The Solomon Islands by S. W. Carr

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jul 14, 1909

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 27.

The Solomon Islands

By S. W. Carr

WHILE on our way to our new field of labor in British New Guinea, we had to pass through these islands. What we gathered in this trip may be of interest to our fellow readers of the SIGNS.

Situated to the northeast of Australia, about six days’ steam from Brisbane, is this group of islands which was discovered by the Spanish navigator Mendenña in the sixteenth century. For three hundred years after this they remained practically unknown to the white man.

There are seven main islands; viz., Bouganville, Choiseul, Ysabel, New Georgia, Malaita, Guadalcanar, and San Christoval, besides numerous smaller ones, the whole being more or less interlaced with coral reefs and patches.

The formation is volcanic and the climate tropical; the mountains reaching to a height of 10,000 feet are covered with dense forest so thick as to make progress on land slow except in the open ways.

The native population is variously estimated at between 80,000 and 120,000, many of whom are yet in a state of heathenism and also cannibalism, several white men having been killed during the last year. Murders are however becoming less frequent as the influence of the government and the missionaries extends. The white population is about 230, consisting of government officials, missionaries, traders, and planters. Most of the group is under British protection, but Bouganville, the largest island, is under German rule.

Large tracts of forest land are now being cleared and planted with coconuts, rubber, sisal hemp, and bananas, one large firm preparing to plant 100,000 acres of coconuts for soap manufacture.

The natives are from small to medium height, dark, with curly hair, and many of them have in time past been employed in the plantations of Australia and Fiji. All the Solomon Islanders have, however, been deported lately from Australia. All the natives smoke and chew the betel nut, the latter being eaten with an aromatic leaf and lime, thus making the teeth very black and the mouth like blood. Its effect is the same as the Kava of the South Seas, making the user silly and helpless. The use of neither tobacco or the betel nut is forbidden by any of the missions, but is used largely as money both by the missionaries and traders. Skin diseases are prevalent, the most common form being a ringworm which commencing in a small way gradually covers the whole body. The natives, too, generally slit the ears and nose, the slits in the former being up to four inches long, and are used to carry a pipe of tobacco or earrings.

There are four missions in the Solomon Islands; viz., the Melanesian (Church of England), Roman Catholic, Methodist, and Miss Young’s. The Melanesian Mission has been working since 1849, while the Roman Catholics entered the field but twelve years ago, and have now a following of about 1,500 and are prosecuting their work with vigor. The Methodists are now established on several of the islands, having commenced operations in the group about seven years ago. Teachers from the older missions in the South Seas are being used by this mission with success. Sometimes the missionaries meet with severe opposition in starting their work, at other times they have to contend with what is worse, the indifference of the natives.

Miss Young’s mission is carried on in the island of Malaita only. Her labors were devoted to this work while the natives of Malaita were engaged in the plantations of Queensland, and when they were deported, she decided to still continue work for them in their island homes. There are nine white missionaries belonging to this mission on Malaita, which is the most savage of the group.

These people are sadly in need of the third angel’s message not only to help them to give up their evil native practises, but also to show them the evils of many of the things which they have learned, all too quickly, from the white man. We trust that it will not be long before a representative of present truth will be in these beautiful islands so that some of these dark-skinned people will be able to meet with us on the sea of glass and sing the song of Moses and the Lamb. S. W. CARR.