1855.] MOUNTAIN REGIONS. 135 distracted." Nay, we must lift up our eyes and behold the fields, for they are already "white unto the harvest." Limited views stunt the work. Enlarge the view, and you enlarge sympathy, and exertions for the good of others increase proportionably. Travelling in these regions is difficult, as might be expected, from their high and broken character. The roads generally consist of narrow footpaths, skirting precipices, overhung by great rocks, which threaten to come down with every gust of wind. Sometimes the path leads over smooth stones, slanting towards a frightful precipice, in which, to help the traveller, small niches are cut, barely enough to admit the point of the foot. Sometimes deep chasms cross the road, over which the traveller must leap, and where there is the greatest danger lest the rock which receives his weight give way with him. Again, hard beds of snow rise steeply before him, to ascend which steps must be cut with a hatchet, and which are best descended by sliding down them. Now the road lies across rude scaffolding along the perpendicular face of a mountain. Posts are driven horizontally into the clefts of the rocks, and secured by a great many wedges: on the outer sides is no support. On these the planks are laid; and over this frail support, which shakes with the force of the mountain torrent that rushes underneath it, the traveller must pass. These torrents are so quickly swelled by showers, and rush down with such rapidity, that a bridge of some kind or another is necessary to cross them. These bridges are singular structures, and the prospect of crossing them, to the inexperienced traveller, is far from pleasant. Some are wooden bridges, called sungo, and these, occasionally, are strongly and substantially built of poplar spars laid touching each other. Sometimes they consist of a single spar, thrown from rock to rock across a chasm, some ninety feet deep two or three trees, with boards nailed across, are common. Again, there are the chug-zam, or suspension bridges. This kind of bridge is formed of two stout ropes of twisted birch trees, about the thickness of a man's arm. These ropes are suspended side by side; and from these depend the side ropes, of birchen twigs, to which the roadway is attached, which also consists of ropes, of the same size with the suspension ones, laid side by side: a close wattling of wicker-work, connecting the side ropes, affords security. But the most singular is the ghulu, or swinging bridge, represented in our engraving. This consists of five or six cables placed close together, on which rests a hollow piece of fir tree, secured by pegs driven through below. From this hangs a loop of three or four ropes, which serves as a seat for passengers, and also a receptacle for baggage; and this is pulled across by cords. Sometimes a forked stick is made to traverse the cables, to the ends of which is attached a slack rope, on which the back of the traveller, wrapped in a blanket, rests, and he then warps himself over with his hands and feet. Difficulties and hindrances there are in the way of Missionary work. May the providence of God prepare a way by which they may be passed over, and the gospel go forward on its appointed message to the tribes and nations of our world! www THE GREAT STUMBLING-BLOCK TO CHRISTIANITY IN CHINA. If we were asked what is the greatest stumbling-block to the progress of the gospel, we should at once say the inconsistencies of professing Christians. "Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh." The mind of man is of itself sufficiently indisposed to the reception of spiritual religion, and, in the inconsistencies of its professors, finds, as it persuades itself, a justification of that indisposition; so, when the servants of the Lord would press the world to consider the claims which God's message of mercy in Christ Jesus has upon their consideration, it escapes from the difficulty by pointing out the inconsistencies of its professed friends, and insinuating that a tree which bears no better fruit cannot be of much value. Therefore it is said, "Woe unto the world because of offences!" They strengthen it in its unbelieving rejection of the gospel, and so bring upon it woe. But how great the guilt of those who place these stumbling-blocks in the world's path; and how fearful the judgment which must at length re-act upon them! The difficulties of Missionary work are often much increased by such hindrances, and our Missionaries, when they would place before the heathen the excellencies of the gospel, are met by arguments such as these-" If your religion be so excellent as you describe, why are your own countrymen guilty of such and such practices? Why does it not make them act otherwise than they do?" In no part of the heathen world are our Missionaries more exposed to painful objections of this kind than on the coast of China, in consequence of the prosecution of opium smuggling by English merchants, and the miseries which that drug inflicts upon those who become addicted to its use. This our readers will gather from the following fact, which is related by the Rev. W. A. Russell, our Missionary at Ningpo, in a letter recently received from him— April 7, 1855-Visited Sæn-tscih-z, a small village in the neighbourhood of Z-kyu, close to which are several country-seats of wealthy country gentlemen. After breakfast the catechist and I went into the village, and addressed about 300 persons under the shelter of a leángding, a kind of shed on the road, resting on wooden pillars, usually put up by rich Chinese, as a meritorious deed, for the accommodation of the poor to take shelter from the weather. When we had finished our addresses here, and distributed a few tracts among the people, we went next to another small village close by, where we spoke a second time to another assemblage of about the same number. Just as we had concluded, a respectable-looking man came to tell us that a Mr. Tong, a man of great wealth, who lived a short distance from the village, would be glad to see us at his house. We accordingly accepted the invitation, glad of the opportunity of bearing testimony for our Master in the presence of those who are so seldom accessible. The crowd whom we had been addressing in the village, with many others who subsequently collected together, accompanied us to Mr. Tong's house. On arriving, 1855.] STUMBLING-BLOCK TO CHRISTIANITY IN CHINA. 