Our India missions : a thirty year's history of the India mission of the United Presbyterian Church of North America, together with personal reminiscences

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Prefatory Note

BY THE REVS. \V. W. BARR, D. D., AND J. B. DALES, D. D. (PRESIDENT AND COR- RESPONDING SECRETARY OF THE BOARD OF FOREIGN MISSIONS OF THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF NORTH AMERICA.)

SOME years ago we made the suggestion to the Rev. Andrew Gordon, D. D., that he should write a history of the India Mission. The suggestion was made because we knew from conversations with him, and from his famiharity with the field and the work from the beginning, that he was in possession of the material necessary, and was in a position to produce an intensely interesting volume.

For the reason indicated, and to promote the interests of the mission, the work was undertaken. We have had the privilege of hearing portions of the manuscript read, and of perusing most of the proof-sheets as the pages have been passing through the press ; and we do not hesitate to say that our most sanguine expectations have been far more than realized. Dr. Gordon has produced a volume of surpassing interest. We have not been so fascinated by any other book on the subject of Missions that has fallen into our hands. We were asked to read some parts of the work for the purpose of correcting the proof Invariably we would forget the errors in type because enchanted with the story. We might refer to the chapter descriptive of the field, the chapters on the Sepoy rebellion, those relating to certain native laborers, as of the greatest dramatic interest; but we could hardly make a selection, and say that one chapter is more charming than another. We feel sure the reader will agree with us when we say that there is not a dull page in the book. Even the statistics are so introduced as to greatly increase the pleasure of perusal.

The style is delightful for its simplicity and artlessness, and

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yet on many a page it is highly dramatic and truly eloquent. We recommend the work without any qualification or hesitation, and we feel assured that the reader will agree with us in the judgment of it which we have here so freely and cordially expressed. We only add that it is our conviction that the extensive circulation of this volume will greatly conduce to the advancement of the cause of Missions in general, and thereby to the glory of God in the promotion of his cause among the

nations.

W. W. Barr,

Philadelphia, March, 1886. J. B. Dales.

Author's Preface

THAT the story of a Christian mission, estabhshed in a dark portion of benighted heathen India as recently as the year 1855, feebly sustained from the first, and at times ready to perish, but now having its eight organized churches, its scores of Christian schools, its theological and literary institutions, and its Christian community of more than three thousand souls, should be given to the public, will not be called in question. That the thirtieth anniversary of the mission, whilst some of the early laborers yet live, is a suitable time to publish the story, will hardly be disputed ; and the deep and increasing interest awakened among the friends of foreign missions by the astonishing success which is even now burdening and overwhelming the inadequate mission band with work, seems to demand a history of the mission.

That the writer is the most suitable person to record this history may not be quite so clear. Should the critic judge that it would have been more proper for me to leave the writing to others, instead of placing myself in the unpleasant situation of one who is compelled to make frequent mention of himself and his personal labors, I shall not protest, but humbly offer my apology : As in commencing the mission thirty years ago, I acted in 6bedience to others — not on my own motion — so now, in undertaking to write its history, I have obeyed the wishes of the worthy President and venerable Corresponding Secretary of our Board of Foreign Missions, and of other esteemed friends, whose judgment I could not presume to set aside in deference to my own. At the same time, moved by an enthusiasm in that which has been and is my Sfreat life-work, and having the main facts of the mission's history from the beginning treasured up in memory and ready at

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hand, I have thought it fitting that I should devote a portion of the leisure afforded by a visit to my native land, to the agreeable task of writing that which may awaken the interest of others in the cause of foreign missions, as well as keep my own interest alive while temporarily absent from the field.

My first idea was to write only an account of the extraordinary religious movements among the Meg and Chuh'rd tribes, without any reference to the earliest years of our mission. But my trusted counsellors desired a connected history of the mission from its beginning ; and in yielding to their wishes I have been obliged to introduce the personal pronoun I, especially in narrating the events of those lonely days in which the mission consisted but of myself and family ; if, therefore, the considerate reader will skip over the embarrassing introductory chapters, he may rest assured that I shall not take offence at the seeming slight, as I might do in case I were addressing him orally, and he should stop his ears or attempt to close my mouth.

But why wnte at such length ?

A nervous dread of wearying my friends with many words has accompanied me through every page of the book ; and yet I have felt it proper to yield some deference to the just demands of my subject. Could the suggester of brevity but see what masses of interesting material I have left out, and what seas I have skimmed, taking only the cream, he would surely hold his peace, or complain that I have not given him two volumes instead of one.

