Chin-chew where Dr. Grant resides and carries on hospital work. During that time I heard and saw nothing amongst the people different from what might be seen in time of peace, except occasional enquires as to whether there was any news. The preaching-hall on the street has been closed during the temporary excitement, but might quite well be opened again now.

I have confined myself to giving a simple statement of events up to the present time: any speculation as to the future would be quite useless.

TROUBLES IN NORTH FORMOSA.

BY REV. G. L. MACKAY, D.D.

The following paragraphs were addressed to the Editor simply as a note, but we have thought best to insert them in this part of the Recorder in near relation to the other article on the same subject.

AT present I can only give a few facts regarding the troubles in

North Formosa. Perhaps it may not be without some interest to note the following.

First. The work was never in such a prosperous condition as in 1884, before the French bombardment of Kelung. There were thirty-five chapels with as many trained native preachers-twentysix students in the college and thirty-seven girls in the school at Tamsui. Upwards of one thousand had been baptized-on the whole the people were never more friendly and well disposed.

Second. The arrival of the French changed the whole aspect of affairs. At once converts became objects of suspicion and hatred. Head-men who had concealed hatred came to the front and stirred

up the masses, villians living on the border land near the savages combined to plunder, and almost with the first outbreak levelled seven chapels to the ground-looted the houses of converts and beat many of them. All this took place in one district, being the one in which Tamsui and Kelung lay. According to latest accounts the other two districts were still quiet.

At Kelung where there was a large congregation, there is desolation all around. Converts are scattered and hounded from place to place.

Two of the chapels destroyed were large buildings of cut stone, and finished last June. The converts at one of the stations named, gave four hundred and fifty dollars towards erecting their own church which included rooms for preacher and family, teacher and pupils. Now all is in ruins. By latest accounts converts were standing faithful and true. It is impossible now to give a more detailed account.

Echoes from Other Lands.

In default of receiving all the news we would desire directly from our friends, we purpose gleaning from the periodicals of the home lands, such items as we think may be of interest to those of our readers in China who may not have access to the numerous publications of the different societies. We will also, so far as we can, give short notices of the various articles to be found in the home journals relating to China and the Chinese.

ECCLESIASTICAL RELATIONS OF MISSIONARY CHURCHES.

The article by Dr. Talmage in the present number of the Recorder, will be the better understood from the following extract from the Proceedings of the last Pan-Presbyterian Council. The subject of the ecclesiastical relations of missionary churches to those in the home lands will demand increasing attention.

After hearing the report of the Committee on Foreign Missions appointed by the last Council, the following resolutions were adopted. "The Council receive the report, and rejoice in the strong desire of the Presbyterian Churches, generally, to secure as much as possible of unity and co-operation in Foreign Missionary work. The Council most thankfully acknowledge the loving kindness of The Lord, in having so largely and in so many lands blessed the missionary labors of the churches. At the same time, in the view of the many new and remarkable openings throughout the Heathen world for the proclamation of the Gospel of Salvation, they express their earnest hope that there may speedily be a large increase of missionary zeal and effort among the churches connected with the Alliance.

"The Council re-appoint the Committees, with instructions to communicate to the churches the expression of their hope that the desire for union may assume a more practical form. The Council refer to the Business Committee to prepare a Report founded on this Resolution, in which the names of the Committees will be suggested."

The Business Committee afterward presented the following report which was adopted. "That inasmuch as union and cooperation in Foreign Missionary work are, in manifold respects, of exceedingly great value, the Council rejoices to learn that the Church connected with this Alliance have generally expressed an earnest desire for as large a measure of such union and co-operation as it may be found possible to obtain.

"Further, the Council, having respect to the fact that various topics of great practical importance in the prosecution of the Foreign Missionary work still require earnest attention, appoint two Committees for the purpose of considering and reporting on such questions [Here follow the names of those appointed.]

"In particular, inasmuch as there are two questions that appear to be of special importance in connection with union and co-operation in missionary effort, viz., the constitution of Mission Presbyteries, and the relations of the Mission churches to Home Churches, the Council, feeling the importance of encouraging self-development, and self-government in native churches,-thankfully recognizing the amount of union already realized, or in process, in China, Japan, South Africa, Trinidad, and New Hebrides, instructs the Committees to approach the various churches connected with this Alliance with the expression of the Christian and brother by regards of the Council, soliciting at the same time, an early expression of their views, and suggestions on these important topics. Further, in view of reported restrictions and hindrances to missionary work, in various fields, the Council agrees that in the event of an executive committee of the Council being appointed at a subsequent meeting, it be part of the duty of such executive to adopt means for the removal of hindrances, and for the deliverance of preachers and converts from persecution.

"Finally, whilst rejoicing greatly because of the accounts brought to them by their beloved missionaries, and acknowledging with heartfelt gratitude the goodness of the Lord in so graciously blessing the efforts already made for the proclamation of the Gospel in all the world:-The Council would remind their brethren in the fellowship of the Lord, that an adequate response to his call will never be given until every Christian who has received the gospel, owns that in respect of this gospel, he is a debtor to a Christless world, and in a spirit of self sacrificing love, prays, works, and gives, for the universal extension of the kingdom of God; and the Council therefore express the earnest hope that, with a new consecration of heart, ministers, office-bearers, and members of Churches will endeavor, to the utmost of their ability, to fulfil the commandment of Him to whom all power is given in Heaven and Earth."

