New-York tribune., 1896-01-25
FORMOSA.
OBSERVATIONS BY A MISSIONARY.

This is one of those narratives of missionary
effort which, for the opponents Of such efforts.
are difficult to explain without ignoring facts
DR.. MacKay. a native of Upper Canada, out
a descendant of Scottish Hghanders first set
foot in Formosa in March, 1872 He had been
educated in Toronto. Princeton and Ednburgh'
ne had done home missionary work in Canada,
and was bent on foreign work Of the same KIND.
North Formosa invited him field hitherto
untouched. No Christian had ever preached
sermon at Tamsui. the capital or anywhere
else: and the two or three missionaries who were
at work In the southern part of the island en-
couraged him to begin in the north. Perhaps
the fir trees which were almost the first features
of the landscape that he observed about Tamsul'
had something to 10 with his decision They
reminded a Scottish missionary who accom-
panied DIR. MacKay of scenes in Scotland anu
DIR. MacKay himself never forgets his Hlghiahu
descent. The situation Of Tamsul, staHuihs
over against a solitary mountain peak that rose
seventeen hundred feet. and backed on the east
and south bv range after range. climbing two
thousand, three thousand and four thousahu
feet high" was enough to stir the soul OF any
man who cared for beauty in nature Dr. Mac
Kay has almost a romantic love lot ha'uiai
scenes and when he first began TO gam converts
among the Formosans he observed with some
even a conception Of his feelings. They gazed
at a landscape blankly Later their eyes were
opened He says it was Christianity that awaK-
ened them to o sense of beauty as well as GOOD
ness. At all events. the mental phenomenon Is
nm interesting one and worthy of study.
Rut DIR. MacKay not only loved nature In its
general aspects but in its details He stunned
North Formosa with the eye of a man OF science
as we'll as with the hopes Of Christian teacher'
He began collecting specimens at the outset. ana
soon had the material for setting up museum
10 which he has added something Of value al
most daily ever since Wherever he taVeHeu'
preaching and explori lg, he carried with MIN
his geological hammer, chise and lens HIS III
yestigations resulted in very clear notions as 10
the process by which tie island was formed anu
a rich fund of observations upon It's geologicai
constituents, its covering Of plant life' ana lhe
diverse characteristics OF its human nhaDltah's'
The, comparative shallowness Of the sea be-
tween Formosa and the mainland testifies 10 the
fact that the island was once a part Of Asia
But the subsistence of the land between Is ia'e
incident In geological history. There was time
when the island was submerged long enough to
he overlaid with coral Then came period OF
volcanic disturbance when the whole Island was
lifted out Of the depths There are remains OF the
coral formation on the mountain SIDES Zov leet
above the level Of the sea. The internal nres
which formed the island have not yet competed
their work Sulphur springs and boiling springs
in great numbers exist and earthquakes are OF
sreouent occurrence. In one place the land sinks
beneath a lake in another lake disappears
One Of the most fertile plains in the northern
part of the island was formerly the bed o1
great lake. On the other hand. the Tamsul River
now flows over the site of villages where DR..
Grct ed
island The land abounds in coal: petroleum has
baen found: natural gas, at least of kind. can
be found by merely digging a hole to the depth OF
a font or two A lighted match sets the cavity
IN a blaze Sulphur exists In abundance, there
are numerous signs of the presence of iron IN the
interior, and gold has been discovered in quantl-
ties sufficient to attract multitude of Chinese
workmen.
The land is covered with rich and varied
plant life Apart from a few exposed rocks the
crevices ravines and powders are overgrown
with ferns, grasses and creepers Of all kinds Ihe
trees are not tall. but they spread out IN enor-
NOUS branches. The mountain sides are clothed
from top to bottom with tangled underground
and trees Of every possible shade of yellow and
green There are evergreen oaks and fallow
trees mulberry and dminutive pines. frs planted
20 protect the tea plantations camphor trees.
used for soap. Smaller plants also furnish DR..
MacKay the material for a long list Among
animals there are many found nowhere outside OF
the island and some Of these extremely In
teresting-for example the pouched monkey,
which Dr. MacKay observed. resembled closely
fossil specimens of the monkey tribe. These are
also well known the mainland But the Wild
Formosan COW, d.. MacKay insists, is myth OF
the scientists. The most useful four-footed crea-
fure on the island is the water buffalo, so called
because IL cannot live out Of reach of ponds or
pools where 1t plunge and walow whenever
,t is weary. There is quite list Of birds peculiar
to Formosa an endless array Of insects and
number OF large snakes, which infest houses
we'll as the forest
The most interesting creature, however Is man.
and he Is not at all uniform In Formosa Along
+he coast and for some distance inland the Chi
nese have settled within comparatively recent
times. pressing the earlier inhabitants. foot by
foot slowly toward the interior The result Is
seen In the lines of civilization around the island.
Next to the Chinese borderland the natives
have initiated their conquerors as nearly as they
could This imitation Is less and less obvious
the further inland the observer goee. In the deep
forests of the interior survives a race which
has all the head-huning proclivities. the wild FITS
of rage and at the same time the frankness and
politeness Of the Malay. DR.. MacKay holds that
they are Maays in origin. and he gives In
stances within his own knowledge Of savages
who drifted down the ocean streams from Ma
iaysia TO Formosa. He never rested after he set
tied In the island and had fairly begun his mis-
eionary work TIL he had gone among these wild
epearmen in their native jungles. Apparently
they were as friendly as people could be who had
been made suspicious by ages of war. They
-iax,s End hat nr Mar KaV had M
cue. the cue being to their minds the badge
of the hated Chinese and so they called him their
.back- bearded kinsman." 1t their belief
at the outset that he had the same murderous ha
tired toward the Mongoian with which they
...A-. ircrirod md ON one occasion he was led