92 Kenneth S. Latourette, 



history, and current events, and concerning missions to the 

 Chinese. It was put in a form designed to make it of interest 

 to the reader not primarily concerned with religious matters. *° 

 It was begun in May, 1832/^ and for the first year or two was 

 the source of much anxiety to Bridgman. He feared that the 

 American Board would not approve of it*^ and that it would not 

 be a financial success. It was undertaken for the first year by 

 the Christian Union of Canton, a local organization, but Bridg- 

 man wrote in April, 1833, that it could not "be carried forward 

 without considerable expense and against many difficulties.""'^ 

 Later, probably in January or February, 1834, Olyphant came to 

 the rescue, guaranteeing the expense and furnishing a building 

 which housed the magazine for over forty years. ■** 



The same year in which the Repository was begun saw the 

 arrival at Canton of a successor to Abeel, Rev. Edwin Stevens.*^ 

 He reached China in June, the first of those Yale graduates who 

 were later to have so large a part in missions to China. He con- 

 tinued his work for four and a half years, the last nine months 

 being in the service of the American Board. He died January 

 5, 1837, while on a trip to Borneo.*** The chaplaincy to the sea- 



*' It continued to be published long after 1844, and is one of the best 

 sources for the history of the foreign relations of China throughout this 

 period. Bridgman remained its editor until 1851. Bridgman, Life and 

 Letters of Bridgman, p. 74. 



" Ibid. 



^" Corres. of A. B. C. F. M., China, 1831-7, Bridgman to Anderson, 

 Jan. 19, 1833, "I am very anxious to know what you think of the 

 Repository. Shall it go on?" 



« Ibid., No. 73. 



■** Corres. A. B. C. F. M., China, 1831-7, No. 89, Bridgman to Anderson, 

 Feb. 4, 1838. The letter told of Olyphant's offer, and concluded: "The 

 expense of the first volume will be something to him, — ^perhaps and per- 

 haps not. — but for the second we hope there will be no charge, for a little 

 extra work we intend that the office shall pay for itself." S. W. Wil- 

 liams was not quite exact when he wrote that "when the Chinese Reposi- 

 tory was commenced he [Olyphant] oflfered to bear the loss of its pub- 

 lication, if it proved a failure." (Williams, Life and Letters of S. Wells 

 Williams, p. 78.) The guarantee, although including the first volume in 

 its scope, was not made until later. 



■" Ch. Rep., 1 : 243. 



'" Alexander Wylie, Memorials of Protestant Missionaries to the Chinese, 



