out any male issue. This rare prerogative not only enhanced his prestige, but also made his presence in Tokyo a constant necessity, and his advice contributed greatly to the wonderful stability of his dynasty.

After the abolition of the Shogunate (1686) Wakayama suffered greatly with the other large daimio towns, and only lately it has been gradually, but steadily, regaining its pristine greatness. This time not owing to its strategical importance as a military post, but because of the commercial instinct and industry of its ever-increasing population -at present estimated about 70,000. Its chief industry is a species of cotton cloth called Kishu-Nerru (Kishu flannel). It is exported chiefly into Korea and China, and is ousting gradually the woollen fabrics imported hitherto from England and Germany. The other leading exports of the province are silk, faïence, lacquer and oranges.

Mission work was started here about twenty-two years ago, but because of an infelicitous selection of the site of the church edifice the work hitherto has not been able to make much headway. However, this great impediment, I am

glad to say, has been removed now through the liberality of the Church in America. The new church was occupied on December 21st, 1907. On Sunday morning, the 22d, we had the Holy Communion and a historical sermon. It was the coldest day of the winter, still the church was well filled with worshippers. In the evening we had another sekkyo-kwai (preaching meeting) in which Dr. Correll, of Osaka, and two Japanese took part. It was a great day for everyone present, whose impressions cannot be obliterated easily.

Besides the church we have two other buildings in course of remodelling, which we expect to use as night-school and parish house. When these are finished, and my plans all matured, and the whole machinery put a-going, I am quite sure a new era will dawn upon us.

Out of Wakayama, mission work has at present branched out into two directions, roughly speaking, north and east. In the north the nearest station is the beautiful plain of Marusu, crowded with small villages. Here we have a small Christian community composed mostly of the prosperous farmers of the neighborhood. Mr. Inagaki, the catechist in

charge, is a farmer and draws no salary. The people naturally contribute toward the support of the Wakayama deacon, who visits them once a week, but also give liberally for the divers activities of the Japan Church. I visit Marusu once a month, and every time the presence of this remote congregation takes me back to the apostolic ages.

About fifteen miles from Marusu is the town of Hashimoto, where the brilliant catechist, Mr. Urabe Takusalearo, has been working for the last nineteen years. He is highly esteemed and respected by everybody-Christian and non-Christian. Hashimoto has its own out-stations-Myoji, Yamoda, Nagura and several other villages, where the everincreasing Christian population of Japan scatters, and in course of time creates new centres of work.

Five miles above Hashimoto, and on the same river, is the important town of Gojo, where Mr. Miki, an experienced catechist, with his capable wife is doing good work. Gojo is one of our oldest stations, visited for many years from Osaka. For a long time it was considered the most discouraging place, and

its final abandonment was often recommended. To-day it is steadily becoming a useful centre of missionary activity. Gose, another town about fifteen miles from Gojo, is visited once a week by Mr. Miki, and I am hoping ere long to establish a chapel there.

On the south, about sixty miles from Wakayama, is the city of Tanabe-a flourishing seaport. Here Mr. Horiuchi, a graduate of Tokyo Theological School, has been working for the last five years, building up a devout Christian community. Tanabe has two out-stationsTonda and Minabe. The work here needs pressingly a church and rectory, both to cost not more than $2,000. The present Japanese house utilized is not suitable for our solemn services.

The field assigned to me comprised the whole province of Kii and part of the province of Yamato. The population today would total about 1,500,000. This extensive field is worked by four Japanese, whose ability, earnestness and reliance are above all praise, and the writer. Every one of us is kept quite busy. The greatest need of the field at present is the advent of two Japanese priests.

I

Valdez, November.

CANNOT tell you what a joy and relief it is to me that Mr. Newton is coming. If he fits, it will mean that we shall possess outside of a few Roman Catholics-the town. And the town has a future.

I am occupying the rectory, which has a bed, a stove, a table, and a few chairs, but it is comfortable and better far than paying $5 a day at a hotel.

The hospital is in good condition. It has done a great work in the past few months, but the suspension of the Railway Company has left the hospital with many bills unpaid, as several hundred dollars were lost in the bank closing. The total debt is about $1,000.

I would strongly recommend the sending here of two nurses. I also wish we could enlarge the hospital. We ought to have three more private rooms and a small ward for contagious cases. We could do this for $1,500.

Catella is abandoned as a terminal and harbor. I am glad of it. It is a bad place to get at. Fifteen men have recently been drowned there in getting to and from ships. Our ship could not land there, so I was unable to stop over. Cordova is now to be the place. I shall visit Cordova, start a mission and obtain a site. I have many friends among those who have the construction of the road in their hands. I also hope to visit Seward. Mr. Newton must look after Cordova and Seward as well as Valdez until more help comes. I will be here to start him and will then visit the southeastern Alaska missions, then from Valdez possibly "dog" it into Fairbanks, Neenana and St. John's-in-the-Wilderness in January. I cannot very well say where letters can reach me.

