AMERICAN :BAPTIST' MISSIONARY :qN ION.

~-------:', . MfN'UTES RESO,L,UTIO:NS,,',;

,) " "

AND ,,',

H1STORICAL REPORTS

, OF THE

-' FIFTH TRIENNIAL~C.ONEERENCE · , '. ~

j"':;

HEL:Pt~~, DIBRUGAJ;-lH,

Febl f'tia1'Y 11-19, 1899."

'--~~' ".l ,',

\ - '~.-

THE

ASSAM MISSION

AMERICAN BAPTIST MISSIONARY UNION.

MIN UTE S, RES 0 L UTI 0 N S

AND

HISTORICAL REPORTS

OF TH}t~

FIFTH TRIENNIAL CONFERENCE

HELD IN DIBRUGARH,

Feb'l'uarll 11-19, 1899.

CALCUTTA: PRINTED AT THE BAPTIST MISS ION PRESS,

1899.

MISSIONARIES PRESENT. Rev. E. W. Clark and Wife

" S. A. Perrine " " F. P. Haggard " " S. W. Rivenburg, M.D., and Wife " A. K. Gurney and Wife " C. E. Petrick " J. Paul and Wife " J. Firth "

" O. L. Swanson and Wife " P. H. Moore " A. J. Parker and Wife

Miss Lolie Daniels Rev. P. E. Moore and Wife

" J. M. Carvell and W lie " S. A. D. Boggs " " C. D. King " A. E. Stephen " " M. C. Mason

Miss Henrietta Morgan " Isabella Wilson

GUESTS.

Impur.

" K~kima. Sibsagor.

" Dibrugarh. North

Laihimp'U.r. GoZaghat. Nowgong.

" Am~ng the

Mikirs.

" Gauhati.

" Goalpara. Pura.

" "

Rev. P. R. Mackay Secretary, .Anglo~Indian Evangelisation Society.

Arthington Aborigines Mission. Mr. T. M. Johnson

MISSIONARIES ABSENT Rev. W. Pettigrew and Wife

Mrs. C. E. Petrick ') P. H. Moore

Rev. C. E. Burdette and Wife Mrs. C. D. King

" M. C. Mason Rev. W. Dring Mrs. W. Dring Rev. E. G. Phillips and Wife Miss Alice Rood

" Stella Mason Rev. I.E. Munger

Ukrul, Manipur.

Sibsagor. in the U.8. Gaukati. in the U. S. Pura.

" in the U. S.

" " " " " " en rou,te to the U. 8.

MINUJ'l1ES 01:1 IfLHE CONBErtENCE

OF 'J'HE

ASSA~f MISSIONARIES

OF 'HJ F.

AMERICAN BAPTIST MISSIONARY UNION •

. ~.~. February 11th to 19th.-1899.

Saturday; February 11th. - After dinner a prelimina.ry meeting was held at which Rev. F. P. Haggard was elected Chairman, Miss Morgan Clerk a.n.d Rev. S. A. Perrine Associate Olerk, for the Conference. Revs. J. Paul, C. D. King and Miss Wilson were appointed a Committee on Arrangements and Program; and Rev. A. E. Stephen, Mrs. S. A. Perrine and Miss Daniels a Committee on Music. It was also voted to invite all visiting brethren to sit with us in Conference. The following named were present:- Rev. P. R. Mackay, Secretary of the Anglo-Indian Eva.nge~tion Society, and Mr. T. M. Johnson, of the Arthingtop. Aborigines Mission.

Sunday, February 12th. -At 8 A. M., the usual devotiona.l meeting was led by Rey. P. R. Mackay. Scripture read, John i. 1-14; and Job xv. 4. Subject, Thou RestraineBt Prayer before God.

At 10: 30 A. M., after the reading of Phil. iii. 1.14, Rev. F. P. Haggard preached in English from the last clause of Luke v. 11: And left all dlnd follo'wed him. The original hymn composed by Dr. W. E. Witter for this Conference was sung at this serVice.

At 1 P. M., aft~rreading Ps.xix. 1-11, xv., xxxii.1-2 and.

lxxxiv. 1-7, Rev. A. K. Gurney preached in Assamese. Text, Ps i. 2. Theme, WJw is the Possessor of the Chief Wealth 1 At 4 P. M., there was bazar preaching in different parts of the town, in Assamese, Bengali and Hindi, by missionaries and native brethren.

At 7: 30 P. M., a Praise Service was led by Rev. O. L. Swanson. Monday, February 13th.-At 8 A. Mo, the devotional meeting

was conducted by Rev. S. A. Perrine. Scripture read, I Cor. xii. Subject, Desire Earnestly the Greater Gifts.

At 10: 30 A. M., reports of standing committees being called for, Rev. P. H. Moore, Treas. of the Conference Fund, presented a partial report, which was accepted. The question as to the best plan for raising funds for the next Conference was referred to a Committee consisting of Revs. S. W. Rivenburg, M. D., J. Paul and P. H. J\ioore.

After some discussion concerning titles to mission property, it was voted that certified copies of all leases or other titles to mission property be deposited with the Mission Treasurer. It was also voted to ask the Exec. Com. to confer upon some missionary in Assam a. power of attorney to enable him to act in any emergency involving mission property. A Committee consisting of Revs. A. E. Stephen, J. Paul and C. D. King was appointed to obtain from Government the most favorable conditions obtainable concerning titles to land for mission purposes.

A Committee eonsi-ating of Revs. M. C. Mason, S. A. Perrine a.nd J. Firth was appointed to define our understanding of the terms "Self-supporting Mission Churches" and "Self-supporting Mission Schools."

Rev. P. E. Moore read an obituary sketch of Mrs. Laura Amy ·Carvell. Miss Daniels read an obituary sketch, prepared by Mrs. M. C. Mason, on the death of Mrs. Helen A. Munger.

At 2: 30 P. M., the Commi~tee on Sanitarium presented the foJ.}()wing report which was adopted:-

. y 01ll' Committee on Sanitarium beg to report as follows: - Inquiries made by Mr. Phillips while in Darjeeling and inquiries concerning other sites, have resulted in suggesting four pos~ble places for a sanitarium, Viz, Da,rjeeling, f;)hillong, Impur, and Turn Top,

We find that ther~,a.te three conditions that m\lst be fouud united before we Can recommend 'the Conference to put money into a. sanitarium.

18t~It must be on a highway of travel and easy of access.

·3

2nd, It must be where a physician is located; for one does not even go for a change who is not more or lel:ls ill need of medical advice; Aud to go where a doctor is llot procurable is always unwise and often dangerous.

3rd, 'rhe cost of upkeep must not be beyond ow' ability. In the light of therieconditions we find Darjeeling and Shillong be~

yond our means, Darjeeling requiring Rs. 10,000 annually for rent I.J.}.mr a.nd Ttlra Top are about equally high, equally difficult to 119l!teh, and have a similar climate. In the cold,seasoll either can be reached by well persolls, but such a journey is out of the quetltioll for those who are seriously ill; awl

in the Rains, when we most need a sanitarium, no one not obliged to do so would attempt to re-ach either.

Weare, therefore, unable to recommend any place. at present, aR worthy ()f trial.

The Standing Commitee to Consider Applications for Appoitnment in Assam reported that one name only, that of Mr. A. J. Parker, had come before them, and that he had been appointed a mission­ary Gf the U moo..

The following Committees were then appointed: - 1. Committee on Time and Program for next Conference, Revs. S. A. D. Boggs, O. L. Swanson and J. M. Carvell; 2. Commitee to draft Constitutiolil. .and By-laws, Revs. S. W. Rivenburg, M. D., P. E. Moore and C. E. Petric:k.

The following communication from Rev. n.de 'St. Dalmas was received and referred to a Committee consisting of Revs. E. W. Clark, M. C. Mason,. J. Paul and P. H. Moore:-

DRAFT PROPOSAL REGARDING ARTHINGTON ABORIGINES MliSION, LED0..

It is proposed to transfer the ma.nagement of the Ledo Missiun to the American Baptist Missionary Union on the following terms:--

!L The -a."im. of the Mission to be ~'he same AS aeretofol'e, viz: togiwe t~ Gospel to the Singpho Tribe and to have translations of Luke, John and Acts printed in the Singpho language.

2. The cost of the Mission to be continued by Mr. Arthillgton at the ,pres­oent rate, lViz: to Mr. P. M. J ohnsoll, Rs. 100 per month and to Cecil B. Theenseeu, Rs.60 per month; - their special work being the preparation 'Of the Singpho transla.tiolls as above mentioned, and preaching to the Singphos a.nd other aboriginal tribes around Ledo--auy other workers sent to Ledo by the A. R M. U. to undertake other work, to be supported by the A. B. M. U.

3. The Mil!Sioll House at Ledo to 'be ul:!ed by Mr. J ohnso)) and by any A. ~. M. U. Missionaries W110 may be appointed to IJedo;-the cost of repair being defrayed as heretofore by the A. A. M., pending arrangements for a 'permanent transfer of the Mission. and Property.

4.. As it is hoped that the translation of the Gospels of Luke and John, and

of Acts into Singpho may be cOlnpleted within t~o yeare (If thereabottUl, by which time Mr. Johnson's five years engagement w:i1l have expired, it is felt desirable by the A. A. M. that after a few months, or years exper­iment, negotiations should be entered into for the transfer of the house and land at Ledo to the A. B. M. V. a.s a permallent Mi~sion Statiofl of t.iuit Society.

5. During the two years of 1899 and 1900, or until arangements can be made for a permanent transfer of the A. A. M. property at Ledo to the A. B. M. V., the direction of the work shall be in the hands of the A. B. M. U. a.nd funds shall be supplied by the A. A. M. without committing the A. A. M. t,) the transfer of the house and land at Ledo, and without com­mitting the A. B. M. U. to the acceptance of either Mr. Johnson as an agent, or Ledo as a Mission Station.

This scheme is suggested for tne consideration of" the A. B. M. fT. missionaries in their triennial Conference at Dibrugarh in February 1899,

in order that, if recommended by them, it may be submitted to Mr. Arth­

ington. (Signed) St. H. Dalmas.,

Sehore, C. I. February 2nd, 1899.

At 10: 30A. M., the Report from the. Garo Hills field W8iS

read by Rev. M. C. Mason. A letter of greeting from Rev. W. Dt'ing was read. Mrs. P. E. Moore read the Report from the Mikir field. At 7:30 P. M., the devotional service was led by Rev. J. M. Carvell.

Scripture read, Matt. vi. 6-13. Subject, Prayer. Tuesday, February 14th .. - The devotiona.l meeting was led by

Rev. J. Firth. Scripture read, Ps. xx. Subject, The help and st1'ength which comes th1'0 the sanctuary of God.

At 10: 30 A, M., Rev. J. Paul stated that the Dibrugarh chureh. of which Mr. A. J. Parker" IS a. member, had asked the meJ]lbers of the Conference to sit in Council with them to examine Mr. Parker v.ith a view to his ordination to the Gospel ministry; also that the church had appointed two of its members as delegates to such Conncil.

The Conference acceded to ,his request and adjourned to form a

Council. In the evening 3 social gathering took th~ place of the usual

demlional meeting.

Wednesday, February l:~f.h. At ~ A. ';\1., tIlt' de\'otinlwl meeting

was led by Rev. S. 'Y R.in:nburg, M. D: At 10: 45 A. M., a Committee consisting of Revs. itr. d. :\1 iLS~lJ1,'

p, H. Moore and O. L. f:.)wan::lOll was app'ointed to prepa.re 8,

representation of the need!') of A::;sl:Lm, to be sent to the Executiv(>

Committee. The Report from the Sibsugor field waD read by Rev. C. E. Pet,rick. The report from the North Lakhimpur field wa;; read by Hev. J.

Firth. The Report from the Golaghat field was reau by Rev. O. L.

Swanson. The Report from Pathalipam and Dibrugarh wa.!; teau by ltev'.

J. PauL .A paper on "Tea Garden Coolies" was read by He\". C. E. Petrick.

It was voted that this paper be printed in the Cunference Report. Voted, that we express to the Executive Committee at Boston our

conviction that the work at Dibrugarh begun by Rev. J. PM-u1 should be continued.

Voted, that the Committee on the Needs of Assam be requested to prepare a draft of a letter to be sent to the A. B. M. U., expressing fully the reasons for our conviction that the work in Dibrugarh should be continued.

It having been announced tha.t a contribution of Rs. 2,000 had been provisionallyoifered for the purchase of a certain bungalow

in Dibrugarh, a Commitee con~isting of Revs. E. 'N- Clark, C. D.

King and M. C. Mason was appointed to inspect said bungalow and report to the Conference as to the advisability of purchasing it tor the A. B. M. U.

At 3: 30 P. M., the following Resolutions presented by Hev. P. H. Moore were adopted:-

Wlt.ereas, the Ex. Com. of the A. B. M. U. has dil'ected the several mission conferences to make arrangements for carrying into effect the rules laid down for the language examinations of its missionaries-the said rules having been adopted by the Ex. Com. on the 22nd Nov. 1898, and published in the Missionary Magazine of Jan. 1899-therefore, Resolved:-

I. That the Assam Mission ConferellCe make the following provision for examinations in the uudermentioned languages now in use in Assam,

viz: -1. AJ;samese ; 2. Hindi; 3. Gal'o ; 4. Mikir ; 5. Ao Naga; 6. Angami Naga; 7. l'allgkhul Naga ; 8. Rabha.

II. That ill cases where not ll1<>re than two missionaries, including wives and unmarried ladies" are now using anyone of the above languages on the field, as is the case ill the Allgami Naga, Tangkhul Naga and Rabha, those two are hereby appointed a Committee for the purpose of these lan­g\ia.ge examinations; and it shall be their duty to outline a course of Ian· guage study in the prescribed vernacular for the first and second years, and to conduct the language examinations in a'Ccordance with the rules of the Ex. Com. of the A. B. M. U., and in harmony with the provisions made by this Conference and mentioned below.

III. That in cases where more than two missionaries are now using the same language, as in the case of Assam ese, Hindi, Garo and Mikir, all the missionaries using anyone of the several languages are hereby reques­ted to join in appointing 8. Committee of three from their own number for . the purpose of these language examinations. And it shall be the duty of these several Committees when appointed to outline a COl1rS'e of language studies in thei!' required vernaculars, for the first and second years; and to conduct the language examinations in accordance with the rules of the A. B. M. U., and in harmony with the provisions made by this Conference a.nd mentioned below.

In order that tIle results of these examinations may be a trustworthy index of the attainments of the examinees in the several languages, it is felt that provision ~hould be made against over-severity or over-leniency on the part of the Beveral examining Committees. It is onlyjast to the ex­aminees that the examinations in the several languages should conform to some recognized standard. It is therefore resolved:-

IV. That the Chairman of this Conference appoint a Standing Committee, coDsisting of eight members, being one representative of each of the eight languages mentioned above, and that it shall be the duty of this Standing Committee to secure the best attainable measure of uniformity in the re­quirements for e:x&IDinations in the several languages, striving to make them conform to a uniform grade of excellence.

V. That in case of a missiona.ry being required to learn any of the nu­meroml vernaculars used ill Assam, other than the eight mentioned above, it sha.ll be the duty of this Standing Oommittee, in the case of the first missionary who IUay be required to learn any other of these vernaculars, to make every effort to carry out the intentions and instructions of the Ex:. ~m. in regard to language examinations for him. In any subilequent cases in such a verua.cular, the missionary or missionaries who shall have alreaq.y acquired the said vernacular language, shall be the Committee fOl' eumiktions in that vernacular.

VI. Tha.t in case allY examinee shall appeal fl'om tIw Examining l'olilinit­tee in anyone of the tleveral languages, the anJt:al fhll lie in tI.e fhst instance to this Standing Committee, whose duty it shall be to illvestigate the matter and to endeavor to bring it to a sa,tisfactory settlement, fail­ing which they shall report on it to th(~ Executive Committee of the A. B. M. U.

In accordance with the fourth resolution above the undermen­

tioned persons were named as such Standing Committee:,- for the Assamese language, Rev. P. H. Moore j Hindi, Rev. C. E. Petrick; Garo, Rev. 1\'1. C. Mason; Mikir, Rev. P. E. Moore; Ao Naga, Rev. E. W. Clark; Angami N aga, Rev. S. W. Rivenburg; Tangkhul N'aga., Rev. W. Pettigrew; Rabha, Rev. A. E. Stephen.

Rev. E. W Clark, Chairman of the Committee to consider the advisability of purchasing a certain bungalow in Dibrugarh, repor­ted favorably and it was voted that Rev. E. W. Clark and Rev. J. Paul be authorized to purchase said bungalow in behalf of the A. B. ~I. U.

The Committee on Time and Program for the next Conference presented the following partial report:-

We would recommend: 18t, That the time for holding our conferences be fixed for Christmas week. 2nd, That the Conference be changed from a triennial to a biennial Conference, -the next Conference to meet during Christmas week in 1900.

This was adopted. The Committee to whom was referred the draft proposal of

Rev. H. de St. Dalmas for the transfer of the management of the Ledo Mission to the A. B. M. U., presented the following, which

was adopted:-Whereas, the Rev. H. G. E. de St. Dalmas, Director of the Arthington

Aborigines Mission, has sent to this Conference for its consideration, and if approved, for recommendation to our Ex. Com. at Bostou, a draft pro­posal for the transfer of the management of the Ledo Missioll to the A. B.M.U.,

Resolved:-I. That we express our hearty sympathy with the aim of the A. A. M.

to give the Gospel to the Singphos and to translate into and print in their vernacular the Gospels of Luke and J ohu, alld the Acts of the A postIcs.

II. That we thank Mr. St. Dalmas for his Christian thoughtfulness and courtesy in extending to the A. B. M. U. the proposal to transfer

the Ledo Mission to its watchcare.

8

Ill. That WP. deem it ycry desirable that 0111' owll Society, 'whIch has{ot(

years oeen workilig for this Stillle 8ingpho tribe, lmovw as Kachius 011 the nl11'ma side, should l:arry ojl the work a1ready begul1 by the A. A. M.011

t.ile Assam side. Bt'lt that ill the present depressed state of the treasury of the A. B. M. D., and the need of reiufo)'ct:lIlellt in S(J many of (JUl' stations already occupied ill Assam, it is not, ill our judgement, e~pedient that our Society should at present aSSUllle obligations to take up and carry un the work of the Ledo Mission further than funds are supplied by the A. A. M.

However in case Mi'. St. Dalmas can ReCUl'e from Mr. Arthington a sufficient financial grant to carry forward the 'Work to the point indicated above, viz., to the completion of the translation and printing of Luke, .J ohu, and Acts in the Singpho language, we as a Conference recommend to the Executive Committee of the A. B. M. D., on receipt of suitable guarantees fol' the necessary finances of the Ledo Missioll, to appoint one or more of its misiliollaries in Assam to ta.ke the oversight of the Mission, and instruct its representative thus appointed to carry out faithfully the object of the A. A. M. to the point to which Mr. ArthillgtOll'S grant shall meet all expenses.

IV That so far as we have been able to ascertain the value of the proper· ty of the A. A. M. at Ledo, we do llOt cOllsider that the prospect of ac­q uiring that property at the end of two or three years, after the objects contemplated by the A. A. M. have been accomplished, is any inducement f01' the.A. B. M. U. to assume the present management of the Mission. Our recommendation is not based on l'ny hope of acquiring the property of the A. A. M., but rather on the hope that good may be done by exer­cising the desired oversight of the use to be lnade of Mr. Arthington's funds.

V. That in making this re :-ommendation to the Executive Committee of the A. B. M. U. we recognize the self~sacrificing devotion of the present a.gents of the A. A. M. at Ledo in their difficult and trying frontier work, and pray that God's rich blessing may rest on them in the carrying on of their present undertaking, but we refrain from expressing any pres­ent judgement as to the oontinuance or conduct of the Mission after the two or three years mentioned in which it is hoped that the objects contem­plated by the A. A. M. will be accomplished.

Rev. S. A. Perrine presented his resignation as Corresponding Editor for Assam of the Baptist Missionary Review. It was voted that the resignation be accepted and that the Conference extend to Bro. Perrine a hearty vote of thanks for his past services.

Voted, that Rev. C. D. King be elected Corresponding Editor for Assam of the Baptist Missionary Review.

9

The Report from the Goalpara field was read by Hev. A. E. Stephen.

The Report from the N owgong field was read by Hey. P. H. Moore.

Voted, that a Comm itte consiRting of Mr. A. J. Parker, Mrs A. K. Gurney and Rev. C. D. King be appointed to bring in a recommendation as to the prices at which it will be advisa.ble to sell the Assamese New Testament.

At 7: 30 P: M., the devotional meeting was led by Rev. S. A. D. Boggs. Scripture read, John xv.

Thursday, February 19th.- At 8 A. M., the devotional meeting was led by Rev. E. W Clark. Scripture read, Matt. xxviii. 18-20; I Cor. i. 17, 29. Subject, Special prayer for the A. B. J-I. U.

