even nominate the individuals who shall constitute the committee. The Shanghai Conference may well open the question, by calling upon the different principal geographical sections to nominate and elect each its own represenative. The entire business will then be naturally left to that representative Committee-the determination of the time of meeting, and all the arrangements for the Conference, even to the election of a convener acceptable to all, if indeed they consider it necessary to have any other one act in that capacity than the Chairman of their own Committee. THE CHINESE MISSION TO COREA. The Rev. Mr. Wolfe, of Foochow, has returned from Corea, having stationed the two Chinese mission aries he took with him, at Fusan. Their residence is for the present in the foreign concession, near its outer boundary, where of course their first effort will be to learn the language, though they hope before long to put themselves more closely still in contact with the Corean people. We are requested to state that the gentleman who contributed $ 1.000 to this enterprise is not Mr. Ah Hok, but Mr. Love of the foreign community at Foochow. NEWS FROM JAPAN. TheSouthern Presbyterian Church of America has sent out two missionaries to Japan, who we learn, expect to settle at Nagoya, a city on the eastern shore, betwen Yokahama and Kobe. The 18th of December was a high day at Kiyoto, from ceremonies connected with the laying of the corner stones of a new Chapel and new Library of the College. It was also the tenth anniversary of the Home Missionary Society of the Congregational Churches of Japan. The United Presbyterian Church in Japan held its third general Assembly on the 24th of November in Tokio. Forty four churches are reported, with a membership of "over 4,000." Several public meetings were held, which were largely attended by very respectful audiences. One of the addresses urged the speedy evangelization of Japan, in view of "the effect it would have on the evangelization of Corea, China, and the whole continent of Asia," and mathematical estimates were given showing how this could be accomplished in fifteen years. The enthusiasm of such statements is pleasing and stimulating, but we question their final advantage, when as yet there is no nation on the earth which has been fully evangelized. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. We notice with pleasure that Mr. Seymour, United States Consul at Canton, is reported as having transmitted to his Government the Memorandum on Persecutions in China, published a few months since under the auspices of the Hankow and Shanghai Evangelical Alliance Committees, drawing the attention of the Secretary of State to the need of better provisions being made for the protection of native Christians. The pamphlet has also been noticed by a number of the leading religious papers in the United States of America. It is however felt that the Chinese have graver complaints still to make regarding the treatment they receive in America. Rev. S. F. Woodin reports from Foochow, that "there seems to be an increasing interest in the preaching of the truth among the people about us." We hear, from several sources, of Dr. Kerr's success in securing a footing at Kwai Peng in Kwangsi. Mr. Kerr's first patient, who was doing all he could to aid the doctor, is a man of some influence, who was a patient of Dr. Parker, 40 years ago, and was cured by him-a case of bread found after many days. Rev. S. C. Stanley reports the following very interesting incident. "During the recent 'war,' three Christians were imprisoned in Canton on a trumped up charge. The cell partitious prevented their seeing each other, but they prayed, and sung, and conversed about their Christian hope. (They were eventually released.) An adjoining convict was impressed by this, and after his release, became an inquirer-before his release, indeed and was recently baptized." It is stated in the home papers that Mr. Griffith John has been requested by the National Bible Society of Scotland to render the Psalms into Easy Wenli. We regret to learn that Miss A. C. Safford is detained at Yokohama by a sprained knee occasioned by a fall on shipboard during rough weather. Many prayers ascend for her recovery that she may again engage in visiting the women of Soochow in their homes. We would call attention to the fact that we have overrun the usual size of the monthly Recorder by four pages. Just as we go to press we are saddened by learning of the death of Mrs. Griffith John of Hankow. FROM SHANTUNG-CHINA MOVES. The Rev. C. R. Mills, D.D., writes from Tungchow Fu:-"I am just back from a visitation of the stations in Chingchow Foo prefecture, formerly under Mr. Corbett's care. There is no general movement in favor of Christianity there now. I baptized 20 persons. One of the native helpers had to be dismissed for unworthy conduct, and this has absorbed the attention of the Christians and raised a party in his favor. This has injured the cause not a ittle. "In other parts of the field there is an increased scrupulousness as to Sabbath observance that is very gratifying. The Christians meet and have a prayer and scripture reading meeting; and the balance of the Sabbath they spend in committing the Scriptures to memory. Since April in one station the members had committed all of the Epistle of James. In another station one mau had in the same time committed all Mark and two Chapters of Luke. Most commit select portions as Matthew 5th, 6th, 7th, 18th, 25th &c. 66 There is no considerable persecution in this province now. There was violent persecution in I Doo some time since. The Christians have been benefitted by it, and it has now nearly died out. "The Government is taking up the opening of mines in this province. Mr. H. M. Becher, Mining Engineer, is now examining the silver mines in Chingchow Foo and the gold mines in Laichow Foo, in company with Yen Se the Government agent, with the purpose of opening them at once with foreign machinery. That is a great step in advance. Hitherto the Mandarins have invariably forbidden the opening of new mines, assigning fung swei as the reason. graph is now working from Chinan Foo to Chefoo. The Tele "At the last provincial examination in Chi-nan Foo 14,000 graduates competed for the second degree. Two scientific themes for essays were announed, viz., "The Thermometer" and "The Telegraph." The names of the successful candi dates for degrees were flashed to Chefoo by telegraph. The speed with which the interesting intelligence has been communicated is much talked of through the country. Even China moves!" Diary of Events in the Far East. November, 1885. 