Letters to Children

by E. C. Bridgman

[Letter XIII.]

Canton, (China,) Dec. 10, 1831.
MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,--"Then shall the dust return to the dust
as it was; and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it."
In an empire so ancient and populous as China, the number of human
beings that have returned to the earth, must be great indeed;
greater than any man can number. For more than thirty hundred years,
one generation after another, in awfully rapid succession, have
gone to the dead. Almost all the hills and uplands about Canton
and Macao, which are not covered with the habitations of the living,
are filled with the abodes of dead. In Macao, almost every rod
of ground, which is safe from water, even to hard, rocky hill tops,
has some emblem,--a turfed hillock, a stone, or a little enclosure,
to remind the visiter of the sleepers below. When I have walked
over these grounds,--these abodes of the dead, thoughts have arisen
in the mind, which you may conceive, but which I cannot express.
O, what multitudes will rise here, at the sound of the last trumpet!
What vast congregations will come up from these burying places,
and stand with us before the judgment seat of Christ! Every day
is adding to the number of this vast congregation. Death does not
wait for his victims--death does not wait till the heathen have
the gospel preached unto them. And unless these multitudes of the
living, speedily obtain mercy of him, of whom they are now
ignorant, how shall they come forth to the resurrection of life?
Will the heathen be saved, who never heard the gospel? I ask you,
dear children, do you think the heathen can be saved, unless
the gospel be preached unto them, and they believe in the name
of Jesus? It is very painful to all think, that all the millions
of our fellow creatures, who are now ignorant of the Savior, must,
when they die, sink down to hell. But how can it be otherwise?
"Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
But "how shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?
and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they
preach, except they be sent!" And now, dear children, I desire
to ask again, what do you think of these words, which I have
quoted from the tenth chapter of Romans? What do you think St.
Paul meant? He means to say,--if I understand him, he means to
affirm,--in the most positive manner, by the questions which he
asks, that the heathen, who do not hear and believe the gospel,
cannot be saved.
I fear that many very good people have wrong ideas on this subject;
and do not consider and realize the awful condition of the heathen;
for I am persuaded, that if they did see and realize, they would
do very differently from what they ever have done yet; they would
feel and act as Jesus Christ did; they would be willing to become
poor, to labor and toil, and even die for the salvation of the
heathen.
With a desire that you may have correct ideas of the real condition
of the Chinese, I have been urged on to write these letters. I
have stated many facts; but you will desire, I presume, to know
something more about their ideas of death, style of mourning,
funerals, &c.
Having very little if any knowledge of the true God, the Chinese
are entirely ignorant of another world:--of heaven and hell,--of
the joys of the one, and the terrors of the other, as revealed
in the Bible. All their notions about the soul of man, are very
dark and confused. Many think that the soul dies, and ceases
to exist with the body. Others think that when the body dies, the
soul goes away and enters into other bodies--birds, beasts, or
men. All this ignorance makes the Chinese very careless about death,
and all that which is to come upon them. They die like the brutes.
Such are their ideas of death.
When a parent dies, a messenger is sent to announce it to all the
relatives. A board, or a long slip of brownish white paper, is
hung up at the door, on which is written the person's name, age,
and virtues, &c. The children and grand-children of the deceased,
sit on the ground, and weep and mourn. Relations come in and dress
the corpse; and many long and tedious ceremonies are performed.
Usually, after three times seven days, the funeral takes place.
A large concourse of friends and mourners assemble; and a procession
is formed with priests, bands of music, flags, &c. &c.--all quite
like one of the marriage processions, which I have already
described. Meats, fruits, cakes of various kinds, are carried as
offerings to the dead, and the procession moves on to the burying
place. This is always selected with great care, and is usually
a hill. Only two things, it has been said, are feared by the Chinese
after death, "a watery grave, and a white ant sepulchre."
It is not every day, that they may bury the dead; they must wait
for a luck-day. Many of these processions may be seen in a single
day. Some of the funerals are very expensive. Two occurred in this
neighborhood last summer; one of a father, the other of a wife,
on each of which more than ten thousand dollars were expended.
The mourning costume is like a brownish white, with a perfectly
white napkin around the head, and sometimes around the loins; and
their shoes are exchanged for sandals.
By the death of a father, a son is disqualified for, and is obliged
to retire from office, for three years. Great care must be taken
to have a good burying place; and for want of such, and means to
bury the dead, bodies sometimes lie months and years in coffins,
unburied. There were ten thousand such in Canton last year. I
know of one family where there are thirteen in this state.
