While the soil for Christian labor is unfavorable, and tares find root, to the choking out of good seed sown, yet we should take heart in the increasing desire on their part for better homes and farms, and the laying aside of the wigwam for good houses, the gun and rod for the plow and hoe. A slow and certain improvement in their habits from year to year is observable, and with kindness, honest dealing and right influence, the time is not so very far in the future when they can and will take a place in our nation, not a whit behind many pale faces. * * * * * THE CHINESE. “CALIFORNIA CHINESE MISSION.” Auxiliary to the American Missionary Association. PRESIDENT: Rev. J. K. McLean, D. D. VICE-PRESIDENTS: Rev. A. L. Stone, D. D., Thomas C. Wedderspoon, Esq., Rev. T. K. Noble, Hon. F. F. Low, Rev. L. E. Dwinell, D. D., Hon. Samuel Cross, Rev. S. H. Willey, D. D., Edward P. Flint, Esq., Rev. J. W. Hough, D. D., Jacob S. Taber, Esq. DIRECTORS: Rev. George Moor, D. D., Hon. E. D. Sawyer, Rev. W. E. Ijams, James M. Haven, Esq., Rev. Joseph Rowell, E. P. Sanford, Esq., H. W. Severance, Esq. SECRETARY: Rev. W. C. Pond. TREASURER: E. Palache, Esq. * * * * * We print the following letter from our Brother Pond, in regard to the need and call for a mission work in Hong Kong, not because the Executive Committee have formed any design of entering upon such a work in the name of the American Missionary Association, but only as these letters from converted Chinamen show to what earnestness of missionary zeal they have been converted, and so bear witness to the reality of their Christianization. Even though we felt warranted in extending our work to embrace a limited foreign field on the Chinese Coast, as we do not, there are questions of comity which would forbid it. The English missionary societies occupy the Hong Kong field in force, and the Presbyterian Board have missionaries in the Canton district, from which the Chinese immigrants come to our Western coast. We shall be very glad if they, or either of them, will supply the want indicated by our correspondent, and for which the Chinese converts show such deep concern.—[ED’S AM. MISS.] MORE ABOUT A MISSION AT HONG KONG. While studying the proposition which I ventured to broach last month, for a mission at Hong Kong, which should be in intimate relationship with our Californian Mission, I requested our helper, Bro. Fung Affoo, to consult the Chinese brethren on the subject and tell me what they thought. Soon after, letters began to pour in upon me, till now I have about twenty on file, and it has occurred to me that extracts from these would interest the readers of the MISSIONARY. Some of them I can copy verbatim; some will need to be retouched a little in their English in order to be understood; but the ideas are their own, and the expressions will be modified as little as possible.