New Guinea
NEW GUINEA is the largest island in the world—Australia is called a continent. It is, in fact, three times as large as the whole of England, Scotland and Wales put together!
There are many difficulties in translation work of which, perhaps, you young people have never thought.
The Bible in its stories speaks of snow, ice, lions, sheep, oxen, horses, cocks and hens; and the people in New Guinea have never seen any of these. But what is more difficult than this, the Bible has much to say about duty, faith, obedience, gratitude, sin, and salvation; and the people know nothing about these things—they are " without God and without hope in the world." They do not know there is a God and a Savior and a heaven. The best of their charms—for they have no idols—are stones from the beach, a sea-shell, a piece of alligator's skin, or a carved stick. They are happiest when they have killed and eaten a man, and nave his bones about the house to show how brave they are.
Most of the early translations for the use of the New Guinea people were made by native Christian teachers from the South Sea Islands, who a few years ago were themselves heathen savages, but now are missionaries and translators of the Scriptures.
The story of one of these translations must suffice to show under what circumstances they were made. Mataika and a friend of his were placed by the pioneer missionaries upon an island just off the coast of New Guinea, and, after varying experiences, in which sometimes they came near to losing their lives, they gained the confidence of the people, and settled down to steady work. Mataika, however, was not satisfied, because, as he put it, "Two of them on one station was just one too many when there were such numbers of heathen all around." So he decided to go and take the gospel to the people of a neighboring island, but no one would lend him a canoe, fearing that he might be killed, in which case they would lose both him and the canoe. Not being a man to be done out of his purpose, he made a canoe for himself, and, after commending himself to the care of God, and saying good-bye to his companion, he set sail upon his mission of love. He knew very well the risk he was running, for the people to whom he was going were notorious savages. Indeed, it was only because it could not be decided who should kill the stranger when he landed that his life was spared even for one night.
But it was spared, and he worked among the people for whom he ventured so much, having translated the whole of the Gospel by St. Mark before he died. Though these people have not got much of the Bible, they are very proud of what they have got. In many places there is but one Gospel, but as that is the only book in their language, most of them know it by heart and crave for more.
Papi, a young man belonging to one of the mission training institutions, was, during playtime, frequently discovered by his missionary hard at work trying to learn another language without either a teacher or a dictionary, simply by comparing the Gospel of St. Mark as rendered in his own language with the same Gospel in the Lifu New Testament, and all this that he might read for himself more of the beautiful story of Christ's love.
Think of it!—rough, savage, heathen people, like the man whose picture we give opposite, with the strange shell ornament through his nose, and brutal-looking club on his shoulder, have today the whole of the New Testament in their language; and many dear children are learning now, as you are from your mother and father, what Christ came to this earth to do and say.
And when you remember that every page of Holy Scripture, whether forming part of a portion, part of a Gospel, or part of the whole New Testament, has been a free gift to these people from the British and Foreign Bible Society, I am sure you will thank God for the glorious work it is doing in New Guinea.
This picture gives us an idea of heathen worship in the islands of the South Seas. The poor woman is speaking to a stick. Let us try to form a conception of what it is to be such a heathen! Not to have any knowledge whatever of God, not to know, even by sound, such an idea as rest, or peace, or heaven! We shall be anxious to help on the great work of sending the Bible to these heathen who, having received it, value it in a way that puts to shame multitudes of professing Christians in our own land.
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New Hebrides
We will transport ourselves from New Guinea to the New Hebrides, a not very long voyage.
Epi or Api is one of the New Hebrides, and the Tasiko is the language spoken among the people of the south-eastern part of the island, as well as elsewhere in the group. Mr. Michelsen who labors amongst the natives speaking Tasiko, and who has just translated St. Matthew's Gospel into that tongue, thus writes:-" It may be interesting for you to know that two villages on the south side of Epi, in my district, speak the same language as spoken in Nguna, so that with Mr. Fraser's two translations your Society has now printed the Word of God in four languages spoken on Epi.
“The entire population of Epi is probably not over six thousand.
“I have just seen in a report that the natives have come from distant parts of the islands to purchase the few pages of printed matter already existing in their language; but what joy it will be for our poor natives when they learn that the whole Gospel of Matthew may be obtained for sixpence! Let it be our united prayer that a rich blessing may follow our united effort!
"I pray that I may be permitted to translate more of the Word of Life into that and other languages of our group."
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Loyalty Islands
From the New Hebrides we now pass on to New Caledonia and to the Loyalty group, in which Lifu is the central and largest island.
Many at Lifu and at Mare and Uvea know the language of Lifu, consequently the Lifu Bible will be extensively read. The first shipment of two thousand copies arrived on the 28th of February, 1891, and sales began March 2nd. Up to the end of September seven hundred and fifty copies had been disposed of, at a price representing nearly ten shillings each. A rapid sale had been anticipated, for prayer was made while the books were speeding across great seas, and on their arrival thanksgiving and prayer were offered up to God publicly throughout the island.
As illustrating the joy with which the people have received the Bible, a friend writing from Lifu says: "The people are poring over their Bibles for hours with evident interest."
With regard to the beautiful volume, the complete Bible, now rapidly getting into the hands of the natives, a few more words will suffice. Mr. Creagh translated all the Old Testament excepting Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Job, and the Psalms. The Bible Society finished printing the Bible in July, 1890, the writer of this article also finished his editorial work, every page having been passed with advantage through the hands and under the eyes of his wife. Inexpressibly great have been my thankfulness and joy on the hearing of the unabated and even growing demand for the book. The desire of our pundits, especially of those advanced in years, was to live long enough to see and read the anticipated Bible. He who granted Simeon's desire is granting theirs. They (and also those wives and widows who requested a Bible) well deserved, and have received each a copy.
In March, 1875, many shocks of earthquakes were experienced at Lifu. On the 18th inst. a tidal wave caused an inundation of the sea at Mu, the southeastern mission, and its vicinity, which destroyed twenty-four natives, adults and young people. At Thoth, a village near, a church member's homestead was flooded. He arose, and caring first and chiefly for his Tusi Hmitöt his " Sacred Book," waded all but naked through the water, holding aloft his treasure. Some would hastily and unjustly say that his book was merely his talisman, or fetish; I know differently, and can testify that he loved his book, and had derived spiritual good from it. Similarly I have seen a young girl, educated by my wife, who, on obtaining a copy of the New Testament and Psalms, kissed the volume and clasped it in her bosom as would a fond mother her dear child.
One of our deceased schoolmasters, and pastor of a small station, was commendably zealous in encouraging the young to obtain and read the Bible, and every boy and girl under his influence could read, and has obtained a copy of Scripture.
At an early morning week-day meeting open to all, and at our annual “Mei " missionary meeting, selected church members publicly speak. Their invariable practice is to take a passage of Scripture; consequently their name for such is "Troa cilefe la wesi ula," i e., “To stand up with the Word." We do not discourage but approve of the custom, or of the expression, because in that and other ways the authority of the Scriptures is maintained and honored. Great spiritual sagacity is often illustrated by the selection of a passage, and no little knowledge of the Word of God is also so evinced.
[The above papers under the title "The Bible in Many Lands," are taken from The Bible Society Reporter, and The Bible Seeley Gleanings.]