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 T'HS PILGRIM MISSIONARY OF T 
 
 
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 Lewis, Arthur. 
 George Maxwell Gordon; the 
 pilgrim missionary of the 
 
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George Maxwell Gordon 
 
 M.A., F.R.G.S. 
 
 i:he Pilgrim Missionjrt of the Punjab 
 
 A HISTORY 
 
 OF HIS LIFE AND WORK 
 
 1839— 1880 
 
 BY THE 
 
 REV. ARTHUR'xEVVIS, M.A. 
 
 C.M.S. MISSIONARY IN THE PUNJAB 
 
 '* A staff only, no bread, no scrip, no money in their purse." 
 
 b Mark vj. 
 
 fVit/t Portrait and Illustrations 
 
 London 
 
 SEELEY eff CO., ESSEX STREET, STRAND 
 
 New York 
 
 F. i^ J. B. YOUNG ^ CO. 
 
 COOPER UNION, FOURTH AVENUE 
 
PREFACE, 
 
 I FEEL that some apology is due from me to 
 the Public for venturing to put before them 
 the following Memoir. A few words of ex- 
 planation may not perhaps be out of place. 
 
 When I was in England in 1885-86, the 
 question was put to me more than once, *' Is 
 there any biography of Mr. Gordon published.^" 
 On my answering in the negative, surprise 
 was expressed that this was the case, as 
 well as the opinion that the facts of such a 
 life as his was, ought not to be lost to the 
 Christian Church. These sentiments were so 
 entirely at one with my own, that I repre- 
 sented the matter to some of the leaders of 
 the Church Missionary Society in Salisbury 
 Square. There I only met with the sugges- 
 tion, '' Why do not you write it ? There is 
 no one else who is likely to undertake it." 
 
 Under these circumstances, although keenly 
 alive to my own insufficiency, I resolved to 
 
IV PREFACE. 
 
 make the attempt, rather than that no one 
 should do so. Accordingly. I made appli- 
 cation to Mr. Gordon's brother, Colonel E. S. 
 Gordon, R.A., who was then at Woolwich, 
 to ascertain whether he or any members of 
 his family would object to my compiling a 
 Memoir ; and in the event of their approval, 
 whether any material, such as journals, letters, 
 etc., could be placed at my disposal. 
 
 I desire here to express my warm thanks 
 to Colonel Gordon for seconding my efforts, 
 and giving me all papers that were in his 
 possession, and supplying information as far 
 as he was able. 
 
 I learned from him that, soon after Mr. 
 Gordon's death, one of his cousins had formed 
 the design of publishing a Memoir ; but after 
 a short time he abandoned it, in the belief 
 that there was not enough written material to 
 form a foundation. This was discouraging, 
 but, nevertheless, I resolved to see what 
 could be done. Letters of request to the 
 various Church Papers brought in a cer- 
 tain amount of information, and I take this 
 opportunity of thanking all those who 
 sent me answers to them. 
 
PREFACE. V 
 
 But my thanks are especially due to Mrs. 
 Corsble, and to Mr. James C. Parker, of 
 the London City Mission, without whose aid 
 anything like a consecutive account of Mr. 
 Gordon's life would have been an impossi- 
 bility. 
 
 After all documents had been collected, 
 however, there was not one-fourth of what 
 I had expected. This, added to my own in- 
 competency as a compiler, must be the only 
 apology that I can offer for the omissions 
 of the following pages. Thankful should I 
 have been if a more skilled pen than mine, 
 in the hands of a pioneer of the Gospel, who 
 could boast an earlier and longer connection 
 with the subject of this volume, had sketched 
 with realism the scenes in a life worthy to 
 be an example to Missionaries and Soldiers 
 of the Cross for all ages to come. 
 
 Arthur Lewis, M.A., C.M.S. 
 
 Dera Ghazi Khan, 
 March 21, 1888. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. PAGE 
 
 PREFACE, iii 
 
 I. RETROSPECT OF EARLY DAYS, I 
 
 II. CURACIES, 13 
 
 III. MADRAS, 30 
 
 IV. MADRAS, 1868-70, 43 
 
 V. TRAVANCORE, 95 
 
 VI. THE PERSIAN FAMINE— ISPAHAN, 1 87 1 -72, . . I35 
 
 VII. PERSIA— SHIRAZ— ISPAHAN, 157 
 
 VIII. JOURNEY TO THE PUNJAB— FROM ISPAHAN TO 
 BAGHDAD — BABYLONIA — THE PERSIAN GULF, 
 
 1872, 169 
 
 IX. LAHORE, 190 
 
 X. JHILAM ITINERANCY — PIND DADAN KHAN — 
 
 1874-75, 208 
 
 XI. JHILAM ITINERANCY— 1875-76, 229 
 
 XIL FRONTIER WORK, 263 
 
 XIII. QUETTA, 277 
 
 XIV. KANDAHAR, 305 
 
 XV. DERA GHAZI KHAN, 326 
 
 XVI. KANDAHAR— DEATH— 1880, 342 
 
 APPENDIX, . . . 391 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PORTRAIT, Frontispiece 
 
 PAGE 
 
 MISSION TENTS ON THE BANKS OF THE RIVER KISTNA, . 64 
 
 THE SHAH'S PALACE AT TEHERAN, . . . . . I44 
 
 GARDENS OF THE DIVINITY SCHOOL, LAHORE, . . . 192 
 
 PIND DADAN KHAN FROM GORDON'S TOWER, . . . 230 
 A MUHAMADAN GENTLEMAN AND HIS WIFE, . . .252 
 
 HEADMAN OF THE BILOCHIS IN THE SULAIMAN HILLS, . 270 
 
 THE BOLAN PASS, 294 
 
 ON THE MARCH TO KANDAHAR, 316 
 
 NOMAD BILOCHIS OF THE SULAIMAN HILLS, . . . 336 
 
 THE CITADEL OF KANDAHAR, 370 
 
 MAP, 398 
 
MEMOIR 
 
 OF 
 
 George Maxwell Gordon. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 RETROSPECT OF EARLY DAYS. 
 
 A man's character is brought more vividly before the 
 pubHc by his own words than by those of his friends. 
 George Maxwell Gordon shall therefore, as far as 
 possible, be left to speak for himself. He was the 
 second son of Captain James Edward Gordon, R.N., 
 M.P. for Dundalk, and of Barbara, daughter of 
 Samuel Smith, Esq., of Woodhall, M.P. for Herts, and 
 was born on August lOth, 1839. Elisabeth Brodie, 
 the excellent last Duchess of Gordon, was his god- 
 mother. A beautiful Bible which she gave him 
 interleaved for making notes, accompanied him in 
 after years to India ; and, to his great satisfaction, 
 escaped the destruction which befel most of his 
 other treasures from the damp of Madras. His own 
 impressions of his childhood, recorded in a letter to 
 
2 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. 
 
 the Rev. H. B. Macartney of Caulfield, Victoria, 
 may be fitly prefaced by a brief notice of his father, 
 Captain James Edward Gordon, from the pen of an 
 attached friend, who thus wrote, in May 1864, in refer- 
 ence to the recent death of that " veteran champion 
 of Christian Protestantism : " 
 
 *'The early part of Captain Gordon's life was 
 spent in the service of his country in the Royal Navy, 
 where he was distinguished for his enterprise and 
 gallantry. At the close of the war he devoted his 
 energies to the cause of seamen, and to his laborious 
 zeal we are chiefly indebted for the commencement 
 of several naval charities, and particularly of the 
 Hospital in the Thames to which the ' Dreadnought ' 
 is appropiated. He was afterwards associated with 
 the celebrated Dr. Chalmers in Glasgow in the institu- 
 tion of those great parochial experiments in what he 
 called * Civic Economy,' which were the forerunners 
 of our District Visiting Societies and City Missions. 
 Captain Gordon next turned his attention to Ireland, 
 where his efforts were greatly blessed in exposing 
 the superstition of Popery and enforcing the great 
 doctrines of the Reformation. 
 
 " The Irish Church Missions were not established 
 till many years later, but Captain Gordon was the 
 first who successfully asserted the true missionary 
 principle of evangelising Ireland by aggressive move- 
 ments. He travelled through some of the most 
 Popish parts of Ireland with Mr. George Finch of 
 Burleigh-on-the-Hill, and then with Mr Baptist Noel ; 
 
HIS FATHER S LIFE-WORK. 3 
 
 but the weight of the denunciations of O'Connell and 
 the priests rested on Captain Gordon. Such was the 
 effect he produced, and so conspicuous were his infor- 
 mation and talents, that he was sent for by Lord 
 Liverpool shortly before his death, and consulted 
 as to the best mode of dealing with the great Irish 
 difficulty. 
 
 " In 1830 he was brought into the House of Com- 
 mons by Lord Roden for the borough of Dundalk ; 
 and during the whole of that Parliament he was 
 acknowledged to be the most formidable opponent 
 of O'Connell and the Popish brigade. In fact his 
 labours were so unremitting as to overtax his strong 
 constitution, and ultimately to bring on creeping 
 paralysis. 
 
 " For fifteen years and more he was one of the 
 most popular and effective speakers at Freemasons' 
 Tavern and Exeter Hall, and he was the originator 
 of the Reformation Society and Protestant Associa- 
 tion. 
 
 "In 1836 he married a sister of the late eminent 
 banker, Abel Smith, Esq., long M.P. for Hertfordshire. 
 Shortly afterwards his health became so much im- 
 paired that he was seldom able to appear in public. 
 He chiefly lived at Hadlow House, near Tunbridge, 
 till after the death of his devoted wife in the year 
 1 86 1. Since that period he has lived in Porchester 
 Square, London, unable for any active exertion, but 
 enjoying the society of a few attached friends and 
 relations, and taking a deep interest in all that con- 
 
4 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. 
 
 cerned the progress of the kingdom of his Lord and 
 Master. 
 
 "A few years ago (in 1854), in the midst of his 
 growing weakness, he occupied himself in dictating 
 and publishing a little volume, which he called 
 ' Original Reflections and Conversational Remarks, 
 chiefly on Theological Subjects.' The preface to 
 that volume concludes with the following touching 
 and characteristic remarks : — 
 
 " ' There was a time when the position occupied 
 by the Author would have enabled him to present a 
 more important contribution to the cause of Pro- 
 testant Chrisianity, but that time, in the mysterious 
 dispensations of an all-wise and gracious Providence, 
 has passed away ; and small and comparatively value- 
 less as his present offering is, it is his all ; and his 
 prayer is that it may be accepted by Him who did 
 not refuse the widow's mite. It will, at least, serve 
 to revive, in the midst of a very numerous circle of 
 affectionately attached friends, the remembrance of 
 one whose share in the public advocacy of their 
 Master's cause they have not altogether forgotten. 
 It is true, indeed, that the bark once so enthusi- 
 astically cheered by them, when she held her onward 
 course to victory, is now a stranded hulk ; but if the 
 ship herself is no longer visible in the open sea, they 
 may feel something like a melancholy pleasure in 
 watching the rockets which indicate the position of 
 the wreck.' " 
 
 "The stranded wreck has gone down at last 
 
LETTER TO REV. H. B. MACARTNEY. 5 
 
 amongst the breakers, but there are few men of 
 whom it might be more truly said, ' Blessed are the 
 dead which die in the Lord, yea, saith the Spirit, for 
 they rest from their labours, and their works do 
 follow them.' 
 
 " Captain Gordon has left two sons, one of them 
 a gallant officer in the Royal Artillery, now serving 
 in Canada, the other serving in the Church of Eng- 
 land as one of the curates to the venerable Dr. Marsh, 
 Rector of Beddington." 
 
 This second son, George Maxwell Gordon, whose 
 life-story is here to be narrated, thus describes, 
 in the letter already referred to, the scenes and 
 circumstances amidst which it opened. He writes 
 as follows : — 
 
 " I will now comply most gladly with your re- 
 quest, that I would give some account of No. i, 
 although it is such a poor account that I have to 
 give, that I would rather choose any other subject to 
 write upon. 
 
 " In recalling my early youth, I do not seem to 
 find indications of a Missionary spirit, such as some 
 Missionaries have shown. I used to think, as a child, 
 that Missionaries had unusual advantages for seeing 
 bright birds and wild beasts, and I believe I some- 
 times said that I would be a Missionary on this 
 account. Travelling and seeing the world was always 
 my passionate desire, and I earnestly longed to be a 
 soldier and sailor alternately. There must have been 
 much in early training to restrain these strong im- 
 
6 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. 
 
 pulses. Many men speak of boyish days as the hap- 
 piest of their life. I never felt so. I always yearned 
 for the strength and independence of manhood. 
 
 " To us, as children, there always seemed a cloud 
 hanging over whatever pleasures we had. This cloud 
 was the illness of our father, who, from being one of 
 the strongest of men, had become a confirmed invalid. 
 His history was in many respects remarkable. Enter- 
 ing the navy early, he carried to the discharge of his 
 duties an ardent spirit and an indomitable will. It 
 pleased God to mark him for his own at an early age, 
 and to make him an example and a help to the few 
 Christians who then adorned the Service. At the 
 end of the American War he was induced to leave the 
 Navy, and to interest himself actively in the Protestant 
 movement. In journeys through Ireland, by holding 
 meetings, and engaging in open controversy with the 
 priests, and, finally, by his fearless advocacy of the 
 truth in the House of Commons, he assumed the ag- 
 gressive against formidable opponents, such as Daniel 
 O'Connell, and witnessed the discomfiture of many a 
 foe by the grace of God, and the prevailing power of 
 the cause which he pleaded. Such accounts as he 
 gave us of these struggles and victories had a strong 
 attraction for us, and fired many an ambitious thought 
 with regard to our future career. But there came 
 with these lessons, also, one of sorrowful discipline. 
 It pleased the Lord to lead His servant to his final 
 rest, not through a life of active labour and honourable 
 service such as he coveted, but through many years 
 
THE HOME AT HADLOW. 7 
 
 of sickness, suffering, and retirement. Those labours 
 were suspended in the midst of their keenest activity 
 by a sudden stroke, from which he never revived. A 
 journey to Malta, which the doctors recommended, 
 was a hindrance rather than a help to my father's 
 recovery ; and on his return to England, when I was 
 about four years old, he settled at Hadlow, in Kent, 
 where for seventeen years we watched the gradual 
 downward progress of the disease. So acute were 
 the paroxysms of pain which he suffered that it 
 was a constant trial to those nearest to him to wit- 
 ness them, and he was prevented from seeing many 
 of those old friends whose society had brightened his 
 public life. It may well be imagined that children 
 whose home was thus darkened by sickness should 
 have been thrown much upon their own resources. 
 We were three, two brothers and a sister ; but after 
 the age of twelve we saw little of our elder brother, 
 whose school life and choice of a profession (the army) 
 kept him much from home. We had no real com- 
 panions in our retirement at Hadlow, and my sister 
 and I were everything to each other. She was two 
 years my junior, but we were united in tastes and 
 .sympathies to a degree which was only intensified 
 by temporary separation. Poetry and classical liter- 
 ature had great charms for us both, and nothing 
 seemed to delight us more than to wander together 
 into a field, and recite passages from our favourite 
 authors. 
 
 " At the age of thirteen I went to a private school. 
 
8 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1857. 
 
 and although I cannot say that I imbibed there any 
 idea of being a missionary, yet there was much 
 interest awakened among us in the mission cause, 
 and two of the sons of my schoolmaster are now 
 missionaries in China." 
 
 Such is a brief retrospect taken by Gordon himself 
 of his earliest days. The school which he mentions 
 was the Vicarage of the Rev. Henry Moule, of Ford- 
 ington, Dorchester, father of the well-known pioneers 
 in China. Another of Mr. Moule's sons, the Prin- 
 cipal of Ridley Hall, at Cambridge, gives us his re- 
 collections. " I suppose," he says, " it is now nearly 
 or quite, thirty-two years ago that he became one of 
 my dear father's pupils at Fordington Vicarage; and 
 he was with us, I think, some four years. Out of 
 that home (for it was indeed home, pupils and sons 
 together, and the only school myself or any of my 
 brothers ever knew) four missionaries have gone 
 forth — George Gordon, Winter of Delhi, and my two 
 dear brothers in China. 
 
 " My recollections of Gordon are full of his ex- 
 ceeding good-nature, his fondness for English litera- 
 ture, his not very active habits, except on occasion, 
 when he could do very well in some athletic exer- 
 cises, and his constant tendency both to be humor- 
 ous himself and the cause of humour in others." 
 
 In the same sketch of his life sent to Mr. 
 Macartney, Gordon tells us something of his col- 
 lege days, — 
 
 " In 1857 (when I was just eighteen), I entered 
 
yEt 18-22.] DEATH OF HIS ONLY SISTER. 9 
 
 Trinity College, Cambridge. The last year of my 
 course, when I was reading for classical honours, 
 was interrupted by a serious attack of fever, which 
 made success a hopeless thing ; but that disappoint- 
 ment was very slight when compared to another, 
 which has thrown its shadow far beyond any suc- 
 ceeding one. In the beginning of that year, and 
 by the same fever which prostrated me, I was de- 
 prived of the one great attraction of my life— the 
 only one I used to think worth living for. My dear 
 sister sunk after a short illness at the age of 
 eighteen, leaving a bright example for me to follow, 
 but a very lonely path to tread. When I look back 
 at that first and great sorrow I seem to be able, by 
 God's infinite mercy, to date from it a starting-point 
 towards the apprehension of pardon and acceptance 
 through Christ. With me conversion was a very 
 gradual thing. I longed for conviction of sin, but 
 it did not come, and although depending solely 
 upon the merits of Christ for salvation, I was dis- 
 appointed because I could not discover in myself 
 these fruits of repentance of which others seemed 
 to bear decided evidence. A year after my sister's 
 death, my mother followed her to her everlasting 
 rest. A most peaceful departure it was, after a life 
 of most active and ceaseless devotion as a wife and 
 mother. My father, who was prepared for the event 
 only two days before it happened, suffered acutely 
 from a loss which could never be made up to him. 
 . . After this we sold the house at Hadlow, and 
 
lO GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1857-61. 
 
 took one in London, where my father could be more 
 among his friends and relations." 
 
 Once more we turn to the recollections of Gordon's 
 former schoolfellow, the Principal of Ridley Hall. 
 Of the Cambridge days, he says : — 
 
 " He was two years above me at Trinity, here. 
 I saw very little of him, accordingly. My own re- 
 membrance is again of his quiet, rather 'easiful,' 
 life ; his fondness for music, and for his pet owl — a 
 constant ornament of his rooms in Malcolm Street. 
 Men who were more intimate with him at college 
 would describe him to you as a quiet but quite de- 
 cided and steady Christian at Cambridge. He was 
 a member of the C. M. Union in its early days. 
 
 " I have always understood that his great spiritual 
 lift was experienced when he went to Dr. Marsh at 
 Beddington. 
 
 "It is most interesting to me to trace these few lines 
 out of the stores of a far-distant and well-beloved past. 
 It puts dear George Gordon before me just as he 
 was, genial and gentle, full of delightful tastes, gifted 
 with a large share of quiet humour and of common 
 sense, but certainly not suggesting the lofty type of 
 Christian he afterwards by grace became. You will 
 observe, meanwhile, that my recollections are wholly 
 those of a boy. Older observers may have easily 
 seen more of the future in him." 
 
 Another, who enjoyed the intimate friendship of 
 Gordon at Cambridge, tells us something of his inner 
 life. He speaks of his extreme humility, and, to some 
 
^t 22.] TAKES HIS DEGREE AT CAMBRIDGE. 1 1 
 
 extent, diffidence of character. This displayed itself 
 in a certain lack of fixity of purpose. He was apt to 
 take up a line of action and abandon it quickly, 
 because he did not see results answering his ex- 
 pectations. This friend used to tell him that it 
 was his misfortune not to be a poor man ; that 
 were he compelled to battle with the world and 
 fight for his own living, he must necessarily over- 
 come this tendency to despondency. But it was 
 just this tendency which, checked and controlled by 
 the working of the Holy Spirit, caused his life to 
 be so unique, self-denying, and heroic in his future 
 missionary work. 
 
 Such, then, was the quiet and uneventful begin- 
 ning of a life which was to develop into so marked a 
 pattern. Gordon took his B. A. degree in the ordinary 
 course in 1861. 
 
 But we ought not to pass on to the next period 
 without dwelling a little more on the peculiar rela- 
 tions between the brother and sister, to which allusion 
 has already been made. The two, by the circum- 
 stances of their lives, and by a sympathy of tastes, 
 were united by the bond of a more than common 
 affection. When the sister was on her death-bed, and 
 her brother was taking leave of her, she said to him, — 
 " If there are such things as guardian angels, I shall 
 be yours." ^ This alone shows the strong attach- 
 ment that must have existed between them, and the 
 influence Barbara Gordon's wishes would be likely 
 
 ^ Dawn and Sunrise, p. 102. Seeley & Co. 
 
12 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. l86i. 
 
 to have had over her brother. No wonder, then, that 
 he looked upon her death as in a measure the starting 
 point of his Hfe. It is to this period that Gordon's 
 decision to take Holy Orders is to be assigned. 
 
 Perhaps no better picture of the man, as influenced 
 by bereavement, can be given than by quoting the 
 words of one of his oldest friends, the Bishop of 
 Lahore. He says : — " In my friend's early youth, the 
 death of a young sister of rich promise, to whom he 
 was deeply attached, and in whose case a very single- 
 hearted piety shed a lovely bloom over what was 
 otherwise a rare attractiveness of character, had cast 
 over his life a softened, mellow sadness — an * assoin- 
 briseinentl as our neighbours would call it — and I 
 doubt not her memory survived ever fresh and 
 fragrant in his heart. If there was any other secret 
 sorrow buried in his heart, that might help to account 
 for the pensive melancholy which was noticeable in 
 him, to myself at least it was never revealed. This 
 in reality was one of the charms of his character : 
 though he seemed at times to attribute it to his 
 never having been at a public school, of which he 
 would speak regretfully, both because it had nar- 
 rowed the circle of his friends outside of his own 
 family, and had not fetched out into full develop- 
 ment and expansion, germs and capacities of heart 
 and mind, which in the greater isolation of his boy- 
 hood he had been tempted to fold too closely within 
 himself."! 
 
 ^ Bp. of Lahore, Church Missionary Intelligencer, Mar. i88i. 
 
CHAPTER 11. 
 
 CURACIES. 
 
 The final guidance to ordination came to Gordon in 
 1862. In that year he says : — 
 
 " I became acquainted with Dr. and Miss Marsh, 
 and he offered me a title. As Beddington was only 
 thirteen miles from London, I accepted the offer, 
 on the condition that I was to spend two days in 
 each week with my father. I was accordingly or- 
 dained by the Bishop of Winchester in the winter 
 of 1862. To this step I was led by the guiding hand 
 of God in a remarkable way. It seemed that door 
 after door was closed which I would have opened 
 My desire first to be a sailor, then a soldier (up 
 to the age of twenty), then a civilian in India, any- 
 thing, in short, but a clergyman, was overruled by a 
 wise and watchful Providence. My acquaintance with 
 Dr. Marsh and his daughter was a great blessing to 
 me. The heavenly calmness of the one, and the 
 bright, ardent faith and the comprehensive love of 
 the other, are pictures which will long live in my 
 recollection. It was no ordinary privilege to see the 
 close of such a life as this dear old patriarch had 
 pursued. Throughout the year and a half which I 
 
14 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1862. 
 
 served as his curate, my interviews with him, which 
 were often at his bed or sofa side, were a refreshment 
 and blessing. It was a time of very hard work, and 
 many a Saturday night was spent in sleepless pre- 
 paration for the Sunday's duty after a toilsome week. 
 It was while I was thus employed that my dear father 
 was at length taken to his rest. It was my privi- 
 lege to be with him to the last, and to witness a very 
 peaceful departure, after much buffeting with the 
 waves of suffering and sorrow. He was carried to 
 the peaceful spot in Hadlow churchyard, where my 
 sister and mother had been laid, and where many 
 a prayer had been offered by the grassy mound 
 that the precious seed thus sown might bear fruit 
 in the lives of the two survivors." 
 
 When George Gordon became junior curate at 
 Beddington, he was associated with one who has 
 already been mentioned, and who was destined to 
 have a great influence on his after life. This was 
 the Rev. Thomas Valpy French, afterwards Bishop of 
 Lahore. He had but lately returned from the scene 
 of his missionary labours in India, and was acting 
 as one of Dr. Marsh's curates. The Bishop describes 
 his first impressions of Gordon as follows : — 
 
 " We met for the first time in the Rectory of 
 Beddington, of which parish the saintly and patri- 
 archal Dr. Marsh was then Rector. Gordon was 
 fresh from his admission to Deacon's orders, Mr. 
 O'Rorke and myself being jointly Senior Curates. 
 Gordon became my fast friend from that time for- 
 
-^/. 23-] CONTINENTAL TOUR. 1 5 
 
 ward. Probably he had already felt a secret draw- 
 ing towards missionary work ; and as I had but just 
 returned in very bad health from my second (too 
 short) campaign in India, and our brotherly inter- 
 course often took the shape of missionary conver- 
 sation, it is likely enough that vague, indistinct 
 yearnings became definite and unalterable resolves. 
 Yet his quiet, self-possessed manner, his unpretend- 
 ing humility, his constant devotion of his time to 
 bible-classes among working men and lads, and his 
 gentle and dignified refinement prevented my dis- 
 covering what was working in his mind ; and it was 
 not till after Dr. Marsh's death, some eighteen months 
 later, when he had become curate of St. Thomas's, 
 Portman Square, that he opened his heart to me 
 on the subject of spending the rest of his life as a 
 missionary." 
 
 It was at this period of his life that Gordon first 
 visited the Continent. A tour in Switzerland and 
 the north of Italy, which he greatly enjoyed, may 
 have helped to re-awaken the love of foreign travel 
 and adventure which mingled with his earliest re- 
 collections, and to throw the weight of personal in- 
 clination into the scale in favour of a missionary 
 vocation in his case, as it has done in many more. 
 Not to thwart the natural bent, but to consecrate it 
 to high service, is the path of Christian wisdom. 
 
 The Rev. Henry O'Rorke thus writes his re- 
 collections of George Gordon during his work at 
 Beddington : — 
 
1 6 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1862-4. 
 
 " It is pleasant to recal the happy intercourse in 
 friendship and work which I had with Mr. Gordon 
 during the privileged season when we were associated 
 with the revered and beloved Dr. Marsh, then Rector 
 of Beddington. 
 
 " To have lived in the light of that beautiful h*fe, 
 shining more and more unto the perfect day, we 
 both, young as we were then in the ministry, felt to 
 be an unspeakable blessing. 
 
 " The brightness of Dr. Marsh's life, and the ever- 
 sunny tone of his Christian faith and conversation 
 with the cheerful influences of that happy home, were 
 especially helpful and cheering to Mr. Gordon, whose 
 own home had been so sadly overshadowed by loss, 
 and by the protracted sufferings of his father. 
 
 " I saw this very markedly when spending a day 
 with him in his home in London, in the sad sight 
 of his father, once so powerful in mind and body, 
 but then utterly prostrated by illness ; a helpless 
 sufferer. 
 
 " One can understand how this would produce a 
 tendency to depression not natural to youth, nor 
 to one in whose character there was a strong vein 
 of humour, with intense enjoyment of happy com- 
 panionship. 
 
 " Immediately on joining Mr. Southey, now 
 Rector of Woburn, and myself in the work at 
 Beddington, he at once threw himself heartily into 
 the various pastoral duties which we had in hand ; 
 by his gentle and sympathetic manner, and his gener- 
 
ML 1^2.^?^ HIS WORK AT BEDDINGTON. 1/ 
 
 ous kindness, he soon made many warm friends 
 among the people. He had private means, and he 
 was ever ready to help in any true case of need 
 which came before him. 
 
 " During the first winter of his curacy at Bedding- 
 ton, we were especially united in the work of a night- 
 school in a hamlet, about three miles from the church, 
 and many a pleasant talk we had together, over plans 
 for the young men, as we walked to and fro in those 
 dark and often stormy nights. 
 
 " There was always manifest in his conversation an 
 eager desire for more of spiritual power and influence 
 in whatever work he might be called to undertake. 
 
 " He showed much ability in dealing with the 
 young men in the night-school, one of the most 
 difficult undertakings of any clergyman, who desires 
 to make it not only an educational but also a spiritual 
 help to the young and restless natures gathered before 
 him. Their impatience of discipline, which is so need- 
 ful, if any real good is to be done ; their proneness 
 to fun ; their inability often to give steady attention, 
 all combine to make the task of night-school teaching 
 no easy one. 
 
 " But here George Gordon's character came out 
 most effectively ; his patience, his . unfailing good 
 temper, his quiet humour, soon disarmed the rest- 
 less and mischievous : he first won their attention 
 and then their affection. Afterwards he used to 
 invite them to his rooms, and there, in personal 
 dealing with them, laid the foundation, by God's 
 
1 8 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1862-4. 
 
 grace, of a new life in many who, I doubt not, to 
 this day remember with gratitude those well-spent 
 evenings of long ago. 
 
 "As a preacher, George Gordon early gave evi- 
 dence of much promise, by his clear and attractive 
 setting forth of evangelical truth. 
 
 " He always faithfully and fully preached Christ 
 and His great salvation ; and his sermons, delivered 
 in a quiet and forcible tone, lived in the memory. 
 
 " I still remember one very vividly, after the 
 lapse of nearly a quarter of a century, on the text, 
 
 * I will endeavour that ye may be able, after my 
 decease, to have these things always in remem- 
 brance,' I Pet. i. 15. 
 
 " It was on the Sunday after Dr. Marsh's death. 
 He spoke of the abiding influence of the life and 
 ministry of Christ's servant ' being dead, he yet 
 speaketh.' Long after the voice is silent, the presence 
 gone ; the truths taught and the example set live in 
 the new and sanctified lives of those who receive 
 Him, on whom all faithful teaching is ever centered. 
 
 " No doubt this has been exemplified in George 
 Gordon's own life and death ; and many among 
 the wild tribes, with whom he lived and to whom 
 he preached as the faithful and loving missionary, 
 
 * have these things always in remembrance.' The 
 abiding power of that life will still thus be found. 
 
 " He derived much help at that time from the 
 spiritual and thoughtful preaching of Bishop French, 
 who for a time was associated with us in the work 
 
^t. 23-24.] VISIT TO SHERIFFHALES. 1 9 
 
 at Beddington before his appointment to the See of 
 Lahore. 
 
 " He used often kindly to lend his sermons to 
 George Gordon, and we read them together. The 
 glow of missionary enthusiasm, which ever illumined 
 those powerful sermons, had a deep influence in 
 drawing Gordon's thoughts and desires to a mis- 
 sionary's life. Shortly after this, our happy fellow- 
 ship in the work at Beddington ceased. We parted, 
 he first to foreign travel, and, after a short interval 
 of work in London to the mission field, I to charges 
 in the Lord's service at home. 
 
 " Once only did we meet again, when on a brief 
 visit to England, he came to see me in my home at 
 Sheriffhales ; a Shropshire parish. 
 
 " He arrived unexpectedly, late at night, carry- 
 ing his bag. He bore the unmistakable impress 
 of growth in power, independence, and Christian 
 manliness, with a cheerfulness begotten by his life 
 of self-denial and true heart-devotion to the service 
 of his choice. 
 
 " He had much of interest to tell us, and my 
 children were charmed with his stories of scenes in 
 India and Australia. 
 
 " He had to leave the next day, and preferred to 
 walk to the station. I accompanied him along the 
 beautiful avenue of lime trees which lead from Sheriff- 
 hales Church to Lilleshall Hall, and thence by the 
 private road towards Newport Station. 
 
 " The rich beauty of that fair English landscape — 
 
20 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1864, 
 
 rich in its verdure and in the marks of culture and 
 order — attracted his admiration, while the far-stretch- 
 ing plain of Shrewsbury and the distant hills of 
 Wales woke up thoughts of the wider plains and far 
 loftier mountains of the land whither he was going. 
 
 " We paused by the gate where we were to part, 
 gazed for a few moments on the scene before us, then, 
 bowing our heads in prayer, we commended each 
 other to Him who had blessed us with His salvation, 
 and called us into His service, asking that He would 
 guide us by His Spirit, and guard us by His mighty 
 protection ; that He would use us for His glory, 
 and bless our work and words among those to whom 
 He might send us, whether at home or abroad, until, 
 our work being finished, the Master would call us 
 to His presence, to other scenes and higher services, 
 throughout eternity. 
 
 "Thus we parted. From time to time, tidings 
 came of Gordon's work among the wild tribes in 
 Northern India and on the frontier ; then of his 
 being with our troops at Kandahar ; finally, of his 
 noble death in seeking to rescue the wounded sol- 
 diers ; fitting close to a noble life, which was wholly 
 consecrated to the Lord, and to the spread of the 
 Gospel of His salvation amongst men. 'Thou hast 
 made him most blessed for ever, Thou hast made 
 him exceeding glad with Thy countenance.' " 
 
 To resume the thread of the narrative. George 
 Gordon was not very long to remain Dr. Marsh's 
 curate. He left in 1864, owing to the death of the 
 
^t 25-26.] EGYPT : PALESTINE : ROME. 21 
 
 aged rector. Gordon then took a journey, in com- 
 pany with the present Bishop of Rochester, and the 
 late Mr Robert Hanbury, M.P., to the lands of the 
 Bible, which to a great extent coloured the whole of 
 his after life. The missionary spirit was probably 
 developed within him, to a greater extent than ever 
 before, by following in the footsteps of the Divine 
 Missionary to the human race. He thus speaks of it 
 himself, and of the London work which succeeded it : — 
 "In the same year (1864, the year also of Dr. 
 Marsh's death) I made an excursion to the East, and 
 refreshed both health and spirit by visiting scenes 
 consecrated by the ministry and death of our blessed 
 Saviour and His apostles. It seemed to give a 
 marvellous reality to sacred history to visit Joppa 
 and Jerusalem, with the Mount of Olives, and the 
 mountains of Moab bounding the Dead Sea in the 
 distance ; and then to explore the neighbourhood of 
 Bethany, and Bethlehem, and the valley of the Jordan ; 
 and to go northwards to Bethel, and Samaria and 
 Nazareth, and Galilee, and Carmel, Damascus, and 
 the Lebanon. I spent the winter on the Nile ; won- 
 dering at the remarkable fulfilment of prophecy in 
 the execution by Cambyses of God's vengeance upon 
 the ' Idols of Egypt,' and the mighty monuments 
 of her desolation. In the spring of 1865 I crossed 
 from Egypt to Palestine by the desert of Sinai and 
 Petra, following (by conjecture) the path of the chil- 
 dren of Israel, for forty days instead of forty years. 
 The climate of the desert and the primitive associa- 
 
22 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1864-5. 
 
 tions of camels and tents I greatly enjoyed, and no 
 less, the more profoundly meditative reflections which 
 that district awakened. The barren, wild grandeur of 
 Sinai forms a striking contrast to the soft and fertile 
 aspect of Galilee, and very characteristic is the scenery 
 of each, of the dispensations which they respectively 
 witnessed. 
 
 " There were many features of my journey home 
 well calculated to awaken a missionary ardour. To 
 stand where St. Paul stood ; in the Areopagus at 
 Athens ; where he lived at Corinth ; where he landed 
 in Italy ; where he suffered at Rome ; to gaze on 
 Patmos ; to visit the land of the Seven Churches 
 opposite ; to mark spots made sacred by the blood 
 of the martyrs, such as the Coliseum at Rome ; and 
 have sacred recollections so revived might well rebuke 
 coldness, and kindle a spirit of devotedness. From 
 scenes such as these I returned to London, eager for 
 missionary work among the destitute masses of the 
 Metropolis. I soon found employment with Mr. 
 Lumsden, in a district which contained 7000 poor 
 and 3000 rich. To meet the spiritual, and to relieve 
 the temporal wants of these, our staff of workers 
 was miserably small, and for the first three months 
 I found myself entirely alone, everyone else having 
 left town for the country. Hard work was what I 
 desired, but this was hopeless work. Going in and 
 out of houses (containing sometimes thirteen families 
 to a single house), often a large family in a small 
 room, with lodgers at night, one's heart often sunk 
 
^t. 26.] WORK AT ST. THOMAS'S. 23 
 
 at the very small impression which one could hope 
 to make upon so much wretchedness and sin. 
 
 " There were bright features, however, of my work 
 for a year and a half in London. The schools were 
 a great interest, and well repaid me. I was much 
 pleased also to be the means of awakening an interest 
 in missions at a Needlewoman's Institute, where the 
 very poorest could get work to do, and earn about 
 7d. a day. After hearing an address on missions, they 
 asked for a missionary-box, and it was affecting to 
 open it at the end of a month or two and find 13s., 
 all in farthings r 
 
 Such was the life as described by Gordon him- 
 self But while he was here, in the curacy of St. 
 Thomas's, Portman Square, his friend, Mr. James 
 C. Parker, of the London City Mission, had an 
 unusual opportunity for forming a true estimate of 
 his work. In the next few pages he depicts him 
 and his work at the time as, perhaps, no one else 
 could do. 
 
 Mr Parker observes : — 
 
 "When, in 1865, Mr. Gordon entered upon his 
 duties as a curate in the parish of St. Thomas's, Port- 
 man Square, Marylebone, he was associated with a 
 warm, long-tried advocate of the Church Missionary 
 Society, the Rev. H. T. Lumsden, formerly of St. 
 Peter's, Ipswich. His beloved fellow curate, the Rev. 
 Henry Seton, a nephew of the Incumbent, died at 
 the early age of twenty-seven. 
 
 "The church was new, the district having been 
 
24 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1865-6. 
 
 recently separated from the rectory parish, by the 
 Hon. and Rev. John Thomas Pelham, afterwards 
 Bishop of Norwich. It contained a population of 
 10,000 souls (one-fourth of the rectory parish), 7000 
 of whom were poor, and of the latter, 3000 were 
 Irish Roman Catholics. 
 
 " This was a many-sided and magnificent field of 
 labour, but one requiring not only the love of God 
 in the heart, but a healthy body ; a calm, clear, 
 shrewd mind ; and a firm, fearless, indomitable spirit. 
 It was a London training ground of the right sort, to 
 fit young clergymen to be valiant soldiers of the cross 
 of Christ, in the still more difficult and dangerous 
 fields of distant foreign lands. 
 
 " Very few, I am persuaded, of Mr. Gordon's near- 
 est relations and associates, had at first a true idea 
 of the high quality of the metal he was made of 
 It is not common to expect to see a simple-minded, 
 humble, gentle, kindly spirit rapidly develop into 
 a vigorous, sanctified, stalwart Christian ; by the 
 energy of God's grace, second to none, at home 
 or abroad, on the long and noble roll of the athletes 
 who have worked, fought and died, under the life- 
 giving though blood-stained banner of the Great 
 Captain of Salvation. 
 
 " A change in his sphere of labour did not lessen 
 Mr. Gordon's thoughtfulness for those with whom 
 he had previously been associated. One of his first 
 acts on coming to London, was to invite a score of 
 working men, from his old district at Beddington, to 
 
^t, 26-27.] DESCRIBED BY MR. PARKER. 25 
 
 spend an afternoon and evening with him, at the 
 South Kensington Museum, free of all expense to 
 themselves. It was my privilege, on this and similar 
 occasions, to assist as a guide and aide-de-camp. 
 The exhibition was entirely new to the intelligent, 
 happy visitors ; and when they took the return train 
 home, the parting was like the farewell of brothers, 
 for Mr. Gordon had the natural gift of condescend- 
 ing to men of low estate. One of these men had 
 built himself a small cottage in the country, with 
 the money which Mr. Gordon had lent him, with- 
 out interest. 
 
 "He would often invite to dinner, or lunch, one 
 or two of his more humble fellow labourers. It was 
 very pleasant to be with him at these times, which he 
 made both cheerful and profitable. He would learn 
 from his guest the particular trials and importance 
 of the work in which he might be engaged, and then 
 words of wisdom would be spoken, and personal, 
 practical aid rendered. 
 
 " He was well up in the special labours of Mr. 
 Herbrechter, the city-missionary to St. Marylebone 
 Workhouse. There were 1800 men, women, and 
 children in this building ; the average death-rate 
 being 550. Mr. Gordon would ask first to see the 
 aged and afflicted who had been previously visited 
 by him in their own rooms, before the final sad 
 day of helpless misfortune compelled them to seek 
 indoor relief He was quite "at home" in conver- 
 sation with the unsuccessful old tradesman in cor- 
 
26 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1865-6. 
 
 duroy ; and the worn-out, rheumatic wife in check 
 shawl. Many were the urgent invitations of the in- 
 mates that he would make "the House" his home, 
 and stay always with them ! 
 
