Morning Calm v.4 no.34(1893 Apr.)

THE MORNING CALM. No. 34, VOL. IV.] APRIL 1893 [PRICE 1d. The Bishop's Letter. CHEMULPÓ: December 1892. DEAR FRIENDS, This month opened with an experiment—perhaps the most important of all the various experiments which our gradually opening knowledge of the people and our own powers lead us, from time to time, to make. For you must not forget that during the two years we have been in Corea we have not been brought into contact with the people except when we have passed through their midst as travellers, or have received instruction from them in our own houses as students of their language. In the year before I came to Corea, when I visited so many parishes in England, and made the acquaintance of so many of you, I used to tell you that I thought two or three years must elapse before you would hear of us as living amongst them, understanding their speech, and, after a fashion, understood by them. The doctors, to our great delight, falsified this prediction at once by attracting the people to their dispensaries in crowds. For the rest of us, however, we have no art which Coreans will recognise, but the art of speech. This is being acquired slowly by all of us—and by some of us very slowly indeed. And yet to live amongst these people, in some sense" to forget our own people and our father's house," is one object, perhaps the principal object, we had in view in becoming missionaries. You will have to wait much longer yet before you hear of any encouraging "results." We have not begun to preach or to teach. The journey, of which I have spoken in previous letters, which Mr. Warner made last autumn had, however, many encouraging features. Amongst them the most important, perhaps, was the possibility it gave him of gratifying a desire which he has always had of getting into closer contact with the people, and especially with those whose acquaintance he had made in this river journey. Mapó is, you know, on the river Han, and not four miles from Seoul. We have selected a small village near this town as the scene of this experiment. He has rented for six months a Corean house in the middle of the village, and   not a quarter of a mile from the bank of the river. The house is not large, neither is it expensive, for the rent is about four shillings a week. Thither he went, accompanied by his teacher, on the second of this month, and is now surrounded on all sides with Corean sounds, sights, and smells. This gives him the isolation he wants, and no more. For Nak Tong is within an hour's walk, and by frequent visits there he keeps touch with the rest of us, and above all with the chapel services. Yesterday I had a letter from him, in which he says, "The house" (it has but two serviceable rooms)" is very comfortable, and I am very happy here. My next-door neighbour on one side is a fishhawker, and on the other a bankrupt shopkeeper. The boys come into the yard on their way home from school, and like to have a talk and repeat the characters they have learnt." He goes on to speak of the great advantage he already finds it to him in his own study of the language—cut off as he is from all foreigners, and, with his teacher living in the house, able to have the use of him" at any and all hours," to say nothing of the opportunities he has for talking and learning how to behave before people, for the teacher seems to have constituted himself a master of "deportment” as well as of letters. You won't forget to add a special prayer for Mr. Warner, will you? I have not time to tell you how much the future welfare of the Mission and of himself depends on the issue of this experiment. By the way, I told you the cost of the rent of the house; I have not told you how much it cost him to furnish it. He has not told me yet, but I don't think it will come to more than five shillings. Corean houses, you know, have no furniture to speak of. But I hope he will himself write to you, and give you an account of some of his experiences. For some time Dr. Landis has found the Japanese school in Chemulpó too heavy a tax upon his brain. His pupils, too, perceiving this I suppose, have latterly been very irregular in their attendance, whilst some have ceased to come altogether. He has now definitely closed the school. What the future of Japanese work in Chemulpó will be it is impossible to say. Mr. Smart, who came out to engage in this part of our work, is exceedingly anxious to take up the Doctor's task, and has come with me to Chemulpó to see how far it is now possible. He and I, therefore, are likely to spend the winter together here. He has caused it to be known amongst the Doctor's former students that he is ready to take any Japanese as private pupils who may wish to learn English. The only result of this as yet has been that he has one Japanese and nine   Chinese who come to him daily. The departure of Mr. Smart from Seoul is a great loss to Nak Tong, where he has been of the greatest possible assistance to us all. But he cannot be in two places at once, and now that he is in such excellent health it seemed right that he should do what he came out to do. To me, whether in the parsonage or in the church, he is a charming companion, and an example whom it is good to follow. Our multiplied departments in Seoul are all going on well. The winter has begun with fine and not too severe weather, which helps to keep us all in excellent health. Praying that God will bless you next year, and through all succeeding years, I am, yours affectionately,

• C. J. CORFE.