At the breakfast table the following verses, written by Rev. P. E. Moore, were read:-

Rings 1 and rings! and rings! On our table fre.<;h and white: And they are such pretty things, They fill us with delight.

Rings! and rings ! and rings! With names in colors and gold J Whence did they come without wings 1 And where are such bought and sold 1

Rillgs ! and rings! and rings! For each of us one is named: And the letters, in color and grace, Suggest some artist famed.

At last from the mists, amI Boggs, The sweet message that was sent Comes to us out of the fogs: And the artist was Mrs. Wendt.

Loving God's work in ev1 ry place And holding the workers dear, She sent these rings of grace Our Conference meals to cheer.

To the sister dear, Ollr thanks, In Akron far a way. In God's celestial ranks May we meet her some sweet day.

10

A vote of thanks was then extended to lv.lrs. Paul Wendt, of Akron, Iowa, who so kindly and artistically painted the beautiful celluloid napkin rings brought out for our Conference by Mrs. Boggs.

At 11 A. M., the Committee appointed to bring in a recommenda­tion as to the prices at which the Assamese New Testament should be sold, presented a report recommending that the prices tentatively fixed by Rev. P. H. Moore be continued, viz., for cloth bound copies, As. 12 each j for copies in half sheep, Re. 1; for copies in full sheep, Rs. 1-4. This was adopted.

At 2: 30 P. M., according to previous arrangement, the discussion on Work among the Plains People, was opened by Rev. P. H. Moore. A general discussion followed. , It was voted that a Standing Committee of three be appointed whose duties shall be to make a study of the "Mission Education" problems of the Assam field with a view to recominending for the consideration of this Conference, a uniform system of education for all schools under the Missionary Union. Revs. S. A. D. Boggs, S. A. Perrine and P. H. Moore were appointed as such Com­mittee.

At 7: 30 P. M., the devotional meeting was led by Rev. J. Paul. Theme, Satisfaction of Soul.

Friday, February 17th.-The devotional meeting was led by Rev. M. C. Mason. Scripture read, I Cor. xiii. Subject, Love the Distinguishing Emblem of Christianity.

At the breakfast table, a hearty vote of thanks was extended to Re~. J. Paul and Mrs. Paul for their untiring efforts for the well-being and comfort of all present; to Rev. C. D. King and Miss Daniels for so ably seconding their efforts; to Mrs. Smith for supplying our table with vegetables; and to the J\lilitary au­thorities who so kindly granted us the use of the fort.

At 10: 30. A. M., The Report from the Angami Naga field was read by Rev. S. W. Rivenburg, M. D.

The Report from the Ao N aga field was read by Rev. S. A. Perrine.

The Report from the Tangkhul Naga field, prepared by Rev. W. Pettigrew, was read by Mrs. Perrine.

At 2: 45 P. }1., a paper on Woman's Work was read by Miss Morgan. This was followed by discussion.

II

The discussion previously arranged for on Tr01'h~ a,mong the Hill Tribes was opened by Rev. E. W Clark.

A Committee consisting of Revs. S. A. D. Boggs, A. E. Stephen and C. E. Petrick was appointed to consider a letter received

from Rev. R. Burges, and report to Conference recommenda­tion!'! concerning Sunday School work.

At 7: 30 P. M., the devotional meeting was led by Rev. P. E. Moore.

Saturday, Febr'uary 18th.-At 8 A. M., the devotional meeting wa.s led by Mr. T. M. Johnson.

At 10. 30 A. M., a resolution, to be sent to the Exec. Com., concerning the reduc;ion of home allowances for missionaries on furlough was passed.

The following resolution was passed:-We the missionaries of the A. B. :M. U. assembled in our Triennial

Conference at Dibrugarh, Assam, deem it a prvilege that we have been permitted to welcome as a guest at this Conference the Rev. P. R Mackay, Secretary of the Anglo-Indian Evangelization Society, and we recgnize his presence as a blessing to us all.

.As missionaries we have received many kindnesses and personal favors from the members of the community which that Society seeks to help aud bless. Some of them are in hearty sympathy with the work in which we are engaged for the native population here, and strive to help us in it. As a. community in Assam they have but few religious priyileges, and are greatly in need of such ministry as the A. 1. E. Society seeks to provide. In the eyes of the natives of the land, the Anglo-Indian community is the exponent of the Christian religion, and any failure on its part to exemplify the spirit and precepts of our Lord, reacts on our work of trying to propagate his kingdom here.

Wherefore, Resolved:-1. That we as a Conference record our hearty sympathy with the work

of the A. I. E. Society, and wish it God-speed in the blessed but exceeding­ly difficult underta.king of milli~tering to the scattered Europeans and Anglo-Indians of this land, for whom we wish the constituency of the A. I. E. Society would do far more than has hitherto been done.

2. That we express to our brother, the Rev. Mr. :Mackay, our heart-felli appreciation of his work for our fellow-kinsmen here, and extend to him the hand of 0hristain fellowship and helpfulness, praying for him, that God may grant him every blessing in this work, according to the riche8 of his grace in Christ Jesus our common Lord whose we are and whom we serve. A record of this action to be put upon our minutes, and a copy to be handed to Mr. Mackay.

-It ,,'as voted that Bros. Boggs aud King be appoiated Associate Editors to edit and print a Report of this Conference; and that they be hereby informed that it is the wish of the Conference that they be guided by the following instructions in carrying out their work:-

1. All reports of committees that have been adopted by this Conference shall be printed ill connection with the minutes of our meeting.

2. All the historical reports from the several fields, together with the obituaries and any other papers which this Conference orders printed, shall be vrinted in the Report.

3. That the Editors prepare a digest of the reports from the several fields and print it as a General View of the Present State of our Mission.

4. They shall print 1,000 copies of this Report at the expense of the Conference, and any balance of our Conference Fund which may l'e­main in hand after paying the expellses of the Conference shall 11e applied to the cost of the 1,000 copies of the Report, the remainder, if any, of the

cost of the first 1,000 copies, to be apportioned to the several members of the Conference, according to their respective salaries.

5. They shaH make such arrangements as shall secure the issue of the Report from the press before the first of April 1899.

G. They shall be instructed to send 50 copies to the Rooms of the Mis­sionary Union, 50 copies to each Distri~t Secretary, 150 copies to the 'VO­man's Societies, 150 copies to the Anniversaries at San Francisco, 50 copies extra to Dr. Witter, and 100 copies to Rev. F. P. Haggard- in all 1,000 copies.

7. They shall ascertain how many copies each member of the Confer­ence desires for himself, and print the desired number for the missionaries in additioll to the 1, 000 copies and collect from the several missionaries the cost of the number suppliec1 to them respectively.

The Conference approved the following letters prepared by the Committee on the Needs of Assam, and requested Rev. M. C. :M:ason to send a copy of each to the Executive Committee:-

From The Missionaries of Assam assembled in Conference at Dibrugarh,

To Feb. 18th, 1899.

The Secretaries and the Executive Committee of the American Baptist Missionary Union.

D('..ar Brethren,-After a close stuc1y of the needs of A:'!~am

as well as of your perplexities and hindrances, we bring to ~'Ol1 in the

"lJ8lUe or our Lord, only what seem to tm the im~tive andimmedillto n~eds of this field and ask you to send us this coming SE'aSoll:~"

1. One family for Tura to fill in part the loss incurl'ed by the departure of Bro. Phillips and Bro. Munger. 'Ihis man should have a geod medical training. As there is a house and p1a~e ready for such family this will entail but small expense.

2. One family to strengthen the work among the tea garden coolies of upper Assam, as Brothers Firth, Swanson and Paul, each will SOOIl Ileed a furlough, and either may be obliged, fur lack of streIlgth, to drop his work without delay. For this family there is a bungalow at North Lakhim­pur, where he will be able to learn the language and become acquainted with these fields.

3. A family for Kohima to be associat~d with Dr. Rivenburg and to be ready to uphold the work in case of Dr. Rivenburg's remaval. With this family there must be an appropriation of Rs. 5,000 for a bungalow.

This was our first request three years ago and is now third only because the others can be supplied at less expense.

We wish also that you bear ever in mind some further urgent needs which have been more or less before you for some time, namely:-

1. One family for the work of Goalpara, to he located at Goalpara or Dhubri, as a strengthening of Bro. Stephen's work, from which Bro. Boggs has beell taken, and from which Bro. Stephen will SOOll need furlough as he has been in the country seven years.

2. The need of strengthening the work in Manipur, where Brl). Petti­grew is working in his isr lation, as soon as permission from Go,"ernment authoritif's can be obtained and a house built.

3. The work f{)r the Miris left by Bro. Paul, the school work at Sib­Ragor left -by Misses Morgan ani Wilson, and a lady physician for Impur.

The other requests of our fo;omer Conference have in some part been supplied by changes on thtl field, and several important nl ed3 are here unmentioned only because we lack the faith to believe the iuterest of the hLn..e churches is sufficient to lead them to give the means necessary to supply these needs.

May God's wIsdom be with you and guide you tc) mpply promptly, at least the above named immediate and imperative needs.

From The Missionaries of the Assam Mission ill Conference at Dibrup-arh,

Feb. 18th, 1£99. To

The Executive Committee of the American Baptist Missionary Union.

Dear Brethren,-We being assembled and of one mind in the Lord,

aa we believe, have reached conclusions and taken certain steps regarding

i4 m18sion· \torlf ·~in· Hie· diitriht of" tliorugal·h, wnicn we ·wls11 to lay before TOU with the hope that you will approve our action a.nd strengthen our beginnings.

1. Providences brought Bro. Paul to Dibrugarh in Jan., 1898, and hAve held him here during the year, and opened before him an inter­esting work through which over 100 souls haTe within the last few months been gathered into churches.

2. He finds a very large population welcoming the Gospel, who would be without it except for the continuance of this work.

3. This district is one of the most important parts of Assam, especially as regards its rapid increase of population, the substantial development of business and the advantages of civilization.

4.. It is crossed by a rail road from west to east, and will soon be crossed by one from north to south, thus giving opportunity to reach the people ~~ the different parts of the field with comparative ease and at small expense. , 5. This is the main highway and the very gateway into the tribes of Tibet, western China and northern Burma.

6. It is the district of our first labors, by Dr. Brown, Dr. BroUl~on, and others.

7. Providence seems to indicate that Bro. Paul, who seems well adapt­ed to the work found 1}.ere, is un,.ble, as his physician says, to endure the climate of his former field.

8. And mstly, an experienced friend of mi.SiOllS on the ground, sup­plies the necesaary funds for the purcha.se of a house and compound, and the erection of needed buildings, and donates them to the Missionary Union for use in continuing this work. The necessary additona.l expense to the Missionary Union, for taking np and carrying on this important work, is therefore but little other than the annual land and municipal taxes on the property thus obtained.

We beg therefore that with as little delay as possible you express to Bro. Paul your "pproval, and your purpose to uphold this important and promi.ing undertaking.

Your Fellow-Workers in Christ, The Missionaries of the Assam Conference.

The 'following expression of greeting to a.bsent members was alidJited:-

This Confere~ce sends its warm Christian greetings to all the absent members, both,thciie in Assam and those who ha'Ve returnd to America, and would have them kno .... th,.t God has answered their prayers for this Conference, and given us a blessed sitting together in the heavenly pfaces in ·Christ .TeSlls, gUIdIng llB,llS we believe, according to his will. We

~y much ~grei' that it11coUld 'not share these delightfiiI' privii;ges with us.

n was voted that the Clerk of this Conference be requested t.o write to Rev. R. Burges, Secretary of the India Sunday School Union, expressing our regrets at his not being able to meet with us in this Conference, and assure him of onr hearty sympathy and co-operation, so far as pra.cticable, in his efforts in behalf of the children of India.

The following resolution was passed, and the Clerk was instrut­ed to send a copy to Mrs. Duncan, and one to the Executive Committee:-

Resol ved, That we, the members of the Assam Mission Conference, impelled by the love he bore us to put on record a minute concerning our beloved and lamented Foreign Secretary, the late Rev. S. W. Dunca.nJ

D. D., adopt the following:-It was with high hopes, eager expectations, a.nd great anticipations of

profit to the work ill which we are engaged in Assam, that we looked for­ward to the coming of Dr. Duncan to Assam, and his presence with us in this Conference. When word reached us that he was too ill to continue his journey, and was compelled to leave his steamer at Port Said our hearts sank within us, hecause of the foreboding that our hopes of seeing him here were to be frustrated; and when we knew of his reluctant return to America. without visiting OUT Missions, and of his death, a feeling akin to dismay overshadowed us.

We feel that we have lost a loved and trusted leader and a personal friend. Some of us have not seen his face in the flesh, but can truly say of him ''Whom not having seen we love." Without attempting here any history or characterization of him as a man, we wish to bear this simple testimony; that his letters were an inspiration to us, full as they were, of sympathy and helpfulness. They put us on our mettle to do our best, and led us to feel that greater possibilities were before us. In him we knew our Mission had a steadfast friend, and his appreciation of our efforts and difficulties, so outstanding in all he wrote, drew us to him in a peculiar way. The tact and transparent love that characterized all his communications to us bound us to him in true affection. In his death we feel that Assam has lost oue of her best friends. To Mrs. Duncan and her family we feel peculiarly drawll in this their great sorrow and ours. The Missionary Union has our prayers, in the sore affliction that his death 'has entailed on our Society, that our leaderg may be specially guided and sustained at this time.

A copy of this resolution to blil forwarded to Mrs. Duncan, and one to the Executive 0..ommittee.

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. The .. C~ttoo _ :q>pointed .. ¢o ~efine Our !lnc1ersta.ndi~ of the terms "Self-supporting Mission Churches" and "Self-supporting Mis­sion Schools," presented the following, which was adopted:-

Your Committee begs to report as follows:-By the term "Self-supporting Mission Church" we understand a

church which was founded thro the agency of mission work, and which attends tv the regular work of couducting its religious meetings, looking after the needs of its members individually and of the body as a whole, and bears all the experuses of such work.

We remark that according to this defn:tion, a church that is dependent upon the missionary for the conduct of its religious meetings, or which depends in part upon the contributions of missionaries, or other outside sources to defray its expenses, is not a self-supporting church . . By "Self-Supporting Mission School" we understand a school that is under mission supervision, all the necessary expenses of the school being covered by the income from the tuition, fees, and the contributions of the pupils or their parents and guardians and the legitimate constiuency of the school, without aid from the Mission, the Government, or any other outside sources.

Concerning the heading "Schools Entirely Self-supporting" in our statis­tical forms we beg to remark that the great diversity of our several fields regarding school work seems to us to make it impossible to enter any of our aided schools in this column without much misunderstanding. There are people, especially readers of our missionary periodicals who regard the use of the money of the Missionary Unoin for the school work, the chief thing to be avoided; and that a school should be regarded as self-supporting when it gets along without the use of Missionary Un.on money, even tho it obtains money from missionaries, Government, or elsewhere; there are other readers whose chief desire is to see our Mission schools entirely independent of State aid, and they do not re~ard Mission schools as self-supporting until they are entirely in­dependent of all State aid.

In no two of our fields are schools supported and conducted in just the same way. In Manipur, Bro. Pettigrew at the requer'lt of Government superintends all the educational work of the Manipur state. The Gov­emment supplies the funds for the schools, but 'I a part of the field, viz, in schools for Manipuris, limits Bro. Pettigrew'S religious work to supplying the printed Gospels to the pupils. In the Naga Hills, Bro. Perline has charge of schools that are supported partly by Government aid and partly by native contributions. In Nowgong,. Bro. Moore sUJ-e] intends schools supported entirely by Government grant-in-aid tho a part of the schools are taught by non-Christian teachers.

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In Kamrnp most of the Mission schools are supported by a grant-in-aid to each ~chool, supplemented by native contribu~o~s; while in the Garo Hills field the Government grant and MISsIon appropriations are unite~ in a common .fund, ~m which a.i~ is O'iven to some schools whICh supplement It by their own contribu­tions. A few other schools' are supported entirely by their own contributions without outside help.

III each field the missionary who superintends the schools has the <Lpproyal of the Conference in the course he takes; but it is mislead­ing to classify under one head these different schools. Accordingly we as a Conference recommend that in filling in the blank form sup­plied to us by the A. B. M. U. for annual statistics, only such churches and schools be entered in the columns headed" Entirely Self-support­iug" as conform to our understanding of the meaning of those terms as noted above.

It was also voted that our Clerk send a copy of this recom­mendation of the Conference to the Executive Committee of the A. B. M. U. with the request that they inform us whether it was their intention in sending us the statistical blanks for annual reports, that only such churches and schools as we have indicated should be entered in the columns headed "Entirely Self-support­ing"; and if not, that they inform us what is their understanding of these terms.

The Committee on Sunday School Work brought before the Conference the request of Rev. R. Burges concerning the forming of an auxiliary of the India Sunday School Union. After preli­minary discussion it was voted that this Committee be continued as a Standing Committee to correspond with Mr. Burges; and have power to act in this matter until the meeting of our next Conference.

The following Resolutions were passed :-

Resolved, that we a.re uncompromisingly opposed to the manufacture and sale of opium save for medical purposes.

Resolved, that we· are uncompromisingly opposed to the use of any intoxicant as a beverage.

At 3 P.M., the Committee to propose a plan fol' raising funds for the new Conference presented the following, which was adopted :-

Resolved, that we make preliminary provision toward the expenses of the next Conference by each member who expects to attend sending Rs. 22-8 to the Mission Treasurer two months before the time fixed for the Conference, and th&t this sum be returned if the member does not attend.

Rev. P. H. Moore and Rev. A. E. Stephen were requested by the Conference to endeavour to appoint a colporteur to work on

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the' Aesg,m Riv-er Stealliers, and ·to secure means f<>r C8.l'rying on this work.

It was voted that th9 transport expenses of the members of the Conference from and to the steamer ghat, be defrayed from the Oonference Fund.

'l'he Conference resolved itself into a Committee of the whole for the purpose of discussing the Unification of the Educational Work in Assam.

Voted, that :MI"S. S. A. Pen-ine, Mrs. S. A. 0-. Boggs and Rev. A. J. Parker be appointed a Oommittee on 1vfttsicfor the next Conference.

At 8p~M:., the devotiona:l meeting' was led bY'Rev. C. D. King. Subject, Worship.

Sunday, February 19th.-At I P.~r., a service was held at which Re'V. P. RI. Macka.y preached. Text, Matt. xi. 6. The Conference Hymn "" as sung at this service a.lso.

At 7 P.M., a letter of greeting from Mrs. W. Dring was read. It was voted that the following Minute concerning the ordina­

·tion of Mr. A. J. Parker be incorporated in the Minutes of our 'Conference; viz. :-

That at the call of the Dibrugarh Baptist Ohurch, of which Mr. Parker is a ll'lember, a council consisting of the members of the Con­ference and two delegates' from the Dibrugarh Church was organized. with Rev. E. W. Clark, Moderator, and Rev. S. A. D. Boggs as Clerk: that the council, after due examination recommended to the Church that Mr. Parker be ordained; and that on Sunday, February 19th, 1899, Mr. Parker was solemnly ordained, the exercises being as follows:­Invocation, Rev. A. K. Gurney, Reading of Scrip'ture, Rev. A. E. Stephen; Prayer, Rev. P. R. Mackay; Sermon, Rev. S. A. D. Boggs; -Ordaining Prayer, .Rev. C. D. King, assisted in laying on of hands by Rev. E. W. Clark and Rev. A. K. Gurney; Charge to Candidate, Rev. s. A. Perrine; Right Hand of Fellowship, Rev. P. H. Moore; Benedic­tion, Rev. A. J. Parker.

At 7-30 P.M., the closing evening meeting was led by Rev. A. J. Parker, and took the form of a Testimony and Pl'8.ise SCI'vice.

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TR1 ENNIAL REPORTS-1896-98.

REPORT FROM THE SIBSAGOR FIELD.

By Rev. O. E. Petrick.

At the time of the last Conference at Sibsagor we ha.d two mis­sion families on the Sibsagor field: Mr. a.nd Mrs. Gurney and Mr. and Mrs. Swanson. Mr. Swanson was transferred to North Lakhimpur in October 1896. We arrived at the end of 1896. In December of 1897 we had the pleasure of welcoming Miss Wilson and Miss Morgan as co-workers in Sibsagor. They took chalrge of our School and Sunday School. Both institutions were in a very flourishillg condition when the ladies left for Darjeeling in August 1898, soon to be transferred to TUl'a. Since then the School work has been carried on as well as possible under the circumstances.

