More Slavery by J. O. C.

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jan 29, 1885

More Slavery.

By J. O. C.

THE New Hebrides is a group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, numbering thirty, with a population of 100,000. In 1848, the United Presbyterians of Nova Scotia opened a mission there, and now occupy sixteen of the islands. They have ninety day-schools, attended by 8,000 children and adults, all receiving Christian instruction. Those outside of gospel influence are still cannibals. But now a serious evil threatens, not only the mission work, but the extermination of the helpless natives besides. New Caledonia, one of the group, is claimed by the French, who have extensive mines and plantations there. The settlers of this island have been persuaded to organize a company, with a capital of $100,000, to colonize the New Hebrides with Frenchmen, and, at the same time, to carry away the native islanders to work in their mines and on their plantations in New Caledonia. One of the mission stations was taken possession of by the French, but they were afterward dispossessed by a British war vessel. France now threatens to send 25,000 convicts to occupy the islands, and remove the natives to New Caledonia, virtually into slavery. Many of the natives are carried away by force to work on the sugar plantations of Queensland and Fiji. It is stated that on some Queensland plantations there are 600 Kanaka laborers. The British colonies now hold 32,000 of these poor wretches. The above statements relative to Queensland and Fiji were gathered from a letter written by Rev. J. Rooney, from New Guinea. The other points were stated in substance by Rev. John G. Paton, at Belfast, in the council of the reformed churches. Can it be possible that Christian England will tolerate slavery in any part of her dominions? J. O. C.