But from the accounts of the dead, I think you will be willing,
if not glad, to have me desist. I will do so; and, if the Lord
will, I desire to proceed and give you some account of what has
been done for China. In the next letter, I propose to speak of
the labors of the Rev. Dr. Morrison, Tell then, farewell.
Your true friends,
E.C.B.
______

[Letter XIV.]

Canton, (China,) Dec. 12, 1831.
MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,--You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that
we, through his poverty, might be made rich. You know how, while
on earth, he went about doing good; how he loved poor sinners,
and wept because they repented not; and how he loved little children,
and used to take them in his arms and bless them. You remember
how, at a certain time, he went out into a mountain to pray, and
continued all night in prayer to God. And you remember, how, just
before he went back to heaven, he commanded his disciples to go
and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
I will now tell you what has been done to make known the gospel
of God among the Chinese. Some have supposed that St. Thomas, one
of the twelve apostles, came into China, and preached the gospel;
and one man, a Portuguese, has supposed that he even passed to
America. There is no proof of all this, and nobody now believes
it. But it is very probable, though not quite certain, that some
missionaries from Syria, came into China, about seven hundred years
after the death of Christ. Roman Catholic missionaries came into
China more than five hundred years ago, and have continued here
ever since. At one time, they had a great many converts, but now
they have very few, for they have been persecuted, and most of
the missionaries driven out of the country. The Catholics, all
the time they have been in this country, have never given the Chinese
the Bible.
The very first thing Protestant Christians ever thought of doing
for the Chinese, was to give them the Holy Bible: This was a
most excellent plan. It was first suggested by that good man, Joseph
Hardcastle, Esq. of England. He was then the treasurer of the London
Missionary Society.--But as yet the Bible had never been translated
into the Chinese language, and there was nobody able to translate
it. So the Society resolved to send out a mission, and the Rev.,
now Dr. Robert Morrison, was the first person who engaged to go.
He had, for some time, been thinking on the subject of missions.
This was just at the time when Samuel J. Mills, and others with
him, in Williams College, were thinking on the same subject; and
like them, "he would have gone," I quote Dr. Morrison's own words,
"to any quarter of the globe, where the people were yet without
a divine revelation." He once thought of going to Africa, and would
doubtless have gone, had the way been opened. But the Lord had
other work for him to accomplish.
On the 31st of Jan. 1807, Dr. Morrison left England, crossed over
to the United States, where he tarried about twenty days, and became
acquainted with some good people in Philadelphia, from whence he
arrived in China on the 4th of September, the same year. His situation
in China was trying enough. He was alone, without companions, a
stranger in a strange land. At first he lived in a godown, a
room occupied for a store house, or a lodging-place for servants,
where he studied, ate, and slept. His lamp was made of earthen
ware, and a large Bible served for a screen to keep the wind from
blowing it out. He lived like the Chinese; put on their dress,
the long frock, the thick-soled shoes; let his hair grow long,
and ate with chop-sticks. Afterwards, he found that this was not
the best way, so he changed his dress, and mode of living.
Before leaving England, Dr. Morrison obtained an imperfect and
incomplete manuscript copy of the New Testament in the Chinese
language. After he arrived in China, he was very diligent, night
and day, studying the language, continually reading, writing, and
speaking it; and, in about three years, began to print the New
Testament in Chinese. Soon after, he published a little tract,
called, "The Divine Doctrine, concerning the Redemption of the
World." He also published a catechism. And in 1813, six years
after his arrival, he completed the whole New Testament.
It was just at this time, when he had been in the field alone six
years, that another missionary arrived to assist him. I hope to
tell you more of Dr. Milne, in another letter. Before this time,
Dr. Morrison had prepared two books about the Chinese language,
written in English, in order to assist other missionaries in
learning the language. He had also instructed, for about two years,
four orphan boys. I have not time, in a single letter, to tell
you all I could wish, about what he has done. He has published
many books, and accomplished much in other ways.
In the Chinese language, he has prepared and published the New
Testament, and two tracts above mentioned; the largest half of
the Old Testament, the other half was done by Dr. Milne; an outline
of the Old Testament history; daily Morning and Evening Prayers,
being a translation of the Common Prayer Book; also, a Hymn Book;
and, recently, a book in three or four volumes, called the Family
Instructor: making in all, about 20 vols. Besides, he has written
other books, but had not money to publish them. The translation
of the whole Bible was completed in the autumn of 1819, and
published soon after.