137 it was immediately apparent that curiosity to see one of the ong-maonying-red-haired men-was the principal, if not the only motive in sending for us, as we found a table and two or three forms placed for us in the court-yard in front of the house, where we were received, evidently with the view of giving all in the house a good opportunity of seeing us, both from the door and windows, which we soon discovered were crowded with earnest gazers. I determined, however, not to mind the slight of not inviting me into the house, but to do the best I could, under the circumstances, in promoting the object I had in view. Accordingly, after sitting for a few moments, and exchanging a few ordinary remarks with the individual who received me, I mounted one of the forms, and first addressed myself to the larger crowd who had already congregated in the court-yard before me, commencing with some humoursome remarks about my own person, with the view of leading them to see that, after all, I was not some wonderful creature who had suddenly dropped from the skies, but a man in all respects like themselves. Then, turning to the ladies and gentlemen, young and old, who were gazing upon me from the interior of the house, I ventured to appeal to them whether such was not the case; which being assented to by a couple of old ladies more prominent than the others, I then went on to tell them of the object of my coming amongst them, and the great blessings I was commissioned to bring to them. Having spoken there for more than an hour, and taken a cup of tea, we returned to our boat, when the following strange scene took place. As I was standing on the front of the boat, after our return from Mr. Tong's, talking with some twenty or thirty persons who were on the bank of the canal close by, I suddenly observed a man, respectably dressed as a teacher, hurrying towards us, apparently having something important to communicate. On reaching the bank close by our boat, he was flowing with perspiration, and quite out of breath. Before speaking a word, however, to us, he first, to our astonishment, doffed his hat and placed it on the bank, and then brought forward a large volume from the interior of his dress, which he also laid on the ground beside him; after which he dropped down on his knees by the water edge, and commenced drinking with an avidity which indicated his appreciation of the value of a good drink of water, not usual amongst his countrymen. Having fully satisfied his thirst, and also applied copious supplies of water to his face for the purpose of cooling himself, he then quietly put on his hat again, and having adjusted his raiment, and taken up his book, he addressed us for the first time as follows "You pretend to come here to instruct us in the principles of religion. Know you that the first element essential in the propagation of religion is, that you first exhibit an example of its power in the reformation of your own lives. If the words that you speak, and the actions which you perform, are inconsistent with each other, then rest assured that you are wasting your time and strength in vain. As long as you foreigners deluge our country with the opium drug, which is so destructive to the lives of the people, and so ruinous to the best interests of the nation, don't imagine that you can beguile us into the belief that you are sincere in your professions to benefit us either temporally or eternally, or that the religion you come to propagate amongst us can possibly be good, while 138 TRANSLATION OF The four gospels intO KURDISH. [DEC. it produces such fruits as you manifest. Allow me to give you some wholesome advice from the sages of antiquity, which it would be well for you to apply to yourself, and also convey to your own people." Here he commenced reading from his book, at the very highest pitch of his voice, what appeared to be selections from the Chinese classics, occasionally stopping to enlarge on those points which appeared to him condemnatory of our double-dealing, in offering them opium with one hand and the gospel with the other, frequently appealing to the crowd, who by this time had assembled in large numbers, for the approval of his statements. When he had gone on in this way for a considerable time, and not knowing when he was likely to terminate, the catechist and I thought it time to interpose, and to request permission to say something in self-defence; but to this he demurred, vociferating so loud that all might be sure to hear him, "that traders in opium could not possibly have any thing to say in vindication of what was so abominable, and that he was determined we should not have the opportunity of attempting to say a single word in self-defence;" upon which he went ahead with his reading in a still louder, and, if possible, more rapid strain than before. "Well,” said