My chief work has been as in formel' years among the im­migrant population both in gardens and in villages. The work has grown steadily as in former years. We have IlOW 12 churches on the field,-lO Kol churches, 2 Assamese churches. Since the 1st October 1898, I have stopped paying any preacher in the district, except for direct evangelistic work. In this way all our churches have become independent of Mission support. Each church has a man able to conduct its services. They do not get a fixed or guaranteed salary, but just what each church is willing to give in free-will offerings and collections. This arrangement caused some dissatisfaction, but now there is no unkind feeling. Those who are willing and able to work as evangelists, touring and working in other places, are hel ped by me. The expenses for preachers have never been high. During ]897, I paid Rs. 423-12; and in 1898, Rs. 550-2 for preachers' allowances.

The second Assamese Church was organized in October 1897. We got an opening among the Assamese in Domgaon near Tiok in the Jorhat subdivision. We baptized seven there in 1897 I thought it best to have them, from the beginning, an independent organization, and not get them into the habits of the old Assamese churches. So these seven members were organized into a church. Four Assamese members in Tiok joined the new church by letter. In 1898, we again baptized seven, and in 1899 we have baptized. two; one has been excluded. Some more Assamese are waiting for baptism at Domgaon.

TheSibsagor AssameseChurchhas 57 members.; 46 of these are· Assamese or half-As~ame8e.

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In 1896 the number of baptisms was 79 ; in 1897, 32; in 1898, 70. For the three years the total number of baptisms was 181. By letter we received two. During the t,hree years' 36 died, 18 were excommunicated, 7 were dismissed by letter. We baptized 15 in January 1899. Our present membership on the field is 652.

REPORT FROM THE NOWGONG FIELD.

(NOT INCLUDING THE WORK OF THE MIKIR DEPARTMENT.)

By Rev. P. H. Moore.

THE MISSIONARIES.

At onr Conference at Sibsagor six Missionaries were reported as on the Nowgong field at the end of 1895. Mr. and Mrs. P. H. Moore, Mr. and Mrs. P. E. Moore, and Mr. atld Mrs. J. M. Carvell. Of these Mrs. Carvell was glorified on the 1st of Augnst 1897. Both as Miss Laura A. Amy and as Mrs. Carvell she left a record of true devotion, deep consecration, and superior ability as a missionary; and we all felt deeply the loss of a true yoke-fellow. During the year 1896 she continued to have charge of the Women's Department of the work in the station at Nowgong, and from February 1897 was with her husband in the Mikir Hills, where she had already at the time of her death, made a large place for her­self in the work. As our programme makes other provision for a tribute to her memory, this report need not speak further of her and her work, though memory lingers lovingly on her noble Christian character and career.

On the 14th of October 1898 Mrs. P. H. Moore left Nowong for America,-to recruit her health. The other four of the six mission­aries mentioned above have been at their several posts throughout the three years, except that Mrs. P. E. Moore was in Darjeeling for· about three months in 1896, and again absent a few weeks in the spring of 1898 in Calcutta and Tura, her husband going with her to the latter place for about three weeks. During the snm­mer of 1896, P. E. Moore and J. M. Carvell, and families lived in the station, but since then they have their head-quarters among the .Mikirs in the Hills and we have seen very little of them in Nowgong.

Miss Lolie Daniels and Miss Alberta Sumner were sent by the W~ S.W.in 1896 to take up the work of the Women's Department, which Mrs~ Carvell must'leave to join her husband among the Mikirs.: They arrived at Nowgong on the 24th of November 1896, and. from February 1897, when Mrs. Carvell left for the Hills, as­sumed charge of that department.

Dnring the most of'1896-97 Messrs. T~ M. Johnson and 'R: W­Williams of the A. A. M. were living in Nowgong, studying

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Assamese preparatory to going forward to work among one of the tribes on the frontier of Assam-and in January 1897 they were joined by Messrs. Edgar Grout and A. J. Parker of the same Mission. After the severe earthquake of June, 1897, :Misses Morgan and Wilson, being without a house in Ga.uhati, came to Nowgong for shelter, pending other arrangements, and were there for about three months. During tha.t time there were ten mis­sionaries in the station and we much enjoyed the privilege of Christian fellowship in our weekly Missionary prayer-meetings. During the summer of 1896, Mr. Johnson conducted a service in English weekly on Sunday afternoons, preaching to the EUl'opeaps and English-speaking natives. During the summers O.f 1897 and 1898, Mr. Parker took up and carried on this service, but at longer intervals, holding the meetings once in two, three or four weeks for most of the time. As my time and strength have not allowed me to carry on services in English, I was very glad and thankful that these brethren came forward to preach at these services, which were held in. a.ur Mission Cha.pel, and which we had the privilege of attending'.

In October 1897, Messrs. Johnson and Williams left Nowgong with a view to proceed (after a short vacation at Darjeeling) to' take up at Ledo their work for the Singphos. In the same month Mr. Grout died, leaving only Mr. Parker of the four men.

Mention of these missionaries of another society is made here, both becR.use of the service they rendered in conducting the meet­ings in English, while temporarily residing at Nowgong to study Assamese, preparatory to going forward to their work on the frontier, and because it leads up naturally to the story of Mr. Parker joining the A. B. M. U. In March 1898, after he had Been the working of our Mission in N owgong for more than a year, he sent to Rev. E. W. Clark, Chairman of the Committee appointed at Sibsagor to consider the applications of candidates on the field, his application to join the A. B. M. U. as one of its mission­aries in Assam.

The Committee took the matter into consideration and corres­pondence between its widely-scattered members lasted till July, ,when the application, together with Mr. Parker's credentials and the correspondence between the several members of the Committee in Assam, was sent to the Foreign Secretary in Boston. Late in August Dr. Duncan cabled the reply, "Parker accepted." As I .had particularly requested that Mr. Parker be designated as my associate at Nowgong, his appointment was to me the occasion for special joy and gratitude.

On the 8th of September, 1898, he and Miss Alberta Sumner were married at our N owgong Mission Chapel, and from the 1st of October, he entered on his work as a missionary of the A. B.M. U.

On thellth of December, 1898, Mr. Parker's sister, Miss Alice

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.11. Parker, arrived at N owgong from London, to reinforce the­work among- th:e Mikirs. On the 13th of December, she was married to Rev. J. M.. Carvell, at the Nowgong Mission Cbapel, mnd on the 19th they proceeded to theil' home at the Mikir head~ quarters. We know assuredly that God's guiding hand led Miss Parker to this field, and it is with deep joy and sincere thanks­giving that we record her coming to us.

Thus the end of the period under review finds us with eight missionaries on the field for all the departments,-P. E. Moore­and wife, and J. M. Carvell and wife for the Mikirs; P. H. Moore,. A. J. Parker and wife, and Miss Daniels for Assamese and other­wOl'k aside from the Mikirs-Mrs. p, H. Moore being in America.

THEIR WORK.

Literary work has been prominent in the period now undet' review, as it was also in the former three years. My own work in this line was the completion of the revision of the New Testa­ment in Assamese, during the summers of 1896 and 1897, and printing it as revised. 'l'his fifth edition of the Assamese New Testament was printed in Calcutta, and it took my whole time from November 1897 to March 1898 to see it throug-h the press, 1,548 copies were printed and a'stock has been supplied to all our stations where Assamese is used.

While the New Testament was in the press I made an unsuc­cessful attempt to get a consensus of opinion from our missionaries, in regard to the prices at which our new edition should be sold. Failing to learn the mind of our missionaries, on my own respon­sibility I fixed the prices at J'2 annas per copy in cloth binding, Re. 1 in half sheep, and Re. 1-4 in full sheep. I call these compromise prices, since on the one hand there is the desire to­put the prices of our Assamese Scriptures on the same level with those in other languages used ill our field-and on the other hand the opinion prevails in some quarters that the people should pay the full cost price of the books that we supply them. As the­whole Bible in Ben~ali sells for Re. 1 and the New 'J.1estament for­S annas a copy, in full sheep binding, the people naturally inquire why they are asked to pay Re. 1-4 for the New Testament alon~t in Assamese-and yet Re. 1-4 does not pay the cost of the mere paper, printing and binding of the book, to say nothing of other expenses incurred by the Mission in getting it out. I am selling the New Testament in Hindi and Mundari at 5 annas a copy in cloth binding-and these prices cover all the cost of the books to­me, landed in Nowgong.

At the same ,time I ask 12 annas for the New Testament in Asiamese in cloth covers. Doubtless this disparity in the prices­of the New Testament in Assamese and in the other languages circulating side by side, is areal hindrance t-o getting it widely

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circulated, and 1 would be thankful for an expression of the ()pinion of the Conference on the question whether the priceR men­tioned above should be adhered to for the Assamese New Testa­ment in the several bindings.

Mrs. P. H. Moore has translated into Assamese a little book flntitled "The Acts for Childrell." This is really a continuat.ion of the" Peep of Day" which she last issued, "The Acts for Children" extending the New Testament history beyond the point where it is dropped in " Peep of Day." She hHd the copy ready for the press before she left for America, but has not been able to print tbe book yet.

The literary work of }\;Jr. and Mrs. Parker, and Miss Danie]"" has very naturally been the study of the Assamese Language. In April um8 they passed a. very creditable first year' 8 examina,· tion in Assarnese, and are now prepal'ing for their second year's Examination.

EVANGELISTIC WORK.

"The literary WOl·k mentioned above has so fl111y taken my time -and strength, that much direct evangelistic work which I long to do, 'has been left undone. Last year I was absent from my field during the whole cool season, a.ttending to the printing of the New Testament, in Calcutta; and this season the repairs on ·our bungalows and chapel have interfered very largely, t.o pre­vent my touring work.

With reference to our native evangelists, I made an attempt t.o secure more work from them, with the result that they gave up their appointments as evangelist.s; so at present I have no native -evangelists in Mission employ.

In the Women's Department one or two Bible-women have been employed at intervals, but none of them have been at the work ·continually dUJ'ing the whole three years.

Their work is confilled almost exclusively to the station and vicinity. The grea.t mass of the people in the villages have Hot been reached. I mention this fact with sincere SOlTOW.

SCHOOL WORK.

The Station School, for both boys and girls, is the ceutre uf much Christian teaching. It was under Mrs. Laura Amy Ca.rvell'A ·supervision during 1896. Since then Miss Daniels and Mrs. Parker (nee Miss Sumner) care for it, and give to it such time as they can spare from their study of the language.

There is a boarding" department for girls in which are about a ·dozen pupils most of the time. 'fhe care of these . is no small task.

During the past three years there have beet) nO stipends paid to boys,butbesides the station boys who attend, a few village boy~,

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have attended the school, doing work to earn their way, and living in the boys' dormitories.

The Bible is, of course, one of the regular text-books. An Assamese man and his Assamese wife a.re the head pandit a.nd assistant pandit respectively. He is very fairly successful in passing his pupils in the Government Examinations, and is equally earnest and apt in giving them Bible instruction. So that in this school a COli stant course of Scripture teaching is kept up and reaches most of OUI' young people in the station.

There is an Upper as well as Lower Primary De.partment. The following table shows the attendance for the thl'ee years, and the resnlt of the Upper and Lower Primary Examinations :-

Table showing attendance at Nowgong Station School.

I Amount of Total pnpils on Average on the A verage daily Govt. Grant. YEAR. the rolls, 31st rolls for the attendance. in-aid allowed March. year. the school.

1895-96 ... 37 41'3 34'6 Ra. 120 1896-97 ... 34 36'9 29'2

" 120

1897-98 ... 31 38'7 29'2 "

120

Table showing results of GOVB?'nment Examinations in NOUJgong Station School.

EXAMINATION AND YEAR.

I

· Number who appeared 1 at the Examination.

----I Upper Primary, 1895-96 ...

" 1896~97 ... I

1897-98.t • I

EXAMINATION AND YEAR.

Lower Primary, 1895-96 ... " " 1896-97 ...

1897-98 ...

5 3 2

Number who appeared at the Examination.

7 2 2

Number who passed the Examination.

2 1 1

Number who passed the Examination.

6 2 2

The Missionary id still Secretary of the Hill Tribes Mission, Schools, which are wholly supported by Government Grant-in-ajd. These Schools are intended for the people in backwal'd parts of -the district, especi.ally the Hill people, Mikirs, Kacharis, La1ungs~

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Hajais, &c. Their work during the three years has been much hindered by the prevalence of Kala-azar and has not been It source of much satisfaction. Only two or three of the pandits are Ohristian, even in name, and the schools, as a whole, are worth to us as a :M:ission, very little, except as centres where we have a local standing and come into a nominal relation to the people, when we visit the schools for inspection.

Had we the consecrated Christian teachers, these schools would be a really valuable department of our work.

The appended table gives the statistics of these village schools for the three years.

1

1

1

Table showing nurnber of H. T. M. Schools, and attendance during the three years,

Amount paid

Number Total pupils Average on Average to Teaohers from

YEAR. of on the rolls the rolls for daily Government Schools. on 31st March. the year. attendance. Grant·in-Aid. ------

895.96 '" n 257 248'5 188'7 Rs. 7C1l 14 0

896·97 , .. lD 203 202'5 150'7 "

740 00·

897-98 .. , 8 134 142'9 108'7 "

555 00

THE CHURCHES.

These are still three in number-the same as three years ago. There have been no marked changes in the Station Church. The unordained pastor, Bapuram, and the evangelist, Sikon have been maintained during the whole time.

The grant-in-aid of Rs. ]2 per month to help in the support of Bikon, has been reduced by Rs. 2 eaoh year, till it is now Rs. 6 only. This is two-fifths of his pay, im.tead of four-fifths, as it wa.s when the grant was begun. The contributions from the missionaries continue to be the largest part of the weekly collec­tions-so that the church work is still largely maintained by foreign money. I regret that I have not been able to seoure the exact figures on this point, called for by our resolution at the Sibsagor Conferenoe. I have not known the amounts put into the collections by the missiona.ries of the A. A. M., while they were at Nowgong,- so could give only approximate figures, which might not be very near the mark.

-While there have been accessions to this church each year, its spiritua.l condition leaves much to'be desired. A deeper spiritual­ity is the essential remedy for much tha.t now causes sorrow.

26

Personally I have been led to pray more earnestly and constantly of lat.e that God's people may be h01y, an.d separate from sinners.

The Sunday School and weekly Pr.ayer-meeting have heen regularly maintained. But the Sunday School which was started especially for non-Christian children in a part of the station some distance from our cbapel has not been kept up. After It time the t,eacher failed to keep up the attendance, and the school stopped. However for most of the time Mrs. Moore kept up her little Sunday School by the wayside, and a part of the time she has 'bad two of them in hand in different parts of the station and on -different evenings in the week.

During the summer of 1898 Miss Daniels and .Mrs. Parker arranged some occasional meetings for the young people, and allowed me to have a part in them whenever I was in the station.

The U dmari church was served by one of its own members, Simeon, who was its unordained pastor for about two years. He resigned this position, as he said he could notgive the required time for the small remuneration, and last spring the church '3.ITanged with Markas, a man who had recently come there and who is able to read and write fairly in Hindi, to serve them as their unordained pastor. Since .Tune 1898, the Mission has been paying this church also a grant-in-aid. But in this instance it is toward the salary of the pastor and is only Rs. 3 per month for one year, after which it is to be reduced or entirely withdrawn. I have been able to visit this church, and also the Balijuri church only about once in three months, and administer baptism 3nd the Lord's Supper. I do not feel that I enter very funy into the life of the church, flS 1 do not understand the Mundari language, which is the vernacular of most of the people, and the language in which they conduct ·most of their meetings. But I have feared that the mercenary .spirit prevailed there more than formerly. I have felt increasingly the need of godly and trained leaders for these people.

The Balijurichurchhas been a heavy burden of soul £01' most ·ofthe time during the past three years. Nehemiah, who waF; their unordained pastor three years ago, .Ieft the church in 1896 under a cloud. 'j'he church was split into two factions over him, .and much bad blood has been stirred and the Name dishonored.

Nehemiah went to Serampore College a.nd tried to enter on a course of study there. Later he returned to .his country, Obota N'agpur, from whence he has been writing letters t.o different members of the c.hurch, urging them on in the wrong COUl'se they were ta~g ov.er his case.

About :half of the members ceded from the church and huilt a chapel for themselves about one-fo~rth of a mile ·from the &.lijlU'i chapel. Theya.pplie<tl tathe S.P. G. at Tez.p~lr to join tha.t 'Mission on the pretext tha.t ,the Baptist MissiQU 4;id Dot ~p .~ wi$ money,. ~eachel'8, ,etc. A man from the S. P. G. is now

27

w.itb ,taemas their teacher and leader. Pet'sona.1 ambitioll has lIeen a not small factor in this .sad church quarrel.

It seems that about one-half the members of the churoh went out from us, following a few personal leaders. 'Vhat the final antcome will be, I cannot foresee. I am satisfied that personal conviction on the points of difference between Baptists and Church of England people, has had very Jittle to do with thil'l $J:lcession from the church at BalijUl·i. The present, sad state of the oase there is another evidence of the need of suitable teacherfil and leaders for our Ko} brethren.

I feel that the evangelistic work in my department has suffered because so much of my time and strength has been occupied with literary work, and the satisfaction at having a new edition of the New Testament is qualified by the loss that the other depart­ments of the work have sustained.

But we feel that" now our station is fairly manned and no great, undertaking is now on our hands to divert us from the direct evangelistic work in the immediate future.

So we plan to push on that work and try to recover some of the loss that has been sustained.

Table showing rec01'd of Ohurches in Nowgong Dist"ict for Th1'ee Years.

,~ I I:l

'6'0 CD

,..Q ... YEAR. Name of Church. ~ ~

1896

1897

Nowgong Udmari Balijnri

Nowgong Udmari Balijnri

1898 Nowgong Udmari Balijnri

I~ ~ 10< CD

~~ ~~ ~

58 7 31 27 76 6

60 53 75

6 4 8

55 6 53 10 77 11

2

4. 5 4

3 3

2 4 6

2 9 55 1 53 3 77

116 250

1 62 92 225 61 21 7 82 7

I

170 ! 536

I I

90 i 4()7

30 I' 5t-l 23 30

I

N,au.-The amounts against the Nowgong Church in the column ." From other sources in the field" include the oontributions fr<ml the

28

A. A. Missionaries who were in N owgong at the time. I was not able· to ascertain the amount of these: but probably the actual native' con· tributions have not varied much from Rs. 50 to Rs. 60 each year.

The 82 members of the Balijuri Church at the end of 1898, include about 40 members who have ceded to the S. P. G. But as yet the church has taken no formal action on their names.

This table shows only 18 baptisms in 1897. But three young Mikir· men were baptized that year, at the Mikir Head Quarters at Observ· atory Hill; so the total number of baptisms for that year was 21. It was proposed to organize a church at Observatory Hil1, and two Mikir members were dismissed by letter from the N owgong Church in 1898, to join the new church there. However, the new church has not yet been formally organized; so does not appear in this table,. and those five Christians are not included in the totals here given.

REPORT FROM THE GAUHATI FIELD.

By Rev. O. D. King.

THE MrSSIONARlES.

At the time of our Sibsagor Conference there were two mis­sionary families and two young lady missionaries in the Gauhati field.

In April 1896, Mrs. King left for America. After the earth. quake of June 12th 1897, Miss Morgan and Miss Wilson were· obliged to seek shelter elsewhere.

In March 189B, Mr. Boggs was transferred from Goalpara to Gauhati. Prior to this he had given assistance for two months,. as Bro. Stephen had also done for one month, in teaching in the Station School, after the earthquake. Mrs. Boggs has now rejoined her husband, having I'eached Gauhati from America, on the 1st of this present month, February 1899.

There are now on the field Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Burdette, Mr .. and Mrs. S. A. D. Boggs, and Mr. C. D. King.

OUR· SCHOOLS.

These consist of the Station School and the Village Schools. The Station School in Gauhati is a most important agency for'

the development of the churches, and the carrying on of Christian work in our district-all the more 80 because we have in this. district no native workers supported by, or assisted by the Mission.

The whole work centering in the existing churches must depend very largely on the character and qualifications of the men who receive training in the station school.

It· is with gratitude therefore that we record our conviction that this school has in the past done a most valuable work, and 'is at present in a prospe~'ous condition.

29

When it is remembered that the pupils in this school are the flower of the churches and of the village schools and are, with the exception of a few who provide for their own support, selected, and supported in school, by the churches, and that the churches also pay the salary of the one (Garo) pandit who assists in carrying on the school, it wiIl be seen that the conditions are favorable for a keen interest in the good of the school and of the pupils, on the part of all the membership of the churches.

The Village Schools, of which there are 16, are still more distinctively a part of the regular church work, and if possible, more vitally connected with the very life of these churches.

The teachers are members of t.hese churches, and are chosen and appointed by the churches. The school houses, as well as all church buildings, are built by the Christians, or in some cases by the village as a whole. As a rule each school receives a small grant-in-aid from the Government. All other expense is borne by the village or by the Christian portion of the village in which the school exists. But at the recent Associational meeting of the churches, held only one week before the sitting of this present Conference, provision has been made by the Christians for a fund for the support of one or more teachers to be sent to important heathen villages where it is thought wise to begin Christian work without waiting for the village to declare itself willing to bear the cost of its own school. This new work will be undertaken with the hope and expectation that the Christian teacher, being welcomed by the younger men, will have their moral support and will find among them an acceptance for the Gospel, as weH as for education, even where because of the opposition of the older men it would be difficult to get the village to assume at first the cost of opening a school.

