’These presents are for the most part really good things.  It is quite useless for kind friends to send presents to Melanesians as they would do to an English lad or girl.  To begin with, most of our scholars are grown up, and are more like English young people of twenty or eighteen years old than like boys and girls, and not a few are older still; and secondly, no Melanesian, old or young, cares a rush about a toy.  They, boys and girls, men and women, take a practical view of a present, and are the very reverse of sentimental about it, though they really do like a photograph of a friend.  But a mere Brummagem article that won’t stand wear is quite valueless in their eyes.

’Whatever is given them, cheap or dear, is estimated according to its usefulness; and whatever is given, though it may cost but a shilling, must be good of its kind.  For example, a rough-handled, single-bladed knife, bought for a shilling, they fully appreciate; but a knife with half-a-dozen blades, bought for eighteen-pence, they would almost throw away.  And so about everything else.  I mention this as a hint to kind friends.  They do like to hear that people think of them and are kind to them, but they don’t understand why useless things should be sent from the other end of the world when they could buy much better things with their own money out of the mission store here.

’They are very fond of anything in the way of notebooks, 8vo and 12mo sizes (good paper), writing-cases (which must be good if given at all), patent safety inkstands—­these things are useful on board ship, and can be carried to the islands and brought back again safely.  Work-baskets or boxes for the girls, with good serviceable needles, pins, thread, scissors, thimbles, tapes, &c. &c., not a plaything.  Here we can buy for them, or keep in the store for them to buy, many things that are much too bulky to send from a distance, the freight would be ruinous.  The “Southern Cross” brings them usually to us.  Such things I mean as good carpet-bags, from 5s. to 10s., stout tin boxes with locks and keys, axes, tools, straw hats, saucepans, good strong stuff (tweed or moleskin) for trousers and shirts, which they cut out and make up for themselves, quite understanding the inferior character of “slop” work, good flannel for under-shirts, or for making up into Crimean shirts, Nottingham drill, good towelling, huckaback, &c., ought to be worth while to send out, and if bought in large quantities at the manufacturer’s, it would pay us to get it in England, especially if the said manufacturer reduced the price a little in consequence of the use to be made of his goods.

’Dull small blue beads are always useful, ditto red.  Bright glittering ones are no use, few Melanesians would take them as a gift.  Some islanders like large beads, as big or bigger than boys’ marbles.  These are some hints to any kind people who may wish to contribute in kind rather than in money.