samuel stearns day, letters from j. lewis shuck 1837- 45

8/14/2019 Samuel Stearns Day, letters from J. Lewis Shuck 1837- 45

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Macao China Sept. 15th 1837

My Dear Brother Day,I have much pleasure in addressing you at present, and only regret that I had not done so long ago. I assure youof my affectionate remembrance, and shall rejoice to hear of your welfare and success. Of our movements, youhave possibly heard from my highly esteemed colleague Bro Reed. Few men command my friendship and areequal to Bro. Reed. We have been in China about one year, and our advances in the language have beenunexpectedly encouraging, both as regards myself and Mrs Shuck. I have written one tract in the Chinese

language, which will be ready for distribution in about two weeks. I have others soon coming. In April last - I hadthe happiness of burying with Christ in Baptism an interesting Chinese about 30 years of age - the first personever baptized in the Chinese Empire. He adorns the doctrines of the crop to our hearts joy. About two monthsafter the event, I had the privilege and pleasure of welcoming to these shores of intolerance and in the Rev. I. G.Roberts, a Baptist Minister from the Mississippi Valley, and connected with a new Bap. Board for foreignMissions in the Mississippi Valley. Bro. R. has his soul and body and thirty thousand dollars to the China Mission.He lives in our family, is about 36 years old, no family, and is very zealous and pious. We observe thecommunion of the Supper of our Common Master once in every month. I hold 3 English services per week andone or two Chinese. We make daily excursions among these swarming millions, distributing tracts and talkingunmolestedly to the people. We have lately visited 12 large Junks from the surrounding regions, and have givenaway to the seamen nearly 10 thousand pages of Christian Books in the Chinese language. Macao containsabout 30 thousand pagans and accessable Chinese. Mr Gutzlaff resides here, but for some reason or other henever preaches now in any language. The American Pedobaptist Board have two single missionaries in Canton

90 miles from here, and one printer in Macao. We much wish bro. Reed was with us. We expect Bro. Malcomhere before a great while. I am anxious to hear from the Board to know how they regard my coming here. Macaois an uncultivated field, and in China Proper. I hope I have acted wisely and religiously. At least I am not yetconvinced that I have acted otherwise in coming when I did. But my my heart and judgement are not too soundand I have but little moral personal excellence to boast of. I trust, my dear bro. and siister, you both enjoy thesmiles of the Saviour, and feel encouraged in the work you have undertaken. I know not where you live, nor howyou do. May God be your guide and friend, and smile upon all your attempts to serve him among the heathen.As to myself, I trust I feel a growing joy and interest in the work to which I hope the Holy Ghost has separatedme. But my great lack of grace and wisdom and love to souls and to Christ, repeatedly prompts me to humilityand self-abasement. I desire a more exalted taste for divine things, and a closer walk with God. Will you pray forus? Mrs Shuck joins me in much love to you both, and also a kiss for the little one. Lewis Hall, just 13 1/2 monthsold, both walks and talks, enjoys the finest health and is altogether a noble fellow. He sends a kiss to his uncleand aunt Day and also to his little cousin. Most heartily do we sympathise with dear bro. and sis. Reed in the

loss of their first born. Why has the Lord been so good to us?

Do let me hear from you, and tell me all about your doings and prospects. We here had severalpackages ofletters from America since we have been here. The Pedobaptist Missionaries here look upon the residence ofBaptist Missionaries, either here or in Canton, with singular dissatisfaction and impudence. They have noconverts. They are, however, in many respects, good men.

I shall send this letter to the care of Bro. Pearce, Calcutta, as he may know where you live, I do not. Love to all,and believe me

Yours most Affectionately in the Lord Jesus

J. Lewis Shuck


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Hong Kong, China, 1st September, 1842It gives me great pleasure to be able to communicate with you from these ends of the earth. This has

been, thus far, a year of unusual mercy and interest to me, and my missionary operations having received afresh impulse, I have been enabled to rejoice in God, take courage and go forward.

In January last, I had the happiness of baptising Capt. Rogers of Philadelphia, a gentleman of superiorintelligence an piety. Capt. R. had been a presbyterian for fourteen years, but had never fully examined thesubject of baptism until his present visit to China. Without any attempt on my part to proselyte, he sought mycounsel, and advice, and books, with all of which I readily endeavoured to supply him. After three weeks of

anxious and prayerful study of the scriptures, and reading, and without once again communicating with me, hecame to the full conclusion that the Bible taught that the immersion of the believer into the name of the Trinitywas the only Christian Baptism. At his own request, therefore, I had, on the 5th January, the high privilege ofburying him with Christ in baptism, in the immense longboat as she floated, full of water, along-side his fine ship,one one of the loveliest days I have ever witnessed in Macao Roads. The scene was as interesting as it wasnovel. Capt. Roger's interests, family, connexions, and prejudices, were all Presbyterian, but he noble madeevery sacrifice for the sake of the truth, and after his baptism literally went on his way rejoicing. He has recentlyreturned to his native land bearing certificates as a member in full fellowship with the Baptist Denomination.