Correspondence. I. "EACH new-comer to a country like Corea has, I suppose, fresh impressions, which if written down before surroundings have lost their novelty help friends at home to picture better what kind of a place Corea is. I venture, therefore, to send to the Morning Calm an account of my wife's and my arrival at Chemulpó and journey up to Seoul. "We reached Chemulpó on board a very comfortable Japanese steamer from Kobé on the morning of November 14, and were met by the Bishop and Dr. Landis, who rowed out to the steamer in the Custom-house boat. Chemulpó does not present many objects of Corean interest, the better part of the town being occupied by Chinese and Japanese. The Mission buildings are finely situated on the crest of a hill in the Japanese settlement, but close to the Corean town and magistracy. Dr. Landis is quite a power in the place already, and his dispensary and little hospital form a centre of usefulness. He was most kind in helping me to get our luggage transferred from our steamer to a little river paddle-steamer on which we were to travel the following day to Seoul. We spent the night in a fairly comfortable Chinese inn, and the next morning, as soon as the tide permitted, got on board our little steamer with the Bishop, Dr. Landis, and some of our fellow-passengers from Japan to travel to Seoul. The journey is only 25 miles by road and about 60 miles by river, but as we had a good deal of luggage, which would have had to be carried by coolies by road, the river route, though longer, was preferable. Soon the sun came out, and the day, which had begun by being damp and cold, turned warm and bright. The river was crowded with   curious Chinese, Japanese, and Corean junks, most of them heavily laden with brushwood, so that, though the scenery was not very interesting, the day passed quickly, and we hoped to reach our journey's end in good time, when just at sunset the boat grounded hard and fast on a sandbank. We had to wait for the tide to rise sufficiently to get us off, and, in consequence, it was quite dark when we reached the landing-place about three and a half miles from Seoul. As soon as ever we could land we got some coolies to take the things we should want for the night, and hurried off in hopes of reaching Seoul before the city gates should be closed. John Wyers had come out to meet us, and piloted us through the darkness, made just visible by little paper lanterns which the coolies carried. It was a weird scurry, especially when we reached the more crowded suburbs. We could think of nothing but getting on as fast as we could, and then when at last, all out of breath, we reached the city gates it was only to find them closed. We held a rather crestfallen council, and then, as we should otherwise have had to sleep in a filthy Corean inn or to return to the steamer, whose only accommodation was one tiny four foot high cabin, we determined to climb the wall. John Wyers knew of a place a few hundred yards from the gate where this was practicable, and on reaching it we found a rope fastened from the top to help belated travellers in the ascent. The wall is made of big blocks of granite, and about thirty feet high. Supporting yourself by the rope, you can get some rest for your feet between the joints of the masonry, and so scramble up. John Wyers went up first to see that the rope was safe, and then came down again and helped up my wife. I followed, and then the Bishop, Dr. Landis, and the rest. I found my wife on the top, which is a regular road on the city side, rather breathless and unnerved, but we were right glad to feel that we were safely in the city, and as soon as we were all on the wall we set off to the Sisters' house, which was quite near, and where my wife was to pass the night. The Sisters had arrived ten days before us, and received my wife with the warmest welcomings. It was so pleasant to see the familiar faces, and to see how bright and homelike the Sisters had already made their surroundings. I then went on to the British Consulate, which is close by, and was most kindly put up by Mr. Hillier, the Consul, and the Bishop and Dr. Landis went on to the Mission-house of the Resurrection at Nak Tong, which is about a mile further on. The following morning at sunrise I started with John Wyers to the landing place to get up the rest of our luggage, and had   my first view of the squalid narrow filthy streets by daylight. At the city gate, which the night before had been so unkindly closed against us, market was going on, and the crowds were most interesting to a new-comer. Files of tiny ragged Corean ponies laden with firewood, grain, and all kinds of burdens; shaggy-headed