Early Relations between the United States and China. 107 



charge of the Chinese side of it, and with the assistance of 

 Benham and Peet, who were sent out in 1839.^^' Emphasis was 

 laid upon preaching, distribution of tracts, and education, with 

 some assistance in medicine given by Bradley. ^-^^ The Baptist 

 Mission, in addition to Dean, had Rev. Alanson Reed, who 

 reached the city in July, 1836, only to die of dysentery August 

 29th, 1837^^"; and Rev. Josiah Goddard, who arrived in Octo- 

 ber, i840.^'*'' In December, 1835, Dean baptized three converts 

 and organized a church, probably the first Protestant church for 

 Chinese."^ In July, 1838, three members were added by bap- 

 tism, ^''- and in October, 1839, another group of three. ^*^ Some 

 of the early converts fell away,^** but these last seem to have 

 remained steadfast, and by 1841 the church had increased its 

 Chinese membership to thirteen. ^^° A dispensary was opened, of 

 course,^""' and that other useful accompaniment of a mission sta- 

 tion, a school. ^^' It was the day of small things; in 1839 the 

 school numbered only thirteen, and Sunday congregations 

 averaged from but twenty to fifty. ^^^ Those in charge were 

 hopeful, however, and regarded their work merely as preparatory 

 to a larger labor in China when that empire should be opened. 



The third accessible group of Chinese colonists, that center- 

 ing around Batavia, had long been under the control of the 

 Dutch and was in 1816 returned to their charge after the retro- 

 cession of Java by England, but what missionary work the Dutch 

 had done seems to have had no influence upon American efforts. 

 As elsewhere, the English were the pioneers. In 1817 Medhurst 



"' Benham was drowned soon after his arrival. Dean, China Mis- 

 sion, p. 94. 



"* Annual Rep. of the A. B. C. F. M., 1839, Missny. Herald, 35: 10. 



^^^ Dean, China Mission, p. 359. 



""Ibid., p. 279, and Gammell, Hist, of Am. Bap. Missions, p. 193. 



'"Dean, China Missions, p. 115. 



'^'Annual Rep. of Bap. Missny. Soc, June, 1839. The Baptist Mis- 

 sionary Magazine, Boston, 1821 et sqq., 19: 143-4. 



'" Ibid., June, 1840, Bap. Missny. Mag., 20 : 143. 



"* Journal of Dean, Bap. Missny. Alag., 18:30. 



"^Ibid. for June, 1841, Bap. Missny. Mag., 21 : 189. 



""Dean's Journal, May 25, 1835. Bap. Missny. Mag., 16:45. 



"'Annual Rep. of Bap. General Convention, April, 1839. Bap. Missny. 

 Mag., 19: 143. 



'** Bapt. Missny. Mag., 19: 143; 16: 193. 