 "On Saturday nights, Mr. Gordon used sometimes 
 to accompany another city missionary in visiting 
 public-houses and low beer-shops. He usually got 
 on well with the roughs and the depraved, and 
 always had a faithful, judicious word to speak to the 
 * drinking congregation.' There was one occasion^ 
 however, on which a brutal, drunken Irish Romanist, 
 more cruel and savage than an Indian tiger, seized 
 Mr. Gordon by the throat, and hurled him into the 
 road. The landlord of the house was hurt and upset ; 
 and the other customers united with him in loud 
 expressions of regret, and invited Mr. Gordon to 
 come again soon, and ' receive their friendship.' 
 
 "Miss Hovell, the assistant mistress, states, that 
 the children, boys and girls, at St. Thomas's Schools 
 loved Mr. Gordon, as the curate who cared for their 
 happiness, and was well up in all their games. He 
 saw them in school, half-fed, badly-clothed, pale^ 
 and feeble. The cause was well known to him. 
 Their parents were industrious, and did their best 
 in most instances. But small means poorly main- 
 tain a large family. In many a 'Court' or 'Build- 
 ings,' in Marylebone, father, mother, and four or 
 six children occupy, day and night, one room only, 
 at a rental of 4s. 6d. or ys. 6d. a week. Bread is 
 often, and meat is always, dear. Pure, fresh air and 
 
yEt. 26-27.] CONSIDERATION FOR THE POOR. 27 
 
 sunshine are skilfully and effectively shut out in our 
 narrow, twisted, dark streets. Some of the pining 
 little ones were more like bundles of bleached celery 
 than human beings with skins containing healthy 
 blood, flesh, and bones! What could be done? There 
 were a few generous spirits at St. Thomas's Church ; 
 and Mr. Gordon had 'troops of friends' at Bed- 
 dington, and its immediate neighbourhood. The 
 Frys, Laurences, Murray-Johnsons, and others were 
 quite uncomfortable because he was not making use 
 of them. And he soon inaugurated a children's treat; 
 and grounds, provisions, games, and every other re- 
 quisite for the day sprang up, either at Beddington, 
 Carshalton, or Mitcham. On one occasion, a boat 
 or barge was provided, and the boys, none of whom 
 since infancy, if even then, had ever tubbed, enjoyed 
 the salutary experience of a plunge, head and heels, 
 into the water. It was a new idea, afterwards often 
 repeated, in our valuable though makeshift Parochial 
 Baths. Where did all the towels come from ? There 
 was no lack, for every bedroom and wardrobe for 
 miles around was laid under contribution. 
 
 "Several of the children shed tears when Mr. 
 Gordon wished them, for the last time, 'good-bye,' 
 and said one little dot, ' I can't think why he wants 
 to go away ? ' Out of their poverty, they gave him 
 * a Testimonial.' 
 
 "His desire 'not to let his left hand know what 
 his right hand doeth,' was ineffectual, as the ' Sun 
 of Righteousness ' would not allow His witness and 
 
28 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1865-6. 
 
 follower to hide his bright, though reflected, light 
 under a bushel. 
 
 "There was a 'Mothers' Meeting' held in St. 
 Thomas's Parish. Miss Bontein^ was the lady super- 
 intendent ; and Mrs. Gunn, the quiet, meek, spiritually- 
 minded, ever -ready -to -help 'Bible Woman.' No 
 wonder that Mr. Gordon was always a welcome 
 visitor at the weekly meeting, for he was an admirer 
 of babies ; and mothers are won by this charmiing 
 and manly endowment. 
 
 "The most beautiful trait in his London life, to 
 my knowledge, was his thoughtful consideration and 
 tender regard for the aged poor. His parting gift to 
 all the ' house-confined ' men and women, who had 
 reached the age of three-score-and-ten, was a second- 
 hand, comfortable arm-chair. He dragged me to all 
 the furniture and brokers' shops in Marylebone, and 
 would give from 20s. to 25s. for each article. No 
 chair was purchased until both of us had ' proved it ' 
 by squatting down, and being unanimous in our 
 opinion, that it was perfectly easy, sightly, and not 
 rickety. This may seem but a very little thing to 
 record, but it has, I thankfully believe, done my own 
 heart more good than some of the most powerful 
 speeches I have ever heard. God's tried saints, 
 not far off from a different world from this, had their 
 faith strengthened and their love rekindled by this 
 gracious manifestation of 'brotherly' affection, and 
 
 ^ This lady's unremitting life work is now pursued in Bethnal 
 Green, where she is Hon. Superintendent of the Ashley Mission. 
 
jF.t. 26-27.] A FAITHFUL FELLOW-LABOURER. 29 
 
 the more so as the donor was a single and young 
 man. 
 
 " Not many opportunities were given to Mr. Gordon 
 to show forth his powers, as a preacher. His man- 
 ner was serious, and his matter soHd. He would 
 sometimes illustrate his text by an allusion to his 
 much-enjoyed travels in Palestine. He had that pure 
 lightness of spirit, which often led him to smile when 
 speaking of his first sermon. ' I thought/ he would 
 say, ' that I had utterly tired out the congregation by 
 the length of time I had occupied in speaking, and so 
 I suddenly closed my discourse, before I had read 
 half my manuscript. When I descended the pulpit, 
 my friends were disgusted, and demanded to know 
 how it was that I had preached them only a ten 
 minutes^ sermon ? ' 
 
 " Had I known that Mr. Gordon was some day to 
 have chosen me as his friend ; to have used me as his 
 willing servant ; or that he was ordained to spend his 
 strength, means, and life in a foreign land, in the 
 Redeemer's cause ; most certainly I should have 
 made an entry of most of his words, and works. But 
 I thought only a little of him, and less of myself, 
 when we were both, with a single eye to God's glory, 
 labouring in St. Thomas's Parish as 'ambassadors 
 for Christ.'" 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 MADRAS. 
 
 We have seen that Gordon, while at Beddington, 
 breathed a missionary atmosphere. He was asso- 
 ciated with one who was then a well-known, en- 
 thusiastic missionary ; one who had himself often 
 hazarded his life in fighting the battles of the Lord 
 on the frontier of His kingdom. That missionary, 
 the Rev. T. V. French, doubtless exercised a great 
 influence upon Gordon, and led him on to his 
 future decision. Moreover, the subject of Foreign 
 Missions was never allowed to be forgotten in Dr. 
 Marsh's parish. Speaking of this, Gordon says: — 
 "Ties which one forms, even in a short experience, 
 especially with the poor, are very strong and lasting. 
 At Beddington I had the pleasure of meeting, every 
 week, about twelve working-men at my tea-table, for 
 a Bible reading — men who had all come to the light 
 under Dr. Marsh's ministry, I may say, in the last year 
 of that ministry. These men used to form a com- 
 mittee and collect among their neighbours for the 
 Church Missionary Society." It is hardly then to be 
 wondered at, that Gordon should himself have been 
 drawn very strongly towards foreign fields of labour. 
 
v^/. 27.] SAILS FOR INDIA. 3 1 
 
 In his letter already quoted, he indicates that it was 
 at this time that the definite prospect began to open 
 up before him. He writes : — " Perhaps it was at 
 Beddington that my first real desire to become a 
 missionary took shape. I then had the privilege of 
 being associated in parochial work with Mr. French, 
 a missionary whose singular attainments and devoted 
 piety made a deep impression upon my mind." 
 
 Accordingly, in the summer of 1866, he offered 
 himself to the Church Missionary Society as an 
 honorary worker. In a letter written to one of the 
 secretaries of the Society, dated August 22, 1866, 
 he says : — " My simple desire is to offer myself and 
 means to the great work of extending the Lord's 
 kingdom to those who are ignorant and out of the 
 way, and be the means of winning souls whom the 
 Saviour died to purchase." 
 
 It is almost needless to say, that the Society did 
 not hesitate long in accepting this free-will offer to 
 further the work which the departing Lord committed 
 to His Church ; the preaching of the Gospel to 
 every creature. 
 
 Gordon sailed in the autumn of 1866. Writing 
 from Ceylon on December 27, he gives many of his 
 impressions of the voyage ; but as the journey to 
 and from India has become one of most ordinary ex- 
 perience, his description of the landing and visit to 
 Kandy alone is extracted. " Everyone who has ex- 
 perienced the change from Western to Eastern coun- 
 tries knows that there is novelty everywhere, beginning 
 
32 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1867. 
 
 with Man. When the steamer anchors off Ceylon, 
 she is immediately boarded by a number of women (?), 
 whose boats of singular build have shot up to the 
 vessel's side like magic. By degrees you learn that 
 these strange figures, with their copper skins, femi- 
 nine features, and hair turned back with top-knot 
 and comb {a la Parisienne) are not Amazons but 
 men. Indeed, I have not yet learnt the difference 
 between the sexes. The drive from Galle to Colombo 
 for seventy miles is an avenue of cocoa-nut palms, by 
 the sea-shore. I accomplished it by a bright moon- 
 light. The fire-flies were glancing all round, and the 
 flying foxes kept flapping from tree to tree, while the 
 moon poured a flood of light over the rich foliage^ 
 and the creeks and rivers, which here and there break 
 up the road, and are crossed by bridges." 
 
 During this visit to Ceylon he had a fever, which 
 laid him up for some weeks, and was a forecast that 
 he would not eventually be able to continue his work 
 in the climate of Southern India. On January 31^ 
 1867, he writes to Mr. James C. Parker: — "There is 
 nothing like answering a letter at once, but to write 
 askew from an arm-chair is not very easy. How glad 
 I was to get your letter, and to hear about friends at 
 St. Thomas's, among whom you take, and ever will 
 take, a very prominent place. When I arrived here 
 on the 9th, and found a letter from Miss Marsh only^ 
 after my three months' voyage, I exclaimed, ' Friends, 
 friends ! what has become of your friendship ? ' I 
 landed very ill, having taken a fever in Ceylon, and 
 
^t. 27.] SICKNESS AND RECOVERY. 33 
 
 have been since on my back, with the kindest of 
 friends attending on me. Large doses of quinine 
 nearly distracted me, depriving me of at least three 
 senses; but I am most thankful to God that He is 
 daily making me stronger, and, after change of air, I 
 hope that my recovery will be complete. It is five 
 weeks since I first developed the fever, but the doctor 
 says I must have had it in me longer." 
 
 In this same letter, too, we see a touch of that old 
 distrust, and of that tendency too hastily to abandon 
 a course that he has made up his mind to adopt, of 
 which his Cambridge friend speaks. " When I read 
 your letter," he says, " all my bitter regrets came with 
 renewed force, that I had not taken my friend Mr. F.'s 
 advice, and remained in England another year. Not 
 that there is anything in my present circumstances 
 that I am not perfectly satisfied with, but Mr Lums- 
 den's absence, and the slender help Mr. Seton has, 
 is what fills my mind. However, it was always so 
 with me in every clerical undertaking, to question 
 whether I have not too much followed my own 
 judgment, instead of feeling that, having committed 
 the matter to the Lord, it must be right. Such is the 
 faith that He requires." 
 
 Having recovered from the fever of which he 
 spoke, Gordon was soon fairly launched into mis- 
 sionary work. The first great difficulty which faces 
 every missionary is that of the language. He finds 
 himself set down in a strange country, amongst 
 people walking in darkness on all sides of him ; he 
 
 C 
 
34 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1867. 
 
 is conscious of having light himself, and the most 
 grievous thing of all to him is, that he is not able to 
 impart it. He is conscious of being commissioned 
 with a message to deliver, and yet he cannot find a 
 single word wherewith to deliver it. No one who 
 has not experienced this, can imagine how irksome it 
 is, and how the missionary chafes under it. And yet 
 it is one of those wise dispensations of God, of which 
 older and more experienced men see and appreciate 
 the benefit, while the newly-arrived and ardent recruit 
 would, if possible, gladly break away from the restraint. 
 It is of the first importance, that the man who wishes 
 to influence a class of people should understand them, 
 their habits of life, their modes of thought, and their 
 religious belief All these can only be learned very 
 gradually by contact with, and residence among, the 
 people. Hence it is that the learning of the language 
 puts a wholesome check upon the ^^ griff " and pre- 
 vents him making many a mistake at first which 
 would perhaps irretrievably damage his future influ- 
 ence. It is just one of those occasions in life which 
 teach us that in " quietness and confidence," in pre- 
 paration, " shall be our strength." 
 
 In a country like India, even in a single mission, 
 it is often not sufficient to acquire one language. 
 Very frequently different nationalities are met with in 
 one district, and beyond this, different languages, or 
 at anyrate different dialects, are often used by the 
 educated and the country people. 
 
 It was to this work that Gordon now had to set 
 
^t. 27.] TENT LIFE IN THE TROPICS. 35 
 
 h.W,f, and to which he alludes in writing to Mr. 
 I'arker. He also g:ves a peep into his missionary 
 encampment, which cannot fail to be interestinc. to 
 those whose duty does not call them to spend a 
 port.on of their lives in this patriarchal fashion. It 
 must_ be remembered, in all allusions to camp work 
 hat m India the power of the summer sun is much 
 too great to allow one with safety to live in tents ; can- 
 vas of many folds is far too slight a protection, and 
 usually, when the cold season has taken flight, the 
 shelter of a solid roof has to be sought. Writing on 
 Apnl 1867, from Madras, Gordon says :- 
 
 "The weather continues mild and cool, and our 
 health through mercy is very good. We are thinkinc. 
 of remaining under canvas all through the hot season 
 in the plain. I do not think that either of us is 
 rashly disposed, least of all, Mr Fenn, who has had 
 fifteen years' experience of India, but our encampment 
 IS so cool and pleasant, that we feel there is no excuse 
 for leaving the work and going to the hills or the 
 town. It has taken me long to settle down to work 
 for I have had the greatest difKculty in getting two 
 very necessary things, a teacher of the language, and 
 a horse. It is not that there are not plenty of teachers 
 m Madras (and horses too), but they don't like living 
 in a tent, and nothing will tempt them to do so but a 
 very high salary. However, I think I have got one 
 at last, and am really beginning again with some 
 steadiness. My horse, too, is a great help, a very 
 fine Arab, and quite a companion. He is tied to 
 
36 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1867, 
 
 one tree and my tent pitched under another, an 
 arrangement which dispenses with house and stable- 
 rent altogether. I am now encamped twenty miles 
 south of Madras on the sea, so that I get a sea-bath 
 every morning, and a sea-breeze all day. The little 
 grove is composed of mango trees and palms, and is 
 most quiet and secluded. A village close by supplies 
 me with milk and fowls, but I have to send to Madras 
 for bread, tea, etc. My two colleagues are now en- 
 camped with me, but only for six days. They change 
 their encampment every week, but I find these very 
 frequent changes a great interruption to study, taking 
 often two whole days in the necessary arrangements 
 for moving. Hence I am stationary for the present 
 in a kind of centre, whence their itineration radiates 
 in every direction. The difficulty of getting anything 
 done by these poor natives, without authority, is 
 extreme. When we move our tents we often can- 
 not induce them to hire their carts to us, except at 
 some most unreasonable rate. It is the same when we 
 want a messenger to go into town ; although there are 
 plenty of men to go, there is no competition whatever. 
 All they care about is to have just enough money to 
 buy their rice, and then they abandon themselves to 
 laziness. Yesterday I wanted a few nails put into a 
 broken chair. The carpenter came and talked about 
 it for an hour, and then walked off without doing it. 
 Sometimes they will not sell their fowls, and we are 
 in straits. At this moment we have no bread, and 
 have had none for several days. I do not reckon 
 
^i' 27.] SECOND SEVERE FEVER. .j 
 
 these as hardships, but as things which you must be 
 prepared for and take forethought about. Things 
 are not to be done here in a hurry. Last night my 
 rest was disturbed by the depredations o{ a wild dog, 
 which had discovered some fish inside my tent ; and 
 the night before by a Hzard inside my shirt, Jlso a 
 large cockroach on my head." 
 
 It will be seen from this, that although Gordon's 
 life was at this time one of whole-hearted zeal in the 
 missionary cause, yet he did not at first launch out 
 into the life almost of poverty for which he was 
 afterwards so well known. We notice his mention 
 of the horse, which, although considered a necessity 
 in India by ordinary Europeans, proved eventually 
 to be unnecessary to him. Here we see him com- 
 fortably settled in a tent, and sure of a place to live 
 in. In after years we shall see him almost like his 
 Master before him, not having where to lay his head. 
 In June that same year (1867), we find him again 
 laid up with a severe attack of fever in Madras, 
 which causes him to lay aside his study of the Tamil 
 language. 
 
 But it was not merely destined to put a stop for 
 a time to his studies. The fever was so severe and 
 so continuous, that, as time went on, the only chance 
 of restored health appeared to lie in a thorough 
 change. Accordingly a sea voyage to Australia was 
 resolved on. We can perhaps imagine the disappoint- 
 ment Gordon felt after having left most important 
 work in London to devote himself to India, to find, 
 
38 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1867. 
 
 in a few short months, that he was obliged to turn 
 his back upon that which he had taken in hand. 
 He, doubtless, could not understand the trial at the 
 time, but he must have done so in after life, when he 
 looked back upon this period. He sailed during the 
 summer ; and from Sydney he writes, on 20th 
 August, to Mr. James Parker : — " I was refreshed 
 last evening by receiving twenty-three home letters, 
 most of them forwarded from India ; to say that 
 they refreshed me with a gush of Spring memories, 
 would be feeble. They were like the overflow of the 
 tide, with its music of oars and shining waters, its 
 sparkling life and glitter of sails. True, it must 
 recede and leave the blank, flat tide mud exposed, 
 but still it is a joy while it lasts, and may return 
 
 " You have drawn a portrait (a very beautiful one) 
 of some one whom you knew formerly, but jt cannot 
 be me; it is a great deal too good. My own recollec- 
 tions of myself at St. Thomas's are so mixed up with 
 selfishness, despondency, and weakness, that I should 
 recoil from anything like a photographic portrait. 
 The colours must be laid on by an indulgent hand 
 like yours, to make it at all sightly. I can but apply 
 to myself a beautiful passage in one of Tennyson's 
 Idylls, in which Launcelot disclaims praise. He says 
 there is nothing great in him, except it be 'Some far- 
 off touch of greatness, to know he is not great.' But 
 the Christian life is gilded by Another's greatness 
 
^t. 27.] SOJOURN IN AUSTRALIA. 39 
 
 which enables him even to 'glory in his infirmity/ 
 And so, dear friend, it has been a help and a com- 
 fort to me, to know that you are spared to take up 
 the cross, and bear it patiently on in the noble sphere 
 in which God has placed you, so far more noble, be- 
 cause utterly unmixed with anything like temporal 
 honour, or preferment, or romance, or gratification. 
 I think this is the way the Lord has led me of late. 
 What right have I to aspire to a place in the foremost 
 rank, to angels' food, to the calling of an apostle? 
 These are inspired motives, for the disciple cannot 
 forget the words : * Ye have not chosen me ; but I 
 have chosen you,' and he even takes that lofty stand- 
 ard of perfection as his own, but his work is ennobled 
 more in service and submission than in promotion, 
 when he has won the victory he does not fly upon the 
 spoil. 
 
 "I thank you for the thought of Philip in the 
 desert ; and truly grateful do I feel for the oppor- 
 tunities God has given me of preaching and exhort- 
 ation in these lonely wanderings. A medical officer 
 on board ship, and a dying man in the infirmary 
 here, I cannot doubt He sent me to, with a message 
 of peace. The results of preaching I am never per- 
 mitted to know, but I ever feel it one of my greatest 
 privileges to exercise." 
 
 And so even now Gordon was permitted to see 
 some of the reasons for which he was compelled to visit 
 Australia. But the two or three he mentions were not 
 all. A little later in the year when at Melbourne, 
 
40 G5;0RGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1867. 
 
 he became acquainted with a clergyman, and what 
 we might call the accident of their meeting was, as 
 it were, a seed sown which has borne, and continues 
 to bear, increasingly precious fruit. This clergy- 
 man was the Rev. H. B. Macartney. The latter 
 writing to a children's magazine, speaks of their 
 meeting : — 
 
 " One day a young clergyman called at my father's 
 house, and introduced himself as a son of the late 
 Captain Gordon of the Royal Navy. The mention 
 of that name was sufficient to ensure him a thousand 
 welcomes from an Irish heart, for Captain Gordon 
 loved the Irish people, and for many years went 
 about doing good from north to south of the island, 
 and pleaded their cause in the English Parliament. 
 And so it was that I became acquainted with his son. 
 He had sailed from England to be a missionary in 
 India, but he had hardly landed at Madras when he 
 fell sick, and was ordered to Melbourne for change of 
 air. Does it not seem strange that God should have 
 called him to India, and yet, the moment he came, 
 should have sent him away again ? Well, I think I 
 know the reason. God wanted him in India, but not 
 just theft, God had work for him to do both in India 
 and Melbourne, and by sending a burning fever, 
 He taught him that the work in Melbourne was 
 to be done first, and the work in India afterwards. 
 Now, I must tell you what he did do in Melbourne, 
 and then you will understand quite clearly that God 
 was right. 
 
-^t. 27.] MELBOURNE AND MR. MACARTNEY. 41 
 
 *' I was at that time Chaplain to the Industrial 
 Schools at Prince's Bridge and Sunbury. Sunbury 
 was too far from town, so I invited him to come 
 next morning and give a missionary address to the 
 girls at Prince's Bridge. He met me at the gate on 
 Thursday morning, September 19, 1867. We went 
 in together, and, after singing and prayer, we got 
 the map of India, and he described the poor heathen 
 sitting under the shady trees listening to good mis- 
 sionaries, who read and told about the Lord Jesus. 
 He added, that he hoped soon to be doing so him- 
 self The children were delighted ; and when the 
 address was done, I asked the children if they would 
 like to help. They all said ' Yes,' so heartily, that I 
 gave notice that when I came again I would bring a 
 little book to begin a missionary society, and to put 
 down the names of subscribers. I have that little 
 book beside me now, and I find that twenty-seven 
 girls had their money ready, and came forward that 
 morning to begin the work — a work which they have 
 never tired of since. The first name I have written 
 down is ' Mary Bromby, 3d. ' " 
 
 Such was the seed which was sown and which has 
 since become a tree wherein the birds of the air find 
 shelter. It is of this Australian work that Mr Macart- 
 ney, writing on April 2, 1886, says : — 
 
 " He (Mr Gordon) came to Melbourne in Septem- 
 ber 1867, and we saw him frequently. He was the 
 means of connecting me with Bishop Sargent and 
 other missionaries, so that the Australian Revenue 
 
42 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1867. 
 
 (from ;f 1200 to ;£^I500 a year), which now flows from 
 hence to India, had its source in him." 
 
 This, then, was the work in Australia for which 
 he was wanted. A fever, if used aright, may be the 
 means of producing ;^I200 a year; precious money 
 for the salvation of still more precious souls. So 
 it is that Christians are permitted in their own suf- 
 ferings to be partakers of the sufferings of Christ, 
 which are effectual to the salvation of men. They 
 fill up, as St. Paul before them, that which is lacking 
 in the sufferings of Christ. Even here their sorrow 
 is turned into joy. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 MADRAS, 1868-70. 
 
 On his return from Australia, Gordon again took 
 up work in the South Indian itinerancy, devoting 
 himself with renewed ardour to the study of Tamil 
 on a fresh plan, which much facilitated his progress, 
 and to which he refers as follows, in a letter to a 
 friend, dated, Sattur, Madras Presidency, January 6, 
 1868:— 
 
 *' My present occupation reminds me of you, 
 because it was you who recommended me to try 
 ' Prendergast on the Mastery of Language.' I sin- 
 cerely hope you have found the system as helpful to 
 you in Hebrew as I have in Tamil. . . The advan- 
 tage of such a system here is very great, because one 
 cannot get any proper teachers. I began with a 
 professional Munshi. . . . but I was obliged soon 
 to discard him. Prendergast's system offended his 
 pedantry, and gave him (so he said) several fits of 
 indigestion. I am now learning with no other help 
 than a native to repeat sentences, and give the 
 pronunciation ; and I get on famously. I have only 
 been six weeks at work, and I am going to try, very 
 shortly, preaching to the heathen. My plan has 
 
44 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1868. 
 
 been gradually to master 15 long sentences, with 
 246 minor combinations. I have also committed to 
 memory portions of the Prayer Book in Tamil. I 
 am now beginning to read and write, and it all 
 seems to come without an effort, although the 
 language is by no means an easy one. It boasts of 
 238 letters, and has many parts of speech, which 
 experienced scholars seem utterly at a loss to 
 explain." 
 
 He writes again from Madras, on May 26, 1868 : — 
 
 " I have had several interesting letters from Mr. 
 Prendergast, whose system seems to be getting very 
 popular in America, and on the Continent also. 
 Here, I regret to say, it is too hastily condemned. I 
 hope he will persevere with his Tamil and Telegu 
 manuals. He says that I have been at a disadvan- 
 tage in not having a proper set of sentences to start 
 with. But the sentences were composed by friends, 
 who carefully studied his rules. I think there was a 
 want of clearness in the rules, which will be no doubt 
 obviated by degrees." 
 
 A third reference to the same subject is dated 
 from his tent, on September 9, 1868. 
 
 " I wrote some time ago to Mr. Prendergast (in 
 reply to a letter from him), sending him a full 
 account of my experience of his system, and also 
 showing wherein I have deviated from it." 
 
 It is to be regretted that the interesting corre- 
 spondence between the retired Indian judge and the 
 young Indian missionary who was profiting from his 
 
^t. 28.] PRENDERGAST'S ' MASTERY SYSTEM.' 45 
 
 labours seems to have been lost. Perhaps a quota- 
 tion from Mr. Prendergast's handbook may be wel- 
 come to those to whom the Mastery of Languages 
 is a subject of practical importance. 
 
 His preface observes : — " It is only by the study 
 of nature that we can hope to discover the true 
 method, whether for arranging what the beginner is 
 to learn, or for laying down principles for his 
 guidance, in qualifying himself to speak a foreign 
 language. The simplest and most effective course 
 that can be pursued, is to keep in view the natural 
 process of hourly ringing the changes upon a few 
 sentences, with occasional additions. 
 
 " The most successful of all linguists, are children 
 who have already learned to speak their mother- 
 tongue. When taken abroad, and left among 
 foreigners, they acquire two languages at once, with- 
 out any assistance, and speak them idiomatically, 
 although with a very limited vocabulary. They do 
 not philosophise, but, in pursuance of the dictates of 
 instinct, they imitate and repeat chance combina- 
 tions of unfamiliar sounds, and afterwards analyse 
 them at leisure. 
 
 " The true method underlying their operations, 
 and the causes of their success, have never been 
 detected, nor has their procedure been accurately 
 observed and adopted. . . . Under the classical 
 system, we learn the grammar, and study the 
 language, instead of learning the language, and 
 studying the grammar. Children learn languages 
 
46 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1868. 
 
 without studying them, but we study them for many 
 years, without even approximating to the colloquial 
 attainment." Mr. Prendergast, in short, maintains 
 that the synthetical should precede the analytical 
 method of learning a language, and the experience 
 of those who have tried it, confirms Gordon's testi- 
 mony, that " all seems to come without an effort," on 
 the Mastery plan. 
 
 About this period, Gordon thus writes to his 
 brother : — 
 
 ''Tent, March Ii (1868). 
 
 " My DEAR Edward, — I fear that I did not write 
 to you last week, but the fact is, that when I am 
 * on the move,' as I am at the end of each week, and 
 especially when I am twenty or thirty miles from 
 Madras, letter-writing is a very precarious thing. 
 
 " It takes a very long time to know the habits and 
 character of the people. It might be thought that 
 in the course of a year spent in their villages, and in 
 constant communication with them, a large amount 
 of information might be obtained. But such is not 
 the case, owing to their extreme reserve and pro- 
 found suspicion of our motives with regard to them. 
 They refuse to believe that we are really actuated by 
 any desire for their improvement. Of the various 
 reasons which they assign for our preaching, one is that 
 we are bent upon breaking down caste. A man said 
 in my hearing the other day, ' When the English first 
 came to India, they had some difficulty in holding 
 their ground, so they told us to worship our idols. 
 
^t. 28.] LETTER TO HIS BROTHER. 47 
 
 Now that they feel more secure, they tell us to wor- 
 ship their God.' Another notion of theirs is, that we 
 are actuated by mercenary motives, and that besides 
 being paid handsomely for our work, we should also 
 gain materially by their conversion. What is the 
 scale at which they rate our profits, I do not know, 
 but at a very moderate estimate it would probably 
 be :^s.5o (;^5) for the conversion of a Brahmin ; 
 ?:s.20 {£2) for the conversion of a Sudra ; and 
 ?:s.5 (los.) for the conversion of a Pariah. I have 
 heard something very closely corresponding with this 
 idea in London among the poor, who sometimes tell 
 the city missionaries that they get 2s. 6d. a head for 
 conversions from Lord Shaftesbury every Saturday 
 night ! 
 
 " I am often asked by these people how much pay 
 I get, and when I tell them (as I rarely do) that I 
 get no pay at all, their perplexity is quite amusing. 
 They evidently think that none but a fool or a mad- 
 man would work without recompense. 
 
 "When we tell them not to worship stocks and 
 stones, they will almost always confess the folly of 
 doing so, and be ready to join in a laugh against 
 their idols. But the better-educated classes will 
 justify themselves by saying, ' It is not a stone we 
 worship. The idol only represents the god.' The 
 other day a man, of more than ordinary intelligence, 
 attempted a defence of his religion in the following 
 way: ^Your Queen,' he said, 'does not live in this 
 country, but she appoints governors, and deputies, 
 
48 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1868. 
 
 and judges, and collectors to administer the Govern- 
 ment. So we worship one god, but this god has 
 many representatives, — Vishnu, Sivan, Palyai, Subra- 
 manigar-Esman, Mariammure, etc., etc., etc., who all 
 receive homage from our different communities.' 
 
 " I am now near Coromandel, having conveyed my 
 tent fifteen miles and pitched it since yesterday, dis- 
 tance from Madras about thirty miles. My letters 
 and papers for the past week have not yet arrived, 
 so that my news from home is somewhat stale, but 
 I need not say that I take a keen interest in all 
 matters of political and social interest in the *old 
 country.' It is about four months since I was in 
 Madras, with the single exception of a day spent 
 there in order to preach one of the ' Lent Lectures,' 
 at the Cathedral, at the request of the Bishop. The 
 course was upon 2 Pet. 1. 5, 6, 7, and my subject 
 was knowledge, so that I had a somewhat compre- 
 hensive field for investigation. 
 
 " And now, after writing so much about self, I must 
 tell you how glad I am that you like your work at 
 Woolwich so much. Do you find many of your 
 old friends there? I shall be much interested to 
 know whether there is nice Christian Society among 
 the officers, such as there used to be when Colonel 
 and Mrs Travers were there. There can be nothing 
 more helpful than this to one's own spiritual life. 
 
 " I have not quite decided how your kind contri- 
 bution shall be invested, but I rather think of sending 
 half of it in your name to the building of a church 
 
^t. 28.J DEATH OF MR. LUMSDEN, ETC. 49 
 
 in Tinnevelly, to which I shall also subscribe; and the 
 other half to the same objects as last year, namely, 
 the support of a catechist and a school child. A former 
 smaller contribution I am applying to the payment 
 of a schoolmaster near Madras." 
 
 Writing from North Tinnevelly, in February 1868, 
 in a circular letter to his former parishioners in 
 England, Mr. Gordon sympathises with them on the 
 loss of their pastor, Mr Lumsden, and, at the same 
 time, gives a very good insight into the state of the 
 Native Church at this time. 
 
 " Does that not seem a very solemn question sug- 
 gested to each of you to whom the voice of your 
 beloved pastor now speaks no more. 'What use have 
 I made of the privilege which is now withheld from 
 me? What account can I give of all the spiritual 
 instructions, the warnings, and pleadings which I 
 heard from his lips ? ' 
 
 " To each of us there is a day of grace, which, 
 if neglected, may never return ; and when I think 
 of your opportunities of hearing the Gospel faithfully 
 preached, I cannot help feeling that it will be ' far 
 more tolerable in the day of judgment' for those 
 whom I see around me here, worshipping idols and 
 devils, than for those in London, who ' neglect so 
 great salvation.' 
 
 " Yes, if you could only see what every missionary 
 sees on this side of the world, you would thank God 
 for having placed you in Christian England. I have 
 lately been making a very interesting journey through 
 
50 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1868. 
 
 the country, to see what the Lord is doing among the 
 heathen. I travelled for 200 miles in a country cart, 
 drawn by two bullocks, and stopped at the different 
 places where the missionaries live. If you were 
 to make a journey like this, you would think when 
 you passed along and saw the idols by the side of 
 the road, under the trees, and the towns full of 
 heathen temples, that the country was * wholly given 
 to idolatry ; ' and yet, in no part of India is there so 
 much done among the heathen as here. We have 
 to thank God that there are 100,000 professing 
 Christians in this little corner of the country, south 
 of Madras. There are four missionary societies at 
 work here, and there is plenty of room for them all. 
 There is the Church Missionary Society, the Society 
 for the Propagation of the Gospel, the London Mis- 
 sionary Society, and the American Missionary Society." 
 He goes on to speak of the self-help and growth of 
 the church. " One congregation of about 3000 Chris- 
 tians has raised ;^500 in one year. I tell you this, that 
 you may see that they do not make no return for 
 the instruction given them. While you are subscrib- 
 ing to help them, they also do what they can to help 
 themselves. We are anxiously hoping that one of 
 these days the Tinnevelly Christians will have their 
 own black bishops, and be able to support their own 
 clergy entirely, and then the missionaries will go to 
 some other part of the world. 
 
 " Is it not a thing to thank the Lord for, that there 
 
^t. 28.] FORESHADOWINGS. 5 1 
 
 are thirty-one ordained native clergymen in Tinne- 
 velly, all preaching the Gospel to those who once were 
 their fellow-heathen ? Some of them have lately gone 
 out as missionaries to their fellow-countrymen, both 
 in Ceylon and in the distant Island of Mauritius, on 
 the coast of Africa." 
 
 This same year, writing to his brother, Lieuten- 
 ant E. S. Gordon, R.A. (now Colonel Gordon), he 
 speaks of that which is a difficulty to every mission- 
 ary. He says : — 
 
 "In one respect we work at a great disadvantage. 
 They say to us, ' Your religion is the religion of the 
 rich and educated. What are poor people like us to do?' 
 I often wish that I could live among them with- 
 out either a tent or a horse, live, in fact, like one 
 of themselves, and thus deprive them of this argu- 
 ment. But Jesuit missionaries have tried this plan, 
 and failed. There are two reasons against it : one 
 is, that a European cannot live as a native in the 
 climate of India without shortening his days ; the 
 other, that there is a certain respect inspired by our 
 position and elevation above the people, which com- 
 mands the attention of Hindus. If our position 
 were to be lowered, in nine cases out of ten we 
 should not get a hearing, and more often would pro- 
 bably be insulted and even persecuted. Thus much 
 wisdom is required in one's dealings with them ; but 
 I often wish that they could have before their eyes 
 examples such as every Englishman sees in his own 
 land, of the effects of Christianity in encountering 
 
52 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1868. 
 
 poverty and suffering, in giving contentment, heroic 
 endurance, and high-principled integrity. Such as- 
 pects of our national faith are not to be found in 
 India." 
 
 We see here the longing after that mode of life 
 which Gordon afterwards adopted when working in 
 the Punjab. At this time he seems to have been 
 held back by those reasons which he has expressed. 
 But whether held back or not, he felt what every 
 missionary has felt and must feel, viz., his separa- 
 tion from the people. It may be true, as Gordon 
 says, that the position of a European in India 
 often ensures his getting a hearing, but it is also 
 true that it is a terrible cause of separation. A 
 European, however humble, however poor, is always, 
 in the eyes of the natives, more or less of a 
 " badshah," or king. This is one of the most or- 
 dinary words applied to Europeans by natives, at 
 least of the N.-W. countries of India. The reason 
 is, that even if one becomes poor for the sake of 
 the people, yet the poverty of a European is wealth 
 to the average native, and on this account it is 
 probably by no means evident to the latter that 
 the former is practising self-denial. We can, then,, 
 understand Gordon's wish, which in after years 
 found practical expression, to give up all comforts, ta 
 make himself one with the people ; to be at a humble 
 distance, like Him who emptied Himself of His glory 
 for us. 
 
 The month of July was devoted by Gordon to an 
 
^/. 29.] TOUR AMONG THE TELEGU MISSIONS. 53 
 
 inspection of the Telegu Missions, described in the 
 following letter to Mrs Corsbie : — 
 
 "Madras, Aug. 27, 1868. 
 " I am afraid it is a long time since I received 
 your kind and very interesting letter. Many a time 
 have I intended to write and thank you for it, but, 
 unfortunately, good resolutions are not more pro- 
 ductive in a tropical than they are in a northern 
 climate. First there came illness, and then a period 
 of solitary encampment, when I was deserted by my 
 servants, and my leisure hours were varied by such 
 occupations as grooming my horse, etc., etc. Now, I 
 have just returned from a month's tour among the 
 Telegu Mission, with a lame foot, so that I really 
 have no excuse for delaying my letter any longer. 
 As this tour is the most interesting thing that I 
 have to tell you about, I may as well give you a 
 short sketch of it. We started, Fenn and myself, 
 early in August, and took the steamer to Kokonada, a 
 port about 350 miles north of Madras. Our anchor- 
 age was some distance from the shore, as all the 
 Madras seaport towns have only an open roadstead 
 for their shipping. Hence landing is always slow 
 work, and sometimes occupies many hours. A more 
 uninviting place than Kokonada you will hardly find 
 anywhere. However, we had only a few hours' de- 
 tention there, and went again on our journey at dusk 
 by canal to Dauleshwaram. As the travelling in the 
 Telegu country is chiefly by canal, I must say a few 
 words about it, and I fear that your recollections of 
 
54 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1 868. 
 
 the Nile will not assist your conception either of our 
 boat or scenery. The former is of the barge type, 
 long and hideous, with first, second, and third class 
 accommodation. The superiority of the first class 
 consists only in privacy. The whole boat is roofed 
 like a railway carriage, and the front part is panelled 
 off with a few boards and sliding shutters, for the 
 benefit of *the quality.' A bare shelf forms a seat 
 on either side, and if you do not forget to provide 
 yourself with a pillow, mattress, provisions, etc., you 
 can make yourself tolerably comfortable for the night. 
 A kettle and teapot for making tea are most valu- 
 able additions, not to say luxuries (for water can be 
 boiled on board), but of this we were not aware till 
 too late. Our fellow-passengers were numerous, but 
 well-behaved, most of them of that clear, chocolate 
 shade of skin, and superior type of feature, which 
 betokens * high caste.' Their gold and silver orna- 
 ments seem to be more numerous and tasteful than 
 those of the Tamil race, and their good-natured and 
 well-to-do expression often struck us. I walked for 
 miles along the banks of the canal while the boatmen 
 were towing the boat. There was little to relieve the 
 monotony of endless rice fields, save when here and 
 there a majestic crane or stork would rise lazily at 
 my approach, and settle again at a little distance. 
 
 "The country is thinly populated, and my appear- 
 ance struck such terror into two poor cattle drivers, 
 that they ran before me with headlong speed, clearing 
 the ditches with marvellous agility, and making it 
 
^t. 29.] SCENERY OF THE GODAVERY. 55 
 
 impossible for me to decide whether they ever 
 stopped or are running still ! The cows which they 
 tended showed a superior order of intelligence, for 
 they continued to feed without a suspicion of my in- 
 tentions. It was a night's journey to Dauleshwaram, 
 a place of no importance except for its engineering 
 works, the chief of which is a great dam of masonry, 
 called here an ' anakatt,' across the river Godavery, 
 two miles in breadth. The Government intends to 
 make these anakatts at intervals throughout the entire 
 course of the river, thereby retaining the water in dry 
 weather, both for purposes of traffic and irrigation. 
 Five miles of country road brought us to Raja- 
 mahendri, a large native town very prettily situate m. 
 a circle of wooded hills. Here the Godavery appears 
 to great advantage, a majestic sheet of water rushing 
 along, with the accumulation of mountain torrents, 
 and from any of the neighbouring heights you may 
 trace its glittering curves and reaches to where, 
 sixty miles away, it plunges through a mountain 
 gorge, the haunt of the tiger and the chetah. At 
 Rajamahendri we were kindly entertained by the 
 Resident Judge, Mr. Morris, with whom we spent 
 three pleasant days. The town has been selected 
 as the centre of penal operations, and a large gaol 
 is built in its neighbourhood. I trust it will soon be 
 also a centre of missionary operations, although the 
 Telegu Mission has only recently contemplated ex- 
 tending itself so far. 
 