patient bulls similarly laden, mixed up with countless white-clothed, broad-hatted, stolid-looking Coreans; the sides of the road strewn with vegetables, fruit, grain, and endless piles of chillies for sale. The gate is very fine and lofty, deep-eaved and richly painted and carved, and looks all the more imposing in contrast with wretched Corean huts all round. The road to the river took us past hills filled with Corean graves—circular mounds in horseshoe shaped, turf-covered enclosures. It is strange to think of the thousands of heathen dead that lie waiting all around the Resurrection of which they knew nothing whilst in this world. Coming into Seoul we had passed a funeral, but had had no time to do more than just notice the gaudy bier and many lanterns accompanying the procession. At the wharf John Wyers soon got coolies, and it was wonderful to see the weights they were willing and able to carry. I felt quite ashamed to see them so burthened, but they seemed to think nothing of it. On our return I made the acquaintance of our new home, a dear little two-roomed Corean house with a broad passage between the rooms, which we have made into a makeshift dining-room. The Bishop and all the Mission party turned to and helped us unpack our things, and by the following day we were ready to sleep and begin housekeeping in our new quarters. The house commands a pretty view eastward over the city, and has the Sisters' house and the Church of the Advent immediately in front, and Dr. Wiles' house and that of Miss Cooke and Miss Heathcote on either side. We are so close together that we can see what everyone else does; and as the walls are only of thin mud, and the doors and windows mostly of paper, we can almost hear what everyone else says, so we must all behave very well. For the first week we had very pleasant weather, but since then it has been very cold, the thermometer registering 27° of frost. A hill on the south of the city, up which I walked last week, has a stream flowing down it in cascades, and the stream, cascades and all, was frozen into a solid mass of ice. Still the air is so bright, and there is such an absence of wind, that one does not feel the cold much. The worst evil one has to contend with, I think, is the extreme hardness of the water, which makes all one's skin very sore. Since beginning this, Christmas has come and gone, and   I think our conclusion is that, though our hearts went out with many yearnings to friends at home, we had many causes for deep thankfulness and much to make a really happy home here. The little Church of the Advent looked particularly bright—the altar covered with a new superfrontal sent by Mrs. Robertson Macdonald, and a few wreaths of pine and arbor vitæ to take the place of our English holly. We felt indeed that we were one still in the truest way with our dear English friends—in the worship of our one Lord in His holy Church.

• F. W. DOXAT."

II. "NAK TONG, SEOUL: “January 6, 1893. "I think I can truly say that the first Christmas spent by me in Corea was a very pleasant one. It was far from being unhappy and lonesome, though one is so far from one's own friends and relatives—it was one of the happiest times I have ever spent. And this Christmas was spent at Chemulpó with the Bishop and my old travelling companion, Mr. Smart. I passed something like ten days there. I left Seoul about 8.30 on the Friday morning before Christmas Day for Chemulpó, intending, with Mr. Wyers, to do the journey on foot, 25 miles overland. There is no other possible way just now; the river is frozen and, of course, all traffic has ceased, and will probably remain so until March. A coolie carried our luggage, and Mr. Wyers and myself had nothing to do but carry ourselves. On the road just outside Seoul we met quite a number of oxen heavily laden with loads of firewood and brushwood, and crowds of people were travelling about in all directions. Coreans seem to get about their business very early in the morning—that is, those who have any work to do, for numbers may be seen walking about from place to place all day long, evidently having no work of any kind to do. Coolies seem to me to be the busiest class of people; they indeed have to work very hard, and for very little pay. Mr. Wyers managed to get a little sport on the way down, but the ducks and pheasants evidently kept out of his way as much as possible, one of the latter kind only being captured. There is plenty of game in Corea and ample shooting ground, and all without any license. Half-way on the road we stopped at a house for lunch. The landlord was a Corean. Scarcely any European food can be obtained there. We asked for bread, and