Wild Life in Southern Seas. 
264 
and had imagined for forty years—that their 
proper policy was to exclude strangers, as they 
had done at Pitcairn Island. But that was a 
mistake. They were not capable of taking care 
of themselves, “ and for their own welfare it 
was eminently desirable that colonists should be 
admitted to the island.” And then the Presi¬ 
dent of the Commission pointed out the bene¬ 
ficial results that had attended the establishment 
of the Melanesian Training Mission on the 
island, and concluded his address by a kindly 
appeal to their common sense to remember that 
the glaring maladministration of justice and 
the utter disregard by the island authorities of 
instructions sent to them by the Governor of 
New South Wales had alone brought about the 
interference of the Colonial authorities. 
At the conclusion of the President’s address, 
which was received in sullen and astonished 
silence, the medical officer of the island, a man 
universally respected, proposed “ That it be 
represented to the Governor of New South 
Wales that it is not desirable for Norfolk Island 
to be annexed to New South Wales.” To this 
the Commissioner made a brief but emphatic 
answer. He declined to allow such a resolu- 
