Gambier Islands by G. F. Jones

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 10, 1903

Gambier Islands

By G. F. Jones

Mangareva.—Each island of this group is a mountain, and difficult to climb. The people are engaged in pearl fishing, and live in villages on the coast. They do not till the soil much, but prefer the modern artificial way of living, by buying canned goods, etc., at the few European stores, at an enormous price. Sometimes these stores run out of provisions, and then a famine stares the people in the face until a steamer comes from Tahiti. The steamer that used to run was wrecked. Nearly all the people, young and old, are diseased with something akin to leprosy. The whole place is a veritable asylum. The conditions here lead us to hasten on with our

work, knowing that the end will soon come. We go from village to village; and though the priests follow, and try to undo our work, we have interesting meetings in the bamboo huts. While some are afraid of the priests, others implore us to come again.

The Gambier Islands were once thickly populated, but now there are few natives remaining, as their unhealthful manner of living is fast destroying the race. They speak an entirely different language from that spoken by the Tahitians, although some have a little knowledge of the Tahitian language. With this difficulty to face, we are not discouraged, but rejoice, for the Lord reveals to them by his Holy Spirit what we fail fully to in words. I do rejoice in having been given this opportunity to do the Lord's work. It is the most satisfactory work to be a fisher of men. We long most ardently to push along with our closing message to those who have never had it brought to them. We are glad to be in this field. G. F. Jones.