In English, he has written and published two volumes of sermons
and lectures; a little book about China, for Sabbath school
children; he has also written a great many papers about China,
which have been printed in the Canton newspapers, "The Canton
Register," published by an English gentleman, and in the "Anglo
Chinese Gleaner," published at Malacca; and others, printed in
other places.
In Chinese and English, that is, a part of each page Chinese, and
a part English, he has written and published six quarto volumes,
about the size of Scott's Bible, constituting a most excellent
Dictionary; also six octavo vols. in the same style. These twelve
volumes have been prepared for the purpose of assisting those who
wish to learn the Chinese language.
About a year after Dr. Morrison came to China, the English East
India Company wished him to be their translator. He complied, and
has ever since acted in that capacity. He thought it his duty to
do so, that he might, by the labor of his own hands, relieve others
from the burden of supporting himself and family. This, in a
considerable degree, he has done. For upwards of twenty years he
has received no salary from any charitable institution. The
London Missionary Society assist him every year in defraying a
part of his house-rent, which, in China, is very high--ten or twelve
hundred dollars annually. Being translator for the company, they
were willing to defray the expenses of publishing his Dictionary,
which was more than £12,000.--And besides this, and what he has
done for the support of his own family, it has enabled him to give
between 8 and 10,000 dollars for the promotion of Christianity
among the Chinese; a considerable part of this sum was expended
in founding the Anglo Chinese College at Malacca; of this, I will
tell you more when I come to write about Dr. Milne.
The same day he became translator to the company, he was married
to Miss Morton, an excellent and pious lady, who had a long time
resided in India. Their first born son died the same day in which
he breathed the breath of life. The infant was interred on the
top of a little hill, at the north extremity of Macao; and in a
beautiful enclosure, not far from where he now sleeps, are the
earthly remains of his mother. Mrs. Morrison died June 10, 1821.
In 1824, Dr. Morrison visited England, and returned in 1826. While
in his native country, he married Miss Armstrong, a pious and
accomplished lady. He has now living in China, six children; four
sons and two daughters. His family reside at Macao, for the Chinese
will not allow foreign ladies to come to Canton. His eldest son,
John Robert Morrison, is already quite a master of Chinese, and
acts as translator to the British merchants in China.
Dr. Morrison is now fifty years old, and it is more than 24 years
since he came to China. The Lord has been very good to him, and
has blessed him, and given good success to the labor of his hands.
He has lived to see many and most glorious results from the very
small beginnings he was permitted and enabled to make; but the
judgment of the great day, only, can display all the effects of
his long and arduous labors. Every Christian prays in secret; but
he has often preached in secret, with his doors locked around him,
and only one or two to listen to the sound of the gospel.
No church has yet been gathered and organized in China. Several
individuals have believed, and have been baptized; and the Lord's
supper has, occasionally, been administered. The first baptism
was in 1814. This man came to Dr. Morrison's house, and heard him
talk of Jesus, the first year he was in China. "At a spring of
water," says Dr. Morrison, "issuing from a lofty hill by the
sea-side, away from human observation, I baptized, into the Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit, Tsae-a-ko. O that the Lord may cleanse
him from all sin in the blood of Jesus, and purify his heart by
the influences of the Holy Spirit. May he be the first fruits of
a great harvest; one of millions who shall believe, and be saved
from the wrath to come."
During much of his time in China, Dr. Morrison has preached to
the English and American residents. He is now with his family at
Macao; and, during the past season, has usually had four religious
services on each Lord's day; a morning and evening service in
English, and a morning and evening service in Chinese. From 4 to
20 persons have usually attended on the English, and about 15 on
the Chinese services.
Thus, my young friends, I have given you a brief account of one
whom God has employed in this part of the great field; and though
he has accomplished so much, he looks upon it all as nothing. He
is truly a most excellent man, and I love him much. And I desire
that you will always pray for him; that the Lord will preserve
him, and bless him more and more, and all those who are engaged
with him in the gospel.
I remain your true friend,
E.C.B.
______

[Letter XV.]

Canton, (China,) Dec. 13, 1831.
MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,--I told you in the last letter about Dr.
