102 



CHINA. 



all efforts of the provincial authorities to sup- 

 press it. .It was pretty well understood among 

 the natives that the Chekiang Futai intended 

 imitating the Viceroy of Nankin, in trying to 

 root out opium-smoking. This he hoped to 

 do by shutting all shops except on the main 

 thoroughfares, restricting these to doors three 

 feet high, forbidding the use of beds, and com- 

 pelling smokers to lie on the floor. He feared 

 an uprising, it was said, were he to shut up 

 all the shops at once. But, by thus making 

 opium-smoking disreputable from the sur- 

 roundings, he hoped to deter all who have any 

 regard for respectability. 



The railroad from Shanghai to "Woosung, 

 which was opened in 1876, and which at first 

 met with great opposition, soon gained the favor 

 of both the people and the Government. On 

 the Chinese New Year, February 22d, the road 

 transported great numbers of excursionists, 

 while on other occasions it soon came to be 

 largely used by all classes of the population. 

 The Government accordingly, in the beginning 

 of the year, made an agreement with the com- 

 pany that the latter should have control for 

 another year, and that the road should then 

 become the property of the Government, in 

 consideration of 265,000 taels. The latter also 

 intended to introduce railroads in other parts 

 of the Empire, particularly on the island of 

 Formosa, which contains valuable deposits of 

 coal and petroleum. On October 31st, the 

 railroad passed into the hands of the Govern- 

 ment, when it ceased running. 



On April 1st, United States Consul Sheppard, 

 of Hankow, opened the new port of Ichang. 

 On the same day Wuhu, Wen-chow, and Pahkoi 

 were opened by the British consular agents. 

 The value of Ichang consists chiefly in its being 

 at the extreme head of the Yang-tse-Kiang, a 

 terminus for steamer traffic ; but Wuhu, Wen- 

 chow, and Pahkoi are all places of consider- 

 able trade, well situated as outlets and ports 

 of supply for considerable and fertile districts. 



A General Conference of the Protestant mis- 

 sionaries in China was held in Shanghai, be- 

 ginning May 10th, and lasting through 10 days. 

 About 100 missionaries were present, and par- 

 ticipated. Two chairmen were elected the 

 Eev. Dr. Nelson, of the Protestant Episcopal 

 Mission, Shanghai, and the Kev. Dr. Douglas, 

 of the Scotch Presbyterian Mission, Amoy. 

 The second day's service was opened with the 

 reading of a paper by the Rev. Dr. William- 

 son, of the Scotch United Presbyterian Mission, 

 on " Our Field of Labor in all its Magnitude." 

 It treated of the extent of the Chinese Empire, 

 its immense population, and the great intel- 

 lectual capabilities of the people. It was fol- 

 lowed by a paper by Dr. Legge, on " Confu- 

 cianism in Relation to Christianity," in which 

 the autfior maintained that the Confucian 

 books teach plainly the existence of a God 

 and the moral and spiritual qualities of man, 

 although they say nothing of his immortality. 

 These positions were disputed by other mem- 



bers of the Conference. The next subject was 

 u The Popular Aspects of Buddhism and Tao- 

 ism," and was introduced in a paper by the 

 Rev. Dr. Edkins, of the London Mission, Pe- 

 king. Papers followed on " The Practice of 

 Binding the Feet of Chinese Girls," by Miss 

 J. H. Woolston, of the Methodist Episcopal 

 Mission at Foo-chow, and " Woman's Work for 

 Woman," by the Rev. A. P. Hopper, D. D., of 

 Canton, and Mrs. Crawford, of Tung-chow- 

 Foo, after which the different modes of work 

 for women were discussed, as day-schools for 

 girls, boarding-schools for girls, training- 

 schools for Bible-women, industrial classes, 

 visitation from house to house, and medical 

 service from qualified woman-physicians. A 

 high appreciation was expressed of the value 

 of the work of the women. The fifth day was 

 devoted to the subject of schools and their 

 relation to mission work. Papers were read 

 on the subject by the Rev. R. Lechler, of the 

 Basel Mission, Hong-Kong, and the Rev. C. 

 W. Mateer, of the American Presbyterian 

 Mission, North, Tung-chow-Foo. The im* 

 portance of scientific teaching by the mission- 

 aries was insisted upon in the former paper. 

 Other papers were read on " Day-schools," by 

 Mrs. Gough, of the Church Mission, Ningpo; 

 " Boarding-schools for Boys," by the Rev. D. 

 Dodd, of the American Presbyterian Mission, 

 North, Hang-chow ; and " Girls' Boarding- 

 schools," by Miss M. Lawrence, of the English 

 Church Mission, Ningpo. The sixth day was 

 given to the subject of literature. The papers 

 were : " Christian Literature What has been 

 done, and what is needed," by the Rev. C. C. 

 Baldwin, of the American Board Mission, 

 Foo-chow, in which the relative advantages of 

 the use of the classical language, the Mandarin 

 and the colloquial dialects, were fully discussed ; 

 " Secular Literature," by the Rev.W. A. P. Mar- 

 tin, D. D.. LL. D., and the Rev. Young J. Allen, 

 of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. 

 The Superintendent of the Presbyterian Mis- 

 sion Press mentioned the continued demand 

 for scientific works published or for sale at 

 that office. It was also stated that during the 

 last 10 years about 50 books on Western sci- 

 ence had been translated or written in Chinese 

 at the instance of officials. The seventh day 

 was given to the consideration of the interests 

 of the " Native Church." Papers were read on 

 " The Conditions to be required for Admission 

 to Full Membership of the Church," by the 

 Rev. J. N. Lambuth,of the Methodist Episcopal 

 Mission, South, Shanghai, and the Rev. C. A. 

 Stanley, of the American Board Mission, Tien- 

 tsin; on "The Methodsto be usedfor Raising the 

 Spiritual and Moral Tone of the Native Church," 

 by the Rev. F. F. Gough, of the English Church 

 Mission, Ningpo, and the Rev. H. L. Mackenzie, 

 of the English Presbyterian Mission, Swatow ; 

 and on "The Means by which Foreigners in 

 China can assist in the Work of Evangelization," 

 by Dean Butcher, of the English Cathedral, 

 Shanghai. On the eighth day, the subjects 