Soon after the above events the Providential openings around me seemed to call loudly for exertionmore decided and more efficient than any I had hitherto been able to put forth. The establishment, by theEnglish, of a civil Government on the Island of Hong Kong, and the great influx of Chinese to that settlement,and the fact that all Missionary operations could be carried on there beyond the influence of Catholics andMandarins led me to decide, after much prayer, to leave my restricted sphere at Macao and, with my family, to

take up residence at Hong Kong, on the 19th March.Being almost without funds for missionary purposes, and being determined to allow no longer, if

possible, my hands to remain tied, I drew up, and had printed, a statement which I laid before the foreigncommunity in China, soliciting their pecuniary aid towards the erections of Chapels and School-rooms on thisIsland. Mr Robert's name was also inserted in the printed statement. Upon application to Sir Henry Pottinger, HerMajesty's Plenipotentiary and Governor of the island, His Excellency most generously made a free grant ofground, and subscribed fifty dollars towards the completion of the Queen's Road Chapel. My appeal to thecommunity was met in a most gentlemanly and liberal manner by them, there being subscribed in a very shorttime, for the objects set forth, upwards of seventeen hundred dollars.

On the 15th May I had the happiness of constituting a regular Baptist Church here, which now numbers9 members with good prospects of increase. This number does not include Mr. and Mrs. Dean and one convertat Macao, nor Mr. Roberts and one convert at Chek Chu, on the other side of the Island. We have visited thebaptismal waters once since the formation of the Church, and on the 5th of June I yielded to the unanimous call

of the Church and became their Pastor. The Church admits members from all nations and languages. In thelatter part of April we had the happiness of welcoming to our extensive field of labor, Mr. and Mrs. Dean, whowere driven from their station at Bangkok by ill health. They brought with them a native Chinese Assistant whohas joined me at Hongkong. The health of our friends has much improved, and Mr. Dean is now on a visit to spyout the land in the more northern portions of the empire. A free passage in the American Ship Lowell wasgenerously tendered to him by Capt. Pierce and his kind brother, W.P. Pierce, Esq. of Salem, U.S.A.

On the third Lord's day in June, the Bazaar Chapel being completed, it was opened for public DivineService. It is built entirely of brick, and situated in an eligible position in the thickly populated Upper Bazaar. Thelength is 35 feet, and breadth 16 feet, two stories high, neatly furnished and painted throughout. The Chapelroom is up stairs, with front venetians, and an open terrace in the rear, and containing the necessary tables,chairs and seats. The lower story is occupied by my Chinese Teacher, and Block Cutter, both professors ofchristianity. The doors are opened during the whole of every day and every applicant readily supplied with booksand instruction. There is below an open 5 feet veranda in front, immediately upon the street, and also cookrooms, etc. in the rear. We find it a great convenience to have this lower room which answers a great many

valuable purposes, for Teacher, books, paper, printing blocks, types, and now contains about thirty thousandchristian tracts and books belonging to the different missionaries in China.

The Queen's Road Chapel having also been completed, was formally dedicated to the worship of theMaster on the 19th July, in the presence of a respectable and attentive congregation. I was assisted in theservices by Mr Dean and Dr. Bridgman - Subject of the Sermon, The Divine Revelation. This Chapel is situatedimmediately on the Great Queen's Road, fronting, and overlooking the magnificent harbor, and midway betweenthe two great Chinese Bazaars, and well located also for the foreign community. Its walls are built of substantialstucco, and plastered and whitewashed both inside and out. The building is upwards of seventy feet long, andmore than twenty seven feet wide, with a large vestibule, two neat vestry rooms, cupola, London made bell,camphor wood pulpit, rattan bottomed seats and chairs. It is floored and ceiled, and painted throughout, thefloor marble colour and the ceiling blue. To make the building as cool as possible, all the windows are made the


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usual size of doors, and reach the floor, each having double venetian shutters on the outside painted green, anddouble panel doors painted white, with glass inside. The large front doors are secured by iron bolts and goodEnglish brass knob locks. A printed card which was circulated, stated the Services of the Chapel to be asfollows: Every Lord's day at seven o'clock in the morning, Chinese WorshipEleven o'clock, A.M., EnglishPreachingTwo o'clock, P.M. Chinese PreachingHalf-past six in the evening, English Bible class. EveryThursday, half-past six in the evening, English Lecture. Every Friday, half-past seven in the evening, ChineseLectureother services as occasions require. The Chapel, however, is open every day, a table with Chinesetracts, and chairs are arranged in the vestibule, which is delightfully cool and pleasant, and the native Assistant

who lives in one of the vestry rooms, is always ready to converse, to preach, to give away tracts, and to referspecial cases to me.

