He had 500 tracts on board our boat, and every time that another boat approached us, a circumstance that was of frequent occurrence, he stretched himself as far as possible over the side with half a dozen tracts in his hand, and made signs to the people to approach and take them.

If people did not obey his summons, we rowed up to them, and the missionary gratified them with his tracts in dozens, and went his way rejoicing, in anticipation of the good which he did not doubt they would effect.
Whenever we arrived at a village, however, matters reached even a higher pitch.

The servant was obliged to carry whole packs of tracts, which in a moment were distributed among the crowd of curious who had quickly gathered round us.
Every one took what was offered to him, as it cost nothing, and if he could not read it--the tracts were in Chinese--he had at least got so much paper.

The missionary returned home delighted; he had disposed of his 500 copies.

What glorious news for the Missionary Society, and what a brilliant article for his religious paper, he no doubt transmitted to Europe! Six young Englishmen made this same excursion up the Pearl stream six months later, stopping at one of the villages and mixing with the people.