the Sabbath she came to the chapel to see him baptized. I did not see her (as the placed railed and screened off for the women in the Pechuia chapel is very private), but I learned that she looked sometimes quite pleased, and at other times was weeping; and that, shortly after the service, when the wife of the third new member came in lamenting over her husband's apostacy from the traditions of his fathers, and trying to make a disturbance, she astonished our friends by taking the side of the converts. Let us, therefore, take encouragement to pray that in this case (as it has so often been found) those who oppose the Gospel may themselves receive it.

On the same occasion we re admitted two members who had been under suspension, but had to suspend another member. We also gave a certificate to one of the brethren who had moved to Amoy, for we have the system of certificates on change of residence in full operation.

The Sabbath was altogether the most interesting and refreshing which I have spent at Pechuia for many, many years. The three admi-sions, and the presence of so many candidates, reminded us of the old days when the work first took root in the place, and when a year or two afterwards the candidates from Baypay and its villages used to come to Pechuia for instruction before they had regular ordinances for themselves. But yet, when we deduct the portion due to Cheng-Chwan, there remains but little signs of advance in the congregation of Pechuia itself. O

that we might see it revived again as of old-nay, not as of old, but with renewed and increased measure!

PROGRESS AT KHI-BOEY AND BAYPAY.

While I was at Pechuia, Mr. Swanson spent the Sabbath at Khi-boey. He reports very decided progress in several of the candidates there, so that we may hope to

admit several on the next visit.

This week he tried to go to Anhai, but a violent north wind drove him back, and he has gone with Mr. M'Gregor to the Baypay side, where there are most cheering signs of constant progress; especially of late there are a number of new inquirers from a village about ten miles from the chapel, situated, as far as we can learn, nearly on the road from Kang-khan to Kang-boey; of this you shall have details ere long.

PROGRESS AT CHIN-CHEW.

We have cheering accounts from Chinchew of the good opportunities of preaching enjoyed by our agents there, and of the disappointment, so far at least, of our fears as to threatened opposition. We long to revisit the city, especially as several persons are said now to come regularly to worship; but we think it best to wait till the examinations are fully over, as the several thousand students who assemble at that time might possibly prove troublesome. We trust that soon we may be at the city again.

VISIT OF A MISSIONARY'S WIFE TO YAM-TSAOU.

WE have had the pleasure of perusing an interesting letter from Mrs. Gauld, at Swatow, to a friend in this country, giving an account of a visit she made with her husband and Mr. Mackenzie to Yam-tsaou. Her presence excited great interest and curiosity among the Chinese women, who came in numbers to visit and welcome her with expressions of hearty good-will. She had an interview with the Chinese Bible woman spoken of in "the Narrative," p. 31. Mrs. Gauld says-" The brethren here did not even suggest this sphere of usefulness to her, but of her own accord, constrained by the love of Christ, she began speaking to others of their souls, and the worship of the true God. I understand she has visited several of the surrounding

villages, and has been the direct means of leading others to a knowledge of the truth." Mrs. Gauld also visited Chin-chung, where the Christian women showed her marked kindness, and a sisterly feeling seemed to spring up between them at first sight, while crowds surrounded the mission premises to get a glimpse of the "stranger ; " but all were quiet and orderly. On one evening "the female members of the little church there, along with a few others who attend worship, came to tea, and they spent a pleasant hour together. There were eighteen, besides little children, whom the parents brought with them. They seemed exceedingly gratified, and I can truly say the feeling was reciprocal." This is very cheering, and a happy omen for the future in these places.

ENGLISH PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH, STAFFORD.

A MEETING was held in this church on the 20th of last month in behalf of the China Mission, when there was a large attendance, and interesting information was given respecting the progress and present state of the mission. The Rev. P. R. Crole, minister of the congregation, presided, and the Rev. George Swann, the Rev. Jon Blake, and D. Matheson, Esq., took part in the proceedings. It is intended to have a similar meeting annually. Sermons were preached on the previous day by the Rev. W. B. Thompson (U. P.), of Wolverhampton. Collections were made on each occasion, yielding some increase on the amount contributed last year, but owing to the great depression in the boot and shoe trade, which is the chief source of wealth in Stafford, the collections were not so large as they might otherwise

have been.

GLEANINGS.

the world, forsake his family, and join one of the religious schools which abound in this part of China. For some years he neglected his wife and children, and spent his days in fastings, supplications to Buddha, and penances; hop ng thus to accumulate an amount of merit which would suffice to expiate his guilt, procure the favour of the gods, and restore peace to his own mind. His wife pronounced him a fool; and his brothers and other relatives commenced their opposition by hating and harassing him, and ended by breaking off all connection with him. He felt sad and forlorn. His nights were sleepless, and his days passed off in sighs. Often did he pray that some demon might come from Hades, and drive bim away from the sight and sound of his family and friends.