I, after a little, "won't you allow me at least a few minutes to reply to you?" "Not even a single sentence," he exclaimed, again reading away with as much spirit as ever. "Well, even a sentence or two," said I. "Well then," said he, "just one sentence, but not a single word more." Here the catechist wanted to come forward, but I thought it better that the matter should be left between us both, so I commenced, "Suppose we were, as you say, traders in opium, which we are not, but, on the contrary, abominate the opium trade as much as, possibly even more, than yourself; but even supposing we were, remember in every trade there must be two parties, the buyer as well as the seller now take away the buyer, and "Yes," said he, interrupting me, "I know all about it: you mean to say that we are just as bad as yourselves," and off he started again with his Confucian maxims, which, read in the literary style, were to a great extent only intelligible to himself. Feeling it was hopeless to do much with him, we thought it better to let him go on, which he did for another half hour, greatly to the amusement if not the edification of his hearers. At length he suddenly came to an abrupt conclusion, put down his book on the bank, doffed his hat as before, and then dropped on his knees for another draught of the cooling beverage. When he had satisfied his thirst, and again properly adjusted himself, he slyly threw out the hint that as he had done so much, and walked so far, he felt rather hungry. "Come then," said the catechist, "to our boat; the rice is just ready, and we shall be very happy to have you to take share of it with us." So he coolly accepted the invitation, and after a long conversation with the catechist, which I hope did him good, and a hearty dinner, the worthy gentleman took his departure, entertaining, as I trust, clearer views of our objects and kindlier feelings towards us. wwwwww TRANSLATION OF THE FOUR GOSPELS INTO KURDISH. AN interesting communication has lately been received from Kurdistan. An Armenian Protestant, who was educated by the American Missionaries, and is labouring under their direction on the borders of that dis 1855.] INFANTICIDE IN INDIA. 139 trict, has been for some time past employing a portion of his time in translating the four gospels into the Kurdish language. This language, which is spoken by all the Kurds, and by many Armenians who reside among them, is said to be totally distinct from any other language of Western Asia. It has no literature of its own, and, in fact, has never been a written language. The proper Kurds are all Mahommedans by profession, though, from all accounts, many of them are quite favourably disposed towards Christianity. As they have no written character of their own, and as there are many Armenians in their vicinity who speak only the Kurdish, it was thought best to use the Armenian character in this translation of the gospels. The work is now completed, and the MS. has been sent to Constantinople to be printed, at the expense of the British and Foreign Bible Society. It is an interesting enterprise, and we hope that in this way the news of Christ's salvation may be carried to a people who have hitherto been entirely neglected, but among whom there have appeared of late many signs for good. One of the American Missionaries in that part of the country was lately visited by five or six Kurdish chiefs, some of whom spent several days with him, and they all most cordially invited him to visit them in their encampment (for they are nomades), promising to furnish him abundantly with milk, and butter, and yoghoort (soured milk), as long as he would stay among them, if he, on his part, would preach to them the gospel! He was making his arrangements to go and spend ten days in their tents. How wonderful! Surely the present is a time when the people of God in Britain and America should send up strong cries to the court of heaven in behalf of this land. [Correspondent of "The Rock." wwww INFANTICIDE IN INDIA. (From the Boston (U.S.) “Journal of Missions.") THE REV. A. H. Seeley, a Missionary of the Presbyterian Board, returned from India, has published an article in the "Foreign Missionary," upon female infanticide in India, which presents facts of painful interest. Not in India alone are the heathen found to be, too often, practically "without natural affection;" but the custom of destroying daughters has probably been carried to as great an extent in some districts of Hindostan as in any portion of the heathen world. "The birth of a son," says Mr. Seeley," is regarded by both Hindus and Mohammedans as an occasion for the greatest rejoicing. The event is celebrated by the firing of cannon, and expensive festivities, among the rich; while the report of a single matchlock of the poorest peasant proclaims the honour that has been conferred upon his family. At the birth of a daughter there is always much less rejoicing, and often none at all. No friends assemble to rejoice with the parents, or to offer their congratulations. By some the event is regarded with seeming indifference; by others, as a calamity and a disgrace. An English gentleman, writing upon this subject, says-Among the tribe of Rajputs, and especially among the rajahs of that class, the birth of a daughter in their house was considered disgraceful."" In multitudes of cases this feeling of aversion to daughters leads to murder. "In the districts of Kach and Kattiawar-in north-western India-it has been found, after the fullest and most elaborate inquiry, that the greater part of the inhabitants put their infant daughters to death without the least |