Tho work of these sixteen existing schools during the last three years has been less satisfactory than it would otherwise have been, because of the lack of properly quali£ed teachers. And the churches, as well as the missionaries, are made painfully aware that until the station school can supply more men and men more fully equipped, there can be but little advance either­in the number of schools or in the quality aud extent of the work done in these schools.

THE CHURCHES.

No new church has been formed during these three years. There are five churches, including the station churoh.

Besides the keeping up of their work in their own oommunities~ the churches have sought to provide at least one man to give his whole time to the work of an evangelist among the heathen about them. But in 1896 their funds were so short and their obliga­tions so great that no evangelist was appointed that year. In 1897 they were prepared to appropriate the necessary funds, but

30

-a. 8.uitable man could not befonnd for this work. During 1898 an evangelist has been support,ed by them. And at their recent Association they have decided ,to support two this year. One of ,these is to be supported by the separate contributions of ·the women of the four Garo churches.

'l'ke Primti11g Press, is also an enterprise which the churcheR "Su:pport. They maintain two trained (Garo) printers, and also require their stipendiaries in the station school to work two bours a day in the press, under the superintendence of the missionary.

SUNDAY SCHOOL VVORK.

Much att,ention has been given to Sunday School work. And much urgency has been used in stimulating a spirit and habit of personal study of the Bible. Memorizing of passages, short or long, ha,s been encouraged. The idea has been kept before the Christians that to know the Scripture should be their distinct ,.im and purpose, and that to know just what the Scripture says is preliminary to understanding what it means, or to using it effectively. Some encouraging evidences that this idea is finding a, lodgment and is bearing fruit, have been met with.

Since the visit of Rev. R. Burges in the early part of last year, our Sunday Schools in Kamrup have been more closely affiliated with the India Sunday School Union.

Lesson Leaflets in Assamese have been prepared by Yr. Burdette, with gratuitous assistance, and issued from our press. This has involved no small amount of persistent effort. It is hoped these leaflets will come to be a real help to good teaching in all Sunday Schools in which the Assamese language is used, and that their usefulness win compensate for the labor involved in producing them.

THE EARTHQUAKE.

No report of our work for these last three years would be trnly characteristic of this period or be properly understood without constant reference to the earthquake of June 12th 1897 We who have been on the rround through all these subsequent months have frequently been led to thank God anew that in HiR providence and by His grace RiR work in our district nas been !preserved from falling entirely to the ground.

In many ways the work has been seriously inteI1rnpt,ed. Thp total and instanta.neous loss of all our houses and our chapel, iogether with the wI'eck of schoolhouse, .press buildinl! a.nd other ont-offices, would have been in itself a seriouB interruption.

In addition to this there was the effect on our missiqnary force. Tl) begin with, we were robbed of apa.r.t of onrnum bel'. Mis~ Morgan and Miss Wilson, whose work was already blossoming forth ~ost helpfully and cheeringly, were obliged to "leave Ga.u-

31

hati, and aTe still away. The effect of exposure and mental strain on' some of us who remained was severe, but was in Gotf"s providence not permitted to result in complete incapacity for continuous plodding.

The work of the station school and of the press was of course interrupted: for a few weeks; but to the credit of the pupils it must be said, that though their own families and their own village friendl were known to be suffering loss and distress, and though' these pupils like ourseh"es were filled with anxiety, which was much increased by the impossibility of quickly hearing from home, they remained with us, and with their own hands assisted in the laborious task of digging out what could be saved from our fallen houses.

Our meetings were for a time held in a small teut, which also had to serve as dining-tent for the missionaries.

In the villages, the Christians suffel'ed much through the loss of their cultivable land by altered conditions and by floods. This also led to perplexity as to the abandoning of old village sites and the selection of new. And to some extent the Christians have been scattered. The problems as to where to establish themselves are not yet fully settled for aU. But throughout all these trying experiences they have maintained their Christian faith and courage, have exemplified Christian fortitude and unity, and have continued to maintain their Chris­tian enterprises.

The providential and opportune coming to us of MI'. Boggs was a wonderful source of encouragement and strength. It brought a new element of strength into the station school, of which he has assumed the entire supervision; and it enabled us to carryon every department of our work, including of course the arduous work of collecting materials, and re-building.

Mr. Boggs' new, permanent bungalow is practically completed, and Mr. Burdette's is well begun.

And though we l'egret that we have not been able to give more attention than we have done, to direct evangelistic work among non-Christians in the station, something has been done in this line. Alld extended toUt'S have each cold season been ma.de in variouB parts of our field.

THE Pl{ESEN'l' OUTLOOK.

We rejoice to say the present outlook is exceedingly favourable. The last Associational meeting has been the best one ever held

in this district. The plans made by the Christians at this Ass0-ciation, for the work of this year, are aggressive and have been devised and adopted with cOUl'age and hopefulness.

The Station School pl'omises to be fuller than everbefure. The work in the Station seems to be better in hand than it has

been before' for many years.

32

Bnt there is one thing we mllilt .have. We must have here in -Ga,uhati the help of the lady missionaries, of which the earth­.quake deprived us. This we continue to expect and call for. This we ougE.t to have. People who do as much for themselves ,as do our Christians in this district, deserve to be helped to higher :and better things. Agil'l's school .is needed in Gauhati. We mnst have it. There are many wide-open doors here for work among. women. We hope it will not be long before we shall be permitted. to begin preparations for a new bungalow for our lady missionaries.

REPORT FROM THE TURA FIELD.

By !lev. M. O. Mason.

Since our last Conference the changes in our missionary force 'at Tnra ha.ve been remarkable, although former reports speak of many changes. Of the present force Mr. Dring only was then at Tura. A t the beginning of the three years there were Mr. and Mrs. Phillipfl, Mr. and Mrs. Dring, Mr. Boggs and Miss Rood.

In November 1896, Mr. and Mrs. Mason arrived from furlough, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Munger. Then for the second time in the history of the Mission there were, for a few days, teu missionaries at Tnra. Of these ten, three are still left. MI'. Boggs went to Goalpara in December, so his work devolved upon the others. Mrs. Phillips was obliged to go to the hills, leaving in March and returning in September. Mr. Phillips was gone with her a month. Miss Rood at this time was away for some weeks, Mrs. Munger was called to her heavenly rest in August. The n~xt March, 1898, found Mrs. Phillips and Miss Rood botb going to the hills for a needed change, accompanied by Mr. Phillips. 'The two latter returned in April. But meanwhile Mr. Munger was very ill in Tnra, and it seemed advisable for him to go away, so the first of May, just as Mr. Dring was starting to take· h1R family to Calcutta, en route to the United States, Mr. Phillips started again to accompany Mr. Munger to Darjeeling, where the latter remained till July. Mr. Dring got back at the end of May, 'but Mr. Phillips, accompanied by Mrs. Phillips, did not reach Tura again till the middle of June, and was obliged to take Mrs. Phillips to the Mountain top in July, where they remained ·till October, then by physicians' orders left for the United States ·as soon as possible, sailing from Calcutta November 12, 1898.

Miss Rood had had much fever and the Board thought it advis­.able for her to .return to the United States, so she sailed with Mr. and Mrs. ~hillips. Mr. Munger having had repeated attacks of illness, unq,erjmperative orders from a council of physicians, ~ailed for America, J~nuary 20th, under the escort of Dr. Rivenburg, not being able to r~turn to Tnra to take. ::I,nything with, him, 01'

33

do anything toward transferring his work and accounts. Mr. Dring has for a year had permission to return to America when be wishes. He has been over eight years in Assam and will need to follow his family ere long.

Miss Morgan and Miss Wilson who were unexpectedly, but most providentially sent to us in October last, are doing aU they can .to bear the many burdens thus left, and with their experiences in Assam, and the aid of the Assamese language, they were able from the first to do important work, and are rapidly taking up responsibilities. At present our force is smaller than at any other time during the past fourteen years.

CHURCHES.

Our church statistics show progress even beyond any previous report, and I think that the churches as a whole have made real advancement and are still making diligent efforts for the salva­tion of souls. Nevertheless there is apparent negligence in many places, and less of the spirit of personal effort on the part of members, and a tendency to delegate this work to pastors, -evangelists and teachers.

The almost constant interruption and change in the work of the missionaries has told upon the churches, and in some respect.­I feel that the condition of these churches is critical, as so many things that they need can be supplied only by the missional'ie~. The net gain for the four years under report is as follows :-

Churches 3, Membership 1,222, Sunday Schools 24, Sunday School attendance ],083, Village Schools 35, Pupils 956, Annual contributions Rs. 1,291-2-9.

The statistics of Membership, Schools, Sunday Schools, ano Contributions are as follows :-

Btatistics-Garo Hills.

BAPTIS)I'S.

I It SCHOOLS. SUNDAY

1'8 SCHOOLS. -----

'" :a PUPILS. ... PVPILIl.

'" s:; '8 ;:: ~ ~

l\~\ s:l ~ ... .c:

'" c:s = o~

~ a :3 ~ -5 ~ ~ ci ~ ~H~ g:c I g oui cc 0 0 ~

..: ~ ~ :g ~ ~ :::: Eo< ~ ~CD i ~ Z ;:;

At end of 1894 ... 1,998 1,563 3,561 587\ 815 175 2,378 61 787 194 831 ... ... . .. ... During 1895 ... 109 68 177 26 116 18 2,410 58 738 233 971 . .. ... ... . ..

n 1896 ... 118 89 207 30 146 16 2,45] 60 1,162 320 1,482 4S 867 833 1,70(1

.. 1897 ... 504 398 902 45 86 103 3,329 78 1,268 309 1,577 46 1,142 994 2,13(;

n 1898 ... 212 178 390 39 104 26 3,600 96

~I:' 1,787 71

l,~'T~'''~ Total for 4 years ... 943 733 1,676 140 452 163 ... .... ... .. . Total at end of I· .. . ..... \ ... 1598 ... ~941 2,298)5.239 7r. 1,267 '338 ... .. ·1··· .. . ...

Oontributio1ZS.

YJl4 ... Churcb Mission Work. Schools. Total. 'ExpeuBes.

Rs. As. P. Rs. AI. p. Ril. ~8·1 P. RI. lAs. P. 1895 ... ... ... 1,776 3 9 816 Ii 6 545 '9 6 3,138 11 i

1896 ... ... .. , 1,108 11 0 59~ 8 6 683 'IS 9 2,387 1 $

1897 ... ... ... 1,1841 40 0 1,007 14 9 825 14 6 3,018 1 3

1898 ... ... .. . 1,239 15 6 928 I 1 6 ,.116110 161 3,284 11 lOt

Total for 4. yearlS .. , 5,309 2 3 3,347 71 3 3,172 0 7! 11,828 10 If

There has been an increase of membership in a.ll of the churches t

notwithstanding the formation of three new churches. Derek had the misfortune to get into court against the Raja.

The case was carried to the High Court of Calcutta. Their effort was to defend two heathen Garos against persecution. They lost their case, as might be expected, and the two men were fineci Rs. 5 each. The cost of the suit was over Rs. 3,000 on each side. This and subsequent trouble with the Raja has caused coldness, lack of harmony, and the pastor's departure this Jast summer. We hope however that they will soon unite, and grow in grace.

The Tura church continues as in former years, their services being conducted by the missionaries and native preachers and terchers. While no pastor has been supported they look after their members, and for two years at least, besides contributing to the various objects, have supported a travelling evangelist with his helper. A large part of the Rongjeng church was drawn from Tura church. This is the fifth church drawn from Tura and its daughters since 1890. The combined membership of these is now 885, and the membership at Tura is la)'ger by 78 members than before.

The Nisangram church has kept on its course, growing and doing good. Parts of two new churches were drawn from this church during the three years and yet it numbers 755.

The remarks in my l'eport at Tum in 1893 regarding their pastor, Gongman, are still true. He bas led this church the past nine years with very happy results.

The Ohotc1w~ia church continues without great variation save that its membership has increased from 191 to 284. They support their pastor and one traveling evangelist.

The two smallest churches Rongjulie and Amjonga, with a membership of 49 and 48 respectively, have gained a little strength each, but the changes all'enot worthy of mention. Neither sup­ports a pastor proper, and their joint contributions for' the past year amount to Rs. 85-14.

Tke~Kongkal church has grown from, 116 to 135 members. They support tbeir'pas~r and contribute considembly to outside wottk.

3",' i).

The Resu church contInues with slight change, Bupportingtheir pastor and contl'ibuting nearly twice as much as his salary for outside work"

Resu, Kongkal, Derek and Nisangram as mentioned by Brother Phillips in the last report, unite in evangelistic work, and now support six: trav-elling evangelists, one of whom works for the Rabhas' of Goalpa.ra. These churches contribute also to the Home and Foreign work of the geneml association, to schools, &c.

The Okapara church has grown from 78 to 111. There has been some lack of harmony, and their pastor has died. The young man who has worked with them this last year has helped them to improve, but he has just gone to Serampore for further study, the expense being borne by this church.

The Bajasimla church, the oldest of all, seems very inactive and cold. Nevertheless they have added lOR by baptism during the last two years, a.nd have increased from 218 to 253, and have in the meantime dismissed about 50 members to form the Sontipur church.

Th8 Adokgiri church, always weak and containing evil elements. is beginning to take on new life. She has added by baptism 100 members during the last two years, and has supported a pastor of a Bort the past year, and proposes to support one of a stronger sQrt the coming year.

The Bagrnara church has developed in every thing unless it be in the conRecration of some of its leading members. They have dismissed about 115 members to form the Dambuk church, and their present membership is 284. Their contributions have IR.1'gelf increased, and reached Rs. 524-]2 the past year. This church and its young daughter, the Dambuk church, unite in evangelistic work, and this last year supported besides their two pastors, two travelling evangelists. For the coming year they have tbe money in hand and propose supporting four such evangelists.

The Boldamgiri church has gained in membership from 50 to 123, and their contributions have increased at a better rate· although they support no pastor, as such.

Rongjeng, one of the new churches, has made a good beginning. They lost their leader by death the past year. They have baptized 180 during the pa.st two years, and now number 195 members.

The Darnbuk, another new church mentioned above in con­nection with the Bagmara church, seems to be doing good work.. They namber 172 members, and contributed Ra. 180 this year. They, as above mentioned, support a pastor.

The Sontipur church, organized this. last year, has a membership of 70; arid their contributions amounted to Rs. 1.30. This church is 'within four miles of four other chtlrc~es, Rajasimla, Chotcholja; Amjonga a,nd Rong-julie. ·This 'and the two latter churches are' in the plains, aurroundedmostly by plains people, and their oppor­tunity for rapid growth is not encouraging. This church now

36

unites with ClwtllhQlja:, ill evangelistic work, &udhas called a. pastor. .

These 'United effO'l'ts have so far, proved profitable to. a,ll taking a p~I't. Church Conferenoes, to whiCh leading' members of ,other -churepes, are invited to , attend ,and· r.ead (llapers on' different subjects, are common in moat of the churches, and seem to be beneficial. At neady all ·of, these Conferences and Assooiations, the women and the young m.en have their Bepmte meetings' and l,lring tqgetheJ' their contt-ibuti~ns: bY'~ which a good pad of the -evangelistic w9rk ·is sustained. !Not infreqllerltly do the women of a church su,pport. a pl-ea.eher, and it is mostly gathered by the !hand-grip thank-oiierillg'!"""""namely, a haud ·gripof 1'ice for eaeh member at each meal.

The GeneroJ, A,&sO£iation supports. tIWopreacbera, with their helpers, £or,(1aro:work; and their FO'l'etign Wwk:hastaken definite form in, stm.diug ·,two· men to the Dilffias.Theseoond went only as a help in' getting 'stiu-ted and has' return-ed. The other lms ·continued nearly a year and gives fair promise of getting the langllage., and reaching the hearts of the people, I ·think. He has spep.~.JIlost of. th~ time at or near North· Lakhimpur, and Brother Fiz1;h'c9J;l'~peak more definitely of him than I . . Deaths.-While the number of deaths has Dot been unusually large for the membership, during no similar period·in the history. ·of the Mission has there been suoh a loss of leading workers.

Our ~g trained .office-helper and translator, Bakal, was t,a,ken a. little over a year ago, and left us considerably crippled in this, work.

One pastor, several teachers,. and the oldest and most active leaders of at lea.st "two of the churches havedied~

The Vill~'!Ie, orFJ'VangeUstic 8chools continue in the sarile line of work as in former years, The year following the earthquake there was an unusual demQ.nd for instruction,. from hea.then village~ .. :The Lord had foresoon, and we were able to supply 'Very largely tbese demands, so ,tRat the number 'of· these schools ·has increased from 61, in 1894, to 94 at present, and the pupils from 831 to 1,7e7. lJl thiE! work there h8ive been some very remarkable results; some s1ief:Kiy a~d .hard strugg.ling with heathen­ism-and some large in gath erin!g8 (foom, hoothen villages .

. Our Statio"". S(J~ols have suffel'ed severely f,'om ·frequent -changes. The Normal School was under (the care of Brother Bilggfil .during 1896+-,-,und~ that of Bl'other ,Phillips durmg 1897 ....... under that of Brother Munger during 1898 ,a.nd, now it -mnst be under another' 8 care for IS99,

I Moreover during iB97.,and 1.898th.e steady work: ofihe school was very much interrupted hy·the illness of, those in charge, and ..)~ telJ,Cbers as, well. During the past year it was decided· to '~ttempt to unite the girls' school with the boys' school, and· hn.vt>: iP.s~uction in pommo~.

37

After th~ depat·ture of Miss Rood, ill whose care the girls' tlchool had continued, the school was thus conducted. Miss Morga.n and Miss Wilson superintending the study-room after Mr., Munger's departure, and we feel encouraged in our hopes that it will prove a wise and economic change..

Concerning tbe last year's: work Mr., Munger says :~ ." In the Normal Department there are feur ,classes representing

foar.years' work." "There is also a Primary Department with a. fonr years' course."

" When a boy completes these courses he is supposed to· have had eight yea.ts of Garo Reading, Writing; Spelling, :Arithmetie. and ScriptIWe ;' seven years of Bengali Reading, Writing-.' GPammar, ArithIilfjt;ic a,nd Geography, and three years of En¢lish . .Reading", Writing and Grammar. From the lowest pt·imary·ehi.ss··the Scrip­tures are taught daily in every clasR." "Vocal Music is taught daily." "The Military drill has been continued with success and the p~ans for physical training ~r~. further bEl~ng, gradually -carried out." , ' ,

Since the union of the .t~o schools" it stands aB.foiio:WB :-Five :t;latiye teachers, pupils 1~8! boys jps, g!r)s 25"a11. Chr!st!ans b~~ 3; 36 receive support or aId from our, fuud from :MISSIon and Govet'nment,6 others receive Gavern~~nt supporp, ,19 boarders are self-supporting, Rnd 50 are d.ay PJIPlls, self-supporting.

INDUSTRIAL WORK.

The need of industrial training among the Chcistia.n churches is as conspicuous as ev.er, but the aohievements in this line are as yet very meagre. 'fhiB department is under the care' a£ BrothEli' Dring, but he has handed in no report.

LITERARY WORK.

Our mont-hiy periodical ha.s ~een' cOl;itii:med, and has eiItei'ea its 19th volume in a new and en1arged, form, heing now a 16-~ge pll.mphlet.

c • The last y~,a~ ther~'\vef'el,a!Jout ~50 subscrib~rs. :.,The

books " Way to Health," and "The Mlrror of the Heart;" 1pen~ioned, by Brother Phillips in the las~ • report, were coinpleted .aH4 publisned. Mr. Phillips made, ~ rev~siono£: parts of his Garo AHtlimemc arid published it as a PtimarYA.rlt1i.in,~tic.

Answers to the problems were also printed in a. sepai'ate pamphlet. Mr. Phillips has also completed and printed in a sepa­rate book Dr., Broadus's" Catechism in S~ripture Teaching," men­tioned in his lal§t; repdrt aind has also trailslated and printed an outline study of the Life of Christ prepawd llv Stevens and Burton.

I myself prepared anll print~d -in ~'£ne· Roman character, as a ~t-book for stndyingthe"LifQ)of Ghlaat, a cbronoldgi~l order. of 6~[)t8, with their divisidns,:&ntl subdivisions in chat:t farm, .girting, .&lao the Scripture passages in the' iOl;m of a harmony; noting; tHe

38·

loCality; oonsecutive order of the mirades, 'parables, conversations and addresses of Christ. I have also continued the preparation·: and printing of" Notes and Comments on the Gospel of Matthew'" to about the 300th page.··· .

