Puslapio vaizdai
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To one who has travelled in the | comes forth once more to light; the East-Egypt, Palestine, Turkey- tiny glass stopper is withdrawn, and oh! shall I reveal the secret; shall I confess that I was sold; yet so it was. The precious drops were detestably strong, and for days our handkerchiefs stunk of some filthy compound, the very thought of which still nearly makes me sick. Suffice it to say we did not enquire for the worthy Jew on our way home, or patronize his store again.

the book is very full of interest. We are introduced to the Jews at Cairo, and the description of the place reminds us of the papers which have been appearing in the Leisure Hour this year entitled Past and Present in the East. We are next transported to Port Said, the town which is "built upon the sand, which produces nothing but ophthalmia, and affords pastureland only for ants and other insects" (p. 13). Here Mr. Samuel "noticed an unmistakably Jewish physiognomy at a shop door," and we at once enquire whether it was not the same individual as jewed us (mark the peculiar force of this slang expression), when we passed through some years ago on our way to China. We were told of a Jew who sold curios, scents and other interesting and useful articles at very reasonable terms, and soon found him out. He could speak English well, and proceeded at once to display his Turkish silks, his slippers and smoking-caps, his ostrich eggs and scents. "Here, said he, is some real attar of roses; you shall have it very cheap by taking three bottles." Between us we managed to arrange the matter, and paid down a good round sum. The attar was put aside till some future time. When we had passed through the quiet canal, and came once more to the place where the internal up-heavings commence, with what joy did we recollect our sagacity in laying in a stock of real attar of roses. We would scent our cabin, our handkerchiefs should be perfumed, and At once we fly to the secret corner, the precious treasure

We now hasten on to Jaffa. "Sparkling and ultramarine as the Mediterranean is at this spot, it is always agitated, and the landing, consequently, difficult. Tradition. attributes this to the fact that the sea has never got completely calm since the adventure of Jonah and the whale, which happened near this spot" (p. 18). We were visiting in the neighbourhood of some huge stone quarries recently, and, anxious to learn something, descended to where the workmen were pursuing their laborious toil. After some enquiries as to how they got out the large blocks of stone, we looked up the perpendicular sides of the rocky cavern, and noticed how they were rent and torn as if by some mighty convulsion. The workmen remarked; "It is said that these are the rents which were produced when our Saviour was crucified, for we read that the rocks were rent." They were firm believers in the truth of the tradition. "To Jaffa, Japho, or Japhoo, as it is variously called, an ancient myth assigns the locale of the legend of Perseus and Andromeda, and humorists have asserted that the monster slain by Perseus was the identical whale that swallowed Jonah, and

desired to make a second and more | appeared.
permanently successful experiment.
The bones of a huge monster were
long an object of curiosity on this
coast" (p. 19). On p. 21 we find the
locale of another legend, that which
relates to St. George and the dragon,
assigned to the neighbourhood of
Lydda. We are all familiar with
the account of the man who, passing
from Jerusalem to Jericho, fell
among thieves; and every book we
read about Palestine confirms the
truth of the statement. Our author
supplies us with some vivid sketches
of his own experience, and tells us
good ancedotes bearing on the sub-
ject, which we have not room to
transcribe.

Readers of M. Renan, Müller and other writers on Hebrew religion, will be acquainted with the subject of Hebrew monotheism, and the arguments for and against the conclusion here (pp. 49, 52) drawn by Mr. Samuel that Rebecca was to be "the mother of those who should spread monotheism through the world." Speaking of Hebron he says "Hebron has, perhaps, a more intimate claim to the affection of Jews. than any other spot in the world. It was the cradle of the race....The oldest surviving city in the history of the world; the birthplace of monotheism, according to all received ideas, it is, of necessity, of surpassing and supreme interest." As we cannot here discuss so wide a question the student may permit us to give him the following referChips from a German Workshop. I., Art. xv. M. Renan's Générale et Système Comparé des Langues Sémitiques; a valuable work, of which the first part only has yet

ences.

Contemporary Review,

January, 1879, p. 308, where Mr. R. S. Poole tells us that Mr. Renan's position is hard to maintain. In antiquity no Shemites were monotheists but the Hebrews, and though the Hebrew teachers were all monotheistic, the people were constantly either adopting idolatrous objects of worship, or mistaking the true meaning of monotheism, in their idea that they served a national God, instead of the Creator and Ruler of the universe." Cp. Tiele's History of Ancient Religions, p. 85. The subject is full of interest, and especially so to those who have been following the recent discussion respecting the character of the ancient religion of China. In many points the two cases are exactly analogous, in others widely different. I can, however, follow out the points no further now.