When the extreme hot season is over, we hope to do much more teaching publicly and from house tohouse than we are at present possible to do. I hold a social conference with the Members of the Church everyTuesday evening. The above Chapels are the first Protestant houses of worship that have ever been erected inChina, and the Queen's Road Baptist Church, is the first Christian church constituted in this great land ofheathenism. For these humble beginnings, proceeded with under much anxiety, to God alone must be all theglory.

The Mission House is in a good state of advancement. It is substantially built of stucco, plastered andwhite-washed inside and out, with venetian and glass and painted throughout. It contains six good sized rooms,with a wide, covered, and tiled verandah all around, and a kitchen and out-houses attached. The whole will notcost more than about one thousand dollars, and the property will be entirely vested in the Baptist Board. Rentsin China are enormously high, and in two or three years generally amount to a larger sum than a substantial and

convenient dwelling house can be built for. The Mission House is erected on a portion of the free grant ofground kindly made by H.E. Sir Henry Pottinger. There is still room enough left for another dwelling. It ought tobe mentioned that as the Bazaar Chapel is erected upon a Bazaar lot, the ground is not a grant from theGovernment, but is taken at a small annual quit rent as are the other lots in the Bazaar.

Rev. Messrs Bridgman, and Ball, and Mr Williams of the Amer. Board are also erecting a large DwellingHouse and Printing Office, a few lots distant from the Baptist Mission House. Mr Brown, too, of the MorrisonEducation Society has commenced building on a hill which was granted by the Government, and will move hisSchool and family over in the course of two months. The Medical Missionary Society also, has received a hillfrom the Government, but they have not yet commenced building. The Roman Catholics have a fine buildingwhich is nearly completed. Many foreigners are rapidly building warehouses and private dwellings, and a verylarge number of substantial and neat brick Chinese houses, and stores, and shops have been erected, and largenumbers are still in course of erection.

The Government House is a commodious building to which other wings are still to be attached. The

Magistracy House, is a fine building in a commanding position, with the jails, clerk's offices and guard rooms inthe same inclosure. There are large and substantial Barracks at three different positions. A GovernmentHospital of commodious extent is nearly completed, and not far from the Government Warehouses. TheQueen's Road is sixty feet wide, and affords a pleasant and convenient public thoroughfare. Granite bridges arethrown over the different streams, and carriages have already began to run. The Public Market covers a largespace, is well arranged, and is felt to be a very great public convenience. There is a well organised Police corps,both foreign and native, and four distinct Police stations. Robberies in the town, however, and piracies in theneighbourhood are by no means unfrequent. The Harbour of HongKong, which is the finest in the World, and atall seasons of the year contains a large amount of shipping, is defended by one fort and two heavy batteries.The population of the island at present is probably twenty-five thousand, and consists of all classes of tradesmenand artificers, mane of whom occupy long lines of neatly built and well filled shops. Provisions are plentiful andcheap. The number of British troops stationed here is about twelve hundred. The following are the presentPublic Functionaries of HongKong, viz. A.R. Johnstone Esq. Governor, Charles E. Stewart, Secretary andTreasurer, Major W. Caine, Chief Magistrate, W. Tarrant, Chief Clerk, C. Fearon, Clerk to the Chief Magistrate

and Coroner Lieut. Pedder, Harbor Master and Marine Magistrate, A. Lena, Assistant Harbor Master, G.Reynolds, Lands and Roads Inspector. Lieut. Col. Taylor, commander of the Troops. Medical duty is performedby the Military Surgeons. Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane commands the naval force here, the Blenhiem(74) being his flag ship. At Chek Chu, on the other side of the island, where Mr Roberts is stationed, there areabout four hundred troops in Barracks. We have money in hand for the erection of the Chek Chu Chapel, butthe building has not yet been commenced as no suitable lot can at present be procured. Chek Cu is a quiet littletrading town containing about eight hundred inhabitants, among whom Mr Roberts finds an encouraging andappropriate field of labour. He has purchased a small house which he has opened for a school room, althoughvery few scholars can be prevailed to attend. Mrs Shuck has only a few children who live in the family and whomake considerable progress.

