Sketches from Formosa.

PIONEERING ON THE PESCADORES 177
desire to accompany me, and we made arrangements to
start from Toa-sia about the end of May.
Three days' walk in a south-westerly direction brought
us to the coasting village of Teng-chioh, where we found
a junk about to clear for Ma-keng. My application for
a passage seemed to awaken very suspicious and avaricious
thoughts among those on board ; but after much
jangling, an agreement was come to, and we set sail. I
spent three most miserable days
in that wretched little
junk. Five of the eight sailors were opium-smokers,
and their constant devotion to the pipe so filled the
small tank of a cabin with black smoke that it was im-
possible for me to remain below. Another was that, as
we were slowly moving down the river, a heavy gale set
in, which held us prisoners at the mouth of the creek,
and often threatened to send our old craft bowling over
the sand around us. The weather greatly moderated
at the close of the third day, and after a rather pleasant
passage of some ten hours, the boat quietly anchored
in Ma-keng Harbour on Sabbath evening, the 6th of June.
We went ashore next morning, and were immediately
surrounded by a large crowd of curious and interested
spectators. As rumours were in circulation that the
French wished to return to the Pescadores, it caused no
surprise when messengers from the Magistrate's office
arrived to enquire who I was and what was my business.
We were busily engaged in selling Christian tracts when
they came forward, and they seemed quite satisfied when
I informed them that we belonged to the Church in For-
mosa, and wished only to preach the doctrine here.
After a few necessary preparations, we set out for the
native village of Lim Kiam-Kim, who was at one time
Tutor of our Christian College in Formosa, and an earnest
but who died in his own home a
preacher of the Gospel,
few years ago. We remained at this village of Lam-liau
12