Morrison, and the commencement of the mission to China. I will
now give you some account of Dr. Milne, and the missions among
the Chinese, established out of China. The missionary stations
established among the Chinese, residing or settled abroad without
the Chinese empire, may be reckoned five in number. They are at
the following places namely: Malacca, Penang, Java, Singapore,
and Siam. I wish you to look out all these places on the maps,
and learn from your geographies all you can about them. This will
assist you very much to understand and remember what you read about
the missions.
The Rev. William, afterwards Dr. Milne, with his wife, arrived
at Macao in China, the 4th of July, 1813, just at the time as before
stated, when Dr. Morrison had finished the translation of the New
Testament. A day or two after his arrival, he was ordered by the
(then) Portuguese Governor of Macao, to leave the place
immediately. He did so, and came up to Canton. Here he resided
for several months, enjoying that hospitality among the heathen,
which had been denied in a Christian colony.
Macao is a small town. You will see it on your maps, situated 70
or 80 miles south of Canton. It is the only European or foreign
settlement in China. The Portuguese have lived there two or three
hundred years.
Dr. Milne remained about six months; in the mean time, with the
assistance of his friend, Dr. Morrison, he got 2,000 copies of
the New Testament, and 15,000 Christian tracts, printed in Chinese.
These he put on board a ship, in which he embarked with 450 Chinese
emigrants, all bound to Java. Dr. Milne was a very active man on
board ship; and at Java, wherever he went, he was delighted to
give away tracts and Bibles. He loved to do good to all men, as
he had opportunity. From Java, he went to Malacca, which place
afterwards became his home, and the seat of the Anglo Chinese
college, of which he was the first principal. From Malacca, he
returned to China, conferred with Dr. Morrison about the mission,
and then, with Mrs. Milne, returned to Malacca, which place was
not only their home, but also their grave. The one died in 1819,
Mrs. M., the other, in 1822. They left behind them four or five
children, to mourn their loss. Dr. Milne, his wife, and their little
daughter Amelia, and two infant twin boys born on their passage
down the Chinese sea, arrived at Malacca, May 21, 1815. This was
the commencement of the mission at Malacca. Schools were
opened--children collected and taught--books printed and
circulated. The Bible was read, and the poor had the gospel preached
to them--preparations were made for the college, and its foundation
laid, November 11, 1818.
Malacca, you will see by reference to your maps, is not far from
China, Cochin China, Siam, and many islands where great numbers
of Chinese reside. It is also a healthy place, and under a great
and good government. These and other considerations induced Drs.
Morrison and Milne to resolve on the mission, and the establishment
of the college. At the outset, Dr. Morrison gave $4,000 for the
benefit of the college, and up to the present time, has been its
chief support, and the Lord has blessed and prospered the work.
The number of Chinese students in the college, has usually been
about 30. The regular course of studies occupies six years. The
aboriginal inhabitants of Malacca and the adjacent regions are
called Malays. For this people also, schools have been established
and supported, and they prosper. Many thousands of Bibles and tracts
have been printed and sent out from the college, and these have
gone far and wide, the silent messengers of the truth of God. The
Rev. Samuel Kidd, of the London Missionary Society, is now principal
of the college. Penang, or the Prince of Wales Island, you will
see by referring again to your maps, is situated off the west coast
of the peninsula of Malacca--you will find it about the 6th degree
of north latitude. It is a beautiful situation, and has a good
government. The number of Chinese is about 8 or 10,000, 14 or 15,000
Malays. There are also Siamese and Burmese. This mission was begun
in 1819. It has now two missionaries with their wives; the Rev.
S. Dyer for the Chinese, and the Rev. T. Beighton for the Malays.
These missionaries are very devoted, and are doing great good.
They have a number of schools for children, where they teach them
daily out of the Holy Scriptures, of the way of salvation by Jesus
Christ; and by the books which the children receive, much good
instruction is conveyed to the parents. But I have not time to
give you all the particulars of this and the other stations of
the straits.
The same year, namely 1819, the mission was begun in Java. The
seat of this mission is at Batavia. The elevated island of Java,
presents some very fine tracts of country. Batavia itself is
unhealthy, but a few miles out of the town where foreigners generally
reside, the country is delightful, and the climate agreeable. The
Rev. W.H. Medhurst is the missionary at the stations. He and Mrs.
Medhurst have been very abundant in their labors, and as their
labors multiply, their zeal and their success increase. Mr.