Why devote two whole chapters to the Sepoy mutiny ?

One chapter might have sufficed for all that can be strictly styled the history of our mission during the five dreadful months of that reign of terror ; but had I coldly and selfishly traced only our own record through those scenes of blood and fire, unaccompanied by any suitable memorial of our less favored neighbors and dear friends who fell at the hands of the remorseless Sepoy, who would have forgiven me the unpardonable omission?

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The reader will find comparatively little concerning the foreign missionaries, and much about the natives. This is intentional. It were an easy matter to have written a volume concerning the foreign missionary, his movements, his methods, his institutions, his labors and his sufferings; but, avoiding this superficial treatment of the subject — too much resorted to — I have given prominence to the natives, by narrating at some length their conversions, labors, sufferings and achievements in connection with the great religious movements, believing that the development of the work among the people to whom we are sent is the very essence of foreign missionary enterprise. Yet the missionaries are by no means overlooked, being severally introduced to the reader's acquaintance as they arrive in India, and afterwards becomingly recognized on all suitable occasions.

The forty costly illustrations, consisting of mission schools, maps, groups of native workers prominent in the history, and portraits of the native ordained ministers, and of the American missionaries, have all been engraved especially for this work, by a process which justly claims to reproduce a more perfect likeness from the photograph than is possible by any other. The fact that good photographs of some few of the missionaries were not procurable, will account for a diversity in the appearance of the engravings.

If the style of composition should in some instances appear cramped, it must be borne in mind that my aim often is to give a literal rather than an elegant rendering of the sayings of illiterate natives; I should not, therefore, be judged in this respect as though free, like a writer of fiction, to create and combine incidents at pleasure, and then, in their narration, to soar unfettered upon the wings of imagination.

If it be asked why I have so largely adopted the dramatic: form of composition, I answer: Because this could not be avoided, the exciting religious movements being in themselves, really dramas. When a crowd of heathen hear the gospel, they are divided, some hearkening, whilst others stop their ears:.

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some joyfully exclaim, " It is the truth," and cleave afiectionately to him who brings the glad tidings : others contradict and revile, or walk angrily away, muttering curses and threats. When a native confesses the name of Jesus, his father and mother, brother and sister, father-in-law and mother-in-law, turn bitterly against him; his wife and children are separated from him; his distressed friends and relatives gather about him to weep and mourn, falling prostrate before him with abject entreaties, and moving him with their pathetic appeals. The rulers and scribes approach him with learned arguments, place him upon the witness stand to answer difficult questions, and when he has given his testimony, pronounce him a pervert and a blasphemer, and pass sentence upon him. His neighbors, chagrined by the burning disgrace and fired with pious zeal for their ancestral gods, hold indignation meetings, strip him of his worldly goods, beat him, excommunicate him, and cast him out. The Christians persecuted in one village flee to another, and are ofteri without any certain dwelling-place: being reviled, they bless ; being persecuted, they meekly submit ; defamed, they entreat. They suffer hunger, thirst, nakedness and buffeting, and are counted as the filth of the world — the off-scouring of all things. By the fire of these persecutions the wood, hay and stubble are consumed; out of it come forth the gold and silver, tried and purified for the Master's building. Enemies beholding the faith and patience of the suffering disciples, are converted, and give glory to God ; and in the midst of these scenes the Lord is building up a glorious Church, as enduring and indestructible as the eternal Rock upon which it rests. The narration of such scenes as these — a prominent feature of the book — must naturally fall into the dramatic form of composition, which, I trust, may interest and profit the reader none the less for being not fiction, but fact.

I cannot conclude without expressing my grateful acknowledgments to my numerous friends who have assisted me in the preparation of this work.

Contents

CHAFTER PAGE

II. The Voyage 31

III. From Calcutta to SiaKkot 39

Chapter I

THE PRIMARY MEETING IN ALLEGHENY CITY — MONEY PLEDGED TO START THE MISSION — MISSIONARIES NOMINATED AND ELECTED — MANY REFUSE TO GO — OUR APPOINTMENT — DIFFICULTIES — A STRUG- GLE— "I CANNOT go" — "WHAT A WONDER YOU WERE NOT KILLED!" DIFFICULTIES VANISH — MISS GORDON'S APPOINTMENT — PREPARATIONS — FAREWELL, SWEET HOME — FAREWELL, DEAR NATIVE LAND.