24th.-Earthquakes at Lungchow Fu, Kwangsi. 28th.-Large portions of the bank sink into the river at Ngauking.-A fine meteoric shower seen at Shanghai, 1 A.M.-The Imperial Chinese Telegraph advertises the completion of their line to four different points in Corea. 30th.-Sir John Walsham, Bart., appointed British Minister to Peking. King Theebaw, of Burmah, submits to the British. December, 1885. 2nd. Death at Tokio of H. E., M.A. Davidson, Russian Minister to Japan: -Osaka and Hiogo declared free of Cholera by the Japanese Consul at Shanghai. 3rd. The French "Director of Civil Affairs," Haiphong, officially contradiets the reported evacuation Tonquin. of 7th.-H. E. Chang, new Chinese Minister to United States, leaves Tientsin for Shanghai. Death of Hu Hsüeh-yuen, the millionaire of Hangchow. 8th. Mr. Colman Macaulay, Agent of the Indian Governinent, leaves Hongkong for home, having arranged, it is said, with the Government of Peking for the opening of Thibet to Indian trade. 13th. The Peilio closed for the winter. The final arrangement of a treaty reported between France and China.The Pak-kop Lottery sold at Macao for $40,000 per annum. Missionary Journal. Births, Marriages & Deaths. Ar Hongkong, December-(?) Rev. J. MARRIAGES. AT Hongkong, November 12th, Rev. AT the Cathedral Shanghai, Dec. Ar Union Church, Hongkong, Novem- AT Hongkong, December 24th, by C. EDGE and wife, of London Mis- AT Canton, December 2nd Rev. O. F. At Shanghai, December 3rd, Rev. N. AT Amoy December 3rd, Rev. R. M. AT Amoy, December 11th, Miss JESSIE AT Shanghai, December 24th, N. C. AT Shanghai, December 24th, Messrs THE porpoise occupies greater space by far in Chinese ichthyology than any fish. Chên's Cyclopaedia quotes thirty authors who refer to it. Few fishes are so prized for their flavour, and none so much condemned for poisonous qualities. Like English, German, French and other maritime people, the Chinese name the animal from its resemblance to a pig, it is the ho-t'un, "river pig," of which there are two varieties, a white and a black. It enters the rivers from the sea early in spring, is very abundant in the Yangtsze, which it ascends over a thousand miles-as far as the rapids allow. On its first appearance it is fat, and less hurtful as food than at a later period. A portion of fat found in the abdomen is so esteemed that it is styled "Ti Tsze's milk," that lady being pre-eminent among all comely women for her beauty. One writer attributes the fatness to willow leaf-buds, on which the porpoise feeds; but another combats that idea, inasmuch as the fatness is found to exist before the pendent willow branches reach the water's surface and begin to sprout. The former observer, it may be remarked, lived higher up the Yangtsze, where the willow-buds and porpoise appear synchronously. Another writer says willow-buds are hurtful to fish. Porpoises, it is added, are a terror to fish, none daring to attack them; their appearance in large numbers indicates a blow. A centenarian author who wrote at the close of the twelfth century is cited to show the risk of indulging in porpoise flesh. It is quoted by the renowned poet See Tungpo, who remarks, that "the price of porpoise-eating is death," and then narrates • Written for Prof. S. F. Baird, Commissioner of United States Fish and Fishery Bureau. how it happened that the aged author nearly failed to see a full century. He being on a visit to a relative, (a literary official at Pang-yang,) was told by his host that the southern region produced nothing more savoury than porpoise, some was ordered to be cooked for a repast. As the two were sitting down to partake of it, they had to rise to receive a guest; at that moment a cat pounced upon the dish, upset it, and, with a dog, ate the dainty contents; but very soon it killed them both, thus plucking death from the watering mouths of guest and host. The poet adds, that in Honan the eating-houses prepare mock porpoise dishes, and that in his opinion, the genuine article being fatal, the imitation should suffice to half kill the eaters. Animals seem to be more obnoxious to the poison than man. One authority says that cats and dogs partaking of it invariably die; and fishermen tell me that carrion birds, will not eat porpoise entrails, or if they do they die speedily. The liver, which is regarded as a great delicacy, is often poisonous; the eyes and the blood, and particularly that part which is found near the back, are always poisonous. All cases of fatal poisoning, however, appear to be due to neglect of certain precautions that require to be observed more minutely after the animals have made their visit to the rivers. In the first place, the parts indicated require to be well cut away, and the flesh thoroughly washed, and, when cooked, to be well boiled. At Ningpo the boiling is kept up by careful people for eight hours. Further to secure safety, the Chinese olive or sugar-cane is boiled with the flesh. A man who happens to be taking as medicine a sort of sage, will assuredly be killed if he takes porpoise at the same time. The toxic effects vary according to the portion which is taken. The blood and liver are generally poisonous, the fat causes swelling and numbness of the tongue, eating the eyes produces dimness of vision. On the lower Yangtsze the fat is prepared for food by mixing it with liquor dregs and for the time burying it. With regard to the whole "river pig," a proverb says, "Eat it if you wish to discard life;"-but when well cooked all other food compared to it will be found insipid. Antidotes.-Antidotes to porpoise poisoning are the cosmetic which women use to give color to their lips (Mirabilis Salappa) and the fire-dried flowers of Mimosa Comiculata,-pulverise and give in water; or give the Chinese olive (Canarium) and camphor soaked together in the water. Test. To test a roe, throw some of the above named cosmetic on the roe, when it is boiling; if it turns red, it is safe to eat; if it fails to take the color, it is poisonous. |