46

early in the afternoon in Nodoa, all were in the best of spirits. I was glad that most of our friends put off their call till the next day, but then for several days they came in large numbers. How nice it is to meet again with so many well known friends bearing the Christian greeting (Pre-oa) Peace!

JAPAN.

THE AINUS.

REV. GEORGE P. PIERSON, Tokyo:-On a recent Saturday evening we had a lecture by the Rev. Mr. Batcheller, on the Ainus. He has worked a great deal among this people and is an authority. The word Ainu (not Aino) means man or husband. There are 15,000 or 16,000 of them in Yezzo, while in the same island there are 400,000 Japanese. Originally, the lecturer said, in Japan there were Koreans, Pit-dwellers and Ainus. The remnant in the Hokkaido represents a race that once may have lived quite extensively in Japan. Some names of places seem to prove this. For example, Yeddo, the old name of To kyo, is the name of a certain edible grass, Fuiji, the name of the mountain, means "the goddess of fire"-the goddess whose function was to record the deeds of men in a book and transcribe their pictures. Their language is perhaps like the oldest Tartar language. When they say good-by, they say, "Popke no okai yan," that is, "May you be kept warm!" Their notion of hell is that of a cold place, and the greatest possible punishment is to be frozen up in a block of ice. In old times there were three chiefs in every village. Trials were all open, and there was no punishment without conviction, or rather confession. This confession, in turn, was extorted by requiring prisoners to drink a tub of cold water. Women were tried by mixing tobacco ashes and water, which they were made to drink. If they could endure this, they were counted innocent; if not, they were adjudged guilty. The murderer, under the government of the Ainus, was punished by maiming. Widows had to mourn seven years before they were permitted to re-marry. This mourning was evidenced by wearing the clothing inside out. The clothing was made of the inside bark of the elm

[July,

tree. The Ainus believed in water nymphs, in gods of the sea and numerous other deities, but also in a creator. These were some of points brought out by the lecturer concerning this ancient people.

INDIA.

CROWDS OF FARMERS.

REV. E. P. NEWTON, Lodiana:-In the end of January I started for a tour in the district, and was out four weeks. Leaving here on the 27th, I went to Raskat, twenty-five miles to the southwest of Lodiana. From there I travelled from five to six miles a day in the direction of Phirl, a large village in the territory of the Rajah of Nabha, and some sixty to sixty-five miles from here. I lodged in the villages, putting up in Dharmsalas, which are places erected in most Hindu villages for the accommodation of travelers. It was a part of the district never before visited by me, and very seldom by any Christian preacher. I preached two or three times each day, but my largest and most interesting audiences were always in the evening by lamp-light. At that time the farmers are free, and I had large crowds to talk and read and sing to. In my report for last year allusion is made to a fiddle. This I had with me, and found it a never-failing source of attraction. Nothing could exceed the hospitality and friendliness with which I was received in most of the places I stopped at.

MOHAMMEDAN HOSPITALITY.

At one place, Shaina, the deputy inspector of police, a Mahommedan, insisted on my taking up my quarters in the police station, where he gave up his office to my use. He also sent a message to Dhabali, a village that I was to reach two days later, to have a room prepared for me in the house of a Sikh Sardar. There is no difficulty in getting a hearing for the gospel in most of these villages, or even a verbal assent to it on the part of many; but that is a different thing from receiving it and confessing Christ.

A SPIRIT OF INQUIRY.

MISS ANNIE S. GEISINGER, Dehra :-Our work is being greatly blessed, not exactly in the women coming out and being baptized, but in the

abundant entrance we have to the people, their readiness to hear the Word and the wonderful way in which God is owning it. There is a most marked spirit of inquiry abroad about here, people hungry and thirsty for the Word of life, and I question whether it is not an out-pouring of the Holy Spirit in answer to all the prayers that went up the world over at the beginning of this year. The Rev. Mr. Thackwell, of this station, says that evenings when he preaches in the bazaar, out in the open air, the people listen as if spell-bound, and where formerly there was opposition and strife against the truth, a most attentive and respectful hearing is now given, and sometimes he has the company of some of the listeners home, enquiring more perfectly about these things. Last evening he was preaching in the bazaar as usual, surrounded by a concourse of men. In the midst of his talk a man spoke out from the crowd saying that he could testify to the truth of what was being said, for he not only believed it, but "had it in his heart." On inquiry, Mr Thackwell found that he was the head-man of a village some twelve miles away, and there were others there who believed as he did. They had gotton hold of a portion of the Scriptures some time ago and the Holy Spirit had been their teacher. In what wonderful and unexpected ways we are sometimes permitted to have faint glimpses of the results of our seedsowing.

VILLAGE SUNDAY-SCHOOLS.

We have four Sunday-schools, one in the very heart of the city, and others in different villages near by, the farthest being about two miles. The oldest school, started before I went home, has about sixty heathen pupils, girls, boys and women, the women and girls being separated from the "dreadful boys" by a wall. There are seven teachers with their classes, and I am not sure but there is better attention and behaviour than in most home Sunday-schools. The school is presided over by one of the "Training Home" pupils, and her staff of seven teachers is composed of our native Christian Zenana teachers.

