Albuquerque, in 1511, to avenge the insult put upon one of his lieutenants, Sequeira by name. The Portuguese held the settlement until they were driven off by the Dutch in 1641. The Dutch, at that time more vigorous than the Portuguese, made the place the center of a large trade, but the opening of Singapore as a free port by the English in 1819, rung the death-knell of Malacca as a trading center.

"In the religious world Malacca will ever be linked with the name of Francis Xavier, that truly apostolic missionary of the Roman Catholic Church-a veritable Roman Bishop Taylor of his day, whose impress is yet to be seen in the vigorous Portuguese missions stretching from Goa in India to Macao in China.

"Malacca has now dwindled into a comparatively insignificant town, with Penang to the north and Singa

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pore to the south, both cutting off its trade. But it is the capital of a fairly rich agricultural province, and when the lethargic Malay shall be waked up, or the enterprising Chinaman shall have settled on the land in larger numbers, this province will develop large prosperity.

"The city of Malacca has now a population of about 30,000, the majority of whom are Chinese. Indeed, this is the headquarters of many of the oldest Chinese families of the Straits Settlement. In the province is a further population of about 45,000, mostly Malays.

"At Malacca there used to be a strong body of the London Missionary Society, and an Anglo-Chinese college taught by missionaries of the American Board and others, numbering amongst them such eminent men as James Legge, Samuel Dyer, and John Stronach, "Some old pupils of these men I have this very morn

ing talked with, and they are remembered with affection, and the boys they trained, though still nominally heathen, are very different in their views and whole bearing and trend of thought from the men trained in the secular schools of the government. One Chinese gentleman here who particularly remembers the missionaries of the past is Mr. Tan Tek Guau, into whose hands the property of the Anglo-Chinese college passed when the American Board withdrew its missionaries from Malaysia to send them to China, when that great. empire was opened to foreign missionaries.

"The restoration of such a school as the AngloChinese college, particularly by American missionaries, would be gladly welcomed by many of the older Chinese inhabitants, among whom the memory of the missionaries of other days is still fragrant, and I believe it would not be difficult to find help among them for such a project if the right men were selected to engineer it. "From the mouth of the Hooghly, in India, to Bangkok, in Siam, is a vast stretch of coast line, for the most part populated, and as yet but feebly occupied by missionary agencies. A Protestant Xavier, with men and material at command, could strike here for God and the Christian church in a way that would be felt in years to

come.

"How I wish Methodism would come up and possess the land, and if our American Board brethren would join us it would be a matter for great rejoicing. Let Malacca, Penang, Kevila Kangsa, in the Malay States, and a point in North Borneo, say Sandakan, be occupied at once. Meanwhile, let two young men be sent to China to study the language, and so get ready for the non-Malay speaking Chinese who abound here and elsewhere, and in five years there would begin a day of great things, I believe.

"My school in Singapore is doing well. We have eight Chinese boarders and sixty-six day-scholars. Our Tamil school numbers fifty. We are quietly trying to teach these boys the law, to develop in them a conscience of sin. Then will be the time to present Jesus, the Savior. Brother Bond, I regret to say, is laid aside by a touch of the sun.

"At Rangoon we are having a glorious revival-over sixty conversions since 1st of January. Our pastor there s greatly in need of a man. Pray for us."

A Year in the Central China Mission. (Rev. G. W. Woodall sent the following report to the Newark Annual Conference, writing from Chinkiang, China, Feb. 9, 1887.)

Nothing has occurred during the past year-a year which has been fraught with blessing-to disturb or prevent the onward march of progress. We mark the year with some epochal events which may interest you.

Our four central stations as you go up the Yangstze River, are Chinkiang, Nanking, Wuhu and Kiukiang. At Chinkiang the year has seen the completion of our

new chapel, "A perfect Mosaic," our superintendent exclaimed as he entered-which was dedicated on Aug. 15, 1886. This chapel was built especially for the native church, but as the foreign community-nearly a hundred residents-has no church, it is used alternately with the Baptist Chapel for English services-the missionaries preaching regularly in turn. Next is the completion of the Girls' School and Woman's Hospital of the W. F. M. S.-a property that has cost nearly ten thousand dollars. The school is already occupying its new premises and we are to have the formal opening next week. The official mandarins have already accepted an invitation to be present, and we take honor to our mission and congratulations to ourselves that our invitation has been accepted. It is the first missionary gathering here at which they have consented to be present, and we trust that it indicates a quieting of prejudice against us and an awakening interest in our work.

At Nanking, beside the building of two parsonages, the event of the year was the completion and opening of the Philander Smith Memorial Hospital. The presence of the U. S. Minister, the Consul General, and the U. S. Sloop of War "Marion" in the harbor, as well as the attendance of all the high officials of the city made it a great occasion in the history of our mission at Nanking. No work has been inaugurated in our mission with a greater boom of promise, and if that promise is fulfilled, Nanking will be the queen of mission stations on the Yangstze River.

