Mary McKee (child), C. S. I. 'Anson, wife and three children, Miss M. E. Smith, and Miss Maria Aspden, all of the China Inland Mission.

The Swedes who are associated with the China Inland Mission held the conference of their Holiness Union at So-ping fu, beginning on the 25th or the 26th of June. The missionaries at the other stations who were members of the Union, attended these meetings; and they were all, residents and visitors, massacred on the 29th of June, while assembled in the church. It is probable that they were burned in the building. The victims were C. Blomberg, wife, and child, and one other missionary (name unknown), of the Christian and Missionary Alliance; S. A. Persson, Mrs. Persson, O. A. L. Larsson, Miss J. Lundell, Miss J. Engvall, Miss A. Johansson, Miss M. Hedlund, E. Petterson, G. E. Karlberg, and N. Carleson, of the China Inland Mission.

Mr. Duncan Kay, wife, and child, of the China Inland Mission, escaped from their station, K'u-wu Hsien, and hid in the mountains. A native Christian supplied them with food, but on the Boxers learning this, they killed him. His widow smuggled food to them for a time but she too was discovered and murdered. The Boxers then guarded the entrance to the place of refuge and the missionaries starved to death.

It is stated on reliable native authority that the following members of the China Inland Mission were massacred at Sih-cheo (Hsi-chou), date not given, but probably early in July: W. G. Peat, Mrs. Peat, two children, A. Woodroffe, and Misses E. Dobson, E. J. Hurn, F. E. Nathan, M. R. Nathan, and E. M. Heaysman. D. Barratt managed to escape to the hills, but died there of exhaustion.

The following members of the Swedish Mongolian and Scandinavian Alliance have not been heard from since the 30th of June, and they are believed to have been massacred: Mr. and Mrs. Helleberg and one child, Messrs. Wahstedt, Sternberg, Freidstrom, Suber, and Misses H. Lund, A. Lund, and M. Lund. The last six were American citizens. Vera, the little daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Green, of Huailu, died at Paoting fu, October 10, in consequence of privations and injuries received in the remarkable flight from Huilu, and while in the hands of the Boxers. It is peculiarly sad that this little one should be taken after relief had reached them. It was to her bright, sunny disposition, and ready wit, that the party probably owed their lives.

At the beginning of these troubles the Christian and Missionary Alliance had some thirty-four adults and seventeen children at their stations in North China. Of this number two (Mr. and Mrs. Book), were in Peking during the siege, and are safe. Seventeen (eleven adults and six children) fled north from Shansi, and arrived at Kiachta in Siberia. Two, Mr. and Mrs. F. Nystrom, escaped through

Kansuh, and thence made their way to the United States. This leaves twenty-one adults and eleven children to be accounted for. Mr. and Mrs. C. Blomberg and child, and one other missionary (name unknown) were massacred at So-ping fu. A report has been received of four foreigners being killed near Ning-hsia on the Yellow River. They are said to be Swedes, but whether they belonged to the Christian and Missionary Alliance, or to another mission, is not known. The Chinese say that one, who was taller than the others, fought like a lion, and died fighting. It is supposed this man was Lieut. WattsJones, R. E.

A party of Swedish missionaries from Kw'ei-hwa Ch'eng, numbering twelve, with their wives and children, took refuge with Fathers Dobbe, Zylmans, and Abbeloos in the Roman Catholic cathedral at Houpa, in Central Mongolia. They were all burned together in the church. The following were among them, viz.: Miss E. Erickson, Mr. and Mrs. E. Olsson and three children, and Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Lundberg. The report is, unfortunately, ambiguous. It may mean that there were twelve men, exclusive of the women and children, which is the construction that I put upon it. Or, it may mean that there were twelve including women and children. If the former is correct, then all of the Swedish missionaries about whose fate there is still an element of uncertainty, were burned in the cathedral in the Houpa district. It is remarkable that including those whom we know were burned in the church, there are just thirteen men still to be definitely accounted for. We know that there was one Swedish missionary, name unknown, killed at So-ping fu. Deducting one name for this unknown man, there are just twelve left-the number said to have lost their lives in the flames of the burning church.

