Sketches from Formosa.

54
SKETCHES FROM FORMOSA
returned with them to Tiong-lek, and preached
to a
large crowd about the kingdom of God having come nigh
to them. Another good meeting was held in the back
hall of the inn, our landlord kindly providing seats for
any who wished to be present. The people of Tiong-lek
are Chinese from Fukien, with a very small sprinkling
of aborigines and Cantonese Hakkas. They certainly
treated us with much civility, and admitted both the
reasonableness and the importance of what we had been
saying.
The next day's journey brought us to spend the night
at Tek-cham, an important county town, and headquarters
of the Civil Government in North Formosa. Being a
Hien, or city of the sixth order, it is walled, and has a
small garrison. Some of its streets are very busy, and
lined with shops which have their goods displayed in
great variety and profusion. Except in the cloth-shops,
very few foreign articles could be seen. I was much
struck with the different kinds of fish and native fruits
which were exposed for sale. As Tek-cham is seldom
visited by Europeans, our presence created no small stir,
and quite a crowd followed us wherever we went. Several
times we did try to say something about there being
" one thing needful," but the curiosity and excitement
were so great that it was impossible to proceed. One's
heart could only yearn for those dear brethren of mankind.
I do feel for the bright laughing boys who always turn out
on such occasions. How long, O Lord ? O Church of
Christ, how long ?
On Thursday afternoon we reached Sin-kang, and had
the pleasure of meeting those who received us as the
humble messengers of peace and blessing to this people.
Service over in the evening, I gave them a short account
of our work at the southern stations. They seemed
greatly to relish this, and expressed their joy that many