part of a loaf was handed to us which seemed to be three weeks old and quite mouldy. Probably it   was kept in the house on purpose for European travellers who should happen to call and demand it. We demanded it, but could go no further with it, so gave it up and demanded some cooked eggs, which are also plentiful out here. This was most satisfactory had not our host given us sugar instead of salt. We proceeded on our journey somewhat refreshed after eating the little food we brought with us. The roads (not the best of roads at any time) were in a frightful condition, and very bad [사진] THE PRINTING HOUSE, NAK TONG, for travellers. We reached Chemulpó about 6 P.M., and I was not sorry when I found my weary self comfortably seated in the Bishop's room. Our services at S. Michael's Church on Christmas Day were simple, but most enjoyable. I thought to have had a delightful time at Chemulpó, being near the coast, but, however, the Chemulpó air did not suit me and I was seedy for four or five days. Seoul agrees with me much better for some reason or other. I returned to my work in Seoul the day after New Year's Day. The return journey was much more satisfactory. The roads were better, and I had a pony to relieve me on the journey.   “We reached Nak Tong much earlier in the afternoon than we had anticipated, and we appeared none the worse for the journey. It is reported here that highway robbers abound near the Chemulpó road, and many unpleasant rumours have reached our ears, but no one molested us, nor made any attempt to. "J. W. HODGE." A Trip in the Country. DEAR MR. EDITOR, You complain of the scarcity of news direct from Corea. I apologise for my past neglect in this respect; but the readers of Morning Calm must remember that at present we are only scholars and have no work to chronicle. We find the same difficulty in letter-writing as the schoolboy does in England. At first there was no difficulty, when everything was new and strange; but now that the strangeness has worn off, it is difficult to find anything to write about. To-day is wonderfully like yesterday, and to-morrow will be wonderfully like to-day. A trip in the country, however, is not an everyday occurrence, and perhaps I shall interest somebody by describing my first experience of travelling in Corea. Whilst dining one evening with our kind Consul, Mr. Hillier, a telegram was brought him asking that an interpreter might be engaged for two friends who wished to travel overland to Seoul from Fusan. He offered the post to me, and I accepted it, after receiving the sanction of the Mission. We are always eager to get into the interior, because it is only by so doing that we can hope to gain an insight into the life and habits of the people. It also gives us a great lift in the language, as the country dialect is very different to that spoken in Seoul and the neighbourhood. Alas! travelling in Corea is an expensive luxury, and it is not often that we can indulge in it. Mine, then, was a golden opportunity, as I had all the experience of travelling without any cost to the Mission. After a short but pleasant stay with Mr. Pownall at Chemulpó, I left in the Genkai Maru for Fusan on October 1. We might certainly have been described as a mixed crew, for all the passengers were missionaries of different denominations. There were two Roman priests in Chinese dress and pigtail, two China inland missionaries, a Methodist Episcopalian, an Independent, and myself. The weather was glorious, and we had a most enjoyable run, obtaining a very clear view of the remarkable island of Quelpart   with its lofty mountains. The inhabitants of this island are extremely conservative, and hate foreigners and foreign ways. There are constant skirmishes between them and the Japanese fishermen, which too often result in the death of one or more of the combatants. The diminutive Corean pony is reared in Quelpart, and the sea round the island is said to be the home of the great sea-bull. I cannot pretend to say whether such a monster really exists, but Coreans have told me that they have seen it, and I have bought knives, the cases of which are said to be made from its horns. We reached Fusan on the morning of the 3rd, and I proceeded to call on Mr. Bjornson, son of the famous Norwegian poet and reformer; he was most kind, and did his best to make me comfortable. That same afternoon the Owari brought my companions in travel, who were expecting to be met by a round-faced Chinese interpreter! After some consultation they decided to go on to Gensan by water, and travel overland from there. Mr. Hillier strongly advised this course as the scenery is much finer, and a visit to the famous