The thirteen names are: Messrs. Helleberg, Wahstedt, Sternberg, Fredstrom, Suber, Olsson, Lundberg, Forsberg, Noren, Palm, Bingmark, Anderson, and F. Nystrom. I think it fair, therefore, to assume that all of the members of the Swedish Mongolian and Scandinavian Alliance (five men, four women, and one child); the members of the Christian and Missionary Alliance whose fate is unknown (six men, six women, and seven children), together with those whose names are already given (two men, three women, and three children), all lost their lives in the cathedral at Houpa, in Central Mongolia. This would make the appalling total of thirty-seven (thirteen men, thirteen women, and eleven children) massacred at this place. The members of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, whose fate is not definitely known, and whom I assume to have been massacred at Houpa, are Miss Hall, O. Forsberg, wife, and child, Mr. and Mrs. W. Noren, wife, and two children, A. E. Palm, Mr. and Mrs. O. Bingmark and two children, Mr. and Mrs. E. Anderson and one child, and Mr. and Mrs. M. Nystrom and child.

P. A. Ogren, wife, and child, Graham McKie, and Misses Chapman and Way were supposed to have been massacred in the general slaughter which took place in their district. A telegram was received about a month ago saying that Mr. McKie, Miss Chapman, and Miss Way were still alive! This could hardly be credited; but later a telegram was received from Tientsin which said that five or six foreigners were reported to be alive in Taiyuen fu and mentioning Mr. McKie's name as being among them. It has since been learned definitely that only Mr. Ogren was killed. They probably escaped to the mountains, and after Yu Hsien was removed from the governorship of Shansi, came out of hiding and took refuge in this city, which has become notorious for the crimes committed in it.

(To be concluded with an account of thrilling escapes.)

MIRACLES OF MISSIONS No. XXX.

“KHAMA, THE GOOD"-THE CHRISTIAN CHIEF OF AFRICA.*

BY THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.

When Rev. James Davidson Hepburn arrived at Shoshong, in August 1871, to take up his life-work among the Bamangwato, he was met by two young chiefs, Khama and Khamane. It is of the first of these that we now write-one of the most remarkable men ever brought to Christ in the Dark Continent, himself alone a sufficient witness to the value of foreign missions, as one diamond may sometimes justify all the cost of a mine.

Macheng was then ruling the tribe, a usurper into whose hands. Sekhome had put the tribal scepter in order to keep out of the succession Khama, his son and lawful heir; but Sekhome himself was now in exile. Macheng had a visitor, Kuruman, chief of the Matabele, who was stirring him up as Jezebel did Ahab, to get rid of all missionaries and white folk, and to help him to do the same with intruders in Matabeleland. Macheng fell into the plot, and sent three regiments of the Bamangwato back with Kuruman. On the way however the Bamangwato rebelled against Macheng's orders and declared that they would acknowledge no chief but the lawful ruler, Khama. This added fuel to the flame of Macheng's hatred and he resolved, if possible, to get rid of Khama. He secretly resorted to native charms and drugs, and tried to get strychnine as a more deadly weapon. His more harmless medicines proved of no effect; and, as for the strychnine, a sharp-witted fellow, having his suspicions, sold his agent marking-ink for the poison. But, had it been the deadly drug he thought, the plan would have failed, for when Khama and Khamane

"Ten Years North of the Orange River," by Rev. Jno. Mackenzie. "Twenty Years in Khama's Country," edited by C. H. Lyall. London: Hodder & Stoughton.

were invited to drink Macheng's wife's coffee, they respectfully declined, and so the "marking-ink" went untasted.

A crisis was reached in August 1872, and Khama drove away the murderous usurper and became actual chief. And the following Sunday he inaugurated his reign in a manner that became a Christian chief, and which reminds of the similar coronation day of Ranavalona II. in Madagascar, in the year 1868. Khama held in his courtyard a service of worship to the true God, and moreover, announced that henceforth no other sort of service would be held there. This caused great joy to lovers of God, for Macheng's rule had been most reckless in tyranny. Anarchy had been rampant, traders robbed and maltreated beyond endurance, and even the missionaries suffered, and the native congregations were violently dispersed and scattered. It was these outrages in fact that had brought on the crisis of revolution that drove out the usurper.

