18 MISSIONABIES 



Sunday Island, about halfway between the two places. 

 In the summer and autumn there is plenty of water. 

 The arrival of a steamer is always an exciting event to 

 the Europeans. 



There is only one Protestant mission here — that of 

 the Church of Scotland — and it is in charge of a most 

 zealous missionary, the Eev. G. Cockburn, who is the 

 oldest European inhabitant and a first-rate Chinese 

 scholar. He is greatly assisted in his many and varied 

 duties by his wife, who was the first European lady to 

 ascend the river beyond Hankow. 



They reside in a small bungalow, which is made a 

 frequent house of call by Protestant missionaries of all 

 denominations and travellers passing up and down the 

 river, who have all to be thankful for the hospitality of 

 these kind-hearted people. 



The Eoman Catholics have also a mission, presided 

 over by Bishop Benjamin, whose predecessor died of 

 cholera shortly after my arrival. This disease works 

 great havoc at certain seasons among the natives. The 

 Eev. Father kindly gave me useful letters of introduc- 

 tion to the missionaries further west. He has recently 

 erected a fine building facing the river, into which the 

 Franciscan Fathers have been transferred, their old 

 mission house being now inhabited by the Sisters who 

 have lately arrived. While the new building was in 