Wuhu also has built a girls' boarding school with a domestic chapel attached, the planning of a good work for the future, when the W. F. M. Society send ladies to take care of it.

Lastly, Kiukiang, our oldest station, is putting on new strength. To-day, while I write you, our superintendent is there dedicating a new college building for the use of the Fowler University. A new dormitory and two parsonages are to be commenced immediately, and then the foundations of a grand work are ready for our Kiukiang brethren.

But I have only cited the material progress of our mission, and it is because the forming of working plans, the marking out of our itinerancy of the future seems to be indicated as the order of the day by the manner in which China's gates are being thrown open to us. Yet the spiritual interests of the work are not neglected; though trowel in hand we are building up the walls of Zion in China, with the sword of faith in the other hand we are watching the onsets of the enemy.

The reports from the various stations at our late annual meeting were very gratifying and full of promise.

I often feel, my brethren, that if the church would but send us sufficient men endowed with physical, intellectual and spiritual strength, there is a sure and substantial victory for us among the millions of China. We feel that self-support is a prerequisite to all per

manent work in China and are working on that line.

At our last annual meeting we resolved to receive no more native preachers unless there is a native constituency to support them, and also to place our present native ministry on a self-supporting basis as soon as possible.

The Chinkiang Church is the first to get out of the rut, and the native church is now supporting its pastor, receiving but little assistance from the missionaries. None of us pay more than twenty-five cents a month, and this only as a stimulus to the native church.

These are good signs and I trust that all the churches may soon cut the apron strings that now keep them depending upon the parent missionary society.

Rev. Griffith John, of China. Griffith John was born at Swansea, Wales, in 1831. When eight years of age he became converted and joined the church, and at the age of fourteen began to preach in Welsh. In his sixteenth year he entered more fully upon the work of calling sinners to repentance in different parts of the county. In 1855 he married and the same year went out as a missionary to China in the employ of the London Missionary Society. He was first stationed at Shanghai. In 1861 he removed to Hankow and most of the time since then he has been in charge of the London Missionary Society's Mission in that city.

While Mr. John is the author of several books and tracts relating to mission work in China, his chief literary work has been the translation of the New Testament into Wen-li, a simple form of the learned tongue, for the benefit of ordinary readers. The complete version was published in 1885. The London Christian, from which the above facts were taken, pays Mr. John the following tribute:

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"He has become a Chinaman in his sympathies, and has sought to know all sides of life and character in the national life of China. By a close study of their sacred books he has learnt what of truth they possess, and his wide experience has shown him what a soul-destroying superstition, or an equally destructive unbelief reigns in their hearts. But while clearly seeing their plight, he does not go among them as some superior being, but as a brother, and as one who serves; this is partly the secret of his success."

Mr. John states that some thirteen years ago he was deeply dissatisfied with himself and his work and through earnest seeking obtained the baptism of power, and ever since he has found his work more satisfying and more successful. He is still laboring in behalf of the Chinese. May he be yet more signally blessed in his labors.

School Work in Focchow, China.

BV REV. M. C. WILCOX.

Most of our schools have recently closed for the sum. mer vacation. This department of our work has given us unusual encouragement. The brethren who teach in the Biblical Institute speak of exceptionally gccd work on the part of their students. The same may be said of the Anglo-Chinese college students who recently. passed very creditable examinations in the Chinese classics, as well as in the subjects taught by the foreign. instructors. Since taking charge of the college last March, I have made church attendance and the study of the Bible and catechism compulsory. These new requirements are cheerfully followed by all the students and no opposition is apparent on the part of their friends. This fact will be reassuring to those who have feared that too much Christian instruction might alienate the more wealthy and influential of the Chinese.

In a short time we shall begin the construction of a much-needed dormitory for the college.

It is pleasant also to inform your readers that at the missionary concert given by our Tieng Ang Tcng Sunday-school the sum of $74.10 was realized. If our Sunday-schools in the home land all do as well as this one, the "million by collections only" is assured. Foochow, June 27, 1887.

Greek and Roman Catholic Missions in Japan. Rev. J. Hartzler writes from Japan, May 3:-" Bishop Nicolai furnished the following statistic of the Greek Mission in Japan for 1886, as follows: bishops, 1; foreign priests, 3; native priests, 11; deacons, 2; theological students, 104; whole number of native members, including baptized infants, 22,546. The Roman Catholic Mission in Japan reports: bishops, 2; missionaries (all French), 59; native priests, 3; churches and chapels, 100; theological seminaries, 2; theological students, 72; catechists, 284; schools and orphan asylums, 69; pupils in the same, 3,340; total native membership, 32,294.