 " One thing about the Godavery did remind me 
 
56 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1868. 
 
 of the Nile. It was curious to watch the natives 
 on Httle logs of wood careering along in the full 
 rush and whirl of the current, just as you may re- 
 member those little black Nubians, who splash about 
 in the full roar of the cataracts astride their minia- 
 ture canoe. It was a treat to see a real Indian river 
 for the first time. I have so often ridden across 
 river beds without a drop of water (nothing but a 
 parched waste of sand) that this one was a most 
 refreshing sight. 
 
 " Another night's journey by canal brought us to 
 the Mission Station of Elur, where we were wel- 
 comed by Mr. Alexander, a very active and warm- 
 hearted man, who has had very marked success, both 
 in schools and in itinerant preaching. Here first 
 we came into contact v/ith Mr. Noble's work, al- 
 though still ninety miles from Masulipatam. A 
 young Brahman, one of Mr. Noble's converts, is stay- 
 ing at Elur, preparing for the ministry under Mr. 
 Alexander's superintendence, and one could not help 
 feeling that one such convert was worth the patient 
 toil of a life. His bright, thoughtful, intelligent 
 face and refinement of manners were most attrac- 
 tive, and when you reflect what mountains of pride 
 and debasing idolatry in his own heart, and what 
 fierce opposition and persecution from without, 
 have to be encountered by every Brahman who pro- 
 fesses Christianity, then you feel that such a ' vessel 
 meet for the Master's use ' is a greater object of 
 triumph through grace than the conversion of such 
 
yEt. 29.] CENTRES OF CHRISTIAN LIGHT. 57 
 
 as have little to lose and much to gain in becoming 
 Christians. 
 
 " It took us a ride of eighteen miles to reach the 
 centre of Mr. Alexander's Mission work. A slight 
 accident which befel me in dismounting from a 
 restive pony, drew out much sympathy from the 
 simple villagers. It was only a bruise on the leg, 
 but it was sufficient to lame me, and I had several 
 nurses in attendance throughout the day. Their 
 remedy was a decoction of leaves applied. Our 
 quarters for the night were in a thatched barn, 
 which formed their Meeting House for prayer. Here 
 a few Christian families came to welcome Mr. Alex- 
 ander, and receive words of sympathy and counsel. 
 The wife of the Catechist was a girl from his own 
 boarding-school, and if anyone doubts the refining 
 and elevating influence of Christianity, let him ob- 
 serve that young wife and mother as she stands 
 among heathen women of her own village, caste, 
 and kindred. The contrast in expression of face, 
 neatness of dress, and cleanliness is most striking. 
 I do not say that you could always single out a 
 Christian scholar from heathen relations, but one 
 in whom the principles of her training have at all 
 matured themselves, you certainly could. 
 
 " From Palsanpilly we rode on the next day eight 
 miles to another little centre of Christian light, a 
 village where two or three families have embraced 
 the truth. The country we rode through was low 
 jungle, with hills here and there, some of them 
 
58 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1868. 
 
 crowned with the 'high places' of Brahman super- 
 stition. It was the wet season. The rivers were in ^ 
 flood and the tanks full. In every pond you might 
 see buffaloes wallowing in the muddy water, their 
 heads only enabling you to identify their species. 
 They are kept in large numbers for their milk, as 
 well as for draught, and as they had no agricultural 
 employment, time seemed to be * no object ' to 
 them. 
 
 "When I heard the Telegu language spoken, I 
 wished much that it had been the object of my 
 studies, for it is far more euphonious than Tamil. 
 The construction is just the same, and many of 
 the words are the same, so that having learnt one, 
 it is not difficult to learn the other. 
 
 "The town of Baizwada, although a large and 
 important one, is a failure as far as Missionary 
 success is concerned. The blessing and birthright 
 which it might have enjoyed, has been taken by 
 the stranger, and it thus affords another illustra- 
 tion of the words, ' Many lepers were in Israel in 
 the time of Eliseus the prophet ; and none of them 
 was cleansed saving Naaman the Syrian.' At one 
 of those great annual festivals, when thousands of 
 pilgrims troop to Baizwada to wash away their sins 
 in the waters of the * Krishna,' there was one from 
 the distant village of Rajhapur, who had heard 
 of there being *a prophet in Israel,' and when 
 urged by a heathen priest to plunge into the river, 
 declared that such ' muddy water could never 
 
^t. 29.] "O GOD THE SAVIOUR, WHO ART THOU?" 59 
 
 cleanse his sins; the one God was the God of his 
 choice.' 
 
 "Hitherto, his faith had had very little to cling 
 to. Some heathens in his native village had brought 
 the report of the true God, which they had heard 
 from a Missionary preaching in a neighbouring 
 town (probably the Missionary Fox). A remark- 
 able dream had united to bring conviction of its 
 truth to the inquirer's mind. From that time his 
 prayer was 'O God, who art Thou? Where art 
 Thou ? Show me Thyself It was not long before 
 a further manifestation dawned upon his heart in 
 answer to that prayer. He overheard the reading 
 of a tract which had fallen into heathen hands, 
 and he discovered to his joy that this ' Unknown 
 God ' was a * Saviour.' His prayer then became ' O 
 God the Saviour, who art Thou ? Where art Thou ? 
 Show me Thyself 
 
 " The next great truth which he was able to 
 embrace was the Resurrection. He heard of a 
 Christian funeral, of its solemnity, quiet, and order. 
 No boisterous lamentation, no heathen rites, no 
 burning of the body. He declared his belief that 
 * that body would rise again.' 
 
 "Three years passed; and not without many a 
 trial of his faith and constancy. Cholera broke out 
 in the village. It was attributed to the wrath of the 
 goddess, and she had to be appeased with a great 
 sacrifice of cattle. A curious part of the ceremonies 
 had to be performed by * Venkara ' (the inquirer 
 
6o GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1868. 
 
 after truth). It was the custom to select the largest 
 buffalo's head, and to carry it, with the image of 
 the goddess, to the confines of the district, and there 
 to bury it with the words, ' O goddess, you have 
 got all you want — leave me.' A river had to be 
 crossed. Venkara paused, set down the image, 
 and declared that a goddess ought to be able to 
 cross the river herself. He would go no further. 
 Shortly afterwards, he was seized with cholera, 
 which his heathen neighbours did not fail to attri- 
 bute to the wrath of the injured goddess. But 
 strength was given him to resist all efforts to drag 
 him back into heathenism. He recovered, made 
 the journey to Baizwada which I have mentioned, 
 and stood before Mr. Darling's door, an inquirer 
 after the true God. The heathen servant, hearing 
 his object, tried to drive him away. He sat down 
 and began to pray, and it was in this attitude that 
 Mr. Darling came out and found him. No time 
 was lost in responding to the appeal from that 
 village ' Come over and help us.' And at Mr. 
 Darling's first visit he had the pleasure of baptising 
 Venkara's wife and children, and four others. 
 
 " Such was the beginning of a congregation which 
 now numbers 132 Christians. The work has spread 
 into the surrounding villages, and there are now 400 
 Christians in the district. It was very pleasant to 
 see them on Sunday, as they filled the little church, 
 with Venkara at their head, the most numerous and 
 genuine congregation in all the Telegu country. 
 
^t. 29.] STORY OF VENKARA. 6 1 
 
 " The story of Venkara seems to suggest some 
 thoughts upon the subject of your inquiry — namely, 
 What is the best method of reaching the heathen 
 mind, while it is very encouraging to the despond- 
 ent preacher ? Venkara was of the lowest and very 
 ignorant class, whose mind is overlaid with the 
 traditional heathenism of centuries. And I suppose 
 that with such men one cannot be too simple in 
 setting forth the truth. The teaching most accept- 
 able to them is by figure and parable ; here a little, 
 and there a little. This class are generally very 
 receptive; but the upper class — Brahmans, etc., — while 
 they show superior pride, do not show, frequently, 
 superior intelligence. Hence, they are less acces- 
 sible. Their arguments in defence of their worship 
 are mere vain repetitions, and you rarely meet any, 
 in this part of the country, who are capable of 
 controversy. There is no lack of intelligence, how- 
 ever, where money-getting is concerned ; and they 
 show just now a very great anxiety for educa- 
 tion (even in Missionary Schools) because they see 
 that it leads to promotion and pay. Scholars of 
 Mr Noble's fill Government offices throughout the 
 country, and hence, when I was riding one day 
 through the little town of Condapilly, a number 
 of the chief men of the place (Brahmans) came 
 round me, and besought me to establish a school 
 there. Thinking, perhaps, that they mistook me 
 for a Collector, or a Magistrate, as they often 
 do, I said, ' I am a Missionary. We teach the 
 
62 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1868. 
 
 Bible in our schools. How would you like 
 that ? ' 
 
 " ' Give us a school on any condition/ was the 
 reply. 
 
 '' I told them I would ask the Missionary of the 
 district, Mr. Darling, and I found that Mr. Darling's 
 great difficulty is in getting Christian teachers for 
 his schools. He would gladly open more schools if 
 he could get the teachers. 
 
 " I must now finish this already overgrown letter, 
 and perhaps next week I may send you a sup- 
 plementary one about the schools in Masulipatam, 
 with a ' sensational ' notice of a total eclipse, which 
 I witnessed in that neigbourhood. I have not 
 written to my friends for so many weeks, that I 
 must ask you to have the kindness to give rather 
 a wide circulation to this little account of myself 
 and the missions. If you can make 'missionary 
 capital ' out of it, so much the better.' 
 
 " Did I tell you about a missionary letter which 
 I wrote to Melbourne? In about two months I 
 received a copy of it printed, 2000 copies having 
 been circulated, and copies of a little photograph 
 of a Tinnevelly school struck off and advertised 
 * Tinnevelly girls, a shilling a-piece ! * 
 
 " I am returning to my tent to-day, and to- 
 morrow I hope to begin preaching to the heathen, 
 with my colleague Mr. Fenn, for I can say a little, 
 although I cannot say much. I would earnestly 
 commend myself and the cause to your prayers, 
 
^t. 29.] ITINERANT PREACHING ROUND MADRAS. 63 
 
 for although my trials are but dust in the balance 
 compared with those of others, yet it is a trial to 
 feel oneself doing so little ; and as often as the 
 soul feels its solitude in the wilderness, and hears 
 with startling emphasis the inquiry, 'What doest 
 thou here, Elijah?" it is a comfort to think of the 
 seven thousand praying ones in England." 
 
 Gordon's next letter draws a picture of the itiner- 
 ating mission in which he was engaged, and again 
 alludes to the subject of an ascetic life : — 
 
 ''Septembers 1868. 
 
 " It is such a pleasure to find myself in a tent 
 again, because it seems 'like business,' and I 
 always feel when I am in a tent, that I am in my 
 right place. With friends in Madras always ready 
 to receive us, and constant invitations to do work, 
 either by contributing to a newspaper or writing 
 a sermon, there are temptations to us itinerates 
 to leave the 'few sheep in the wilderness,' if I 
 might so say, but, alas ! ' sheep ' I cannot call them 
 yet in a Christian sense. One of our native 
 brethren (I mean one of the native ministers), in 
 a speech the other day, compared us to the 
 trumpeters walking round Jericho, and I thought 
 the idea a very happy one, as far as my two col- 
 leagues are concerned. Our work is to itinerate 
 round Madras, preaching only to the heathen, 
 and we long for the day when the walls of her 
 idolatrous and carnal security shall begin to totter 
 and fall. But before that happens, the trumpets 
 
64 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1868. 
 
 will probably be in other hands. The presence of 
 a man like Fenn in the neighbourhood of Madras 
 has a most beneficial effect upon the work that is 
 going on within the town. He is the president of 
 the Native Church Council, a Committee which has 
 lately been formed in order to give the Native Church 
 a voice and an opportunity for a little internal 
 administration. His liberal views, genial manner, 
 and sound judgment win for him the respect and 
 affection of all the missionaries in Madras, of what- 
 ever society, and I think he is of great use to our 
 secretary. Unfortunately, it often happens that 
 those men who are best qualified for the secretariat 
 have the greatest aversion to the office, when their 
 qualifications are recognised. 
 
 " You cannot think what pretty views one gets 
 framed by the tent doors. I am now in a beautiful 
 ' Mango ' tope (or grove), and each of my three doors 
 encloses a perfect picture of greensward and foliage, 
 all dotted about with the trunks of trees, fresh with 
 the rains. The night before last we had a regular 
 downpour, and I awoke to the consciousness of a 
 plentiful discharge of the cooling stream over my 
 feet, which projected beyond the inner tent roof. 
 
 "Just now, we were holding what in England 
 would be a police court, here called a *kacheri' 
 in one of our tents. When all three of us are en- 
 camped together, we find that we have too many 
 servants. Hence, a frequent repetition of the pro- 
 verb about the 'broth' being spoilt. Yesterday, 
 
•^\ 
 
 
 *. '"^l 
 
^t. 29.] HOLDING A " KACHERI." 65 
 
 they relieved the monotony of existence by a fight 
 during our absence, and my servant (who is the 
 only one of high caste), was obliged to yield to 
 superior numbers, and got the worst of it. The 
 example of Abraham's and Lot's households pre- 
 pares us to expect such things, even in the best 
 regulated communities, and considering that our 
 servants are all ' Adullamites ' (not one of them 
 having a 'character' to show), I think we are 
 most fortunate to get on as smoothly as we do, as 
 far as strife is concerned. In this case, the 
 evidence given was sufficient for a verdict of 
 'assault and battery' against the defendants (or 
 one of them at any rate), and a fine having been 
 imposed, it was handed over to the plaintiff. One 
 interesting feature of the trial, which lasted several 
 hours, was that, while receiving 'depositions,' the 
 judge perceived a snake outside, and immediately 
 rushed out to exterminate it, followed by jury 
 witnesses, plaintiff, and defendant. In passing this 
 hasty sentence of death, the judge omitted, however, 
 to put on the black cap, which was clearly informal. 
 I need hardly add that Mr. Fenn represented the 
 judge, Mr. Harcourt the counsel for the defendant, 
 and I the counsel for the plaintiff The difficulty 
 in coming at anything like an approximation to 
 the truth in such a case is such, that one can sym- 
 pathise with the magistrate or judge, who has the 
 responsibility of such investigations every day. We 
 found that the question, 'What do you know about 
 
 E 
 
66 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1868. 
 
 it?' elicited the same answer from all the servants, 
 which showed that they had agreed to concoct the 
 same story, but cross-questioning brought out ridi- 
 culously conflicting testimony. 
 
 "We have just now two young native medical 
 
 students with us in our tents. They are trained 
 
 by Dr. Patterson, a medical missionary of (I believe) 
 
 the Scotch Missions, and we are expecting Dr. P. 
 
 also for a few days, if the rain does not frighten him. 
 
 I most sincerely wish that I could get a medical 
 
 man (say a ' dresser '), of not too large expectations, 
 
 to travel about with me and doctor the poor people. 
 
 I would willingly contribute to his expenses and give 
 
 him half my tent, or if the expense were too great, 
 
 I would set about collecting money for it. It is a 
 
 most useful thing to have a knowledge of medicine 
 
 oneself, but it takes up a great deal too much of 
 
 a missionary's time, because he is sure to be beset 
 
 with patients wherever he goes, and the preaching 
 
 or study must necessarily be neglected. But healing 
 
 and preaching ought not to be separated, and it is 
 
 almost the only way in which one can benefit these 
 
 poor people physically, as they do not want money 
 
 or food, being so exceedingly simple in their habits. 
 
 " I have been reading an interesting speech of 
 Sir Bartle Frere at the S.P.G. Meeting. Referring to 
 the great strides which education is taking in India, 
 he asks how we are to cope with a nation thus 
 suddenly elevated by us to the knowledge of that 
 which we have taken centuries to learn, unless we 
 
^t 29.] SIR BARTLE FRERE. 67 
 
 bind them to us by religion as well as science. I 
 do not suppose that he would consider that the 
 Hindu race is rising in the scale of nations at all 
 in proportion to the advancement which we offer, 
 but there are many out here in both Services, who 
 think that we are going on a great deal too fast 
 in our promotion of natives to high office under 
 Government, and placing them in positions of in- 
 dependence. The real mistake is, that religious 
 advancement is not aimed at first and last. 
 
 " I am writing a very rambling letter, instead of 
 doing what I proposed, which was to give you an 
 account of the Telegu Mission Schools, at Masuli- 
 patam. There are three of them— Mr. Noble's 'Anglo- 
 Vernacular ' Boys' School (as it is called), now carried 
 on by Mr. Sharp ; a Vernacular Boys' School, under 
 Mr. Thornton ; and a Girls' Boarding School, which 
 Mr. Sharkey started, and his widow now carries on. 
 
 The name of Masulipatam is familiar to all who 
 take an interest in South Indian Missions, from its 
 connection with Mr. Fox and Mr. Noble, whose lives 
 have been written. The former laboured there but 
 a short time, giving promise of much usefulness, 
 but being early called to his rest. Mr. Noble's work, 
 however, was the work of a life, and a life of active 
 labour in such employment cannot fail to leave 
 behind it a lasting benefit. Those who are best 
 acquainted with him say that his memoir gives 
 but a feeble picture of the man and his labours. 
 However, it does give some idea of the difficulties 
 
68 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1 868. 
 
 with which he had to contend in carrying out 
 his schemes of education. Whatever differences 
 of opinion there may be about the expediency of 
 educating the higher castes separately from the 
 lower, there can be no doubt about the success of 
 Mr. Noble's experiment There are now about 280 
 boys in the school, and seven boarders in the Mis- 
 sionary's house, who are being trained for the ministry.. 
 Three of the boys have become converts to Christi- 
 anity since Mr. Noble's death, and while there we 
 had the satisfaction of seeing a fourth offer himself 
 in the same manner. If a Brahman convert re- 
 nounces heathenism there is usually a great demon- 
 stration made by the Brahman relatives, and once 
 or twice Mr. Noble was regularly mobbed by them^ 
 and had to bar his doors, and appeal to the police. 
 In fact, usually the relatives take the initiative, and 
 go to the law court themselves, in hopes of proving 
 that the boy is under age, etc., and not a free agent. 
 This time there was no attempt of the kind, partly 
 no doubt because the boy in question was a Sudra,. 
 and not a Brahman. But it was affecting to see 
 the poor heathen mother using every persuasion 
 and entreaty to induce her son not to leave her 
 and become a Christian. I think the sight of her 
 grief, as she cried and wrung her hands and appealed 
 to every sentiment of her affection in her son's heart, 
 made me feel more sympathy with the poor heathen 
 relatives than I had ever felt before. It is really 
 a tremendous trial to them, because when the con- 
 
^t. 29.] THE COST OF " BREAKING CASTE." 69 
 
 vert places himself under the Missionary's protection 
 and ' breaks caste ' by eating his food, he cuts 
 himself off from all intercourse with his family. It 
 is not that they renounce him spontaneously, having 
 a choice to do so or not as they please, but it is 
 that they are bound to do so by certain social laws, 
 inevitably connected with their religion and their 
 recognised position in society. In the case of Pariahs 
 there is no such disagreeable difficulty, and there- 
 fore I think that one of these Telegu converts is 
 worth a dozen of the Tinnevelly converts. There are 
 instances in which Brahman families have relented 
 after many years, towards their Christian relatives, 
 and received them to a certain measure of former 
 intercourse; but this may be either because after 
 a sufficient display of austerity, natural affection 
 demands its rights, or else because in these instances 
 education may have loosened the hold of supersti- 
 tion. No Pariahs are admitted in the school of 
 which I am now speaking ; if they were, it would 
 be broken up, for the Brahmans and Sudras would 
 leave at once. And one cannot wonder at this, 
 when one reflects that our English system also has 
 its distinctions of caste, and if you were to intro- 
 duce English Pariahs into Eton or Harrow, pro- 
 bably the same results would ensue. The only dif- 
 ference is that the sons of wealthy Pariahs (English) 
 do find their way into Eton and Harrow, whereas 
 among the Hindoos such intercourse would not be 
 tolerated. The schoolmaster is one of Mr. Noble's 
 
70 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1868. 
 
 converts, a very able man, and a fine specimen of 
 a Brahman Christian. He receives ;^I20 a year, 
 which, for a native who lives on rice, and does not 
 keep an equipage, is a very large salary, probably 
 equal to a fat living of ^800 or ;£^900 in England. 
 In Tinnevelly, it would be considered extravagant, 
 but the competition of various societies has greatly 
 raised the scale of salaries to native agents in Madras. 
 Besides him and Mr. Sharp there are sixteen native 
 teachers in the school. Many of the scholars go 
 in for the Government competitive examinations, 
 and get good appointments in the Civil Service. 
 The highest tribute which I heard paid to this school 
 was that of the ' Collector ' or Chief Magistrate 
 in the station. He said that during the short time 
 in which he had been in charge of the district, he 
 had seen much of Mr. Noble's pupils, for they held 
 appointments in his own ' kacheri ' as well as 
 others throughout the country, and he always found 
 them honourable as well as intelligent — * above taking 
 a bribe.' This testimony can only be appreciated 
 by those who know the insatiable craving in the 
 native mind after the idol * Rupee,' and the lament- 
 able absence of anything like ' principle,' where 
 interest is concerned. And coming as it did not 
 from a friend to Missions, but from a man of the 
 world (a ' Gallio,' at best), it was very impartial 
 testimony. I may add that the man in highest 
 office in his court, and the one whom he praised 
 most, is a Christian in every sense of the word. 
 
^t. 29.] THE CYCLONE OF 1 866. 7 1 
 
 "Second only to the deep interest with which I 
 visited the scene of Ragland's labours and death, 
 was that which I felt in staying in the very house 
 at Masulipatam where Noble lived, and where he 
 daily gathered his little band of converts round 
 his own table. And although it was not my privilege 
 to know him personally, yet I saw his life repro- 
 duced in his converts, some of whom seem to reflect 
 his gifts and graces. 
 
 " But I must now say a little about Mr. Sharkey, 
 whom I did meet at Madras, at the time of my illness, 
 soon after arriving from home. He was an East 
 Indian, and therefore a very good Tamil scholar, a 
 man endowed with great sweetness of disposition, and 
 a peculiar aptness for his work, which was a girls' 
 school. That school has a very melancholy history. 
 At the time when it was most flourishing there came 
 that sudden and awful visitation of which you have 
 doubtless heard, which brought desolation and death 
 into so many houses in Masulipatam. Although it is 
 now two years since that night of the ' cyclone,' yet 
 many of its effects are still most unmistakably visible. 
 In fact, they say the place will never be the same 
 again that it was before. Here and there you may 
 see trees twisted into fantastic shapes, or torn up by 
 the roots, and on many houses the water line which 
 the sea wave left when it receded, is quite ineffaceable. 
 The number of deaths on that night is estimated at 
 40,000, and as many more are said to have died in 
 the following days in the town and its neighbour- 
 
J 2 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1868. 
 
 hood, from famine. The sea wave which rose with 
 the hurricane extended along eighty miles of coast, 
 and advanced ten miles inland. Numbers were 
 drowned, numbers killed by falling houses. The 
 wells, with one exception, were rendered unfit for use 
 by the salt water, and provisions could not be ob- 
 tained from Madras for five days. The missionaries 
 escaped in marvellous ways, some of them by climb- 
 ing into the roof or upon the roof of their houses. 
 Thirty-three of Mr. Sharkey's girls were drowned in 
 the house where they slept, and this terrible trial ap- 
 pears to have been the cause, more or less direct, of 
 his subsequent death. There are now sixty-four girls 
 in the school, and Mrs. Sharkey carries it on with con- 
 summate ability, but she says that it is not what it 
 was, and this may well be imagined. She has taken 
 for them a larger house, and one which stands on 
 higher ground. It is more like a home than a school, 
 and the girls are all her daughters. One little 
 Brahman girl whom she has adopted from infancy 
 fully believes that Mrs. S. is her mother. We saw 
 them first as they stood round the harmonium for 
 morning prayers at 6.30. Every eye was fixed 
 upon the hymn books, and every voice seemed to 
 join in the hymn. Some of the voices were very 
 sweet, and they have a much prettier language to 
 sing than the little Tamil girls. Then we saw them in 
 class under teachers trained themselves in the school. 
 Some of these teachers have very interesting histories, 
 but you should hear Mrs. Sharkey tell them — I should 
 
Mt. 29.] A BRAHMAN WIDOW TEACHER. 73 
 
 be afraid of spoiling the story. One of them is a 
 Brahman widow, who offered herself for instruction to 
 Mr. Noble, one of her brothers being in his school. 
 I believe that the immediate cause of her doing so 
 was the reading a little Christian book which took 
 hold of her mind. Such a case is really a ' brand 
 plucked from the burning/ for heathen widows, not 
 being allowed to marry again, are exposed to great 
 temptation, and generally lead a life most servile 
 and degraded. I saw one poor little widow of high 
 station in Tinnevelly, whose husband had died soon 
 after marriage, and left her a mere child. At the 
 husband's funeral she was loaded with jewels and 
 ornaments, and carried with all the pomp of a bride. 
 At the grave all the ornaments were taken off, and 
 she returned to a life of retirement and perpetual 
 widowhood. 
 
 "In the evening we went to see the girls at 
 their croquet and other amusements. I like to see 
 children play as heartily as they work. In this 
 respect Hindu children are generally a contrast to 
 English, for they are exceedingly good at their lessons, 
 but show a want of spirit in their games. On the 
 whole, this girls' school appeared to me superior in 
 some respects to any that I had seen in India, 
 superior, in fact, to any in England, when you take 
 into account the class educated. Most of the girls 
 are paid for by private individuals in England. 
 One lady, Miss Batty, sends, I believe, thirty differ- 
 ent contributions which support that number of girls." 
 
74 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1868, 
 
 ^''Sep. II. I am very sorry that this letter is too 
 late for the mail, owing to a freak in the postal 
 arrangements which sent the mail before its time. 
 These freaks are not unusual, and when you inquire 
 the cause, it is always ' the monsoon ' which is to 
 blame. There is evidently a misunderstanding 
 between the post office clerk and the clerk of the 
 weather. However, I will take care that it is posted 
 in time next week. 
 
 "A little incident in connection with the cyclone 
 at Masulipatam struck me as a subject worthy of 
 a poem. I saw an old and well-used Bible of 
 Mr. Noble's which had been washed out of the school 
 by the sea and carried into a heathen temple at 
 some distance, where it was discovered. I am sure 
 the idol must have fallen before it, like Dagon before 
 the Ark of the Lord." 
 
 In a closely succeeding letter, dated Tent, 
 October 4, 1868, we have a very graphic descrip- 
 tion of the total eclipse of the sun, which had 
 recently taken place. As it contains touches which 
 illustrate Indian life and native character, it is given 
 here almost in extenso, 
 
 " I fear that you are tired by this time of my 
 Telegu journal, but having given you the bright 
 side of the picture, it would not be complete without 
 the dark side also. I must tell you how the practi- 
 cal lesson was enforced upon us that happiness, how- 
 ever bright, must have its ' eclipse.' 
 
 "It were well if such eclipses could always be re- 
 
^t. 29.] TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE. 75 
 
 garded with the same satisfaction as the one which 
 we witnessed from the heights of KondapilH, August 
 17, 1868. You have probably seen some account of 
 this event in the papers, although in England you 
 could not see the thing itself. 
 
 "Mr. Fenn and I were just in the right line of 
 country to see the total eclipse. We happened at 
 the time to be with Mr. Darling at Baizwada, and 
 wishing to visit KondapilH for its scenery, we made 
 an excursion thither on horseback. It was dark 
 before we arrived there, and the road was covered 
 by the overflow of the Kistna, which was in flood 
 after the rains. However, by means of a lantern, we 
 were guided to our quarters for the night in the 
 verandah of a deserted barrack, where we spread our 
 mattresses and were soon asleep. In the morning 
 we foraged for fowls and milk, and then began to 
 ascend the hills. 
 
 " I was glad they were not of Alpine height, on 
 account of my lame foot, but, such as they were, 
 they well rewarded the effort, and showed some very 
 interesting scenery. Anything that takes you out 
 of the plains is pleasant, and as these were the first 
 Indian hills that I had ascended, by so much were 
 their attractions enhanced. Many of these hills are 
 crowned with the ' high places ' of heathen idolatry, 
 which are approached by flights of steps well polished 
 by pilgrims' feet. Arriving on the first plateau we 
 found, however, not a heathen temple but the ruins 
 of an old palace with a tomb and mosque attached. 
 
'j6 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1868. 
 
 all bearing traces of the Muhamadan rule. Close by 
 was one of those magnificent banyan trees which 
 seem far more venerable than the ruins they shadow. 
 The saplings which their branches throw out take 
 root in the ground and grow till they rival the 
 parent trunk in stature, forming great natural but- 
 tresses, and often assuming the regularity of arched 
 colonnades. Here too was a tank formed by art 
 in the basin of the surrounding hills. However, 
 we did not stop, as the sun was up and our climb- 
 ing was not done. A little path, which sometimes 
 almost lost itself in the thicket, brouc^ht us in another 
 hour to the summit, where we awaited the ' perform- 
 ance' of the day. About 9 a.m. it began to be 
 manifest that the moon was edging upon the sun, 
 and as she advanced it seemed to me that her edge 
 was rather ' frayed ' with continual wear and tear. 
 However, she came very well out of the contest, 
 having managed very effectually to blot out the 
 sun for the space of five minutes. ' Shorn of his 
 beams,' he still presented some singular phenomena. 
 A nebulous ' corona ' of light seemed to play around 
 the darkened disc of the eclipsing moon, and with 
 a telescope we distinctly saw radiant spikes which 
 issued from the sun behind. 
 
 " As the shadows deepened on mountain and river 
 the landscape began to take a strange and unnatural 
 colour, as though nature refused to be deceived into 
 the belief that night was approaching. The dark- 
 ness was never total, but there was a kind of lurid 
 
^t. 29.] BRAHMAN SOLUTION. 7/ 
 
 light round the horizon which shifted according to 
 the advance and retreat of the moon. The prevail- 
 ing colour was that kind of deep purple which you 
 see in mezzo-tinted paper. The stars came out (a 
 few of them), the wind fell, and the birds, which had 
 been in anxious consultation about the departing 
 light, hushed their notes and probably went to roost. 
 At Masulipatam the event was also marked by the 
 cows rushing into the girls' school. But it was not 
 till the reappearance of the sun that the most strik- 
 ing effect was produced. When the darkness had 
 lasted about five minutes there was an almost in- 
 stantaneous effulgence, which resembled nothing so 
 much as the bursting of a rocket, although far sur- 
 passing a rocket in brilliancy. Instantaneous also 
 was the response from mountain, wood, and valley,, 
 and the arrows of light quickly sped over the plains 
 of Golconda and the broad reaches of the Kistna. 
 In another half-hour the sun had resumed his sover- 
 eignty, as a giant coming out of his chamber and 
 rejoicing as a strong man to run a race. 
 
 " In Baizwada hundreds of people took occasion 
 to bathe and recite their incantations, but either the 
 suddenness or the darkness frightened them so much, 
 that they rushed from the river into the streets in the 
 most headlong terror. 
 
 " The Brahmans had a most curious solution of the 
 difficulty. They gave out (it is said) that a large 
 snake would shortly swallow the sun, but that, in 
 obedience to their magic spells and incantations, the 
 
yS GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1868. 
 
 snake would disgorge the sun and disappear. Among 
 the ignorant people, the spectacle thus predicted gave 
 the Brahmans a wonderful ascendancy. 
 
 " Descending the hill, we took up our quarters in 
 the ruined castle during the heat of the day, and 
 in the afternoon walked round the tank which I 
 have mentioned, to a spot whence a most charming 
 prospect opens out. The scenery is so well described 
 in Fox's life, which you have probably read, that 
 any words of mine would contrast feebly with his. 
 It was certainly the finest, and, in fact, the only fine 
 scenery which I have yet seen in India ; and for 
 richness and variety of vegetation surpassed even 
 that of Ceylon, if it can be surpassed. Our first 
 glimpse was framed by an old stone doorway, and 
 a most complete picture it was. Passing through 
 the picture frame the sphere of vision was at once 
 enlarged. The hills to right and left formed a valley 
 such as the ' Lotus-eaters ' might have envied for its 
 shady nooks and luxurious foliage. At the end of 
 this valley rises a remarkable and well-wooded hill, 
 and through distant gaps the eye rested upon broad 
 lagoons, made by the overflowing Kistna, enclosed 
 by more remote mountains beyond. Not the least 
 interesting feature of scenery was a troop of majestic 
 monkeys scaling the rocks. Their black faces, grey 
 bodies, and unusually long and leonine tails har- 
 monised most perfectly with their rural habitation. 
 
 " The town of Kondapilli, at the foot of the 
 mountains, is remarkable only for a trade carried on 
 
^t. 29.] GOLCONDA. 79 
 
 there, and nowhere else, as far as I know. This 
 art consists in the manufacture of little miniature 
 models, illustrative of native dress and customs. 
 They are made of wood with ordinary instruments, 
 and so well formed and painted, that they are very 
 greatly in request (as you may suppose), chiefly for 
 exportation to England. Some were sent to the 
 last Paris Exhibition. This neighbourhood used 
 once to be rich in precious stones. When riding 
 with Mr. Darling late one evening, and coming to a 
 very ordinary village, I was told that its name was 
 Golconda ; it sounded like a page out of the Arabian 
 Nights. ' Can this be the Golconda of the diamond 
 mines?' I exclaimed, and was assured that it was 
 no imagination. The diamond mines of Golconda 
 have long ago been exhausted, and the poor vil- 
 lagers who still turn the soil in search of a stray 
 ruby or other stone, have not yet found that * pearl 
 of great price' which has never disappointed the 
 seeker. Among the surest methods of securing eternal 
 happiness is supposed to be the life of the 'San- 
 niasee' or religious recluse. One of them I visited 
 at Baizwada, His life was spent in a little cave in 
 the side of the hill. Having attained the spot with 
 no great difficulty, I found that the old man was 
 not at home. His cave was very well chosen, 
 sheltered from sun and rain, and altogether 
 * eligible,' if not 'well furnished.' Two Brahmans 
 were there at the time. They looked very cross 
 at my intrusion, mumbled something not very 
 
8o GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1868. 
 
 courteous, and then took themselves and all their 
 pots and pans to a neighbouring tank, where copious 
 aspersions of water were supposed to wash away the 
 defilement which my presence entailed. As they 
 were very dirty, I viewed their bath with extreme 
 satisfaction. These Sanniasis will sometimes build 
 a little altar by the roadside, and place upon it a 
 small box for subscriptions, and they will continue 
 their austerities till they collect enough money to 
 build a tank or a temple, according to their vow. 
 I saw at Madras an iron cage which a Sanniasee 
 had worn for many years upon his head, having 
 vowed to wear it till he should collect money 
 enough to build a tank. Having worn it for many 
 years, he was brought under the influence of the 
 American missionaries, laid aside his cage, and em- 
 braced Christianity. There is another sect of re- 
 ligious beggars called Fakirs, who travel about, 
 begging by the way, and are not (I fancy) so 
 stationary as the Sanniasis, or so sacred. I do not 
 know that we missionaries have much to learn from 
 these religious devotees, for there is much ' sham- 
 ming' in their austerities, I imagine. Certainly 
 we have much to teach them, both in example and 
 precept. We are sometimes accused of * boiling 
 our peas,' — softening the asperities of missionary 
 life, instead of ' enduring hardness as good soldiers.* 
 You have doubtless heard of the old story of the 
 two pilgrims who went to walk with peas in their 
 shoes, and of the one who found that by 'boiling 
 
^t 29.] NEED FOR MEDICAL MISSIONARIES. 8 1 
 
 his peas' he could more easily accomplish his pil- 
 grimage. I confess that I hope, personally, that I 
 shall constantly hear these objections made, in order 
 that I may be stirred up to greater self-denial by a 
 rebuke to the selfishness which so continually besets 
 me. Still, upon the whole, I think there are as many 
 ' peas boiled ' in England as there are in India, and 
 that too in every profession. The ' cross ' has come 
 greatly into fashion as an ornament and a play- 
 thing, but how little there is of ' taking up the cross ' 
 in a Christlike spirit. How little there is of endur- 
 ing the shame." 
 
 It is the common experience of Europeans in 
 India, that natives of the country give them credit 
 for being doctors, and every one, probably, from time 
 to time does something in the way of medicine. 
 Speaking of this amateur kind of work, and looking 
 at the humorous side, Gordon says, if medical men 
 were more often sent out to accompany the itinerat- 
 ing evangelists, the latter "would not have to enter 
 in their journals, 'morning devoted to extracting 
 teeth,' nor would they discover, after an operation, 
 that they had amputated the wrong leg." 
 
 On the prospects of the work he writes :— " One 
 village has given us special cause for thankfulness, 
 I came into it one Sunday morning, more by acci- 
 dent (as we should say) than design, for I was alone, 
 and intending only to take a quiet, early walk. The 
 people met me with evident delight, took me to the 
 house of their chief man, and insisted upon hearing 
 
 F 
 
82 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1868. 
 
 my say ! There were about thirty men and boys 
 (the women rarely come forward), and after I had 
 preached, I invited them to our tents, where I told 
 them Mr. Fenn would explain the way of God more 
 perfectly. They came over to our tents day after 
 day, and listened with remarkable intelligence and 
 interest, and two of the more earnest ones declared 
 that they would like to become Christians. We were 
 obliged to leave that encampment, and at the next 
 one we had a native brother minister with us ; so I 
 rode over one morning at five o'clock to this village 
 with him. It was about five miles, and when we got 
 there, there seemed to be no one in the street ; but by 
 degrees one and another saw us, and soon the whole 
 village came and gave us a very hearty greeting, 
 and for one hour and a quarter the native minister 
 stood opposite one of their houses and preached 
 and answered their questions." 
 
 After an interval of several months, on May 26, 
 1 869, Mr. Gordon writes from Madras : — 
 
 " I must not forget your question about a mis- 
 sionary's * credentials ' in appealing to the heathen 
 mind, now that we have not the signs and wonders 
 to show which the apostles and evangelists had. 
 There is no demand which we have so frequently to 
 meet as this: — 'Give us some proof (outward sign) 
 ' that your religion is the right one.' * Your religion 
 is the religion of rich people with fine houses, and 
 horses, and carriages, and servants, but it is not the 
 religion for poor people like us.' Unfortunately we 
 
^t. 29.] A MISSIONARY S CREDENTIALS. 83 
 
 cannot point them to instances of poverty and suffer- 
 ing borne with resignation and thankfulness, such as 
 the Christian experience at home so often furnishes. 
 Nor can we hold up our civil and military servants 
 in India as examples of holy living and consistent 
 conduct. When we have pointed them to the rapid 
 spread of Christianity in Tinnevellyj and the moral 
 and social benefits resulting therefrom, both in com- 
 munities and individuals, then we can but appeal to 
 reason and argument, and challenge them to show 
 proofs of the elevating power of their own systems. 
 Conversion among the Hindus is never, I believe, 
 a rapid work, as is so often the case in our experi- 
 ence. It generally follows a long period of instruc- 
 tion, during which the truth is gradually leavening 
 their character and conversation. I mean, of course, 
 real conversion^ in distinction from that nominal con- 
 version which is so far more frequent. I am anxious 
 to get hold of some of the journals of the native 
 candidates for ordination, such as they are always 
 required to present in Tinnevelly. I believe they 
 are sometimes very interesting, and would be espe- 
 cially so in the case of a Brahman, such as the one 
 to whom you refer as mentioned in my last letter. 
 There is another very interesting man in the country 
 whom I have since heard of, and whose history I 
 must get written down. I cannot trust to memory 
 to relate it now. 
 