ON the invitation of the venerable Dr. James Rodgers, the pastor of a large congregation in Allegheny City, five earnest Christians met in his church one night to consider the subject of Foreign Missions. Those five persons were Messrs. John Alexander and James Mc Candless, Mrs. Gordon, Mrs. Lockhart and Dr. Rodgers. The night was a very stormy one, and Mrs. Gordon, having left her children in her house alone, became very anxious to return to them; but Dr. Rodgers mildly exhorted her to confide them to the care of her Heavenly Father, and so persuaded her to remain. At this little primary meeting, India was selected as the field in which they would seek to found a Mission. When telling his people from his pulpit the next Sabbath what they had done, Dr. Rodgers said with a great deal of feeling that their meeting was a prayer meeting, and a glorious one, and he believed that good would come out of it. This was followed by larger meetings at which Dr. Rodgers endeavored, by means of maps and lectures, to acquaint his congregation with India, and to cherish the interest which they already felt in its evangelization. When the Associate Presbyterian Synod of North

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America met in Pittsburgh, in May 1853, this congregation, together with a sister congregation in Pittsburgh, urged that body to establish a mission in India, and pledged ;^6oo a year for its support. The Synod at once resolved to enter upon this work. After prayer for guidance, they put the names of ten ministers in nomination, in the hope that some of them would be willing to accept appointments as missionaries, and they designated a committee to address the churches on the subject of the proposed mission ; but no one of the ten professed himself unreservedly and unconditionally willing to accept such an appointment. The year 1853, therefore, passed away without a beginning being made.

At the time when this narrative begins I was licensed to preach the gospel, and was under appointment to preach for a few weeks to a vacant congregation in the suburbs of New York ; I had a similar appointment in Philadelphia, and was next to labor in some of the western States. It was a matter of course that I should be looking forward and thinking more or less about a settlement, weighing the comparative claims and advantages of the widely different fields that lay before me. I thought of old wealthy congregations which were vacant in eastern New York, of missionary ground in and around our large Atlantic cities, and of the new and sparsely populated fields of the far west ; but felt no strong and decided preference for any of them. It may be said that I was in a state of ■ equilibrium, with just a perceptible tendency towards some region midway between the East and the West, in the United .States. Foreign fields were not taken into account.

In the latter part of May and first of June 1854, the Associate Presbyterian Synod held its annual meeting in the Rev. S. F. Morrow's church at Albany, N. Y. Being within a few hours' distance, I went in one day to witness their proceedings, not as a member of that body — for I was not ordained — but as a spectator, looking on intently from a pew in the farthest corner of the church. As already stated, the Synod, at their .meeting in Pittsburgh in 1853, had definitely determined to establish a mission in India ; but having failed to secure missionaries, and being in doubt as to whether they had taken the right way of selecting them, they were now earnestly discussing the proper mode of choosing and appointing their first missionaries to that heathen country. Some of the members said, " Call for volunteers as we have been doing, and do not appoint men until we know they are willing to go; one volunteer is worth two of such as go out because it is required of them." Others said in reply: "Not so; but let us choose men whom we judge to be qualified, and, should they refuse to go, leave upon them the whole responsibility of their refusal." The advocates of this latter course spoke eloquently and earnestly, and quoted the example of our Scottish forefathers who, in former and better days, suspended young preachers for refusing to go where they were sent. This principle met with general favor, and on it, as a new basis of action, an election was held in the afternoon of that day, when two of the same young men who had so very forcibly advocated this principle in the morning were chosen. When they were called on, and arose to announce their decision, their subdued tone and downcast looks were in marked contrast with what had been displayed in the morning, and the breathless attention of the Synod seemed greatly to embarrass them, whilst one of them declined the appointment, and the other urged such difficulties in the way of accepting it that he was released.

When this business came up again the next morning as the order of the day, the members seemed anxious for an early adjournment. But an aged minister — the Rev. Alexander Murray — obtaining the floor with difficulty, opened the Bible at Acts. xiii. i, and read as follows: "Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away." After reading this passage, Mr. Murray sat down without making any comment, and the voting commenced.

