Early Relations between the United States and China. 93 



men left vacant by him was never filled. Rev. J. W. Newton 

 accepted the place, but seems not to have taken up the work,*^ 

 and the American Seaman's Friend Society, which had joined 

 in beginning the American Mission to China, disappeared from 

 the field.^^ 



In 1833, perhaps partly in response to an appeal which Morri- 

 son and Bridgman had made in 1832,'*'' two more men arrived, 

 Samuel Wells Williams, and Rev. Ira Tracy. Williams came 

 to take charge of the press, and Tracy as an additional missionary. 

 They sailed from the United States in 1833 on one of Olyphant's 

 ships, the "Morrison," and arrived in China in October.^*' 

 Tracy left Canton soon afterward to be stationed at Singapore. 



In 1834 the growing mission at Canton received a serious 

 check. Leang-Afa, the first Chinese convert, together with a 

 fellow disciple, had been distributing many Christian books in 

 and around Canton. ^'^ In that year Lord Napier, the first British 

 superintendent of trade, reached Canton, and trouble arose which 

 resulted in the Chinese stopping the English trade. Napier, 

 failing to make an impression on the governor, issued a printed 

 proclamation to the Chinese people — an indiscreet act for a 

 diplomatist — in which he stated his case. This angered the 

 authorities and search was made for the natives who had helped 

 to publish the appeal. The mission's printing office was raided, 

 Leang-Afa and several other Chinese were seized, and although 

 released later, felt it best to leave the city for a time.^- The dis- 

 orders had already frightened away Bridgman's Chinese teacher 

 and pupils,^^ and this added trouble, together with the death of 



Giving a list of their Publications and Obituary notices of the Deceased. 

 Shanghai, 1867, p. 84, and Ch. Rep., 5: 513. 



*' 9th Annual Rep., Am. Seaman's Friend Soc. 



^ Up to 1844, as their annual reports show, they had obtained no 

 successor to Stevens who actually reached the field. 



*" Corres. of A. B. C. F. M., China, 1831-7, Sept. 4, 1832. 



■■"Williams, Life and Letters of S. W. Williams, p. 49, Corres. of 

 A. B. C. F. M., China, 1831-7, No. 78, Bridgman to Anderson, Oct. 22, 1833. 



'"'■ Missny. Herald, 30 : 192 ; 31 : 70. 



"Williams, Mid. King., 2:328, and Joseph Tracy, History of the 

 American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, Worcester, 

 1840, p. 246. 



""^ Corres. of A. B. C. F. M., China, 1831-7, No. 10, Bridgman to Ander- 

 son, Aug. 12, 1834. 