 " Since I wrote, we have been establishing four 
 schools in our district, by way of a little commence- 
 
84 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1869. 
 
 ment of organised work. The schoolmasters are 
 not Christians but heathens, the former being most 
 difficult to get However, they teach the Bible, and 
 we go and examine the boys every now and then. 
 My last encampment was at a village where one of 
 these schools was, and the boys (to the number of 
 forty) were intelligent little fellows, and fond of their 
 books. When we were there, there was an annual 
 procession of the village god to the ' tope ' or grove 
 which we occupied. The people said we must move 
 our tents, for the idol must have the ground to him- 
 self. Mr. Fenn had gone to Madras at the time, 
 and I refused to move for any idol in their catalogue. 
 Eventually they gave in, and had their idol and pro- 
 cession in another part of the tope. Hundreds came 
 from Madras and different parts, and they made a 
 great noise at night with their rockets, and drums, 
 and cymbals, but they did not molest me. I told 
 them they might come to my tent, and hear a good 
 sermon, but they were too intent upon their feast 
 that day. However, they came on other days. One 
 day there was a wedding among the Pariahs, and 
 part of the ceremony consists in the bride riding 
 round the village on a horse, to which, of course, she 
 is held by her friends. As they could not get a 
 horse, Mr. Fenn very kindly lent them his, mine being 
 voted ' too spirited.' The ceremony was at night, 
 and the bride was very glad when it was over, as 
 she had a great aversion to riding. She appeared 
 about twelve years old, and was dressed like a boy 
 
jEL 29.] " ENDURING HARDNESS." 85 
 
 for the occasion. The women of this country go 
 about bareheaded even in the heat of the day. When 
 they do wear turbans like the men, it is very becom- 
 ing ; in fact, I know nothing more becoming than a 
 turban for man or woman. The next day we heard 
 a similar procession outside our tents, with drums 
 and fifes, and apparent rejoicing. We thought it 
 was part of the marriage festivities, and found to 
 our astonishment that it was a funeral ! So little 
 distinction is there between the one and the other ! 
 The body of the old man was being carried off to 
 the burning ground with the most hasty and un- 
 seemly levity." 
 
 For those who are not acquainted with India, 
 some interesting notes about the hot weather are 
 given. Gordon takes occasion to deprecate mission- 
 aries following the example of other Europeans in 
 India, who flock as far off as ever they can to the 
 various hill stations. 
 
 When there is not merely heat, but a heavy and 
 damp atmosphere as well, " then it is that you wish," 
 he writes, "you could put off your flesh and sit in 
 your bones," as Sydney Smith suggested. " Then 
 it is that prickly heat scourges you all over with its 
 hundred little knotted cords, and you are told that 
 the only remedy is neither to eat, drink, nor bathe — 
 sleep being already out of the question. 
 
 " People are rushing off to the hills on every side, 
 and I might easily move off also, with the very plausi- 
 ble excuse of sticdying Tamil under inoi^e favourable 
 
S6 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1869. 
 
 circumstances^ and superintending the missions on the 
 hills, etc. ; but I do not like the idea of even seeming 
 to be an amateur missionary ; and although I quite 
 agree that * prevention is better than cure/ yet I had 
 rather preach than practise the maxim. It appears 
 that nothing cools in this climate so quickly as m-is- 
 sionary ardour, and it is a great deal more than I can 
 do to keep mine warm. However^ I try to commit 
 it to safer keeping than my own." 
 
 Under such circumstances as these, it is hardly 
 surprising that missionaries find one of their greatest 
 trials, the difficulty of showing consistent and Christ- 
 like examples in "the trivial round, the common task." 
 The author of the Christian Year discovered what 
 every European in India who attempts to follow 
 Christ, must discover, that the small trials are the 
 great trials. It is of these that Gordon writes, in 
 July 1869, to Mr. J. C. Parker, of the London City 
 Mission. Here, as in most things, he always sees 
 a humorous side as well as the other. It was this 
 vein of quiet humour which struck those who were 
 associated with him in work as one of his chief char- 
 acteristics. The very letter in which this humour 
 is evident was written while he was suffering from a 
 severe attack of fever : — 
 
 " The same wind will blow hot and cold the same 
 day, besides shifting to at least three opposite quarters. 
 At one moment a gust will fly through the tent, fill it 
 with dust, and send all your writing materials sailing 
 amongst the neighbouring trees, giving you the re- 
 
^t. 29.] THE HUMOROUS SIDE. 8/ 
 
 creation of a ' paper chase ' under a tropical sun. At 
 another moment there will be such a lull as to make 
 you gasp for breath, and disbelieve the thermometer 
 if it is below 1 10 degrees. And it is much the same 
 with bodily sensations. Sometimes I am the better 
 for a meal, or a night's rest, sometimes the worse. 
 Sometimes happy and contented with men and things, 
 sometimes discontented and censorious ; sometimes 
 quite sure I am wrong in ever hoping to be a mis- 
 sionary ; sometimes equally certain that the fault is 
 not with the gifts which God has given me, but with 
 the measure of faith and patience exercised in their 
 use. And all this has a great deal to do with varia- 
 tions of pulse and discolouration of tongue. When I 
 hear myself or others giving utterance to narrow- 
 minded or uncharitable sentiments, I often think that 
 a dose of quinine or a breath of mountain air would 
 reverse such opinions altogether. And I sometimes 
 wish that homceopathists who analyse * symptoms ' 
 in their books with such wonderful accuracy, would 
 publish a little manual to be carried with a case of 
 globules in the waistcoat pocket, and adapted to such 
 symptoms as doctors do not sufficiently take into 
 account. I would have, for instance, a * Missionary's 
 Manual,' with prescriptions for crises like the follow- 
 ing:— 
 
 " Sympt. I. — General discontent, commonly called 
 ' home sickness.' Dose, 5 to 20 pils Bryonia, to be 
 repeated every half-hour. 
 
 " Sympt. 2. — On arriving at a camping -ground, 
 
88 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1869. 
 
 and finding that one of your bandies has upset and 
 broken your crockery — anger rises. Dose, 15 pils 
 belladona, to be taken on the spot. 
 
 " Sympt. 3. — On preaching to the heathen and 
 finding them derisive and insolent — vexation and 
 disappointment. Dose, 12 pils aconite, to be taken 
 on the spot. 
 
 " Sympt. 5. — On receiving no letters by the 
 English mail — sensation. Dose, 13 pils nux, to be 
 repeated daily till next mail. 
 
 " Sympt. 7. — On searching through your ' things,' 
 and finding that you have only 3 buttons to 6 shirts ; 
 needlecase nowhere — desperate resolve to marry and 
 * be done for.' Dose, 14 pils opium and prudentium 
 duly mixed. 
 
 " Sympt. 8. — On finding that some people who 
 promised to become Christians have gone back to 
 heathenism — emotion, and resolve to go home and 
 take a country parish in England. Dose, the whole 
 contents of your case {i.e. medicine case) to be 
 swallowed at once, and another case sent for as 
 soon as possible. I have got a little homoeopathic 
 manual by my side, and I only regret that it does 
 not prescribe for sensations like those which I have 
 stated, although it appears to include almost every 
 other bodily or mental indisposition." 
 
 Gordon goes on in the same letter to speak of one 
 cause for little fruit in missions in India. All mission- 
 aries might do well to think over what he says. 
 
 " I think we missionaries are too apt to point to 
 
^t 29.] MISSIONARY REPORTS. 89 
 
 the heathen and say, ' Their leanness, their leanness ! ' 
 instead of hanging our heads in shame and saying, 
 * My leanness, my leanness ! ' How little we know or 
 think how much we have been shortening the Lord's 
 arm by our unbelief, or how much more blessing we 
 might have drawn down had our prayers been more 
 earnest and our love more fervent Such reflections 
 have been awakened lately by the preparation of a 
 report which Mr. Fenn and I have been required to 
 furnish for the last year. When it is published, I will 
 send you a copy. The very name of a report is so 
 suggestive of dryness, and therefore so odious to 
 many, that we have endeavoured to bring out as 
 much of i7iterest as was consistent with the exact 
 truth, and with the object which has ever been before 
 us. Very different views of ' interesting and valuable 
 information' are taken by various missionary peri- 
 odicals. One well-known writer in the Intelligencer 
 seems to think it necessary to preface his articles with 
 illustrations of more or less domestic familiarity to the 
 public. As for instance : ' Behold the palm ! With 
 what steady and gradual but stately growth it rears 
 its head to the blue firmament ! Just so the progress 
 of missions.' Or, ' Behold the banyan tree ! With 
 what extraordinary productiveness and firm tenacity 
 it sends forth pendants from its branches to take root 
 and form support to the parent tree, etc. Just so 
 the rapid and far-spreading growth of our mission 
 stations, etc., etc' Then another periodical, issued 
 more directly from the mission field, will furnish a 
 
go GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1869. 
 
 different model for composition. One writer, relying 
 upon the ' logic of facts,' and rejoicing in mathemati- 
 cal terms, will fill his journal with decimal notation, 
 and record his progress in the style of ' Colenso's 
 Arithmetic' As, for instance ; ' Another year past, 
 during which the following deeply interesting facts 
 suggest matters for encouragement and satisfaction, 
 I have this year preached 780 sermons, had 10,950 
 listeners, visited 1240 villages, examined 878-^ children, 
 superintended 15 catechists and 22 J schoolmasters, 
 been abused by 49 heathens, lost 32 tempers (since 
 recovered), and eaten 713 fowls. When these notes 
 are compared with the following table of statistics, 
 etc., it will readily be seen,' etc. I will not quote the 
 * table ' referred to, nor will I vouch for the above as 
 facts, but only specimens. Some will say, perhaps, 
 that these are not things to joke about. For myself, 
 I believe that grave matters are often made ludicrous 
 by the way in which they are treated . . . and that 
 a lively and truthful style of writing . . . may be 
 productive both of interest and profit.'' 
 
 The following extract is from a letter dated 
 November 9th : — 
 
 " My brother Edward's marriage is indeed a 
 matter of deep interest and thankfulness to me. 
 That he is so happy in the prospect of it, is a suf- 
 ficient cause for me to be so, and I feel quite sure 
 that to be married is the very best thing for him. 
 It is also a great satisfaction if I have been in any 
 way helpful in the matter. I introduced him before 
 
^t. 30.] HIS brother's marriage. 91 
 
 I left England to Miss Knyvett's family. . . . 
 I had little opportunity of seeing the younger sisters, 
 so that I can form little idea of Edward's bride. 
 All I can do is to wish him well with all my heart, 
 and pray earnestly that she may also be happy and 
 a blessing to him. It will be a great pleasure to 
 me to have a new sister, and a correspondent who 
 can tell me all about him. All that you kindly say 
 about my circular letters is very encouraging. I 
 feel very grateful for your sympathy. It is such a 
 great help to hear of the views taken of missionary 
 work at home by friends who are really interested 
 in it." 
 
 The latter portion of the year 1869 was occupied 
 in making a tour of the Travancore Missions. Gordon's 
 companion on this occasion was his colleague the Rev. 
 D. Fenn. His letters, giving an account of this tour, 
 are of the deepest interest, but being more particu- 
 larly about other people's work, they will be given 
 separately as a whole in the next chapter. 
 
 During the winter of 1869-70, Gordon's health 
 seriously gave way, insomuch that he considered 
 work in South India no longer a possibility for him. 
 At this crisis, came an offer which must have been 
 most gratifying. It was frprn the Bishop of Sydney, 
 asking him to become the first Bishop of the new 
 diocese of Rockhampton. He speaks of its being 
 an unremunerative office, but it must be borne in 
 mind that this was no drawback in the eyes of one 
 who received no stipend as a missionary, but gave all 
 
92 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON, [a.d. 1869-70. 
 
 his pdvate means to the service of the Lord. The 
 refusal to accept the offer, therefore, exhibited the 
 utter humility of the man. It is clear that it was 
 not position or power, as the world judges, which 
 he sought. 
 
 His own feelings are evident in a letter to Mr. 
 James Parker. It is written in June 1870, from the 
 Hill Station of Utakamand, where he had gone to 
 recruit his health. 
 
 " My plans for the future have lately given me a 
 great deal of thought, and led me to continual prayer, 
 in consequence of a proposal which came from the 
 Bishop of Sydney, that I should make Australia my 
 future sphere instead of India. He offers me a posi- 
 tion of much responsibility and labour, not less than 
 the Bishopric of a new diocese, which is to be formed 
 north of Queensland. If you look on the map you 
 will see a large promontory to the N.-E. of Australia, 
 with the Gulf of Carpentaria on the one side and the 
 ocean on the other. It appears that settlers have 
 occupied the whole of this, and their spiritual wants 
 have to be provided for. The Bishop of Brisbane's 
 diocese is the furthest at present, but he finds him- 
 self unable to extend his limits. The new diocese 
 is to be Rockhampton, from the name of its largest 
 town on the coast. 
 
 "It will be apparently a very unremunerative work, 
 since a man could not live by it, but must have in- 
 dependent means. Also, it is in some respects a 
 missionary work, as the state of things at present is 
 
^t. 30.] OFFER OF BISHOPRIC. 93 
 
 very elementary ; and, moreover, an opening exists for 
 a mission to the aborgines. This last is an attrac 
 tion to me, and as I work in India at the disadvan- 
 tage of feeble health, I felt at first that the call was 
 from the Lord. All my friends in Madras urged it 
 upon me to accept the Bishop's offer, but my friend 
 Mr. French, in N.-W. India, does not view it in the 
 same light, and as I had previously made an offer to 
 him to join him if the Committee approved, we have 
 mutually agreed to leave it to the Home Committee 
 to decide whether they can accept my offer to go to 
 N.-W. India. If they do not, then I shall turn to 
 Australia, as I feel that my work in South India is 
 accomplished, there being a man ready to take my 
 place when called for. I have now told you at some 
 length my position, in order that you may unite with 
 me in prayer upon this important subject. 
 
 " I should mention that, stimulated by the advice 
 of my friends in Madras, and after three weeks' de- 
 liberation and prayer, I wrote the Bishop of Sydney 
 to accept his offer, but I have since written again 
 to ask him to allow me a little more time for con- 
 sideration. I feel very evenly divided upon the sub- 
 ject, being most willing and anxious to prosecute 
 my Missionary work on the one hand, on the other 
 being ready to undertake the great work, of laying 
 the foundation of the Church of Christ in a remote 
 colony of our own countrymen." 
 
 It will be sufficient to conclude this episode by 
 quoting the words of Mr. Baker, of Cottayam, who,^ 
 
94 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1869-70. 
 
 when writing to the children of Melbourne, with 
 whom Gordon had a special link, says, — " Nor must 
 I forget to tell you that dear Mr. Gordon has deter- 
 mined, after long consideration, not to accept the 
 Bishopric of Rockhampton. He feels himself called 
 to be a missionary to the heathen still." 
 
 The autumn of the year saw him on the voyage 
 home via Hong Kong and San Francisco. He chose 
 this long route for the benefit of his health as Well as 
 the pleasure of travel. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 TRAVANCORE. 
 
 ''Madras, Nov. 5, 1869.— It seems quite a long time 
 since I wrote a circular letter home, and the interval 
 has been one of more than usual interest to me, but it 
 is difficult to write when one is travelling about from 
 place to place. My itinerating work was suspended 
 early in August, and I had no sooner reached Madras 
 than I had an attack of fever, which took the same 
 •" intermittent ' form which it has taken in previous 
 years, but happily was slight. After about ten days 
 the doctor gave me leave to travel, and Mr. Fenn and 
 I started together on a tour through the Missions of 
 Travancore. It is marvellous what a change there is 
 between this country and that We crossed India by 
 rail without a sfcigle tunnel, and found ourselves in the 
 midst of a mountainous district, fertilised by fine rivers; 
 luxuriant in vegetation. The contrast is as great as 
 though a continent lay between the two countries, 
 instead of a single range of ghats. Whatever respect 
 I may formerly have had for the flat, arid plains of 
 Madras was dissipated at once. We got out at a 
 
96 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1869. 
 
 small railway station, put our things in two bullock- 
 carts, and commenced our march for the first mission 
 station to be visited. It took us about eight hours, 
 the journey being twenty miles, and this was very 
 rapid for bullocks ! In springless carts the jolting 
 is severe, especially on a road which is seldom mended, 
 and where the * laterite ' crops up abundantly through 
 the very superficial covering of gravel which is meant 
 to conceal it. However, the prospect on every side 
 was charming, and reminded one in many respects 
 of Ceylon. The paddy fields on either side were of 
 that very bright, almost dazzling, green, which you 
 never see in English cornfields; and the forests, which 
 enclosed them, were adorned with many species of 
 palms, and thick clusters of feathery bamboos. The 
 road was one continual avenue, with sufficient un- 
 dulation to make a variety. Overhead, troops of long- 
 tailed monkeys would here and there make our ap- 
 pearance the subject of general conversation, and birds 
 of brilliant feather would insist upon being admired. 
 We reached the mission station of Trichur by the 
 help of a brilliant moon, and the missionary himself, 
 one recently arrived from England, gave us a hospit- 
 able reception. We did not see much of the place, 
 because we had to start early the next morning on 
 our journey; but it is not a very hopeful mission 
 station, I regret to say. Trichur is the stronghold 
 of Papists on the one hand, and of Brahmans on the 
 other, and the Protestant native congregation is in 
 an unsatisfactory state. However, there is a very 
 
^t. 30.] TRAVANCORE LAGOON BOATS. 9/ 
 
 good native minister, who does much to lighten the 
 burden of the newly-appointed missionary. Our next 
 stage was by boat to Cochin, a native town of some 
 importance on the sea. I must describe the mode of 
 travelling, as most of our journeys through Travan- 
 core were taken in boats. 
 
 "There are large inland lagoons, called 'back- 
 waters,' running parallel with the sea, and here and 
 there uniting with it, all along the coast. They are 
 very convenient for traffic, as the forests are dense, 
 and there are no roads. Boats of various kinds ply 
 along these lagoons, from the full-sailed barge down 
 to the little canoe, just big enough for one or two 
 men. As our journey was long, and it was an object 
 to get through it quickly, we engaged a cabin-boat 
 with eight or ten rowers, reminding one much of the 
 Nile ' dahabieh ' on a small scale. 
 
 " It is a characteristic of sailors of every clime to 
 be tuneful, and these of Travancore form no exception 
 to the rule. They row the better for their song, so 
 you are obliged to let them have their way, save when 
 nightly rest is invaded by some strain of surpassing 
 dissonance, and endurance can no longer brook the 
 outrage. They are a good-natured set. These boat- 
 men much astonished me by their power of rowing. 
 They seem to think very little of going on for twelve 
 hours at a stretch, with a single, very short interval 
 for food. The scenery in places was very pretty, and 
 softened by moonlight, seemed to answer to those 
 
 lines in Locksley Hall^ — 
 
 G 
 
98 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1869. 
 
 ' On from island unto island at the gateways of the day, 
 Larger constellations burning, mellow moons and happy 
 
 skies, 
 Breadths of tropic shade, and palms in cluster — knots of 
 
 Paradise. 
 Never comes the trader, never floats an European flag, 
 Slides the bird o'er lustrous woodland, swings the trailer 
 
 from the crag. 
 Droops the heavy-blosso.med bower, hangs the heavy- 
 fruited tree. 
 Summer isles of Eden, lying in dark purple spheres of 
 sea.' 
 
 " At one point we passed a large Roman Catholic 
 church and convent, and it was curious to see our 
 sailors (who were Roman Catholics) stop their rowing, 
 steer up to the landing-place, and pay their toll to a 
 fat native priest, who was waiting to receive it ! There 
 were many villages along the shore, inhabited appar- 
 ently by a fishing population ; and I was much struck 
 with a novel and easy method of catching fish which 
 they practise. At intervals on the margin of the 
 water were planted lofty posts in the form of * cranes,' 
 over the top of which a rope, working by a pulley, 
 suspended a net which was let down into the water. 
 The net was kept stretched by cross pieces of bamboo, 
 which looked at a distance exactly like a huge spider 
 holding his web, reticule-shaped, with each of its eight 
 legs. As soon as there was a reasonable hope that 
 the fish had made themselves at home inside the net, 
 the rope was pulled, and the spider ascended with his 
 prey, So plentiful are the fish, that I was told by a 
 
^t. 30.] COCHIN. 99 
 
 resident at Cochin, that he has seen two boats filled 
 by one draught. We reached Cochin late at night, 
 and put up at the house of Mr Sealy, the principal 
 of a large Government school, who, though not of our 
 mission, was true to the character, so widely established 
 in India, of hospitality to strangers. 
 
 " Cochin is a curious, old-fashioned place, with such 
 a liberal rainfall, that 'grass upon the house-tops,' in 
 plentiful crops, is a common sight. Our host's little 
 'compound,' although no larger than the 'area' of a 
 good-sized London house, was stocked with a very 
 great variety of beautiful ferns (such as are never seen 
 in England) and tropical plants. We had the pleas- 
 ure of preaching on Sunday to an English and East 
 Indian congregation, in the oldest church on the west 
 coast — one which was built by Roman Catholics, and 
 afterwards handed over to Protestants. 
 
 " Cochin is so prolific of palm trees, that from a 
 height above it, such as the top of the lighthouse, 
 you see hardly anything of the houses and streets, 
 and find it difficult to believe that a population of 
 40,000 is somewhere hidden away below. 
 
 " In the bazaars we saw all shades of complexion 
 and dress, including merchants from Guzerat, Bom- 
 bay, etc. The most interesting part of the popula- 
 tion are the black and white Jews, who live together 
 and occupy separate streets. We went into one of 
 the synagogues. The latter, who are almost as fair as 
 Europeans, and the women, whom we did not see, said 
 to be very handsome. The least interesting and most 
 
100 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1869. 
 
 sinister-looking community of the inhabitants are a 
 sect of Muhamadans, who hate all our countrymen 
 most religiously, and are occasionally addicted to 
 deeds of violence and bloodshed. 
 
 "Not many years ago an English collector at 
 Calicut was murdered in his own house by a gang 
 of them who had made their escape from prison, 
 and when troops were sent to apprehend them, they 
 fought so desperately, that an officer and several men 
 fell before the murderers could be destroyed. 
 
 " Capture was impossible. They were all shot 
 down to a man. 
 
 " In Mr. Sealy's school we saw some 260 boys of 
 high caste, who are receiving a very good English 
 education. As the school is supported by the native 
 Rajah of the country, there is no encouragement 
 given to proselytism, and the Bible is not allowed 
 except as a book of reference. 
 
 " Still, Mr. Sealy is able to give them a good deal of 
 Scriptural instruction indirectly, and Cowper's Tasky 
 which is one of the Government text-books, often 
 furnishes an opportunity for Scripture reference. In 
 describing to you another much larger Native Govern- 
 ment School at Trevandrum, I shall have occasion to 
 say more upon this point another time. One of the 
 principal articles of trade at Cochin is timber, and it 
 was very curious to see the way in which the logs of 
 wood are piled on the shore for exportation by means 
 of elephants. Each log has a short rope attached to 
 it, and the elephant, according to the directions of his 
 
^t. 30.] COTTAYAM. lOI 
 
 rider, takes the rope between his teeth by means of 
 his trunk, and draws the log which ever way is 
 desired. It is a very slow process, but the elephant's 
 ingenuity is often displayed in the most amusing way, 
 and his knowledge of the centre of gravity and the 
 principles in mechanics, makes him a first-rate engin- 
 eer. There is a small Native Protestant congregation 
 at Cochin, under a catechist ; but I shall have more to 
 tell you of missionary interest in my next letter, which 
 I shall hope to write next week. I must be content 
 to leave this one very deficient in this respect, as the 
 mail is about to start." 
 
 " Nov. 1 5. — I must begin this letter by saying that 
 I am not at all in a mood for letter-writing, being 
 subject to one of those many forms of indisposition 
 which are constantly ' in attendance ' in this climate. 
 I shall not, therefore, be much surprised if I am un- 
 able to finish it for this mail, which goes in a few 
 hours. However, I must not omit to mention that I 
 am under homoeopathy, and homoeopathy ought surely 
 to assist in writing letters. I gave you some account 
 last time of our visit to Cochin, and now I have to 
 tell you about Cottayam, and thus introduce you to 
 the centre of the Travancore Missions. 
 
 "We reached the place in one night by boat, 
 having been somewhat delayed by the amount of 
 water which spread over the country, and made it 
 difficult to find the right channel, and more diffi- 
 cult, when found, to make way against the rushing 
 
102 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1869, 
 
 current of the stream. At last, by great efforts, our 
 boatmen brought us to a httle gap in the thick forest 
 on the bank, and we saw a bullock-carriage, which we 
 felt quite sure was the only bullock-carriage in all 
 that country, and could belong to no other than the 
 senior missionary, Mr. Baker. In a few minutes more 
 we had wound our way by a narrow and steep road 
 between high fern-covered banks and tall trees, up 
 to the mission station. Cottayam is, to my mind, 
 by far the prettiest mission station in South India, 
 There are many mission buildings, which I shall 
 proceed to describe, and each of them stands on an 
 eminence commanding a view of the surrounding 
 country and the other buildings. The view from Mn 
 Baker's house is, when clear, both distant and grand, 
 and takes in a very fine range of mountain. Other 
 views, which are more circumscribed, have delight- 
 ful little peeps of river, rice-field, and jungle ; but in 
 going from one house to another you have first to 
 descend, and then to ascend, by a narrow road, which 
 has no view at all. 
 
 " Mr. Baker, who has been from twenty to thirty 
 years in the mission, has inherited the missionary 
 spirit by ' apostolic succession ' from his father, who 
 was there before him. Mrs. Baker has many talents 
 and accomplishments which eminently qualify her as 
 a missionary's wife — not the least of them being a 
 very bright and cheerful disposition. In a life of 
 constant seclusion this happy feature of character is 
 seldom found, and may truly be called a great gift 
 
^t. 30.] EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. IO3 
 
 The old missionaries of the Travancore Mission seem 
 to have passed away, and now Mr. Baker stands alone 
 of his generation (although he cannot be said to be 
 old, except by contrast with the others, who are all 
 young and recent). 
 
 "There are two educational institutions at Cot- 
 tayam, one called the College, the other called the 
 Nicholson Institution, which was built by the ' Nichol- 
 son Memorial Fund,' raised, I believe, at Cambridge.* 
 They are both designed for training native youths 
 for missionary employment as schoolmasters, cate- 
 chists, and ministers. Attached to the College is a 
 beautiful chapel, which was built by a special fund, 
 and reminded me forcibly of the college chapels in 
 Cambridge. The College is now presided over by a 
 young missionary named Bishop, and the Nicholson 
 Institution by a younger missionary named Smith. 
 They both seemed very hearty and earnest about 
 their work. Close to the College is the mission 
 church, a large and handsome edifice, which was 
 filled on Sunday by a very good congregation. 
 
 " There are two girls' boarding schools in Cottayam, 
 the one under the watchful and motherly superin- 
 
 * This is a mistake. The C.M.S. College, Cottayam, imparts a 
 general education on Scriptural principles, to about 300 Syrian, Pro- 
 testant, and Hindu youths, up to the matriculation standard of the 
 Madras University, with which it is affiliated. Between fifty and sixty 
 Syrian and Protestant Christians are boarders. The College is mainly 
 supported by an endowment in lands originally granted by the native 
 Government for the education of youths of Syrian parentage. A con- 
 siderable sum is now collected in fees. The stipend of the Principal is 
 paid by the C.M.S. 
 
I04 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1869. 
 
 tendence of Mrs. Baker, senior ; the other under Mrs. 
 Baker, junior. They are designed to supply female 
 native agents, in other words, wives for the youths of 
 the two above-mentioned institutions. Mrs. Baker, 
 junior's, school, includes many little girls from the 
 hill tribes (of which I must give an account in my 
 next letter), and they come from a long distance. 
 Mrs. Baker, senior, has been at the work of education 
 so long, that she is now teaching some of the grand- 
 children of her former pupils. One of the sights of 
 Cottayam is the printing press, where copies of the 
 Scriptures are daily printed and bound, together with 
 other works and tracts. 
 
 " One of the presses, which is on a recent American 
 principle, does the work with astonishing rapidity, and 
 it is not safe to go too near it, lest one should suddenly 
 be caught by it and printed, bound, and published 
 at 2j-pence a copy. 
 
 " What interested me most was to see the original 
 press and types made with indefatigable labour by 
 Mr. Bailey, the former missionary of the station. The 
 language of Travancore is called ^Malayalam,' and the 
 character is difficult even to write. Some idea may 
 therefore be formed of the ingenuity and patience re- 
 quired in making those little minute Malayalam types 
 without proper tools, proper workmen, or proper 
 materials. My friend and fellow-traveller, Mr. D. 
 Fenn was specially ' at home ' in Cottayam, because it 
 was his birthplace and the residence of his father, who 
 was one of the first missionaries there. There is as 
 
ML 2>o?^ "SYRIAN CHRISTIANS" OF TRAVANCORE. 105 
 
 great a contrast between the Malayalam and Tamil 
 people, as between the climate and scenery of their 
 respective countries. The former are of a fairer skin, 
 and, to my mind, they are a handsomer race. 
 
 "They dress in a different way, and wear their 
 hair differently, both men and women. The women 
 invariably wear white, which looks nice when clean, 
 but has not the pleasing variety of bright colours 
 which we see on this side of the country. They tie 
 their hair in a simple knot behind instead of doing 
 it in the form of a chignon, as the Tamil women 
 do. The men in Travancore are peculiar for wearing 
 no turban and no cloth over the shoulders, however 
 wealthy or high caste they may be. Their only 
 article of clothing, as a rule, is the cloth round the 
 waist. Their hair is shaven all round the head, but 
 allowed to grow longer on the crown, and then tied 
 in the form of a pigtail or kudumi, in the direction 
 of the forehead. In this country they tie the kudumi 
 behind, and it is considered as a mark of heathen- 
 ism by the C.M.S., who do not allow their agents 
 to wear it. The Syrian Christians also shave their 
 heads entirely. 
 
 *' This reminds me that I must define the expression 
 * Syrian Christian.' There are two main divisions of 
 the people at Cottayam, namely, Nair and Syrian. The 
 Nairs are heathens of high caste, the Syrians are mem- 
 bers of a church which traces its origin to the Apostle 
 St. Thomas, who is traditionally believed to have 
 visited South India and evangelized the people. At 
 
I06 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1869. 
 
 any rate, there has been in Travancore for centuries a 
 body of native Christians, who have their own churches 
 and their own ritual, and look upon Antioch as their 
 parent city. They have their bishop, who is called a 
 
 * Metran,' and comes from Antioch, and they have 
 an extensive priesthood, embracing seven orders from 
 
 * Acolytes ' up to ' Cattanars.' The old Syrian Church 
 is a very corrupt church, resembling in many things 
 the Roman Catholic, and having their service in Syrian, 
 an unknown tongue to the natives. A reformation has, 
 however, commenced among themselves, and is strongly 
 advocated by the present Metran, Mar Athanasius, 
 who conducts the service in the vernacular. I did not 
 see this man in person, but I read an interesting 
 letter, in which he warmly thanked the Bible Society 
 for a present of Bibles which they had sent him. 
 There is much ignorance among the Cattanars, but 
 one of the better sort ingenuously told us, that though 
 he could not preach to the people himself, he always 
 got an intelligent layman, a member of his congre- 
 gation to do so. The Cattanars use the tonsure, 
 and have pictures over the altar and crucifixes, or, 
 what is as bad, namely, a painted representation of 
 the Saviour on a wooden cross. Their churches 
 are very solid, but have little architectural merit. 
 One of them is interesting for its antiquity ; but there 
 seems to be very little pains bestowed in keeping 
 it clean and making necessary repairs. It was from 
 the altar of that church that Menezes (a former 
 Metran) cursed one of the Cattanars who had dis- 
 
^t. 30.] REFORMATION IN PROGRESS. 10/ 
 
 pleased him, and in a short time the poor man and 
 all his family died, probably by poison. The congre- 
 gations are not always very subordinate, and I saw 
 a small room outside the church where a section 
 of them had set up an opposition 'Mass,' because 
 they declined to pay some impost which the Cattanar 
 had made, and consequently were excommunicated. 
 Another sign of this insubordination is, that there are 
 churches belonging to a sect who are neither Syrians 
 nor Roman Catholics, but AduUamites, who embrace 
 all dissenters of either faith. I believe that the best 
 book for information about the Syrian Church is 
 Hough's Christianity in India. The first efforts of 
 the C.M.S. were directed towards the reformation of 
 this Syrian Church, and they have been very success- 
 ful in bringing numbers of them to the Protestant 
 faith. One difficulty which they have to contend 
 with is, that although the Syrians do not professedly 
 recognise * caste,' yet they are a very exclusive body, 
 regarding themselves quite as high born as the Nairs, 
 and objecting strongly to ' communicate ' with lower 
 native Christians. However, we were very happy to 
 hear that this feeling is diminishing; and that as 
 regards intermarriage, which is the severest test of 
 Christian principle among the natives, the people of 
 Travancore are showing more enlightenment than 
 the people of Tinnevelly. I think we have to show 
 the greatest judgment and forbearance in this re- 
 spect to them, when we recollect how strong the 
 * caste' feeling is among ourselves at home. Still, 
 
I08 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1869. 
 
 the native Christians in India have much to learn, 
 when the feeHng of caste remains so strong, that 
 sometimes two divisions of the same caste (and that 
 a low one) will refuse to intermarry. 
 
 " But I must not go on longer about the Syrians, 
 or I shall weary you. We spent three days very 
 pleasantly in Cottayam, seeing the institutions, ex- 
 amining the schools, and, on Sunday, attending 
 the services; and then we made an excursion to 
 some of Mr. Baker's hill stations, an account of 
 which will, I hope, make my next letter more 
 interesting than this." 
 
 " Madras, Nov. 20. — It will be a pleasant task for 
 this letter to try and recall my visit to the hill stations 
 in Mr. Baker's districts, and if I can make it half as 
 interesting to you as it was to me, then I shall feel 
 highly gratified. 
 
 " We started from Cottayam, in three bullock 
 bandies, one fine evening, and as the scenery would 
 have been lost altogether to me under the windowless 
 roof of the bandy, I walked half the distance of our 
 first night's stage, which was fourteen miles. Every 
 now and then we met parties of men with guns, belong- 
 ing to the ' hunter caste,' whose trade is in wild beasts 
 and game. We came across tracks of various crea- 
 tures, — elephants, leopards, deer, etc., — but did not see 
 any, as they are chiefly about at night. There is a 
 certain thrill of pleasurable excitement (in me, I must 
 confess strongly developed) in being really among 
 
jEt. 30.] TIGERS, ELEPHANTS, CROCODILES, ETC. I09 
 
 the tigers and elephants. Not that there is any 
 danger at all on those roads, for if one wants to en- 
 counter these animals, one must go after them in a 
 systematic way, and make the cultivation of their 
 acquaintance a regular science ; but still there is a 
 satisfaction in only seeing their tracks, and feeling for 
 the first time in the ancestral domain of such a primi- 
 tive and ancient race. It is in countries like Travan* 
 core that missionary anecdote depends for much of 
 its sensational element. 
 
 " It is there that you hear of crocodiles swallowing 
 little children, and a tiger in attendance to take ven- 
 geance on the crocodile. It is there that you hear of 
 missionaries exchanging amenities with tigers and 
 cobras, and living in a tree, because the elephant has 
 taken possession of their houses below ' for the 
 season.' 
 
 " Mr. Baker has been in the country long enough 
 to have plenty of these stories to tell ; and as he is a 
 genuine naturalist, they lose none of their interest by 
 his description. In walking along I observed several 
 wild flowers of great beauty, which I had not pre- 
 viously met with even in India, but, after all, nothing 
 to come near the violet for scent. 
 
 " I was glad to read, in a review of a book of travels 
 in Java, and other islands, that the writer of the book, 
 after many years of travel, gives the palm to old- 
 England for wild flowers, even over the tropics. I had 
 a narrow escape in going over a bridge which had 
 recently broken down, for the man with the lantera 
 
no GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1869. 
 
 was behind the bandy instead of in front, and there 
 •was no other h'ght except the flashing of fire-flies. 
 
 " The wild elephants are very mischievous on those 
 roads, both in breaking the wooden bridges and re- 
 moving mile-stones, to which they show a special 
 aversion. As the making of these bridges is often the 
 work of trained elephants, who have to bring the 
 materials and pile the stones, there is evidently a 
 lamentable misunderstanding between the wild and 
 the tame. We halted for the night at a little native 
 house which Mr. Baker has purchased, and enjoyed a 
 cup of tea, which was extemporised with astonishing 
 rapidity by an excellent travelling servant. 
 
 "Next day we reached Mundakayam, a village 
 which has a very interesting history. It was here 
 first that Mr. Baker came at the invitation of some 
 Arrians who wished to be taught Christianity. It is a 
 very lovely spot among the hills, as pretty a combina- 
 tion of mountain, forest, and river as I have seen south 
 of Madras. When Mr. Baker arrived, he found the 
 people delighted to see him, but there were not many 
 of them, and it appeared that the wild elephants were, 
 for the most part, the masters of the soil. I saw the 
 tree in which Mr. Baker used to sleep at night when 
 the elephants were about, and I saw other trees with 
 snug little houses in them (like great nests), which are 
 still used by the natives as ' sentry-boxes ' to guard 
 against the depredators. They are generally in the 
 middle of a corn-field, and are occupied at night by 
 ,a man with a gun, who shoots at whatever he sees. 
 
jEt. 30.] JUNGLES AND ELEPHANT PATHS. Ill 
 
 Mundakayam is situated in the bend of a river, at 
 some height above it, so Mr. Baker set the people to 
 work at making a barrier against the elephants on the 
 side unprotected by the river, and then a colony was 
 speedily established and security prevailed. Now the 
 jungle is cleared in different directions, and large 
 tracts are under cultivation. There is a nice little 
 church, and within eight miles of the church 1000 
 native Christians, who have all come over to Christi- 
 anity since that first visit of Mr. Baker. We walked 
 over to see another congregation, three miles off. 
 Our road was an ' elephant path.' The elephants are 
 capital hands at making roads, and they are always 
 very straight. The thickness of the jungle makes 
 their help in this way doubly valuable. There is a 
 large undergrowth of very thick grass, reeds and 
 shrubs, corresponding to the hazel nut, and when 
 ground is cleared for cultivation, it can only be done 
 by setting fire to the forest, and then cutting down the 
 hard charred trunks which refuse to consume. The 
 worst of these jungle paths is the leeches which 
 abound in the little water-courses in the woods, and 
 fix eagerly upon the ankles and legs. I have found 
 six or seven of them on me at a time, and had to stop 
 and search half a dozen times in a walk before going 
 on. The effects of their bite generally last a long time. 
 They sometimes drop from the trees upon the passer 
 by, and I was once invaded by them at night when 
 sleeping out in a tent. 
 
 " On reaching Assapian, the little congregation 
 
112 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1869, 
 
 were soon called together, and we had a talk with 
 them, through Mr. Baker as interpreter. At prayers 
 an elephant outside rudely interrupted us by a tre- 
 mendous * trumpet' When they see anything that 
 frightens them they make a noise as loud and shrill 
 as seven or eight trumpets and a violoncello together. 
 " Next day we walked to another village, whose 
 name I will not spell lest I make a mistake. We 
 passed through some very rich corn-fields, and Mr, 
 Baker pointed to a place which used to be the lair of 
 a tiger of great notoriety. That single tiger is said 
 to have killed no less than one hundred and seventy 
 of the unfortunate natives. At last he met one day 
 with a party armed with guns. He sprang upon 
 their leader and killed him, but the rest all fired 
 their guns, and then ran away as hard as they could. 
 Such was the terror inspired by this tiger, that it was 
 not till two days after that they returned to the spot 
 and found the tiger lying dead by his victim. A 
 little off the path we were shown some * elephant pits.' 
 They are eighteen feet deep, and sufficiently wide for 
 the purpose. The top is concealed by boughs and 
 grass, and the elephant or tiger who falls into them 
 becomes an easy prey to the hunter. It is recorded 
 that once an incautious young missionary got trapped 
 in an elephant pit, but fortunately a brother mission- 
 ary was at hand to pull him out, and he was hauled 
 up, a sadder and a wiser man. We had to cross 
 a river in a very shaky canoe (merely a hollowed 
 trunk), and then we came to the Arrian village we 
 
^t. 30.] AN ANCIENT SCYTHIAN VAULT. II3 
 
 sought. Like the other, it had a look of great pros- 
 perity, and the native house which we put up in for 
 the night was quite a study. It reminded me, in its 
 elaborate carving and finish, of a Maori house in 
 New Zealand. The Arrians make their houses like 
 cabinets, so that they can take them to pieces and 
 carry them away if they wish to move. They are all 
 made on the same plan, and are entirely of wood, 
 except the tiles, and I saw one which had been sold 
 by its owner for ;^I50. He was a rich man, possessing 
 two elephants, and much timber, but he was just like 
 all the rest to look at, wearing no kind of turban, and 
 no cloth whatever over his shoulders. The history 
 of this village also is interesting. 
 
 " The natives, who formerly lived in another part, 
 being much persecuted by the petty Rajah of the dis- 
 trict, emigrated by Mr. Baker's advice, and built their 
 village beyond the Rajah's territory. They found an 
 old heathen temple, and built a Christian church on 
 its site with its stones. In this village I observed a 
 curious relic of antiquity, an ancient Scythian vault, 
 consisting of a large flat stone, propped up by other 
 smaller ones, between which the bodies were placed. 
 These Arrians are a fine race, and differ from other 
 natives of India in being simple and truthful, which 
 is a virtue very rarely found. 
 