Keum-Kang-San Mountains is made possible. There was no steamer leaving for Gensan till the afternoon of the 5th, so we had time to see the lions of Fusan. The only redeeming points in the place, in my opinion, are its magnificent harbour and some prettily wooded islands. It is a Japanese town of some seven or eight thousand inhabitants, and, like all Japanese towns, is white and glaring, the houses being plastered or whitewashed. There is no view inland; a range of barren-looking hills is all that the eye can rest upon. The climate, however, is said to be very bracing and healthy, and the few Europeans are quite enthusiastic about the place. We visited a native market which was being held in a small village about 10 li* from Fusan. It was most interesting; the place was crowded with buyers, mostly women, many of whom had come a long way to do their week's marketing. These countrywomen are certainly very ugly, and their slovenly-looking dress does not add to their appearance. The articles for sale were exposed in the streets, and were not of a very inviting appearance. Large piles of decaying fish, meat and fruit in every stage of decomposition, were, perhaps, the most unattractive. Silk merchants and tobacconists seemed to be doing a big trade. The brass work was very nice—rice-bowls, candlesticks, spoons, and chopsticks finding a ready sale. Being so near Fusan, many Japanese articles found their way into the market. Mr. Hunt, the Commissioner of Customs,

• 3 li = 1 mile.

  and his wife were so courteous and kind that we were quite sorry when the Satsuma Maru weighed anchor and we steamed out of harbour. The weather was still most kind, and we had a very delightful trip up the eastern coast of the peninsula. Twenty-five hours brought us to Gensan, with which I was charmed. Fusan harbour is certainly magnificent, but it is not to be compared to that of Gensan. Such a size is it that it has been computed that all the fleets of the world could ride at anchor with ease. It is almost completely landlocked; indeed, from Gensan itself it is difficult to see where there is an opening. Before leaving Fusan we wired for horses, so that we might be able to start without delay. On landing the first thing we heard was that there were no horses to be obtained. It seemed incredible that in a large Corean town there should be no horses. The truth was the horsedealers, knowing that we must have them, thought to charge us an exorbitant price by pretending that they would have to bring the horses in from the country. In fact, the first day two men promised to fetch us some at a ridiculously high price, when we knew from a reliable source that they were in the stables all the time. This was a regular Corean trick—they delight in fleecing foreigners. We could not allow such bare-faced robbery, so went to the magistrate and presented our Koan Chows (letters from the Foreign Office, on the strength of which we could demand horses). The Governor of the province was away, and his representative was a weak-minded man, manifestly afraid of the people. He told us that there were no horses, but that if we would wait he would send out in the country for some. However, we took the high hand and said, “No; we have been treated very inhospitably, and you must supply us by one o'clock." And they came, and we were just on the point of starting when the mapoos struck for higher wages. This necessitated another visit to the Yamen and another fight for our rights. Finally he supplied us with fresh mapoos and two of his own servants. It was not until five o'clock in the evening of the 8th that our caravan really got in motion. We had spent the unavoidable delay in mapping out a route. It was imperative that we should be in Seoul on the 16th or morning of the 17th, so we only had seven clear days. After a good deal of calculation we came to the conclusion that, by making some forced marches, we should be able to include the Keum-Kang-San Mountains and also Syek-Wang-Sa, the largest monastery in the country. Our caravan was a large one, consisting of ten horses, each one   with a mapoo—Heung, one of our coolies at the Mission-house; To, a servant whom my companions brought from Japan; our three selves; and two Yamen runners, who gave us an air of respectability. We decided that our first stage must be Syek-Wang-Sa, distance 60 li from Gensan. After a couple of hours' travelling darkness overtook us, and it was necessary to requisition torches. It is a custom of the country that each village has to supply the traveller with torches and light him on to the next. On approaching a village the whole caravan shouted “Usa! Usa!” and the villagers, hearing