II

You know how unsettled China becomes in the evening of the year (the Chinese next year begins February 8). Even this district, which I believe is fairly orderly, has had a deal of trouble lately. Just the night before we came up, a large band of armed robbers marched into Paak-shek (Whitestone) market-town, and page 13 looted the pawnshop. They went in about 11 o'clock and left about 4 in the morning, carrying away over 10,000 dol worth. You know how strong these pawnshops are. They made an entrance by blasting a hole in the wall. Two men were killed, and yet the band marched off without molestation and as yet have not been brougfit to justice. The other evening we got the unwelcome information that a band of 200 robbers were waiting outside the village to attack us during the night. The women-folk were scared and were running about hiding their valuables. The men were exploding large quantities of gunpowder to show that we had plenty of it. However, nothing came of it, the only disturbers of my peace being rats. Last night I heard a great deal of firing, and I suspect there was a scuffle in one of the neighbouring villages. Travelling is risky, and people don't venture far from home, and always take care to be roofed before dark. But we are on the King's business, and carry His safe conduct. Our way has been made very plain, perhaps in both senses, and it has been most enjoyable.

I am going back to the Upper Poon-Yu trip. It is pretty hard for me to settle down to write, as I am surrounded just now by girls asking all sorts of questions. They are not a bit afraid of the foreigner, but just a little too cheeky.

I left you sometime on January 1 between Ko-tsang and Ai-kong. The ground between those places is very bare, the page 14 rice-crops having been all gathered in. Here and there were patches of sugar-cane, with men and women cutting it down, while the screeches of the barrows that bore it made music hardly in harmony with the sweetness of their load. Dwarf-hill village looks very poor: it was almost deserted, excepting >by women and children. We soon found the house of "Reflection," but he was away at High-pond market. His wife—step-mother to "Eastern-brave," who sent the money—was in (she is old and blind) and we gave her the £1. Respecting the other letter and £1 for "Eastern-brave's" wife we were told that she was away, the old woman thought with her own people. Her husband had not written for over 10 years and was supposed to be dead, so the family being poor advised her to marry again, and she went away. However, another woman who had been in some of the missionaries' houses informed us that she was living in Canton with her younger brother. We decided to try to find her there.

We had a hot walk back to Ko-tsang, and met a great many people on their way home from market. Going through the town, several men addressed me in very-much-broken English. One man had returned some years ago from Oamaru, and his face lighted up at the mention of your name. An old man in a shop had been in Australia and New Zealand. He belongs to Dwarf-hill, and kindly invited me to come back and see him. While I was page 15 talking to him, someone came through the crowd, saying "Lo Mak" ["Mak" is Mr M'Neur's Chinese surname, and "Lo"—literally "old"—is an equivalent for "Mr."] I was able to name him as Lok Look ("Emolument"), whose raspberries I had eaten, and in whose house I had spent a night at Matakanui last year. He complains very much of the poverty of China, and is sorry that he cannot hurry back to New Zealand. Some of the people in the town were inclined to be rude, but I walked through chewing sugar-cane and was left alone. In the evening we heard the music of wedding processions. I believe we heard this every night.

Thursday, January 2.—After breakfast we sailed down the river to Yan-woh (Human Harmony) market. At the landing was a man in European dress. He had returned from Dunedin some six years ago, and recognised quite a number of the faces in my photo album. [I gave Mr M'Neur some 50 photographs that I had taken of Chinese and their huts and claims in Otago.—A. D.] We walked to the town and into the Gospel Hall of the American Presbyterians, which is at present in charge of a colporteur. The building is well situated and suitable, and a better man is soon to be located here. The colporteur offered to guide us through the market, but I believe we should have been better alone, as the people seem to have little respect for him. At the school the teacher came running out, put himself in page 16 front of me, looked right into my face, and said, "Is this a foreign devil?" Our guide replied, "No, it is not." "Yes, it is," the man of culture responded, "look at his eyes." The ignorance and pride of these teachers are alike unbounded. We went into a coffin-shop, where a Christian works, and in the place that spoke so loudly of death, William Chan spoke the Word of Life. This man had been in Singapore, and became a Christian after his return home.

We returned to the boat and sailed down to Ah-woo (Crow-lake), where we landed after midday rice. We first went to Great-lane division, which lies about a quarter of a mile back from the river. "Morning-wealth" was away at Yan-woh, so we left word for him to come to our boat when he returned. We next went to East-gate hamlet, found "Perfect's" house and gave his widow the letter and money. She did not seem very grateful, and wanted to know when her brother-in-law intended returning from Cromwell. A young fellow who had been in Victoria, B.C., walked back with us to the river, and seemed interested in the Gospel. I am inclined to think he is one of the many hundreds, who, in English-speaking lands, profess interest in divine things, but drift back into heathenism on their return.

We were crossing the river to Paak-mai-kaai (White-rice street), which is on the left bank, when we heard a shout behind. It was "Golden Purpose," of King street, page 17 Dunedin. He had been looking for us, and from a good distance noticed my foreign dress. He intends returning to Dunedin. We went back to our boat and had a talk, and then he offered to go with us to White-rice landing. Before we left, one "Wooden-foundation" called. He had been in Waipori, and recognised the Waipori photographs. We crossed by the ferry, and a walk of a short distance brought us to the home of "Bright-countenance," of Gore. Here we got the warmest welcome that we had yet received. His old mother is hale and hearty, though about 75. The younger brother "Bright-virtue" came, and we were treated to the usual tea and cakes.

On our return to the boat we received more visitors. "Morning-wealth" came in and got his money and letter. Two men whom you inquired for, who used to be at Waikaia, are still alive and doing fairly well on their farms. When it got dark we pushed into the middle of the river and lay there. Just after worship together we heard a "Coo-ee" from the shore, and I knew by the call that it came from someone who had been in the colonies. He asked for "Golden Purpose,' and on being told that he had gone, asked for "Jesus Don." We poled to the bank, and our visitor came aboard with two young friends. He returned a few months ago from Grey-mouth, and knows you by repute. We had a long and very interesting talk with the three.