 " Our next day's walk was up the mountains to 
 
 a coffee-planter's bungalow. It was not high in 
 
 comparison with those hill stations in the Nilgiris, 
 
 where people go in search of health from Madras 
 
 H 
 
114 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1869. 
 
 every year, but it was high enough to feel cool, and 
 give an excuse for a fire in the evening ; the first fire 
 which I had seen since I left Australia two years 
 before. Here I spent five days walking all day among 
 the mountains, and laying in a stock of health for the 
 plains. I felt for the first time a sensation of English 
 vigour, and a freedom from those restrictions which 
 keep us indoors during the day, down in those miser- 
 able plains, and I wished that I could always live on 
 the hills, or rather that my work lay in higher lati- 
 tudes. The coffee-plant which is so extensively culti- 
 vated on the hills in South India, is very much like a 
 low holly bush, and the berries when ripe are red like 
 holly berries. It is difficult to say how many crops 
 it yields, because the picking of the berries is con- 
 tinually going on as they ripen, and on the same 
 bush half the berries will be ripe, and half unripe. 
 Coffee planters lead at least as isolated a life as mis- 
 sionaries do ; but they have the advantage of moun- 
 tain air, and excellent sport with the rifle among 
 various kinds of deer and buffalo, which enlivens their 
 existence, and supplies them with excellent food. 
 
 " There is another class of people beside the 
 Arrians, among whom there has been rapid progress 
 lately in the spread of Christianity. They are called 
 * slaves,' and are the very lowest order of natives, 
 corresponding very closely to Pariahs. They were 
 formerly in a state of rigorous servitude to the richer 
 portion of the native community, but they have been 
 emancipated by Government, and their condition 
 
JEt. 30.] TRAVANCORE SLAVES AND NAIRS. 1 1 5 
 
 very much improved in consequence. However, 
 the laws of the caste seem stronger in Travancore 
 than even in Tinnevelly, and so wide is the gulf 
 between the slaves and the Nairs, that if a Nair 
 comes along the road he raises a cry to warn off 
 all his inferiors from his sacred presence, and the 
 ' slave ' has to run away into the jungle for fear of 
 a beating. As I was coming down the ghat, I had 
 one of these slaves to carry my bag. Happening 
 once to look round, I saw that the bag was in the 
 road and the slave nowhere. As a man of high 
 caste passed at the same moment, I guessed the 
 reason, and called the slave out of his hiding-place. 
 The next time I met a high-caste man, seeing the 
 same thing likely to happen again, I told the slave 
 that he was on no account to run away, as he was 
 my servant for the time, and under my protection. 
 The high-caste man finding I was determined upon 
 the point, and not choosing to risk contamination 
 with the slave, quietly climbed up the rocks by the 
 side of the path, until I had passed, and descended 
 and resumed his journey. Further on I met several 
 large companies of these poor people with their 
 wives and families on their way up to the hills for 
 the harvesting season, when they make large profits 
 as free labourers. They all displayed a large array 
 of teeth at seeing Mr. Baker, and some told him that 
 they had been waiting two days in the hope of meet- 
 ing him and getting his blessing before the harvest. 
 Most of them were Christians, and their Catechist ac- 
 
Il6 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1869, 
 
 companied them. It is a very severe test of the reality 
 of Christian principle, when these degraded and 
 despised slaves are brought side by side with the ex- 
 clusive and proud Syrians in the same congregation, 
 and invited to partake of the Lord's Supper to- 
 gether. We can little understand or make allowance 
 for the keenness of their feeling in the matter. 
 
 " I will not extend this letter further, but shall 
 hope in my next to give some account of Trevandrum, 
 the capital of Travancore, where we had an interest- 
 ing audience with a native prince, the ruler of the 
 country. In taking leave of Cottayam, I felt much 
 refreshed by intercourse with Mr. and Mrs. Baker, 
 and the introduction to a new and most promising 
 mission-field. One who has his lot cast entirely 
 among the heathen (as mine is), needs much the 
 stimulating influence of occasional contact with 
 Christians, both European and native, lest in per- 
 petually seeing the worst side of the native character, 
 he should forget that there is also a brighter aspect 
 to be looked for ; and lest, in the absence of these 
 means of grace, which make our English Sunday so 
 dear to us, his own soul should grow parched, and 
 his faith and love fail. There is, however, something 
 better than Christian intercourse, and that is the 
 prayers of Christian friends ; and I would, there- 
 fore, earnestly request of you, and of other kind 
 friends who may read this letter, that while praying 
 for the extension of Christianity in Travancore, and 
 for the missionaries who labour there, you would 
 
JEt.^p^^ AUSTRALIAN SYMPATHY, ETC. 11/ 
 
 also remember those who are entirely engaged in 
 preaching to the heathen, as yet with no apparent 
 results." 
 
 " Madras, Nov. 29. — I must try and finish my ' say ' 
 about Travancore in this letter, or I shall weary you 
 It has been a fertile subject of correspondence, and 
 last week alone I dispatched twenty sheets of this 
 size by post in various directions by way of awaken- 
 ing public interest. 
 
 " A letter of ten sheets in length started on its 
 journey to Melbourne, where the Industrial Schools 
 are continuing to take a most true interest in mis- 
 sions. They have collected among themselves and 
 despatched to Tinnevelly not less than £60 in a 
 single year for the education of native children. I 
 really think this ought to be reported in the little 
 green book, as a proof of what children may do. It 
 is not one school, but several, which have raised this 
 amount, still it is highly commendable. 
 
 " I am sorry to say that the interest shown by the 
 English community who live in the centre of heathen- 
 ism, is miserably small in comparison with this. I 
 only wish that candidates for the Indian Civil Service 
 were compelled to spend a term at the Islington Col- 
 lege, or some other institution, where they might learn 
 something of the necessity and advantage of promot- 
 ing Christian Missions. 
 
 " But to go on with my story. 
 
 "On leaving Cottayam I had two other mission 
 
Il8 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1869- 
 
 stations to visit (by boat as usual), namely, Tiru- 
 wella and Mavelikara. 
 
 " The first is now occupied by a missionary named 
 Johnson, a nephew of Mr. Baker, who has lately 
 married a sister of one of our Madras missionaries. 
 I could only spend two nights with them, but I had 
 time to visit a Syrian priest, who lives about two 
 miles off in a very picturesque village. He showed 
 me his church, of which he may well be proud, for 
 it is a very fine and solid structure. The original 
 church was burnt down by the heathen, but the 
 Syrians were rather the gainers than otherwise, for 
 Government compelled the aggressors to refund a 
 large sum of money, which defrayed the expense of a 
 much finer church than the former. The priest is a 
 very intelligent man, and belongs to the Reforming 
 party. He is moreover, much more cultivated than 
 they usually are, and studies the Bible with a com- 
 mentary, in Syriac, Malayalam and Tamil. He was 
 educated by a former missionary, and will, it is to be 
 hoped, in course of time bring his congregation over 
 to Protestantism. He has a little prophet's chamber, 
 with a bed and chair and table, adjoining the church, 
 in a kind of gallery. I forget whether I mentioned 
 in my former letters that we heard of a Syrian priest, 
 who, though not learned enough to preach to his 
 people himself, was sufficiently enlightened to employ 
 one of the lay members of his congregation, who 
 ' had the gift ' to do so ! I observed that the Arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury has been recently discussing the 
 
^t. 30.] A LONDON MISSIONARY SETTLEMENT. II9 
 
 question of lay help with some of his clergy, but I 
 fear that this fact would not have helped him much 
 in determining what is the proper sphere of laymen 
 in church work. 
 
 " I must not linger upon Mavelikara, which was 
 my next stage, because I was there only for one night. 
 Mr. Maddox is the missionary there, and I was much 
 pleased with his schools, in which he takes a great 
 interest. The former missionary, Mr. Peet, who 
 founded the station and built the church, is buried 
 with his wife in the very prettily-situated churchyard 
 close to the river. A missionary's tomb in the place 
 of his labour is always an object of great interest to 
 me, and I very much admired the simple inscription 
 which he had written on his wife's tombstone, ' She 
 lived for Christ. She died in Christ. She reigns 
 with Christ' 
 
 " It was a lovely moonlight night when we left 
 Mavelikara, and as we shot along a rapid stream to 
 the music of the oars between palm forests, whose 
 feathery crests were kindled with the silvery light, I 
 could not but linger long on the roof of the cabin 
 beneath which my companion slumbered. Next 
 morning at sunrise we reached Quilon, which is a 
 military station, where the London Missionary So- 
 ciety has a settlement. The missionary, Mr. Wilkin- 
 son, was away, but his wife kindly received us for a 
 few hours, and in the evening we got into our boat 
 again. The rain came and dispelled all the charm of 
 moonlight, and at twelve o'clock we were awakened 
 
I20 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1869. 
 
 to the conviction that the canal had come to an end. 
 The reason of its refusing to proceed, we found to be 
 a barrier of high ground which forms the spur of a 
 very inconsiderate range of hills, which upset all the 
 calculations of the engineer who made the canal. 
 Leaving it for legislation to decide whether hills have 
 any right to have spurs (especially on a rainy night), 
 there was nothing for it but to turn out of our warm 
 cabin into the mud and wet, and put our things on a 
 bandy and cross the barrier with as good a grace as 
 possible. It was about five miles broad, and then the 
 canal resumed its course. I have since heard that 
 Government is intending to make a tunnel through 
 the barrier for the canal, and thus remove the in- 
 terruption which now exists in the water com- 
 munication.* 
 
 " We resumed our journey in a very different sort 
 of boat It looked, as it lay on the water, like a huge, 
 long chrysalis, and we could see no boatman belong- 
 ing to it. But after shouting awhile, a hole began to 
 appear in the back of the chrysalis, and a man's head 
 protruded. The hole was then sufficiently enlarged 
 to receive our two selves and luggage, and then closed 
 again to exclude rain, and we started. There was 
 not room to sit up inside, but there was just room 
 to arrange one's mattress (a never absent accom- 
 paniment to travel in South India), and lie upon it. 
 
 * The barrier has since been pierced, and a tunnel constructed. It 
 is called the Wurkalay Tunnel, and is one of the finest engineering 
 works in South India. 
 
^t. 30.] EUROPEAN INFLUENCES, ETC. 121 
 
 In the morning the chrysalis had expanded into a 
 butterfly, with oars for legs and sails for wings. 
 
 "The canal broadened out into an occasional lake, 
 and as I found that I knew much more about navi- 
 gation than the boatman, I took the direction of sail 
 and paddle, and we reached Trevandrum about ten 
 A.M. Trevandrum is the capital of Travancore, and 
 the seat of Government. iVlthough ruled by a native 
 Rajah, there is nothing in Trevandrum or Travancore 
 to distinguish it from a province administered by a 
 most enlightened European Government. Indeed, it 
 is said, and said I believe with truth (according to my 
 experience), that the respect shown to the English by 
 natives in Travancore is greater than in the Queen's 
 Indian dominions. There are fine roads in and 
 around Trevandrum, and fine engineering and archi- 
 tectural works. These, of course, are all of British 
 construction and design, for the Rajah is wise enough 
 to employ English hands and brains in every depart- 
 ment of his administration. 
 
 " He does not appear to spare expense, but does 
 everything on a most liberal scale. The English 
 community at Trevandrum is as large as in any 
 other military station, and consists entirely of ofificers, 
 schoolmasters, engineers, etc., in the Rajah's employ. 
 We stayed three days with Mr. Bensley, who is the 
 original master of a very large Government school. 
 It started with a score or two of boys, and increased 
 very rapidly, till it numbered upwards of 800. Then 
 two Scotch * Professors ' were sent for, to take the 
 
122 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1869, 
 
 upper divisions and Mr. Bensley retains about 500 
 boys of the lower. A large proportion of the lads are 
 Brahmans and Nairs, and these are always the most 
 apt for study, and the most covetous of English 
 education. It is among these that the future rulers 
 of the land are to be sought, and the Brahman will 
 eagerly embrace every opportunity of getting power 
 and pay, although he never conterhplates the idea of 
 wearing an English hat, or being anything else than 
 a Brahman to the end of his days. It is remarkable 
 that in this school the Bible is allowed to be taught 
 by a heathen ruler, although forbidden in all our 
 schools by a Christian Government I am speaking^ 
 of course, of Government schools, where it is allowed 
 only as a book of reference, and forms no part of the 
 regular Government curriculum. The reason is be- 
 cause our Government are very much afraid of seem- 
 ing in any way to make the knowledge of our religion 
 compulsory with the people. There are no Christian 
 boys in the Trevandrum school. Perhaps it would be 
 too much to hope that any lad would have the cour- 
 age to embrace Christianity in a Rajah's school, but 
 still they are taught what Christianity is, and per- 
 haps the knowledge may some day, by God's bless- 
 ing, bear fruit. 
 
 "Mr. Fenn and I sought at once for the oppor- 
 tunity of an interview with the Rajah. A letter was 
 sent to his Highness to request the favour, and a very 
 courteous reply was returned, written in English, to 
 say that he was in mourning for a relative, and there- 
 
^L 30,] INTERVIEW WITH THE RAJAH. 1 23 
 
 fore unable to see us for a few days. The fol- 
 lowing week, however, the interview was granted. 
 The term of mourning had not quite expired, but 
 as we were visitors to the place, an exception was 
 made in our favour. We heard, incidentally, that 
 this arrangement would be quite as convenient to his 
 Highness, as it would save him an extra bath. He 
 was ceremonially defiled by his period of mourning, 
 which demanded certain ablutions at its expiration, 
 and as these ablutions would also be entailed by the 
 defilement of intercourse with Europeans, it would 
 naturally be an economy of soap and water to see us 
 at a time when the two baths could be combined. 
 
 " The interview was fixed for seven o'clock in the 
 morning, and was punctually observed by us. The 
 Rajah did not receive us in his own palace, but in 
 a house called the Observatory, where he has state 
 apartments for such receptions. We were intro- 
 duced by Captain D., who holds a command in the 
 Nair Brigade. 
 
 " His Highness came out from his room, and met 
 us with great courtesy at the top of the staircase 
 which formed the approach from without. He shook 
 hands with us heartily, and then made us sit down in 
 a very free and English way. 
 
 "The apartment was furnished in a thoroughly 
 English fashion, with pier glasses and rosewood 
 furniture and beautiful water-colour paintings, and 
 everything showed the greatest taste. The Rajah is 
 small and fat in person, with a quick, bright eye, but 
 
124 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1869. 
 
 by no means a dignified mien. The dress in which 
 he receives Europeans by no means does justice to 
 himself, although intended as a compliment to them. 
 It is a great pity that he should lay aside his hand- 
 some native robes and jewelled turban for a shabby- 
 looking alpaca coat and white trousers, such as 
 probably cost about 3s. 6d. at some marine store shop. 
 And yet such is his pleasure. On his head was a 
 little tinsel cap, such as is worn in India by little 
 Muhamadan boys, and on his feet neither shoe nor 
 stocking ! He stammers a good deal in speaking 
 English, and is very nervous, but evidently made a 
 great effort to be agreeable, and to natives this art is 
 always much easier than to Englishmen. After a few 
 common-place remarks, he directed our attention to 
 the beautiful views in every direction from his ver- 
 andah, and pointed out the objects of interest. We 
 should have been very glad of an opportunity of 
 speaking to him upon the subject of religion, in 
 which he shows his liberality by allowing the Bible 
 to be taught in his school ; but our interview was 
 very short, and the nervousness which he showed 
 made one very nervous in talking to him. It would 
 have been much easier to introduce such a subject 
 at a second interview than a first. Although a very 
 enlightened man as to the interests of his country, 
 and the advantages of European intercourse, he is in 
 close subjection to the customs of his religion and 
 the authority of the Brahmans. Being himself not a 
 Brahman but a Nair (of inferior caste), he is ecclesi- 
 
^t. 30.] NAIR DISABILITIES. 1 25 
 
 astically (so to speak) inferior to his Brahman subjects. 
 He cannot even eat with them, and a curious illustra- 
 tion of this bondage is shown in the fact, that he is 
 about to go through certain austerities and/;z^i-, from 
 which Rajahs of his caste and position are never 
 exempt. Part of these ceremonies consist in his be- 
 ing weighed first in gold and then in silver, then in 
 copper, and the equivalent in cash being distributed 
 among the Brahmans. Then he has to pass through 
 a golden bull, sit on a golden lotus, etc., and after 
 this he will be eligible to the dignity, not of eating 
 with his Brahman subjects, but oi seeing tlieyn eat I 
 
 " These ceremonies are supposed to take place at 
 the end of seven years of rule, and as there is a tra- 
 dition that Rajahs do not long survive the ordeal, 
 the present Rajah is naturally anxious to defer the 
 evil day as long as possible. I believe it is fixed for 
 January next, and meanwhile the Brahmans are try- 
 ing to get the Rajah made as fat as possible, that he 
 may weigh the heavier ! 
 
 " I have a good deal more to say about Trevan- 
 drum, as we stayed there about ten days; but the 
 messenger is waiting to take my letter to the post, 
 so that I fear I must inflict another letter upon you 
 next week." 
 
 " Tent, Dec, 13. — I intended to finish my account 
 of my late journey in Travancore last week, but I 
 failed to do so for several reasons. 
 
 " I was requested by our good Bishop to examine 
 
126 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1869. 
 
 in Scripture, etc., the first five classes of the Military 
 Female Orphan Asylum, including about one hundred 
 girls and ten teachers. It took me two days to ex- 
 amine them all, and another day (nearly) to write my 
 report. Besides, I had also to examine in mathema- 
 tics the first class of a mission school for Muhamadan 
 boys, and between these two examinations my week 
 was almost entirely taken up. Then when Monday 
 came, which is the day of the departure of the mail, 
 I found employment enough for three brains such as 
 mine, and the same number of sets of limbs in the 
 necessary preparations for moving out of Madras to 
 my tent. Yesterday another labour was completed, 
 namely, my annual letter to the Home Committee, 
 being a summary of the year's proceedings, which 
 they always require. And now all the old pleasurable 
 sensations are returning with a recommencement of 
 the work which I consider my calling for the present, 
 — preaching the gospel to the heathen. 
 
 " It is with more than usual thankfulness and hope 
 that I now return to my tent, for the one great object 
 for which I have been striving and praying the last 
 two years has been attained, and we have a staff of 
 six young native catechists to help us in the work. 
 To my friend and brother Mr. David Fenn, this 
 addition is not very welcome, and I consider it a kind 
 concession to my weakness. His views of itinerating 
 missions are, I think, peculiar to himself, and can 
 only be carried out by himself. In a word, he thinks 
 that preac/im£- is the object of the itinerator, not con- 
 
^f. 30.] HOW TO EVANGELISE. 12/ 
 
 version, and to this end he would endeavour to cover 
 a very large tract of country, preaching from village 
 to village only ojice at a time, and not returning to 
 the same place more than once in the year. 
 
 " He would have no catechists, no centre of opera- 
 tions, and no converts to take charge of. My own 
 views on the subject, so far as my short experience 
 goes, have not the advantage of novelty or origin- 
 ality, but are much the same as those of the majority 
 of South Indian missionaries. 
 
 " I think when a tract of country is to be evan- 
 gelised, the first thing is to get some thoroughly 
 efficient native agents to assist the missionary in his 
 preachings, and then to look about at once for a 
 centre where schools may be commenced, a congre- 
 gation found, and a church and bungalow built. Then 
 I think every effort should be directed towards the 
 conversion of individual heathens, and until this is 
 done I think the missionary should remain if possible 
 •entirely in his tent. Even when the centre has grown 
 into a flourishing mission station, I think that every 
 missionary ought to be in his tent among the heathen 
 for several months in the year, and this, I think, the 
 Tinnevelly missionaries are apt rather to neglect, 
 although the American missionaries at Vellore and 
 Arcot carry out this principle very thoroughly. They 
 have a large body of native Christians who have been 
 gathered in, but they spend five months of the year 
 in their tents among the heathen. 
 
 " However, I must not go on theorising, or I shall 
 
128 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1869. 
 
 be tempted into a long digression. I have only said 
 thus much to prove how widely different two views 
 of the same department of mission work may be, and 
 how little these differences of opinion may interfere 
 with the peace and fellowship of two missionaries 
 living together in tents. I shall have another oppor- 
 tunity of telling you more about our new acquisitions, 
 as well about several other new features of our itiner- 
 ation. Now, to return to Trevandrum. 
 
 " There is a small congregation of the London 
 Missionary Society which we visited, but the most 
 interesting feature of mission work there comes under 
 the head of Zenana missions, and is carried on by a 
 lady. Miss Blandford. 
 
 " Miss Blandford belongs, I think, to a society with 
 a very long name,* but she considers herself connected 
 with the C.M.S. Her school numbers under thirty 
 pupils, who are not boarders, but they are the children 
 of very respectable parents, all high caste, so they 
 are very well dressed ; and the arrangements are all 
 so good that it looks very like a boarding school. 
 They are taught English, and worsted work of every 
 variety of pattern, and music, beside the ordinary 
 branches of education. Some of them are very nice- 
 looking, and the richer ones wear a great many 
 jewels. Of these the earrings peculiar to natives of 
 Travancore astonished me most. They are not rings 
 at all, but large gilded ornaments of the shape and 
 
 * The Indian Female Normal School and Instruction Society. 
 She now belongs to the Church of England Zenana Missionary Society* 
 
^t. 30.] LAW OF SUCCESSION IN TRAVANCORE. 1 29 
 
 size of a small door handle. In order to insert them, 
 the ear has to be distended into an aperture corre- 
 sponding to that of the handle of an ordinary milk 
 jug, and this is effected by the cruel process of sus- 
 pending four or five heavy leaden rings in the ear of 
 the child when almost an infant. It quite moves one 
 with compassion to see the little girls of Travancore 
 going about with their heavy rings, which drag down 
 the lobe of the ear and make them look as though 
 they were undergoing a penal sentence. Perhaps, 
 however, they would be equally astonished at some 
 of our English fashions, such as that of high-heeled 
 boots, said to be in vogue just now among English 
 ladies. 
 
 "Miss Blandford's work is by no means confined to 
 her school. She visits all the principal native ladies 
 of Trevandrum, from the Rajah's wife downwards — 
 or rather from the Ranee downwards, for according to 
 the native law the Rajah's wife is a mere private lady, 
 and the mother of the future Rajah happens to be an 
 adopted member of a collateral line. The law of suc- 
 cession in Travancore is very difficult to understand, 
 and I should be sorry to attempt to pass an exami- 
 nation in it, although I have often had it explained to 
 me after a fashion. Suffice it to say that the Rajah's 
 sons are not his successors, but his sistej^'s sons, and 
 if there are none, then another lady has to be adopted 
 as the Rani, or mother of the future Rajah. This is 
 only, however, one part of it, for the Rani must have 
 a daughter to make the succession legitimate. There 
 
130 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1869. 
 
 are now two Ranis. One of them had a daughter 
 not long ago, which caused immense rejoicing in the 
 court, but the latest news was that the infant died, so 
 there was corresponding tribulation and woe. The 
 next heir is called the first prince ; an agreeable youth, 
 whom we met at an evening party, but it is to secure 
 the succession after him that all this anxiety is mani- 
 fested. At the Rajah's death, his sons are turned out 
 of the palace like so many obscure individuals, and 
 have to live as they can, 
 
 "Miss Blandford is received by those ladies with 
 the greatest affection, and several of them have been 
 taught by her reading and writing, and ornamental 
 work. Some of their prejudices have been broken 
 down. They drive about in carriages, which they 
 never used to do ; and though they still refuse to see 
 European gentlemen, yet exceptions have been made 
 in several instances, and one of our missionaries has 
 been favoured with an interview with the two Ranees, 
 who converse fluently in English. This same mis- 
 sionary had a portrait of the Rajah presented to him 
 by one of the family, who executed it himself It is a 
 miniature on ivory, and is so accurate and so finished, 
 that it looks like a coloured photograph of the highest 
 class. It is so very rare to find cultivation of the fine 
 arts among the natives, that one is the more aston- 
 ished at this portrait. In Miss Blandford's school 
 there are no girls as yet who have embraced Chris- 
 tianity, but there seems to be a growing desire among 
 them to learn our religion ; and their Bible lessons 
 
^t. 30.] MISS blandford's school. 131 
 
 interest them much. The school is mainly supported, 
 I believe, by Government grant, and this is of course 
 a hindrance. 
 
 "The open profession of Christianity by any girl, 
 would be a matter of great anxiety, as it might lead 
 to the withdrawal of all the other scholars, but of 
 course the conversion of a single child would be worth 
 any sacrifice, and it often happens (as in the case of 
 Mr. Noble's school) that although the scholars may 
 be withdrawn for a time, they return again, and the 
 Lord does not suffer the enemy to prevail. 
 
 "Miss Blandford has just welcomed an assistant in 
 her work, a Miss Dalton, the daughter of an English 
 clergyman, who has lately arrived from home. 
 
 "One of the duties of a visitor to Trevandrum is to 
 call on the Diwan, the Rajah's prime minister, and this 
 duty Mr. Fenn and I did not neglect. This gentle- 
 man is a Brahman of considerable polish and prepos- 
 sessing exterior, and our Government has not failed to 
 recognise his ability and prominence, by making him 
 a K.C.S.I., with the title of Sir Madava Rao. 
 
 "We were received by the Diwan in a bungalow, 
 furnished according to every rule of English luxury 
 and taste. He is a very agreeable man to talk to, and 
 exceedingly popular among the English residents, 
 especially the ladies. He showed us a book, 
 which he told us that the ladies of his family 'de- 
 voured ' with the greatest interest. It was a descrip- 
 tion by a native, in Mahrati, of English scenes, 
 manners, and customs, properly illustrated and beau- 
 
132 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1869, 
 
 tifully printed, and bound. The author was evidently 
 an eye-witness of the things he described, but his 
 illustrations were often borrowed from other books; 
 especially from a book which I have seen, descrip- 
 tive of the various ways of obtaining a livelihood in 
 London. It was amusing to see accurate pictures of 
 an English dinner party, Rotten Row, the English 
 costermonger, and even the blind man of Portman 
 Square, who begs with the help of a little dog, with 
 basket in its mouth. With these were interspersed 
 other subjects, such as the Mansion House, the Tros- 
 achs, and the best specimens of statuary, such as 
 the ' Reading Girl,' by Magni, etc., etc. It is quite a 
 new thing for a native of India to write a book of 
 this kind. I heard lately of a novel, with a very good 
 moral, being written by a native of Bengal, and it is 
 to be hoped that educated natives will soon begin 
 translating English standard works into their own 
 language. In theology, this is being done by some 
 of our native Christians. One of our native ministers 
 is translating Trench's books on the parables and 
 miracles into Tamil, and another is engaged on a 
 commentary of the New Testament, based on Alford, 
 Wordsworth, etc. 
 
 We were invited by the Diwan to a ' soiree ' at his 
 house one evening, but we were unable to go, as our 
 departure prevented it. The invitation came in the 
 most approved form, printed in English on a large 
 card, with the Diwan's monogram above, and we 
 heard afterwards that the soiree was attended by all 
 
^t. 30.] CAPE COMORIN. 1 33 
 
 the English residents of Trevandrum, and was highly 
 successful in every respect. A good many specimens 
 of native manufacture of the best kind in gold and 
 silver and ivory were shown by the Diwan to his 
 guests, and in all these the natives of Travancore are 
 very skilful. 
 
 " I will now add only a little account of my visit 
 to the southernmost mission station in India. It 
 belongs to the London Missionary Society, and is 
 called Nagercoil. We addressed a very interesting 
 congregation in the native church, on the subject of 
 Sinai and Palestine,' and paid a visit to one of the 
 first Roman Catholic mission churches in India, built 
 by no less a person than Xavier. Over the altar there 
 is a glittering ^^gy of the builder, which does him 
 but scant justice, for it is more like a Spanish hidalgo 
 than a great missionary. About twelve miles from 
 Nagercoil is Cape Comorin. We drove halfway in 
 a bullock cart, and then ascended the last of a range 
 of rocky hills, which commands a most striking view 
 of the Cape and the whole south country. The day 
 was very clear to seawards, and as the nearest land to 
 the south was Australia, the sea-line was unbroken. 
 To the east and west the shore trended away in a 
 northerly direction, with the slightest fringe of foam, 
 and in the foreground the eye rested on large forests 
 of palmyra and cocoa-nut palm, with here and there a 
 patch of bright red sand. It was pleasant to realise 
 a gospel beacon on India's southernmost shore, and 
 a chain of such beacons right away to the extreme 
 
134 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. 
 
 north at Peshawur, 2500 miles. We crossed another 
 range of hills, and then found ourselves in the familiar 
 scenes of Tinnevelly. 
 
 " Such a change it was, — from green, moist moun- 
 tainous Travancore to dry, flat, thirsty Tinnevelly, — 
 and from a point where one can see both countries 
 at once, the contrast is most striking. We greeted 
 familiar faces, and revisited places dear to Mr. Fenn, 
 from many old associations, and then returned to 
 Madras, much refreshed in body and mind, not least 
 by the promise of as many catechists as we needed 
 for our work. We have been waiting in Madras till 
 the monsoon should be over, but at last we got tired 
 of waiting, and the result is, that we are getting rather 
 a * ducking ' in our tents. However, it is delightful 
 to be out again under any circumstances, and you 
 will, I am sure, congratulate us upon it." 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE PERSIAN FAMINE — ISPAHAN, 1 87 1 -72. 
 
 From the digression of the last chapter, we now 
 return to Gordon's own more immediate work and 
 history. By the end of the year 1870 he was at home 
 once more, only, however, to remain a short time. 
 The Committee of the Church Missionary Society 
 had accepted his offer, to join the Rev. T. V. French 
 in his work at Lahore in the Punjab, and he was 
 anxious to fulfil his promise without delay. 
 
 Believing, however, that the Persian language 
 would be most useful to him in his new work, he re- 
 solved on travelling to India through Persia, and to 
 spend some time in the latter country for the sake of 
 learning the language. Accordingly, the autumn of 
 1 87 1 again saw him setting his face eastwards. It 
 so happened that this brought him into Persia just 
 as the terrible famine, which occurred that year, was 
 at its height. This naturally gives his letters and 
 journals an unusual interest, as he was not merely 
 a spectator of passing events, but an actor in them. 
 He spent his time in company with the Church 
 Missionary Society's Missionary, the Rev. Robert 
 Bruce (now Dr. Bruce), in relieving, as far as the 
 
136 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1871. 
 
 means placed at their disposal would allow, the ap- 
 palling distress which faced them on every side. In 
 a circular letter, written to the children of Mel- 
 bourne, Gordon gives an account of the first part 
 of his journey into Persia : — 
 
 " I have not time to tell you all about my journey, 
 and if I did it would tire you to read it, so I will pass 
 on at once to Persia. I soon found that all that I 
 had heard about the difficulties of travelling in Persia 
 was quite true ; there are no carriage roads in the 
 country, so when I left the Russian conveyance in 
 which I had travelled several hundred miles from 
 Tiflis, I had to mount a horse and begin my ride of 
 1200 miles through Persia; it was not at all like 
 riding through the Australian bush, for there was not 
 a tree to be seen, or any sign of life for days together, 
 except when a little village here and there came in 
 sight. The horses were poor, half-starved animals, 
 sometimes almost ready to drop. I hired three to 
 start with, one for myself, one for my luggage, and 
 one for the postilion; then when I got to a station 
 where others were to be had, I changed horses 
 and continued the journey. In this way I reached 
 Tabreez, a large town on the way to Teheran ; but 
 as there is nothing that would interest you about 
 Tabreez I will not stop there. The ride to Teheran 
 is 400 miles, and by changing horses every fifteen or 
 twenty miles, and riding day and night, I got to Te- 
 heran in five days. It was very tiring, as the horses 
 were bad. and could not go quickly, and sometimes the 
 
^^/. 32.] REACHES TEHERAN. 1 3/ 
 
 mountain track was very slippery with ice and snow, 
 and my hair was stiff with icicles. Wherever you go 
 in Persia, the country always looks the same — wide, 
 barren plains, surrounded by high, barren mountains. 
 You ride across the plain, then over the mountain, 
 then down to another plain, and so on. As these 
 plains are 4000 feet above the sea, they are often 
 covered with snow in winter, and travellers lose their 
 way. It is necessary to start with a good supply of 
 food for the whole journey, as the post stations where 
 the horses are kept are often nothing more than 
 stables, with nothing to eat ; and if a traveller wishes 
 to be comfortable, he must take his bed with him, 
 as he will find nothing to lie upon — not a bed, chair, 
 table, or carpet. My bed is a bag, which I roll up 
 and carry on my horse, and when I get to the stable 
 I fill it with chopped straw, such as they feed the 
 horses with (for straw in this country is too valu- 
 able to give horses to lie upon ; it is all chopped for 
 food ! ), and then I do not mind lying upon the 
 ground. I was very glad to reach Teheran in 
 safety, and there I found English people who made 
 me very comfortable." 
 
 After a very short stay in Teheran, he continued 
 his journey to Ispahan, in company with Mr. Bruce. 
 His letters and journals are quoted, as giving the 
 best possible description of the state of affairs. 
 
 " I am now," he says, in another circular letter 
 written on January 28, 1872, from Korood, "on my 
 journey from Teheran to Ispahan, and if there is any 
 
138 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1872. 
 
 travelling in the world which is more calculated than 
 another to call up by contrast the comforts and 
 associations of home and friends, I think it must be 
 
 Persian travel in the depth of winter 
 
 " I have been spending two days in one of the Per- 
 sian hotels. The reason of my detention is, that I 
 am weatherbound by a heavy fall of snow, which has 
 closed a lofty mountain pass just in front. The greater 
 part of the ride (270 miles) has been accomplished in 
 three and a half days, but the worst part still remains, 
 and reports are daily spreading in this little village of 
 the danger of advancing. Two of the villagers have 
 been lost in the snow, and several caravans have had 
 to leave their burdens on the mountains and escape as 
 best they could. My ' hoteV is the best the village can 
 afford. It consists of a single chamber or cell open- 
 ing into a stable. Chair, table, carpet, or bedstead 
 there is none. When I first came in certain repairs 
 had to be made. The mud floor was scraped with a 
 handful of twigs, which raised the dust in clouds. 
 The orifice in the wall admitting light had to be 
 stopped with stones and rags to keep out the cold, 
 and a similar operation had to be performed in the 
 roof, which gave an easy access to a heap of snow. 
 Then a hole was dug in the centre of the floor as a 
 stove, a few sticks were lighted, and for want of a 
 chimney the door had to serve as a passage for volumes 
 of smoke. To keep out the cold and let in the light 
 is hopeless, so I sit over the fire on my travelling-rug, 
 wrapped in my fur coat, with the door open to enable 
 
^t. 32.] TRAVELS WITH DR. BRUCE. 1 39 
 
 me to read a book and see through the smoke, while 
 some water has frozen in a vessel at my side. But I 
 am better off than my companion Mr. Bruce, for his 
 mind is filled with anxiety about his wife, who is 
 very ill at Ispahan, without a doctor to attend to 
 her, or a friend to advise her ; and so he is most 
 keenly impatient of this delay, which keeps him 
 from her. Hence we are resolved to press on at all 
 hazards, as soon as ever we can persuade any guides 
 to accompany us. 
 
 "■ Our day has not been uninterrupted by visitors 
 of a certain class — not the local aristocracy (for there 
 are none), but a throng of pale, shadowy forms, in 
 every stage of emaciation and rags, whose wail for 
 relief is a sound as familiar to the ear in every Per- 
 sian village or city, as the cries of the hawker, the 
 dustman, and milkwoman, are to a resident in London. 
 And yet, a few years ago, if report be true, beg- 
 ging was almost unknown in Persia. To meet the 
 wants of this starving crowd, I have happily a fund of 
 about £^0, the greater part of which was given me by 
 Mr. Alison, at Teheran ; but the hopeless part of it 
 is, that this famine is of such gigantic and appalling 
 dimensions, that such sums of money are swallowed 
 up like a cup of water poured upon a burning desert, 
 without leaving a trace behind, and nothing but the 
 working of a daily miracle, such as the ' loaves and 
 fishes,' could at all alleviate the universal distress. 
 
 " Another difficulty is, that when you have given 
 a few pence to a starving man, you cannot be sure 
 
140 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1872. 
 
 that it will not be extracted from him by • some 
 creditor, or the collector who has got information 
 that charity has been dispensed. Even at our 
 wretched halting-places on the road, I never could 
 be sure that the poor wretches had not paid highly 
 to the stable-keeper for the right of admittance to 
 beg. And in a country where every office is sold, 
 from the highest to the lowest, and every salary ex- 
 torted by oppression, deceit, and fraud, it is probably 
 beyond the mark to suppose that one-half of the 
 funds raised for the support of the sufferers ever 
 reaches the hands of the destitute. In the light of 
 this great national corruption, which poisons the 
 sources of prosperity, and gives a retrograde impulse 
 to all social and moral improvement, one is not sur- 
 prised to find Persia a wilderness, and half her towns 
 and villages in ruins. And the lesson is one which 
 was enforced of old by prophetic lips, ' Behold the 
 Lord of Hosts doth take away the stay and the 
 staff, the whole stay of bread and the whole staff of 
 water ; and the people shall be oppressed every one 
 by another, and every one by his neighbour.' ' The 
 earth is defiled under the inhabitants thereof, because 
 they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordi- 
 nances, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore 
 hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that 
 dwell therein are desolate. There is a crying in the 
 streets ; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is 
 gone. In the city is left desolation, and the gate is 
 smitten with destruction. — Is. iii., xxiv." 
 
y^"/. 32.] FAMISHING CROWDS. 141 
 
 The letter is continued by extracts from Gordon's 
 Diary : — 
 
 " Korood, January 29. — Clear morning and all fair 
 for a start. Invasion by a crowd of famishing people 
 — one child of eight or ten, with limbs as lean as a 
 crow's leg, and a horrible expression of suffering. 
 Bruce did his best to make a selection of some of the 
 worst in the throng for relief, but found it very diffi- 
 cult, and we could hardly force our way through the 
 crowd without violence. Agreed with seven sturdy 
 guides to escort us for high pay, but we had hardly 
 started before they ' struck ' for higher wages. 
 Heard bells behind us, and saw a cafila (caravan) of 
 mules on the same journey. Stopped to let the cafila 
 advance, and they made a capital track for us 
 through the snow, which was up to our stirrups on 
 either side. Had a stiff pull up to the top of the 
 Korood Pass, reminding me of Switzerland ; then a 
 valley on the other side, dreary and deep, in which 
 travellers are often lost, and where my horse fell twice, 
 and could not recover his footing till I dismounted. 
 Found walking no easy task. Took six hours to ac- 
 complish eight miles, and as snow began to fall, and 
 it would be hopeless to reach the next station (twelve 
 miles more) before night, resolved to put up at a 
 ' house of refuge ' on the way. Saw bales of goods 
 lying in the snow, which the Cafila had abandoned 
 and were come to retrieve. Arrived at the ' hospice,^ 
 and found nothing but bare walls for a night's shelter, 
 
142 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1872. 
 
 in forty degrees of frost — a mere cow-house, at which 
 an English cow would be indignant On entering by 
 a doorway without a door, Bruce stumbled into a pit 
 in the floor, and nearly sprained his ankle. Took our 
 four horses into the inner chamber, and kept the outer 
 one for ourselves. Found a most providential supply 
 of firewood in some old telegraph poles, without 
 which we must have been frozen. . . . Had more 
 trouble with the guides, who were led by a des- 
 perate ruffian, and extorted most of their pay by 
 threats of violence. Apprehensive of a possible 
 attack during the night, I took shots with my re- 
 volver at a mark in the corner of the chamber, to 
 show we were prepared, and slept with it under 
 my head." 
 
 ''Jan. 30. — Rose at five, in much thankfulness for 
 rest and quiet, and prepared to start. Fresh demands 
 made by our guides and their ringleader, who seized 
 our horses, barred the gate of the caravanserai, and 
 refused to let us go unless they were satisfied. Bruce 
 tried conciliation and firmness in vain. We forced 
 open the gate and ordered the courier to bring up 
 the horses ; but, finding ourselves in a minority of 
 two to nine, were obliged to compromise by paying 
 all but the ringleader, on condition they would fulfil 
 their contract, and escort us to the next station. 
 Three only, however, remained with us. On reaching 
 the next station, where an Englishman in charge of 
 the telegraph resides, we lodged our complaint against 
 
^t. 30.] THE CITY OF ISPAHAN. I43 
 
 the defaulters, who, if arrested, will be sent for punish- 
 ment to Ispahan." 
 