THE NUMBER OF BUDDHISTS IN CHINA.

In a note to a lecture on the "Insufficiencies of Buddhism as a Religion," by the Rev. M. L. Gordon, M.D., of Kiyoto, Japan, he says:-The Rev. Dr. Happer, in the Chinese Recorder for December, 1883, has an interesting discussion of the question as to the number of Buddhists in the world. He shows very clearly that the large

numbers given to the followers of Shaka has been reached by an entirely different method from that pursued in taking the census of Christians. Following the latter method, he estimates the number of Buddhists in China as 20,000,000; in the world (in round numbers) 72,000,000. I cannot but believe these numbers are too small to represent the influence of Shaka in the world. However, two things cannot be too well borne in mind; (1) that Buddhism is nowhere the exclusive religion of a people; and (2) that the monks alone, not the lay adherents, are members of the church. On (1) compare Rhys David's Buddhism, page 7. On (2) Cf. Oldenburg, Buddha pp. 162 and 381. As in the Buddhism of ancient India, so in that of modern Japan, no lack of belief, no laxity of morals nothing except disrespect to the priesthood could lead to the discipline of a lay-brother. A formal excommunication of unbelieving, unworthy, or scandalously-living lay-brothers, there was not, and as a result of circumstances, there could not be.

MOHAMMEDANS IN SHANSE.

The A. B. C. F. M. calls for three men, including one physician, for North China. The North China Mission of the same Board, calls for twelve new missionaries to occupy important centres in the midst of millions of people unreached by other agencies. The Rev. C. D. Tenney, A. B. C. F. M., of Taiku, Shense, reports that there are some 15,000 Mohammedans in that city. He writes to the Missionary Herald:

"Several of the Mohammedans dropped in to our Sunday morning service a few weeks ago, and hearing that I had the Scriptures in Arabic, a delegation called on Monday morning. They seemed quite startled to find other Scriptures than the Koran written in their sacred language, and the fact of my having the Arabic Scriptures went far toward gaining their respect. We had a long and earnest conversation on the subject of the Christian faith. It seemed strange, after talking with those who have such difficulty in comprehending the most elementary truths of religion, to have these men lead directly to such questions as the nature of Christ, the necessity of an atonement, and the second coming of our Lord."

"The first question with which they plied me related to the divinity of Christ. 'If we said that he was the Son of God, did God have a wife?' And, 'If we said that Christ was God, did we not limit and degrade God, and lose the idea of his infinity?' They seemed to be satisfied with my explanation that Christ is called Son of God because his body was created without an earthly father, and because God's Spirit dwelt in him. I assured them that our doctrine does not diminish God, but that, while in Christ, he is still the omnipotent and omnipresent God. Then we took up the doctrine

of the atonement. I told them that the weakness of their system was that they had no provision for the redemption of sin, and I told them how Christ suffered that we might go free. They seemed to be much interested in this truth, though in reply to my saying that they had no doctrine of redemption from sin an old man gravely remarked that they had the doctrine of forgiveness, and daily prayed God to forgive.

"The next day several others called, and before leaving asked me to explain to them our doctrine of the atonement. In response to their urgent request, Mr. Stimson and myself attended their worship. As it was conducted in Arabic, it was unintelligible to us. The service consisted of chanting, oral and silent prayers, with many kneelings and prostrations. The leader told us with pride that their worship was precisely like the worship at Mecca. We were pleased to see an Arabic Testament, which we had presented to them, lying on the table with their own sacred books.

"The leader, a priest of the Taiku community, is reading the Old Testament now, and comparing it with the teaching of the Koran. He came to me the other day with the passage: 'In the day that God created man, in the image of God made he him,' and asked if it were possible that we taught that God had a body like Adam's. A little explanation satisfied him with the truth of the passage rightly interpreted. These Mohammedans seem surprised to know that there are Christians who neither worship images as the Romanists, who have been in China so long, nor in any way divide the honor due to God alone. The minor resemblances in our forms of worship also surprise them. When we were at their service I overheard one man telling the others that our worship was so nearly like theirs that we even said 'Amen' at the end of our prayers as they did.”

INNER MONGOLIA.

Mr. Geo. Parker, (China Inland Mission), calls for missionaries for twelve stations, two in Inner Mongolia, two in Outer Mongolia, two in Kansuh proper, two in Outer Kansuh, three in Turkistan, and two in Sungarea, most of which stations he says would be five hundred miles, or a month's journey, apart. In The Regions Beyond, Mr. Parker reports having traveled over three thousand miles in North Kansuh, and having sold ten thousand portions of Scripture in Chinese. The Roman Catholics have entered Kansuh since 1876, and have now at least seven stations. He reports regarding this interesting and little known region, as follows:

"The resident who superintends the Mongol tribes south of the desert resides at Ninghia. Two chieftains rule this extensive territory, one having his capital three days' journey west of Ninghia,