Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1851-05-03
From the Hong Kong (Chincse) Mail.
Jews I'M China.

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surmised much longer. The Jesuit
Ricci, during his residence at Peking,
in the beginning ofthe seventeenth
century, was the means ofeXcitlng
the attention of foreigners to the
Jews of K Kai-lung-fu, the ancient capi-
tai of Ho-nan province. In 1918,
they were visited by Aleni, follow
er of Ricci; and, hundred years la
ter, between 1904 and 1872. Fathers
Gonzani, Domenge, and Gaubm were
enabled, from personal investigation
on the spot, TO give minute descrip-
tions of the people, their synagogue,
and sacred books, the latter of which
few could even then read, while the
former was, with the peculiar institu-
tions of Moses, fast falling to decay.
Beyond a few feeble and Intellectual
efforts, on the part of biblical critics,
nothing was subsequently attempted
to maintain a communication with
the handful of Jews, until in 1915.
some brethren in London addressed
letter to them in Hebrew, and offered
a large reward if any OIL would
bring an answer in the same Ian
guagc. The letter was entrusted to
aChinesc a bookseller, a native of the
province, who is reported to have de
livered it, which is doubted, as he
brought no written answer.
Recently, the Jews Society in Lon
don, encouraged by the muni6cence
of Miss Cook, who placed ample
funds at their disposal, instituted in
quiries on the subject, and sought
the cooperation of the bishop of Vic
toria, who having previously opened
a correspondence with DIR. Medhurst
on the subject, during his lordship's
recent visit to ShanPhae, the plan Of
operations was agr d upon. This
was to despatch two Chinese Chris
tians, one of them literary gradu-
ate, the other young man with a
competent knowledge of English, ac-
quired at the London Missionary
School. The North China Herald,
of the 18th January, contains an in
tcrcsting account of their mission,
from which we gather the following
particulars:
The two emissaries started on the
18th November last, and after an alb
sence of fifty five days, returned to
Shanghae, the distance between the
two cities being about six hundred
miles.* Arrived at their destination,
they found In the decayed city of
Cal-fung-tu, both Mohamedans and
Jews, the latter poverty-strickcn and
degraded, their synagogue in state
OF dilapidaton, and the distinguishing
symbols Of their religion nearly eX-
tlnct. The books of the law, written
III small square character on sheep
skin, are, however, still preserved,
although it would seem for many
years they have been seen by no one
able to read them.
The Jesuits mention the existence
of the sacred books, but were not
suffered to copy or even to inspect
them; but the Chinese Christians en-
countered no such scruples, so that,
besides taking copies of inscriptions
on the stone tablets, they We're ena-
bled TO bring away eight Hebrew
manuscripts, six of them containing
portions of the Old Testament, and
two of the Hebrew liturgy. The cor
respondent of the North China Her
aid states that
The portions of Scripture are from
the lst to the 7th chapters Of Exodus,
from the 38th to the 4th chapters OF
the same book, Leviticus 10Th and
Goth chapters, Numbers 1910, l4th,
and 18th chapters, with the 23d chap
ter of that book. Various portions
Of the Pantateuch, Psalms, and Ha-
geographic occur in the books ofprav-
ers, which have net yet been dehni, =
ly fixed. The character in which
these portions are written is in an
antique form of the Hebrew, with
pointst They are written on thick
paper, evidently by means of a style,
and the material employed, as well
as the silk in which the books were
bound, exhibits marks of foreign ORR
gin. Two Israelitish gentlemen, to
whom they have been shown in
Shanghac say they have seen such
booksin Alden; and the occurrence
here and there of Persian words,
written with Hebrew letters, III the
notes appended, seem to indicate
that the books in question came orig
inaily from the western part of Asia,
perhaps from Persia or Arabia