Protestant Missions in Asia.

There are no Protestant missions in Beluchistan, Afghanistan, in the French Possessions of Anam and Tonquin, or in Siberia and the adjoining countries under Russian rule, but in the other nations Protestant missionaries are preaching the Gospel and making steady progress.

Over one hundred years ago missionaries commenced

work in the Russian Possessions. The Moravians sent missionaries among the Calmuc Tartars in 1765 but abandoned the mission in 1824. The Scottish Missionary Society commenced work among the Tartars of Russian Tartary in 1802 but discontinued it in 1833. The London Missionary Society between 1817 and 1820 established four missions in Siberia, but the last one was

abandoned in 1842. A German Missionary Society commenced missions among the Tartars in 1822 and among the Armenians of Georgia in 1824, but discontinued them in 1833.

At first the missions in the Russian Possessions received some favor from the Russian Government, but afterward the policy changed and the restrictions placed upon them were such as to prevent their further prosecution and Protestant missionaries are still prevented from preaching the Gospel to the millions under Russian rule in Asia,

ARABIA.

In South Arabia, in the vicinity of Aden, has been commenced a mission by the Free Church of Scotland, and at Aden is a mission of the English Church Missionary Society. These are meeting with some favor among the Arabs and it is believed they are full of promise.

ASIA MINOR AND MESOPOTAMIA.

The English Church Missionary Society has a station at Bagdad, an outpost of the Persia Mission. The Church of Scotland has a mission at Smyrna. The American Reformed Presbyterian Church has interesting missions at Tarsus and Marsine. The Foreign Christian Missionary Society of the United States reports a missionary at Marsovan and one at Tarsus. The American Baptists have also missionaries in Asia Minor.

The American Board of Foreign Missions has had for many years large and successful missions among the Armenians in Asia Minor. The Western Turkey Mission was organized in 1819, Eastern Turkey in 1836, and Central Turkey in 1847, and these three missions reported in 1886, 16 stations, 267 outstations, 43 ordained missionaries aided by 93 other missionaries from America, physicians, wives and single women. There were also 613 native laborers and 8,328 members. The schools numbered 397 with 15,784 pupils..

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St. Chrischona Missionary Society of Basle, Switzerland, has an orphanage in Jerusalem. The Berlin Missionary Society reports missions in Jerusalem, Beth

shala and Hebron. The Moravians have a mission in

Jerusalem, and the Friends missions at Brumana and Ramallah. The Presbyterian Church of Ireland has a mission at Damascus. The American Reformed Pres

byterian Church has a mission at Latakia. The London Missionary Society for the Jews is at work at Jaffa and Damascus. The Committee of the Lebanon schools has fifteen schools on the slopes of Mount Lebanon. The British Syrian schools are at Beirut, Damascus, Zahleh, Baalbec, Tyre, on Mount Lebanon and on Mount Hermon. There are mission schools at Jaffa conducted by Miss Hay and Miss Arnott. At Nablous (Shechem) Rev. El Karey and wife are conducting an independent mission. The American Presbyterian Church has important missions with headquarters at Beirut, Abeih, Sidon, Tripoli and Zahleh, with 38 foreign missionaries, 179 native laborers, 19 churches and 1,440 members. The Syrian Protestant College at Beirut is a very important and successful evangelizing agency in its educational and publishing work. The English Church Missionary Society has missions at Jerusalem, Nazareth, Gaza and Nablous.

The Church Missionary Intelligencer for August says: "We are sorry to say that the opposition of the Turkish Government to our mission school in Palestine, so far as the education in them of Mohammedan children is concerned, has culminated in an order from Constan

tinople forbidding the attendance of Moslems altogether, and one father has been thrown into prison for sending his child to a Church Missionary Society School."

PERSIA.

The English Church Missionary Society has had a mission at Julfa since 1876 which in 1885 reported I ordained and I female missionary, 98 communicants and 323 pupils. Last year two clergymen of the English Church were sent to Oroomiah and are seeking to instruct the Nestorian priests, but so far have met with but little success. Deacon Abraham, at Oroomiah, and Rev. P. Z. Easton, at Tabriz, are conducting independent missions.

The most important Protestant work in Persia is that conducted by the American Presbyterian Church in its mission at Oroomiah, Tabriz, Salmas, Teheran, and Hamadan and numerous outstations, with 45 American missionaries (10 of whom are ordained) aided by 187 natives (of whom 3 are ordained), reporting 30 churches with 2,052 communicants, and 115 schools with 2,731 pupils. Last fall the missionaries, reviewing the work in their annual meeting, reported general encouragement over all the field; an unusual degree of openness particularly in Salmas and Koordistan, numerous revivals in the Oroomiah field with a large ingathering of souls into the church, increased efficiency and more satisfactory results in the department of edu