It is well known that the Jews have very many superstitious customs, not a whit better than those practised by the Chinese. We remember Paul's words to the Galatians-"Who hath fascinated you (sc. with the evil eye)?" We are told that over the door of the only respectably-sized house in Hebron, belonging to a Mr. Romano, there is a sculptured hand as a protection against the "evil eye" (p. 57); and reference is more than once made (of p. 110, 137) to the Mez-zuzahs, or cases affixed to the door posts, containing the Ten Commandments, which must be touched every time you pass in and out the house. These cases are sometimes of colossal size, being carved from olive-wood, but in private houses they are small. The people must eat only such meat as

is kosher or killed by one of themselves in a peculiar manner.

The work should be read in convexion with Edersheim's "Sketches of Jewish Social Life," and the works of Canon Farrar which deal with the Life and Times of Christ and of Paul. Some other interesting works on the same subject have recently appeared to which we may call attention at some future time. I will close with a short paragraph from p. 171, which might almost have been written by a Chinese missionary. "The sermon (preached in Smyrna), which lasted about an hour, was not received with the respectful silence to which we are accustomed at home, but the listeners interrupted frequently with manifestations of applause and satisfaction; and the discourse had more than once to be suspended during the passage through the street of a string of camels with their noisily clanging bells." The book occupies 200 pages, and is not expensive.

Selected Essays on Language, Mythology and Religion, by F. Max Müller, K. M. In 2 Volumes, London 1881. Now-a-days the science of Language without Prof. Max Müller would be like Macbeth without Macbeth. And the same holds good in a slightly lesser degree of the sciences of Mythology and Religion, which, if they have not grown out of the science of Language, have grown up side by side with it. But the student of "Chips from a German Workshop," "An Introduction to the Science of Religion," and "Hibbert Lectures" not to mention the less known works on "Survey of Languages" and "Turanian Languages," or the numerous grammatical works,

such as the Hitopadesa, Sanskrit Grammar and the like, or even the ever popular "Lectures on the Science of Language "-is warned that he will find little that is new in these volumes. In fact the title would indicate, what the learned author has, in his brief preface stated, that we have here in a cheaper form the more important Essays from the four volumes of Chips, which have remained after subjecting the whole to a thorough sifting, a few being added which have been published in different periodicals during the past few years. Thus volume 1 contains Rede Lecture, Inaugural Lecture delivered at Oxford, Inaugural Lecture delivered at Strasburg, and Migration of Fables-four Essays out of the ten-from Chips IV. Essay No. 4 "On spelling" is new, then follow four more from Chips II. on Comparative Mythology. Greek mythology, Greek Legends and Bellerophon. The last essay is "On the Philosophy of Mythology," delivered at the Royal Institution in 1871. There is also an Introductory essay, which we at once recognise as the Preface to Chips 1. As the last Essay in volume 1. was also the last in "Introduction to the Science of Religion" published in 1873, it appears that the only fresh chapter is what appears as IV., "On spelling" printed phonetically. But the author tells us "I have tried to improve these Essays from year to year with the help of the excellent criticisms to which they have been subjected....In all that is essential they have remained unchanged, but I believe that no honest criticism which has reached me has ever been passed by unnoticed, and that no

important materials have been overlooked, which have been added to our stock of knowledge since the time when these Essays first saw the light." In the second volume is an e say which deals with the discovery recently made in Japan of Sanskrit texts of some importance, and as we shall want to call attention to it, and some other points of interest, which it is too late to do now, the task of presenting the readers of the Chinese Recorder with a review

properly so called must be kept over till we have a little more leisure.

The Gardens of the Sun is the title of a work which will be interesting to persons living in the East. It is somewhat similar in design and execution to McNair's Perak and the Malays, which will presumably be in the hands of many Eastern readers. Other works will be noticed as time and opportunity permit.

HILDERIC FRIEND.

Missionary News.

Births, Marriages & Deaths. Ar Soochow, on January 22nd, the wife

BIRTHS.

AT Peking, on October 26th, 1881, the wife of the Rev. G. OWEN, of the London Mission, of a son. AT Canton, November 28th, 1881, the wife of the Rev. W. J. WHITE of the Presbyterian Mission, of a daughter. AT the Methodist Episcopal Mission, Yangchow, on the 28th December, 1881, the wife of EDWARD PARLANE MCFARLANE, L.R.C.P. & S., of a daughter.

