AUSTRALIAN MISSIONARIES IN CHINA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 182, 24 July 1900, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN MISSIONARIES IN CHINA.

LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY. [ '■ That we live in stirring times, and : that the future course of history will be profoundly affected by the events and movements of to-day, are truisms which, though familiar, Heed to be emphasised and enforced." The significance of this first sentence in the 103 rd report of the London. Missionary Society becomes strikingly apparent at present. The society in twelve months iost in China seven men and nine women missioraries—most of them through ill-health. Mr. Thomas Pratt (Sydney), financial agent of the London Missionary Society, made the following statement to a representative of the Sydney Maiming Herald:—' 1 The society was established in China about 1807, and at the present time has 72 European missionaries. In addition to this, there are 10 ordained native agents and 140 preachers, also 30 Bible women. The total number of church members is a little over 7000, and the number of adherents, in additions to this,'is about 4000. The total expended in connection with the mission has amounted to nearly £30,000 per annum, and about ,£7OOO of that has been raised by the Chinese themselves. Several members of the mission belong to Australia, amongst them being the Rev. H. R. Wells, and his sister, Miss Wells, who are stationed at Cantou, and who came from Victoria; Miss E'hel Halley, daughter of the Rev. J. J. Halley, of Melbourne; Dr. Cecil J. Davenport, of Adelaide, who is stationed at Wu Chang, He visited Australia and gave addresses oh medical work. There are also Miss Clara Goode, of Adelaide, the Rev. T. Howard Smith, who is located at Peking, married Miss Mary Burton, of Sydney, and received his theological training at Camden College, Sydney, nnder Principal fraser. Dr. Sewell Macfarlane, who is also at Tientsin, recently delivered medical addresses in ,New South Wales."