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 i839. 137 Emphasis was 

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

 some assistance in medicine given by Bradley. 138 The Baptist 

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

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

 2Qth, i837 139 ; and Rev. Josiah Goddard, who arrived in Octo 

 ber, i840. 140 In December, 1835, Dean baptized three converts 

 and organized a church, probably the first Protestant church for 

 Chinese. 141 In July, 1838, three members were added by bap : 

 tism, 142 and in October, 1839, another group of three. 143 Some 

 of the early converts fell away, 144 but these last seem to have 

 remained steadfast, and by 1841 the church had increased its 

 Chinese membership to thirteen. 145 A dispensary was opened, of 

 course, 146 and that other useful accompaniment of a mission sta 

 tion, a school. 147 It was the day of small things; in 1839 the 

 school numbered only thirteen, and Sunday congregations 

 averaged from but twenty to fifty. 148 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 



137 Benham was drowned soon after his arrival. Dean, China Mis 

 sion, p. 94. 



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

 L39 Dean, China Mission, p. 359. 



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



141 Dean, China Missions, p. 115. 



&quot;Annual Rep. of Bap. Missny. Soc., June, 1839. The Baptist Mis 

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



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



144 Journal of Dean, Bap. Missny. Mag., 18:30. 



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



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



147 Annual Rep. of Bap. General Convention, April, 1839. Bap. Missny. 

 Mag., 19: 143. 



148 Bapt. Missny. Mag., 19 : 143 ; 16 : 193. 