I cannot express how cheered I am by the splendid results of the General Convention and the advent of Mr. Newtoneven one helper.

IT

Valdez, January.

T is now 2:30 A.M., Monday, January 27th. At 4 A.M. I "hit the trail." So you see I am not to have any sleep, and yesterday, Sunday, was a busy day. We had services at 9 and 11 A.M. in the church. At 12:30 I talked to the Sunday-school. At three o'clock there was service at the hospital. At 7:30 we had service in a "hall," the church being too small. And such a service! All Valdez seemed to be there, nearly 300, and then people went away, unable to get in. That is the result of having a man in charge like Mr. Newton. He is as happy as a boy, and has won the hearts of the whole community. We had a fine confirmation-a class of five of the best adult people in the place.

Reports have come in that "Keystone Canyon" and the "summit" are almost impassable; "conditions fierce"; but as I am ready to start, I am going to try.

་

Fairbanks, February. ERE I am in Fairbanks, as you see.

HE

I arrived on Tuesday last, at ten in the morning, in thirty-degrees-belowzero weather. Mr. Betticher met me forty miles out of Fairbanks. The trip occupied eight and a half days from Valdez, a distance almost due north of four hundred miles. I was fortunate in having good weather, with the exception of some bad hours in the Delta Canyon, between two and eight in the morning. On the whole the trip was a comfortable one. I could not but contrast it with the one I made four years ago. Then I had to "mush" all the way, break trail, find my own way through an untravelled, silent wilderness of frozen rivers, mountains, canyons. The more I think of it, the more amazed I am that I succeeded. This time I travelled in a stage, wrapped in robes, finding at every twenty miles or so, comfortable "road houses" where one could get meals and bed. From the com

fortable seat in the stage-I was the only passenger I looked down upon the awful windings of the Gulcana River, on which we had such desperate work, four years ago, breaking trail and doing this for three days on tea only, our food having given out.

It was very pleasant to find and meet at every road house old friends or those who knew me. All seemed eager to make me comfortable, and then I felt that even to the few whom I met in each road house my mission was recognized and honored and had its good effect.

I got a hearty welcome from our friends in Fairbanks. It was cheering. I found Miss Emberley, Miss Wightman, Miss Alexander, all well and happy. A few hours after arriving here, Mr. Betticher and I left for Chenoa, where we spent the night with Mr. and Mrs. Chrysler, dear Church people and friends. Next day we were met by two Indian young men, and with their dog team were taken to the Chenoa Indian village. This was according to schedule. The Indians had been prepared for my visit. Though they were off on their annual winter hunt for moose, yet they broke camp and returned to their village, travelling many miles in order to meet me. It was a holiday time for them. The little St. Matthew's chapel, built of logs by the Indians themselves, made church-like inside by the labors of Miss Emberley and others, situated amid the spruce trees on the bank of the Tanana, was filled with an eager, happy, interested congregation of Indians. You ought to have seen their faces and heard them sing! Mr. Betticher presented thirty-five of them for confirmation. These had for a long time been looking forward to this privilege. At Neenana, which I hope to reach February 11th, there are sixty more waiting for confirmation. Mr. Betticher has certainly labored most devotedly among these Indians. He has won their love and surely has proved himself an expert in such work. He loves it, and has won to himself all the Indians along the Tanana

River. He wants to devote himself entirely to this work, and hopes some one I will relieve him of Fairbanks. I trust this may be accomplished.

I leave here with dogs on Monday for Neenana, will then go on to Tanana, and then on, ever north, to the Koyukuk, where I hope to visit Miss Carter and Miss Heintz.

While we are having about thirty-degrees-below-zero weather, yet the winter is mild, and I am hoping the same favorable condition may continue. I am busy all day long, and have to do a little training at times, so as to get into "condition.” Fairbanks is very quiet and suffering greatly from a "strike."

AN INDIAN CHRIST

MAS OFFERING

BY THE REVEREND
"A. R. HOARE

T

HE offering of the Indian congregation at Tanana for General Missions amounted this year to $62.50.

We had comparatively few Indians at the mission this Christmas, and, considering the fact that it is yearly becoming very much harder for the Indians to make money by hunting and trapping, owing to the scarcity of game, I think the amount contributed does them credit.

On New Year's Eve we held a "Watchnight" service in the Indian village with a celebration of the Holy Communion after midnight, when 113 Indians received the Sacrament. A number of these had travelled ninety miles for the purpose. This is the largest number of Indian communicants we have ever had at one service. Their behavior was particularly reverent and I was thankful to note the spirit displayed by a few who, while intensely anxious to receive, finally came to the conclusion that they could not conscientiously do so.