position, he made over the whole of his estate to his former bondmen, built a church for them, placed a schoolmaster over them, subject to the pastoral oversight of the Dutch clergy, and left them and their families free. In 1800, the inhabitants of Depok amounted to about two hundred souls. Never was there a quieter village, or a more inoffensive people; and though the majority may be attached by interest or education to Christianity, a few appear to be lovers of the Savior, and some have already found their way to the haven of rest; there are now about seventy members of the church, and upwards of fifty children in the school."*

Writing suitable tracts, and distributing them among the people, accompanying them with explanations and exhortation, preaching to the people in the market-place and shops, by the way and in the house, as well as the more regular services of the Sabbath, in English, Malay, and Chinese, teaching children in schools, and preparing works in English to illustrate the languages spoken in Eastern Asia, filled up the routine of his labors. A number were baptized, few of whom were Chinese, while one, more zealous than his countrymen, replied to the tracts against the national feasts. The English residents in Batavia assisted in erecting a neat place of worship; and in 1833, an orphan asylum was established by foreigners, under Mr. Medhurst's superintendence, for the support and education of the destitute children of Europeans. In 1833, the American Board sent two missionaries to the Archipelago, Messrs. Munson and Lyman, who landed at Batavia; these two brethren were cut off the next year by the Battaks, when exploring in Sumatra. In 1835, the American Episcopal Board sent two missionaries to the Chinese, Messrs. Lockwood and Hanson, who settled in Batavia at the request of Mr. Medhurst, but ill health compelled them both to return to their native land before the mission was well established, though not before Mr. Boone arrived to assist in and continue their work. Four other American laborers also came to Batavia in the same year, destined for the Archipelago, but the fears or suspicions of the Dutch government were aroused, and they were forbidden to proselyte among the natives in their colonial possessions, except in Borneo; and moreover were obliged to reside a year at Batavia before they could repair to their field of labor. Few acts of * China; Its State and Prospects, p. 269.

SUMMARY OF LABORS IN INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO.

337

modern Christian governments can compare with the proceedings of the Dutch colonial authorities in the Indian Archipelago in relation to this matter, and all their ordinances were either sanctioned or suggested by their superiors at home. It would be an instructive subject for investigation, to examine the many ways that Protestant governments have opposed the progress of the Gospel and freedom of conscience, in various ages and parts of the world, and especially to describe the many precautions they have taken, lest the diffusion of Christian truth should undermine and weaken their power over the natives. The English and Dutch East India Companies, their agents in the West and East Indies, the colonial authorities in Guiana, Cape Colony, and the Indian Archipelago, have all of them, at one time or another, done much to prevent the natives receiving the truths and instructions which formed the basis of all the blessings they themselves enjoyed, because "the natives must not be disturbed in their religion."

The endeavors which have been made to evangelize the Chinese out of their own country, have not failed of accomplishing lasting good. The following summary of labors at the stations was given by Medhurst in 1837, who refers in it almost exclusively to the English missionaries, as the American missions had at that time only recently commenced operations. "Protestant missionaries, considering themselves excluded from the interior of the empire of China, and finding a host of emigrants in the various countries in the Malayan Archipelago, aimed first to enlighten these, with the hope, that if properly instructed and influenced, they would, on their return to their native land, carry with them the gospel they had learned, and spread it among their countrymen. With this view, they established themselves in the various colonies around China, studied the language, set up schools and seminaries, wrote and printed books, conversed extensively with the people, and tried to collect congregations to whom they might preach the word of life. Since the commencement of their missions, they have translated the Holy Scriptures, and printed two thousand complete Bibles in two sizes, ten thousand Testaments, and thirty thousand separate books, and upwards of half a million of tracts in Chinese; besides four thousand Testaments, and one hundred and fifty thousand tracts in the languages of the Malayan Archipelago, making about twenty

millions of printed pages. About ten thousand children have passed through the mission schools; nearly one hundred persons have been baptized, and several native preachers raised up, one of whom has proclaimed the gospel to his countrymen, and endured persecution for Jesus' sake."

Since this was written, the number of pages printed and circulated has been more than doubled, the number of scholars taught been increased to 12,000, and preaching proportionably attended to; while a few more have professed the gospel by baptism and a generally consistent life. All these missions, so far as the Chinese are concerned, are now suspended, and unless the Dutch resume them, are not likely to be soon revived. The greater openings in China itself for disseminating Christian truth, and the small number of qualified missionaries ready to avail of them, have invited all the laborers away from the outskirts and colonies to the borders, and into the mother country itself. The idea entertained, that the colonists would reäct upon their countrymen at home, has proved illusive; for the converts, when they returned to dwell among their heathen countrymen, away from their teachers, are far more likely to adopt or sanction some of the customs around them, than to live up to the truths of the gospel, and endure persecution for its sake. One reason why missions have produced no more permanent effect among the Chinese emigrants has already been stated, in their ignorance and unsettled habits. A second reason of still greater force, is the very small number of missionaries who have learned the language sufficiently well to preach acceptably in it, and who remained long enough in one spot to establish an influence. The rapid succession of laborers at a station, forbids the perpetuation of that kind of influence which is desirable, and this has been remarkably the case at Singapore, Malacca, and Penang, where few out of those laboring remained long enough to learn the language. Besides this, they had the care of schools and printing offices, wrote books, held religious services, opened hospitals for dispensing medical aid, and distributed books and tracts at the same time. When they attempted so many things, it is not wonderful that ill health obliged many to leave their work.

