Yeung Kong, China.
Account of Trip Taken Aug. 16th to 21st.
I would like to give you some account of our recent trip to Kaap Toang and a group of villages some six miles from it. We left Yeung Kong on Monday afternoon, August 16th, and starting with a favorable wind, reached the mouth of the tributary river on which Kaap Toang is situated. We proceeded up this branch some distance by moonlight, and at last came to an anchor near a small market place, the name of which I have forgotten. Here we passed the night in peace. The next morning very early we arrived at a small market town called Paak Shik. The men of the party left the ship here and proceeded to Kaap Toang on foot. The men were, Tang Tak Yi, who is a preacher, Taam Paak Was, who goes about hunting people out, who may be “willing to believe,” a young man recently graduated from the Normal School, who asked to be allowed to accompany us, and who was the first person I baptized, about a year ago.
Tang Slin Shaang had been quite ill for three or four weeks, and has not yet by any means recovered his strength, so the rest of us arrived a little before him, and found a few people already gathered in the gospel hall, or “Fuk Yam Toang” as they call them here. We opened the New Testament and had some reading and teaching. Later, Tang Slin Shaang came, and preached to them. It was market day, and there was an encouraging attendance. I was especially interested in a school-teacher, a man of some learning in the old-fashioned way, and two very bright faced students who were with him. Quite a number have been baptized at this place, and are now breaking bread in remembrance of the Lord Jesus. I have never been present at the breaking of bread there, except the first time. We had meetings again in the afternoon and evening.
On Wednesday the 17th at the urgent solicitation of some of the brethren, I went by chair to the group of villages in the valley, some six miles. It had been raining, and continued to rain, off and on, most of the way. We had to cross several small streams but at this season the water is so warm that one does not feel so sorry for the bearers, and if the rain should wet yourself a little, it does no harm. These valleys are beautifully situated, like a basin, or immense amphitheater, surrounded by hills, with stream running through them. The bright green of the rice-fields, the darker shades of the hills, green and brown, with the shadows of the clouds resting on them here and there, combined with the picturesque villages surrounded by their trees, and each with its pond or ponds, make a picture not readily forgotten.
We reached He Kwong Hei about three o’clock, or maybe a little earlier. Here we passed the night in the house of a man named Leung Yiu Yin. He impressed me favorably on the whole. I was told he had been a Christian for over ten years. Afterward I learned that he had been out of the church for some time, on account of having taken a secondary wife. I saw this woman, before I was informed of the circumstance, and she showed a nice spirit and desires to be baptized. We visited one of the adjoining villages, and after our return had a meeting in Mr. Leung’s shop.
The village would not have more than sixty people in it, and there were say a dozen at the meeting. We slept in a large room that had seven beds in it, or eight. It was large and quite airy. The next morning early we went: to Ly Chee village. Here there is a school taught by a young man named Leung, whom have known for nearly a year. His father is connection of the gentleman referred to above, and is very zealous in going about preaching the doctrine. I have been helping him a little to the extent of about five dollars a month. I was much drawn to the younger Leung this time. He seems to have greatly improved. Several of his pupils wish to be baptized, and the elder Leung was desirous of hurrying the action there and then. However, I suggested that they should come over to the meeting which I supposed we were to have at He Kwong. I found, however, that they had other arrangements. Instead of having a meeting there, I was taken to another village perhaps three miles or so away, stopping at Ching Kwong Ping on the way. Arrived at our destination, a village called Tong Ping, I found there a “Fuk Yam Toang,” very neat and clean, though small. Here we had meetings afternoon and evening. In the interval I baptized fourteen people, recommended to me by several of those known to me. Some of these no doubt are real, and of some I have misgivings. But I have found it is easy to be mistaken either way. There is a man of thirty-eight living in the village. It is he who has opened the “Fuk Yam Toang,” and who has been teaching these people, helped by another brother named Hei. This man, whose name is Maak Ping Choh, will, I trust, continue to shepherd these newly baptized people, and teach them.
This expression “willing to believe” denotes the condition of a great many everywhere. The ancient prejudices are now broken down, and now is the time to give them the truth.
We slept in the “Fuk Yam Toang.” Perhaps I should explain that Tang Slin Shaang remained at Kaap Toang and we got back to Kaap Toang about noon, and had a meeting there, and left at two o’clock to go to Paak Shik. Arrived at Paak Shik, we did not remain there, but passed on, on foot, to a village named Paak Kom. Here we were deeply interested. We saw a very large house—large in area, not in height; all its foangs or rooms, being on the ground. The walls near the ground were of granite, topped off with hard brick of the very best quality. It had a tower loop-holed for rifles, and was a veritable little fortress. The master of this house received us most kindly pressed us to stay to the evening meal—to stay all night—to come to breakfast. This last we accepted and left Mr. Leung to talk the doctrine while we, (my daughter Dorothy, Taam Pak Was and his son, and myself) returned to the ship for supper and to sleep. The ship this hot weather is more agreeable to sleep in than any house.
We learned that the owner of this house had already been baptized by Mr. Poon, the leading brother at Kaap Toang. His name is Hei, and he is very well connected. Our Ah Mah (nurse) is acquainted with them. The next morning early, even before we were all dressed, a man came to bring us to breakfast. We finished dressing, had our morning chechop (morning prayers), to which a couple of young fellows from a neighboring boat came, and then went to answer our invitation. We found a warm reception. No foreigner had ever been at that village, and men, women and children turned out, and turned into the reception room. We found the owner a most unpretentious man, and very simple and willing to learn. After breakfast we spent over an hour with the New Testament, and then Leung preached. There were five who wished to be baptized, but as the day was wearing on, and we felt we ought to get back to the city, (Yeung Kong) for today; we promised to return next Tuesday.
We arrived at the city about three, and found all pretty well.
J. L. WILLIS.