The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1872-05-29
Eleventh Annual Report of the Executive
Committee of Foreign Missions.

mighty OOu, not only I0r Vne hluu CARE NC udS
exercised oven the health and lives of our
missionary brethren, but for the many tokens
of favour he has bestowed upon the work IN
which they are engaged. Neither death nor
severe sickness has been permitted to invade
their rnks. They have lived in peace and
quietness, and, without any serious Interrupt
tons, have carried on their manifold labours
of studying the languages of the people among
whom they live, preaching the unsearchable
riches of Christ, circulating the Scriptures,
and training native youths to become teachers
and preachers Of the gospel. Nor would the
Committee express less gratitude for the man
| ifest growth Of interest among our people In
this great cause, and especially for the liber-
atty with which they have contributed to its
support the last year, notwithstanding all the
outward disc fragments with which they
have been 81 bundled. 1t is not less true of
considerable gortion of our Christian people,
tbanit was of pEgcedopiap Church, thet their
! f.uerality has bounded in the midst of their
poverty. In view of this encouraging state of
things, both az home and abroad, we have
surely abundant reason to press forward in
the prosecution of this great work, feeling as
sured that we shall ere long reap rich and
abundant spiritual harvest, if we faint not,
nor turn aside from this great work so auspi-
ciously begun.
Changes that haze taken place IN the mas
SiOnary force during the gear.
Rev. Ed. Lane, who had been in this coun-
try during the summer, endeavouring to raise
funds for the CampinaS Institute, sailed with
| Mrs Lane for his field of labor on the 23d of
September, and reached Rio Janeiro the latter
part of October, on his way to Campinas.
| Miss Evelyn Withrow, native of Waynes-
boro, Va, left New Y ork for China, by way of
San Francisco, on the 10th September. She
was accompanied by her friend and former
pastor, Rev. W. T. Richardson, as far as San
Francisco, from whence she sailed on the 30th
September, and reached Yokohama on the
25th October. Since then she has been united
in marriage to Rev. M. II. Houston, of the
Hanchow mission. Mr.. Adam H. Erwin, of
Charlotte, N c., sailed from New York on
the 21st December, to join the mission at
Baranquilla, which place he reached in the
early part of January, and Immediately en-
tered upon his work as teacher. Mrs. Nor
ton, who had been in this country for some
months for the improvement of her health,
sailed for Brazil on the 23d January. She
was accompanied by Miss Mamie Henderson,
of Charlestown, West Virginia, who went out
to commence female School in Oampinas
They reached Rio Janeiro the 23d February ;
but were detained there several weeks, in con-
sequence of heavy land slide, that had rem
dered the railroad between Sac Paulo and Cam
pinas impossible. Rev. Hampden c. DuBose,
Mrs. DuBose and Mrs A. E. Randolph, left
Omaha on Monday, the 22d April, for China
They were detained in this country more than
two months, blythe snow blockade on the Pacific
road but are now probably near the end of
their VOYAGE Mr. DuBose is native of
South Carolina, and recent graduate of the
Theological Seminary at Columbia. Mrs.
DuBose is native of Taladega, Alabama
Mrs. Randolph is native of Virginia; but
for number of eears past5a resident of Ken
I lucky. She goes to take charge of the female
school at Hanchow. Mr. NJ G. Askill, a
ruling elder of one of the churches in Fayete-
vile Presbytery, was appointed some months
since as teacher to Spencer Academy, in the
Choctaw nation, and would have been there
in the early part of March, but has been pre-
vented from sickness.
THE WHOLE MISSIONARY FORCE.
The whole missionary force, including those
on their way, consists of fourteen ordained
ministers-of whom four are natives of the
country where they live-two male and twelve
female missionary assistants, and eight native
Observation-Disclosures missionary laborers in
all, and all depending upon the contributions
of the churches for their support.
FINANCES.
The receipts from all sources, including
$6,497.67 contributed by the ladies of the
church for the relief of Mr.. Inslees family,
$l,S0750 special contribution to the Brazil
mission, and $3,442.88 from Sabbath Schools,
amount in the aggregate to SAT, 1882 De-
Quoting from this what was given for Mr..
Inslee's family, ana what is regarded as a
special contribution to the Brazil mission, the
actual amount available for general missionary
purposes would bs-$35, S76.65, out of which
the debt of last year, of $5,505,99 has been
reduced more than one-half. The aggregate
above mentioned, of more than forty-seven
thousand dollars, is nevertheless the true ex-
preston of the gifts of Gods people It
shows an advance of something more than
seventy per cent. upon the contributions of
the previous year, and is larger amount than
was ever given by the same churches, even in
the days of their greatest prosperity. Nor is
this advance less remarkable when we take
into consideration the fact that money in
many parts of the country has been very
scarce, and large portion of our people have
been severely burdened by heavy taxation.
1t is an encouraging fact, and perhaps speaks
we'll for the future of our beloved church,
that God is causing the iberality of his
people to abound in the midst of their po-
verify. The process of trial through which
they are passing may be severe and searching,
but the fruit will be rich and abundant.
Gratifying, however, as the above results
are, the funds actually available for general
missionary purposes have not been sufficient
to meet the exigencies of the case. During
the summer and autumn, several missionary
brethren, who were ready to sail for their
fields of labour, were detained several months
from the want of means to send them out.
Several important departments of missionary |
work have been delayed, or held in suspense,
because it has not been possible to furnish |
the means for carrying them forward.
The contributions of the Sabbath Schools
have fallen behind those Of the previous year
to an amount of something less than one hun
dred dollars. This, however, may have re-
suited from the fact that some of their contri-
buttons found their way into the fund for
Mrs. Inslee, SO that there may have been an
increase, instead of decrease, in the actual
contributions. 1t is matter of the greatest
Importance that all our Sabbath Schools
should be engaged in this work. 1t will not
only be salutary and healthful moral train
ing for the children themselves, but their
combined gifts will greatly augment the gen
eral missionary fund.- 1t has been favourite
idea with the Committee for years past to sus-
tain all the educational operations of Che mis-
sinnaru work by Sabbath School contribu-