 ''^ Jan. 31. — Another weary day's march of forty or 
 fifty miles through the snow, unbroken by incident, 
 unrelieved by the sight of a single tenanted habitation, 
 except the post station ; consisting only of stable and 
 caravanserai. Some of these caravanserais have a 
 most imposing appearance, and can be seen in the 
 clear sky eight miles off. When you come up you 
 find only the remnants of former grandeur, ruined 
 walls, roofless chambers without a door or an occupant. 
 Some of them are resorts of highway robbers, but at 
 this cold season even robbers will have nothing to say 
 to them. 
 
 " At 2 P.M., halted to rest our horses, and met some 
 of Bruce's native friends, who had come out to escort 
 him. At 5 P.M., the city of Ispahan came in sight, 
 beautifully set off by snow mountains and the rosy 
 touch of the setting sun. Two hours more, through 
 streets and bazaars, brought us to the Armenian 
 suburb of Julfa, where B. resides. Found Mrs. Bruce 
 in a low and weak state, but happily free from fever." 
 
 ''^Feb. 3. — . . . To a mind not wholly callous to 
 the claims of suffering humanity, it is a terrible thing 
 to witness daily evidence of distress which it cannot 
 relieve ; to see men, women, and children lying 
 down to die in the snow and frost, with hardly a gar- 
 
144 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1872, 
 
 ment to cover them ; or to see a mother mourning 
 over her dead child, which she is unable to bury ; 
 or a son over his father ; while the haggard expres- 
 sion and bony limbs show that it is only a question of 
 days or hours how soon that mother or son will lay 
 down the burden of life, and become themselves the 
 prey of the raven and the jackal, and yet this is no 
 fiction but a fact, which I have daily witnessed. 
 
 " In the streets and bazaars of Teheran, within 
 sight of the baker's shop and the merchants' stores, 
 at the doors of the wealthy, and in the pathway of 
 the proud rulers of the land, the helpless victims of 
 starvation, and, in many instances, of oppression, 
 extortion, and misgovernment, are perishing like dogs, 
 and being flung into a nameless grave. It was stated 
 officially by the governor's secretary, that in one 
 night alone in that city, which is but four miles round, 
 there were 300 deaths from cold and want. Had the 
 evil been a little less palpable and glaring, it is cer- 
 tain that it would have been concealed altogether by 
 the Persian Government, as it was disowned at first 
 by their minister in London. But now that the eyes 
 of all Europe are opened to the fact, through the 
 medium of the English telegraph and press, now 
 that subscriptions have flowed in from London, and 
 a local relief committee is being organised, the king 
 and his government are forced to take action. The 
 stern will, which no amount of human misery could 
 have moved, has been bent by the force of English 
 public opinion, and some of the coffers of Persian 
 
uEt 32.] DEATHS BY COLD AND FAMINE. 145 
 
 avarice have been unlocked. . . . Poorhouses have 
 been opened, into which some of the starving crowd 
 are forced by the police, who occasionally parade the 
 streets with sticks and cords to compel the refractory. 
 Once incarcerated in these penitentiaries, they are 
 not allowed either to escape or to die, but the reluct- 
 ance with which they are conducted there shows that 
 they would prefer the latter alternative. They evi- 
 dently consider Persian relief as a species of penal 
 servitude, and it is well known that the money en- 
 trusted to subordinates for their support diminishes 
 rapidly by misappropriation. 
 
 " The severity of this season (which is said to be 
 an exceptional one) proves fatal to thousands of the 
 homeless and destitute, who might otherwise struggle 
 through to the spring. The morning of the day I 
 arrived in Julfa the thermometer (Fahrenheit) had 
 stood at eleven degrees below zero, i.e.^ forty- three 
 degrees of frost, and it was probably much colder in 
 the open country. 
 
 "In the earlier part of our journey between Tehe- 
 ran and Kashan, we counted no less than seven corpses 
 by the roadside, who had sunk in the way from ex- 
 haustion and cold. Some were partially destroyed 
 by birds and beasts of prey. Others, more recently 
 dead, had been stripped by passers-by, and then par- 
 tially covered by falling snow. Some were ghastly in 
 death, with pinched faces and skeleton limbs. 
 
 K 
 
146 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1872. 
 
 "We were constantly coming upon bones of one 
 sort or another, — the camel, the mule, or the horse ; 
 while here and there you might see by day the group 
 of vultures or ravens, or by night a wolf, a jackal, or 
 fox feasting upon a recently fallen carcase. 
 
 "But the most painful sight was to see poor 
 travellers struggling along on foot, having left some 
 famine-stricken village, buoyed up with the hope of 
 improving their condition at another, which they 
 were destined never to reach. 
 
 " . . . We had hardly proceeded a mile further 
 through the snow, which was lying deep beneath and 
 falling thickly above, when we saw something in the 
 way, which looked like a bundle that someone had 
 dropped. At first it showed no sign of life, but upon 
 our calling it moved, and we found under a piece of 
 sacking a poor, emaciated boy at the point of death, 
 lying down to sleep his last sleep. We gave him a 
 little brandy and a piece of bread, but he could 
 neither masticate nor articulate, nor stand for feeble- 
 ness. He staggered a step, and then fell to rise no 
 more. The consciousness of pain seemed to be past 
 with the consciousness of things around him, and the 
 vital spark just flickered for a moment, to drop into 
 the socket and expire. A little further and we met 
 another youth in a hardly less pitiable condition, 
 trying almost hopelessly to reach the post-station 
 before nightfall. Upon our giving him a little assist- 
 ance, he said that the only food he had tasted was 
 part of the carcase of a donkey. There is something 
 
^t. 32. PERSIAN MISGOVERNMENT. I47 
 
 affecting in the resigned way in which these people 
 meet their fate. It may be called fatalism, and is 
 doubtless a part of the Muhamadan creed ; still it is 
 all done in the name of God. There is lao more 
 frequent expression upon their lips than ' Insh 'allah/ 
 
 * if God will.' When they bid you enter their house, 
 even when they hand you a cup of tea, they say 
 
 * Bism 'illah,' ' In the name of God.' 
 
 " Upon one occasion, when thousands of starving 
 people assembled at Ispahan under the impression 
 that Mr. Bruce was possessed of unlimited powers to 
 help them, a few words of explanation were sufficient 
 to disperse the crowd. They merely said, ' Be it so ; 
 you are better to us than our own people ' (governors), 
 and quietly went home to starve. 
 
 " It is no doubt the case that this spirit of resig- 
 nation is mixed up with a great deal of laziness and 
 apathy, which is one of the national characteristics 
 of the Persians. As a Persian captain in the Black 
 Sea remarked to me, of the cause of the failure of the 
 crops and the famine, ' Vous savez, Monsieur, que les 
 Persans sont bons pour dormir, pour mentir, pour 
 voler, mais pas bons pour travailler.' Still it is the 
 power of the mullahs (or priesthood) and misgovern- 
 ment that are the real curses of Persia. Many in 
 straitened circumstances adopt the language of the 
 steward in the parable, * I cannot dig, to beg I am 
 ashamed,' and then pursue the same unscrupulous 
 course. 
 
 " Others take to the trade of highway robbery, and 
 
148 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1872, 
 
 reports are rife almost daily of this kind of violence 
 in roads which were formerly so secure that people 
 could travel unarmed. One night, as Mr. Bruce and 
 I were quietly riding along, we suddenly came upon 
 twelve or fifteen men sitting together in a hollow of 
 the road, evidently for no good purpose. We felt for 
 our revolvers, and asked them what they were doing ? 
 ' Watching the crops,' was their reply, but the postilion 
 who was with us affirmed that they were robbers. 
 They evidently did not think us worth attacking ; but 
 we heard on our arrival at the next post-station, that 
 a cafila of mules had been attacked and two loads 
 of rice were carried off, thus proving that our friends 
 were at anyrate ' watching for crops ' to some purpose. 
 
 "Fed. 25. — I am now engaged in a work which is 
 new to me, although past experience of parochial 
 work in London proves very useful in its discharge. 
 My duties are those of relieving officer, doctor, pur- 
 veyor, poorhouse guardian and inspector, outfitter, 
 and undertaker to a community of eight hundred 
 poor Armenians from the district of Feridun. As I 
 go my rounds among them, morning and evening, I 
 often long to be their pastor also, but, unfortunately,. 
 I do not know a word of Armenian ; and at present 
 my knowledge of Persian, which is the only medium 
 of communication with the servants employed to take 
 care of them, is very defective. They are a very illi- 
 terate set of mountaineers, and therefore the distri- 
 bution of Bibles and tracts is useless. It is painful to 
 
u^t. 32.] WORK AMONG THE SICK. 149 
 
 see them dying, as many have died, and to be able 
 only to relieve the body without a word of comfort to 
 the soul. I am daily trying to devise some means 
 for their instruction. My first effort was to establish 
 a hospital for the sick, and improve their general con- 
 dition. But even physical relief is very difficult, for 
 there is no European doctor here, and those of the 
 natives who profess to be doctors are all utterly 
 ignorant. The one whom I employ cannot even tell 
 me what their complaints are, and if I give him 
 medicine for them he does not use it, so I am obliged 
 just to make him a medium of inquiry, asking ques- 
 tions in Persian, which he translates into Armenian, 
 and administering with my own hand such simple 
 remedies as I have access to. There is a very small 
 stock of medicines in the place, and the only useful 
 ones which I can obtain are rhubarb and opium ; but 
 I use largely a decoction of cinnamon and ginger, 
 which, with sugar, makes an excellent tea, and the 
 natives are very fond of it. This I serve out, with 
 bread, to my seventy patients morning and evening, 
 and soup in the middle of the day. Yesterday I had 
 the greatest difficulty in making them take the doses 
 of rhubarb which were necessary, and a few were so 
 refractory that force had to be used. Fortunately I 
 had no surgical operations to perform, for I doubt 
 whether I could muster any better instruments than 
 a carving-knife for amputation, and a pair of tongs 
 for the extraction of teeth. However, I do my best 
 to relieve Mr. Bruce of a department of work which 
 
I50 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1872. 
 
 he could not possibly manage in addition to his 
 already overcharged list of duties. 
 
 "It is difficult to believe that in Julfa, which is 
 the Armenian quarter of Ispahan, with a population 
 of 2700 Christians, there is a bishop, twenty-two 
 priests, and sixteen nuns, for they seem to take no 
 interest whatever in the people, whose spiritual charge 
 they have, and unless I go and call upon them, I see 
 nothing of them. It is true they are poor and with- 
 out funds, but they might be very useful in the case 
 of the sick if they chose. 
 
 " The snow has greatly abated under a genial sun 
 and those of the Feridunis who have left families in 
 their native villages are now able to return to them. 
 I have been paying off about a hundred, and making 
 an allowance for their domestic claims when on a 
 reasonable scale. As personal security, however, is 
 not possible, I am obliged to take them at their word, 
 except in a few cases ; as, for instance, when one man 
 claimed twenty-four * hopefuls' of his own in a distant 
 village, others eighteen, seventeen, etc. In such cases 
 the * family' generally means uncle, brothers, nephews, 
 and cousins twice and three times removed ! Alto- 
 gether, they got a sum amounting to ;^8i, los., which 
 includes expenses for a journey of four days, and the 
 balance to start with till they get work, such as the 
 spring generally brings. 
 
 " In the course of a few weeks I hope to start 
 off the rest on their journey home, and very thankful 
 I shall be when they go, for they now occupy my 
 
^t. 32.] PERSIAN FRAUD AND OPPRESSION. 151 
 
 whole time. They are scattered about in seventy- 
 five different houses, which is a parish of itself, and I 
 have not the advantage of district visitors to man- 
 age clothing clubs, soup kitchens, etc. ; nor can I trust 
 one single Armenian or Persian servant to do any- 
 thing except under my own eye. I have discovered 
 gross frauds in the banking department, and when I 
 know that fraud and oppression enter largely into 
 every department of the social and religious system 
 in Persia, I cannot help regarding this famine as a 
 national chastisement. It is against the very same sins 
 that the Prophet Amos was sent to denounce judg- 
 ment, and his language (chap. viii. 4-1 1) is strikingly 
 applicable to Persia, ' Hear this, O ye that swallow up 
 the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail, 
 saying, " When will the new moon be gone, that we 
 may sell corn, and the Sabbath, that we may set forth 
 wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, 
 and falsifying the balances by deceit, that we may 
 buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of 
 shoes, yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat ? " ' Shall 
 not the land tremble for this, and everyone mourn 
 that dwelleth therein ? ' 
 
 " From many of the towns and villages of Persia 
 there is a cry like the cry of Egypt, on the night of 
 the Exodus, not a house where there is not one dead. 
 What a bright prospect might open for Persia, if her 
 repentance were like the repentance of Nineveh, at 
 the preaching of Jonah ! " 
 
152 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1872. 
 
 "Feb.2'/.— I have to-day been giving a feast to about 
 seven hundred Feridunis. It was not much, being 
 only bread, rice and salt, boiled with a little meat, 
 but it rejoiced many, whose only diet is three cakes of 
 bread a day. The daily allowance of bread costs only 
 2d. a head, even in this famine season. The rice was 
 •Jd. a head more, and the meat, etc., was the relics of 
 soup boiled for the sick, so that it was altogether a 
 very economical feast. It was some difficulty to get 
 them to sit down in rows, as they do not at all under- 
 stand arrangement, but we had fortunately some long 
 walls to make them sit against, and a fair staff of 
 helpers to keep order. It reminded me much of an 
 English school treat, such as might be assembled in 
 some of the raggedest districts of London, but they 
 were much more quiet than a set of hungry London 
 lads would be. It was touching to see them contented 
 and grateful for so frugal a repast. As I stood at the 
 door by which they went out, taking a list of them, 
 many kissed my hand as they passed, and made a 
 profound and not ungraceful bow. The women wear 
 a peculiar and very quaint head-dress, not unlike a 
 lancer's helmet, over which they have a cloth which 
 serves as a veil, and is tied over the mouth, in token 
 perhaps of their control over the * unruly member,' in 
 which they differ from some of their sex. I seldom 
 hear them speak above a whisper, and this rule holds 
 especially in the presence of their husbands. The 
 Armenian women generally wear a long white cloth 
 which covers them from head to foot, and distinguishes 
 
^t. 32.] DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD AND CLOTHING. I 53 
 
 them from the Persian women, whose cloth is dark 
 blue." 
 
 " Feb. 28. — I have this morning been engaged in 
 distributing clothes to about sixty applicants. It is 
 no easy thing to keep a list of female articles of attire 
 here, as they are remarkable for their variety, and yet 
 do not come under the ordinary names of bonnets, 
 shawls, aprons and gowns. In regulating the ac- 
 counts, whether for food or clothing, I take pains to 
 impress upon my agents the responsibility of steward- 
 ship in the expenditure of public money. They seem 
 to think that minuteness and accuracy in the account- 
 ing for large sums is quite unnecessary, and that 
 wholesale prices should be on the same scale as 
 retail. We have been well supplied with funds at 
 Ispahan, in proportion to what has been subscribed 
 for other parts of Persia, in consequence of Mr. 
 Bruce's urgent appeals to England and India, and his 
 ■diligence in affording information as to how the money 
 is spent ; but the difficulty of preventing imposition 
 would sadly perplex the cleverest relief officer in Lon- 
 don. My chief objection to the plan hitherto pursued 
 is, that the vast majority of Persian applicants for re- 
 lief are women, who all wear exactly the same dress, 
 and are so completely muffled up in their veils that 
 recognition is impossible. In the case of the men, 
 you can always see their faces, and can generally 
 judge by the expression and features whether they 
 are really starving. The expression and appearance 
 
154 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1872. 
 
 are the only index, for it is quite hopeless to attempt 
 to find out about a man's circumstances in a large 
 Muhamadan city where no one speaks the truth. 
 One rule, therefore, which I should make is to give 
 relief to none but the male members of a family 
 whom I could recognise again, unless the ladies chose 
 to unveil, which they often do when in great straits of 
 poverty. 
 
 " Mr. Bruce takes care to give no relief except by 
 ticket, and always to give it with his own hand ; for 
 nothing is easier than for the same woman to come 
 (closely veiled) several times in the week, each time 
 with a different name, and the claims (of course) of a 
 large family, and then on the day of relief to make a 
 series of calls, and obtain a large sum of money, to 
 the exclusion of more deserving cases. I have no 
 doubt that imposition in this way has been practised 
 on a large scale, although detection has followed in 
 comparatively few instances. Another plan which I 
 hope we shall be able to carry out by degrees is, to 
 give no relief at the door of the house, but to assemble 
 all the poorest of the people once a month for the ap- 
 portionment of their claims in the districts where they 
 reside. It is much easier to make inquiry into their 
 circumstances on the spot, and to do them justice. 
 
 "When they are allowed to come in crowds to 
 the house at odd times, as they do at present, much 
 time is lost, and much indiscriminate charity bestowed. 
 We found the benefit of this plan in dealing with the 
 Jews, of whom there are about nine hundred on Mr. 
 
^/. 32-] DESTITUTE PERSIAN JEWS. 1 55 
 
 Bruce's list, most of them in a very destitute condition. 
 When we went to Ispahan on their last monthly- 
 pay-day, we found that sixty had died of their small 
 community in two months, in spite of relief They 
 were all arranged according to their families in a large 
 court or walled garden, so that when we came, we had 
 nothing to do but call over their names and give them 
 the money, which was ready tied up in bags, accord- 
 ing to the number of their households. In this way 
 we paid off the nine hundred in three hours. It was 
 a heart-stirring sight to see their poverty. They sat 
 in rows on the ground, which was cleared for the 
 occasion by the snow being heaped up in great banks, 
 but the mud was so sticky that I was nearly rooted 
 where I stood to give the money. By the time we 
 had done, a crowd of Persian beggars had collected, 
 who seized our clothes and our horses' bridles, and 
 even threw themselves under our horses' feet, and it 
 was all we could do to get away. This scene is 
 always repeated whenever relief is given. Yesterday, 
 on going to a neighbouring village for the purpose, a 
 crowd collected outside the court where we had as- 
 sembled the beggars, and as we had not our horses, 
 we were obliged to steal out by a side door, run down 
 several back streets, and emerge from the opposite 
 end of the place. 
 
 " It is often most difficult to get in and out of Mn 
 Bruce's house here even on ordinary days, and when- 
 ever I go about, I take a servant with me to clear the 
 way. On two occasions, when a scramble took place 
 
156 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1872. 
 
 for food and money given from a rich man's door in 
 Ispahan, several people were killed by being trodden 
 to death. 
 
 " Our Committee of Relief in Julfa consists of four 
 persons, representing the entire ' Society ' of the place. 
 They are Mr. Bruce, Mr. Preece, — a younger man 
 than ourselves, who is in charge of the telegraph, — 
 Mr. Aganon, the head of the Armenians, and agent 
 for our Government, and myself. We meet every 
 Saturday for the transaction of business, and accounts 
 are made up once a fortnight 
 
 " These accounts do not enable me yet to give an 
 accurate statement of the number relieved and the 
 sums expended, but I hope we shall get them into 
 order, and publish a little report. As far as I can 
 ascertain, about ^5120 has been spent altogether, and 
 there is a good balance in hand. At present there 
 are between three thousand and four thousand Per- 
 sians on the relief list, about one thousand or one 
 thousand five hundred Armenians, and nine hundred 
 Jews. A large sum of money has been raised in Cal- 
 cutta by the energetic efforts of Colonel Haig, of the 
 C.M.S. Corresponding Committee, and about ;^iooo 
 has come from Germany. The Persians themselves 
 have done nothing as yet for Ispahan, but at Teheran 
 and Shiraz they have of late awakened to the neces- 
 sity of action." 
 
CHAPTERVII. 
 
 PERSIA — SHIRAZ — ISPAHAN. 
 
 It was impossible for Gordon, employed as we have 
 seen him in the last chapter, to carry out his origi- 
 nal intention of reaching the Punjab early in the 
 year. He therefore resolved to stay in Persia for 
 the summer, and to proceed to India in the fall of 
 the year, since it is unadvisable, if it can possibly 
 be avoided, for a new arrival to land in that 
 country just as the very great heat of summer has 
 set in. 
 
 It has been stated that Gordon's primary object 
 in visiting Persia at all was the acquisition of the Per- 
 sian language. While, staying at Julfa, however, he 
 found it impossible not to give up the whole of his 
 time to the relief of distress. Accordingly he deter- 
 mined upon leaving his quarters there, and going for 
 a time to Shiraz, in order to have more leisure for the 
 prosecution of his object. He accordingly writes : — 
 
 " I therefore wound up my accounts for the Feri- 
 dunis, a large number of whom I was able to dis- 
 charge with a sufficient sum of money for their 
 families. Just before I started, I heard that these 
 unfortunate men had been attacked by some Persians 
 
158 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1872. 
 
 on their way back to their villages, and robbed of 
 all their money, to the amount of some £7^. I fear 
 that small redress will be obtained from the Persian 
 authorities. 
 
 " The road from Ispahan to Shiraz was not very 
 safe at the time when I started, and it was necessary 
 to take an armed escort part of the way, and to be 
 well armed myself It was reported that a body of 
 one hundred and fifty Baktiaris (a marauding tribe 
 of nomads) was in possession of a mountain pass 
 which had to be crossed, and that they were plunder- 
 ing every cafila and caravan that passed. Sufficient 
 evidence of the truth of these reports met me as I 
 advanced. Very few cafilas were bold enough to 
 undertake the journey, and those which were to be 
 seen were always attended by men with long guns 
 and pistols." 
 
 However, the journey was accomplished in safety, 
 partly owing to the fact that he fell in with Captain 
 Pierson, the chief of the telegraph, who was travel- 
 ling from Shiraz to Teheran. The guard of one 
 hundred horsemen that had accompanied him was 
 now returning to Shiraz in advance of Gordon, and 
 so the road was clear. The description of the ap- 
 proach to Shiraz will be interesting to many readers. 
 It proves what Gordon says, and what every one who 
 knows anything of the East will always maintain, viz., 
 that the outside of a town is far superior to the inside, 
 and that a little " distance lends enchantment to the 
 scene." 
 
u^t. 32.] SHIRAZ. 1 59 
 
 " The first view of Shiraz through a gap in the 
 mountains is very striking. It looks like a beautiful 
 mosaic framed in the rocks. There is a line of tall 
 dark cypresses in the foreground, over which rise the 
 walls of the fortress, surmounted by two pear-shaped 
 cupolas encased in a bright green and blue enamel, 
 which shines in the sun like turquoise. The Persians 
 are very fond of colour, and they paint all over the 
 gateways of their cities, the front of their houses, and 
 the walls of their rooms, with designs of more or less 
 taste. They are fond of decorating their buildings 
 with portraits of their kings and courtiers, as well as 
 with roses, birds, etc. ; and though these drawings 
 often verge on the ludicrous, yet when they take 
 pains they show considerable skill in the art. Their 
 architecture is monotonous and generally flimsy and 
 gingerbread ; and when (as a natural consequence) it 
 crumbles into decay, they take no trouble to restore 
 it. Their streets are narrow and filthy. 
 
 "The chief attractions of Shiraz are its gardens. 
 These gardens are sometimes attached to private 
 houses in the city, but more frequently they are out- 
 side the walls. They are enclosed and entered by 
 doors, but open to the public at all hours. In this 
 respect the Persians are very good-natured. There 
 are no notices to visitors posted up (as in our public 
 gardens at home) ' not to pluck the flowers/ partly, 
 I suppose, because the Persians (although great 
 thieves) recognise an obligation to 'behave them- 
 s elves ' in a garden, partly because, from the nature 
 
l6o GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1872. 
 
 of the gardens, even if they did trespass a Httle, they 
 would do no great harm. The fact is, our ideas of 
 gardening, as of most other things, are very consider- 
 ably in advance of theirs. The Persian garden is 
 monotonous and formal in the extreme. It is utterly 
 neglected as far as weeds are concerned, and they 
 have little taste and no knowledge in the arrange- 
 ment or cultivation of flowers. Their chief object is 
 to keep it well supplied with water, and for this pur- 
 pose a gardener is employed. The best that can be 
 said is, that nature is allowed to have her own way 
 when once the trees and flowers have been planted.. 
 You enter the door and proceed by a straight path 
 between an avenue of cypresses, or other trees, till 
 you reach a square tank of water, whence channels 
 are conducted to all parts of the garden. In the 
 middle of the tank there is a design for a fountain, 
 but I have not yet seen it play, and have some 
 doubts whether it can. Beyond the tank you ascend 
 steps to a large tea-house, profusely adorned with 
 mural paintings, and much frequented by loungers. 
 From the balconies and roof of the house there is 
 generally a pleasant view of Shiraz to be had. Their 
 houses were built by former benefactors of their race,, 
 but are now fast falling to decay. The middle walk 
 is generally intersected by cross walks, which lead 
 again to parallel ends. The favourite flower of the 
 Persians is evidently the rose, but the season for 
 roses has not yet come. There are now wallflowers, 
 stocks, violets, narcissus, and hyacinths in bloom. 
 
.^t. 32.] ORGANIZES COMMITTEE OF RELIEF. 161 
 
 besides a beautiful variety of blossom on the fruit- 
 bearing trees — peach, almond, apricot, etc., and the 
 lilac is just coming out. Between the walks there is a 
 thicket of small trees in which the nightingales sing 
 from morn till night. Hence there is a great charm 
 in these natural gardens, especially when contrasted 
 with the stony desert, where it is uncultivated." 
 
 ''''April II. — I found, when I arrived at Shiraz, 
 that there was a great deal of distress from famine, 
 and that great numbers had died during the winter for 
 want of support. Moreover, the Governor of Shiraz, 
 who had levied a tax upon the rich people, and fed 
 about 1200 beggars, had just died, and the acting 
 governor was not inclined to trouble himself in the 
 matter. So these poor beggars were all cast off, and 
 in my daily walks I am repeatedly solicited by them 
 for bread. I therefore lost no time in organising a 
 committee for relief among the members of the tele- 
 graph staff, and we telegraphed in every direction for 
 funds. I am happy to say that we have just got 
 ;^iooo by telegraph from England, and ;^200 from 
 India, so that we shall be able to do something. The 
 Jewish portion of the community have been well sup- 
 plied by Sir M. Montefiore all through the winter ; 
 but I fear they have been plundered (in proportion) by 
 the Persians, whose tyranny over them is outrageous. 
 They exact taxes, which no Persian is required to 
 pay, from the Jews, and these taxes are enforced at 
 compound interest by the subordinates who are em- 
 
1 62 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1872. 
 
 ployed to collect them. Thus a tax which the king 
 imposes at, say ;^40, becomes ;f 80 at the demand of 
 the governor, ^160 to his deputy, and perhaps ;f lOOO 
 to the man who has the actual collecting of it In 
 addition to these grievances, the poor Jews suffer in 
 many ways in which they have no redress. Any 
 Persian thinks himself at liberty to ill-treat a Jew ; 
 and I have seen even a boy strike a woman passing 
 by in the bazaar for no other reason than because she 
 was a Jewess. 
 
 " There are two orphanages which have been estab- 
 lished in Shiraz for boys who have lost their parents 
 by the famine, and this is about all that has been 
 done in Shiraz by the English residents. They sup- 
 port at present about 200 orphans ; and when I saw 
 these boys, who could neither read nor write, I felt 
 a natural desire that they should be taught these 
 elements of education ; but when I proposed it to the 
 committee, my ' motion ' was ' lost,' on the plea that 
 the Persians would resent any interference in the way 
 of education ! 
 
 " I called the other day on the Governor of Shiraz, 
 in the hope of getting him to do something for the 
 relief of his fellow-countrymen. He received me very 
 civilly, but his face showed what he was, one of the 
 richest and most miserly of the inhabitants of Shiraz. 
 He said he had received a telegram from the Prime 
 Minister to raise funds for the poor (and this was 
 in consequence of a telegram we sent to the British 
 Legation at Teheran), but he had telegraphed back 
 
^t. 32.] OCCUPIES HENRY MARTYN'S HOUSE. 163 
 
 for ' further instructions.' These 'further instructions' 
 are never likely to come, and it is certain that nothing 
 will be done by him. 
 
 " I have taken up my quarters in a Persian's house, 
 and have a large garden all to myself My little 
 room serves as bedroom, sitting and dining-room, but 
 I do not feel pressed for space, as my wants are small ; 
 and I might have other rooms, only I could not fur- 
 nish them, as they are all empty. I believe I am in 
 the very same house which Henry Martyn was in, as 
 I heard to-day that my host is the grandson of his 
 host Jaffier Ali Khan, and that the house has come 
 down from father to son. This gives me quite an 
 additional interest in the place." 
 
 Gordon remained through the whole of May in 
 Shiraz, and afterwards returned once more to Ispahan. 
 Writing to Mr. J. C. Parker in June, he is able to give 
 a much better account of the condition of the people 
 now that the summer had set in. 
 
 " We are breathing more freely now, for there has 
 been a palpable abatement of distress the last week, 
 owing to the fruit and harvest season having begun. 
 The poor are no longer obliged to eat grass — they 
 can get mulberries, apricots, and, in many instances, 
 bread. 
 
 "The price of the latter has fallen to a quarter 
 what it was three weeks ago, and is still going down." 
 
 Again, on July 15, he says : — 
 
 " We are now, thank God, out of the famine, which 
 is a great relief The harvest is abundant, bread 
 
l64 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1872. 
 
 cheap, and work to be had, so that begging has most 
 sensibly diminished, and yesterday Mr. Bruce had 
 his final distribution of money to the Persians 'for 
 the season.' He has just made a 'return' of sums 
 received and distributed among Persians, Jews, and 
 Armenians during the past year, from which it ap- 
 pears that ;^I4,500 is the sum total which has reached 
 and been expended by him from all sources, England, 
 India, and Germany. From the latter ^1500 has 
 been sent, which is a most creditable thing, con- 
 sidering that it was raised by a German pastor. I 
 do not know how much money has been received at 
 Teheran and Bushire, but I know that Shiraz got 
 £1700 while I was there, and the whole Relief Fund 
 cannot have been less than ^25,000, or perhaps 
 i^30,ooo. When one considers that almost all of this 
 large amount has come from our own countrymen 
 who have no interest connected with Persia, one 
 cannot but thank God for so noble and disinterested 
 a spirit of generosity." 
 
 The famine had been such an all-engrossing sub- 
 ject, and so prominently brought before the English 
 public, that not much else was spoken of in Gordon's 
 letters. However, in the February of this same year, 
 one letter written from Ispahan had contained a 
 very interesting account of the difficulties with which 
 Mr. Bruce had to contend. 
 
 " The law which makes it death to a Muhama- 
 dan to change his religion, holds here in full force. 
 
^t. 32.] DR. BRUCE'S labours. 165 
 
 and the Moollahs have such power, that the king and 
 all the rulers of Persia are afraid of them. 
 
 " It is for this reason, and because our North 
 Indian Missions are feeble for want of men, that our 
 Home Committee have decided that the time has not 
 yet come for the commencement of a Persian mission, 
 and they look upon Mr. Bruce's residence in Julfa as 
 temporary only. .-..,... 
 
 " To Mr. Bruce himself it seems otherwise, and he 
 not only feels a strong call to labour in Persia, but 
 thinks that is the duty of the Society to commence 
 at once a Persian mission. He has had much en- 
 couragement, from the fact that a remarkable spirit 
 of inquiry into the truths of Christianity has been 
 awakened among some Persians in Ispahan of the 
 Babi sect, dissenters from the doctrines of Islam. 
 The first convert was before Mr. Bruce's time. He 
 fled from Ispahan because he was condemned for 
 drinking a glass of wine in a European house, to 
 have his ears cut off and to pay a heavy fine. He 
 was for some time under Roman Catholic teaching 
 but came at last under the instruction of Dr. Koelle 
 at Constantinople, who baptized him by the name 
 Ibrahim. I met him at Dr. Koelle's, and he gave me 
 a remittance to his family, who are here, and have 
 been baptized recently by Mr. Bruce. The next in- 
 quirer, a friend of Ibrahim, was a man in mercantile 
 business, also a pupil of the Roman Catholic priest 
 in Julfa. His name is Syad Hashem, and Mr. Bruce 
 
l66 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1872 
 
 being satisfied of his sincerity, baptized him privately. 
 This man was the means of bringing others to Mr. 
 Bruce, who has baptized privately about twelve 
 Persians, including a Mujhtahid, or chief priest, who 
 is now in Teheran. Most of these converts I have 
 seen, but unfortunately I cannot yet converse in 
 Persian, so I can form no idea of their views of 
 Christianity from personal communication. They 
 have none of them made an open confession of Christ, 
 as they would endanger themselves thereby, and 
 their visits to Mr. Bruce are generally Nicodemus 
 like, as well as their meetings for discussion and 
 prayer, in their own homes. On Sunday there are 
 generally two or three of them at the service in this 
 house, but they do not come in a body. I naturally 
 feel a deep interest in these converts, and long to 
 know more about them. It is a very difficult ques- 
 tion to decide how far the objections, which our 
 Home Committee, and all others whom I have dis- 
 cussed the subject with, entertain on Scriptural 
 grounds to the practice of secret . baptism, and a 
 concealment of the confession of Christ before men, 
 are removed or affected by the circumstances of the 
 case. As far as my present observations go, I am 
 not convinced that they are removed. Mr. Bruce 
 thinks that the Ethiopian nobleman and the Philip- 
 pian jailer are examples to prove that the Apostles 
 baptized privately ; and he has been told that Judson's 
 first converts in Burmah were also baptized in this 
 way. Beyond these, there are no precedents that I 
 
^t. 32.] PERSIAN CONVERTS. 1 6/ 
 
 have heard of in the history of Christian missions of 
 the Protestant faith. It is true that some of Robert 
 Noble's Brahman converts were baptized in his own 
 house ; but it was known all over Masulipatan, and 
 violence immediately followed. In the case of these 
 Persian converts, the questions occur : 1st. What in- 
 tention have they of declaring themselves the fol- 
 lowers of Christ ? if asked point blank whether they 
 are or not by their neighbours. 2nd. In the meantime, 
 what conformity do they practise to the customs 
 of Muhamadan law and religious observance ? " 
 
 Once more, in June, the same subject is referred to. 
 
 " The other day Mr. Bruce was visited by a 
 * Syad,' that is one of a class who wear turbans, 
 and call themselves descendants of the ' Prophet,' 
 and claim privileges denied to others. This man 
 had been reading the Gospel in Persian, and said 
 he wished to become a Christian. When asked if 
 he believed in Christ, he said, * Yes, the glory of 
 Christ (as opposed to Muhamad) is that He bore 
 our sins, and gives us His righteousness instead.' 
 There are many like him, who would gladly put 
 off the yoke of Muhamad, but dare not openly 
 confess Christ for fear of their lives." 
 
 The account of Gordon's residence at Ispahan 
 may be brought to an end with his description of a 
 visit paid to royalty. 
 
 " We have lately had royalty in Ispahan. One of 
 the king's sons, called the * Zillah Sultan,' was pass- 
 ing through on his way to Shiraz, where he is gover- 
 
l68 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1872. 
 
 nor. He occupied a large house or palace, nicely 
 situated near the river, and Mr. Bruce and I called to 
 pay our respects. Eastern princes are not scrupulous 
 about appearances, and nothing could be more dirty 
 or neglected than the garden, or ' compound,' of the 
 house, where he stayed for ten days. A few hours' 
 sweeping would have made it neat, but though he had 
 no lack of servants, it did not seem to occur to him to 
 give the order. We called about 6.30 A.M. by ap- 
 .pointment, and were kept waiting some time, during 
 which tea and the never - failing Persian pipe or 
 * Calean ' was offered us. At last the prince emerged 
 from an opposite room, and we followed him to his 
 reception-room. He is very young and boyish-look- 
 ing — apparently not twenty, — but has a family of (I 
 believe) six children, was Governor of Ispahan five 
 years ago, and is now for the second time made 
 Governor of Shiraz. Our interview was formal and 
 brief He amused me by saying that he supposed I 
 should make an entry of my visit to him in my journal. 
 When asked about the dangers of the road, he said 
 that he had sent a large troop of cavalry in front to 
 catch the thieves. * But,' he added, ' Persia is not the 
 only country where there are thieves. I believe that 
 in London you have your pockets picked sometimes, 
 and your watch stolen." 
 
CHAPTER VII I. 
 
 JOURNEY TO THE PUNJAB — FROM ISPAHAN TO 
 BAGHDAD — BABYLONIA — THE PERSIAN GULF, 
 1872. 
 
 The extract of the letter with which the last chapter 
 concluded was written from Ispahan in the middle 
 of July. On August 12, 1872, Gordon again left 
 the latter city, and set his face towards Baghdad, 
 a journey of about 600 miles. His progress was 
 slow, as he accompanied a cafila of two hundred 
 mules laden with tobacco, salt, and other produce of 
 the country. He himself rode a horse, and put 
 his luggage on another. 
 
 Describing the march, he says : — " We started 
 after sunset, or at midnight, according to the length of 
 the march ; and when the morning came, and we 
 reached the village at which we were to stop, the 
 animals were unloaded and fed, and the day was 
 spent in rest Sometimes the march was very long 
 — twelve hours in the saddle at a stretch — and then 
 it was very difficult to keep awake. The mono- 
 tonous tread of the mules, and the chime of bells 
 which they carry round their necks, and the silence 
 and darkness, all tended to make one drowsy. I 
 
I/O GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1872. 
 
 used to watch the constellations as they rose and 
 set, and wish that it was time for me to ' set ' too. 
 Sometimes I drove away sleep by singing ' Pilgrims 
 of the Night,' or some other tune ; and sometimes, 
 when I felt myself nodding and falling off my horse, 
 I dismounted and walked." 
 
 In nine days Hamadan, the ancient Ecbatana, 
 was reached. It was at this time in a most desol- 
 ate condition, no less than 20,000 persons it is said, 
 having perished in the neighbourhood during the 
 famine. 
 
 Here Gordon not only distributed some money, 
 which had been sent to him from England, but he 
 was also asked to undertake the disbursement of a 
 large sum which had been sent by Sir Moses Mon- 
 tefiore for the Jews in Hamadan. 
 
 The chief object of interest in this place seems to 
 be a building which the Jews point out as containing 
 the tombs of Mordecai and Esther. 
 
 Six days from Hamadan brought the party to 
 Karind, which is on the frontier of Novidistan. 
 "Here," he says, "I was delayed by the report that the 
 road was beset with robbers, and that soldiers must 
 be collected to disperse them. While this was being 
 done, I had a slight attack of fever, and thus I was 
 detained a fortnight at Karind. My medicine soon 
 failed me, and there was no doctor nor any European 
 in the place, but a young Koordish chief, with whom 
 I stayed, showed me the greatest attention and hos- 
 pitality. He not only entertained me for a whole 
 
^t. ZZ^ HENRY MARTYN'S PERSIAN BIBLE. \J\ 
 
 fortnight, but supplied me with some medicine also, 
 and I quite recovered through the goodness of God. 
 I found the natives very civil and kind all along 
 the road from Ispahan, during which I never saw a 
 single European, and was quite alone, but I was able to 
 talk to them in their own language. In several places 
 I met those who were familiar with our Bible, having 
 *read the translation into Persian by Henry Martyn.' 
 
 " From Karind I had four days' journey to the 
 Turkish frontier at Khanakin. The last night's 
 march was an anxious one. 
 
