them in this nook, and protected them by a strong colonnade of stone. Mr. H. suggested that since his gods could not take care of him, he had generously endeavored to take care of them. Poor headless things-what a commentary on an idolatrous religion!

The whole summit is covered with the debris of demolished or decayed temples.

As we descended the precipitous western slope, we came upon another laughing Buddha, carved in stone. The figure is very rotund, as if full of rice, a Chinaman's ideal of comfort, and the mouth is fairly stretched with laughter. But he, too, is going to decay. His lips are largely worn away, as is the end of his nose, though he is a granite god. But never a bit does he seem to care, and his mouth is forever set for a big guffaw, even as he goes to destruction. H. could not forbear from thrusting the end of his bamboo cane into the gaping mouth of the rollicking, though decaying divinity, and so hastening, by a little, the process of disintegration.

Starting out again we soon met two boats, with about a dozen cormorants perched on projecting poles on each side. These birds are trained for fishing, as hawks were for fowling, formerly, in Europe. A ring is placed on the neck of each, which prevents him from swallowing a fish of any size. I am told they do their work very intelligently and efficiently. They dive and swim under the water with great rapidity. They also seem to understand their masters perfectly, and bring in the fish with great docility when they find they can't swallow it. They are a disgusting, buzzard-like looking bird,

On Saturday, at noon, we reached Soochow, having traveled eighty miles from Shanghai; indeed, the distance is greater by the route we came. Here we were received into the houses of our brethren of the Presbyterian Churches, North and South, with the most cordial hospitality. Mr. Parker being a bachelor, and having been now so long from home, was not in trim for entertaining guests at his house.

In this great city we have two chapels and a school, and are preparing room for a day school besides. In connection with one of the chapels is the residence of Dsau, and the boarding department of the boys of the school. The property is well adapted to its uses, and we found every thing neatly kept.

On Sunday morning we visited the Sunday-school, which is composed entirely of the boys of the boarding-school. They are fine-looking fellows; indeed, I thought exceptionally so. We proposed questions to them covering a very large range of Bible-history and doctrine. They were never at fault but once, and in that case I am satisfied they did not get the point of the question. I doubt if the same number in any Sunday-school in America would have answered so many questions of the same character.

Here Mr. Lambuth preached in the school-room, and administered the sacrament.

In the afternoon we went to the new chapel, in another part of the city, where we found every thing in excellent condition. Mr. L. preached to a large and very intelligent-looking congregation, and the most quiet and attentive of all the promiscuous congregations I have seen in China. At the same hour

Mr. Allen preached for Mr. Dubose, of the Southern Presbyterian Church.

At 4 o'clock P. M. the missionaries all met at Miss Safford's house, and heard a sermon by Mr. Hendrix-a very profitable discourse. Miss S. is in the employ of the Southern Presbyterian Board as a teacher. She is entirely consecrated, and, although she has suffered many trials, still rejoices in the work. At night they all met again at the house of the Rev. Mr. Fitch, of the Northern Presbyterian Church, for a sermon by myself. The only foreign residents at Soochow are the missionaries, and visitors are rare, so that our coming was hailed as a great event, and the Sunday we spent with the brethren was a high day. We shall never cease to pray for them.

From this place we went to Hangchow, and saw much and heard much; but I have no space for it. This is, perhaps, the largest, as it is the handsomest, city in this part of China. After spending a day with our brethren of the Southern Presbyterian Board here, we returned to Shanghai, arriving early on Sunday morning.

We had been gone less than two weeks, traveled 350 miles, and seen nine walled cities, besides towns and villages without number.

But the country we have seen is not what it was twenty-five years ago. It is the region so long occupied by the insurgents. The great cities are not over half their former size-some of them not that. Miles and miles of ruins greet the eye within. the walls of Soochow, Hangchow, and other places. The stories they tell of death and devastation are harrowing to the last degree. By the side of it, the

devastations of our own civil war were as nothing. War in civilized and Christian countries is sufficiently awful, but here it is in the last degree horrible.

But the country is recovering, yet it will be a hundred years, or more, before it recovers fully from the shock.

CHAPTER XI.

T

LAST DAYS IN CHINA.

HE TRAVELER in new regions will often find occasion to modify first impressions and opin

ions, and this I have done in several particulars since I landed in Shanghai. Every particular fact that I have written is true; but sometimes the particular fact is related to other facts so as to modify its significance. What I have said about the dreadful odors one meets with here is literally correct; but the universal filthiness of the Chinese, to be naturally inferred from this fact, is nothing like so bad as I at

first supposed. True, there is much dirt upon the person and in the home of the coolie, and, as compared with the Japanese, they are greatly at a disadvantage in this respect. But the worst is on the surface. The street of a Chinese city is the most odious part of it. The dwellings, especially of the well-to-do, are quite remote from the street, and in an atmosphere comparatively untainted. You pass from the street through two or three courts, and then upstairs, before you reach the apartments occupied by the family; while on the street is the cooking-range, and all depositories of refuse substances, with the stench arising from them. The street is simply a very bad alley.

There is so much to write about in China that I am much at a loss to select, for ten thousand things must be omitted. But one of the most delightful things that occurred in our visit was connected with our leaving, which was by the P. and O. steamer of Friday, Jan. 12. On Thursday evening all the missionaries, together with Mr. Hendrix and myself, dined at Mr. Allen's. Perhaps the American reader ought to be informed that dinner in this country is the last meal of the day, the order being breakfast, tiffin, or lunch, and then, at seven or eight o'clock, P. M., dinner. As we could not all be together again, we held a prayer-meeting after dinner, and a season of grace it was. All hearts were melted, and all flowed together in love. It was 10 o'clock when we returned to the residence of Mr. Lambuth. There the native helpers awaited us-all but one, Dsau, of Soochow, who was too far away to make a special trip for the occasion. But Fong, from Naziang, had