the hateful cry, turned out and made a small bonfire in the street, at which they lit five or six huge pine torches. If the villagers showed any unwillingness to accompany us, it was all I could do to prevent the Yamen runners from breaking their heads. Generally they gave their services most cheerfully, and enlivened us with a country song. It is not altogether an enjoyable experience travelling by torchlight over an unknown road, which is often but a mere bridle-path or torrent-bed. We reached Nam-San, a large village, at 11.30 P. M. So far we had been on the main road to Seoul; now we had to branch off to our left in order to reach Syek-Wang-Sa, only 10 li further. The mapoos, however, refused to go on, and said they could get no food for their horses at the monastery. I knew this to be untrue, and insisted on their proceeding, which they did, but most unwillingly. It was a beautiful walk that last 10 li. The approach to the monastery was through a dense forest, with occasional clearings, which were used as burial-grounds. The soft murmur of a neighbouring stream, and occasionally the loud roar of a waterfall, were the only sounds which broke the stillness of the night. We passed under several wooden arches and fine gateways, the sure approach to a monastery, and when we reached two rows of wooden posts with diabolical human faces we knew we were near our journey's end. These hideous wooden figures are supposed to prevent the approach of evil spirits. We met them several times afterwards before entering large villages or towns. We reached the monastic buildings about 12.30, and had some difficulty in awaking anybody. But the news soon spread that some foreigners were at the gate, and the abbot received us himself most hospitably. At first they wanted us to sleep in a room with at least forty monks and a big fire. We did not get beyond the threshold. They like warmth do these monks. We finally got a large room on the opposite side of the Quad. Most spotlessly clean is a Buddhist monastery; no boots allowed inside   the house, and the beautiful oil-papered floor is constantly rubbed with a wet cloth, so that you can almost see your face in it. The usual crowd collected to see the wild beasts feed, and I assure you we did feed, for a twenty mile night march is hungry work. Our spectators did not depart until they had seen us into bed, and then they allowed us precious little sleep, for they had a night office at 3.30. This began by a man walking round the buildings beating a wooden gong and chanting. After about six minutes of this, a brass gong was started just outside our door, which lasted for nearly ten minutes, only to be succeeded by the violent beating of a huge drum. What happened after this I cannot say, for I was so tired I fell asleep at once; but this I do know, that the whole performance was repeated at 5.30. We were up in time to see the sun rise over the mountains, and a glorious sight it was, for they were covered with a small shrub and maples, which, having on their autumnal clothes, were a brilliant red; the result was most dazzling. There were a hundred monks in this monastery, but I believe there are as many as a thousand within the radius of a few miles. Most of them are young men between twenty and thirty, clean, well dressed, and most hospitable to strangers. These monks have certainly had the sense to pitch their tents in the most beautiful spots on mother earth. Entirely shut off from the world, with surroundings most conducive to contemplation, these men live sordid, selfish, and impure lives. Oh what a work for us to win these poor souls for Christ, and to give them the Redemption as something worthy of their contemplation! (To be continued.) Association of Prayer and Work for Corea. MEMBERS of the Association, and its friends and subscribers, will be glad to know that a cheque for £472. 10s. 10d. has been forwarded to S.P.G. Special Fund, Corea, as the contribution (after deduction of necessary expenses) of the Association to the Mission during 1892. Of this Special Fund, which, as is well known, the Society allows Bishop Corfe to use as he thinks best for the furtherance of the Mission, £866 (including the £353 provided by the Association during 1891) has been spent in the past year in Corea, and for the passages of the sisters, D. Baldock, and other new members of the Mission staff, and for the expenses of Morning Calm. Our 1892 Association Fund is, therefore, badly wanted   to replenish the Special Fund. The General Secretary warmly thanks all who have contributed to it. A full account of the receipts (amounting to over £520) and of the expenditure of 1892 will appear in the Annual