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V

This letter closes the account of our "gold and letter" visits.

Friday, January 10: After dinner we walked across to Hok-hoi (Stork-sea), having to use a ferry-boat twice. This village is small, and we soon came to the house of "Girdle-bound," whose wife and old mother were glad to get their letters and money. I got a very warm welcome and a very close examination. It is amusing to see their wonder at the first foreign specimen seen by them. One old woman about 80 was specially interested, and said many quaint things that I cannot remember. Great wonder is expressed at one so young having a moustache. On the way back we passed quite a number of small villages.

On Saturday morning I was awakened early by the women below pounding rice into flour. The harder they pounded the louder and faster they talked. It was hopeless to try to sleep, so I got up. We left after breakfast for Long-ha. It was a long hot walk, but very interesting. After going again through T'ong-mei, we crossed a low range planted thickly with lichee trees. Then we struck across country parallel to the great Nam-heung Mount, meeting several groups or Hakkas on their way to market. Their villages strongly resemble those in Upper P'oon-Yu. Near the far end of the mount is Long-ha, and the first page 33 shop we entered was that of the man we sought—brother to "Rich-face," of Cardrona. The old mother came in, and was greatly delighted when she heard who I was. She is over 80, yet looks hale and hearty and has such a nice grandmotherly face. We were treated to syrup and many other good things. A man who has been in Sydney and Melbourne escorted us all over the village, which is splendidly built. They pressed us strongly to stay overnight, and we left them with the hope that we should soon return and proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ.

Going back, we took another road and passed through Paak-shui (Whitewater) village, where there is a Chinese girls' school conducted by a Chinese Christian woman. We also passed Sheung-shiu, whence I believe a good number go to New Zealand. Just outside we stopped to buy some sugarcane, and found that the old stall-holder is a professing Christian returned from abroad. Several others who had been abroad greeted me kindly. As we were about to enter Whitestone Mart we met a man who had been in Sydney. He invited us to his house, which he has built, as far as possible, in Western style. Another man came up who was in Dunedin two years ago. After our long walk we were quite ready for the rice that awaited us at New-street village. The usual company of visitors came in the evening.

On Sunday I felt the effects of having walked so far in the hot sun, though I page 34 had been careful to keep a white-covered umbrella open overhead. At noon we had service, I suppose the first of its kind in New-street. There were eight of us present—W. Chan, Sin Fook-Kwai, Chan Chi-yung. Lau Yu-hon, Looi Yut-k'ai, Wong K'au-foon, myself, and Willie's tathei—all professing Christians except the last. Mr Siu is a young colporteur employed by the American Bible Society, past 20 years of age, and a nice lad. After rice together I was glad to lie down; but when the sun set I rose and we climbed to the top of Toad Hill, from which we surveyed the surrounding villages, canals, and hills.

Monday, January 13: After breakfast we started for Kong-Naam. We went right through that village and at length met a man who had been in Sydney. He was very anxious to resurrect and air the English he had learned—his Chinese was much more intelligible. He took us to the house of "Little-peace," to whose mother we bore a letter and four sovereigns. We found that the old woman had died over three years ago, but his brother would not send out the news lest it might keep "Little-peace 'from returning home. We met an old friend of yours—one "Vigorous-roots," who used to keep the shop near your church in Walker street. At the house we were treated to the usual delicacies, and your old friend brought out from his mind's inner recesses some fragments of "The Gate Ajar," "Jesus Loves Me," etc., which you had taught him. Over a score of people page 35 gathered, the colporteur read a chapter and Willie preached the Gospel to them.

On Tuesday I had a spell. I photographed the new tower and the bridge at New-street, also a family group at Willie's home. During the day I was presented with three lots of eggs, so I return to Canton with a bigger nestful than when I came away.

Next morning we were up early and got a boat down to San-t'ong Mart. It was very pleasant on the water. I was much amused at our boat-woman's two-year-old son. He, dressed in nothing but a shirt, was bravely helping mother at the oar, stepping out just like an old hand. [Chinese stand to row.—A. D.] At San-t'ong we had not much time to spare, as the steam launch towing two passage-boats came down about 10 o'clock. We found much difficulty in getting room, but at length got seats in the purser's cabin. One cabin we tried to enter was occupied by some kind of official, who had a brace of pistols lying on one side and a sword on the other. He looked unpleasant, and surveyed the interlopers with undisguised contempt. We were glad to get down to Canton again. The first thing I did was to invest in a mosquito-curtain. In spite of this precaution, the enemy found entrance somehow and gave me a welcome home.

With regard to the Tsang-Shing District, I think we should begin work there as well. P'oon-Yu will be a difficult and discouraging field: Tsang-Shing promises to be the opposite. How good it would be page 36 to be able to turn for a time from the op-position of Upper Poon-Yu to the comparative friendliness of Tsang-Shing. With regard to spiritual need, both districts are on a par. What a group of villages there is within reach of Whitestone Mart untouched by missionary effort!

Round about this district there is quite a number of men who have professed faith in Christ in other lands, but returning here have drifted back until there is little to distinguish them from the heathen around. A church would make it much easier for them to stand true. Whitestone would also be a good place to establish a Christian school.

I hope another missionary will be ready to join me at the end of this year or the beginning of next. It would make such a difference if there were two of us.