1. Portrait of J. Hudson Taylor _Frontispiece_ 2. The "Lammermuir" party _Facing "Contents"_ PAGE 3. Honorary banner presented to a missionary 1 4. A heavy road in North China 7 5. Salt junk on the Yang-tsi 13 6. Travelling by mule cart on "the great plain" 19 7. Ch'ung-k'ing, the Yang-tsi, and mountains beyond 24 8. Water gate and Custom house, Soo-chow 29 9. View on the Kwang-sin River 30 10. Temple and memorial portal 34 11. "Compassionate heart, benevolent methods" 35 12. Outside the wall of Gan-k'ing 38 13. The new girls school at Chefoo 39 14. Entrance to the Po-yang lake 44 15. A fair wind, at sunset, on the lake 45 16. A view on the grand canal 49 17. Down the Yang-tsi on a cargo boat 57 18. East gate and sentry box, Bhamô, Burmah 69 19. Farmhouse, with buffalo shed attached 70 20. A fishing village on the lake near Yünnan Fu 77 21. Teng-yueh, the westernmost walled city in China 91 22. A small temple near Wun-chau 92 23. Group of Christians at Lan-k'i, Cheh-kiang 97 24. A boat on the Red River, Tonquin 98 25. Students' quarters, Gan-k'ing Training Home 104 26. A Mandarin's sedan chair 105 27. A presentation banner (a mark of high respect) 110 28. View on the Po-yang lake 116 29. A village on the grand canal 121 30. The battlements of Pekin 126 31. Native woodcut of a landscape 131 32. Elder Liu and wife, Kwei-k'i 136 The hearty thanks of the Mission for the use of photographs and sketches are hereby tendered to Rev. George Hayes for Nos. 4 and 6; Dr. G. Whitfield Guinness for Nos. 8, 12, 16, 25, and 28; Miss Davies for No. 23; Mr. Thomas Selkirk for Nos. 18 and 21; Mr. J. T. Reid for Nos. 14, 15, and 27; Mr. J. S. Rough for No. 30; Mr. Grainger for No. 19; Mr. E. Murray for No. 13, and also to other friends unknown by name. [Illustration] CHAPTER I THE POWER OF PRAYER