A feature of our work, worthy perhaps of notice, is the number' of books bought by the Garos •. In Mr. Phillips' last report he remarks upon the completion of the New Testament iIi Garo, that" A large number of well bound copies were at once demand· ed and purchased by the people." We have tried to supply the· demand for such books as seem to be needed and were to be had, and according to the report of Mr. Munger, who has had the charge of the" Book-Room," as we call it, thel'e were 3,654 books sold during the 8 months ending September 30th last. Of these 192 were Scripture.

SUNDAY SCHOOLS.

The main changes in our Sunday School Work have been in getting better and fuller reports from the schools, and in leading others to open schools, and consequently a fair increase in schools and pupils, so that we now have 71 schools with 3,208 attendance -as far as reports have been received. '

On account of the ill health of missionaries, and the multipli. city of labors we have been obliged to omit what we have called the annual teachers' class.

While these years have produced fruit for which we have reason for mnch gratitude, they will always be remembered as years of· sadness. The necessary departure of Mr. and Mrs. Phillips~the forced departure of Miss ROod, against which she struggled, and marvelously endured suffering and loneliness­and above all the bereavement of Mr. Munger anc1 his heroic struggles to stand against his trials, his ill health, and the unfavourable .surroundings, will always mark these years as years of sorrows-as well as years of earthquakes.

Never before has the work needing immediate attention loomed np in such proportions as at present, when we are so unusually reduced in missionary force.

Brethren we need our Father's close attention. Pray that we may have it, ,and that every ounce of. strength may be placed where He cali. make best use of it.

,REPORT FROM THE AO NAGA FIELD.

By Rev. -S. A. Perrine.

,Since our Conference last met, our Mission in. the Naga Hills has been greatly blessed. In spite of earthquake and sickness our' missionary force has. remained intact and as we meet once more

39

with you, Brethren, we realize and acknowledge our mercies to be ·many and great. We 'have had many tokens of tbeDivine favor. The work has grown. Souls have been saved, and persollal1y we -have enjoyed the ptivileges of a life that lies very close to the ideal life in Christ Jesus. For in spite of tlle applause or derisiolJ of men, the life of those who are commonly called foreign mission­.aries comes nearer than that of any other class, to the life of our Lord and Master.

If we are to confess the whole, we must acknowledge that we .nave spent and been spent as "hewers of wood and· drawers of . water." We could heartily wish that the rough materia.l side of our life were less prominent, but we are fearful that we shall -always have entirely too much of it to our liking. Life on the frontier is no small task. As Mrs. Clark often remarks "its a --chore to live in the Naga Hills." This has been especially true of us in the past for we have been establishing a new station. From bare and hard necessity no inconsiderable part of our work has been along the material lines of missions. We are not desperately in love with this phase of the work, and while we feel that it is an honor and privilege to be a common coolie for Chi-ist's sake, .yet if it be possible we desire to be advanced to other work as speedily as possible.

In perfecting the manuscript of the English-Ao Naga Dictionary much work has been done. Of the final copying for p,-inting about .aOO quarto pages have been written. A considerable time has been spent on the enlargement of the N aga Hymn Book, tbe .mannscript of which is now ready for the printer. Of a Catechism of Bible Teaching by John A. Broadus, D.D., LL.D., thirteen of the fifteen chapters have been translated into Ao Naga.

The village schools deserve a passing notice. They are, we feel, very poor representatives of their class and yet they are a power for good. For the past two years, they have been completely self-supporting, in the sense that they do not receive a pie from the Mission (unless yon count the Missionary's sa.Iary). ThE'Y have been supported partly by. the Government and partly by themselves. We believe in the complete separation of Church and. State: but we see no more harm .in Government schools ill Assam than in America, wherA Christian men conduct their affain-1 .much the same as we do ours here.

The Nag-as have directly contributed towards education in the .past year Ra. 126-5, and from Naga sources has come indirectly Rs. 313 more toward the same object. During the past year the Government has given Rs. 780, and the Mission Ra. 730. In ~ther words from N aga sources haR been gathered for education more thau half what has been given by the Mission. We feel ·tha.t they are making a fairly good start in educationalself-suppql't as well as in religious self-support. But I have also to report wLat seems to me to be of as much, if not more, importan~, than. the

40

above, namely, that they are undertaking, the manag.em~nt of their oWllschoGls. This was·uvged 'upon tbem at the :6.rStIAs~ocia­tion, two years ago, and th& matter was placed in Zilli's ,bands. io Bee tbat some.thing was done .. For -f\, tiJIH~ it seemed th~~. -nothing would CGIDe of it, butthe-fillal results are all that we could w.is1i. Out of the six primary schools, four are self-sustained.

The TFaiuingScbool has beep in session from April to October,. inclusive, each year. It had been our earnest wish the past yea.r to lengthen out tbSttel'nl·intG the cold seaRon but through lack of' funds we were comf}eUed to close. Theattendanoe dudng the past two yeal'8 r~aohed foJtty, this in spite of ever-increasing -iltilictness in .discipline, a thing a8 inimica.l to a Naga. as an arctic clime to tropical fmit. 'Ve Rave been glad to note the past year­that some very vexed and vexing questions, writ painfully large >on our :plemories formel'ly, seemed inclined to rema.in settled, We gratefuUy snid ~~ peace to their ashes" and passed on to wrest:le­'Wita pl1()hi'ems even ~ol'e difficult.

In )tf;mohing Na~a we use the sound method a.nd ihad it .v.wy il8rtisfactory. Music has been taugh.t and found V8J1Y helpful both -in the'scbool and in our peligious services. We hav.e laid specia.l Fltl'esson writing and' the result has been so pleasing that a.n ex.trl). word on this very primary subject may be pat·doned. We prooul'~d ijome America.n- copy-books with very simple plain round letters. 'l'hese were ~ost helpful. A raw Naga at RPst knows no more of the :modus opemhu:li:' of writing than does the penoil he tries te hold- iu his divty cillmsy fingers. One thing he knows and onl,. one, tba.tis hOw·not to do what you tell him. But he soon improves and the e:iIect of. tbis simple aeoomplishmen,t at the hands of a few Naga boys and-girls has been ·remarkable. It alone has awakeneti' Ii uite an in tel'est· in education th:roughout the bills, a llSvivaJ in " letters" -a N aga U renaisnnce~'1 "so to speak. & m~ny . and urgent became the letters flyingbaek; a.nd for.th on m.atters that were hal'dly urgent, that we had to interfel'e in the intlerest of the Siti mungers, or villR.ge latta-I" carriers. .A Naga dak is now talked of.

The -prmci¥le of se]f-Goverumeut adopted some years ago has. been ·mociified' and continu~a.. We still insist that each student shall either support himseif 01' earn a part ot' it. Two things great.ly militate ~gainst this rule: 1. The total de}}l'8.vityof the­-human race, appea,r.ing in thiB case in the form of' a disposition not to do more than is necessal'Y.; However we·have been gladr­dened to notice a growing disposition on their part to he more consciention-s in theirwor'.k. '2. The second thing' is the he8r~ rai~s 'which'in~~pt work.. W~re ~t ~ot :for the !ains the. pupFls. could. earn~helr lull support. Afi It. ".J8; they earnedd1ll'lng,the past. yeal' :.probably' balf. j HQwever there is a gI'&'Wing '-tettdeno1 on their part to wholly- take care of -themselves, and we ape mON­than pl~&sed that they should.

41

The teaching of Scripture in N aga has not, thus far, been wholly successful, and there is reason to doubt if it can be succe8sfui so­long as so little Scripture and so few atbel' books 8.re in the Na.ga h'ugua.ge. There is still a graver doubt if it be the wisest plan to t·ra,nslate a large number. of books into the languRge of 80

small ft, tribe. 'l'hedifliculty we finn is this: the studeuts are unable successfully to study their Scripture befol'e class and seem unable therefGre to remember th~ instt'uction of the clasH room. Howev.er we hope this y~ar to bave the help of Broadus's Catechism and we also hope fOl' a good class; in English Scripture, a.nd by these two methods hope to get abr'oad some of the fundamental teaching's of 'SOl'ipture,

'1'he Naga churches have in the p~st two years "achieved a n"st rate rec~d'~ to use·a phrase very often ~ieard from the lips of Dr. Northrop. Under the :t-egime noted in our last report ·the churches sank in number to only one. In October 1895, this. church had a membership of five; and two of those had to be disciplined. In November last at the third anllual associa.tional gathering there wel'e reported five chorc'hes with a membettsbip of 177. .At that (time other churches awaited organ~zat'ion and have sinoe been organized~· One of the remarkable things in tha W' bole matter is the f~ot that .th~ m~·vement started with a youllg man, whC) was refused MtnllSSlon mto the Molung chul'ch, ana having since been received has fallen away, and no longett ·walks with the church on account Qf the opium habit. During the rains of 1895 he won a comrade for ChI·ist. These two went to work and won a large number of other young. people. These young people formed a religious society of the. stfIcpest order. They, with sotne reclaimed from the old membership, w~re added to the church. The revival spread, and other vill~ges f~lt it. The village of Yazang asked fo:r Bendang, the on~y .Naga W}lO entered as a constituent member of tbe re-organiied Molung church. He was sent to them, though he could neither read nor write. He has born~ witness to the truth of ·Ch.ristia:nitr by an upright life, and has so told the simple G~sp·el storyth~t that village bas become whitt we choose to call our model Christian village. But it must not be understood that AU the credit for the work there, is due to Bendang, much as he has done. Much wOl'k has been done in that villa.ge, as in all the other villages wher'e there are Christians, foro, great many years. Indeed it is a significant fact in view of what the·U uion says on the subject of eduoa.tion. that. nearly aU of the baptisms have come out of the schools and the sohool work. In ;()ther words, ·the villa.ges witel'e there are Christia.ns withoot· schools, a.re conspicuous by theil' absence. Tbere are some, but the Christia.ns do not lead a consistent .Chrisp tian life.

Weare trying to lift the ohurches to a. bigh plane, and to that end are trying to ",isit them frequently. But when it is remem,.

bered that ;Molung is as far from Impur intima and Lardships, ..as San Francisco from Chicago the difficulties may be imagined. We. are also trying to get t1;te~hurches, apart from the schools, t.o train the ChriBtian members. for better Christian service. We .have asked them toa~opt no less a 'standard than that ev~ry Christian be ~ble tq. read his Bible. .A little hal? been accom-plished.. .

The subject of ;salaries is a troublesome question this. world around. There has been a tendency even with the churches to get beyond their depth in this matter. We have therefore (ought. shy of anything very big for pastors and evangelists. In. .the first place these that we have are not very well equipped for thei~ work, a.nd in the next place a low salary is safe, it discourages any Olle but a consecrated man. For beginners we have. insisted on some­thing less than coolie wages, not because we feel that ~uch a. worker should get less, but because it is safe, and because it encourages discipline and self-denial when these al'e perhaps needed.

The churches are wholly self-sustaining. They have received nothing the past two years except the help of the missionaries and of Zilli. It might be wise, in some cases a.nd cit'cumstances, to help them in other ways, but it does not seem to be necessary. The past year the Christians have contributed for Christian work at home and abroad Rs.-

Statistics. Ordained Preacher 1 U nordained Preachers 7 Organized Churches 5 Self-supporting Ohurches 6 CommunicantR 177 Added by confession 104 Adherents 50'0 Avel'ageattendance 200 Sabbath Schools ... 2 Students for Min.istry 9

Results are not the most important thing to be thought of, the "well done "of our Lord is of greater worth. Yet. l~esults must be cOllsidered and we are glad that our Lord has thought our work worthy of results. .A brief summary may be made as follows. The number of churches has increased from one to five and the membership from 5to 177·. These like the New Testament Christians are not perfect, they fall into grevious sin, ye~ by and .through the sustainiug power of the Holy Spirit they have grown mgl-ace and.in knowledge of our Lord. They have· developed con~ siderable spiritual power, and purity of life. They depend lesson the missionaries ~nd more and .moreQn themselves. We have been permitted to see them.go £a~ther than ~e :felt it wUie t() ,a.d~vise them,

in the matter of drink, the use of opium and false worship. They are building better houses for themselves, and with rooms. When it is remembered that the Aos build better. houses than the ot.her tribes around, it may be known that these are fairly good. Some of the Christians keep t.heir person a.nd homes and food comparA.­tively clean, perhaps I should simply say, cleaner than the heathen. They do not eat rotten flesh, and the money they once Rpent for drink, opium and false worship is making them prosperous. They have adopted a mode of burial and a more decent dress than thp heathen. They are becoming more conscientious in the relation of the sexes and in regard to the chat"ging of high interest, and are niscussing a number of other very important questions that make 'for righteousness. The power of an endless life seen in the liveR of these rude and imperfect Nagas is making a large impression .on the tribe. The most favourite word with the N agas lR " makoker" unable. The few Christians in the hills are proving to the rest that the Nagas can live I:L decent Christian life. When this is more fully demonstrated large numbers of them win hp­gathered in.

To conclude, Brethern, we at Impur feel that we have a larger work than to "plant Christianity," to use a phrase in vogue at the present time in America. Chri8tianity was planted long ago in the N aga Hins, and if our work is simply to plant Chris­tianity our work is long ag-o 'done. We feel that our work is to .plant Christ and to grow His life in the heart of every man. ThiR is the idea of the Great Commission. It will not be done by our might, but through the power of the Holy Spirit working through us, aud them. We are to make them followers, learners of Christ. The development of the Christ character is our great. work. To this end the temporal and the spiritual go hand in hand, High spiritual living is not usually attainable in the midst of filthy living. It was possible for John Newton to write his fineRt passages on board a slave ship; but the average Christian needs to flee every sort of slavery. The exalted life in Christ Jesus, our Naga brethren have not yet attained, they will never attain it in all its fullness; but we trust thy are striving after it. Nothing less can satisfy them or us.

REPORT FROM THE .A.NGAMI NAGA FIELD.

B'Ij Rev. S. W Rivenburq, M.D.

On my return from Conference three years ago. work on the old'lines, viz., preaching and doctoring~ was resumed and has been ''continued without interruption till the middle or November last, :excepting while I took a short trip to Impur in June, 1896. , 'The Naga preacher, SeaJiezhu, who commenced work in N ovem­ber, 1~95, continued for two years, then wished to forego -a salary

and cultivate giving such time as he could to preaching. This arrangement WRS not satisfactory to himself or to the uiissionary, fl,lld in N ove:mbet' last, he again became a paid agent of the }1isfJion.

In May. 1896, a.n An~am.i. who read iu the Government sohool ,for years was converted,. and after some time of special instruction was sent to preach in Ilis native vililage. In about a year .his wife aAked for and received baptism, .8JDd several others ha.ve recently become enquirers Undel' his ministry, but no others' have ,bee1!l baptized. '

A}tllOugh the Missionary bas done no travelling among the villages of the tl·ibe for lack of funds, these two ,mtm hape "isited the most of them aga.in and again, sometimes bringing encouraging~ and sometimes discouraging reports. .,

During the three years we have baptized four Nagas, one Mikir. one Ga.'o., olle KOOsi; restored one and again excluded' him, leavi.ng Dur presentinembership ten.

REPORT F~OM TlIE GOALPARA FIELD.

By I'1fv. A. E. Stephen.

:Looking over the past three years the experiences have been Ybried and' the discourugements not a few on the GoalparR. fieldi. '.{he )'eBjr followfug our last Conferencp. was mostly . g~vm,., 't& 'jungle clearing, house building and all the other work attenda.nt OllJ,the open:ing of a new station. In December 1896, Brother Boggs from TUl'a joined us, some touring was done in the district and we . were 'f'ucouraged by the prospects of the work ainongthe RHbhas.' ' '

In April L897 .the bllllg8;low was finished and it was with much joy we left the 'bamboo stl'ncim'e which had been our home for ei~hteen monthS and, took possession of the comfortable Mission hOll8e. We need not here go intQ details of the destruotioncs.U:sed by the earthquake of 12th June of the.·same year .. The Missioit. house was not quite ruined as we at first supposed, although it was badly damaged. Our out-houses were all destroyed, and instead of goiug on :with tlWevang(tiistic and sehool . wA'Vlt which was only getting well begup OTg', h~,nd~ were 0w~e a.gAin filled with bnilding, repairing and 'doing" the work over again which the .ea:rthqua~ had ta,lr~ hut ~. ~w ~eQopdsto d~atlVY.

Our jpyr 1.Jl. th~ compfl.nlP~hip,~ h~lp ofafellow-laborer w:~. sllQrt,liv~d, for in 1~8 ,thaina ye~~. from the,tim~ h~ came tQ Goal pant lJl'o.ther BQggs was ~fer ... .eP, to Gaubati a.pd we Wel',~ again)e~ to ,taJt~ u,p the work alone with little pros~ct of rr.i~fo.rqem~,

45

A school house and boys' lines wet~ built last Y8&11 which we hope will be occupied erelong with Rabhas studying with a. view to earrying. the Gospel to their people. Up to the present DO,

Ra,bhas hav-e availed themselves of the oppOl!~unity of learning to read, bllt several ha.ve expressed a desir.e to oome to sc.hool tWs­year if their p.arents wili allow them. 'rhe sOOOoI is opened principally for Rabhas, but boys of any tribe or caste are admitted if they support themselves while studying.

EYANGELIti'l'lC.

D.urjn~ tbe l?ast year the missionary has been eDAbled to dQ' more «;lvangelistic work both in the town and district tlian in anI previous y~~r. In the town iu additio~ to our reg~l.lr Lord's Day l'I~l'vices ahd weekly v:rayer meeting, we :planned a circ.uit f?l> opeu air work aud e,nd,eavoured to go rouud It regularly~ In thlSW~ g-idng a;lt ~9-QPportunity of hearillg the Gospel.

. ~n t~~ 4is,t,rict, Jani~g, the Evangelist, has been vreaching SHlce M~y, 1896. The Garo cllUl"ohes have also had one Ev~ng~~ list at work during the greater p~rt of the time. We hAve ~a4 the privilege qf prel',tching this cold season in many vi11ag~s here· tofore uw~each~q, as well l',ts in those visited on :previous toursp

The pepple foJ' t1;te most part were ~ttellti ve ~nd severa.l asked us to come again and, tell them more. l\'Iany h~Lve 4eard Of the Lord ;resus Chri,st tnrOQgh whom forgiveness of sins :is p'reQ;~~ed, but we do not know any oqe who has received Him aild'i~ ilumbered among the blessed ones lDentioned in Romans iv. 7.+B?'essed aro' they whOR,e i'!l:iquities u'J"e forgiven and whose silts al'e cov~red~

R;EPORT FROM THE NOR,.TH LAKHI~PUR FIELD.,

By Re'V. John Firth.

To

TUB T~IENNIAL OONF~RBNCE MEEpNG IN DIBRUG4RH.

DKt.H BRE~lf~:Q,

It has been a.~ privilege aud joy to labor. on this field; dUDing the three yoar.s past, for God has a.ooompanieclthe prea.cb~ word wit.h power and demonstration of the, Spinit, ,and souls havo' been rescued frOJJ,t the power of the ad'Vel'Sary, and" they are being prepared' for, the service of Christ -httl'e, andfol.' the home above.

In October 1896t Brother a.nd Sisteu Pa.ul moved ,to PatbaJipqm and the month following 'Brother and Siaten Swanson came .w labor with us. For,&' ye8:Dand twomonths.Brother awanspn.ga..ve-

46

his undivided attention to this field, building his bungalow and the chapel in the station, doing a great amount of evangelizing and other work, while all the time pulling steadily with me in..efforts to 'bring about proper organization, disciplipe and self-support. Mrs. Swanson did a large amount of house to house visiting. Their labors did not cease until they moved away in September, 1898.

The only policy I know of .on this field is a policy of hard work. Time is short. 'rhe heathen are perishing all around us and there is no reason why we should not put forth every effort to bring as many as possible to a knowledge of the truth ere it be too late. Recently I have been endeavoring to impress upon the minds of the preachel's that they must do differently in this respect and have given them to understand that, first, they must do more work_ ',l'hey are too apt to seek their own ease instead of the salvation of their fellow-countrymen who all around them are going down to endless woe. If they are called of God to preach they will have a burning desire for the salvation of men. And second, that they must live purer lives. They must show that the religion of JesllR has really taken possession of them.

Amid many disconraging things it is wonderful to note how the Spirit is working. Instead of having all the Christians in one church, we have organized churches at the different places where Christians are found. Each church bas chosen one of its own number for pastor and the larger churches have chosen 4ea.cons. The pastors all seem satisfied with the support the -churches give them, but the deacons are still wanting to know who is to pay them. Organization on this field works splendidly. The blessing of God is continually manifest and after patiently telling the churches over and over again that they must support themselves, some of them are beginning to believe it and are reaHy putting forth efforts in that direction. For years all of the churches have been talking about the Mission building chapels for them, but recently they have stopped; and now two churches are talking of building chapels for themselves. I note this change as ·a hopeful sign. .