Report. The following account of Miss Twynam's working party at Colwall has been kindly sent in:—"A Mission Union has been in existence for some years in the parish of Colwall, Herefordshire, and last year it was thought that a working party for some special Mission work might interest the members; accordingly one was started at the end of October, meeting weekly up to Christmas for a couple of hours. Twenty members joined, fifteen of whom belonged to the working class, who gladly gave up their afternoons, and seemed quite to interest themselves in the cause of Corea, which was the Mission chosen for which to work. The clothing made was sent to Gosport for the periodical sales held there. It is hoped to hold these working parties again next autumn, when we trust we shall have a larger gathering." M. M. CHAMBERS HODGETTS. Rowancroft, Exeter. The Spirit of Missions. "AND now, O Lord of Mercie, O Father of the spirits of all flesh, looke in mercie vpon all the Gentiles, who yet know Thee not; O graciovs God, be mercifull to vs, and blesse vs, and not vs alone, but let Thy waies be knowne vpon earth, and Thy sauing health amongst all nations; we praise Thee and we blesse Thee. But let the people praise Thee, O God, yea, let all the people praise Thee; and let these ends of the world remember themselues, and tvrne vnto Thee, the God of their saluation. And seeing Thou hast honovred vs, to choose vs ovt to beare Thy name vnto the Gentiles, we therefore beseech Thee to blesse vs, and this ovr plantation, which we and ovr nation haue begvn in Thy feare and for Thy glory. We know, O Lord, we haue the diuel and al the gates of hel against vs; but if Thou, O Lord, be on ovr side, we care not who be against vs. . . . And seeing, Lord, the highest end of our plantation here is to set vp the standard and display the banner of Jesvs Christ, euen here, where Satan's throne is, Lord, let ovr laboyr be blest in labovring the conuersion of the heathen. And, becavse Thou vsest not to work svch mighty works by vnholy means, Lord, sanctifie ovr spirits and give vs holy harts, that so we may be Thy instrvments in this most gloriovs Work. Lord, inspire ovr sovls with Thy grace, kindle in vs zeale of Thy glory; fill ovr harts with Thy feare and ovr tongues with Thy praise; fvrnish vs all, from the highest to the lowest, with all gifts and graces needfvl not onely for ovr saluation, bvt for the discharge of ovr duties in ovr seuerall places; adorn vs with the garments of jvstice, mercie, loue, pitie, faithfvlnesse, hvmility, and al vertues; and teache vs to abhor al uice, that ovr lights may so shine before these heathen that they may see ovr good works, and so be brovght to glorifie Thee, ovr heavenly Father. And seeing, Lord, we

professe ovrselues Thy seruants and are abovt Thy worke, Lord, blesse vs; arme vs against difficvlties, strength vs against al base thovghts and temptations that may make vs looke backe againe. And, seeing by Thy motion and work in ovr harts we haue left ovr warme nests at home, and pvt ovr liues into ovr hands, principally to honovr Thy name and aduance the kingdome of Thy Son, Lord, giue vs leaue to commit ovr liues into Thy hands; let Thy angels be abovt vs, and let vs be as angels of God sent to this people. And so blesse vs, Lord, and so prosper al ovr proceedings, the heathen may neuer say vnto ys, Where is now yovr God? Their idols are not so good as siluer and gold, but lead and copper, and the works of their own hands. But Thov, Jehouah, art ovr God, and we are the works of Thy hands."—From “A Praier dvly said Morning and Euening vpon the Covrt of Gvard [in Virginia] either by the Captain of the Watch himselfe or by some one of his principall officers,"—A.D. 1611. The following is taken from a letter by a Kaffir priest, the Rev. P. Masiza, in the last number of the Mission Field:—“In October I had the pleasure of attending the Provincial Conference held in Queenstown. Present there were four Bishops and a good many European clergy, only four natives. At great meetings like that I should be glad to see more native clergy, to come and discuss matters concerning the native Church, to build it up, or to raise the natives into an higher stander from their heathenism custom. However, our gathering was in every way most successful. It hast rejoice me very much the spirit which prevail among the clergy, even those employed in the English work taking such a deep interest in native work. My European congregation at the Mbulu is a mixture, consist of Church people, Independence, Wesleyans, and Roman Catholick. All attend the Church services, especial at the great festivals of the Church, than you might see with