AT Ningpo, on December 31st, 1881, the wife of the Rev. R. SHANN, of the Church Missionary Society, of a daughter.

Ar Canton, New Year's Day, 1882, the wife of the Rev. F. J. MASTERS, Wesleyan Mission, of twin daughters. AT Swatow, on 17th January, the wife

of Rev. S. PARTRIDGE, of a son. AT Tientsin, on the 3rd February, the wife of the Rev. G. J. CANDLIN, of a daughter.

AT Kiukiang, on Saturday, February 11th, the wife of Mr. W. J. HUNNEX, of the A.M.E.M., of a son. AT Shanghai, on Saturday, February 18th, the wife of Rev. D. H. DAVIS, Seventh Day Baptist Mission, of

a son.

of Rev. C. F. REID, of the M.E. (South) Mission, of a son.

DEATHS.

Ar Shanghai, on the 27th November, 1881, Miss M. K. COLBURN, of the Woman's Union Mission.

Ar Canton, on the 8th January, 1882, THIRESA, infant daughter of F. J. and M. E. Masters.

AT Tientsin, on the 12th of January, SARAH E., the beloved wife of Rev. ISAAC PIERSON, of the A.B.C.F. Mission.

Ar Swatow, on 31st January, HENRIETTA E., the wife of Rev. S. Partridge, of the American Baptist Mission Union.

ARRIVALS.-Per s.s. Bothwell Castle, on December 20th, the Rev. Griffith Griffiths, for the London Mission, Shanghai.

Per s.s. Pes-hawur, on December 5th, 1881, Miss M. Laurence, of the Church Missionary Society, at Hongkong.

Per P. and O. s.s. Venetia, on January 2nd, Rev. and Mrs. Kupfer, of the American Methodist Episcopal Mission, Kiukiang.

Per s.s. Tokio Maru, on January | Japan Mission, and will be stationed 26th, Rev. W. S. Walker, of the at Tokio. American Southern Baptist Mission, Shanghai, and Rev. C. W. Pruitt, of same Society, for Tungchow.

Per s.s. Tokio Maru, on January 26th, Rev. and Mrs. Wilcox, of the Methodist Episcopal Mission, Chinkiang.

DEPARTED. Per the P. and O. s.s.
Venetia, on January 18th, Miss
Burnett and Miss Kirkby of the
Woman's Union Mission.

Per P. and O. s.s. Thibet, on February 22nd, Mrs. Y. J. Allen and five children, for London.

Per P. and O. s.s. Cathay, on March 2nd, the Rev. C. Leaman and family for the United States via London. Home address:-1033 Vine St., Philadelphia.

SHANGHAI-Bishop Bowman, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, U.S.A., left Shanghai on his way home per Tokio Maru, on Wednesday, January 3rd, having completed his tour of inspection in China.

We learn from The Missionary of January, that Mr. W. C. Jones, of Warrington, presented £2,200 to the Church Missionary Society to establish a Training Institution at Hangehow, and a large sum for the like purpose at Fuhchow.

Mr.

Jones is the same munificent friend of Missions who had previously committed to Society trust funds amounting to £20,000 and £35,000 for the support of Native evangelists in India and elsewhere.

The Rev. A. B. Hutchinson, of the C.M.S. Mission, late of Hongkong, has been appointed to the

The American Bible Society's Agent for China, the Rev. L. H. Gulick, has further extended the operations of the Society lately. Mr. J. Thorne has been sent to the Canton province; Mr. Anderson has been stationed at Hongkong to work among the shipping, &o.; and a third is shortly to be placed at Tientsin.

John Murdoch, Esq., LL.D., the Agent in Indian of the Religious Tract Society, has arrived in Hongkong, on a visit to this country and Japan.

He hopes to visit the various missionary centres during his stay, with a view of further extending the operations of his Society.

Mr. Samuel Dyer, Agent of the British and Foreign Bible Society, leaves in a few days by the s.s. Merionethshire for a trip home. During his absence the work will be under the temporary supervision of Rev. W. Muirhead. This Society now employes four colporteurs, two having lately been added.

The Annual Meeting of the Presbyterian Central China Mission was held in Shanghai, beginning Saturday, February 4th, and ending Tuesday, February 7th. There was a full attendance, every member being present and representing the stations Shanghai, Ningpo, Hangchow, and Nanking. Absent in America, Revs. W. S. Holt, John Butler and D. N. J. Lyon, the latter having resigned his connection with the Mission intending to spend several years in the U.S. The Mission has been increased during the year by Rev. J. B. N. Smith, to be

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