Sunday Schools we have none. There could be at some of the plnces but those who are capable of superintending are still waiting to see if the Mission is not going to pay them for this work. So it will be as long as these people look upon all Christian work in this country alil the work of the Missionary and are determined tha.t if he wants it done, he shall pay for it. ". It is the same in regard to day schools, though on some of the tea gardens they have night schools and support them themselves. It w~ll require time and much teaching with patience on all these lines but there can be no doubt of .the final outcome .. It will be tlhurches in Assam that from love to Jesus will -do .much for Him and then Light wilt shine forth and many souls be won. _.

47

Originally all our Christians were Mondaris from N agpur but_ others have been turning to the Lord until there are now about: 40 Bengalis and others of different castes who have been baptized. These people wel'e Hindus and mallY of them yielding to the en., treaties of relatives and friends have gone back to heathenism, but those who have remained steadfast, are among our brightest and truest believers.

You will remember that at the last Conference I asked for &

missiollary for the Daphlas. This has been supplied. Not as I. expected and requested, from America, but from the Garo Hills. Tosin, the young man, is getting acquainted and has done consider­able work already, having a small school started in one village. This work, of course, will be slow and tedious but if it is kept 011

results are sure.

Statistical Repo'rt.

(The Membership in 1895 was 73.)

I I! BII. Ra. Ra. Ra.

1896 4 9 52 ••• 2 ", .. , ... ... 1 126 1 81 4 12 50 ••. ...! lit

1897 7 9 123 1 7 ... 2 2.n :3 321 5 37 128 36 18 1'17

1898 8 12 95 12 '1 12 21 8 2 312 :3 331'" 33 124 26 1 13 UI3

Total.j= 270 12 3 7 12 2S ""8 -5 -=- -=--=-I-=- -=- 297 62 81 __

·REPORT FROM THE MIKIR FIELD.

By Rev. P. E. Moore.

THE MISSIONAR.IES.

At the last· Conference the Mikir Missionaries were four in­number •.. Withtbe .exception of a few short visits to N owgong Mr. Carvell has not been absent from his work. In 1896 Mrs. Moore· and.Mrs. Carvell were at Darjeeling for a few months, and tit March and Apr~, J$9$, the Mopres spent a mo.nth away from hom~.

August 1st, 189'1; Mrs. Oal'veH ,died. Deoetnber 18th, last, Mr. ·Oarv-ell was ma.rriedat' Now.gong~ \ to Miss Alice Buker of London. Once more the :M:ikit Mission ha:sf()ur tnissi0haries on :the fi~ld.

THE WORK.

Immediately after the last Conference Mr. Moore mId ,Mit. CarvEfll 'thade' an extended iottr in the Moot couiitry south, not.'tlh, atJd ~ as far as GfJlaghat. They made this tour tin foot, w8!lking hundreds of miles. They did not find iIi anyone locality enough people to justify tJh~m in deciding ,upon a. building site. They returned to No\vgong April 7th. In May Mr. MOOre made another -tdnr south of the :Borpra.ni Tea Garden, and "felt snre that he bad 'finally found the right building spot.

There were four markets on the river, held on successive days. largely attended by Mikirs. The only highway was the river. The post office, and cart road wet'e twenty miles away, but thel'e were the peopl,e, and there was a promising looking hill ou which

;to build the Mission uouses. In October Messrs, P. H. Moore, P. E. Moore, and J. M. Carvell went to the spot arid selected 'rika Anglong as the futu~e home of the Mission. Mr. Carvell pro-

,ceeded at once to building, and Mi;. Moore went -to Krungjellg where he had a.lready spent two cold seaSODS. ~rs. 'Mo"ol'e joined him there Decefuber 1st. January J8th, ]897, tie.y left fof Tika Anglon~-; ardving there nhc next day.. Mi'. CdrvelPs house Was

,uinderroof and one room enclosed so -that he c6'uid li~~ ip it. He "had :cc)llected much ilaternal for Mr. :Moore's house, ~d ihe btiild­- ing went on rapidly. Mrs. C}lrvell came olit from N-owgong ill "February. Four happier, mOl'e hopeful men ~nd women would fJm.ve been bard to find. T~he houses were finished, pla~l'ed and -..white-wAshed before the rains set in. .

1he ;A., B~" M. :tr .. had allowed Rs. 500 fol' a temporary' house iu , the hills. The house at KrUligje~g, with out-hobses.';tndservantFi' < 'liot1ses, bad. been buil t a.t a cost of &s.:] 30. It was occupied four - cold seasons. T he' remaining Rsi 37{);' were applied on the build-

ings at 'l'ika Anglong. The Union has been at no further expense for buildings. 'rhe entire cost of the houses-includin~ out­buildings and servants' houses-was almost exactly Rs. 1,100,

'The houses are -ilbtindantly large and. the (iooupailtS, because of -the salubrious climate~are more co~for,~able than their brethren in the plains who live in the regulation bungalow. 'l'he hot, season is five to ten degrees coo]er, and the cold season as much warm~r~ t~~n ~he plain~. ,

l~JB' :d~c~l~:,.to e~'£¥Date' the 'he1p to the wat-ktfjathas been ',ren~,dJ 'n'te'd b, Y ~ikir,' Ch:~s,~iaJ:1s. 'T,Wh Chri,stia, n Y'dliirtt, ~ men got,o, pped ,~t'~ilngjen*;,fl!1~ ~h~ ]st of. J,ftn.narj' to, Apri~, i8~6, ~n.~"1t~ tbe:y were a~one i( ,good part of. the tune" an.d one' of tn-em: got fflto ''Very bad Mllipgtij', it is hal'a to fmy how mueh g<?od they aid.

49

Deobar accompanied Mr. Moore and Mr. Carvell in their travels during these three months. The following Decembeor he, as school teacher and preacber, joined Mr. Carven a.t Tika. Anglong Whel'8 he worked until December 17th the following year. He is now very ill with black fever whioh developed about six months ago.

Another Christia.n, Mr. Carvell's servant, has been valuable as & personal teacher to the missionaries. He bas frequently con­duoted the Sunday service, and bas accompa.nied both Mr. Moore and .Mr. Carvell when touring. He is able to present the gospel message very clea.rly but be evidently does not oonsider it his duty to give himself to the work.

Another Dl&n, Mr. MQOl'e's bearer, for nea.rly two years preached a.lmost daily to the people who came to the bungalow. He also visited the neat· viYages frequently. He composed three or foul' hymns, one of which has been much used by Mr. Moore. He left Mr. Moore's employ and went to Nowgong last October. These young men, and others who have had some experience of life ill Nowgong station, seem unable to live contentedly in the juugle.

Deobal' and two others, employed three months each, wet'e paid from Mission funds. The amount is equivalent to the wages of one man two years at about Rs. 7 per month.

Six ,young men haYB ,been baptized since last Conference-thl'f>~ a.t Tika Anglong, andtbree in Nowgong. Five of them are livillg in Nowgong now. One is in school, one is sick, the others al'e ..)oing coaly work. One i~ dying ,of black fever at his home in the bills.

Deobar succeeded in getting a few boys t.ogether during tile first tIlonths of 1897, with a. view to establishing a"school at 'rika Angl()ng, ·bnt when ricebeoame scarce in the rains, they 8ill!left..

At the' time of the last Conference the Mikir Mission had six stipendaries in the Nowgong Scbool. In March following they l'efusedto do the work required of them and the stipends were withdvawn. . They were told tlmt the Mission would not; from tbat date,pa.y stipends to them 01' any other Mikir boys. There have heen Mikir boys in the Nowgong School up to tbe present time. but at their own expense.

During the rains of 1897, some time was given to the translation .of. Luke, but the work is not considered satisfactory.

SttItda1 ~er'Vi,ces have be.e~ :held regularly in the verandahs of the Mission liouseS. No chUl;ch has been organized-no meetinO'-':house built. , ' , ' ~

.If e~?r 't!l~',Miki~s ~arit a meeting-house on Tika A51glong, they Wlti bUlld It. In fact one man has already got Ollt tb~. PQstl'lJol' such a building, besides donating Rs. 2 for further work. The missionaries l1a ve no thought of: building any sort of house for them.

The money contributed by native brethren for the "year endinO' !October bt, 1898, was Rs.5·9. No ool1eot.ions were'take'n bMor'; .. hat year.

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}'or -the last two years Mr. MOOl'e and Mr. Carvell have been employed daily in preaching. The people have come to the Mis.~ sion houses singly, by twos and threes and by scores. They stop to rest on tbe way to and from the market, to hear the singing,. to see the.pictures and various curiosities, to borrow money, to settle quarrels, to ask advice, to buy medicines, to sell -their pro. duce-and very often they stop just because they are invited to do. so. Preaching and singing are heard seven days in the week, four weeks in the month, and twelve months in the year. All of the missionaries do not leave the hills at tbesn.rue time.

1\'[1'. Carvell was touring two . months of the cold season of 1897-98, and Mr. Moore has just come from a -six weeks camp to this meeting.

REPORT FROM THE TANGKHUL NAGA FIELD •.

By Ret .. W. Pett-igreu"

The Triennial Oonference at Sibsagor in December 1895, and the Nxecutive Committee at Boston in January 1896, decided to take oyer the work in Manipur, which had been commenced in 1894 and carried on by the Arthington Aborigines Mission. This report therefore commences from February 1st, 1896, the date on which the work was taken over. Previous reports show that the work in the valley of Manipur was abandoned, owing to Government objection, and a new field amongst the Tangkhul N agas was opened a month after the Missionary was appoin~ed an agent of the A. B. M. U. This tribe is located to the north";east of the valley of Manipur, and the lfission Station, UkruJ, is about 40 miles from the Capital; reached by an ordinary hill path. There are no Gov~ ernment roads constructed in this direction. The populationis estimated at 25,000. Like the rest of the N agas in Assam, tbey are animistic in their worship, very superstitious, and addicted to .' zu" drinking to a great extent. This by way of introduction.

1896.

~'rom March to October the building of the tempOI'al'Y Mis8io~ bungalow, out-houses, and tbe school, took up most of the time, with a few hours a day to study the language; from October to December a visit to Calcutta to finish off the priuting of John's Gospel ~n Manipuri which was then going through the press; and lagt but' not least, marriage. .

1897.

During Janua.ry. the school bu~lding was completed and. on February 19th, 20 boys from this village came to the schoo,I, and

51

have been attending regularly ever since. With the exception of visits to the Capital in April, October, and December the day's work was made up of 4 to 5 hours teaching, study of the lan­guage, translation work, and tIle giving ont of medicine. Mrs. Pettigrew gave much of her time to the language but owing to prolonged illness, and birth of a daughter, much she had learned was fOI·gotten. At the end of December, 11 boys from a village cal1ed Hundung, three miles from hel'e, started in the school; making a total of 31 boys.

1898.

With the exception of visits to the Capital in April, September to' October, and December, the days wel'e occupied as last year in schodl work, in perfecting the knowledge of the language, and in translati~n work. From April to July cholera raged in the valley and amongst these hills, causing anxiety. Yet we were comforted a.nd kept by the Lord. III this village nearly 50 died and in surround, ing villages many died. In the valley and hills combined, it is esti­mated bet.ween four and five thousand died of cholera .. Not a soul from any village or from the valley was seen for quite three month~, -and it was with t.he greatest difficulty men could be persuaded to go down and get the mail. If such a calamity occurs in the future, it is thought wise not to have any communication whatever with the valley while the cholera is raging. During the long stay "in the Capital in September and October a son was born. Mrs. Petti. grew had the Ilelp of a Naga girl from tbevilla,ge during this year, and bas been able to incrense .her knowledge of the language and .11se it to a certain extent.

ATTITUDE OF 'l'HE PEOPLE.

rrbe missionary's arrival at Ukl'ul caused no little excite­'ment and, what was to be expected, a great deal of. suspicion . .Anybody who knows the history of Manipur, and its dealings with ihe many hill tribes around its valley, can imagine how foreign :the idea of a disinterested individual coming amongst them, wonld be to their minds. It is necessary to report this, for su·spicion of rthe missiollary'sactions, has been rankling in the minds of this pal'tioulftl' village for over two years, and it is only now that it ,can be said the tide has turned, and the fact of his coming amongst rthem for their good is being understood, Brethren in other hill -sta.tions will probably testify to the truth of this, and Manipur is far worse than any of the nill tribes-'a ·fact which Government officials declar-e often. The missionary not having had any experi,:, ence whatever in opening up work ot this description amongst such a people, it was a case of feel~ng his way and -profitting by ,ex~erience. No ~oubt there have been mistakes m!\de~ and per-

52

haps with more tact, snspicion might have disappeared sooner. Experience teaches; and it is hoped whatever mistakes may have been made, the Lord will overrule them for His glory amongst these people.

The missionary found a people anything but truthful or reliable. The Manipuri is reckolled a liar, but these Tnngkhul N agas can beat him. The missionary has not come across one yet whose words or actions can be fully relied upon.

Again it seems to be the custom to bring a bottle or two of their rice beer to any European official on tour, who usually accepts it. The missionary wishing to introduce total abstinence principles l'efusedin the fil'stinstance, and kept refusing, until no Naga of any village thinks of tendering the stuff to him. This is another thing. that tended to estrange them, for all know that they expect a bakshish after the" zu" has been taken. These may appear trivial things, but trivial or otherwise there remained for a long time utter indifference to the lllissionary's desires towards them. Now the tide is turning, and confidence is being shown as already stated, and with regard to the drink question some influence for good is being seen in some lives. The N aga girl who looks after the children ha,s noticed the abstemiousness of the household and has informed l\frs. Pettigrew that she does not drink now, for Rhe knows it is not liked. The school boys also have learned much with regard to this habit, and though it cannot be said for certain, still there is the belief that they drink very little.

THE SCHOOL WORK IN THE VALLEY OF MANIPU.R.

Visits to the Capital mentioned above were for the purpose of inspecting schools in existence, opening up new ones, and appoint­ing teachers, &c. The raison d'tftre for the Missionary's connec­tion with the above work must be told from the beginning. Prior to the A. B. M. U. taking over the work the Political Agent of the State asked the missionary to help him in spreading education iu the valley. On his acceding he was given full authority tCt open up new schools where thought desirable, to appoint teachers, and procure literature, &c. The Executive Committee at Boston were subsequently consulted with regard to this work and the missionary received their hearty approval, and sanction to continue it. In 1894 on lirst arrival at Manipur, only one Middle English School was established in the Capital, and that, owing to defective teaching and supervision, was in a poor state. Now there are 6 Lower Primary Soh,ools scattered about the valley, ''and 3, more of the same grade, on a larger scale, established in the Capital. There are about 800 scholars on the roll, with an average· attendance of 600. Scholarships are given yearly by the Stat~ as an incentive for the boys to study at the Middle English Schoolr which is now on a better footing and superviB~d also by the·

53

missionary. As Honorary Inspector the missionary visits these schools three times in the year, and while at Ukrul, is in continual correspondence with the teachers of the said schools. During the writing of this report a communication from the Political· Agent, Colonel Maxwell, informs him that he intends leaving to the Honorary Inspector in future the drawing up of the Educa .. tional Budget for the State, and also the spending of the money on same.

TRANSLATION WORK.

Mention has been made of translation work being accom­plished in the day's work at Ukral: (1) During 1896, John's Gospel ill Manipuri was put through the press, and 500 copies have been allowed to be distributed amongst the Manipuris in the valley. (2) Luke's Gospel was put in the press during 1898, and the last proof leaves for the press as this report is being written. ThiA Gospel will, it is hoped, be distributed also amongst the Manipuris in a few months' time. (3) For the school at Ukru1, a Fit-st and Second Primer were composed during 1897 and 1898, printed, and the copies are now in the hands of the scholars. For them also a Third and Fourth Primer, containing the Life of Jesus Christ have been composed, and the former is in the press. Also a Catechism is nearly ready, which is intended for the boys to study on every Lord's Day. (4) For the schools in the Valley, during 1896, 1897 and 1898, three Manipuri Meaning Books for those learning the three Bengali Primers were printed. In 1898, also, with a view to establish a correct way of writing and spelling Manipuri in t,he Bengali character, a Manipuri First Primer was composed, printed, alld is DOW dis­tributed in all the schools in the Valley; besides being taught in the school at Ukrul.

THE SCHOOL AT U KRUL.

This school is practically a State School, every pice of expense being. paid by the State. Nothing is debited to the Union for this work, save that the missionary gives his time gratuitously. No­objection is made to Christian truth being taught. The boys are being taught their own language and Manipuri.· A few of them who seem to have an aptitude for English are being taught this· language. The books they study aim to inculcate Christian truth. The school is opened daily with singing and prayer. On the Lord's Day they come .together for singing and to. listen­to the Gospel story. As soon as the Catechism is printed, they will be able more efficiently to retain in their minds the truths they have learned orally.

5-1

liEDIC.A.t WORK.

Beiltg a.DOviee in this line, the missionary could only relieve -simple cases, and hardly a day has passed du·ring the past three YeBII'S, but some one or other has come :for medicine. The medicines used have mostly been given by the State through: the Charitable Dispensary. Keeping self-support in view, tim mis­sionary has declined to gh·e medicine free, charging a trifle in the :shape of eggs. Not only in t·his matter, but in others, it has been the aim to make the villagel's see that they must not rely on the missionary or missionary funds for their living. The cholera in 1898 might have proved an opportunity to get closer to the lives .of . the people, but they refused to have anything to do with medicine, having come to the conclusion that cholem could never be cured. A few took courage to ask, but they generally did so when the attack had been on some time, and consequently the medicine did no good.

ITINERATING WORK.

In the first place, owing to the villages around having each a. dialect of their own, it was though.t best to wait uutil a fluent grasp. of the language was obtained, and in the second place, ·owing to the school work in the Valley and at Ukrul, no oppor. tunity has been given up to the present for itinerating work. In .thisconnection, and in concluding the report, the missionary wishes to lay before the Conference a few facts and a proposal', with the hope that they may be able unanimously to endorse the latter. The missionary has practically two fields in this State to work: (1) The work in the Valley which is strictly secular. Chris­-tianity propagnted in Rny form i's forbidden, with the exception ·of being allowed to distribute the Gospels as mentioned before. The propagation of secular education is the sine qua non as far as the missionary is concerned. The question might be well asked Why have any connection with it? There are about 200,000 Manipuris in the Valley. No missionary can enter and work .amongst them for the Master exclusively duriTlg the Raja's minor­ity. As soon as he comes on the gruli, the question of opening up work amongst his s.nb;jects can be brought before him, and if the present work of helping Dorward ed.iroation almon~st them is continued, there is every likelihood. of his giving a fav.Qurable l'!Q.pl~.. According to official authority he will hav:e suffieienf. .power to even. turn the Mission out of the· State altogether; henee -the ad visa.hiliily of prepRl1!'mg the way for a favourablet consid~r­atWn of the work of the Mission. 'P .... e Raja will come on the gadi in five years' time. (2) Thesohool work'at Ukrul with the tni.n:!1ation work, rund: .composing of literatm-e taJlceR up the mission­·ary's time, and leaves 'little for the pre'achiBg of the Gospel either

ill the village or in the villages around. The visits to the Capital,. and the holidays at sowing time and bar\rest. interrupt the regular l'outine of school work, n()t to speak of the question -of itinerating r TheproposaJ therefore is, that another mission1U'Y be a.ppointed for this field to come out this year or next. and eithel' take ovel' the educational aud literary part of the work and leH.ve the· writer free for itineratiug and evangelistic work, or vice 1J6rsd. By the time the new missionary has mastered t,he lang-nag's, t,he wa.y fot, work amongst the Manipuris may be open, and the two won.ld be ready and prepared to WOl'k conjointly in the two fields. The 'VI'itel"s firm conviction .is that this educat,ional work in the Valley should not be given up; and seeing that in this State Aided School at Ukt'ul, there is ft, grand opportunit.y to train up young lives to be disciples of the Master, llO question of abandoning this wOl'k shou.ld be thought of. Ag-aiu the education of t,hese Manipnris is preparing the way for an intelligent gt'asp of the truth, and eoVen 110W those who can read have an opportunity of reading the Gospels that are being distributed amongst t.hem. and the constant prayer is that the Lord may bless His Woro in this silent way. There are, no doubt, dilIere(it opil~ions amongst the brethren with regard to t,his education question; but after weighing the pros and cons of the ·case as it affects the work in Manipur at present, and what it may mean in the future, it is hoped the Conference will unanimously endorse the plea for another missionary for this

. field. The consent of the Chief Commissioner of Assam will of cOllrse have to be obtained, but if the missionary is designated for the Naga field, it is thought there will be no objection raised. On hearing from the brethren their decision, their endorsement could go forward to the Executive Committee with the request for an appropriation for a permanent bungalow to be built within the next two yeal'B.

