STORY OF A LOST ARCHIPELAGO. 271 



In 1854, there were rumours in Sydney, that Mr. Boyd was still 

 alive and that his initials had been seen carved on trees in Guadal- 

 canar. A skull, which had been bought from a chief by the captain 

 of a trading-ship as that of Mr. Boyd, proved, on examination, to 

 belong to a Papuan. However, in December of this year. Captain 

 Denham, in H.M.S. "Herald," visited the scene of the tragedy; and 

 after making inquiry into the matter, he came to the opinion that 

 the unfortunate owner of the " Wanderer " had been killed directly 

 after he landed, and that the various stories current respecting his 

 being alive were inventions of the natives. 



I now bring to a close this short sketch of the history of the 

 Solomon Group since its identity was established by the French 

 geographers towards the end of the last century. During the last 

 thirty years there has been greatly increased intercourse with the 

 natives of these islands ; the Melanesian Mission has firmly estab- 

 lished itself; numerous traders have resided in the more friendly 

 districts ; and the visits of men-of-war and trading-ships have been 

 very frequent. But this increased intercourse with the outer world 

 of savage peoples, who can with difficulty distinguish between a 

 stranger and a foe, has been accompanied, as we might naturally 

 have expected, by many tragic episodes, some of which we can 

 deplore, most of which we can only reflect upon with mingled 

 feelings of shame and regret. The reprisals on the part of men- 

 of-war have not been always satisfactory in their results ; and the 

 effect of the labour-traffic has been to undermine the confidence 

 which the missionary and well-intentioned trader have been long 

 endeavouring to create. The quiet heroism of the members of the 

 Melanesian Mission, under circumstances often the most dispiriting 

 and insecure, it would ill become me to praise. It will be sufficient, 

 however, to remark that it has been the only redeeming feature in 

 the intercourse of the white man with these islanders durino- the 

 last twenty-five years. 