Rev. Mr. Milne, of the Lon. Miss. So. Proceeded to Chusan in February, where has been since


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remaining, but the unsettled state of affairs there much contracts his missionary exertions. In June, fivemissionaries from Macao took up their residences at Amoy; viz, Rev. Mr. Abeel, of the Amer. Board, Rev. Mr.Boone and Wife, of the Amer. Episcopal Board, Rev. Mr. McBride and Wife, of the Amer. Presbyterian Board,and Dr. Cummings of Georgia, not connected with any Society. Dr. Lockhart of the Lon. So. will likely soon joinMr. Milne at Chusan. Dr. Hobson of the same Society, is still engaged in Medical practice and christian teachingat Macao. Miss Aldersy, an intelligent English Missionary Lady, who supports herself, has recently arrived atMacao from Java, and is anxious to proceed to some station northward. Rev. Mr. Lowrie, of the Amer.Presbyterian Board, who visited China in the latter part of May, proceeded immediately to Singapore, but with

the expectation of returning to China.We all feel the want of more fellow laborers. Circumstances are such that it seems almost absolutely

necessary for me soon to have a colleague on this side of the island, and yet there appears to be but little hopethat the Board will send more Missionaries to China. Should sickness or death call me away, (and nothing ismore possible) we should in all probability, lose, to a great extent, the advantageous position we have nowgained through so much toil, anxiety and expense, merely because there is no one ready to take my place. Thestate of Mr. Robert's lungs and other circumstances, would render it impossible for him to assume the duties ofthis side of the island, while Mr. Dean speaks another dialect. There is labour sufficient on this island at thelowest calculation, and in reasonable view of the claims of other stations, for four Baptist Missionary families.These facts I merely state without designing any appealwhatever for more missionaries. If the Churches andthe Board still continue to neglect this vast and inviting field after all that has hitherto been said and written, anddeveloped, the responsibility rests with them, and my concern is to myduty, and to do it alone, if necessityrequires.

Of the conflict now going on between England and China the two greatest empires in the world, you willnaturally expect me to say something: and yet I hardly know what to say to give you a distinct idea of thesewarlike affairs without wearying you with details. The public papers will have informed you that the firstcampaign under the Plenipotentiary powers of Capt. Elliot, entirely failed of acomplishing any definite objecttouching the great question at issue between two nations. Had Capt. Elliot pushed his demands to extremes, inthe first place, the Emperor would most likely, have yielded, for the Chinese were literally unprepared for combat,being increduious as to the coming of a foreign army, until they found it hovering upon their coasts, seizing theirvessels, blockading their ports, and capturing their cities. It was a successful stroke of the wily policy of theImperial Cabinet in being able to entice the British Plenipotentiary away fifteen hundred miles from the vacinity ofthe capital, and fixing the seat of promised negotiation at Canton, at a season of the year when they knew hecould not return with his heavy ships of war until the end of the monsoon, thus allowing them full time to throwPeking into a state of defence. This they have done to an unprecedented extent. Of the failure of thenegotiations in this province, and the capture and ransom of Canton city for six millions of dollars, I need not

speak. Capt. Elliot, having been recalled, Sir Henry Pottinger arrived in China in August, 1841, with fullPlenipotentiary powers from the British Government, and immediately proceeded northward. The secondcampaign began. High hopes were entertained that the war, so calmatous to the Chinese, would soon terminateand peace be established upon a permanent and honourable basis. The bombarding and fall of Amoy, the re-capture of Chusan, the storming and taking of Chinhai, and the military occupation of Ningpo, all followed inquick succession, victory crowning the British army in every battle. By this time, the season became faradvanced and no Commissioners appearing on the part of the Emperor, H.E. Sir Henry Pottinger returned toHong Kong, for the purpose of putting in order the affairs of the settlement, where he arrived on the 1st February,1842.

Galled by the consideration that fortune awarded victory to the English in every engagement in the openfield, the Chinese commenced a system of harassing warfare upon their enemy, by kidnapping and secretassassination. In this way a number of the English were either killed or taken alive, under the very walls ofNingpo. In December, the British Troops marched out of Ningpo, and defeated large bodies of the Chinesearmy. They again rallied in March, and made a vigorous attack upon Ningpo and Chinhai, but were repulsed and

pursued with dreadful slaughter. In the beginning of May, Ningpo was evacuated by the British General with themain body of his army, and on the 18th of the same month the third campaign commenced by the storming andcapturing of the city of Chapoo. The latest dates left the English army in the valley if the great Yang tszeKeang, and flushed with fresh victories were in full march upon the populous and wealthy cities of Nanking andHang chow foo. Within the space of a very few days they had captured three hundred and seventy-six largecannon, many of them having been newly cast of brass after foreign models and mounted on carriages withrevolving centres. In the manufacture of fire arms, building of vessels and the construction of forts, such hasrecently been the vast improvements of the Chinese, that rumours have been rife that there must be foreignengineers among them. Such rumours, however, have but little foundation in truth. The guns of the wreckedTransport Kite, the fact that the Hong Merchants possess a small locomotive, the continual presence of foreignshipping in the Canton river, and the utter inefficiency of all their fortifications hitherto erected would, in


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themselves, be quite sufficient to suggest important improvements to such a people as the Chinese. In and nearCanton city powerful forts have been erected upon new principles, a steamer and new fashioned war vesselshave been built, and establishments for the manufacture of fire arms after foreign models have been put intooperation.