 " The neighbourhood was said to be highly danger- 
 ous. A caravan had been attacked the night before, 
 and fourteen mules, with their burdens, carried off 
 by the Arabs. I therefore took an escort from the 
 previous station, consisting of five Khoordish soldiers. 
 It was about midnight when our journey was half 
 over, and my escort came to a halt. I asked the 
 reason. They said, ' It is dangerous here ; we can't 
 go on.' I said, 'If there were no danger I should 
 not have taken you. Go on.' They said, * You must 
 give us twelve kraus (francs) if we do.' I said, ' I will 
 give you nothing till we get to Khanakin' (the ques- 
 tion of payment being entirely optional and conditional 
 on the good behaviour of the escort). They then tried 
 intimidation ; but, finding that device fail, they left 
 me and returned. I told my servant and the mule- 
 teer to go on, but the latter was so frightened, that 
 he lay on the ground and refused. At last I coaxed 
 him to proceed, but he was in the greatest terror 
 
1/2 GEORGE MAX^YELL GORDON. [a.D. 1872. 
 
 till daylight, pointing to the spot where the previous 
 night attack had occurred, and saying, 'There the 
 two men were killed last night. What shall we 
 do if the Arabs come ? ' Seeing a man alone in a 
 dark valley, he sprang upon him with his gun, and 
 I thought would have shot him ; but fortunately he 
 did not, for the poor man turned out to be a solitary 
 wayfarer, as much frightened as himself 
 
 " At Khanakin I asked for the caravanserai, and 
 was shown an ominous building with tents round it 
 ' What's that ? ' ' The quarantine : you must go there 
 for ten days ! ' I said, ' Oh, but I am not infected, nor 
 do I come from an infected city, and I am in a hurry 
 to get to Baghdad.' ' No matter, it's the law for every 
 one who comes across the frontier.' I found myself 
 in a wretched stable, with no kind of accommodation 
 except for horses. The place had not been cleaned 
 since it was built. It consisted of a large court, with 
 stalls all round. Not a room nor door did it pos- 
 sess. A few miserable people, who looked diseased 
 and sickly, and a horse-dealer with fifty horses, were 
 the occupants. Amongst these, swarms of flies and 
 mosquitos revelled, and gusts of wind, blowing across 
 heaps of refuse and filth, covered every hole and cor- 
 ner with dust, so that a seat could nowhere be found. 
 I sent a letter of introduction to the governor of the 
 town, and a telegram to the English Resident at 
 Baghdad, to ask his help. The former despatched his 
 secretary with proper assurances of 'attention and 
 consideration,' and I was bidden to make myself com- 
 
^t. ZZ^ REACHES BAGHDAD. 1 73 
 
 fortable, and ask for whatever I wanted ! ' I at once 
 demanded my release, but this was politely refused, 
 and I learnt what Turkish courtesy meant, for I saw 
 nothing- more of the secretary, and received no more 
 assurances. A day passed in suspense and discom- 
 fort : it was Sunday, and although I had my usual 
 ' service,' yet it was never under circumstances more 
 uncongenial On Monday a telegram came from 
 Baghdad. To my great delight the quarantine was 
 suspended, and I was free once more. I quickly 
 ordered horses and started that night. As I passed 
 through the suburbs of Khanakin, I found that it was 
 not without its attractions, gardens of date-palms, 
 laden with such gorgeous clusters of gold and crimson 
 fruit as I had never seen before. It was just the 
 season for the fresh dates, and they were delicious. 
 
 " We encamped (or rather halted) at a place out- 
 side the walls, and waited for the coming morn. A 
 very large company of pilgrims to the holy shrine of 
 Kerbela, beyond Baghdad, rendezvoused in the open 
 plain, and made the air vocal with their noise. Many 
 of them came from the distant mountains and forests 
 of Lenkoran, on the south border of the Caspian ; 
 others from the highlands of Kurdistan and the plains 
 of Persia. The former were sturdy men, with the high 
 sheepskin cap, which I had become familiar with in 
 the Caucasus. They formed a troop about 150 strong, 
 and a better mounted troop of cavalry I never saw. 
 From the uniformity of their dress, arms, and accout- 
 rements, I thought at first that they were soldiers^ 
 
1/4 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1872, 
 
 but was told that they were bo7id fide pilgrims, and 
 travelling at their own expense. I rode in their ranks 
 for several nights, and amused myself with the study 
 of them. They were no less curious about me. They 
 spoke to me in some unknown tongue. I answered 
 them in Persian, but they could not understand. At 
 last they got an interpreter, and I found that they set 
 me down for a Russian (the only species of European 
 with whom they were acquainted), and believed that 
 I must be a pilgrim, like themselves, to Kerbela, 
 a.nd therefore of course, an orthodox Muhamadan. 
 England they had never heard of; India puzzled 
 them as much; so I fear they did not carry away 
 very distinct ideas of any nationality. I found that 
 many of them were women, the wives of the party. 
 They bestrode their horses with an erect and martial 
 air, and seemed to think nothing of a nine hours' ride 
 through the night ; some of them even carried a child 
 or an infant, and one had a musket slung across her 
 back. Every night on mounting, and at intervals on 
 the march, these cavaliers joined in a hymn, the re- 
 frain of which was very effective, breathed forth from 
 a hundred deep bass chests. 
 
 • ••••>.•,. 
 
 " I reached a place called Sharaban one morning, 
 and was congratulating myself that in two days more 
 I should be in Baghdad. I waited for my servant, 
 who was on a mule with my bedding and clothes, and 
 wondered why he did not come up, as I had given 
 him strict orders to keep up with me during the 
 
^t. 33.] TOMB OF THE LADY ZUBEIDAH. 175 
 
 night's march. After two hours he arrived but empty- 
 handed ! ' Where are my things ? ' I inquired. Then 
 came a long story of how he had fallen into the hands 
 of the robbers, who had attacked him with spears 
 and carried off everything that was in his charge." 
 
 On discovering this loss Gordon pressed on to 
 Baghdad to try and rouse the authorities to get back 
 his stolen property. Colonel Herbert, the English 
 Resident at Baghdad, did what he could, but unfor- 
 tunately he was just on the point of going away for 
 some weeks. The result was that the Turks in his 
 absence would do nothing. " Telegrams passed be- 
 tween the Pasha and the local authorities, and the latter 
 had the assurance to say that there was not a thief in 
 their neighbourhood ! " 
 
 " Baghdad is a disappointing place, for two reasons," 
 Gordon's narrative proceeds, " \st, You naturally hope 
 to see an ancient city, such as you read of at the time of 
 the Caliphs, or such as you imagine from the ' Arabian 
 Nights.' But you find hardly any remains of the 
 ancient Baghdad, so completely has it been destroyed 
 by successive invaders. The city was formerly built on 
 the west side of the Tigris, but as one now sees it, it is 
 all on the east side. A small piece of the old river- wall, 
 an inscription on a gateway, and a venerable khan are 
 almost all relics of ancient splendour. The only thing 
 to remind you of the ' Arabian Nights ' is the tomb 
 of their authoress, the Lady Zubeidah. This tomb is 
 covered by a handsome old monument, which is fast 
 crumbling to decay. If you reproach the gallant 
 
1/6 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1872. 
 
 Muhamadans with this shameful neglect, they say, 
 ' What would you have ? It's a woman's tomb.' They 
 are careful enough of the tombs of their old sheikhs, 
 which present a marked contrast to that of the queen 
 of the great Haroun Al Raschid. An enthusiastic 
 American was going to repair Zubeidah's tomb at his 
 own expense, but was dissuaded by the intimation, 
 that if he did the Muhamadans would certainly pull 
 it down ! The second source of disappointment in a 
 visit to Baghdad is, that there never was a time when 
 the city was at so low an ebb as the present. It is 
 suffering from an irremediable disease, the blight of 
 Turkish government, and will only sink lower and 
 lower. The history of its decline is melancholy, but 
 instructive. Founded in A.D. 762, it flourished for 500 
 years under the Caliphs, till 1257, when it was stormed 
 and sacked by Halaku and his Tartar hordes, and its 
 streets deluged with the blood of 160,000 inhabitants, 
 In A.D. 1400, it was again taken by Tamerlane, who 
 raised a trophy of 90,000 human heads of its principal 
 men outside the gate. In 1508, it was invaded by 
 Shah Ismael Sufi, and fell into the hands of the 
 Persians. In 1534 Suleiman wrested it from the 
 Persians, and made it a Turkish province. Subse- 
 quently Shah Abbas recovered it for the Persians, but 
 they finally lost it in 1638, since which time the 
 Turks have held it against two Persian invaders. 
 Its revenue, under Caliph Al Mamun, was ;^5 6,000,000 
 a year. Its revenue in 1854 was only ;£'3 50,000. I 
 do not know what it is now, but probably much 
 
^t. y:,?^ EFFECTS OF CRIMEAN WAR. 1 77 
 
 less ; and in the same proportion has its population 
 diminished. 
 
 " The author from whom I have borrowed these few 
 statistics adds, that it is probable that Baghdad, like 
 Seleucia, will eventually be no more than a name, 
 swept away by the waters of the Tigris, and plundered 
 by the wandering Arabs. In 1832 it was devastated 
 by a flood and by a terrible plague, which carried off 
 one-third of its inhabitants. Every year the river is 
 becoming more unmanageable, through a neglect of 
 proper precautions to direct and utilise its impetuous 
 current. The cultivation of its banks is checked by 
 oppressive taxation, its channel is continually shifting, 
 and the Arab chiefs, who offer to build dams and 
 dykes, are unable to do so because no remission of 
 their burden is made, and no encouragement given. 
 
 " Still, for all this, the streets and bazaars, and even 
 the government of Baghdad, contrast favourably with 
 those of any city in Persia, while the view from one 
 of the minarets, as your eye ranges over 737 acres of 
 flat housetops, varied by Oriental figures and costumes, 
 and graceful date palms, and blue glazed mosques 
 and battlemented walls, and shining river, or to the 
 wide sandy plain of Arabia, is interesting and effec- 
 tive. Here also are the evidences of toleration secured 
 by the British Government after the Crimean war. 
 Four large synagogues are attended by contented 
 and prosperous-looking Jews (unlike their care-worn 
 brethren in Persia), while 1200 of their children are 
 saying their lessons in school. Christian churches rear 
 
 M 
 
178 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1872. 
 
 their heads on all sides, French, Latin, Armenian 
 and Chaldee, while the public baths are frequented 
 by Mussulmans and Christians alike, irrespective of 
 caste, creed, or religion. 
 
 " One evening I hired two horses and started for 
 Babylon. The road lay over the flat plain of Meso- 
 potamia, with nothing to diversify the scene except a 
 a solitary khan (corresponding to the Persian ' cara- 
 vanserai') every eight or ten miles. As I travelled 
 at night, I had a mounted escort of Arabs by way of 
 precaution, but on the second night they lost their 
 way, and we were wandering about for several hours, 
 as there was no moon to help us. At last we judged 
 it better to lie down and sleep till daylight. Then 
 we easily found the road, and I saw in the distance 
 the huge mound where all that remains of Babylon 
 is entombed. It is called by the Arabs ' Mujehbo,' 
 that is 'overturned.' No name could better express 
 the desolation of the oldest and proudest city of the 
 world. I crossed a dry canal, and marked how the 
 ground was strewed with ancient bricks. Then I 
 came to a large quarry where men were digging out 
 bricks by thousands, and carrying them away on 
 donkeys. The modern town of Hillah has been built 
 with the bricks of Babylon, as was also the ancient 
 town of Seleucia. I climbed the huge mound (in 
 size like a small hill), and walked from end to 
 end of it. It is composed entirely of bricks and 
 rubbish. Here and there an excavation has been 
 made, and a wall or chamber or well laid bare. 
 
^t. z^i^ VISITS BABYLON. 1 79 
 
 Why has this mine of interest been left so long 
 unexplored ? " 
 
 " People go to Babylon and come away saying, 
 ■* There is nothing to see.' I confess I went there pre- 
 pared to see nothing — nothing, at least, like Thebes 
 or Baalbec, or Persepolis. But what one does see is 
 the exact fulfilment of Scripture — ' Babylon shall be- 
 come heaps, a dwelling-place for dragons, an astonish- 
 ment, and an hissing without an inhabitant Her 
 cities are a desolation, a dry land and a wilderness, 
 a land wherein no man dwelleth, neither does any son 
 of man pass thereby.' — (Jer. xvi. 37-43). . . . 
 
 " It is difficult to sit on that ground and try to 
 reconstruct in imagination, the stupendous temple of 
 Belus (the ' Bel ' of Scripture), or the hanging gardens, 
 ■or the miles of streets, or the lofty walls. So com- 
 plete was the destruction of the temple by Cyrus, that 
 history tells us, even Alexander the Great, when he 
 wished to rear it again from the heaps of rubbish, 
 failed in the attempt. It is difficult to realise that 
 Daniel here witnessed a good confession, and rose to 
 be the first minister at a court before which the world 
 trembled. 
 
 " It is curious to observe how the modern Arabs 
 pursue the customs of their ancestors. You see the 
 same primitive dress, and the manner of life which 
 fancy pictures in the days of Nimrod. They navigate 
 the Euphrates and Tigris in the same wicker boats, 
 
l8o GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1872. 
 
 lined with bitumen, which are seen depicted in As- 
 syrian sculptures. These boats, called ' Guffa ' (liter- 
 ally, a basket), are perfectly circular, and warranted 
 not to upset. 
 
 " After a refreshing bathe in the river, and a 
 caution from the Arabs against sharks, which make 
 up in these rivers for the absence of alligators, I 
 reached the town of Hillah, and crossed the Euphrates 
 on a bridge of boats. Before sunset, we were again 
 in the saddle with our faces towards Birs Nimroud 
 (the town of Nimrod). I had scarcely left Hillah, 
 when I saw it, at the distance of seven or eight miles, 
 rising from the plain, corresponding strikingly with 
 one's conceptions of the Tower of Babel. Soon the 
 shades of evening hid it from our view. We came to 
 an Arab encampment, and my escort proposed a halt. 
 I knew there was another Arab camp further on, and 
 refused to yield till we got nearer to the tower. An 
 hour more brought to us the sound of voices, and the 
 barking of dogs, and the tents and fires of a camp. 
 The chief received me with oriental politeness, and 
 bade me welcome to all that he possessed. I asked 
 for a little milk and firewood, spreading my plaid on 
 the ground, and soon enjoyed my cup of tea over a 
 Book which carried me back to the days when men 
 journeyed from the East, and found a plain in the 
 land of Shinar, and said, ' Let us build us a city and 
 a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven.' Mean- 
 while the fire-light flickered upon the fine bronzed 
 features of a ring of Arabs who sat mutely watching 
 
^i- ^Z^ BIRS NIMROUD. l8l 
 
 me, and upon picketed horses, and ruminating camels, 
 and low tents, and tall spears stuck before them in 
 the ground ; and inside Arab women chatted and sat 
 grinding at the mill, the one turning the upper stone 
 round and round, the other pouring in the grain. I 
 found that the Arab dogs showed the same hospi- 
 tality as their master. No sooner was I an acknow- 
 ledged guest, than they ceased barking, and com- 
 menced wagging their tails. The largest and most 
 powerful of them took charge of me for the night, 
 and walked round and round me as I lay, with all 
 the grave dignity of a sentinel at Buckingham Palace. 
 If any intruders, dog or man, came near, one growl 
 was enough (he knew that a bark might disturb me, 
 and refrained). Of course he got his ' bakshish ' in 
 the shape of some chicken bones, and our mutual 
 friendship was firmly cemented. 
 
 " I rose at earliest dawn, and soon reached the foot 
 of Birs Nimroud. A high mound is surmounted by a 
 ruined and unfinished tower of brick, the summit of 
 which is 235 feet above the plain. An examination 
 of the mound shows that it is composed of the same 
 elements as the mound of Babylon— masses of brick 
 and rubbish, interspersed with broken pottery. These 
 bricks are all of them inscribed on one side with 
 cuneiform characters. I was searching for specimens 
 of cuneiform among the chaos of bricks that strewed 
 the mound, when my Arab guide came up to me, 
 and insisted that I was looking for inscriptions in the 
 wrong place ; he would show me some really good 
 
1 82 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1872. 
 
 ones. I followed him with some little incredulity, 
 when he led me to the tower itself, knowing that 
 there were none there. ' Look here ! ' he ex- 
 claimed triumphantly, and pointed with the utmost 
 gravity to a series of recent scratches, which 
 spelt, 'Timothy Snooks, 1856,' 'John Thomas, 
 1862,' etc., etc. My laughter quite astonished 
 him. 
 
 " There is something truly mysterious about this 
 remarkable ruin. On one side, where excavations 
 have been made, you may see walls of brick ascend- 
 ing tier above tier with masterly ambition. On an- 
 other, all is convulsion and disturbance — huge masses 
 of brick-work, rent and overturned, yet so solid in 
 their ruin, that it is easier to pulverize the brick than 
 to separate it from the mortar. One of these blocks 
 has rolled bodily to the foot of the mound. Others 
 are vitrified or fused by a process which can be none 
 other than electricity or fire. Curiously enough the 
 Arabs have a tradition that it has been destroyed by 
 ' fire from heaven.' The sides of the mound are 
 pierced with holes and strewed with bones, which 
 plainly indicate the lairs of wild beasts. The view 
 from the summit at sunrise is distant and varied. 
 The broad sheet of the Euphrates winds for many a 
 mile, till lost in the distance in a * sea-like plain.' 
 Looking along its bank to the south you see the 
 white minaret which marks Ezekiel's tomb. Modern 
 cities appear like miniatures of the ancient Hillah, 
 Tamasia, Mohawil. In the foreground are the ' tents 
 
^^/. 33-1 PROPHECY FULFILLED. 1 83 
 
 of Kedar/ and the flocks, with patches of tall green 
 corn, which the Arabs call ' idtleva.' 
 
 " It is difficult to resist the conviction that Birs 
 Nimroud is the tower of Babel, the oldest ruin in the 
 world. There are those who (like Mr. Rich) believe 
 it to be the tower of Belus, and regard it as a part of 
 the ruin of Babylon, but I prefer to hold the older 
 tradition. And surely it is when standing on ground 
 like this, that the language of Scripture acquires a 
 vividness and reality which rewards the toil of patient 
 investigation, and makes the privations of travel for- 
 gotten ; and a voice seems to breathe from the resting- 
 places of the prophets beside these mighty rivers, which 
 is daily more heard and felt, rebuking the sneer of the 
 scoffer and the sceptic. ' I have cut off the nations : 
 their towers are desolate. I made their streets waste 
 that none passeth by ; their cities are destroyed, so 
 that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant. 
 Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the 
 day that I rise up to the prey. . . . For then will I 
 turn to the people a pure language, that they may all 
 call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with 
 one consent' — (Zephaniah iii. 6, 8, 9)." 
 
 Taking a review of his stay at Baghdad and its 
 neighbourhood, Gordon thinks that the history of 
 certain Christian churches — such as the Nestorian, 
 Chaldean, Armenian, and Sabean — which have taken 
 root there, would well repay study. " Of the last- 
 named," he says, " very little is known, owing to the 
 reticence and reserve of its professors. I happened 
 
1 84 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1872. 
 
 to meet the Sabean chief priest, and having heard 
 a report of the pecuHar tenets of his followers, 
 was anxious to obtain further information. It was 
 at the 'Garden of Eden' that I first saw him. His 
 village is within a short distance of the place, and as 
 I was cutting a stick from the 'tree of life,' I was 
 accosted in English by a venerable old man in Arab 
 dress. I did not know who he was at the time, and 
 my steamer was just starting, so that there was no 
 opportunity for conversation ; but two days ago he 
 turned up at Bussorah, and called at the house where 
 I was staying. I found that he had learned English 
 at the Residency, Baghdad, and has had much inter- 
 course with travellers who have visited him in his 
 village ; but my experience only confirms the testi- 
 mony of the rest, that he is a most uncommunicative 
 old man, and, for some reason or other, will not indulge 
 the curiosity of inquirers. We tried him in English, 
 Persian, and Arabic, but failed to gain any intelligible 
 information from him. The Sabeans (or ' Soobies ' 
 as they call themselves) are believed to be followers 
 of John the Baptist, and baptize by immersion. The 
 old man insisted that his religion ' is as old as Adam,' 
 and that he has books written by God. He has been 
 offered very large sums for these books by travellers, 
 but he will not part with them. He told me that 
 they have infant baptism and adult baptism, but 
 declined to say anything about the form. They have 
 no church, and I could make out nothing about their 
 religious observances, except that they have a feast 
 
A£t 33.] ON THE TIGRIS. 1 85 
 
 once a year, which lasts five days, and at which they 
 partake of bread and wine. They number about 500, 
 scattered in different villages, and it would seem that 
 they have no land of their own, but gain a livelihood 
 by working in iron, gold, and silver. 
 
 " They were formerly molested by the Arabs, but 
 are now free from annoyance. He wished me to 
 write a letter for him to the Queen. I told him that 
 I would willingly be his amanuensis, but he must 
 dictate what I was to say. The letter was very brief, 
 the gist of it being that he was very poor, and wanted 
 assistance, and that he always prayed for her Majesty. 
 I suggested that he should inform her Majesty about 
 his history and religion, but he declined to do so. 
 They have a distinct language of their own, and he 
 wrote me some sentences as a specimen. They are 
 said to allow a plurality of wives, and will not eat till 
 sundry purifying ceremonies have been performed." 
 
 Being anxious to press on to Lahore as soon as 
 possible, Gordon availed himself of the first steamer 
 going down the Tigris to Bussorah, instead of visit- 
 ing Nineveh and other places as inclination and 
 pleasure would have led him to do. 
 
 He writes, during the journey, on October 20, 
 1872 :— 
 
 ''On the Tigris^ Oct. 20, 1872. — I am now steam- 
 ing down the Tigris, and hope to reach Bussorah 
 to-morrow night. 
 
 " As I look out of my cabin window, the scene is 
 monotonous and flat. I see low sandy banks and an 
 
1 86 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1872. 
 
 Arab encampment in the foreground. Some of the 
 Arabs are mounted, others with their flocks of buffalo, 
 sheep, and camels, which have come down to the 
 water to drink. I am the only ' first-class ' passenger 
 on board, but the deck is covered with Arabs, Chal- 
 dees, Indians, etc., some smoking, some eating, and 
 some chatting with their families around them — 150 
 altogether. The captain and purser are English. The 
 latter is amusing himself by knocking over poor 
 pelicans on the bank with his rifle, a sport against 
 which I have protested. The captain has just called 
 me out to look at a fragment of an ancient bridge, by 
 which Alexander the Great is said to have crossed 
 the river on one of his expeditions. 
 
 "The most interesting (and, indeed, the only) 
 vestige of these ancient cities which once studded the 
 banks of this noble river, is a ruin called Tak i kest, 
 which I visited some days ago. It consists of an 
 immense vaulted chamber 100 feet high, with two 
 flanking walls, and other signs of what was once 
 either a palace or a temple. It is believed on good 
 authority that here stood the city of Ctesiphon. On 
 the opposite side of the river the site of Seleucia 
 may be traced, founded 291 B.C. by Seleucus Nicator, 
 one of Alexander's generals, and destroyed by the 
 Romans in the reign of Marcus Aurelius, A.D. 165. 
 
 "Ctesiphon shared the same fate, but recovered 
 itself, and successfully resisted the Emperor Julian in 
 363. It was at last destroyed by the Saracens in 
 636. Now the wandering Arab feeds his flock on the 
 
^^' 33-'\ " GARDEN OF EDEN." 1 87 
 
 mounds which cover royal palaces and silent cities. 
 The Arch of Ctesiphon (as it is commonly called) is 
 most impressive and sublime, certainly the finest arch 
 I have ever seen. 
 
 " It is devoid of ornament, inscription, or sculp- 
 ture, and stands alone in the plain with a defiant 
 aspect, that looks as though it intended to hold its 
 own till the end of time. 
 
 "We are now (Oct. 22) passing 'the Garden of 
 Eden.' . . . 
 
 " I have been on shore and surveyed the spot which 
 is supposed to be the site of Paradise. It is at the 
 junction of the Euphrates and Tigris. A long line 
 of date palms fringes both rivers on either side. A 
 few boats are lying at anchor. Some Arab houses 
 appear between the trees, and a Turkish flag-staff 
 and guard-house stand stiffly and formally in front. 
 Otherwise all is natural and primitive, even to the 
 children, who run about in the costume of their first 
 parents. I cut a stick from the ' Tree of Life,' as it is 
 called by western visitors. It has, of course, no claim 
 to this name, except that it stands alone among the 
 surrounding palms, a species of mimosa. . . . 
 
 " It is mere speculation which places Eden in this 
 locality. The fact that we find here ^wo rivers 
 only, instead of four mentioned (Gen. ii. 11-15), leads 
 us to inquire, 'May not the flood have altered the 
 courses of these rivers ? ' and if so, then the conflu- 
 ence of the Euphrates and Tigris may have been 
 elsewhere. We know that the courses of these two 
 
1 88 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1872. 
 
 rivers has materially changed (higher up) in the last 
 few centuries. 
 
 " This morning we passed the tomb of Ezra. A 
 handsome building in the Eastern style, surmounted 
 by a blue-glazed cupola, marks his resting-place, close 
 to the river's bank: Every year the Jews of Baghdad 
 and other places visit the spot in pilgrimage. A little 
 Jewish boy from among the passengers came up to 
 the captain as we approached the spot, and begged (on 
 behalf of his mother) to be allowed to go ashore and 
 visit the tomb. I felt strongly inclined to support 
 the little fellow's petition, but I knew that the cap- 
 tain was in a hurry to land his 150 passengers at 
 Bussorah before dark, and that he would not stop the 
 ship at the request of two. The answer was, 'Tell 
 your mother to pay ^20, and I will stop.' So the 
 mother's wish, alas ! was ungratified." 
 
 Arrived at Bussorah, Gordon embarked on board 
 the " Kashmir," one of the British India Steam Navi- 
 gation Company's boats. She was bound for Bombay, 
 calling at various ports en route, such as Bunder 
 Abbas in Persia, Muskat in Arabia, Guada in Bilochis- 
 tan, Karachi in India. One object of interest at least 
 is described on the way : — 
 
 " Opposite Lingeh, on the Arab coast, is an island 
 called El Barein, a great place for pearl fishing. Here 
 there are very remarkable springs, which force their 
 way up through the bed of the sea, half a mile from 
 shore, and rise to within a few feet of the surface. I 
 am told that ships sometimes fill their casks from these 
 
^^•33-] REACHES BOMBAY. 1 89 
 
 springs by means of skins, which are made into a bag 
 and closed. A diver goes down with the skins into 
 the fresh water, opens, fills, fastens them, and they rise 
 naturally to the surface, fresh water being lighter than 
 salt. What a striking type this is of those ' living 
 waters' of God's Holy Spirit, which have so often 
 refreshed the believer in his bitterest experience of 
 adversity, and supported him in his conflicts with the 
 cares of this troublesome world ! " 
 
 About November 17, Bombay was reached, and 
 here we may pause, while Gordon pursues his way 
 to the Punjab, his new field of labour. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 LAHORE. 
 
 Not far from one of the gates of the city of Lahore 
 is a garden known by the name of Maha Singh, a 
 Sikh chief, who was its original owner. Though the 
 change which has come over the place is very great, 
 it is still known by its former name. 
 
 In 1869, having been purchased by the Rev. T. V. 
 French, new buildings were put up, and St. John's 
 Divinity School sprang into existence. The garden 
 being thoroughly native in character, was laid out in 
 rectangular forms, thus readily adapting itself to the 
 college quad plan, which is one of the first features 
 which strikes the newcomer. 
 
 The first quad has on one side the principal's house, 
 faced on the other side by the college chapel ; these 
 are flanked by the library and lecture room. 
 
 The next quad contains various students' quarters 
 and a swimming bath, which was built, I believe, by 
 Gordon. One quad is set apart for married students. 
 
 This last is a feature at least which one is not 
 familiar with in the English collegiate system. It is 
 necessary, however, in India, for two reasons, the first 
 being that young men. Christians as well as non- 
 
^t. Z2>^ ST. JOHN'S DIVINITY SCHOOL. 191 
 
 Christians, marry at an early age ; the second, that in 
 the present state of Christianity, converts of all ages are 
 joined to the Church of Christ, and therefore students 
 of all ages are being prepared for the ministry. 
 
 This was the place in which Gordon now found 
 himself stationed. It might have been expected that 
 a man in his position would have had to live the life 
 of a mere teacher and student, passing his time in 
 learning himself and imparting knowledge to others. 
 But no one who knew Gordon could for a moment 
 imagine his spending all his time in this way. He 
 was a man who loved and believed in books, but not 
 in books alone. His letters in this memoir will hardly 
 have been read aright, if they have not disclosed to 
 the reader, that he believed in practical life and 
 action preaching more eloquently, than many a ser- 
 mon echoing through vaulted cathedrals. 
 
 Accordingly, although in a place of study where 
 young men are trained for the sacred ministry of 
 Christ's Church, Gordon, with the Principal, the Rev. 
 T. V. French, was continually to be found during the 
 vacations giving practical expression to the lessons 
 they had inculcated, by going forth into the 'high- 
 ways and hedges of the Punjab jungles, accompanied 
 by a native band, themselves enduring, and teaching 
 to endure, hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. 
 
 Thus, very soon after reaching the Punjab, on 
 New Year's Day, 1873, we find Gordon writing from 
 his tent : — " I am now encamped in an Indian jungle, 
 engaged in my former work, for the time being, of 
 
192 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1873. 
 
 preaching to the heathen, or rather of accompanying 
 my friend, Mr. French, in preaching, for I am not yet 
 sufficiently familiar with Hindustani to preach myself. 
 I find that in the Punjab quite a mixture of languages 
 is spoken, of which the principal are Hindi, Punjabi, 
 and Hindustani. At present I confine myself to the 
 latter, and my Persian is a great help to me, although 
 I do not often meet Persian-speaking people, Mr. 
 French's wonderful gift for languages has enabled 
 him to master them and several others, and it is a 
 great treat to be with him, and to see what a com- 
 manding influence he often has over his audience, 
 who appear here to be much more highly educated 
 than the same classes in the South of India. We are 
 spending in this way three weeks, which form the 
 vacation of the Lahore Training College, and we hope 
 to start a new mission in a part of the country which 
 has hitherto been unoccupied by missionary labourers. 
 Our tour commenced at Jhilam, which is 100 miles 
 north of Lahore, and we are making a circuit of 130 
 miles, travelling ten miles every day, and carrying our 
 little tents with us on mules. 
 
 " I find many points of contrast between the 
 Punjab and the South of India. Climate, language, 
 scenery, and people are all different — as different as 
 Italy from England. My Tamil is unfortunately use- 
 less here. . . . The winter climate is cold and 
 bracing, and we wear English clothes, and are glad 
 of fires when we get them. It has been hard work to 
 
^t. z^h?^ PUNJAB AND S. INDIA CONTRASTED. I93 
 
 get warm some of these frosty nights in a tent, where 
 fires are out of the question. We usually make a 
 march before daylight, in order to reach the next 
 camping ground in time for the servants to pitch the 
 tent, and get breakfast by eleven or twelve. Then 
 we go into the village, or town, and take up a position 
 in some vacant space ; while the people collect to 
 gaze at us, and this gives the opportunity for preach- 
 ing. They have never seen missionaries, and they 
 generally take us for Government officials, until we 
 tell them that we are not ' great Sahibs,' — as they call 
 officers and civilians, — but poor men like themselves, 
 who are come to show them the way of salvation. 
 Mr. French holds strongly the necessity of our lay- 
 ing aside, as much as possible, the externals of the 
 * English gentleman,' and approaching them like their 
 own teachers and ' fakirs,' who live on charity, and 
 whose self-denial commends itself to the native mind. 
 I quite think that this method seems to inspire them 
 with confidence, and open their hearts in the north 
 of India, although I am not certain that it does so 
 always in the south. 
 
 " Some very intelligent inquirers have visited our 
 tents from time to time, and one or two appear to be 
 drinking in the words of eternal life. 
 
 " We have been conversing to-day on the vast im- 
 portance which some of these days of preaching will 
 assume in the light of eternity, as perhaps the birth- 
 day of some inquiring soul, and the dawn of immor- 
 tality to some disciple whom Jesus loves. I am more 
 
 N 
 
194 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1873. 
 
 and more convinced of the great need which there is 
 in North India of a body of faithful, earnest, and self- 
 denying native ministers, such as Mr. French is training 
 at Lahore, who shall be not merely pastors, but evan- 
 gelists, thoroughly instructed in the doctrines of the 
 Bible, and inflamed with a true desire for the salvation 
 of souls. I believe that the regeneration of India can 
 only be effected under God by such an instrumental- 
 ity, when we consider all the disadvantages at which 
 European missionaries are placed, and the great 
 difficulty we seem to have in winning the confidence 
 of a race so naturally suspicious and alien, as the 
 Hindus and Mussulmans. There are at present 
 thirteen students in the college, and more than this 
 number have been rejected as disqualified. They 
 are a very thoughtful and intelligent set of youths, 
 drawn together from various districts to a common 
 centre for a common object, and their histories would 
 be very interesting, were they ever to be thrown 
 together into a little sketch of the college and its 
 objects. But more than this can be said of them, 
 for Mr. French has the well-grounded confidence that 
 they are all truly converted to God, taught of His 
 Spirit, and animated with the love of their Saviour." 
 
 The object of the college as being a place de- 
 signed to train men for practical life, as well as in- 
 tellectually and spiritually, is pointed out in a letter 
 of Gordon's to the Rev. H. B. Macartney, of Mel- 
 bourne. He has been describing the students indi- 
 vidually, and he concludes : — 
 
^t. 2>Z.'\ BISHOP FRENCH'S PLANS. 1 95 
 
 " Mr. French's design for these men is not that 
 they should settle down in ease and dignity upon a 
 pastorate, but that they should be simple and self- 
 denying evangelists, preaching the gospel from village 
 to village, gathering out here and there those whom 
 the Lord shall choose, and forming little congrega- 
 tions for others to minister to, while their own work 
 is to be continually carrying the word to the ' regions 
 beyond.' " 
 
 One thing which Gordon seemed to delight in, 
 and to think of the first importance, was that of in- 
 teresting children in missionary work. We have seen, 
 when recording his visit to Australia, how great an 
 influence was exercised, and how, under the guidance 
 of the Rev. H. B. Macartney, it was sustained. It 
 may have been a seed sown in weakness, but God 
 raised it in strength, so that to this day Indian mis- 
 sions receive a vast amount of support from the 
 Children's Association in Melbourne. And it is easy 
 for each one of us to see the wisdom and expediency 
 of exciting this interest. For the lessons we learn 
 in childhood, and the attachments to persons and pur- 
 suits which we form, are, in the experience of us all, 
 those which are most secure throughout life. Child- 
 hood, too, is the period when impressions of good or 
 evil are most easily given. Why, then, should not 
 all who long for the spread of Christ's kingdom and 
 the salvation of souls, seek to enlist the sympathy 
 of children in the great work, and from them raise a 
 noble army of missionaries, who shall make the world 
 
196 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1873. 
 
 ring with the glad tidings of salvation, and send forth 
 " hosannas " to the praise of the King that cometh 
 to Zion. But were all questions of wisdom and ex- 
 pediency put aside, can we forget that the Lord him- 
 self always delighted in bringing forward the little 
 ones, in admitting them to a share in His kingdom 
 and its work, and that one of His last instructions to 
 His great Apostle was, " Feed my lambs," as well as 
 " Feed my sheep." 
 
 Accordingly, one of the most pleasant sights in 
 turning over Gordon's letters, is the finding that the 
 lambs were never forgotten, but that letter after letter 
 is addressed to children. 
 
 There is one written in April of this year (1873) 
 to his little cousins, the children of Alexander Leslie 
 Melville, Esq., of Lincoln, in which he gives descrip- 
 tions which may be interesting to older heads as well. 
 It is written in Katnap (a vacation of the Lahore 
 College being occupied as usual in itineration), from 
 the neighbourhood of Shahpur, a town which is situ- 
 ated near the Salt Range of Mountains. In this 
 range, at a little place called Khewra, are the Govern- 
 ment salt mines, which produce a large annual re- 
 venue, and to them allusions are made. 
 
 " About four weeks ago I left Lahore and took a 
 native preacher with me, and went a long journey 
 into the jungle, to preach to people who perhaps had 
 never heard the beautiful story of the Gospel before. 
 When there was a large town, I stopped there and 
 went into the street, where the people were buying 
 
^t. ZZ^ LETTER TO HIS LITTLE COUSINS. I97 
 
 and selling, and I offered them that salvation through 
 Christ, which is * without money and without price.' 
 Some of them listened very attentively, and wished 
 to hear more, and others made light of it and went 
 away, ' one to his farm, another to his merchandise.' 
 Then I got into a boat and went 100 miles down the 
 great river Jhilam, and I preached at three great 
 towns upon its banks. Once I made friends with 
 a Hindu ' fakir,' that is, a man whom they consider 
 very holy, because he lives all alone, and spends his 
 time in reading and thinking upon religion. He 
 spoke a language which I know very little at present, 
 but my native companion knows it, and I left a mes- 
 sage with him to think about the true God, and pray 
 to Him and that I too would pray for him, that the 
 eyes of his understanding might be opened, and that 
 he might find peace in believing. 
 
 " And I saw a number of little boys just out ol 
 school, and some spoke in English and asked for 
 some of my books ; but the little girls and their 
 mothers were very shy, more shy than they used to 
 be in South India, and so I saw nothing of them. 
 Then I got into my boat and went to another town. 
 There were no pretty trees and meadows on the 
 banks, such as there are at Wilford, but a few hills 
 on one side, and a flat plain on the other, and here 
 and there an alligator or some wild fowl basking in 
 the sun. And the hills were made of salt, and I saw 
 thousands of men working away at the salt mines, 
 and making a great tunnel through the hill, and put- 
 
198 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1873. 
 
 ting the salt on the backs of camels in great sacks, 
 and the camels walked away with it in a line three 
 or four miles long. 
 
 " Then I came to Shahpur, and there was a fair 
 going on. Hundreds of people had come from a dis- 
 tance to visit the tomb of a ' holy man ' who is buried 
 there, and they think that by this pilgrimage they 
 are doing something very acceptable to God. So I 
 told them about Nicodemus, and what Jesus said to 
 him, and especially the words, * God so loved the 
 world,' etc. And there was one man there, a Muha- 
 madan, who was very angry, and did all he could to 
 prevent the people from listening, because he was 
 their priest, and what I said was just the contrary to 
 his teaching, and he was afraid that they would believe 
 me rather than him. So he made a great noise, and 
 said that what I said was false, and that my religion 
 was Satan's religion. I could only pray that God 
 would change his heart, as He has changed the heart 
 of many a hardened sinner before. 
 
 " I was very much pleased to find that there were 
 two hearts whom the Lord had touched among the 
 many thousands whom I saw in my journey living 
 'without hope and without God.' These were two 
 servants, a man and his wife, at Shahpur. They are 
 very poor, but they are Christians, and that makes all 
 the difference, and to believe on Christ with the whole 
 heart is to have great riches. I was so glad to be 
 able to cheer and encourage them in their lonely life. 
 Just think of a journey of 350 miles, from one end 
 
^L 33.] INHABITANTS OF THE WILDERNESS. I99 
 
 of England to the other, and only two Christians ! I 
 hope that one day I may write and tell you that 
 these two have become a hundred ! 
 
 " On my journey from Shahpur to Lahore, I have 
 seen very few people, because it is all wilderness ; but 
 there are plenty of inhabitants in it, great and small, 
 under ground and above ground. There are large 
 herds of cattle, which roam about and get what they 
 can from the herbs and bushes ; and there are beau- 
 tiful wild deer, which stop and look at me with their 
 bright eyes, and wonder what I am come for to their 
 desert home ; and there are numbers of ring-doves, 
 which make such a pretty cooing at sunrise, and seem 
 to enjoy themselves and everything about them. And 
 there are partridges and quail, and plovers and ' pee- 
 wits,' who don't seem to understand a white face at 
 all, and when they see me they began to cackle and 
 say, ' Tut, tut, what can it mean ? Let us be off and 
 tell all the rest, tut, tut, tut!' And there are green 
 parrots, who are not at all afraid, and they scream 
 out, ' Fie, fie ! Why, you are not afraid of a white 
 face, are you ? / live in towns and often see white 
 faces, but you are simple jungle folk.' And there is 
 the pretty ' mongoose,' like a large ferret, with a furry 
 skin and long tail ; and the jungle rat, which makes 
 numbers of holes in the ground, and is very fond of 
 company, but a little suspicious of my designs, so 
 when I come near, he runs to the mouth of his 
 hole and sits on his tail and stares, and then, if I 
 come too near, he pops in like a shot. And I have 
 
200 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1873. 
 
 a great many more admirers than these — namely, 
 squirrels and jungle cats and jackals, and many pretty 
 little birds, such as the woodpecker and the kurata, 
 with its shining green feathers, and the kingfisher and 
 jay — many of these you have at home ; but I have 
 no thrushes or nightingales to remind me of the 
 Longhills." 
 
 The summer vacation of this year was spent in 
 Lahore, as it is not possible, without some degree of 
 risk, to say nothing of inconvenience, to be in camp 
 in the plains of the Punjab after the month of April. 
 
 Preaching to the heathen in the bazars was car- 
 ried on regularly, and as Gordon was the only one of 
 the Church Missionary Society's Missionaries left in 
 Lahore at this season, he was accustomed to join the 
 members of the American Presbyterian Mission, in 
 order to show as great a force as possible to the 
 enemy. Writing on August 3, he says : — 
 
 " One of the most curious features of the bazar 
 preaching in Lahore is, that it has aroused opposition 
 preaching on the part of the Hindus, Brahmans and 
 Mussulmans alike. It was commenced by the latter, 
 and for weeks Mr. French was annoyed by a Wahabi, 
 who took his stand at a particular place in the bazar, 
 close to a little chapel, which we have built conjointly 
 with the Americans. In front of this little chapel it 
 is the custom of the missionaries to arrange benches 
 for those who like to listen, and generally there has 
 been a good attendance. Of course the preaching is 
 not confined to this place, but as it was one much 
 
^t. 2,Z^ BAZAR PREACHING IN LAHORE. 20I 
 
 frequented, the Wahabi chose it as his point of 
 attack, and often succeeded in drawing away all Mr. 
 French's audience. By-and-by, a Hindu, ambitious 
 of hearing his own voice, started a preaching on 
 the opposite side, and attracted a large congregation. 
 Then a Brahman followed, and the missionary of the 
 Gospel was between three fires. Now (strangest of 
 all) the Mussulman, Hindu and Brahman have made 
 a joint-stock company, and they all preach from the 
 same platform to the same audience. 
 
