CHAOS IN CHINA.

Waikato Times, Volume 101, Issue 16966, 1 December 1926, Page 5

CHAOS IN CHINA.

TROUBLOUS TIMES. A MISSIONARY'S EXPERIENCES. Miss G. McGregor, who for some years lived in Hamilton and was a member of the Hamilton Presbyterian Church before leaving with her parents to reside in Morrinsvillc, is stalioned at Taiho, in the Auhuei province of China, tinder the auspices of the China Island Mission. As Taiho is situated very near the scene of trouble in China tho following extracts from a recent letter from Miss McGregor will probably be of interest:— "One year of the time in China has passed; by the lime six more pass (if all is well and we arc still here) I will be ready for some roast mutton, baked potatoes and apple pie, etc. The food gets very monotonous: the Chinese fruit and vegetables seem so tasteless. There is not much in the way of convenience in the kitchen, there being only a Chinese stove, but when once we get to Yingchow I'm hoping to have plenty of variety. Half the. battle will be if we go to a new house, as we. hope to do. There arc four of us here, and not one of us is any good at gardening. Ido not know where the time would come in at any rale, but every mission station worthy of tho name seems to grow its own vegetables. I wish wc did. Some of the provinces grow all sorts of delicious fruits, but somehow our corner seems to have been forgotten in that respect. Fortunately there arc plenty of eggs, and that helps a lot. "In spile of all this Taiho is a good place to be in. This province is still one of the most peaceful of all, but wo arc near to disturbances. Last Monday Miss Wallis asked our colporteur if he would go out and look for a man wc were anxious about, but lie did not want to go. He is considered the one on the compound with the most 'go' in him, but he was not wanting to go beyond the city walls. He told us the city was closely guarded — tho day before two or three men were taken outside tho city gales and shot, because they were not able to answer something on the spur or the moment. Wc have not been out at all this last week. Miss Wallis has been very keen to go out for walks, but we three have declined. I am sure it would be quite all right, but since such a close watch is kept it seems wiser to stay Inside.' The Mohammedans keep a very close guard over this city. It would be no easy thing for robbers to take possession. Wc arc wondering how the missionaries arc faring in a city over the border in Honari, two and a-half days' journey (in a barrow) away.

An Anxious Walt. "I mentioned that we were anxious about a man; he is our gate-keeper. When my friend the ' school-teacher left to continue her studies at Chowkiakow this man cscorled her. He should have been back in live days, or the most six, but a fortnight passed and nothing was heard, of them (that was why Miss Wallis thought the colporteur would go after him). "We have since heard from him. Thev are stranded at a place between here* and chowkiakow, and are unable to proceed owing to brigands and soldiers. The girl is very anxious to go lo school, but we arc half expecting (hem back any day. The letter received from the gate-keeper confirms the report that Chowkiakow has been taken by soldiers or brigands. We arc not sure which, and there are supposed lo be 2000 or 3000 killed. I hope the missionaries arc quite safe.

The Sack of Chowklakow. "I wrote the above two hours ago; since then the gate-keeper and Kua Ku-nlang have both returned. Our gate-keeper is the most faithful old chap it is possible to And. When they left us the girl was given ai letter that Florric MacDowell (one of the workers here) wished to send to her friend at Chowkiakow. The gate-keeper loft the girl at a certain place and himself went and delivered the note. He is a good old man, but as Florric said, she would not have for the world sent him into danger. We have now a letter from the missionaries there and firsthand information. The part that concerns us most is the mission compound. It has practically been burnt to the ground. The two lady missionaries hid in a room for 2J days, and their sole possessions now, as far as clothes go, arc what they stand up in. The one man missionary there has been taken at ransom. The twentyfour girls in the school and the three teachers were all taken otf, but later returned. The matron, a dear old motherly Chinese, so Miss Wallis and Florric say (they stayed there on their way home recently), made some reply to the brigands, which Ihey resented and she was shot dead. The two foreign ladies are at the best of limes very highly strung, and they say it has been indescribable. They will be going to Shanghai and will probably pass through here on the.way there in a few days.

"Weil, to return to the gate-keeper and the girl. They were thankful lo reach home again, having endured some dreadful experiences en route. At one place UlO brigands look the gatekeeper off the boat, and hound and beat him. The girl, fortunately, was hidden from view and escaped unobserved. It lias been quite a new experience for the girl, who was born on this compound, the daughter of a one-time evangelist, and has been hpre even since—bodies strewn along the way and all that kind of tiling. If it. was not for a prayeranswering Cod 1 am sure neither of them would be hero now. "The missionaries there arc Mr and Mrs Davics and Miss Poppins. The latter was in Melbourne when I was there— o n furlough after a nervous breakdown. She had furlough before her time. When Yingchowfu was taken by brigands, she was there and hid in the chapel (which we hope will be our chapel) with the other missionaries. Her nerves almost kept, her from returning lo China just lately, but the doctor passed her and said she should bo all right if she did not go to a brigand-Infested district. She arrived at Chowkiakow about a month ago and now—? I hope Mr navies is alt right. It is nothing short, of a miracle the way cur hundreds of missionaries are preserved. Life is regarded as of so little value to Hie brigands, and yet when it comes to the foreigner it seems a rase of 'hands off.' and the Lord's presence is round about His own."

(News has since been received by cable of the release of Mr Davics.)