The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-10
FLIGHT ON A HOUSEBOAT
Missionary's Perilous Trip on the
Grand Canal in China.
Letter Written in the Midst of
ton of Things Before the Outbreak
of the StOrm-PreparatiOn for
Leaving - Diary of the Voyage.

Barrows. NJ. D., a Methodist missionary,
| stationed in Shantung but who. at the
outbreak of trouble. was ordered, together
with other missionaries, to go to port.
! She describes the troubled state of China
| in the latter part of June, and gives an
account of the voyage of the missionaries
to Chinkiang on board houseboat which
made the trip on the Grand Canal:
ION Grand Canal, June Is.
II believe 1t is little more than two
| weeks since / wrote you last. but so much
, has happened and plans changed SO often
! it seems more like months. Today is Mon
day, and we are on houseboat. about
three days from Chinkiang.
TO go back two weeks ago yesterday
early Sunday morning l was awakened to
read note from Mr.. King, saying an ur-
gent matter made necessary that he call
early He had received a telegram in the
night from Mr.. Verify. in Pekin, telling
him TO take us-Mrs. Verify, Mary. and me
to Chinkiang at once, as Pekin was
shut up. Mrs. Verify was staying with
me while Mr.. Verify was away.
I'VE knew there was trouble with the
Great Knife Society, and that two more
missionaries had been killed by them very
near Pekin. Next morning We sent fast
messenger to -Nan-Fu to hire carts,
and. with heavy hearts, began packing as
fast as possible. l had several patients
in the hospital who refused to leave, as
they were some distance from home, one
quite sick. and all with no place to go.
I'VE had to work very carefully, SO as
not to brighten the people around us.
There were school things to be put away,
all drugs and instruments to be packed
away, many of Miss Steers things, and
as many belonging to the society. besides
my own things, to take and leave. The
friends were all SO very kind in helping
pack, looking after things etc, as far as
they could; but, Of course, nearly every
thing had to pass through my hands, SO it
is not strange that left many things IN
done, and every day think of more things
that 1 wish l had with me. The trouble
was, We were not sure of getting the
carts wanted, and up to the last day
were not sure; but others would want to
go with us, SO using what cart room there
was. Things looked 80 dark and we felt
so badly about the friends that must be
left behind, and a great question was
whether Mr.. King ought to go, when the
Crawfords depended on him so much On
Sunday morning the first telegram came
telling US to go and advising all the for
eigners to leave, and on Thursday another
telegram from Mr.. Pyke, In Tientsin:
Verify, Barrow, go to Chinkiang immedi-
ately; mission orders Later in the day
the carts came in from the capital and
by rushing We got OF by noon the next
day friday. On the next Tuesday noon
We reached I-chan-fu-
Favored by the Wind.
June 2S.-It is morning on the house,
boat, and at last we have fsvoring wind,
and hope to reaching Chinkiang tonight.
II has been hard work to write letters
lately. Our hearts have been so anxious
about the friends in the North and ia
Shantung especially those we left at Tai
An. We stopped at two mission stations
on our way-f-chan-fu, where We took din
ner with our Presbyterian friends. and at
Tsint -Riang -Pie, where We spent from
Saturday afternoon to Monday forenoon,
and had such a good rest. We hired this
boat there, and the boatmen have been so
quiet and good that the very hard cart
ride seems something that happened long
ago. We have three small rooms, the
N ddle one the largest, and on its wooden
bed Mary and l sleep. A small square ia
BILE We eat on, and most OF the rest of
the space Is filled by one of my trunks, a
tiny table and two chairs
I'VE have two men with us, not because
we need two servants, but mostly on ac-
count of the disturbed country.
from the local magistrate Of Tai-An. four
hnrsemen, and four footmen, but only one
ct these had orders TO see US all the way
&c Using Kiang, the others being changetf
a great many times, but without hindering
us. az orders were sent ahead. so there
were one or two soldiers waiting for us at
nearly every place we reached.
For a Chinese guard they behaved
themselves very well indeed. We have
so much TO be thankful for. for the wealth
er was cooler than We had any reason TO
expect, and had it been hot do not see
how We could have stood the trip. At
Using Kiang we heard a great deal of
disturbing news, as here they get Shang
hal papers only four days old. Most of
the women and children had been sent
away to Chinkiang, and we hear that
place is not very safe. We are so very
anxious to reach Chinkiang and learn
more news. Oh. if we did not certainly
know our loving Father is caring for us
all. how would we bear the thought of our
friends shut up there in Pekin.
Rumor Concerning Seymour.
I'VE heard before leaving on our boat
that Admiral Seymour had entered Pekln
no NOR. than week and a half ago. What
has happened since we cannot know. You
can imagine something of the grief it
US 10 near Oh the slaughter Oh SO
many Christians in Pekin and burning of
mission property. At Tsangchow too, we
heard at the last that the London mission
property is all destroyed but the for
eigners are in the hands Of the Chinese
II so many lives were not in peril We
would feel all the more sad about the
probable fate of everything We left in
TaiAn. There are so many things there
wished | had with ne, but / feared to
overweight the baggage. Well, we will
bring ourselves. and how / wish we were
there now. / know nothing of DR.. Terrys
whereabouts but she has her passage en-
gagged with mine, for July 20. | will try
and send you a telegram from along the !
way. you may know / am safely across f,
the water. We are just getting into |
Tan-Chow, and Mr.. King is to go ashore |
and see a missionary friend who lives
there We may get into Chinkiang to-
night
''All safe in here this morning
"Chinkiang, June 20"
The following letters from the Rev |
George X. Davis, Methodist missionary |
In Pekin, addressed to friends In Tientsin. !
but fof warded to this country, and Elso |
published In the Christian Advocate" |
describe the peril OF the foreigners in the |
Chinese capital prior TO and on the very |
day communication between Pekin and the |
outside world was first cut OFF:
"Pekin, June 9.-Your letter OF the 9Th |
and 9th came in yesterday. 1t is plain to |
see that your situation in and about Tien-
tsin is quite as bad as here; only you are |
nearer help II the worse comes to the |
worst, and better prepared for a sudden |