p. 12 | Untitled article by John Harvey Kellogg

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Sep 25, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 46.

FROM THE "PITCAIRN."

By John Harvey Kellogg

M. C. WILCOX—Dear Brother: We arrived here yesterday morning, all well, ship safe and sound. I wrote you from Raiatea, where we found an open field for Brother and Sister Cady, whom we left there. We left Raiatea June 28, arriving at Rurutu, 350 miles south of Raiatea. We reached Rurutu July 5, and left on July 11.

Rurutu has 1,050 inhabitants, and three large stone churches which would do honor to any small American city. There is no white minister on the island, and but four white men and no white women. The church work is wholly in the hands of the native Christians. There are two native ministers. One was educated at Raratonga, the other in Tahiti. Both are full of prejudice, their minds having been poisoned by the French missionary residing at Tahiti. Nevertheless, at Rurutu we found a most urgent request, from many of the natives, to locate a worker here. They want a teacher to instruct their young people. Some begged me, with tears, to remain with them. One suggested that if I must go on the Pic (the ship), that I tapu (cut myself in two), and send one part on the ship and the other part stay on the isle and help them. Scores of them begged me to stay.

I think a good man and his wife, persons of sound judgment, willing to die, if need be, for Christ, and who can be a real father and mother to this people, should be sent out to locate on Rurutu. The isle is healthful and the climate delightful; I had but twelve patients there. The people are kind, hospitable, and Christian, but many of them feel that they are all but children. May the Good Shepherd send someone to feed these hungry sheep. We all fell in love with the people there.

We sailed west from Rurutu 500 miles to Mangaia, where we arrived on Friday, July 14, and spent the day, till 4 P. M., ashore. This isle has 2,000 native people, with three white traders and no white women. Mr. Harris, the white missionary for 22 years, has left the field, having gone to London a few days previous. A successor is expected in a few weeks. At Mangaia the people are keeping Saturday, supposing it to be Sunday, as they reckon the weeks by colonial time.

We sailed west from Mangaia 100 miles, nearing Raratonga at 10:30 Sabbath morning, July 15, but as it would be too late for services on shore, we lay off until next morning. Raratonga is the headquarters for mission work in the Polynesia by the London Missionary Society. It has a native population of 1,800. There are seven isles in this group, with a total population of 7,000, all nominally Christian. Many of them have tasted the power of the love of Christ. Besides these the Pendwyn group contains several thousand more. All these people keep their Sunday Saturday. I had a long talk with the chief judge on Raratonga. He is a native and a very intelligent man, and appears to be a sincere Christian. He questioned me about our faith; I gave him the leading points. "Why," he exclaimed, "that is my belief! You stay here and help us."

The people on both Mangaia and Raratonga are a kind and harmless people, and are very hospitable, and I am told that the same is true of the natives on all these isles. Oh, that we had suitable laborers on all these isles! Surely the fields are all white for the harvest. Rurutu belongs to the Tubal group. The people on the Tubal Isles, about 3,000 or 4,000, speak the Tahitian language. We should by all means occupy the Tubal Isles at once. A man and his wife should go. They should be prepared to teach and to care for the sick. We ought to give every missionary at least one year's instruction in caring for the sick, before sending them out. We leave here for the west to-morrow.

Yours, etc., M. G. KELLOGG.