The tellers gathered up the ballots, and walking up to the Clerk's desk began to read them aloud. After the reading out of the first one it was deemed better not to read the ballots one by one aloud, and the counting proceeded in silence. The one which had been read out contained the name of Andrew Gordon. This balloting did not result in the election of any one. The subject of Foreign Missions then gave place to other urgent business; and, taking the train, I went up to spend a few days with my friends in Johnstown, N. Y., fully believing that the commencement of our India Mission would not take place that year.

A day or two later the Rev. James McArthur, who followed us to Johnstown on a visit to his friends, began gently to break the news to us by asking my wife how she would like to go to India. We then learned that, before adjourning, the Synod had once more taken up the subject of Foreign Missions, discussed their men, and elected two, of whom the Rev. J. T. Tate was one, and the writer the other. I do not think I ever would have offered of my own accord to go on a foreign mission ; as far as I can remember, no thought of doing this had ever been seriously entertained. But the whole circumstances of my appointment, unsought and unexpected, gave it to my mind the force and authority of a clear call from the Master. As soon also as the announcement was made there sprung up a positive desire to " go," which did very much to make obedience easy. Had I volunteered my services and on this ground received the appointment, I believe I should have experienced misgivings from the very first. But Moses, Jeremiah, Paul and Barnabas, the prophets and apostles in general, were sent. Some of them were very unwilling at first, although they were made willing afterwards ;

and I have always felt reassured and strengthened by reflecting on the fact that the appointment came to me without being suggested by myself

With the path of duty so plain, and a willingness to enter on it, still it was not found a very easy matter to come promptly forward and say, " Here am I." I believe it may be set down as a rule, that whenever a campaign against the Powers of Darkness, and in the interest of the Kingdom of God, is definitely projected, adverse considerations and difficulties will spring up like an armed legion to stop the way. A few of these will now be stated.

First of all, the Rev. J. T. Tate, who was appointed with me, and who was my senior by several years, declined the appointment. It therefore became a serious question, both with myself and the Board of Foreign Missions, whether I should proceed without a colleague, or suffer the mission to be postponed a year.

Then, the remarks of some of my brethren, who had thought much on the subject of the proposed mission, tended to discourage me from accepting the appointment. One thought there was no suitable man in our church for this work; another said he could not blame me if I should decide not to go ; and a third one earnestly opposed my going by the use of many logical arguments. These opinions of my elder brethren came with much force to my mind ; for I was young and inexperienced, whilst the magnitude, difficulties, and responsibilities of the undertaking were great ; and not having uniformly enjoyed vigorous health, I feared I might not be able to perform hard work in the trying climate of India. But the marching order, " Go," more than counterbalanced these considerations.

Then again, my wife, naturally an ardent lover of home and quiet retirement, felt it exceedingly difficult to yield her consent, whilst it was no less difficult for the little home circle to give her up. The outlook required resolute courage. Our route to India lay around the southern coast of Africa, through the boisterous Southern Ocean, crossing and recrossing the Equator under a scorching sun, requiring a tedious voyage of from one hundred to one hundred and fifty days on the fathomless deep, without the rehef of a landing, and with scarcely a sight of land. The merchant sailing vessels, in one of which our voyage was to be made, were designed for profitable trade, but not at all for the comfort of passengers. Compared with such a voyage as this, the short, speedy and varied trip in comfortable passenger steamers via England, the Continent and Egypt, which was then too expensive for a missionary party, has been fitly called " a pleasure excursion." The ideal, too, of a true-hearted missionary in those days was very like that of an exile for life, with little more than a vague, dreamlike hope of ever returning ; for the custom of revisiting home once in ten years, which has become practicable in these days of swift and cheap travel by " short cuts," was not then established— at least it was not definitely set down in our programme. To one of a retiring disposition, therefore, the prospect of thus leaving fifteen or sixteen thousand miles of ocean to roll for an indefinite term of years between her and the home of her childhood, of meeting only strangers in a strange land, of enduring the heat of a tropical climate, and of rearing a family exposed to heathen influences, was formidable indeed. The struggle in her mind between duty and inclination was intense, and it was almost equally so in the minds of her parents. Her father was a man remarkable for calm temperament, correct judgment, and few words. In this case his judgment approved of our going, but I labored in vain to obtain his consent. " I would be very glad," said he to me, " if you could see it your duty not to go." He would say to himself with deep emotion as he went about his work, uttering the words slowly in an earnest and emphatic whisper, " / never can give my consejtt." Her mother, too, often retired to weep and pray by herself alone. Thus the weeks moved slowly and sadly.