For the prosecution of this third campaign of the war, the English have now on the Chinese confines animmense naval and land force, the naval being the largest ever before assembled in Asia, by any power in theworld. These are about sixty well equipped ships of war, with fifteen war steamers, besides nearly one hundredarmed Transport ships. As to the land force, there is a formidable army of about fourteen thousand fighting men,

with Sappers and Miners, Royal and Madras Artillery and a troop of Horse. The Comander-in-chief of all theforces is Lieut. General Sir Hugh Gough; Major General Lord Saltoun is second in command. The navalCommander-in-chief is vice Admiral Sir William Parker, Flag Ship Cornwallis, 74, second in command, RearAdmiral Sir Thomas Cochrane, Flag Ship Blenhiem, 74. The entire expense of the whole British Expedition nowin China is upwards offive hundred thousand dollarsper month.

The above force if properly directed, would likely be quite sufficient to seize upon the Chinese empire,and yet every unprejudiced mind, which has studied the subject must decide that it is not judging from the past,the object of the British Government to subvert the Government of China. Had this been their object, the wholearmy in the first campaign would have marched directly upon Peking. Wherever the English force has gone thepower of the Mandarins has been broken, and the capture of Peking will be the last alternative, for when thistakes place the power of the Emperor must certainly crumble to the dust, and the rule of the great Tartar Dynastywill be no more, while the English will have upon their hands the mighty task of quieting a population of threehundred and fifty millions, thickly spread over a vast extent of territory, and in a state of anarchy, consternation

and civil war. As to when the present hostile struggle is likely to terminate, it is exceedingly difficult to formanything like an opinion of even probable correctness. Many lookers on argue that a final settlement is fardistant, whilst others confidently predict an honourable conclusion of the whole within two months from thepreent date. My own opinion is that the end is not yet. The present demands of the British Government aresomething like the following; twenty millions of dollars as an indemnity, the expenses of the war, the cession ofone or more positions on the coast, free trade and honourable intercourse with the Empire, and a Resident atPeking. It remains to be seen whether the Emperor does not choose rather to lose is throne than yield even hisnominal assent to these demands.

I have already taxed your patience too long to enter upon the moral merits or demerits of the origin of thewar. On this subject vast ignorance will prevail both in England and America. It is notan Opium War, and MrAdams is right in stating that its origin must be traced to circumstances long prior to the seizure of the opium.This seizure of the Opium and the imprisonment of the Queen's Officer only afforded in the eyes of the BritishGovernment, a good pretext for commencing those hostile operations against China which they had long

contemplated. I refer you with much pleasure to an able Lecture on the War in China, delivered in Decemberlast, before the Massachusett's Historical Society by the Hon. John Quincy Adams. Upon some points Mr.Adams is in error, but being fully aware of the vast amount of ignorance which exists among all classes in theUnited States and Great Britain on every subject connected with this country, and having made China and theChinese my sole study for nearly seven years past, I have been astonished, in peruing the Lecture, at theaccuracy of the Lecturer's information and the justness of most of his views.

As a Christian Philanthropist, I watch the various stirring scenes and events around me with intenseinterest and verily believe that God in the economy and wisdom of His Providence, designs over-ruling all thesepresent evils of war, and suffering, and blood-shed, for the opening of enlarged doors for the promulgation of theglorious gospel in these extensive dominions. Indeed most interesting openings have already been made inpositions hitherto entirely sealed, and are now in possession of Protestant Missionaries. The progress of eventsare developing other openings and facilities; are the Churches prepared and willing to occupy till the Mastercomes? Let us look beyond the causes of the present dreadful and warlike positions of affairs in China, andregard the results and consequences as they bear upon the advancement of the Kingdom and will of heaven,

and let us make unceasing prayers unto God that the gross darkness and moral death which have for so manyages enveloped this great land, may by dispelled by the glorious risings of the sun righteousness, and Chinabecome enlightened and christianized and sanctified, and saved.

Believe me, in the Lord Jesus

Faithfully yours,

J. LEWIS SHUCK


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Hongkong, January, 1845

The year eighteen hundred and forty four has been an eventful year to our Mission in China. We believe thatJehovah has had special regard unto us individually, and as a mission; and we have been enabled to confide inHim while passing through dark and mysterious, as well as bright and encouraging, scenes.

