Sketches from Formosa.

5O
SKETCHES FROM FORMOSA
fort ably settled down in his chosen field of labour. It
was then also arranged that Brother Dzoe, one of our
Takow native preachers, should proceed to the North,
and thus enable Mr. Mackay at once to begin the work
of the Mission.
On the Sabbath after my arrival, we rowed eleven
miles up the river to the village of Gaw-khaw-khi, where
Mr. Mackay has a neat little chapel erected, and where
the Gospel is preached every Lord's day. At the time
of our visit, the prevailing feeling among the people seemed
to be one of mere curiosity, and I was sorry that even
the converts appeared to have such worldly notions
regarding our work and everything
connected with it a
mistake the Chinese easily fall into, but one which eats
like dry rot
Church.
into our efforts to build up a fine spiritual
The following day we went to Bang-kah, a large town,
where Mr. Douglas of the Amoy Mission preached during
that memorable visit in 1860, a visit which led to the
commencement of stated Christian work in Formosa.
We tried repeatedly to have open-air meetings there,
but with very little success. The march of two red-haired
barbarians through the crowded streets seemed to awaken
a great amount of wonder and suspicion, and several of
the huge ill-favoured curs which abound in every Chinese
after us as if their bodies would burst.
city kept barking
One more stand was made with the view of having a little
quiet talk on the truths of Christianity,
but it was no
use, and we were simply hounded out of the place.
a few miles further on we reached a consider-
Walking
able village beautifully situated
Tamsui River. We had been
on the banks
travelling for
of the
several
hours rather badly protected against the fierce rays of
this eastern sun, and felt faint and hungry ; so that
grateful feelings arose on our being directed to the house