For a few months matters moved on smoothly, tho beneath the surface there were disturbing forces at work. Between the brothers Khama and Khamane there was strong mutual distrust. Khama was an out-and-out Christian, and would not even conform outwardly to pagan notions and customs. For example, he publicly and positively refused to "make rain," and persisted in his refusal even in the face of the entreaties of the old heather headmen. He wisely forbore to force his religion on others, neither would he allow them to force upon him their superstitious rites, since he had found a better way. He bade them to cry to their God like the Baal worshipers of Elijah's time; but he, like that prophet, would know only Jehovah, and pray for rain in another fashion. Khamane was more vacillating and deceitful, and really resorted to sorceries.

About the end of 1872, Khama, prompted by filial regard and a forgiving spirit, recalled his father from a six years' exile. Old Sekhome came back to Shoshong early in 1873, and with his return old heathen abominations revived, and shortly afterward Khama left for Serue, a day or two's journey off, followed by nearly all his tribe. It seemed strange that God's Providence should permit such a turn of affairs, but it appeared later that there was a Divine design even in this absence of Khama, for it was overruled to work a greater good, it being during this interval that mission work was undertaken on a larger scale.

It was a great tribute to Khama's real greatness and goodness that, after his withdrawal, matters became so much worse that messengers were sent to Serue to beg him to return; and, when their plea proved unavailing, Khamane was induced to go on a similar errand, and the missionaries sent a deputation with him. Khama calmly but resolutely refused. He saw that they were inviting him back to a ruin, and that what Sekhome and Khamane and their followers sought was not

Khama whom they hated, but his people who had followed him into his voluntary exile but who were the real strength of the tribe. The chief was inflexible. "When I was with you," he said, "my presence was soreness to the eyes; you treated me as a dog in my own courtyard and before my own people. Therefore I refuse to sit with you and Sekhome in the same town. I have had enough of that; let us separate. Take your path and I shall take mine. Those who prefer to stay with you, let them stay; and those who wish to come to me, let them come." The deputation returned unsuccessful.

As Serue was lacking in natural defenses, to remain there long was to invite attack from the Matabele, and so Khama moved to the river Zouga. On the journey and afterward, raids were made on his cattle, and even the women were taken captive, but, in all this trial of patience, Khama evinced no passion or resentment, but conducted himself like a Christian, altho Sekhome and Khamane themselves were the main aggressors, and Sekhome actually sought his life -- the father seeking the life of his own son.

The year 1875, however, witnessed Khama's triumphant release from his voluntary exile, and his establishment in his proper position, as undisputed chief of the Bamangwato. The darkness now began to give way before a brighter dawn, and God showed that even the trials to which the missionaries and native church at Shoshong had been subjected, was not without a purpose in the mind of God. A Christian chief and his followers had been driven away by the malice of foes, but their forcible withdrawal God had used as the opening of a door to a new native church among the Balauana at Lake Ngami.* These details we only note in passing, as we mainly seek to give the profile of this remarkable African chief. Moremi, the Balauana chief, came to Shoshong, and saw how the good Khama ruled his people, and got good counsel from him, though he failed to act on it. He pleaded with Khama for native beer, and smuggled it secretly into his house. Khama had told him what a hard work it had been to break down the drink habit in his town, both among white and black, and calmly reasoned with him on the injustice of thus visiting the town of another chief and obstructing the working of beneficent laws. The subtle Balauana chief pretended to acquiesce, while he not only trampled on Khama's injunctions, but got Khama's youngest brother to act as his agent!

This upright Christian chief had no tame amiability. Holy love has its holy wrath, and he that loves good loathes evil by the same law; and Khama's indignation was aroused. He burned down his brother's house, setting fire to it with his own hand, to punish him for his course in becoming the accomplice of Moremi in his duplicity and iniquity. The battle against drink had been long and resolute.