In conclusion the missionary and his wife at Ukrul at'e conscious of many failures in thf-ir work for the Master, but are still more conscious of the never-failing grace, mercy, and comfort bestowed upon them by the Lord, during the three years of labour in His vineyard, To Him be as.cribed all glory, praise, and honour.

REPORT FROM PATHALIPAM AND DIBRUGARH.

By Rev. Joseph Pa'ul.

My historical report to this Conference falls naturally into two parts: first the Miri work from the time of the last Conference to the. t~e of OUl' leaving it; and second, tne work in the Dibrugarh Rubdivision up to the present.

56

MIRI WORK.

In taking Up the record of work amongst the M.iris where it was dropped by my last report, I do so with mingled feelings of sadness and gladness. Sadness, because sickness and other circumstances have prevented its continuance; gladness because other work has been found in a place where a measure of health has returned to me, and where some success has followed our efforts.

Immediately after the last Conference Mrs. Paul and I went to Gauhati where on the 18th of March, 1896, our little Ruth was born. Baby not being very strong, and I having had some rather severe attacks of fever, we decided to go to Darjeeling for a change. After a month speutin those invigorating hills I returned to North Lakhimpul', leaving Mrs. Paul and baby Ruth there until August. At North Lakhimpur as at Gauhati my time was given to the study of the Assamese language until Mrs. Paul's I'eturn, when I made immediate preparations for going to Pathalipam to build a temporary house for our accommodation until a bungalow 'Should. be ready for occupation. The temporary house was ready in abou.t six weeks, and early in October J went to North Lakhim­pur alld brought Mrs. Paul and baby to our new abode.

The next six months were spent in preparing materials and building a bungalow. During these months the Sundays were spent III visiting the villages, and preaching the Gospel to Miris, Bengalis, Assamese Rnd others as best we could. Four personR living within a short distance of the compound professed faith in Christ and were baptized in the Subansiri river. Subsequently two of them proved very unfaithful, and even confessed that they had expected worldly gain in accepting and professing Christ­ianity. As an example to the whole neighbourhood these two were promptly and positively expelled from our Mission. The .other two have proved faithful, but have moved to Sibsagor.

During the last months of building there were many signs of -a genuine interest in the Word preached in these near villages and judging :from the nature of the inquiries made I was led to expect quite a number of conversions. But when it came to an appeal for a complete separation from Hinduism and devil-worship it became apparent that those who had shown these signs of concern for their sonls, had much more concern for their bodies. I may here say that it wonld seem to me quite possible for older and more experienced missiollaries to have been deceived by tlleAe people into a belief in the genuineness of their professions. I think it would take a man who has made a special study of the crooked profundity of the Mongolian mind to escape their devices and say" I know them." A.t the time of which I write they expressed their joy' at our coming amongst t~em, a second or third time; they made preparations for our comfort; they willingly

57

brought fire- wood, offered eggs, chicken, milk free; they specified times for assembly, and came on time to hear the Gospel; they followed up our meetings with further inquiries at the boat; late into the night they sat on the cold river bank asking questions about our religion. They would come early again in the morning asking for books to help them remember what they had heard. Some of them would confess the emptiness of Hinduism, their sins, their need of salvation, their gladness at hearing the Word of the true God. They confessed this and much more which seemed to indicate a real interest in their souls' welfare. Now which of you, my brethren, would not under these circumst,ances have rejoiced at so much and at such early success? Which of you would not have thought that you had found the very place where God wanted you to be ?

[It is worthy of note that some of these very people travelled, by boat and on foot, over a hundred miles to ask a tea planter, whom they knew and could trust whether or not I was preaching the truth; and w bethel' or not, if they became Christians, they were to expect money, cattle, and other assistance. They also asked him how much profit would fall to my lot if they became one with us.]

.At the beginning of October, 1897, we resumed our touring from village to village along the Subansiri river. .At this time I wa.s without a native helper of any kind. :My former helper, Jolm, having become discouraged through the deceit and cunuing of the Miris, and the cost of living amongst them, returned to his nati ve town. Nevertheless I managed to reach many villages, and to find in some quite a number of hearers who gave good heed to the Word of God. Again in November I went out and camped in the midst of sevC\'al villages. At one of these I almost lived for upwards of three weeks, where from morning till late at night, ill season and out of season, I made known the truth as it is in Jesus Christ. Several young men of this village were brought to the point of thoroughly understanding the Gospel plall of salvation and were willing to give up their sins, and abandon Hinduism. The only obstacle in the way of their becoming Christians was a location; for they foresaw that to accept Christ meant a complete separation from home and friends. I thought it best to make them no offer of assistance in this matter, as our Society would llot be likely to entertain the idea of a Christian settlement. I pro­mised to return and give them more instruction, for I believe to this day that their knowledge of Christ is a work of the Holy Spirit. During this same tour at another village, a very influential man-thongh an opium-eater-was so struck with the wonderful life of Christ as found in the Gospels, that he yielded to His authority so far as to give up all devil-worship and aU kinds of puja. He also gathered the people together and read the New 'restament to. them evening after eveniug; and when forbidden by the gohaiu. to do so, he asserted his right to do as he pleased about it.

58

_ It was here tll~t my path was crossed by our b,'ethl'en . Swanson' aud, Firth who were on their way across country to Dibrugarh. A long conference with them led to my seeking some kind of a native herper at .all costs. They advised my going to SibsRgor £01' this purpose; which, while they were working toward pihru­garh, I did, While making my way by jungle path t·o SibsagoI' I narrowly eacaped drowning in the Brabamputra: my one­boatman losing his head at .the sight of a large whirlpool, allowe.d the boat to drift into it. For a moment our salvation seemed impossible. 'J'hen the thought occulTed to me to lie :Hat in the­hottom of the boat t.o keep it as steady as possible. Doing this 1 commit,ted our tiny craft to the merciful care of our Heavenly };'ather. As if by a miracle the boat sided right out of the­whirlpool, and the man coming to himself once more got control of the boat, and we were soon landed on a sand-bank. The boat~ man not only refused to return for my baggage, but was almost afl1tid to cross the ri vel' to bis village. After a walk of a couple of miles over a long sand-bank and through a reed jungle, I found myself in the dark fA.cing the lights at Disang Mookh. But I was pouring with perspiration in a cold wind for some time before I could prevail upon the gkat-wallak to bring his hoat :md take me to the :Hoating DAk Bungalow. When I got into the bungalow and wrap"ped some borrowed blankets about me, I t.hanked God and took courage. This incident ha,ppened through placing confidence in the word of an opium-eater. And I only mention it here because I think the exposure and excitement l,ave permanently injured my health.

The next day I walked into Sibsagor, but was so weak that 1i could not get about mud, while there. Here I met Messrs._ GU1>ney, Petrick, Swanson and Firth. And we fiJI after consider-­ing the need of Dibrug-arh agreed t.o petition the Execntive Com-­mittee of our Society for permission to see what could be done­there. And these brethren seeing my inability to endure the· llardships of travelliug and exposure amongst the Miris, further recommended that I be permitted to spend the summer at Dibrugarh.

WORK AT DU3RUGARH

Was begun in January, 1898. But owing- to the work and~ travelling connected with the removal of onr goods and bungalow from Pathalipam, not much was done until th~ end of February, when three persons who had for some time been under instl'Uction were publicly baptized in the Brahmapntr-a. These with four believers who hfl.d already been baptized were organized into It little chnrch. Three others have since been added by letter. ~ good deal of preft.chirig has been done in the hazars, and abOut twelve hundred portions of Scripture and tracts have' heert sold.-

Thousands of leaflets have also been gt'atuitously distributed. There al'e iJl the town at the present time six persons who may he termed inquirers, oue of these a young Brnhmill.

In April last a letter from our departed brothel', Dr. Duncan, gave sanotion to OUt' remaiuillg in Dibrugal'h for the summer with a yiew to our permanent settlement here if the results of the work should warrant such a step. From April last to the present time no further reply has been received from the Executive Com­mittee. As a result of this continued uncertainty, I have hesitated t.o push the work here with that vigor and regularity which would haT"e characterized it had I received instructions from Boston.

But when the cold season began, I took upon myself to begin' work on some of the tea gardens of this district. In this work ] believe I see the guiding hand of Providence and the demon­:-;tr-ation of the Holy Spirit's power and wisdom.

Though I had made the acquaintance of some of the planters, t'ntflgelistic work was not begun on any of their gardens nntil t,he 13th of October, when two Nngpuri preachers, whom· Brother Petriok kindly lent me, joined me in an earnest "Prayer :M~eeting" at the TaUap Dak Bungalow. God heard those prayers •. ,And we were ready to go out. from the bungalow in which they were made to preach and teach right and left t,hen and· there. But God's ways are not our ways; for He pra.ctically ~hut us up for five days while the windows of heaven were opened find the rain descended in torrents. During these days we had no lleal't to ask the poor tired coolies who had been working in the rain all day to meet together to hear the Gospel. So I spent parts 6f some three or four days, and all the wet evenings in teaching the young planters the lance and sword exercise (queer occupation for a missionary); for they all belong to the Cavalry volunteers. And so cutting my way through the planters, I got to their cooli~ for in this way I became acquainted with some of the managers of large gardens, and asked their permissiou to preach the Gospel to their laborers, which in most cases was granted. Tb us within a few days I had access to over thirty-four thousand coolies.

Without the help of these two preachers so kindly lent me I could have done but little. With them a start was made which has resulted in the baptism of 82, the organization of four small churches with a membership of 92 including accepted candidates for baptism. The total number of church members on the field is 102, The total number of adult adherents 114.

Thus far we have hut begun to work a s1nall section of this subdivision. The field is large and promising. Shall we occupy it, ?

In conclusion I wish to place on record my sincere appr~lCiation of the great work done by the German Lutheran and other mis­sionaries. who lived and died, seeing perhaps only by faith the :sheaves which we are gathering into the garner. They patientl)r

60

!Owed the seed, we are reaping the harvest, some of the sheaves of which are bright and beautifuL

I wish also to record my conviction that if we are to expect a harvest of souls from the Miris, Kacharis, Assamese and others, we must be prepared to labor on for many years if necessary, though we ourselves see nothing but the clearing of the jungle and the pl'eparation of the soil, from which those who come after us shall reap the golden grain, if it shall not please the Lord of the harvest speedily to return.

REPORT FROM THE GOLAGHAT FIELD.

By Rev. O. L. Swanson.

The report from Golaghat fieJd, as a separate mission station, comes in for the first time and covers the period of only one year.

Through consultation with other missionary brethern it was decided that the missionRries of North Lakhimpur should devote ·some of their time to Golaghat subdivision. In view of this I started on my first tour to that field in the middle of J annary, 1898. Four native workers accompanied me. One of them being Johan the ordained native preacher, loaned to me by Bro. Petrick. One full month was spent in the district, durin~ which time we visited tea gardens, bazars and vilJages, distributing tracts, selling Gospels and telling" the Old Old Story" of Jesus -and His redeeming love to sinful men. As a result of this work :39 persons were baptized in three different places. The work being so promising it was considered advisable for me to make a -second tour in March. This time my chief aim was to follow up the work begun and have the con verts organized into churches. At Mookrung Tea Estate there were six Christians belonging to Bebijia Church. These together with the new converts we organ­ized into a separate church. Another church was organized at Prangajan, a third at Dygroon 'rea Estates.

BUILDING AND REMOVAL.

It was now evident to the missionades of North Lakhimpur that in order to do any effectual work it was necessary for the missionary to be on the field. So letters l'ecommending the .opening of Golaghat as a mission station were sent to Boston. And the work of trying to secure land for a compound was begun. I had the same experience as many other missionaries have had, in getting a site, as the so-called educated Babu put obstacles in the way. Several applications were made and refused but finally through the kindness and help of the 'Commissio!ler the compound was secured. As Rev. and Sister Paul had vacated the Mission

61

bungalow at Pathalipam it was decided by brethren Firth~ Paul and myself that this bungalow should be taken down and transfer­red to Golaghat and re-erected there.

So in the month of April, in company with Brother Paul, the trip to Path ali pam was made and the bungalow in a few days was taken down and placed on the bank of the Subansil'i river ready £01' shipment. Because of de1ays and broken contracts by boatmen all the material was not landed in Golaghat until about the middle of June. I mnde two more tours in the district during the rains and on the 21st of September we removed from North Lukhimpur to Golaghat.

The work of re-erecting the buugalow was begun in the fol. lowing month. By the 11th of December we were able to occupy part of the house, while on the 7th of January the bun­galow was practical I y finished.

Since the completion of the bungalow I have visited the churches and lastly made a most interesting tour of two weeks in the lower part of the district where we have had opportunity to preach Jesus to Assam~se, Bengalis, Mikirs and Garos.

Indications point to a great harvest, but again the old problem confronts us : Where are the workers?

PREACHERS.

At present we have 5 native preachers employed in doing evan­gelistic work in the district.

During this one year of labor 104 have been buried with Christ in baptism, 9 received by experience, and there have been 2 deaths. Total membership Ill, organized into four Churches. Total contributions from native Churches for the year Rs. 60-6-10.

A GENERAL VIEW OF THE ~-\.SSA)1 lfISSION FIELD.

THE MISSIONARIES.

At our Conference in Sibsagor three years ago, there were 32 members present. At the Dibrugarh Conference we have had 33 present. This might seem to indicate a gain of just one on the field. But at that time there were present at the Conference all except

,two of those actually on the field. Whereas at the Dibrugarh Con-ference we have sent greetings to seven members who though on

, the field have failed to attend the Conference. At the time of the ,Sibsagor Conference the whole force on the field consisted of J 7 male missionaries, 15 wives, and 3 unmarried ladies,-a total of .35. Now, there are 011 the field ~O male missionaries, 17 wiveR, ,-and 3 unmarried ladiest-a total of 40.

62

Ait that time si~ of our present 10rce were off 'the field, vi£., l\irs. Clark, Mr. and Mr.s.Petrick, Mr. and Mrs. Mason, and ltrs. Boggs.

Of those then present six are now ofi the field. These are Mrs. Kinll, Mrs. Dring, Mr.a.nd Mrs. Phillips. Miss Rood, -and Mrs.. P. H. Moore.

The accessionsdurillg the three years have been :-Rev. I. E. l\{nnger and wife, Rev. W- Pettigrew and wife, a.ev. A. J. Parker and wife, ]\I[is8 wlie Daniels, and the present Mr.s. Carvell ('ttee Pal'lker).

Death has been among us, and two women of !beautiful character .and nare, consecrated talents, have passed heyond these scenes. These are Mrs. Laura Amy Carvell, who died in her :Dew home among the Mikirs, on the 1st August 1898; :and. Mrs. HelenA.. l\funger, whose death occurred only a. few-weeks later., ill Tura.

Mr. MUnger, who with his accumplished wife came to us in ihe Jatter pfl..rt of 1896} has now been ohliged to go home, very ill.

Tn-E S'l'ATIONS.

Reports have come in from twelve stations, in which our work is now being carried on. Three of these have been established within the last three years. These are: Ukrul, in Mani pur, where Mr. Pettigrew is working among the Tangkhul Nagas; G{)18ghat~ where Mr_ Swanson -has opened up work and built a bungalow; and Dibrngarh, where Mr.Pn.ul h-as :begun work, -and.. where a bungalow was purchased during Conference wee-x with funds specially cOlltl'ibuted, then and there, by one man 'and his wife.

From the Mikiriield also there comes for the first time a separate report of what is being done for the people of that tribe. Work fol' M:ikirs has for many years been a pa.rt of the scheme under­taken by the missionaries in Nowgong. But never until within t he last three years have missionaries .actually established them­selves in the Jungle wilds inhabited by the Mikirs, lived amollg t.hem, and preached to them daily.

THE WORK.

I n all these twelve stations, or ratuer in the nelds worked from tbese stations, the work is in a fairly prospel'ous and encouraging condition. Our hearts have been filled with gratitude ,to -God. 'fOr­many tokens of his favor and for the outpouring of His Spirit. Souls ha.ve -been gathered into His kingdom. Advancement has been made in self-support and other lines of development in the eburohes. New churches, not less than 24 of -them, -have been formed. Work has been opened ou -new soil, and h818 quickl,.. hecome well-established and fruitful. Schools and school-- work

03

are better in ha.nd than was the case three years ago. In Goalpara and in Ukrol school work has been began, and is being carried on.

The Formation of new Churches has occurred in the new fields Where work is being done a.mong tea garden coolies, also in the Ao Naga field, and the Tura. field.

The reports show that in the North Lakhimpur field 7 new churches have been organized; in the Golagha.t field, 4; in tht' Dihrugarh field, 4; in tile Tura field, 3; in the Ao N aga field, 4: :and in the Sibsag'ol' field, 2.

Some of these new churches are of course very small, behlg oomposed of the few first ingatherings on different tea garden",. " Some one among them who can read" is in some cases the most. that can be provided as pastOl' for a newly-formed church on a. tea garden.

In the Ao N~cra field and the Tura field the increase in the num­ber of churches and in membership is the result of growth and of somet.hing like revival interest and awa.kening.

Self-S1vppo1't. Aside from one or two very small and periodically decreasillg grants to weak chm'ches, aud the pel'sonal contl'ibu­hlons of missionaries, no church in our whole field now receive!' fbDiaDcial aid, unless the Misl:!ion money and Government funds that, go to help out the Rchool work in the Tura field, and the GalVeI'fl­m.ent graut-ill-aid to' schools in other fields, can be regarded as n.id 00 the chul'ches.

A study of the r.eports from the various fields reveals the ffief,

that some clmrches support their own pastors separately from theil' school work, while others depend on a man who is both village school teacher and acting pastoF. These pasters and theFie teBIChers are as a rule doing their work among their own class of people and in their own part of the country; and the condition~ are favorable for them to live very cheaply. Some of them help tnemselves by cultivating or other entel'prise. And all of ihem serve the churches for what would in some qnarters be regarderl as very small financial consideration, usually considerahly Jess than a cooly laborer could earn.

AU school houses and chapels, these Christians of course bllilJ for themselves, unless it be in the case of a station chapel or a -station school house, built on the Mission componnd and used as a part of the Mission. plant. In the Mikir field, where there i~ as 'yet no church organized, posts and contributions for a meeting house are being got ready by Mikirs.

Self.suppOl·t is gaining ground in Assam. In one field (:Sibsagor) stipends to pasrors or churches have been discontinued during the last three years. In the Nowgong field st,ipem}s to evaugeliSts have been discontinued. It is feIt· more and mm'e wid.ely an~ m~re ~nd mOl'e deeply, that the .churches must mpp?rt thelr own mstltutions, and "that they must Iii an the older fieldR ~rry on needed e'Vangelistie work within theD.' own distrjets~ and

64

beyond. N ati ve Christians more and more recognize the fitness of all this. And they more and more cheerfully assume the bur~. dens that rightfully devolve upon them.

'l~e Et'angelistic Work of the Ohu1·ches. In the Gauhati field, one, and in the Tura field, not less than a dozen evengelists are. supported by the churches, and sent forth to preach among the heathen. In addition to this the churches of the Tura field are supporting one man (a Garo) as a missionary to the Duphlas, a hill tribe in upper Assam amung whom no other Christian agency is, or has been, at work.

The Oontributions of the Ohm'ches to Sc.hooZ Work have been con­siderable. The exact amount cannot be here stated. In the Ao N aga field direct contributions to the amount of Rs. 126, and indirect contributions to the amount of Rs. 313, are reported as coming from Naga sources for educational work. And in other fields, notably among Garos, the Christians besides all they do to keep up their village schools, contribute to the support of certain schools of higher grade, and take an actit'e part in preparing men for the work of preachers and teachers.

The P1inti'tl-g P"es8 in Gauhati is supported by the Garo· Ohristians of that district.. They find both the money and the men to run t·he press.

The Evangelistic Work of the Mission as distinct from that of the churches, includes of course all direct evangelistic work done by the missionaries themsel ves and that done by native preachers paid by the Mission.

In the older fieldR where there is much organized work to super­vise, the missionaries usual1y find it difficult to give very much time to persistent direct evangelistic work among nOll-Christians. In several of the reports regretE! are expressed that time for more of this work could not be found.

In the newer fields much direct preaching to non-Christians is done by the missionaries; and native helpers are employed.

Missionary tours are a part of the cold season program in nearly every field.

School Work is a very necessary part of our work in Assam; for we labor among very ignorant people. As a rule it is true that among tea garden coolies, among Garos, among N agas, among Mikirs, among Rabhas, to say nothing of Duphlas,-there are no Rchools except our Christian schools.

In all our newer fields there is a scarcity of men in the churches who can even read. And in our older fields there is a constant demand for more educated preachers and teachers and for those better equipped for their work.

The very life 'and continuance of our work demands the fostering of schools.

Where the people are all ignorant it. is something to get them to sustain village schools and begin to educate their young

65

children. It is still another step in advance when they begin to sustain with their contributions a few schools of higher grade and when Bome of their young people are sustained in school for years to prepare them for usefulness.