In our last annual letter, we mentioned that we were encouraged to believe that the Spirit of the Lord wasat work with a number of hearts among this great heathen people, who had been for some time under theregular preaching of the Gospel in their own language. Our hopes have been more than realized, and eighteen

Chinese have been baptized during the year, upon a profession of their faith in Christ. All these were receivedinto the Church after repeated and careful examinations, both private and public. Some of them are men of highattainments in their own literature, and have already proved of great usefulness to the Mission. Of theseeighteen only one, and he the least promising, has been excluded from the Church, while all the others giveevidence of holding on to their profession. We now have between twenty and thirty cases of interesting inquiry,affording more or less encouragement. One of the native converts has finished his short career of discipleship.He had been a Priest of the Budha sect for nine years. He was overwhelmed with unhappiness by the loss ofhis wife when a youth, and entered the Priesthood in hopes of finding consolation by constant devotions atBudha's altars. He was punctual in all his duties, yet all failed to afford him comfort, and he still sighed forpeace. Being at Hongkong on a Sabbath, his attention was attracted by the Chinese name upon the Chapel,and he immediately entered. He listened with anxious attention, and when he heard Christianity announced asa system of glad tidings, offered to all who heartily embraced it, solid joy in the life that now is, and eternal blissin the world to come, he felt that was just what he had been in vain searching for ten long and sorrowing years.

He came to Mr Shuck after the service had ended, and said that if he would teach him such joyful doctrines, hewould be willing to become his shoe-cleaner and yard-sweeper. After more than a year's close Christianinstruction, he was baptized, and proved a worthy, happy, and useful disciple. His Christian course was a shortbut an useful one, and he was the means of bringing into the Church his father, his only brother, and an intimatefriend. He died peacefully in October last, saying he had no fears, for he relied upon the Lord Jesus.

We have thirteen Native Preachers daily at work at Hongkong and the neighbouring towns and villageson this and other islands, and also on the mainland, preaching the Gospel, and scattering far and near tens ofthousands of Christian books and tracts. The truths of the gospel are evidently spreading and taking hold of theminds of multitudes all around us. One of our most active native Preachers came to the Pastor a few days agoand said Teaacher, during this year upon which we have entered, great numbers of the Chinese are going toturn to the Lord. Our Chinese Sabbath Congregations at the Chapels are remarkably attentive, and sometimescrowded to excess. We are now about to appeal once more to the foreign community for pecuniary and, toenable us to enlarge and improve the Queen's Road Chapel, so as more comfortably to accommodate the

increasing congregations, and also to keep pace with the improvements of the town. The new Bazaar Chapel isjust completed, and is every way a larger, better, and more convenient building than the old one. It is locatedjust in the midst of the new bazaar, is forty-three feet square, built of brick two stories high, and was erectedthrough the liberality of the foreign community. The auditory and vestry are on the upper f loor; while thedispensary, book depository, and seven rooms for native preachers are on the lower floor. It is designed to holdDivine Service there, entirely in Chinese, three times on the Sabbath, and every evening during the week. Twosubstantial School-houses have been erected during the yearone for boys, fifty-five feet by twenty-five. Twostories high; the other for girls, thirty-five feet by twenty-five, one storychiefly through contributions from kindand disinterested friends in China. In the Boarding School are twenty Chinese boys, and six Chinese girls, whoare under the daily superintendence and instruction of Mrs. Devan. On the 23rd of October, we had the pleasureof welcoming to the bosom of our mission, the Rev. T.T. Devan, M.D., and Lady, from New York city. They camefrom the Baptist board as the first fruits of our appeal to the six cities. The arrival of these Missionaries wasmost timely and providential.

In the demise of Mrs Shuck her husband and five little children have been called to grieve over a loss to

them extremely distressing; we individually mourn the final absence of a cheerful, pious and intelligent friend andefficient fellow labourer; while the Mission has been deprived of its brightest ornament, and most active member.Our numbers already few and feeble, are being still further reduced by our Father's mysterious hand. While ourhearts bleed over the tomb of one so well qualified by her knowledge of this difficult language, so devoted and souseful, we would bow with profound submission to the will of Him who in all dispensations is as wise and asgood as he is mysterious. She had enjoyed excellent health for several months previous to the 27th November,when having given birth to a healthy son, she sank from exhaustion one hour and a half afterwards. For monthsprevious her mind had been in a specially interesting religious state and such was the case to the last, and shedied peacefully, without scarcely an apparent pain, literally falling asleep in Jesus, in the 27th year of her age,and the tenth of her successful missionary career. Her missionary cares and labours are now cheerfully borneby her endeared friend Mrs. Devan. See Obituary Notices in the Chinese Repository for January, 1845.