A second Sunday-school is held in another

47

village, where we have a girls' day school. Its superintendant is another one of our Training Home" pupils, and she has three native Christian teachers from this Christian Girls' Boarding School, associated with her. The one in the city is yet in its beginning, and Miss de Souza, with the help of a young worker I have just taken on, "holds the fort" there. Her associate is the young married daughter of one of my Bible women, who has shared my toils and labors these many years in Dehra. Is it not delightful to see the second generation taking a share in this work!

Work among the women and girls was begun in this distant village by Miss de Souza just before my return, but no Sunday-school could be opened just then. The lessons, too, in this place can be only semi-weekly, owing to distance and press of city work, so the people see little of us and have no opportunity of getting better acquainted. The way opened about three weeks ago to go out and camp on the very edge of the village in a beautiful mango grove. One of the school ladies needed a little quiet rest and change to out-of-door life, so we made a ten days' visit to this place. We were near enough for them to gratify their curiosity by frequent visits over to the tent, and I was in the village every day, teaching, talking and visiting, getting better acquainted with their modes of thought and ideas of things in general. I thought it time to open a Sunday-school, so three weeks ago we gathered for the first time under the grateful shade of a mango tree, right on the main street of the little village, as no room was to be had anywhere. A more sheltered corner for the girls' class was found inside an old doorway, and they were looked after by one of the ladies. My boys and I got on famously under the tree and were a great attraction to many passing by, who in the hymns they heard and explanation of the lesson given, received perhaps their first impressions of Christianity. This audience came and went, but there were many attentive listeners all throughout, and I have determined for the sake of such to continue the school out of doors as long as the weather permits.

48

AFRICA.

REV. H. JACOT, Kangwe:-Mission Meeting is nearly over. We have had great pleasure in meeting again the twenty members of our Gaboon mission band, who came from all directions to review the work of the past year and decide upon the wisest course for the twelve months to come. Many important decisions were taken, a few of which I will mention: Brother Good was appointed to make a short tour to Liberia to inspect the condition of our Board's mission there carried on by natives of whose efficiency and faithfulness there is reason to doubt. This tour of three months will deprive me of my valuable colleague, and throw upon me for that time the whole responsibility of our work at Kângwe, by no means an easy task. His revised New Testament in Mpongwe was authorized to be printed, as also his new edition of the hymn book, both of which volumes will be of the greatest value to us in our work. Mr. Marling's translation of the Gospel of Matthew into Fang (Fang) was also authorized and will be printed by the Bible Society or by the Tract Society. This is the first purely Fañg literature issued by our mission, and we hope it will be only the beginning. Mr. Marling was also authorized to prepare a small Fañg primer, of which I will send you a copy as soon as it is issued. The importance of this publication will be understood when you remember that two millions of natives can be reached through the medium of this language. Our Bible and Tract Society are doing therefore a grand work when they enable us to sell at a mere nominal price the Word of Life to these awakening souls.

Steps were also taken at our Mission Meeting to mass our workers more in the northern field in the neighborhood of Batanga, and to send a party to explore interior-ward from that station, with a view to establishing new posts on the high plateau, more healthful and said to be teeming with population speaking the Fañg language. This would open up to us a vast and interesting missionary field, away from the influences of trades and vicious civilization.

[July.

I find that our station at Kangwe last year costs us about $4,500, including salaries of two married missionaries and French teacher. This enables us to keep a Boys' Boarding School for sixty scholars, a Girls' Boarding School for ten scholars, to support six Bible readers located at different points on the river, to do considerable work in evangelizing and in the preparation of native literature. Sixty-eight natives about us were baptised after being closely examined and tested as to their faith; one new church was organized with forty-three members, several students were taught who aspired to the ministry and one of them was licensed to preach. On the whole I feel confident that more far-reaching good was accomplished than is done in a year by many of our home churches, who spend more than double for their running expenses.

And now I must say a word about the work for the coming year. There is plenty of it. In about ten days I hope to be once more in Kângwe, this time with the whole care of our four churches, the nearest of which is twenty-five miles; the farthest forty miles from Kângwe. I hope to be able to devote my spare time to the study of the Fañg language, and to deeper study of the Mpongwe. I am happy to have the help of Monsieur Presset who will have charge of the school, and who will direct it with the experience he has acquired while at Libreville teaching the Baraka school. He is an earnest Christian and has learned to speak very fair English in the three years he has been in the mission. We will also try to develop a few more Bible readers who are very useful to us, as we cannot visit all the towns frequently. In a few months we hope to have with us Messrs. Allegret and Theisseres of the Paris Soc. who will work with us until arrangements can be made for definitely handing the work over to them, or at least a part of it. I don't know that I am ready to give up Kangwe Station for some time yet.

