HEROIC MISSIONARY EXPLORER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2745, 25 February 1910, Page 5

HEROIC MISSIONARY EXPLORER.

CABLE NEWS.

FIRST WHITE MAN TO TRAVERSE

MALAITA

United Press Association —Copyright (Received February 25, 12.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, Feb. 24.

Dr. Deck, the missionary, in a letter to a friend, gives interesting details of his recent pioneer journey across the Island of Malaita. He described the island as ono Vast forest 25 miles across, the dim jungles swawmng with hidden, naked, desperate, treacherous people who kill and are killed, and feast from human flesh. From a bag slung on his neck 'many a warrior’, hangs a fragment of human flesh, a bone, a finger, or a tuft of hair, as a talisman or trophy of some dark murder. Three times previously the doctor had tried to cross, but his guides failed him, owing to reports of -murders along the trail. Finally, accompanied by four guides, ho succeeded. For the first few miles the natives were friendly.- Then lie entered the territory of natives against whom he had repeatedly been warned, travelling through dense bush, through swamps, and up and down mountains. The journey -was very difficult and laborious. He frequently saw armed natives watching them. At one place swarms of brown naked men, armed with bows, spears and muskets surrounded the party. The doctor adds: “But, zj usual, it came to nothing. We were soon shaking hands, and later had an audience of the villagers.” The party were given a small hou.se to stay in, and were not -admitted to the men’s living rooms, the rafters inside which were lined with the skulls of generations past.

At another village lie -gathered the natives together and told the old, old story, with bearded cannibals and stealthy murderers squatting round the camp fire. For the next couple of day s rain added greatly to the troubles of travelling. The party had to make their way through swollen watercourses and slide down the side of hills, d’hoir food was finished before they reached the ocean.

Afterwards the doctor hoard that a party of natives was organised to cut him off, and so earn the -pigs and blood money offered for a white man’s head. This party lay waiting ready to kill him, but, as the doctor puts it, “'without- knowing it, we took a different track. God led us a way we knew not. Neither did they; and they returned home empty-handed.” One native frankly confessed to trying to shoot the doctor, but said that he could not, something was holding him back.

[Malaita is one of the Solomon Islands. lying east from New Guinea.]