Page:The Chinese Empire. A General & Missionary Survey.djvu/343

Rh gradually instructed in the Gospel. A great movement has also commenced among these Miao at and around Kopu/ which is eight or nine days' journey to the north-west of Anshuen, in the prefecture of Tating, and near the borders of the province of Yunnan. Many of these were baptized in the presence of a thousand or more spectators, and they have, at their own expense, built a chapel to accommodate several hundred persons. Chapels have also been built in two or three other Miao villages, which are being made the centre for regular work. At the last half-yearly meeting held at Anshuen Fu four or five hundred persons were present, about half of whom were Miao. The movement has also spread westward, and is being cared for by workers of the Bible Christian Mission from the neighbouring province of Yunnan. Missionary effort among the Chung-chia has not been so encouraging, though many of their villages around Kweiyang have been repeatedly visited and several schools opened. The Gospel of Matthew has been translated into their language by the writer, and published by the British and Foreign Bible Society, but as the scholars desire to learn to read and write in Chinese, they are not eager to have this used in the schools. For missionary work among the non-Chinese in this province it is advisable that the missionary should know something of their language, though this is not absolutely necessary, as the larger number of them can speak Chinese. We cannot remember to have met a Chung-chia man who could not speak Chinese, though doubtless there are such. Naturally a smaller proportion of the women can speak Chinese. Probably not one in three of the Miao men can speak Chinese, however. As to the prospects of missionary enterprise in this province, the workers were never so hopeful as at the present time. ^ For a fuller story of this remarkable movement see A Modern Pentecost, published by the China Inland Mission and Morgan & Scott. 3d. net.