The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-10-13
New Mission Station in China.
Rev. j. L. Stuart writes to the Christian O
serUer, under date July Goth, 1869:

Rev. j. l.. Stuart writes to the Christian o.
Sercer, under date July Goth, 1869:
NEW STATIoN-TRIP UP THE RIVER
Our Mission is just now opening new station,
to be occupied by MIR. Helm and myself, and it oc-
ours to that it may interest your readers to give
them some account of our trip to the city chosen
! for the now statiop. ..----e-e
The name of the city is Chu Tseu, on the same
river and about one hundred and eighty miles dis
tant from Hanchou-it is also some three hundred
miles from Shanghai and Ningpo, the nearest
treaty ports. Mr.. Inslee had visited the city a
number of years ago, and under his charge we set
out on the last day of June, having with US a
teacher, cook and Christian man, recently
received into the Church. The boat secured
for the trip was adapted to the swift current of the
river, being long and narrow. We supposed that
it was about fifty feet long and eight feet wide,
with a house or cabin twenty-four feet long. This
was covered with bamboo mating, filled in with a
long leaf, rendering it fine protection against
both rain and sun. The roof was supported by
poles, bent to reach from one side to the other,
giving it rounded form, and making the boat at
little distance look like an immense barrel, in the
water. The cabin was divided into three apart
ments-the front room six feet long, occupied by
the sailors, the rear room of the same size occu.
pied by the Captain and his family and the middle
pied by the passengers The boat is furnished
with mast and sail, which are gladly used when
there is fair wind 1t has also three sculls, but
going up stream it must be drawn most Of the
way by men pulling by cord attached to the top
of the mast From one to six men are attached to
one boat for this purpose.
Our crew consists of the Captain and his wife,
who acts as mate and helmsman, the Captain
son, and two grown men, who act as sailors and
draw the boat as canal horses.
woRsHIPPING AN IDOL
Just before starting the boy who seems to act
as priest to the family and crew, burned idol paper,
made a few prostratons and stuck up lighted
stick of incense, in the side of the boat This SER
vice was repeated every evening After this ser
vice was over, we weighed anchor and the city of
Hanchou faded very slowly from our view. By
night we had gone thirteen miles, in about four
hours, and seeing quite number Of other boats
tying up, our Captain decided to do likewise. We
were off early the next morning, and so pursued
our course up the river, travelling some almost
every day, and reaching our destination in nine
days. The river was very much swollen by reason
of recent. heavy rains Of the rainy season, and
our progress was much lmpeded.
APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY
Along the banks of the river there is much evil
dence Of the ravages of the late civil war; yet the
landscape all the way was picturesque-oft beau
tiful and grand. The prevailing feature of the
country is mountainous and sometimes the river
is forced into narrow channei, by high mountains
rising abruptly on either side. Sometimes they
seem to withdraw to distance, on one or both
sides, leaving the intermediate space fertile plain
producing rice, wheat corn, sugar-cane, tobacco,
hemp, cotton, vegetables, &C. The lower hills are
generally covered with the tea plant, while the
higher, often reaching height of two thousand
feet, are covered with bamboo, pines, and grass
all of which are cut and used for lumber or fuel
after they have attained the growth of only few
years.
Large trees are very rare, though the houses and
villages are generally supplied with large camphor
trees whose thick, dark foliage furnishes an excel
lent shade. There are many groves,-some of
bamboo, some of pine, fruit trees and candle
trees, whose fruit furnishes the talow of which
they make candles. We were seldom out of sight
of the babitations of man, sometimes single
house, often family village where one family
had lived for generations. We passed many large
towns, and two walled cities, in few of which we
stopped and distributed some Bibles and tracts,
and were kindly treated by the people. The men
along our route were engaged IN all kinds of bust
ness some ploughing with the buffalo, others using
he hoe, swinging the fail, setting out rice, bearing
burdens, cutting timber and rafting it down the
liver, catching fish with nets and cormorants,-
many were with great labor slowly drawing their
,oats up the river, while they saw many other
,oats in swift current making rapid return voy-
ge.
Every city and large town is provided with one
# more pagodas. These are towers generally about
hundred feet high, with seven Stories and built
f brick-many of them have been standing for
ges. Formerly balcony of rood surrounded
very story, but these have all crumbled away
hey are built on prominent points, and are sup
osed to protect the city from dragons and evil
pirits who, seeing them at distance, change their
purse.
THE CITY OF CHU-TSEU.
When we arrived at our destination we found