T The First Annual Meeting on the Pacific Coast is a noteworthy event in the history of the American Baptist Missionary Union. More and more its interests are tending that way. Already one-third of its missionary sailings and arrivals occur at Pacific ports, and it is evident that passages of missionaries by the west will soon equal, if not exceed, those by the east. Very significant is the announcement of a Chicago paper of the departure of a citizen for the Philippines: "He has gone to the far west." The people of this country, in speaking of Asia as the "far east," have only adopted the language of Europe. Asia is west from us. China, Japan and all Eastern Asia are nearer to us by the west than by the east. If we are to go to the great mission fields of Asia by the easiest and quickest route, with the possible exception of India, we must go by the Pacific. So more and more every year will our missionary interests come into touch with our people on the Pacific coast. The Energy of the Mission in Uganda is remarkable. Some of the missionaries are now located on the borders of the dark forest of Central Africa, made famous by Mr. Stanley's journey through it. They are nearer to the English Baptist station at Stanley Falls, on the Congo, than they are to their own central station at Mengo, on Lake Victoria. One of the Uganda missionaries recently returned to England by way of the Congo, which will probably become the shortest and cheapest way from England to Uganda. The line of railway from Cape Town to Cairo will be met in Uganda by the line now building from Mombasa on the east coast, and the route from the west coast via the Congo will also effect a junction with the north and south line somewhere in this same territory. Uganda will be at the meeting of the ways. A nother Myth Exploded. Rev. Amos Sutton, missionary to Orissa, India, who first suggested to American Baptists the now famous Telugu mission, has been the subject of a story which has pointed many a moral and adorned many a tale and Sunday-school address. The story is that he was a wild and wicked street Arab in London, playing pitch and toss on Sunday, invited to Sunday-school, hired to go for a shilling, converted and educated by the teacher and finally becoming a missionary. This is a good story, and was printed in THE MISSIONARY MAGAZINE for December, 1897, but it is not true. Rev. W. Hill, Secretary of the Bible Translation Society of London, kindly sends us the true story of Amos Sutton's youth. He was a native of Kent. His mother was a Methodist and a woman of unusual piety. She took her boy to meeting with her, and her godly life, with her death when he was fourteen years old, made a deep and lasting impression on him, and was the chief means in his conversion. On the whole, we like the true story best. We have lost the Sunday-school story, but we have another to cheer the hearts of Christian mothers. We thank Mr. Hill for his courtesy and kindness. Sunday-school teachers have a work of vast importance and promise, but no one can have influence with a boy like a devoted Christian mother. Oh, mothers, be faithful with your boys; be hopeful of their conversion. No one can do for them what you can. By the help of the Holy Spirit you, more than any other, can mold them for God. T The Plague in India continues to scourge the land, and in some places appears with greater virulence. There have been a few cases in Calcutta, but prompt attention and stringent measures have kept it under control. The chief seat of its strength continues to be the Bombay Presidency. For the week ending Jan. 29, 2,061 deaths were reported, and during the last week in February there were 972 in Bombay city alone. The most careful and active efforts of the government are ineffectual to stay the progress of the plague. This is largely due to the superstition of the people who secrete those attacked with the dread disease, even at the peril of their own lives, and thus render the efforts of the health officials abortive. To this time the plague has not entered the territories occupied by our American Baptist missionaries. We sincerely hope it may not, and that its ravages elsewhere may speedily be brought to an end. The Gordon University at Khartum is a fact of the near future. Five hundred T thousand dollars for its endowment was raised in a few weeks in England in response to an appeal, and measures are in progress for its actual establishment. For reasons of policy, Lord Kitchener forbids the medical mission at Khartum, proposed by the Church Missionary Society, but will allow missionaries to be sent farther up the Nile. By the agreement between France and England, defining the territory and rights of each in the regions between Lake Chad and the Nile, the partition of Africa is practically completed. Every foot of the territory of the vast continent is now assigned by agreement to some European or African power, except a few oases in the Desert of Sahara. This is land-grabbing on a magnificent scale. Now let the Church of Christ advance to take Africa for the kingdom of our Lord. T The Village of Zonnada, India, is chiefly noted in our missionary history as the place where Dr. Lyman Jewett was assaulted for his boldness in preaching the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Zonnada is near Nellore, and one day, many years ago, when Dr. Jewett was preaching to the people, a man struck him in the face! In the years that have passed, the bigoted Hindu has gone, and the good missionary has gone, but the gospel which so enraged the heathen has won many triumphs. It is strongly established in churches, and school and medical work in Nellore near by, and has many hundreds of converts in the regions round about. No one would strike a missionary for preaching the gospel in Zonnada today. Principal Fairbairn of Scotland, the eminent scholar, who has just returned from a lecturing tour in India, writes: "Of the achievements of missionaries and their work, of their noble service to India, of the remarkable variety of their activities and the astonishing efficiency of most of their agencies, I will not trust myself to speak lest I be suspected of falling into extravagance. But I may simply state that the sight of their achievements sends me home a happier and more hopeful