The account of Protestant missions in China was brought down to the death of Dr. Morrison, in 1834. He believed in the final evangelization of the country, but the prospect at his death was

nearly as dark as when he landed; only three assistants had come to his help in China itself during that time, for there were few encouragements for them to stay; the openings were more promising in Siam, Malacca, and elsewhere. Mr. Bridgman, the first missionary from the American churches to China, sailed in October, 1829, in company with the Rev. D. Abeel, seamen's chaplain at Whampoa; they arrived in February, 1830, and were both cordially welcomed by Dr. Morrison. Mr. Abeel re

mained in Canton nearly a year, when he went to Singapore, and subsequently to Siam, in the service of the American Board. These two brethren were received in Canton by the house of Olyphant & Co., in whose establishment one or both were maintained during the first three years of the mission, and whose partners, both in China and America, have ever remained the friends and supporters of all efforts for the evangelization of the Chinese. Preaching in English had always been kept up by Dr. Morrison in Canton and Macao, for the benefit of foreigners residing there, and Mr. Bridgman assisted in this exercise while pursuing the study of the language, and making the acquaintance of the people. He also took four or five boys as scholars, but his limited accommodations in the factories prevented the enlargement of the school as much as was desirable; and in 1834, in consequence of the troubles ensuent upon Lord Napier's proceedings, it was disbanded by the departure of its pupils.

The circulation of the Scriptures and religious books has been carried on since 1812; but this branch of labor has received more attention since 1832. During the summer of that year, Liang Afah distributed a large number of books in and about Canton, and exhibited great zeal in this business, which well suited his inclinations; he had distributed many thousands of volumes, a large portion of them to the students assembled at the literary examinations, when the officers interfered to prevent him. A few weeks after, the authorities ordered a search for those natives who had "traitorously " assisted Lord Napier in publishing an appeal to the Chinese, and Liang Afah and his assistants were immedi ately suspected. Two assistants were seized, one of whom was beaten with forty blows upon his face, for refusing to divulge; the other made a full disclosure, and the police next day repaired to his shop, and seized three printers, with four hundred volumes and blocks; the men were subsequently released by paying about

$800. Liang Afah had already fled to Kiangmun, a large town west of Macao, when a body of police arrived at his native village to arrest him, but not finding him or his family, they seized three of his kindred, and sealed up his house. He finally made his way to Macao, and not long after sailed to Singapore.

Few books were distributed after this at Canton until the close of the war, but they have been extensively circulated on the coast from Macao to Tientsin, occasionally attended with oral instruction and explanation of the object of their distribution, but for the most part accompanied with merely a few general observations. The first of these voyages, and in many respects the most interesting, was made by Mr. Gutzlaff in 1831 in the native costume on board a junk proceeding from Bangkok to Tientsin, in which the sociable character of the Chinese, and their readiness to receive and entertain foreigners when they could do so without fear of their rulers, was plainly seen; it also enabled the traveller to become acquainted, in a measure, with their ability to read, and their general information, and ascertain what likelihood there was of establishing a permanent mission on the coast. After his arrival at Macao, Dec. 13th, Mr. Gutzlaff was engaged by the enlightened chief of the English factory, Charles Marjoribanks, as interpreter to accompany Mr. Lindsay on an experimental commercial voyage along the coast in the ship Lord Amherst, which occupied about eight months, and presented still further opportunities for learning the feelings of the Chinese officers regarding foreign intercourse. Many books were distributed on both these voyages; among them was one giving a general account of the English nation, which was eagerly received by all classes. A third voyage was undertaken by Mr. Gutzlaff in 1832, in the Sylph, an opium vessel in the employ of a leading English firm at Canton, during which he visited many ports on the coast; an account of it, together with, those of the two previous ones, was published, and excited an increased interest abroad in the evangelization of China. Contributions were sent to him from England and America, encouraging him to proceed, and grants were made by benevolent societies to aid him in printing Bibles and tracts. On his return to Canton he remained a month or two, and then embarked again in another opium vessel for the coast, where he remained during most of the year 1834, having opportunities for disseminating religious books, but none for hold