Sketches from Formosa.

INCIDENTS IN KA-GA CITY 8l
difference of the higher officials at Taiwan-fu when they
were made aware of what was taking place.
On its anniversary in every succeeding year, the stone-
throwing has been renewed by hundreds of people, many
of whom seriously regard the practice as being most useful
in clearing the air of evil influences, which would keep
lurking about, and ultimately break forth in any amount
of injury to life and property. During the quiet Sabbath
of my visit at that time, I heard the loud shouting of the
crowd beyond the city walls, and the tumult caused by
large companies of Yamen-police issuing from the two
gates to put forth weak efforts at apprehending the ringleaders.
A friend told me the prisons were filled with
men and lads who had been taken into custody for
stone-throwing, but that the county magistrate was
afraid to punish them severely ; while his prisoners, so
far from being filled with regret or fear for what had been
done, appeared to regard themselves as being martyrs in
the best of causes.
Something of greater interest than any such practices
is the fact that the Gospel of the Lord Jesus has now
commenced to shine in the thick darkness of this inland
city.
All who attend the chapel have quite broken with
their former superstitions, take much pleasure in listening
to the doctrine, and have shown a commendable amount
of forbearance when exposed to petty annoyance on
account of their profession. There is good reason to
believe that several have really come under the influence
of the Truth as it is in Jesus.
We are exceedingly hopeful about the Ka-gi work.
As nearly all our stations were in remote little aboriginal
villages, the officials and people began to get suspicious
of our movements in always passing through crowded
Chinese centres to the regions beyond. Extension could
not have taken place in a more desirable quarter.
6
Both