But now I must close for this time, yet I cannot without calling upon you to "praise the Lord for his goodness to us" during this past year in keeping us in His service, and in using our unworthy efforts to His glory.

Rev. Dr. W. C. Roberts, whose election as Corresponding Secretary was received with so much pleasure throughout the church, has already entered upon the duties of the office, to the great delight of the Board and the office force. He comes,

not as a novice, but as a general back to his former command. He resumes the work with the readiness of one who has but just returned from a summer vacation.

If we must be deprived of the services of Dr. Kendall by reason of his physical infirmities it is a kind providence that returns Dr. Roberts to us to take his place. No other man in the church could do it so well.

It is fitting that the first of the great ecclesiastical courts to cross the Continent should be the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, and it is a striking incident of the journey to Portland, that the route traveled by a majority of the commissioners should, for nearly 2,000 miles, follow very closely the trail of Missionary Whitman, whose wagon was the first vehicle to cross the Rocky Mountains. The Union Pacific train departed from his trail at Granger, in Wyoming, in order to take in Ogden and Salt Lake City, but touched it again at McCammon, Idaho. Every thirty-minutes that train covered a day's journey of that patient pioneer. Three hours of the train covered a week's journey for Dr. Whitman.

Five years

after the missionary path maker blazed the way, General John C. Freemont, the path finder, followed.

The General Assembly gave a fair share of attention to the Boards and other causes of the church, notwithstanding the other exciting and absorbing matters before it.

The report of Dr. McPherson, the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Home Missions, was such a clear, comprehensive and powerful statement and plea, that it has already been printed in the form of a leaflet to be distributed throughout the churches.

A private letter from a looker-on at the Assembly ends with these significant words:- "The women are praying while the men are fighting. God bless the women and direct the men." Let us trust that God has answered that little petition.

The report that Dr. Sheldon Jackson was murdered by whiskey smugglers, in Alaska, is probably untrue. It could not possibly have occurred at the date assigned, as his vessel had not then sailed from Port Townsend, and, besides, it was under orders to make no stop before reaching Unalaska. The report must have grown out of the murder of Mr. Edwards, one of our missionaries, in precisely the same manner a month earlier.

A WOMAN'S SUGGESTION.

A NUCLEUS:-A lady, an entire stranger, entered the office of the Board of Home Missions the other day and handed to the secretary a roll of bills which counted out $63, the proceeds, she said, of the sale of some jewelry which she had sacrificed toward our debt. Half hesitatingly she suggested a plan for paying the Board's debt. It was simply this: Let pastors call upon their people to dispose of any valuables which they might just as well spare as not, and at an appointed time bring the proceeds and make a special collection for the debt. Such a movement in every church would certainly

Why is not the suggestion a good one? And why might not every pastor bring it before his congregation? Remember, the valuables themselves are not to be sent to the Board. The treasurer can do nothing with them. Owners can realize more for them than the treasurer could even if he had the time to hunt a purchaser. The suggestion is surely worth considering.

The unflinching fidelity of our German brethren to their church life and work is well illustrated in the following extract from the report of Rev. Dr. Schuette, of Independence, Iowa:

"I have had the hardest work. during this time to meet my appointments, that I ever had in my life. Twice I could not get there on account of bad roads and bad weather. We have had heavy rains for two months and the roads are in a dreadful condition. On one trip I nearly killed my horse and it is still lame from that time. Our meetings were better attended than I had expected because the people feel greatly interested and I consider it a good performance for farmers to come to church on Sabbaths, when they have to walk five or six miles to attend services, because they could not use their horses.

Rev. W. C. Beebe, of Waterville, Washington, reports a very interesting revival the blessed influence of which is felt throughout the community and the regions round about. Among the conversions was the wife of a prominent saloon-keeper. Another interesting case was that of a young man and his family.

[July,

The young man never had a relative, either in the present generation or among his ancestors as far back as he has information, who ever professed religion.

Fourteen synodical missionaries were present at the General Assembly, at Portland, by invitation of the Board of Home Missions. They held several conferences, and discussed at length a number of practical topics bearing on their work. One of these subjects was the matter of

LAY PREACHERS.

Dr. S. B. Fleming, of Kansas, said that in his field it had been found best to leave the matter of employing lay preachers to local arrangement. One man had managed to do valuable work in this way without cost to the Board. His Presbytery had given him approval and a temporary license. The church in this case raised as much as ever for the work.

The brethren are inclined to be very careful in the choice of men for this service. One well-known man was kept ten years at this kind of work before final ordination to the full duties of the ministry, in which he has now been for some time engaged.

Dr. T. S. Bailey, of Iowa, said that in his field they had had only one man engaged in this sort of service, who had been notably successful, and had been lately ordained. With careful restrictions, such service would undoubtedly prove useful. He had found unfit men apt to press in. It was certainly wise to encourage men found to have gifts to use them in this way. There was danger here from a lack of loyalty on the part of exceptional men who come in from outside. There were plenty of men who would like the honor of being Presbyterian preachers. We ought to employ good elders more in evangelistic work. He had several of these available in his field.