Medhurst has travelled in various parts of Java and the neighboring
islands, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and scattering in
every direction the good seed of the word of God.
Another mission was commenced this same year, 1819. This was at
Singapore, an island situated in the straits, not far distant from
the south-eastern extremity of the peninsular of Malacca. At this
station, from the commencement to the present time, there have
been laborers both for the Malays and for the Chinese. The Rev.
C.H. Thompson for the Malays, and the Rev. J. Tomlin for the Chinese.
These missionaries have travelled and scattered abroad the word,
especially in Siam, where Mr. Tomlin has made two or three
visits--where I suppose he now is with my good friend the Rev.
D. Abeel. In the establishments of all these missions, Dr. Milne
took a very lively interest. He entered into the business with
this whole soul. He expected great things, he attempted great
things, and he accomplished great things. At the age of 20, he
determined to become a soldier to serve abroad in Immanuel's wars,
undertaking to destroy Satan's kingdom. He prepared himself for
the conflict, buckled on his armor,--at 27, entered on the field
of battle, served with courage and fidelity 10 years, and then,
worn out by useful toils and hard service, died on his post.
Children, farewell; in the next I will tell you of Leang Afa.
Your true friend,
E.C.B.
______

[Letter XVI.]

Canton, (China,) Dec. 19, 1831.
MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,--You know the goodness and mercy of our
God, you know how he has given his dear Son to die for us poor
rebellious sinners, and has promised to give to Christ the heathen
for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his
possession.
It is our heavenly Father, that Being who cannot lie, who has told
us that his word shall not return unto him void, but shall prosper,
and accomplish all his holy will. If all good people would only
do their duty, the heathen I think would very soon become converted.
When the children of God pray and labor as they ought, he always
blesses them.
I have told you about one person who came to Dr. Morrison's house,
and heard him talk of Jesus and of the way of salvation by the
blood of the Lamb, and that man believed and was baptized. I have
now to tell you of another, who has become a disciple of Jesus,
and is devoting all his time and strength to the service of his
divine Master, Christ the Lord. I am going to tell of the evangelist
Leang Afa.
When Dr. Milne left Canton and went to Malacca, in 1815, Afa went
with him as printer--this was his trade. Soon after this, it was
observed that the truth had taken a strong hold upon his mind,
he was convicted by the holy law of God, saw himself to be a sinner,
poor and miserable, blind and naked, and in need of all things.
And thus he was brought to declare his determination to take up
his cross and follow Christ. What care was taken to instruct him
will be seen by the following extract from Dr. Milne's Journal.
November 3, 1816. At twelve o'clock this day, I baptized, in the
name of the adorable Trinity, Leang Afa. This service was performed
privately in a room of the mission-house. Care had been taken by
private conversation, instruction and prayer, to prepare him for
this sacred ordinance. This had been continued for a considerable
time. Finding him still steadfast in his desire to become a
Christian, I baptized him. The change
produced in his sentiments and conduct, is, I hope, the effect
of Christian truth, and of that alone: yet who of mortals can
know the heart? Several searching questions were proposed to him
in private, and an exercise suited to a heathen candidate for
baptism, composed and given to him to read and to meditate upon.
With respect to his former life, he says, I was never much given
to idolatry. I seldom went to the temples. I sometimes prayed towards
heaven, but lived in careless indifference. Although I rarely went
to excess in sin, yet I have been occasionally guilty of drunkenness,
and other kindred vices. Before I came hither (to Malacca) I knew
not God--now I desire to serve him.
The following are the questions proposed, and the answers given
at the time of baptism:
1. "Have you truly turned from idols, to serve and worship the
living and true God, the Creator of heaven and earth, and all things?"
This is my heart's desire.
2. "Do you know and feel that you are a sinful creature, totally
unable to save yourself?" I know it.
3. "Do you really, from your heart, believe that Jesus Christ is
the Son of God, the salvation of the world; and do you trust alone
in him for salvation?" This is my heart's desire.
4. "Do you expect any worldly advantage, profit or gain whatever,
by your becoming a Christian?" None. I receive baptism, because
it is my duty.
5. "Do you resolve from this day to the day of your death, to live
in obedience to the commandments and ordinances of God, and in
justice and seriousness of life before men?" This is my
determination, but I fear my strength is not equal to it.