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One of the last of Mrs Shuck's many benevolent efforts was the erection of the Girls' School-house,sufficient for the dormitories of twelve girls, which was under her entire direction; and when she was, in the verymidst of her labors, called to her bright reward above, she had secured by her own exertions, funds sufficient todefray half of the expenses of the building. It stands with it's terraced roof and pretty balustrades, as one of themany monuments of her unquenchable missionary zeal. Mr Shuck is now making arrangements to send his twoeldest children, who are boys, to the United States, in the ship Loo Choo, Captain Crocker.

English Preaching has been regularly kept up at the Queen's Road Chapel every Lord's Day eveningthroughout the year. Good congregations have been in attendance, and there are several cases of encouraging

inquiry.Several Christian tracts and books in the Chinese language have been printed by our mission during the

year. In November we sent a supply of Chinese tracts to the Christian Tract and Book Society of Calcutta, fordistribution among the Chinese population of that city, said to amount to upwards of five thousand.

Mr Dean has had charge of the Teo Chew department of the Mission, and has labored with muchencouragement during the year. Large congregations speaking this dialect have attended the Queen's RoadChapel at 1p.m., on Lord's days. This department of the Mission has been seriously interfered with by the failureof Mr. Dean's health, which has rendered it necessary for him to leave for the United States. He sailed with hislittle daughter for New York in the Swedish ship Zenobia, Captain Beckman, on the 17th December. Two of theeighteen baptized, and three of the thirteen native preachers are connected with the Teo Chew department. TheRev. Mr. Goddard, now Pastor of a Chinese church of about twenty members, at Bangkok, Siam, is familiar withthe Teo Chew dislect, and we are expecting him to join our Mission at Hongkong during the present year. Dr.and Mrs. Devan have started an interesting little Sabbath School for European children. In the midst of their

varied occupations, Dr. and Mrs. D. make the study of the language their primary object. All our convertsobserve the monthly concert, and are regular monthly contributors to missionary objects.

Dr. and Mrs. Macgowan arrived from Calcutta in August last, having been united in marriage there inJune previous. They have been unavoidably detained in Hongkong until the present, but are now on the eve ofreturning to Ningpo, where Dr. M. will re-open the Hospital he established there in 1843. The institution willhereafter be under the patronage of the Medical Missionary Society. While in Calcutta Dr. Macgowan receivedupwards of two thousand rupees from the liberal English community in the Presidency of Bengal, for anatomicalmodels, engravings, etc., from Paris, to aid in instructing Chinese practitioners and students in the first principlesof the healing art in connexion with the Hospital. The subscription was further increased at Singapore. Dr. Mhas been mainly employed in the study of the language. He will be acompanied to Ningpo by a native ChristianColporteur, supported by the Teo Chew church at Hongkong, as a Home Missionary. Mr Roberts is at present atCanton, and meets with no hindrance in his work of teaching and preaching, and extensive tract distribution,publicly and from house to house, among that people, generally regarded as the most prejudiced against

foreigners.For some time previous to the arrival of Dr. Devan and lady, Kowloon and its vicinity which are said tocontain some ten thousand inhabitants, had been one of the mainland outstations of this mission. Theinsufficiency of foreign missionaries had, however, compelled the mission to entrust the work of preachng theGospel at that place chiefly to the labors of the native assistants. But as some attention to the subject of truereligion had been manifested on the part of a number of the inhabitants, and as it had been determined that Dr.Devan and lady should devote themselves to the Canton dialect of the language, it was thought on the arrival ofthose missionaries that the time had arrived for a more systematic and zealous cultivation of that field, moreespecially as by opening a dispensary for gratuitous medical aid to the sick, it was thought a more generalattention would be given to the laborers and their doctrines. Hence, early in November, Messrs. Shuck andDevan proceeded to the mainland, and waited on the Mandarins of Kowloon, to procure their assent to theundertaking. These rulers immediately granted the missionaries the undisturbed use of either of the two templesof idolatry in the town, for a dispensary, rent free, and at the same time granted full privilege to preach theGospel and distribute tracts to their heart's desire, provided they would not undertake to pass the night within the

precints of the district they governed. To this the missionaries agreed. From that day to the present thesebrethren have made a weekly visit to this place, accompanied by four or five native assistants. Before leavingtheir own houses, the brethren, together with the assistants, invariably engage in united prayer to the Master ofthe vineyard, that he will smile on the efforts of the day. On arrival at the temple selected for dispensaryoperations, and which is about eight or ten miles from Hongkong, a few prefatory remarks are made to the crowdof people who congregate about the missionaries, and prayer is offered to the true God for a blessing upon thework. They then prescribe for the sick, giving to each patient a card containing two or more appropriatepassages of Scripture. To these his attention is particularly directed, while at the same time a Christian tract isgiven, and he is exhorted by a native assistant to turn from worshipping idols to the true Jehovah. The crowdwhom curiosity has brought around the dispensary table, hear the remarks made, and at the same time a tract isgiven to each one. If sufficient time yet remains after closing the dispensary, the assistants disperse throughout


