The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1878-05-15
HONG KONG.

ouu ulhO UIlSo NlU6' All uUNu OOuOueIu
China tho coast is strongly marked by bold,
granite hills, while from countless rocks and
islands, among tho dangerous intricacies of
which the notorious Cantonese pirates form
erly swarmed, Hong Kong lies on the south
west side of the island, on the side of q hill
which rises about one thousand feet above
the harbor. The city stretches terrace above
terrace, presenting beautiful prospect from
the vessels that throng its harbor. The har-
Dor is simply an enlars cement of the channel
between the mainland, two miles distant, and
the island, and at night, as seen from some
of the streets, which are cut out of the side
of the hill three hundred feet above, the har
Dor looks like dark heavens below, studded
with hundreds of stars (boat lights)
The government of Great Britain takes
truly maternal care of her colonies, and has
made Hong Kong beautiful city. High on
the SUBMITS of some Of the lover peaks of
the hill, set in emerald foliage of tropical
vegetation, are seen the Governors house,
the hospital, and other fine light granite or
stone colored edifces, The barracks and
city hall below are in large grounds, with
fine bapyan and other evergreen trees, while
the streets, which extend along the lower
ground or wind around the face of the hill,
are unsurpassed Shallow drains of hewn
stone line the sides of the roads, overhung
everywhere with shade trees on the wooded
hillside. The road ia made of granite peb.
bles, laid and beaten in mortar of yellow or
red clay impregnated with disntegrsted
granite mixed With shell lime This slacks
slowly and enables the road to be beaten frm
and almost as smooth as floor, and it be
comes hard concrete when dry. All loco
motion being by Sedan chairs or on foot,
few light buggies excepted, no rut ever mars
the beauty of these luxurious walks. But
there are cross streets where the muscle and
lungs of pedestrians and chair coolies who
bear the weak and indolent are tried. The
ascent ia 80 steep that the houses on the
street above overlook those on the terrace
below; aud one Of these lots cold recently
for $50 900. although it requires an immense
sum to build the stone revetment on the face
of the hill supporting the road above, and
the high foundation of the front of the house.
The government has provided water.works,
that fill large tanks at various points in the
city, and has beautiful public garden on
the side of the hill just by the Governors
mansion. 1t is laid off with much taste and
has fine collection of tropical plants and a
fountain with jars for water plants. The
prettiest tree in the collection is the Austria,
Ian pine. It nee{ toa be s5eD, no descEip-
ton will convey at idea of it. There are
CocOanut palm, Plsntains, Ficus, Indicus, /
believe Papaia, Cactuses and Aloes Of vari-
GUS kinds and great size, Jsponicas of snowy
wilderness and lovely roses budding forth as
if filed with the hope of returning sun.
l saw the site where the Hougs tstOree)
had existed in which DR.. Morrison lived while
preparing his dictionary and other transla.
tons, and secretly working as he was able
for his Master. After six years, l believe
he baptised his 6rstconvert, and at his death
after twenty odd years of labor, the number
of converts in China probably did not num-
Der more than few score i have not the
statistics on the steamer
But What change! Now China is almost
wide open, and there is room for tens and
hundreds to openly proclaim the gospel
through an extent of country almost as great
as the United States, and to 10000, 900 Of
immortal souls. And in no part is the door
wider open than 10 this same Canton, where
Dr. Morrisons lips we're all but sealed. /
have been greatly 3heered by my intercourse
with the kind-hesrted lsborers-German,
English and American-who are reaping 80
richly in Southern China.
1 saw thirty-fvej baptised in the Rhenish
chapel, the dedication of which I had wit
messed the previous evening. There are even
more candidates in the country awaiting bap-
tism. The missionaries are Germans of the
Lutheran Church, Their converts number
six hundred, oflwl0m two hundred are Can
tonese, called "natives" while the four hun
dred are Hah!Kass 4. e., strangers. These
are in some respects inferior to the natives
of Kwang tong. They claim a city in Fob
Kien province as tbeir home, but their dialect
and other marks lid me to think they came
originally from II North of the Yang.tse
Kiang. l could ,E4derstand about one-tbird
of the service, whesea l could only catch
word or two now a d then in the Cantonese
The same day FIVE ere baptised in the Bap.
list chapel. One the Presbyterian church
es in Canton has a Teda forty eight and the
other about twenty embers during tie past
year, Can many Rsu home churches
with ell their age es show much greater
success
The English Church Mission in Hong
Kong FIVE years nee had twelve members,
now it has fifty communicates aud about
seventy baptised christians not yet admitted
to the Lords tabl Dr.sDean, of Siam, year
before last baptized one hundred and fifty,
and forty-one Ia year lat one time or dur.
ing the year, LIN not certain which, they
are mostly Chin 1.-The Methodist Mission
in Fob KEN ~ i'm has 1000 members, 5
missionaries. =. .aIped natives, Is deaCons
and 40 local prseaclIrs The English Church
there has 8 900 members.
In Fob KEN and Kwangtong provinces it
is estimated taertaAre nine or ten thousand
Christians, whereas there were but little over
$500 in all China. when l came cut nearly
ten years since Can any American denom-
nation show sucI Increase in ten years; for,
with Central ard Northern China, there are
not less thapa42OOO or $4,000 Christians
God gives US every encouragement to send
out more workers, and will not our Church
put forth an fort to send four missionaries
to China this gear? We need them, and the
Church should be able to rise to the need of
her mission and the measure of her duty and
send them out.-Ben Helm.
The seat Of Christian unity is in the heart
spirit; it does not lie in one set of thoughts,
Or in one form and mode Of worship, but in
1ne heart and one soul.