pleasure how the waggons, carriages, and those on horsebacks come to service. The choriters consist of natives. It is a great work to me to teach them how to managing the singing in English as well in Kaffir. “On Christmas Day I had a hill up work by myself without a deacon. At 5 A.M. I had celebration for 223 communicants. At 9 A.M. I had a service in Kaffir. The anthems were taking from the ‘Messiah' and Congregationals. At half-past 11 A.M. English service. Mr. Dlambulo helped me reading the lessons in English. I had another service for the English people at 2 P.M. I had a short service for the heathen people alone, who filled the church from one end to another. At 4 P.M. the afternoon service took place; at half past 7 P.M. evening service. After all the services of the day, I felt quite weary. On St. Stephen's Day I had another service, after which we all parted for our homes."   It is very interesting to learn that much is being done in the way of publishing the early records of the great Missionary Societies. Not long ago the S.P.C.K. published a record of its proceedings in the first few years after its foundation. The S.P.G. is about to publish, in one large volume, "a digest of its proceedings, journals, MSS., letters, and reports, with a record of all the missionaries whom it has supported, from the date of its incorporation by Royal Charter in 1701 to the present time." And the C.M.S. has recently published in its magazines many details, from the pen of the Rev. Charles Hole, of its early history. Mr. Hole gives a description of the famous meeting held at the “Castle and Falcon ” Tavern, in Aldersgate Street, on April 12, 1799, at which the Society was inaugurated, the following resolutions being passed: (i.) That it is a duty highly incumbent upon every Christian to endeavour to propagate the knowledge of the Gospel among the heathen. (ii.) That, as it appears from the printed reports of the Societies for Propagating the Gospel and for Promoting Christian Knowledge that these respectable Societies confine their labours to the British plantation in America and to the West (or East) Indies, there seems to be still wanting in the Established Church a Society for sending missionaries to the continent of Africa, or the other parts of the heathen world. (iii.) That the persons present at this meeting do form themselves into a society for that purpose, and that the following rules be adopted. [The rules are then given.] (iv.) That a Deputation be sent from this Society to the Archbishop of Canterbury, as Metropolitan, the Bishop of London, as Diocesan, and the Bishop of Durham, as Chairman of the Mission Committee of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, with a copy of the rules of the Society and a respectful letter. "Some time ago," writes Archdeacon Wolfe, “great excitement was caused in this place [the town of Sang Au, in Fuh-kien, China] by an idol that was supposed to eat food and pieces of fish that were placed in its mouth, which soon disappeared into the stomach of this piece of clay! Thousands came to offer their devotions to this senseless thing, and offerings were brought to it from all parts of the district. Now here was a plain proof that the idols were living beings, and the Christians were rejected once for all. That the pieces of fish were drawn in through the idol's mouth was seen by all; there could be no doubt about it.   The Christians, however, were not troubled; they suggested that it was the devil who caused the food to be drawn in, in order to deceive the people and keep them away from the true God. The mystery, however, was solved by a rat exposing its head one day through the idol's mouth, looking for its accustomed meal. It was then discovered that Mrs. Rat had made herself a comfortable nest in the body of the idol, and fed herself and her offspring with great complacency upon the offerings of fish brought for the use of the clay god." Wanted—A Band Camera. For the views which appear in Morning Calm, we are, of course, almost entirely dependent on photographs taken in Corea. The Bishop was presented with a very fine photographic set when he went out, which has been used by Mr. Trollope. Many, however, of the most interesting subjects cannot be attempted with so public an apparatus as a tripod camera. The trouble most photographers are used to in England with small boys, may take very dangerous shapes there. Can any of our friends help us by offering a Detective, or Hand Camera? It ought to be of a fair size, to take not less than “quarter plates," whether plate, or film, or roll. Offers will be gladly received by Rev. Herbert Kelly, 97 Vassall Road, Brixton, S.W.