On my part, says Dr. Milne, the ordinance was dispensed with
affection, joy, hope, and fear. May he be made faithful unto death,
and as he is the first fruits of this branch of the mission, may
an abundant harvest follow to the joy of the church, and to the
honor of Christ. Such is Dr. Milne's account of Leang Afa, and
O, with what delight must the sainted spirit look down from heaven
upon the disciple of Jesus, as he labors, and toils, and faints
not!
April 7, 1819. After prayers and many tears, the two
brothers in Christ parted. Afa returned to China, and not long
after, was married. His wife has become a believer in Christ, and
has received baptism. He has now living, two children--a little
daughter of four, and a son of eleven years. The son's name is
Leang Atih. He was baptized in infancy. He now lives with me, and
I will tell you more about him in another letter. Atih had a little
brother a few months old, but last summer he died. His parents
grieved very much for him, because they loved him very much, and
he was a tender child.
Afa has promised to give me a written account of himself, by and
by. I think it will be very interesting, and when I receive it,
I can tell you more about him. He has received a great deal of
ill treatment from his friends, neighbors, and countrymen. His
home is about seventy-five miles west from Canton. He has an aged
father, whom he supports. Though old, and feeble, and grey headed,
and oft times tenderly instructed by his son; yet, poor man, he
resists the truth, loves his idols, and says there is no God. And
so when the son Leang Afa, and his wife and young Atih, kneel down
together around the family altar, to worship the living and true
God, the father, the grandfather, the old, feeble, dying man, goes
away and worships.--O how dreadful, how pitiable, he goes away
and bows down and worships, as he himself declares, the DEVIL,
and then comes and rails at his son, because he has forsaken the
gods of his country! This is a great trial to Afa, but he bears
it as he does all his trials, with meekness and fortitude. Afflicted
and persecuted as this family have been, they feel almost as if
they had no home on this earth. They are poor in the things of
this world, but doubtless they have treasures in heaven. They live
sometimes in one place, sometimes in another. During the last summer
and fall, they have lived in a hired house in this city. Afa has
been here to see me to-day, and Atih has gone with him, this evening,
to see the family. In the morning, if the Lord will, he will come
back to me, then he will go about twenty miles to the east of Canton,
to a retired place, where he, with another Christian, is printing
the Scripture Lessons; and his grandfather, and his mother and
little sister, will leave the city and go to the West, to their
own village. But the true God will protect them, says Afa, and
keep them all in safety.
Afa is now forty-four years old. More than fifteen years he has
borne the Christian name, and toiled and suffered hardships and
persecutions in his Master's service, and his faith and his zeal
increase as he holds on his way: so may it be to the end. Dear
children, remember, I entreat you, Afa and his family in your daily
prayers, and remember also, your true friend,
E.C.B.
______

[Letter XVII.]

Canton, (China,) Dec. 20, 1831.
MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,--When I have given you a short account of
Canton city, and told you a few things about my boys, then I must
close these letters. Canton is a very large city, situated in 23
degrees 7 minutes north latitude, 113 degrees 14 minutes east
longitude, from Greenwich. It is distant from the open sea, about
70 or 80 miles, and stands on the north bank of the Jake, which
the Chinese call Chook-eany, that is, the Pearl River. The
city is built wholly on one side of the river. Opposite to Canton,
is the island of Honam, on which stands the celebrated Honam
Joshouse. Indeed, all the way from Canton to the open sea, is part
land and part water, and forms a great number of islands.
A part of Canton is enclosed by a wall built of brick and stone,
about 20 or 25 feet high, and 10 or 15 feet thick. The part of
the city which is enclosed by the wall, is nearly square. Each
of the four sides of the city, I should think, measures about two
miles, perhaps less, perhaps more. On each side, there are three
or four gates, these are always guarded by day, and shut and barred
by night. Foreigners may not enter the gates. On the south, the
wall extends within about 20 rods of the river. On the north side,
it extends to the brow of a hill, which terminates the range of
mountains which rise and stretch along in the rear of Canton. There
is a wall which divides the city into two parts, the north and
south. The south part, is about one quarter of the whole, and has
been built since the other, and is sometimes called the new city;
but this distinction is not necessary.
