G. F. JONES by G. F. Jones

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Sep 14, 1916

G. F. JONES

By G. F. Jones

Pioneering Experiences in the Solomon Islands — No. 3

G. F. JONES

THE Solomon Islands are only 1,800 miles to the northeast of Sydney, and lie from five to twelve degrees south of the equator, but until recently very little was known about them, and even now exploration has not been pushed through to the interior of the larger islands.

The islands were first discovered by Alvaro Mendaña de Neyra, a Spanish navigator, sailing from the coasts of Peru long before the coasts of Australia were visited by the Dutch explorers. The names Mendaña gave to some of the islands remain to this day. Hoping to draw many of his countrymen here, he gave the group the name of Solomon Islands, to induce them to believe that this is where Solomon obtained the gold for the temple.

In 1595 Mendaña returned with a large party of colonists, including his own wife and relatives, and reached the Santa Cruz group, which is about two hundred miles due east of the Solomon Islands. Here they formed a settlement, but most of them were massacred, and many died of sickness; and later Mendaña himself died. That same day the survivors sailed away in search of the Solomon Islands, but although so near, they never found them.

It was not until two hundred years later that various navigators rediscovered the Solomon Islands. Some ships were wrecked, and sometimes the crews were massacred by the savage natives. Many other adventurous and enterprising persons from Australia visited the islands, but they were nearly all killed immediately on landing. In 1844 thirteen

missionaries of the Roman Catholic Church entered the group. The bishop was murdered the first day, and soon after, the others suffered the same fate. Later, missionaries of the Church of England came. Many of these were murdered, and many died of fever, but the work they started has gone on ever since, and now there are many members and almost two hundred schools.

Between the years 1860 and 1893 a number of daring white traders from Sydney and Queensland, mostly fearless seafaring men, succeeded in establishing regular commerce with small sailing vessels, but from time to time these lost their lives. Some of them, however, are still in the islands, but are now elderly men. Massacres are still carried on, and in some islands it is impossible to land without being instantly killed. The island of Malaita is as savage as ever; today the natives are fighting, and killing, and eating their victims.

In 1893 a British protectorate was declared over some parts of the Solomon Islands. This and the establishing of missions have been the means of subduing most of the people of the smaller islands, but they have been loath to give up their head-hunting and savagery.

In the Marovo Lagoon and places near by dwell some of the most daring chiefs and raiders. They have gone long distances in their war canoes, taken scores of heads, and brought back some of their victims as slaves. Others they have eaten. These are the men who are coming to us. They wish their children to belong to our mission. They come, these brave chiefs, to our Sabbath meetings, and have a great regard for the true holy day, and the Holy Book, as they call the Bible. These old raiders and cannibals are fast becoming brave Christians, and what the Buka Hope (Sacred Book) says settles everything.

Marovo Lagoon.