man than I was when I came." Industrial Work in Our Missions will be the special topic of the August number of this MAGAZINE, and it is expected that a full presentation of the work of that character on all our fields will be made. Missionaries of the Union are also requested to note that the September number will be devoted to Burma, and the October number to Japan. A Fire in the Mailing Office of THE MAGAZINE Occurred in March. It is supposed that all the copies of THE MAGAZINE were properly mailed before the fire; but if any of our subscribers failed to receive the April number, kindly drop us a card and we will supply it. The Sixteenth Annual Meeting of the International Missionary Union will be held at Clifton Springs, N. Y., June 14-20, 1899. All foreign missionaries of any evangelical denomination are eligible to membership, and entitled to free entertainment. Additional information can be obtained by addressing Mrs. C. C. Thayer, Clifton Springs, N. Y. The Foreign Missions of American Methodists present the following totals: Mission aries, 666; native helpers, 6,119; church members, 101,223; adult baptisms, 12,161; Sunday-schools, 4,286; scholars, 186,597; churches and chapels, 1,030; schools, 1,213; pupils, 36,818; contributions in the missions, $490,589. · No Donations are reported in this number of THE MAGAZINE as the Treasurer's accounts for March were not closed until April 7, and were made up too late for insertion in the present issue. Our friends have an extra large amount of reading matter this month, and will be prepared for a corresponding reduction next month, when the donations for both March and April will be reported. A In Universal Alphabet.—We present a cut COSMO-ROMAN ALPHABET. of an alphabet designed for all lan- 50 CHARACTERS. guages and prepared by Mr. Robert W. Mason, whose address is at 651 Boylston street, Boston, Mass., U. S. A. This alphabet is worthy of careful study by those interested in the subject, and it has ment in such matters is of high value. been commended by many whose judg We present it here for the special purpose of bringing it before the missionaries among our readers who may be interested in preparing translations in the Roman character. The "Cosmo-Roman ENGLISH DIVISION, 45. A-ARM A-ASS A-APE A AXE I-INK U-FRUIT U-PUT Aa Aa Ii Uu Oo A-AWL O-CAK U-TUBE ER-EARTH A-WASP C-CUP U-TUB LP-URN PpTt & Ss Hh Alphabet" follows the pure Roman alpha- Ff HthTt Ss Wh bet so closely that matter printed in the former is easily read by any one acquainted with the latter, and those who have learned the Cosmo-Roman alphabet can at once pronounce words in any lan guage printed in this universal alphabet. While not an expert, this alphabet strikes the writer as a most ingenious effort in this direction. FROM THEIR MISSIONARIES AT THE FRONT FROM INDIA Blood of the Martyrs! Suffering for Christ!! REV. W. B. BOGGS, D.D., Secunderabad How goes the battle with us! Ah, with some it has been going very hard "for Jesus' sake." Cholera has been sweeping all over this part of the country, and the people of one village, in their miserable superstition, thought that the Christians were the cause. They bound one of the women to a wooden cross and beat her and her husband severely. She was bound with her back to the stake and her arms over the crosspiece, and then told to repeat the incantations by which she had brought the cholera among them. Her answer was: "I know no incantations, but I know that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world." Upon this blows were dealt upon her without mercy. All day she was fastened to that cross. In the evening they released her, but the following day she and her husband were fastened in stocks, their hands held by wedges driven around the wrists. All day they sat there in the scorching sun. The persecution was continued through ten weary days. But they remained firm in spite of promised favors if they would renounce their Lord, and worse things if they persisted in their acknowledgments of him. But this persecution has opened new doors before us. Already we have baptized four converts from that village. "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church." These poor Christians did literally give their blood, for many of the stripes laid upon them drew blood. Shall we keep on laboring for such? Oh, sustain us, brethren, in a work like this. Millions of Heathen! Wanted Light!! Rev. H. A. CURTIS, MADRAS Fuel and How I wish I could convey to the people at home some idea of the condition of the work out here. If they truly realized the lost condition of these people, how dense the darkness of heathenism, and could then see how the darkness gives way to light when Jesus enters in, I do believe they would make a mighty effort to bring the Light of Life here immediately. Sometimes the darkness almost overpowers us. But it is into the darkness that we ought to go. Some are saying, "Whatever is of God's building will stand," and if our work is of God it will suffer no loss, even if all financial aid is withdrawn. I do not, I can not believe it. A steamship may remain at anchor in the harbor for a long time, even if there is no coal on board, and no particular harm will come to her. But she must have full bunkers if she is to make an extensive cruise. Money is the fuel that missions have to burn if they advance, and their extensiveness of advance is largely determined by the amount of fuel they have on board. On account of insufficient appropriations for our schools, we are obliged to cut them down in a terrible manner. And, oh, the millions of heathen about us! How can they hear unless some one goes to them? How can the native preachers go unless we send them? The heathen will not give them food or receive them into their houses. How can we send them, then, unless we furnish money for their expenses? The problem is a simple one. The God of missions will hold responsible for this work those who are not giving what they ought for its support. FROM ASSAM Wild Mountain Work! Rev. F. P. HAGGARD, Impur ONE of the most delightful experiences was an evangelistic tour throughout these rough mountains, where ready listeners gave zest to every step. The most precious of all has been the opportunity to talk with, and lead into the church, eight promising young |