate and kill one another and white people, they will always spare the children.

After passing the northern coast of Dutch New Guinea, and through the beautiful Dampier Strait, which occupied three hours, and leaving the island of Ceram on our right, we came to Banda, a beautiful little group of three islands, one of which is a large, active volcano. We visited one of the famous nutmeg plantations, distributing a quantity of Dutch literature, which seemed to be highly appreciated, as it was in every Dutch port at which we called. We also saw the noted Coral Gardens, in company with a colonel and his wife, first-class passengers in our steamer. I mention this because, not being of the same class, we did not have many opportunities of meeting; yet the Lord was able to bring us together, and we had a very pleasant and most interesting visit with this good lady, who was full of inquiries on the Scriptures, especially on the second coming of Christ, in which she is a firm believer. She seems to be an earnest Christian. Several times after this she would steal away to our

end of the steamer, and ask questions on different points of truth, some of which she was willing to accept as soon as presented. What she could not see so clearly, she was not only willing, but anxious, to investigate, and we left with her a supply of literature, for which she was very thankful. We hope to see her again, as they are stationed at Singapore for six months at least. And we trust she will allow the Holy Spirit to lead her into all truth, as he desires to do, not only for her own sake, but for the sake of the many others whom she could reach because of her position and influence.

I might add that, just as surely as the Lord was working to impress hearts on the steamer, it was plainly to be seen that the enemy was not asleep, and results of his labors of snatching away the good seed could be noticed. However, this did not discourage us, but quite the contrary, as we remembered God’s precious promises. “The Lord knoweth them that are his.” See John 10: 29, also 2 Cor. 13:8.

After calling at Macassar and Batavia, in two days we arrived safely at Singapore, in good health, and of courage in the Lord, knowing that the work is his, and thankful for the privilege of having a part in the last message.

Singapore, Straits Settlements.