Besides all our village schools we have station schools in Tura, Goalpara, Gauhati, N owgong, Sibsagor, Impur and Ukrul.

Literary Work also demands attention. And in this branch something is being done.

Mr. Gurney is giving his time to the revision of his translation of the Old Testament in Assamese.

Mr. P. H. Moore has within the last year completed and printed the revised New Testament, in Assamese.

Mr. Clark has made progress in preparing his English-Ao Naga. Dictionary for the press. He has also enlarged the Ao Nags. Hymn Book, and prepared a translation of Broadus's Catechism.

In the Tura field a monthly 16-page periodical is maintained, and has 650 subscribers. Some additional books for use in Gam schools have been prepared, also trauslations, into Garo, of the Mirror of the Heart, and Broadus's Catechism.

Mr. Pettigrew has translated and printed the Gospels of John and Lnke in Manipuri. He has also prepared and printed several school books.

Mr. Burdette has since April, 1898, been preparing and printing Lesson Leaflets on the International Sunday School Lessons, in Assamese.

Sunday School Work has received an impetus, notably in Tum, Gauhati and N owgong, from affiliation with the India Sunday School Union, and the visits of its General Secretary.

Building Operations have consumed a great deal of time and energy. To mention the new bungalows alone would require us to go over nearly the whole field.

III Impur one new bungalow has been completed within these three years,-making three within a short period.

InUkrul a comparatively cheap Mission house has been built. In the Mikir field two such have been built, largely with funds

specially contl'ibuted by the missionaries themselves. In North Lakhimpur a new bungalow and a chapel have been

huilt. Mr. Paul built a bungalow in Pathalipam. This was after­

wards taken down, and much of the material was transported to Golaghat .. where Mr. Swanson has now erected a bungalow.

In Gauhati one new, permanent bungalow has been built; and another is l>eing built.

In Goalpara a new bungalow has been built, and after the earthquake again put into good condition.

And last but not least interesting, is the case of the bungalo\v at Dibrngarh which was purchased for the Missionary Union, in Couferenoe week, - a contribution of Rs. 2,000 ha.ving been made, then and there, for this purpose.

66

Th-e building of school houses, etc., and the extensive repairs . necessitat.ed by the earthquake, have 11elped to make this a peI'iod ··in which the energies of missionaries have to an unusual extent ,'.been diverted to the matel'ial side of mission work.

HINDRANCES 1l() THE W OBK.

The natural depravity of the human heart is of .course that which mA.kes our work difficult. But to mention here some 01

,the incidental hindrances that have received mention in the various reports we may well begin with the earthqua.ke. Gauhati suffered most. Here three bungalows and a brick chapel wel'ti totally destroyed. And the shock to the work has been seriously felt. Considerable damage and much interruption to the work

· occurred also at Goalpara, Nowgong, Tura, and elsewhere. 'rhe death of two of our number has been felt as a great loss to

,·the work, as well as to those of us who remain. The work has also Ruffered, especially in the Tura field, from

, the frequent changes and iutel'l'Uptions occasioned by the seriol1s } illness of missionaries.

The death of prominent native workers,. such as Bakal and ,others in the TUl'a field, and Zilli in the Ao Na.ga field, has been ·felt as a 8eriousl08s.

The drinking customs of the animistic tribes, such as Nagas, "Garos, Rabhas, Mikirs, Mirie, and Duphlas, a]'e, like certain social > customs of the AssamesA, achier barrier to their embracillg' ··Chl'istianity.

The ignorance of the people, the Jack of qunlified workers, tht" .: low spiritual condition of some of the churches, the mercena),y . spirit of some of the preachers and others, are also mentioned as hindrances.

Church quarrels have not been special prevalent .. But the 'Balijuri church in the Nowgong fieJd hHs, because of dissension, been. a heavy burden to the missionaries. And the Derek church in the Tura.field has been engaged in a. suit at law, . They lost

. their case. The costs on e~h side were about Rs. 3,000, Cold .. ness, lack of harmony, and the departure or their pastor, }Ul"B

~\followed.

HELPS AND ENCOURAGEMENTS.

, Under thiH head may be mentioned such causes of rej'Oicing as · the fofiowing :-'l'he deep revival spirit in Molung, the zeal of Naga y.:oung men in that village, Zilli's consecratiort; the wide spread spirit of in·qniry and. the large ingathering in t'b:eTuJ·1).

· field; a more cheerful a:cquie'scence in our ei¥olltS' to· e'sta:blis'b d111'

work o.na. self-supporting ba~is; tne growi1'lJt co~fid'enoo, in thB .missionary. ami his missiou, manifested by Tangl1iu;l Na.g-as,. au(l

67

'Others; the }'eadiness of many among' the immigrant :population on tea gardens to listen to the Gospel and obey its call; . a.nd last of all, our Confel'ence, which ha.s been "a delightful sitting together in the heavenly places ill Christ Jesus."

OUR STATISTICS.

If complete tbese \Voulll, no doubt, be to some the most interest­ing part of our Report. But the data for anything like a complete table of Statistics for the whole field are not at hand. The following very incomplete table is given, with ,the hope that ~fIorts will be made in anticipation of the next Conference, to make this feature of the Report complete Rnd accurate.

Statistics, 1896-98.

FIELDS.

---------------------- ----,----~-----~---~-----~--~-----

'''11 5441 181 36 191 ... "Sibsagol' •.• Nowgong ... Gauhati ... T-ara. ..• Ao Naga '" Anga.mi Naga ... Goal para ... N. Lakhimpur Tangkhul Naga Dibrugal'h .. . Golaghat .. .

Bs.

.... 165 I 85 29 18 2 652 205

... 674 ... ".. '" ...

... 2,400 1,499 104 236 145 3,600 8,690

.a. I 32 ... ••• ... ... 177 ..• 7 1 .1 10 ...

73 270 5 28 7 312 390

82 104 ~:: I :::

TEA GARDEN COOLIES.

By Rev. O. E. Pefll·ick.

'rhe most prosperous work in upper Assam has b,een among the immigrant popnlation; living in teagal"dens, or in viITag.es ~ter 11l1vingsel'ved olit a term of agreement .. For our work, only the ,tea. ga.~dens in the Brahmaputra Valley come into consideration. The. uumoor of tea gardenRas largest in the Sihsagor. ,Rna Lakhimpul' distl'icts. In the Sibsagordistrict we find 174. tea ga,rdens, in Lakhimpur i41, in :Nowg@ng 83, in Darrang- 55, in

68

Kamrnp 24, in· Goalpara 3,-total for the Brahmaputra Valley 480; In the Sibsagor dis.tl'ict we have the following number of t.ea gar­dens in the different subdivisions:- Sibsagor subdivision 62~ Jorhat 67, Golaghat 45.

The whole labor force in tea employment in the Brahmaputra Valley reaches the high number of 249,009 under agreement, and 22,607 temporarily employed. The labor force is distributed in the following way over the different districts :-Lakhimput· has 96,8;;4 (in North Lakhimpur subdivision, ]2,468; in the Dibrugal'h subdivision 84,390); Sibsagor has 77,343 (in the Sibsagol' subdivision 30,341, in tlle Jorhat subdivision 28,314, and in the Golaghat subdivision 18,688) j Nowgong has 18,663; Darrang 45,972; Kamrup 9,915; Goalpara 262 j-a total of 249,009,-besides the 22,607 temporarily employed. This means more than a quarter of a million employed in tea gardens in Assam proper. There are large numbers who have left the tea gardens and live in villages on their own land as cultivators. Their number is ~7 ,113. The llumber of all foreign born immi. grants in Assam reaches the enormous number of 510,672; and every year about 40,000 new comers increase this vast number. During the famine year of 1897 more than 90,000 immigrants. came to Assam for employment.

According to the census of 1890, 24% of all the inhabitants in. theSibsagor district were immigrants; in Lakhimpur 41% were foreigners. According to Government reports but ]0% of all imported laborers return to their own country. This means that in the near future the immigrants will by far outnumber the Assamese, perhaps gradually assimilate them entirely.

Not all the immigrants are accessible to the Gospel. Those who have been Hindus in their own country are almost as difficult to .evangelize as are Hindus g~neral1y. We have here a large nU:I:I1ber of Hindus .from Western Bengal, Behar, the N.-W. P.,. the Central. Provinces, and Centl'al India. They are . not so hard as the Assamese, but still work among them l;'equil'es a great deal of patience. But we have a large community of immigrants who were never convel'ted to Hinduism in their own country,-abori­gines from Western Bengal, Chota N agpur and Central India. We have in Assam,190,774 immigrants from Chota Nagpur and 18,294 from the Santal Pergunnas. They are the best object for IVlission work, not only because they . are not Hindus, but because they have been largely influenced by Christianity in ~heir own country, where Christianity has become quite a power, counting about 100,000 nominal Christians. The largest number of con­verts, we have got from 8: class of people belonging to different 'tribes generally caned Kols. To give a correct number of the Kols l~ving in As&am is. very diffi~ult if not impossible. Many of them' have given Hindi as their mother-tongue in the last census. According to the report of the last census 295,801

69

gave Hindi as their mother-tongue. I have no doubt there are many thousands of Mundas, Uraons and others among this number. They thought to raise themselves in the social scale by calling Hindi their mother-tongue, instead of their own dialects, very much as some European immigrants in America would caU themselves Americans after being there for only a short time and while not even knowing t,he English langnage. A proof that many Mundas acted in this way, or may be supposed to have done so, is that 4,6244 gave as their caste, in the last census, ~Iundas, - whereas only 30,261 gave Munda as their mother­tongue. 'rhere were 16,000 Mundas who seem to have denied their mother-tongue. According to the census, we have in Assam 46,244 Mundas, 17,736 Uraons, 2,700 Kols (I suppose Lowkas from Chaibassa), 20,032 Bhumij, 23,220 Santals, 32,149 Bauris, 32,186 Bhu.iyas, 6,389 Bhar, 3,368 Korwas, and a few other classes. All are aborigines from Chota Nagpur, not professing Hinduism. . This gives a total of 187,436 of such people. To this figure should be added about 4,000 Gonds from Central India. At present we have, most likely, more than 200,000 immigrants who are not Hindus.

This is a large field, ripe for the harvest. In the few years we have systematically worked among these people the fruits of our labOt, have been great, we have now in Sibsagor 652 members. Only 59 of them can be called Assamese. Nearly 600 are convert­~d immigrants. In North Lakhimpur we have about 300 members of that class, in Golaghat 100, in Dibrugarh about 100, and in Nowgong at least 100,-1 suppose in all 1,200, collected in a few years.

Compare with this our very meager success among the Assamese, after more than 60 years, and we shall stile where our duty lies.

We have, I believe, only a few over 100 Assamese member;:; after more than 60 years of faithful labors on the part of a good number of foreign missionaries appointed to that work. The comparison shows where God wants us to use our strength and our means.

OBITU AR1ES~

MRS. LAURA AMY CARVELL.

By Rev. P. E. Moore.

Our sister came to Nowgong, Assam, a few days before me, a little over eight years ago. Most of yon knew her, and that she was f01" the most of her missionary lifetime in charge of the -Mission Girls' Boarding School at Now~ong. She loved this·wol'k and was very mu ch :a.ttached to l~er children in Boarding School ·and D~y Sc~ool.

70

I think she had been here scarce two months when we toured to GauhaHto attel1d the Conference there.' 1: rememberdistitretly her remarks about the pOOl' unclothed children. I said, that they were Dot very lovable. "I love them," was her reply. 1 think her life testitied' to her love for tile people,

In oill' weekly Missionary PI'ayer Meeting she always took an. important part in singing'and nearly-always took part in prayer, She certainly loved the throne- of gl'aee,

She was patient' heyond' some of us, a' quality very important in het' school' work.

She was married August 3rd, 1895, but coutinued in her school. duties, and workforABs~meE;e, till February, 1897, when she eRme t,o the Mikii" HillR. Here sile was learning a new language-but worked for hm' Mastel' jn ma~y ways. I think iibe pandit with whom she talked and prayed-as with an own brother; when he had' done Wl'ong, would glad1y testify that she was serving the­Lord Christ in ma,ny ways in these days. We were two' happy houses and hopeful in the work. '

The la,st Monday of July, 1897, slle was taken with sympfrom s, similar to those of he)' husband, who was just' getting up fi-om a week of fever. Following medical' advice (frem without Assam) she had avoided', and still refrained from ta:king quinine:for about three days, lest the expected' little one be injured thereby, ' Bi this time the fever had- reaelled 105°, and, s~e consented to taY::& qll:inine. Now for two dflYs we aHernated between hope and f~~~ Saturday it was more fea1'. We sent for'Dr; PI'ice. He could not come nnd sent to Dr. Lavertine. Letters from each came when all was over. The body seemed yet t.o perform all its functiens properly until sboutS P.M., when the breathing became mecllanical.

Some of usstil~ hoped the motper might livethou~h' w~ aU despaired for the little ]if~. We tried; to break this' mechanical breathing by smelling sa1ts, burning feathers atthe'nose, etc., hut in vain, .' It seemed as jf the spirit had flowtl and only a; machine­was left, At the first light of Sunday we laid t'he little fbrm wrapped in fresh linen, to rest, but the mother had not come back to us, though the body seemed to perform its functions perfectly. Cooling mixtures pl'oduced great perspiration yet the fever mounted higher and higher, until about five o'clock, when the end came. .

We laid her out ~Il w,hite and. put some white flowers at her throat.; and her husbaud and I cnrried her in a new mat, and put the body in the arms of. 'Mother. .earth, until the resurrection morniug. I tried to repeat some beautiful Scripture selectiolls and o:ffer prayer but my emotions alld: my nerves' prevented~ It was a 8ervice Of 'tears ; andall:pl'esenttook paH iuit. ' ~~r grave is pel'h~ps thirty yards north ott-he nortb-west corn~r

of the nOllse, and' is under sometl'ees w hel'e she' lbved to sit ami -look out upon the river; the Himalayan snows, and' ou-r- belttitifht

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autumnal sunsets. That Sunday, August 1st, 1897, at ClOS8 of day; the !galden gate made 'by parting . clouds ill the west/seeinetl vei'Y near, as if Heaven had- come down to meet ana greet' our loved one.

Very many beautiful Howers yearly bloom above her dust, sug­gesting the' sweetness of her life, 'The' lofty 'Himalayan snow­cappe-d peaks still took down upon us from their pure 'heights, and seem to talk to us sometimes of how they send theil- rivers of' tears to try to wash this fbul land that sbe tried to help to a purer life ; and the'll :we feel an iiltimate friendship -£or them, Though they are so old and cold and far' above us, we love tnem more' for that she loved them.

T,he beautiful, winding river below us carries its loads of deb"is on and' on, as 'if it too joined in her life~s work of cleansing the sin-cursed land.

The 'sunlig-bt comes as sweet and fresh as before she died, and purifies 'and 'blesses-but there is a vacancy, a want, and a weak­ness of our force.

'Yet" We love to think God's g?'eatness Hows around our incom­pleteness; and around our restlessness, HIS REST."

l\fRS. HELEN A. MUNGER,

By Mrs. M. CoO A(ason.

From necessity perhaps, from training certainly, we mostly live two lives. T.here IS the front door whel'e we receive the casual fd~~d, the acquaintance, and the stranger; then there is the Bille door to, which the intimate friend runs round and enters without ki;iocking. But the latter are so rare that any of us ~ould name few persons wh,om he wonld be willing to have write a sketch of his I.ife. B;ow many of us, here kuow each other? Very few I, trow. We see the furnishings of the front hall and parlor, and judg~ (as often. wrongly as rightly) by these, when if we could see the rich' and precious hangings of'the inner chamber, how differ­ent would'be ourjndgment. Once before, since coming to Assam, has it fallen to me to wdt.e of one of the most Christly women. ~ow, strangely, we have laid just beside her another 0.£ the same type, and again. I am asked to speak of the life. I shrink from it as if treading, on holy ground, and yet I would have you all know as much as possible of tlie Hfe of Mrs, Munger. ~y acquaintance With her was brief, but 'during the months in wl'tich I saw her every da.y, I saw manifested" love, ioy, peace, long-sWlering, gentle­ness, goodness, faith, meeknesFl, temperance. These 'accompanied: a'~~ti.ljr of~,i)lm and' feature, a diguity of' perSon~ a inaturiti o~ m,ilid'. which p~du(}ed a combination as l'are as 'it is. SWAet and' pleasing •. One who had' but jUst met her, wrote me after she was

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gone, " She made me think of a delicate, beautiful flower." Letters which came from her mother showed plainly how she came to .possess many of these characteristics. l'he mother says, "From her earliest childhood she was very conscientious and always chose the right, until it became the habit. of her life." Brought up in a home of refinement, of kindness and love, where she was" the helpful eldest sister, the faithful danghter," it was but natural that she should possess the graces which made her charming, and the· pureness pf heart which made one feel that she had seen God. A friend says, "No one could live near to such a mother as Mrs. Ankeny, without catching some of the radiance of her life." Quiet and unassuming, Mrs. Muuger sought not her own honor, but ·sat at the feet of Him whose service is ·blessed She was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and spent her life mostly in that city, where she finished the work in the public schools. Converted when a young child·, it is easy to see how her life was given to good works and serving others. One says: "In the church she was a. power for good; there seemed more ·of the Divine Presence in the room when she was.there." She graduated from the Des ,Moines High School, from Callaman College, Des-Moines, and from the Univer­Rity of Iowa in 1892, then spent two years in teachirig. The next year she took the Secretaryship. of the Y. W. C. A. for colleges, travelling over the state, speaking, teaching, organizing, and help­ing to put the young women in the way to do good, working with them in companies and individually. Her natural reserve made it seem strange that she should do this work; but those who knew ller in it, tell how she did it with great s.uccess and acceptance. One writes, "With all her quietness and gentleness, she possessed a remarkable executive. ability." Another says, "In her official l'elation to the Y. W. C. A. of Iowa, her work was wise and help­ful,· her interest and zeal unflagging, and the ideal she held before us was one of devotion to what is highest and best." The Iowa Y. W. C. A. in Annual Convention declared, "Mrs. Munger's memory will be cherished as that of one whose nature was true, pure and strong; whose heart was full of love and whose life was singularlybeautj,ful. The echo of her voice is ringing in many hearis, calling to purer and Ilobler lives and more earnest service."

She was married in February, 1896 .• and having been almost prostrated with the workof the previous year, she gave the Spring and Summer of 1896 to recruiting as rauch as possible, prepara­tory to sailing for Assam.

She had been a student volunteer, so the leaving friends and home was .not the sacrifice it would have .been, had she not. found "the inspiration of life and strength for duty, in the ever present Divine Friend whom she conimended alike by word and life."

We ~ailed from Boston, September 26th, 1896. She was not s~-Bick, thongh we had two sevel'e storms, .and she seemed. to improve in heal~h duri~g .the ~~yage. We reac4ed Tura the. ~th

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of November, and she at once entered heartily into all work and plans for the future. Study of the language, taking up (with the other missionaries) the revision of the Gal'o Dictionary, planning for the Normal School, which she and her husband were to have in charge, and preparing for their own building, filled her time and she was most happy in it all, winning the native people by her interest, and her gracious presence.

Knowing that heat was very trying for her, they went to the mountain top in the middle of March, and remained until a few days before the earthquake. She came down looking better than I had ever seen her, and they got settled for the rains. But in August she began to have the common fever of Assam, to which she succumbed in a few days. There was nothing to excite alarm, and we could never see why she should have left us, unless the tender­ness of the stomach which had troubled her from childhood, was more vital than we knew, and the system but 80 recently over· taxed, had not power to resist disease. Strange it seems to us, that this most gifted one should be so soon taken from a work where she was so much needed. But the Reaper knows which sheaves are ripe, and certain it is that she seemed better prepared for Heaven than some of us who remain. So the spirit, immortal, went to be with its God, and the body, made in His image, rests in a place of great natural beauty, "Until He come."

1lllllji~iiillill 3 9002 10638 7955

..,

CONFERENCE HYMN, 1899.

'1'UNE webb.

By .Rev. W. E. WITTER, M.D.

I.

DEAR Lord, our hearts are thirstiDg For new~ deepdl'81ughts"0£ thee;

We need a larger blessing More Jike thyself to be.

{)ur lov-e seems often waning. Onto grace tognide is small,

We weary oft in waiting; Dear Lord, thou knowest all.

II.

Extend thy hand of blessing, And help us now to sing

New songs of gla;d thanksgiving That through Assam shall ring

As forth we go to gather New sheaves for thy renown,

.New stars to shine forever, Resplendent in thy crown.

III.

'Thus will we sing, dear Master, If thou wilt now impart

Fresh strength to serve thee better, More love to fire each heart;

Assam shall be thy treasnre, Redeemed through toil and pain,

'Thine own pecnliar pleasnre And our et·erna} gain.