HIS RECEPTION OF THE GOSPEL.

Meats

"His next step was to leave home and proceed to Hankow. He had been here some years before our arrival, leading the life of an ascetic, and doing just as much work as would procure for him enough of coarse rice to prevent starvation. of all kinds he religiously abstained from. He was thirty-nine when for the first time he heard the glad tidings of salvation. To him the Gospel was good news indeed. It did not only give him the truth he was in REV. quest of, and the peace his soul was thirsting for, but it gave him also that which he had given up for lost-it restored to him his family; and he felt himself once more a father, a husband, a man. The Bible alone became his book, and prayer his constant exercise. His consecration seemed to us to be a whole soul consecration; and his earnestness was a novel and a very pleasing spectacle. His previous experience must have prepared him for a hearty reception of the Gospel. After he had been in connection with us for some time, he expressed a desire to become my servant, so that he might learn more, and see in our mode of life an example of the Christian

EXTRACT OF LETTER FROM THE
GRIFFITH JOHN, OF HANKOW.
THE EVANGELIST LO, OF HANKOW.
"LO HIANG-YUNG is a native of Wu-
chang-hien, a district in this province. He
was born in the year 1823, and is now
about forty-two years of age. His early
educational advantages were small; and
the cons quence is that he is not a scholar,
even in the widest acceptation of the term
in China. He can, however, read very
well, and write a tolerably good etter.
When about twenty-seven years of age, a
deep sense of sin and a terrible fear of an
approaching vengeance made him renounce

character. I wanted a coolie (the lowest grade of servants in China) at the time, and offered him the situation, if he would be satisfied with the wages he was getting at the time from his native employer. He replied that his wages amounted in the month to about three thousand cash (about fourteen shillings), and that he would gladly serve me for the same; adding that his object was simply to procure better opporturities of becoming more thoroughly acquainted with Christianity, theoretically and practically. He served me faithfully, and certainly made the very best use of his sp re hours for self-improvement. He was very diligent in reading the Bible, and other Christian books, and in speaking to those who frequented our preaching-hall of the way of salvation. At midnight he was often heard pleading with God, when he thought none but the Omniscient heard.

FIRMNESS UNDER PERSECUTION.

He soon ripened into the necessary fitness for the office; and when I wanted to extend the sphere of our operations, Lo, the coolie, seemed to me to be the man for the work. Among my El-gant Talents' (B.A.'s) there was not one equally adapted for the enterprise. He went about his work cheerfully, but had to make several attempts, and endure many failures, ere his efforts were crowned with success. He fixed at last on Tsai tien Many obstacies presented themselves at the outset; but his simplicity, truthfulness, and zeal overcame ail. It is true, had generally to come to the rescue; but it is equally rue that no hing could have been accomplished, in the circumstance, it he had lacked the Christian fortitude no faith which enabled him to persevere. At Tsai-tien, and in the surrounding neighbourhoo, he has been doing a good work-a work the fruits of which will gladden our hearts come day,

"IN LABOURS MORE ABUNDANT." "Having made good progress in Christian "As a proof of his earnestness, take the knowledge and experience, he requested following illustration :-He was sent by me permission to go and visit his family. to Tsai-tien, and I should have been well When he told them of the change that satisfied it he had remained contented with had taken place in his creed and life, all doing his work there. The extent of his were astonished. They were extremely commission, however, did not seem to be angry with his conduct in becoming a commensurate with his ideas of duty, He Christian. They objected to it on the thought he ought to go every where where ground of its being an utter forsaking of he might do good. Knowing him to be the customs of his country; and, not sincere and trustworthy, I granted him being the religion of the emperor and permission to sweep the whole country mandarins, they were afraid that it might round about, and simply make Tsai tien involve the family in some great calamity. his home and the centre of his operations, They insisted on an immediate renunciation One day he came down to Hankow with of his faith. His only rep y was, 'God is half a dozen goos in his arms, and, pretrue; the idols are false. I will never re-senting them to me, he gave me the fol nounce my faith.' 'We will kill you, if you do no,' they cried, angrily. 'Death, rather than apostacy,' was his calm reply. They thought him mad, though a different and a better man than he was formeriy. His wife would have nothing to do with him on this occasion: she had learnt to do without him since he had become a recluse, and now told him that she did not need his aid, and did not believe in him. He returned to Hankow without having effect ed a reconciliation, though not without leaving a good impression. He paid them another visit a few months a terwards, and succeeded better. His family saw in him a decided change for the better; and he ascribed it all to the regenerating power of the new religion which he had embraces. This time he left them reconcile to himself, though not converted to God.

