p. 251 | Honolulu, H. I by L. A. Scott

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Apr 16, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 16.

Honolulu, H. I.

By L. A. Scott

SINCE our last report I have visted Hilo, the principal town on the island of Hawaii, something over two hundred miles southeast of this city. The town is pleasantly located on Hilo Bay, toward the east end of the island, and favored with a most delightful climate; and the thickly wooded hills and mountains surrounding the place are in marked contrast to those around Honolulu, and the scenery in the distance is inspiring indeed, especially when one reflects that the Lord has often looked on this ground and so often touched these hills. Ps. 104:32.

The population of the town numbers between 1,000 and 1,200. I found but few English speaking families in the place, most of whom I met in canvassing for our periodicals. There is a school for boys in the place, carried on under the auspices of the Congregational Church, where manual labor is combined with study, the students devoting a part of each day to the cultivation of the ground belonging to the institution. There are about seventy students in attendance at present.

I met with a good degree of success in canvassing, obtaining thirteen subscribers. In conversing on the near coming of Christ, and kindred subjects, with those whom I met, I found some who seemed well disposed to search the Scriptures to see if these things were so (Acts 17:11), while others were quite conservative. The Library Club of the place accepted a set of our books, and I left a "Read and Return" distributer at the house where I put up.

The work here in Honolulu is making visible progress, and we trust that the seed which is being sown will fall on good ground, and bear fruit to the glory and honor of God. There are now in these islands ninety-three subscribers to our periodicals. There have been distributed over fifty thousand pages of tracts; twenty-three ships have been supplied with reading matter; over one hundred dollars' worth of books have been sold, and fifteen distributers are doing duty on land and sea.

Altogether we feel quite encouraged, and trust that in due time we shall reap, if we faint not. We earnestly desire the prayers of God's people, that his blessing may attend the work here in these distant islands. L. A. Scott.

April 1, 1885.