WITH CHRIST IN INDOCHINA - IndoChina1911

French Indc>-China alone to study the Annamese language
and to begin the Annam Mission.
An interesting side light in the initiative necessary
for progress in such pioneer missionary venture is to
be found in the story of how Mr. Jaffray and his
companions avoided the delay and expense of a
forced stop-over of two weeks at Tourane, after their
mission there had been accomplished.
The French mail steamer between the Orient and
France called at this port once a fortnight. When
their business was completed, our missionary friends
found that a steamer for Hongkong was due to call
at Tourane. They arranged with the agents for their
passages and were told that the ship would sail in
the afternoon. They were assured that there would
be plenty of time to get their noon meal ashore. At
Tourane these large steamers anchor out in the har¬
bor about three miles from shore, and passengers go
to and from them in the steamship company's
launch. From the dock where the launch was
moored, to the house where our party was to have
lunch is another two miles.
About eleven o'clock they were surprised to hear
the steamer whistle, and hurrying to a point where
they could see the harbor, they observed that the
steamer was preparing to lift anchor. They imme¬
diately called rickshas and rushed to the dock only
to find the company launch already gone.
Our
friends looked around for some other means of