Deep and intense as were parental affection on the one side, and filial on the other, there was another current, stronger and deeper still, running silently in the opposite direction. The Lord, who reigns supreme in the hearts of his children, was preparing them to make the sacrifice. It was observed that these pious parents, whatever they felt, and whatever they might say to others, never once spoke a word to their daughter against going. A single word from them might possibly have decided the whole matter, or rendered a difficult duty far more difficult; but they abstained from all interference, even when they knew that she was giving her consent, and that our acceptance of the appointment was being made public. What was still more significant — it came to be understood that they intended to drive to town some day and have their daguerreotypes taken for us. The important significance of this, and the preciousness of the relic, will be better understood from the fact that, in a lifetime of eighty-six years, this was the first and last time that Mr. Smith ever sat for his likeness.

One evening a very influential and highly respected friend visited the family and remained over night. The question of our going to India was discussed until late that evening, and was reopened early next morning. Our friend was bent on stopping us if he could. Our acceptance of the appointment had been made public, and we had even procured our passport; yet he most earnestly opposed our going, urging many considerations to dissuade us if possible. After exhausting all other resources, he made a direct appeal to Mrs. Gordon herself, who had hitherto sat only as a listener to the discussion,

"Do you intend to take that little girl with you to India?" he said, pointing to the child nestled in her lap.

" Most certainly," she answered, " Wherever / go, I will of course take my babe."

" Will you indeed ?" he added, in a tone of fatherly concern., " Then you will certainly repent when you reach India and see what kind of society she will have, and understand the baneful influences to which she will be exposed — body and! soul."

Mrs, Gordon, no longer able to refrain, burst into tears, and'

giving full vent for the first time to long-pent grief, exclaimed, "It is too much ! I cannot undertake it. I cannot go y

Our friend said no more. Feeling no doubt that he had trespassed on delicate ground, he looked embarrassed and went away, leaving us all overwhelmed with fresh sorrow — perplexed and dumb.

After a time Mr. Smith broke the silence by remarking in his grave deliberate manner, giving us time after every word to weigh it well before the next one came, " That — was — not — proper."

There was a great deal of meaning in these four words — far more than if uttered by many another man ; for not one man perhaps in ten thousand knew as well how to bridle his tongue as Elder Smith; his remark was therefore justly regarded as strong language. But its greatest importance lay in the proof it gave that reaction in favor of our departure had decidedly set in at the head of the family.

" I say," said Mr. Smith again, as he and I strolled through

the orchard, "that was imprudent in Mr. . It was

wrong ! You well know that my grief at the prospect of parting with Rebecca is very great, yet I have never uttered one word against it to her ; whatever I have said was to you and others, but never to her. Poor child ! I fear the effect of this great strain may be serious. Her soul was sufficiently vexed without all this."

Mrs. Smith also expressed her disapprobation in strong terms. However much she grieved at the prospect of separation, she thought that intermeddling after such a manner was not just the right thing, especially after matters had gone so far, the time being almost at hand when we were expected to sail. "And now," said she to us, "we will drive to town according to previous arrangement, and have our pictures taken for you. You two will have the house all to yourselves. Talk the whole matter over by yourselves alone, with prayer, and see to what decision you can arrive by the time we return."

This excellent counsel we endeavored to follow. Turning

MISS ELIZABETH G. GOKDON.

to the second Psalm, we pondered the words of God to his Eternal Son ; — " Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession," Was not this to be brought about by agents like us, sent forth as we were? Turning next to the great commission in the 28th of Matthew, we read: " Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, * * * and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." Surely — we said — something of this great command and standing pledge of our risen Lord has come down to us ; and can we refuse obedience? Then we thought of the prophet Jonah who refused to go as he was bid ; and we imagined ourselves in Jonah's plight if we should follow his example in refusing to go. And finally, we endeavored to estimate the value of a soul, and the joy of winning such a prize and of rejoicing with a saved one forever — and we concluded that a life work of thirty years, should it be so long, would be richly rewarded by even one genuine conversion.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith returned from town in the evening. As we met them at the door their excited countenances told us in a moment that something unusual had happened. " Do you know, Rebecca, what has happened tome!" exclaimed Mrs. Smith, as she rolled up her sleeve and displayed a bloody wound which she had received from the ball of a careless hunter's rifle,

"Oh, mother!" said Rebecca, "what a marvelous escape! How very easily that ball might have struck your heart instead of your arm! What a mercy it is that neither of you was killed!"