The space between the city walls and the river, and a
considerable extent of the east and west sides of the city without
the walls, constitutes the suburbs of Canton, or, as the Chinese
say, the city outside, which, as to its streets, houses, shops,
&c. is all the same as the city inside. So the Chinese have repeatedly
assured me, and this, I believe, is the opinion of the foreigners
here. Usually, the streets are not more than eight feet wide, and
often not more than four. Their houses and shops are seldom, if
ever, more than two stories high, and often the top one is only
a kind of half story. The shops are built close on the streets,
and not unfrequently project over them. When the shops are opened
in pleasant weather, the whole front is removed; this displays
their goods to great advantage. Some of these streets are very
beautiful. Dwelling-houses and shops are seldom built on the same
street.
Dwelling-houses, and the gardens and yards around them, are usually
surrounded by a wall which is built close on the street, and so
high as to prevent any one passing along, from seeing the houses.
At each end of the principal streets, there is a gate and a watch-house
built above it. The gates are closed at night, and the watchmen
keep a constant look out, and beat with their gongs or bells the
watches of the night.
The population of Canton is very numerous. I think, not less
than a million of souls. Many people think this number too great,
and perhaps it is. Including those who live on the river, and all
those within and without the city, the number is very great. Though
the houses are not high, yet the people live together very thick.
They marry young, and live to a good old age. In the same house,
you will sometimes find great grand-parents, grand-parents,
parents, children, grand-children, great, and even great, great,
grand-children, making in all a very great number. From personal
observation, I should not think that more than one tenth or one
fifteenth part of the whole people of Canton live on the river.
But if to the 40,000 boats, we allow only three persons to each
boat, we shall have 120,000 on the river, and if this is only one
ninth part of the whole population, it will amount to more than
one million. But, my young friends, I will not trouble you any
more with these hard reckonings; your teachers will explain the
whole for you.
Foreign merchants have for several years traded to China. Only
a few rods from the south-west corner of the city walls, there
are twelve or thirteen large buildings, or rather rows of buildings,
and each of the rows contain three or four, and sometimes more
houses, built like the houses in the United States, and herewe live; in all, I suppose, about 100 persons, English, French,
Dutch, Americans, &c. These houses are sometimes called
factories, and sometimes hongs. The English have a chapel and
clergyman, and worship on the Sabbath. While Mr. Abeel was here,
and also since he left, the Americans have had worship on the Sabbath
in a large room in one of the private houses.
We live very comfortably here, though cut off from some of the
greatest domestic and social enjoyments. No man can bring his family
with him to Canton. All the work about house, cookery and every
thing, is done by Chinese men servants. The servant that was with
me several months after I came to China, did his work well enough,
but did not like to read; besides, he was quite old. So I mentioned
one day, that I should like a lad that would learn to read and
write. A servant of one of the gentlemen with whom I lived heard
this, and immediately wished me to take his little brother, then
ten years old. His name is Atsan. In a few days, he made his
appearance, a fine, round-faced, sprightly-looking boy. He knew
something of his own language, but not a single letter of the English.
Just at this time, Afa came and wished me to take his little son,
Atih; and in a few days, the boy came, poorly clothed, with great
head, flat nose, and crooked shoulders. His first appearance was
not very promising. He could read and write his own language well,
for a boy of his age, but knew not a word of English. I wrote out
the alphabet for the two boys, and they began to learn; two or
three days after this, they wished to introduce another boy. This
was Achang, fifteen years old, and had been to school about three
years. He had learnt also a part of the English alphabet.
In this way I became acquainted with the boys. This was a year
ago. They have done, and still continue to do, exceedingly well.
They read, write and recite, both Chinese and English, daily. If
they continue to learn as they have done thus far, they will make
excellent scholars. They read daily in the Scriptures. They have
learnt the name of Christ the Lord, and I hope ere long they will
choose him for their Saviour. Atih says he loves the Savior now,
and prays to him every night and morning, and when I ask Atih if
he did not fear men would laugh at him, he answered, men do laugh
at me, but I do not fear them that kill the body, I rather fear
Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. And now, dear
children, farewell. I beg you will not cease to pray for the dear
boys, and all this nation, and more than this, I hope you will
continue to send them the Bible and missionaries. And still more,
I desire that some of you may come here, may come as good
missionaries, for hundreds are now needed to preach the gospel
to these heathen. Say, will you come? I once knew a boy, younger
than some of you are now, who, having read an account of the heathen,
such as you have now read in these letters, desired to be a
missionary, and go to the heathen, and the Lord has granted the
desire of his heart, and now he is a missionary, laboring to make
known the glorious gospel of the blessed God.
Farewell. Your true friend,
E.C.B.
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