lowing account of himse f. There is,' said he, 'a small village ten miles beyond 1sai-tien caled Kwan-yin-kiau. Some months ago I was informed that there were a few men there who felt an interest in Christianity. I visited the place at once, and found that the report was true. The first time I went there, a woman came out to me t we with a child in her arms which seen ed to be dying. The mother told me that the doctors and pries's had been consuled in vain, and that she was feeling very sao. I turned to her and addressed her thus:-"Your idols are false; the gods you worship are no gods, but the work of men's hands; the priests only deceive you. I worship the Supreme Ruler, who is the only true and living God. If you wish it, I wil: pray to the true God for you and your child. I don't know whether it is his will that the child should recover; but I do know that, if it please him, it can be done, and will be done, in answer to prayer." After speaking to her n this manner, I prayed, believing that

great sage, eight families out of ten bearing himself a Christian, had offered his temple his surname. Here Mr. Williamson's en- to the mission. His conversion was the thusiasm was somewhat kindled, but it was result of his attending the services at the soon quenched by the discomforts at hospital chapel in Pekin, and he was detendant upon travel in that remote region. sirous that his temple at Pan-pi-tien, with As he travelled on the weather became its lands, should be devoted to the purstormy, and he hat repeated difficulty in poses of a Christian hospital and the obtaining even the most indifferent accom- preaching of the Gospel. We now learn modation. At Woo-rai, which he reached that legal difficulties prevented the acceptone evening drenched with rain, the ar- ance of this offer; but it was determined rangements for the benefit o' travellers at to send down a dispenser of medicine and a the only inn to which he could obtain catechist. These native agents of the access are thus described :London Society were accompanied by the "The Chines cannot afford to dry | Rev. W. C. Burns, of the Presbyterian clothes at the fire; they use nothing but Mission. They remained at the temple, the sun, which unfortunat ly was not preaching the Gospel of salvation, and adavailable. The room for distinguished travellers was allotted to us, but was worse than the commonest barn. There was no bed, not even a kang; only straw with a mattress over it. The furniture consisted of two stools, a table fourteen inches high, and a huge coffin. In the centre of this cold, damp, dreary room we kindle a fire of straw and brushwood, and vainly tried to warm ourselves and dry our clothes. There was nothing to eat but the very coarsest food. After taking a little tea and some viand for which cannot find an English name, I discovered that the floor was not an inviting resting-place, and transferred myself to the top of the empty coffin. Even in this I was disappointed, for both wind and rain poured in through a hole near the head; and not having a sufficient number of book-boxes left to make a bed, I had to order more straw from the surly hos, on which I lay down and slept soundly, with the teapot at my feet for a warming-pan. For six days our acconmodation was of a similar kind."

While Mr. Williamson was traversing the heart of China, the Rev. R. J. Thoms, of the London Society, a newly-arrived missionary in the North, accepted a temporary commission from that gentleman to visit Corea, a country hitherto explored only by Roman Catholics. Mr. Thomas spent two months and a-half off the West Coast. The people, as a whole, are hostile to foreigners, and there are great impediments to the circulation of the truth; but some were found willing to take the boks offered, although at personal risk. Crossing to Manchuria, he found the whole region disorganized-a prey to the depredations of armed bands of robbers, and in the convulsions of rebellion; but he was, on the whole, kindly received, and had various opportunities of preaching the Gospel.

We mentioned early in the present year that a Buddhist priest, owning a spacious temple about eighty miles from Pekin, had applied to the Rev. J. Edkins, of the London Mission, in that city, and, avowing

ministering medical relief, for thirteen days, the number of patients averaging forty per day; and a colporteur has since been despatched to continue the work by carrying the Scriptures for sale to the surrounding villages. The success which has attended this employment of a native dispenser, trained under the missionary physician, has suggested a further extension of the system of medical missions. Natives may be trained to do a very useful work in the way of healing; and as they show themselves capable of the responsi bility, may be employed under superintendence in new dispensaries opened at places far and near, temporarily or permanently as circumstances may render advisable. The presence of one such man would be a great assistance to preacher or catechist, in bringing him more hearers, and removing prejudice.

ad

In the South, the Rev. R. J. Wolfe, of the Fuh-Chau Church Mission, reports the baptism, during the year, of eleven converts. The preaching within the city is attended by attentive audiences. After the dresses, opportunity is generally given to any who may wish to ask questions or make objections; and very often the chapel is the scene of a lively discussion on the subject at issue between Christianity and heathenism. Buddnists, Taouists, and Con. fucianists take part in these discussions:

"The Confucianists will denounce the worship of idols as strenuously as the Christians, while the other parties will as strongly argue in their favour. But it must not be concluded from this that the followers of Confucius never worship idols, the contrary is the case; and though they may denounce them publicly when pressed by the Christian advocate, they worship them in private as devoutly as the Taouist or the Buddhists. It appears, however, to ne very clearly that the great battle which Christianity will have to fight in this empire will not be with Taouism or Buddhism as such, but with Confucianism and ancestral worship."