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the town, distributing tracts and scriptures accompanied by exhortations to all they meet. This employmentabsorbs one whole day of every week. At this moment arrangements are being made to open two dispensaries,to be similarly conducted at different places on the island of Hongkong. Even now, before any preparations aremade, patients are applying every day at the house for medical aid, and none become the recipients of such aidwithout Christian exhortations, either printed or spoken, accompanying it. The diseases for which help is chieflysought are those of the eye, ulcers, rheumatism, and injuries; and the readiness with which the foreignmedicines are taken, and the patience with which the people submit to surgical operations, are strong indicationsof the confidence felt by then towards the missionaries. Some of the Chinese are already giving evidence that

they see an inseparable connection between the Christian exhortation and the physical remedy. Insomuch,indeed, that those hostile to the religion of Christ are unwilling to apply for medical aid, lest they should be somemeans imbibe correct views of eternity. It has been, and ever will be the single aim of the brethren to render alltheir medical efforts completely subservient to the one great object for which they came to this idolatrous land,which was to preach Jesus to the perishing heathen.

Touching the colony of Hongkong, and political movements in China, the public papers will haveinformed you, and we need not therefore tax your time with many details. Hongkong continues to advancerapidly in buildings and population, both native and foreign. The native population, so often mentioned as of thelowest possible grade, really posses a fair share of respectability. There has been much less sickness in thecolony during the past year than during 1843, and many improvements, such as drains, roads, etc., are inprogress and which are calculated greatly to benefit the health of the place. A treaty of amity and commerce wassigned by the Ministers of the United States and China, at Macao, in July last, and one also by thePlenipotentaries from the Courts of France and Pekin, in September.

Our friends at a distance who do not often access to the Chinese papers may be interested with the followinglist:-

HONGKONGHis Ex. John Francis Davis, Governor; Hon. Major Gen. D'Aguilar, C.B., Lieut Governor,Commanding all the Forces in China; Rev. Mr. Straunton, Colonial Chaplain; Rev. Mr. Ball, M.D., and family, andRev. Dr. Bridgeman, of the Amer. Board Com.; Rev. Mr. Brown, Morrison Ed. So ; Rev. Dr. Devan and family,and Rev. Mr. Shuck and family, of the Amer. Baptist Board; Rev. Dr. Legge & family, and Dr. Hobson & family,and Rev. Mr. Gillespie, of Lon. Mis. So. ; Rev. Dr. Happer, of the Amer. Presbyter. Board.CANTONF.C. Macgregor, Esq., British Consul; B.R. Jackson, Esq., Brit. Vice-Consul; Paul S. Forbes, Esq.,United States Consul; Rev. Dr. Parker and family, Amer. Board Com.; Rev. Mr. Roberts, of Amer. Baptist BoardAMOYR. Alcock, Esq., Brit. Consul; G.G. Sullivan, Esq., Brit. Vice Consul; Dr. Cumming, Amer. Missionary; Dr.Hepburn and family, and Rev. Mr. Lloyd, of the Amer. Pres. Mission; Rev. Mr. Doty and family, and Rev. Mr.

Polhman and family, of the Amer. Board Com.; Rev. Mr. Stronach and family, and Rev. Mr. Young and family, ofthe Lon. Mis. So.NINGPOR. Thom, Esq., Brit Consul; T.H.Layton, Esq., Brit. Vice Consul; Henry Wolcott, Esq., United StatesConsul; Dr. Macgowan and family, of the Amer. Baptist Board; Rev. Mr. Culbertson and family, and Rev. Mr. Wayand family, and Rev. Mr. Loomis and family, and Rev. Mr. Lowrie and Dr. MacCartee, all of the Amer. Pres.Board; Miss Aldersey, English Missionary.SHANGHAIC. Balfour, Esq., Brit. Consul; D.D. Robertson, Esq., Brit. Vice Consul; Rev. Dr. Medhurst andfamily, and Dr. Lockhart and family, of the Lon. Mis. So.FOO-CHOW-FOOG.T. Lay, Esq., Brit. Consul; No Missionary !!!

In addition to the above, the Rev. Messrs. Smith and M'Klatchie, of the Church Miss. So., and MrCole, Printer, and family, from the Amer. Pres. Board, have arrived in China, but are not yet located. T.W.Waldon, Esq., United States Consul for Hongkong, and a friend to our Mission, died suddenly of cholera, atMacao, in September last.

In behalf of the American Baptist Mission in China,

Signature of J. Lewis Shuck

samuel stearns day, letters from j. lewis shuck 1837- 45

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