 " This goes on night after night, and so the three 
 missionaries who are left in Lahore feel it a point of 
 honour to coalesce in the daily duty of repelling this 
 systematic attack upon the true faith, and maintain- 
 ing a garrison in the citadel. 
 
 " In this warfare one has constantly to remind 
 oneself that the weapons of our Master's ordnance are 
 not carnal, and that we do indeed wrestle not with 
 flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers, 
 with the rulers of the darkness of this world, with 
 spiritual wickedness in high places. As I walk through 
 the bazars, I mourn over the wideness of the breach 
 which separates us from this people, or rather which 
 separates them from the Gospel, for one would 
 be quite content to be hated by them, if only the 
 Gospel were loved. I can never convince myself that 
 the people, as a people, have the smallest affection for 
 us, or ever will have, but I believe that they are fully 
 capable of being animated, not by self-interest, but by 
 the love of Christ." 
 
202 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1873. 
 
 Under date of Divinity College, Lahore, Decem- 
 ber 4, 1873, addressing the Honourable Mrs. Leslie 
 Melville, Gordon dwells on the encouragement sug- 
 gested by the Day of Intercession for Foreign Mis- 
 sions, then newly established. He writes : — 
 
 "Yesterday was a day of great thankfulness to 
 me, because I felt that so many kind friends at home 
 would be remembering us in prayer ; and it was a 
 delightful thing to feel that God's people, throughout 
 the (English) world, would be * lifting up holy hands ' 
 on behalf of Missions. Coming from the Archbishop 
 of Canterbury, such an appeal for prayer would have 
 great weight, and who can tell what blessings would 
 attend such united intercessions. Here in Lahore we 
 had various services and prayer meetings for Euro- 
 peans, as well as natives, two in our college chapel at 
 8 A.M. and 5 P.M. for our students and their families, and 
 one at noon which they had among themselves, one at 
 the native church in the town at 6 P.M., and those for 
 Europeans in the two English churches at 8 A.M., 5 P.M., 
 and 8.30 P.M. Besides these, the American (Presby- 
 terian) missionaries had also two or three prayer meet- 
 ings for natives and Europeans, which we should have 
 liked to have taken part in, but could not do so, as they 
 were at the same time as ours. So that, altogether, 
 there were no less than ten assemblies in our little com- 
 munity of Christians at Lahore to observe the day." 
 
 One subject which was forced upon Gordon's 
 attention at this time, was that which probably every 
 missionary has to take into consideration at some 
 
^t 34.] CONVERTS NOT TO BE DENATIONALISED. 203 
 
 time or another — church architecture. When mis- 
 sionaries, foreigners to the country in which they are 
 working, have the management of almost all matters 
 in their own hands, a great danger arises of their 
 endeavouring to implant their own ideas of the fitness 
 of things into the native mind, as though they were 
 essential parts of the Christian religion. The Euro- 
 pean, and especially the Englishman, with his insular 
 prejudice, is very apt to think that nothing can be 
 good which differs from what he has been accus- 
 tomed to. Thus we find him despising the language 
 of the people amongst whom he lives, considering 
 himself above conforming to niceties of pronunciation. 
 If he finds a people who, for hundreds of years before 
 England was ever heard of, were accustomed to sit on 
 the ground instead of on chairs, or to eat with fingers 
 instead of with knives and forks, he pronounces them 
 uncivilised and barbarous. Similarly, in the mis- 
 sionary world, at least in earlier years, to make a 
 man a Christian was too often to denationalise him. 
 It was to cut him off from his own people by calling 
 him John Smith instead of Ghulam Rasul ; it was to 
 give him a hat, coat, and a pair of trousers, and, in 
 short, to make him well-nigh a laughing stock to his 
 fellow countrymen. Too often, it is thought, if the 
 missionary belongs to the Church of England, that 
 our liturgies, and even minutiae of arrangements in 
 service, should be transferred bodily from one country 
 to another. Happily this state of things is rapidly 
 becoming one of a past generation. Every year sees 
 
204 
 
 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1874. 
 
 more liberal views, while that which is essential and 
 fundamental is retained with honest tenacity. 
 
 One of the minor matters in which the mission- 
 ary may well modify his inherited views, is that of 
 the style of church in which he will summon his con- 
 verts to worship. The older buildings are more 
 
 THE CHAPEL OF THE DIVINITY COLLEGE, LAHORE. 
 
 or less reproductions of inferior places of worship* 
 such as are to be seen under the dull sky, and in the 
 damp atmosphere of an English parish. The elegant 
 dome, the scolloped arch, the lofty minaret, which 
 
^i' 34.] CHURCH ARCHITECTURE. 205 
 
 must appeal to the feelings of the people, have been 
 in years gone by sadly overlooked. But in this, as 
 in other matters, better days are coming, if not come. 
 The most notable instances of improvement in this 
 direction in the Punjab are, perhaps, the Peshawar 
 Mission Church, which might almost be taken as a 
 fine masjid, and the chapel of the Divinity College at 
 Lahore, with its adaptation of the Moorish(?) arch. 
 
 But it is to such men as Gordon was that these 
 improvements are due. He was one who endeavoured 
 to make himself one of the people, living as far as 
 possible in their way. It was by thus putting himself 
 m their position and looking at things from their point 
 of view, that he was enabled to adopt and adapt for 
 Christian purposes what was either good, or in itself 
 harmless, in their systems. 
 
 The consciousness that errors had been committed 
 caused him to write to the Rev. C. G. Curtis, whom 
 he had met at Constantinople when on his way to 
 Persia, asking for assistance. " I am about to build," 
 he writes on Feb. 1 2, 1 874, " a college chapel for our 
 native divinity students, and I am anxious that it 
 should be of an eastern and not a western type. I 
 should like much to get a plan of such a building as 
 the early Christians used, and the Byzantine style has 
 always seemed far more suitable for eastern countries 
 than the Gothic. Knowing your interest in, and 
 familiarity with, eastern antiquities, I should feel very 
 much obliged to you if you would kindly assist me, 
 either in recommending me some book for my guid- 
 
206 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1874. 
 
 ance, or in obtaining for me a few drawings of these 
 churches at Constantinople, and I would gladly be 
 responsible for the expense of the drawings. 
 
 " There are of course many details to be taken 
 into account, such as size, materials, climate, etc., etc. 
 We should want accommodation for 150 or 200. To 
 admit the air and exclude the sun would be desir- 
 able, but the Punjab has a very cold winter, so that 
 this has also to be taken into account. 
 
 "We could not contemplate anything very or- 
 nate, — in fact, simplicity would be necessary, as well 
 as desirable, on account of our limited funds. 
 
 " We might raise ^800 without much difficulty. 
 My idea would be a small dome with nave and tran- 
 sept in the form of cross. I think that if some good 
 eastern style were to be adopted, the example would 
 be followed in other parts of India." 
 
 This chapel was not destined to be built by Gordon. 
 He gave the money for it, but it was not until after 
 his death that the present building, to which reference 
 has been made above, was erected by the Rev. H. U. 
 Weitbrecht, who was then stationed in Lahore. 
 
 From the time Gordon arrived in Lahore, it has 
 been seen that his vacations were generally spent 
 away from the College, in itinerating, and in the 
 country districts. Mr. French, the Principal of the 
 College, was now about to go on two years' furlough 
 to England. Gordon, being thus deprived of his 
 European companion, formed a plan for the good of 
 
^t. 34.] NEED OF EVANGELISTS. 20/ 
 
 the native church. Of this he speaks in a letter to 
 Mr. Parker, dated March 2, 1874: — 
 
 " We want Evangelists, and seeing, as I do, that 
 one great difficulty we have to contend with in Lahore 
 is, the proximity of a large city and high salaries 
 (which are apt to dazzle and turn the heads of all but 
 the most highly-principled of native Christians), I 
 propose, while Mr. French is at home, to take some 
 of our students with me into the Jhilam district, lOO 
 miles away, and itinerate with them, and preach in 
 the villages, as I used to do in South India, thus 
 innuring them to a little hardship, and carrying on 
 their training at the same time. Perhaps you will 
 hear more of this plan hereafter." 
 
 This plan developed to such an extent, that we find 
 him practically from this time adopting an itinerating 
 life only, and becoming that which he is best known 
 as, both to Europeans and natives in the Punjab — an 
 Anglo-Indian fakir. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 JHILAM ITINERANCY — FIND DADAN 
 KHAN— 1874-75. 
 
 It is in March 1874 that we may consider Gordon's 
 life took that decided form of fakirism for which he 
 was ever afterwards conspicuous. We saw his ten- 
 dency towards this mode of Hving in his early 
 days in the Madras itinerancy. We heard him then 
 lamenting the necessity of keeping a horse, the trouble 
 that is caused by servants, the separation between the 
 missionary and the natives of India, caused by the 
 comparative luxuries of even the humblest English- 
 man. We heard him say how he would rather preach 
 than practise the necessity of finding a summer retreat 
 among the waving pines of the Indian hills. 
 
 At the same time, however, he thus regarded all 
 these things as more or less necessary. Now, how- 
 ever, in the third year of his residence in the Punjab, 
 he begins to find that he can dispense with one thing 
 after another. His heart's desire is fulfilled. He 
 wanders on foot, often not a single servant accom- 
 panies him, and, like His Master, he often does not 
 know where at night he will lay his head. 
 
yEt. 34.] THE JHILAM ITINERANCY. 209 
 
 On one occasion, writing to the Rev. H. B. Mac- 
 artney, of Melbourne, describing his life, he says : — " I 
 am generally able to walk ten miles a day, and thus 
 am independent of a horse. This method seems to 
 bring one nearer to our blessed Lord's example. Be- 
 sides, I think that it would spoil that verse, ' How 
 beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him 
 that bringeth good tidings,' etc., \{ feet were exchanged 
 for hoofs" 
 
 The new work which Gordon now found himself 
 engaged in, was named by him the " Jhilam Itiner- 
 ancy." The Jhilam is one of the five great rivers of 
 the Punjab, and it is from this, and not from the town 
 of the same name upon its banks, that the new 
 mission was called. The river wanders through the 
 country at the foot of the Salt Range of Mountains, 
 until it joins, and is lost in, the Indus, which swallows 
 up all the five rivers of the country. 
 
 There are five important towns upon its banks. 
 Jhilam, Find Dadan Khan, Bhera, Shahpur and Jhang. 
 Gordon's plan was to place native agents in each 
 one of these, making Find Dadan Khan the central 
 mission station from which all the work would be 
 supervised. 
 
 In each of these towns at the time of the com- 
 mencement of the Mission, at least one native Chris- 
 tian family was resident, which formed the nucleus of 
 a church. 
 
 Leaving the line of the Jhilam, and ascending on 
 to the higher plateau of the Salt Range, other centres 
 
2IO GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1874. 
 
 are to be found, such as Chakrawal and Talagang, 
 valuable from a missionary point of view. 
 
 It is a great matter of regret that this district has 
 not been taken up and worked more vigorously by 
 the Church Missionary Society. Since the death of 
 Gordon the Find Dadan Khan Mission has, it is true, 
 been kept alive. But this is all that can be said. 
 
 There has been no attempt to carry out the scheme 
 proposed by Gordon in its entirety. 
 
 To know when to extend work, and when to ex- 
 pend one's means and force in strengthening old posi- 
 tions, is one of the perplexities which is continually 
 facing a great society like the Church Missionary 
 Society. The missionaries in the field often complain 
 that they are left single-handed, and are not supported 
 as they should be by the Home Society. On the 
 other hand, perhaps at home the offer is made of a 
 large sum of money to commence work in hitherto 
 unbroken ground, and the Society cannot but look 
 upon such an offer as a call from God. But it cannot 
 be denied, that too often the tendency seems to be 
 evident of pushing on to regions beyond, before there 
 is a strong base from which outgoing posts can be 
 supported. 
 
 It may be that in India the missionaries them- 
 selves are to blame. Possibly they have not yet 
 discovered the method of training native churches 
 to stand alone. Could they do so, the European 
 workers would be able to push forward, and avoid 
 settling down as pastors. 
 
jEt. 34.] UPROOTED FROM LAHORE. 211 
 
 Writing at the commencement of the Jhilam 
 Itinerancy, Gordon puts this view forward. He says, 
 " It is of the essence of this undertaking that it should 
 have as little external aid as possible, that the European 
 element should gradually sink to a vanishing point, 
 while the native agency develops and expands." 
 
 But from whatever cause, the Jhilam Itinerancy 
 for which Gordon spent so much of his time and 
 money, and which seemed to be a field so full of 
 fair promise of a future harvest, has never, humanly 
 speaking, had a chance of success given it. 
 
 To return from this digression. It was said at 
 the beginning of this chapter that Gordon now settled 
 down into that work for which he is chiefly known, 
 and for which nature had to a great extent marked 
 him out. 
 
 And yet it was not without an inward struggle that 
 he definitely severed his connection with the Lahore 
 College. Indeed, at the time, only a temporary sever- 
 ance seems to have been intended. After two years' 
 work in the jungles, he apparently thought of re- 
 joining Mr. French in Lahore on his return from 
 England. Gordon was, however, being led by a path 
 he knew not. That plan was destined to be frustrated 
 by Mr. French's appointment to be the first Bishop of 
 Lahore. 
 
 In a circular letter, on April 21, 1874, Gordon 
 writes : — ' It has been rather a serious uprooting, as I 
 began to think that Lahore was my settled post of 
 •duty, and it certainly was more congenial to me than 
 
212 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1874. 
 
 any other. But the circumstances which combined to 
 point me to the Jhilam Mission seemed to amount 
 to a call from the Lord of the harvest, and so, after 
 some hard wrestlings in prayer, I yielded my judg- 
 ment and inclination and obeyed the call. 
 
 " After a few short years it will seem of very little 
 account whether we have been working in a city or 
 a jungle, so that the Master's call, ' Follow Me,' has 
 been heard and responded to. 
 
 " It is hoped that this wide field, from the Jhilam 
 to the Indus, may be occupied in time by some of the 
 students of the Lahore Divinity College. One of them, 
 named Andreas, has been already out here since 
 September, at a place called Shahpur, holding his 
 ground manfully and prayerfully in solitude and 
 petty persecution. 
 
 " Mr. French thinks also that after two years' 
 itineration in this district, I shall be better fitted for 
 work at the Lahore College. 
 
 "So now I am at Find Dadan Khan, 150 miles 
 from Lahore. It has a large population of natives, 
 with one resident English magistrate. Within five 
 miles is the ' Salt Range.' 
 
 "The Salt Range has a history; but no archives or 
 inscriptions, and few traditions to assist in compiling 
 it. One longs to penetrate the secrets of its ancient 
 Hindu temples ; its ruined hill-forts and crumbling 
 cemeteries. Some of these cemeteries are far from any 
 town or signs of habitation, as though indicating the 
 
^/. 34-] HINDUS — SIKHS— MUHAMADANS. 213 
 
 scene of a battle-field. They seem to betoken times 
 of change, insecurity, and warfare, which have now 
 given place to peace and prosperity. 
 
 " The villagers are a great mixture : Hindus, Sikhs, 
 and Muhamadans, bound together by sympathy of 
 race amid much diversity of creed. The Muhamadan 
 (whose ancestors were Hindus) mingles freely in Hindu 
 festivals, and salutes Hindu fakirs ; while the Hindu 
 shows no less respect for Muhamadan observances, 
 and the boundary line between Sikhism and Brah- 
 manism is gradually diminishing. The outward har- 
 mony may be partly due to mutual dependence for 
 the necessaries of life, the cultivators being all Muha- 
 madans, while the shopkeepers are mostly Hindus. 
 Here, where the Muhamadans are in the majority, 
 Hinduism appears under a very different garb from 
 what one is accustomed to see in the South of India. 
 There is none of that marked ascendency of Brah- 
 man over Sudra ; none of that shameless exhibition 
 of wayside idols ; no colossal temples like those of 
 Madura and Kanchiveram. The Hindu in these parts 
 seems ashamed to confess to idolatry in the presence 
 of a Muhamadan. His religious belief takes a more 
 speculative turn, and he is generally a Vedantist or 
 Pantheist. Amongst this class, and amongst the Mu- 
 hamadan zemindars, there is generally a willingness 
 to listen to the preacher ; and I have often felt en- 
 largement of heart and speech in delivering to them 
 the Gospel message. 
 
 " In addition to the advantage of a patient hearing 
 
214 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1874, 
 
 (which one embraces most thankfully of all), there 
 are also other facilities for itineration, such as the 
 comparative ease with which our two temporal ne- 
 cessities, fowls and milk, are supplied ; and the 
 civility of the headmen of the village, through whom 
 a camel or a mule may often be hired for the 
 journey. 
 
 " We have not, like our itinerating brethren in 
 Madras, fine slopes of tamarind or mango to en- 
 camp under, for the rains are scanty and the soil im- 
 pregnated with salpetre; but I have been able hitherto 
 to dispense with a tent altogether, as there is in almost 
 every village the * dara,' or guest-house, to which every 
 traveller is welcome. As this hospitality is extended 
 to cattle as well as men, the dara is not always clean ; 
 but it generally has four walls and a roof, and its 
 central position in the village has often given me the 
 opportunity for long conversations, which are always 
 sustained with more freedom when natives are visi- 
 tors, and not visited. Considerations of caste do not,. 
 as in the South, exclude Christians from lodging in a 
 native house, or walking through a Brahman street ; 
 and more than once (in the absence of a dara) the 
 use of a villager's house has been offered me, which 
 the occupants have vacated for my accommodation. 
 This act of hospitality, however, is much more rare 
 in India than in Persia. 
 
 " The other nucleus for an audience, especially in 
 the evening, is the village masjid, where the zem- 
 indar, having arrayed himself after his day's work in 
 
^/. 34-] THE VILLAGE MASJID. 21 5 
 
 his most respectable clothes, comes and washes his 
 feet and head preparatory to the evening prayer. He 
 does not wait for the bell-like summons of the Imam 
 who proclaims the hour of prayer. He is generally 
 in his place at the appointed time — a pattern to 
 Western church-goers both in punctuality and de- 
 voutness of demeanour. No less instructive is it to 
 meet him in the early morning, going out to his work 
 with the dust of prostration on his forehead. His first 
 act has been the acknowledgment of the One God, 
 before whom he has bowed, not only his knees, but 
 his face, to the ground, in the house of prayer ; and if 
 you ask any Muhamadan, however unlettered, what 
 is his duty, he will always acknowledge the duty of 
 prayer as his foremost obligation. How far more suc- 
 cessfully would our day's difficulties be encountered, 
 if we could thus always arise to them from the dust 
 of humiliation, or the act of self-dedication to God ! " 
 
 It was Gordon's custom, when permitted, to find 
 a lodging in those village masjids. On one occasion 
 he writes : — " I am spending the day in a village 
 mosque, which is always the cleanest place of enter- 
 tainment which the simple villagers have to offer to 
 a traveller. 
 
 "They are very strict about my putting off my 
 shoes and leaving them outside the mosque ; but they 
 do not object to my eating my meal or sleeping in- 
 side, and they have given me all the entertainment 
 that their village can afford, namely, a fowl and some 
 milk. The mosque has three or four divisions. There 
 
2l6 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1874. 
 
 is the outer court for ordinary worshippers, who are 
 called to prayer five times a day, but only a few 
 respond. There is the inner sanctuary, consisting of 
 four walls and a roof, opening by three Saracenic 
 arches to the outer court, and adorned all over with 
 paintings, illustrating trees, fruit, etc., but no human 
 representation whatever. There is an inner chamber 
 again, used in winter to sleep in, and shut off from the 
 rest by a door, but wholly devoid of all furniture. In 
 fact (with the exception of the very large mosques 
 of Cairo, Delhi, etc.,) you never see such a thing as 
 a pulpit, still less pews, chairs, table, altar, or font. 
 Then there is another little room at the side, with a 
 place to wash, and vessels of water all set in order, 
 that those who come to pray may first wash their 
 head, feet, and arms to the elbows. 
 
 " It is but natural to expect from among the Maul- 
 vis, whom one finds in the village mosques, the keenest 
 opposition to the preaching of the Gospel. Still there 
 are among this class men of devout minds, and true 
 seekers after God. With one of these, who lives in 
 Bhera, I have had some very interesting discussions, 
 and have found him to be a man not only of learning, 
 but of a liberal and inquiring mind. He has been 
 supplied at his request with the Old Testament in 
 Arabic and the New Testament in Urdu, and he is 
 very anxious to purchase a commentary. . . . This 
 Maulvi has undergone considerable persecution from 
 his co-religionists, who, after a very stormy debate, 
 which nearly reached the point of actual violence, 
 
J^J. 34.] A HINDU LEGEND. 21/ 
 
 excommunicated him, ' for holding doctrines at 
 variance with their interpretation of the Muhama- 
 dan creed.' " 
 
 Not many miles from Find Dadan Khan, about 
 2000 feet above the plains, in the Salt Range, is one 
 of the most celebrated places of Hindu worship. It is 
 called Kataksh. Here annually pilgrims flock in large 
 crowds. Winding up the road from Choga Saidan 
 Shah, along the course of a sparkling mountain stream, 
 overshadowed by rich foliage which is most grateful 
 to the eye of one who has long been in the plains, 
 suddenly at a bend in the road one comes upon the 
 holy place nestling down in a gorge. A large pool of 
 water surrounded by picturesque temples reveals the 
 source of the stream by which we have wandered. 
 Speaking of this, and of the great annual assemblage 
 of pilgrims, Gordon says : — " The story is that the 
 pool was formed by the tears of the god Vishnu, on 
 the death of one of his wives. So the Hindus con- 
 sider that the water has cleansing virtues, and that 
 to bathe in it is to be purged from sin. There 
 were vast crowds of people there from distant 
 parts, and I tried to draw their attention to that 
 ' fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel's 
 veins,' which has been opened for sin and for un- 
 cleanness. They listened very attentively, but when 
 I began to offer them books, I found that few of 
 them could read. 
 
 "One man in the crowd recognised me and fol- 
 lowed me a long way in conversation. He was a 
 
2l8 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1874, 
 
 Muhamadan whom I had conversed with in this 
 place more than a year ago. 
 
 " It was curious to sit on a height as I did the 
 next morning, and watch the long file of pilgrims 
 winding in and out of the hills on their return to their 
 distant homes. Some were on foot, some on camels^ 
 some on horses and donkeys, all in their best holiday 
 attire, and many decked most profusely with gold and 
 silver ornaments, and gems on head, neck, arms and 
 ankles. Most of them seemed to regard it as a fair, 
 and it had much of the ordinary accompaniments of a 
 fair, in exhibitions of juggling, dancing, wrestling, etc. 
 
 " When I was at Jhilam on my way here, I met 
 a very interesting Muhamadan Maulvi, who has 
 recently embraced Christianity, with all his family. 
 He had been for years a seeker after the truth, going 
 about to establish a righteousness which was after 
 the law and therefore fruitless of peace. He is now 
 rejoicing in the treasure he has found, and it is his 
 daily prayer that his old father may find the same 
 peace and joy in believing. Such a man may prove 
 a pillar of strength to the native church, if he is 
 allowed to retain his simplicity and humility. There 
 is such a temptation to make an * interesting case *' 
 of each new convert, for the benefit of our English 
 friends, and our native brethren, who find out how 
 much is made of them, get their heads turned, and 
 gradually lose their * first love ' 
 
^t. 34.] BAPTIZES A NATIVE SOLDIER. 219 
 
 " At Jhilam I baptized a native soldier of the 22d 
 Regiment, at his earnest request ; he said that he 
 ' loved Jesus with all his heart/ and had endured 
 much opposition for the step he was taking, as he 
 was the son of a Muhamadan Seyyid. He certainly 
 could gain nothing, as far as I know, by becoming 
 a Christian (in a worldly point of view), and would 
 lose the support which he had hitherto had, for all 
 Muhamadans think it a duty, and a meritorious one, 
 too, to maintain the son of a Seyyid (or descendant 
 of their Prophet). Not having much time at Jhilam 
 to instruct this young man, and knowing the difficulty 
 of being a Christian in a native regiment, it was in 
 sore fear and trembling that I baptized him ; but I 
 trust and hope that he may prove a good soldier of 
 the cross, and not a traitor." 
 
 Somewhat later Gordon puts on record an un- 
 solicited native testimony to English good govern- 
 ment: — "Just now, as I was walking along the 
 road, I met a long string of camels laden with 
 sugar. The owner, after making his salaam to me, 
 involuntarily exclaimed, ' I can carry my goods in 
 safety now ! ' " 
 
 He was thinking of the time when (in his own 
 recollection) these roads were so infested with robbers 
 that neither person nor property were safe. 
 
 On another occasion he writes : — " After preaching 
 in a distant village one evening, I was followed by a 
 man who earnestly asked for instruction, saying that 
 he had purchased some religious books in Find Dadan 
 
220 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1874. 
 
 Khan, and wished to have them explained. It was 
 getting dark, and I had a long walk before me, so I 
 invited him to my lodging next day. He described 
 himself as a stranger from Rawal Pindi, whither he 
 was then bound, and I have not seen him since, but 
 I hope that he may find a Philip at Rawal Pindi." 
 
 The case of this man was similar to many 
 that are met with in India. One missionary labours, 
 another enters into his labours. We hear of this 
 inquirer, that he ultimately came to Multan and 
 there was baptized by the resident missionary on 
 March 14, 1875. 
 
 Again we read, — " On a recent walk I met another 
 man who accosted me, saying, I had spoken to him 
 once after preaching in the bazar. He described 
 himself as a fakir, and disciple of a certain Maulvi of 
 repute (now dead). He had paid several visits to the 
 bookshop, and had purchased the New Testament in 
 Urdu, and several portions of the Old Testament. 
 He then produced the New Testament, which was re- 
 verently wrapped up with one or two Arabic books 
 in a cloth, and invited me to explain one or two pas- 
 sages, which were obscure to him, such as Gal. iii. 13, 
 'Christ being made a curse for us,' and the words 
 of the angel in Acts i., which seemed to him to im- 
 ply that Christ must necessarily return during the 
 lifetime of those who saw Him ascend. So we sat in 
 a ploughed field under a tree, and had an hour's con- 
 versation, which was listened to by other passers by. 
 He has since attended my preaching with Andreas 
 
jEt. 35.] FIND DADAN KHAN. 221 
 
 in the bazar; and, although he still has difficulties, 
 yet I feel hopeful as well as interested in him." 
 
 Instances like this might be multiplied, clearly 
 justifying both the opinion of Gordon, that the people 
 of this district are open to instruction, and the regret 
 already expressed that his plans have not been more 
 warmly taken up by the Church Missionary Society- 
 One of the best methods of showing appreciation of 
 such a man as Gordon, would be to support the 
 solitary missionary at Find Dadan Khan by efficient 
 helpers. 
 
 " Find Dadan Khan, 
 September 13, 1874. 
 
 " I am convinced that in India we might see like 
 results if we were all on 'fire for Christ.' Too 
 often, alas, the fire pent up is sadly stifled in a 
 long and tedious (but necessary) contest, not with 
 ' the rulers of the darkness of this world,' but with 
 verbs, and tenses, and conjugations — often also 
 with physical and mental prostration. And while 
 one hopes to lift up one's voice like a trumpet 
 against some heathen or Muhamadan Jericho, one 
 staggers home under the conviction of having been 
 barely understood. But while there is some ground 
 for heartache, I feel there is more ground for shame 
 and confusion of face. 
 
 " I have been mercifully preserved from any- 
 thing but slight illness this trying season, and 
 enabled to do a good deal of work. 
 
222 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1874. 
 
 " To walk ninety miles in seven days and preach 
 twice a day, is what I could not have believed that 
 I could have accomplished in the hottest season 
 of the year in India. But I have done even more 
 than this through mercy. I can make myself per- 
 fectly well understood in Hindustani, but not yet in 
 Punjabi. However, there are some in every village 
 who know Hindustani." 
 
 Gordon's letters during this period are full of little 
 sketches of individuals, which perhaps bring before 
 the reader the hopes and fears, the success and failure 
 of a missionary's life more than anything else. 
 
 Besides, these little incidents help us, perhaps, 
 more than hundreds of descriptions in general terms, 
 to realise the people with their different habits and 
 thoughts. 
 
 For this reason, perhaps, this chapter cannot be 
 concluded in a better manner than by giving a few of 
 these in the original. 
 
 In one letter, Gordon has been lamenting the dif- 
 ference between Persian and Indian Muhamadans. 
 According to strict Muhamadan teaching, whether 
 in the Kuran or not, the true Muslim ought to have 
 no caste prejudices. As long as he abstains from 
 what are laid down as unclean meats and alcoholic 
 drinks, he may mix freely in social intercourse with 
 Christians. Thus we find in Turkey, in Arabia, in 
 Persia, Muhamadans eat and drink with Christians 
 without any restraint. But when we come on to India 
 all this is changed. The main population of the 
 
jEt. 35.] CASTE AND ITS EVILS. 223 
 
 country is Hindu, and it is well known that caste re- 
 strictions form the most evident and prominent part 
 of their system in the eyes of a casual observer. Not 
 only will the Hindu decline to eat and drink with a 
 person of another religion, but he will not, if he be of 
 a high caste, even touch meat with the tip of his finger. 
 And among those who are of the same religion, the 
 higher caste will have nothing to do with the lower. 
 
 Now, Muhamadans in India are very similar in 
 their habits. This is partly a consequence of their 
 Hindu origin. The original customs were not 
 thoroughly effaced by Muhamadan conquests, and 
 the conversion of the people to Islam. It also partly 
 arises from mere contact with the Hindus. I have 
 seen this myself in the case of border people. Those 
 who some few years ago had no notion of what 
 caste meant, now, as our Empire gradually extends 
 itself and our officials bring up with them Hindus 
 and Muhamadans of India, so they bring caste too. 
 It takes root and spreads, and those who once were 
 quite free and independent in their social intercourse 
 with Europeans, gradually become shy, and eventu- 
 ally refuse to partake of the same dish. 
 
 Speaking of this Gordon says : — " Here in India 
 the miserable system of caste prevails . . . and if a 
 Muhamadan eats with a Christian, his neighbours 
 reproach him as though he had thereby become a 
 Christian. I have lately had a sad instance of how 
 far Muhamadan bigotry can go. A young convert 
 has been going about with me preaching. I took him 
 
224 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1874, 
 
 to his own village, fifty miles away, in order that I 
 might help him to bear testimony to Christ before his 
 relatives, but I found them as hard as a flint, and as 
 cold as ice towards their son, who had (as they con- 
 sidered) disgraced them by becoming a Christian. In 
 fact, I was told that the father, who is head of his 
 village, has been excommunicated by his friends and 
 relatives on account of his son's defection from the 
 Muhamadan faith ! 
 
 "It was in vain that I asked them to give up their 
 son's wife, whom they withheld from her husband. 
 So I was obliged to pass on with a heavy heart. But 
 this was not my only cause of uneasiness. For by 
 means of threats and promises, the young convert's 
 faith and constancy were quite shaken. He began 
 to talk of a compromise, a serving of two masters, 
 the world and Christ, and although the day before 
 he had been earnestly cautioned by me for using 
 over-confident language, like that of St. Peter, yet, 
 like St. Peter, he fell, and denied his Master. I could 
 only commend him in prayer to that gracious Master 
 for repentance and forgiveness ; and although he has 
 for the time ' forsaken me, having loved this present 
 world,' yet I hope that he will be preserved from 
 the fearful consequences of his backsliding, and be 
 brought again to the foot of the Cross. 
 
 " When lately preaching in a village, some fanatical 
 Muhamadans, finding that noise and ridicule did not 
 silence me, threatened me with violence, but their 
 conduct only disgusted the more sober class of my 
 
^t 35.] EFFECT OF THE GOSPEL STORY. 22$ 
 
 hearers, and secured for me an attentive audience, 
 while they were obliged to walk away ashamed." 
 
 It is, I believe, of this same place that Gordon 
 writes at a later date : — " It happened that a villager 
 
 of Kariala, going to B on business, heard sounds 
 
 as of mourning for the dead. Upon inquiry, he found 
 that the lamentation was for one considered morally 
 dead — that is, dead to Muhamad-, alive to Christ. It 
 then appeared that one of those Mullah's sons who 
 had opposed me had become himself a convert to the 
 true faith. Being thus separated from his home, he 
 had gone to Jhilam, where he found an American 
 missionary, by whom he was further instructed and 
 baptized. As a general rule, there is hardly any 
 part of the Bible which I find more attentively listened 
 to than Matt, v., etc. The remark of Dean Stanley 
 is a true one, that however much controversy there 
 may be about the authenticity of the Gospels, * the 
 whole world bows down before the beauty of the 
 eight Beatitudes, and the parable of the Prodigal Son, 
 and the story of the Sufferings and Death of Christ.* 
 I remember hearing of a Hindu in the South of India, 
 who, although he never became a Christian, yet was 
 so struck by the 5th of St Matthew, that he wrote a 
 commentary upon it in Tamil. 
 
 " A dervish, whom I lately met, was so arrested 
 by the Gospel story, that he walked with me six miles 
 in order to hear it, and then walked back again, pro- 
 mising to come and visit me at Find Dadan Khan. 
 
 "'Why,' he exclaimed, 'are there no preachers 
 
226 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1874. 
 
 of these glad tidings in our parts ? ' And he added, 
 with fervour, 'When we inquire into the nature of 
 God and salvation, the pleasures of earth seem like 
 broken potsherds in comparison ! ' 
 
 "Two years later it was evident that the seed 
 thus sown had germinated, for the man presented 
 himself as a candidate for baptism. 
 
 "Another said, VYour Government ought to place 
 the Gospel in the hands of every Maulvi in the 
 neighbourhood.' 
 
 "Two days ago, I was conversing with a very 
 intelligent Maulvi, who keeps a large school, and 
 whom I had furnished with a Bible only a few weeks 
 previously. 
 
 " He had read the New Testament before, but had 
 certain doubts in his mind, and after reading a num- 
 ber of passages with him, I asked him whether his 
 doubts were removed. ' Yes,' he said, ' I am satis- 
 fied that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that His 
 Word is true. I believe that there is no contradic- 
 tion between the Law and the Gospel. I believe 
 that the Kuran is not the Word of God, for it is con- 
 tradictory to itself and the Gospel. The Maulvis 
 know this, and that is why they forbid Muhama- 
 dans to read the Gospel. 
 
 * I have great hopes of this Maulvi, as being near 
 the Kingdom of Heaven, but he will have a hard 
 struggle when it comes to the point, for he has two 
 wives and a large family, and a number of relations, 
 who will all be against him. What I am so anxious 
 
^t. 35.] " NOT CHRISTIANITY BUT CHRIST." 22/ 
 
 to impress upon inquirers is, ' It is not Christianity 
 that can help you, but Christ.' " 
 
 In the following summer we find Gordon still 
 giving this Maulvi instruction. In the heat of July 
 he writes : — " I ride over now and then to Kariala, 
 but as there is no shelter there from the fierce noon- 
 day heat, my only opportunity for conversation with 
 the Maulvi is in the hours of the night, between a 
 double journey of fifteen miles each way." 
 
 We find subsequent allusion to this man in vari- 
 ous letters and journals. For instance, Yakub, at 
 Gordon's request, took up his abode in Kariala. This 
 Maulvi gave him quarters and showed him hospi- 
 tality. This " so stirred up the enmity of the head 
 man of the village — a bigoted Muhamadan — that he 
 incited the people to deny the Maulvi access to the 
 village well and the village bakery, and withdraw their 
 children from school (which it will be remembered 
 the Maulvi kept). Yakub then wrote to me that he 
 had left the Maulvi's house, and as no one else would 
 give him quarters, for fear of the lambardar (headman), 
 he was living with his wife and child under a tree." 
 
 This persecution, with the assistance of a district 
 officer, was put down, and a lodging for the Christian 
 provided. 
 
 Again, writing to Mr. Macartney, of Melbourne, 
 Gordon says, doubtless in allusion to the same man : 
 — " A poor persecuted villager is now waiting to see 
 me. His avowal of his belief has cost him the loss 
 of one wife, the estrangement of another, the re- 
 
228 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1874. 
 
 proach of all his friends, and the destruction by his 
 enemies of his three crops of corn. He speaks most 
 resignedly of all his losses." 
 
 One more, an extract from a journal, shall con- 
 clude this chapter. 
 
 " I sat talking in a blacksmith's shop, when a 
 boy who was there went out and brought a vicious- 
 looking Mullah, who rudely insisted on my going to 
 the masjid and holding a controversy there. I re- 
 presented to him that I came not to controvert but 
 to instruct such as were willing to listen. He then 
 turned to the people and told them not to listen, for 
 that we were unbelievers, who observed neither fast- 
 ing, prayers, nor anything else. Finding himself in 
 a minority, he went and got several other Mullahs 
 worse than himself, one of whom, named Ali, was,. 
 facile princeps^ in ill-condition and churlishness. 
 
 *' As he refused to let me be heard as a teacher, 
 I offered to become the taught. My first question,. 
 How can man be just with God ? elicited so very shift- 
 ing and evasive a reply, that I was obliged to repeat 
 it several times. As each time my interlocutor got 
 more noisy and vehement, I shut the sacred Book 
 and asked a question out of the Kuran, which he did 
 not find it convenient to answer. After begging him 
 again to hear the message of peace, with the same 
 fruitless result, I was obliged to leave the people to 
 judge between the true and the false religion from 
 the example of their own teachers, with a prayer 
 that God would lead them to the right choice." 
 
CHAPTER XL 
 
 JHILAM ITINERANCY— 1875-76. 
 
 It has been already said that, in the life which 
 Gordon was leading in this Mission, he followed 
 more nearly the example and practice of our Lord 
 and Saviour than he had previously done, and than 
 missionaries in India in general find themselves able 
 to do. 
 
 When the Jhilam Itinerancy was first commenced, 
 with Find Dadan Khan as headquarters, there was no 
 comfortable home to greet the missionary when he re- 
 turned travel-worn from his marches. Nothing more 
 than a hired native house, which we might almost call 
 3. hut, protected him from the "smiting of the sun 
 by day." Some time later, Gordon was able to pro- 
 cure a better shelter. Just outside the town of Find 
 Dadan Khan is the site of an old fort. It is marked 
 by one solitary tower and sundry mounds, where build- 
 ings were once. This tower, the property of Govern- 
 ment, was rented to Gordon for the modest sum of 
 about £4, I OS. per annum. He subsequently pur- 
 chased it, and to the present time it remains the 
 property of the Find Dadan Khan Mission. 
 
 Ferhaps when we read the words of General Mac- 
 
230 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON, [a.D. 1875, 
 
 lagan, R.E., in the " C M. Intelligencer" for October 
 1880, we may almost seem to get a glimpse of the 
 missionary in this sumptuous abode, enjoying a little 
 well-earned rest. After speaking of the privations 
 which Gordon endures, the account continues : — 
 
 " Yet his little tower at Find Dadan Khan (it was 
 the corner bastion of an old fort, of which little else 
 remained) was not without comforts for its occupant 
 when he paid it occasional visits. A few well-chosen 
 books on the shelves, and some good engravings on 
 the walls, sufficed to give it such a home-like aspect 
 as befitted the abode of a man of literary culture and 
 refined taste, and was suitable to the simple character 
 of the building. The roof of this tower commanded 
 a general view of the three villages which, united^ 
 form the town of Find Dadan Khan, and beyond, the 
 prospect extended up to the salt hills in one direction, 
 and over the river in another." 
 
 At the time, however, of which we are speaking 
 now, there was no such luxury as is here indicated. 
 
 In July 1875, he writes a circular letter, which 
 seems to bring us face to face with the apostolic 
 life. It is headed by the address, " Banyan Tree at 
 Bisharat" He says : — 
 
 "I have taken a house for two days, which is 
 beautifully furnished (with leaves), and has a noble 
 column in the centre, with other smaller columns 
 forming arches and cloisters round it. 
 
 " The lower storey only is mine, the upper storey 
 being occupied by a number of small tenants, who are 
 
^i.l BANYAN - I J AT BISHARAT. 231 
 
 for the most part night lodgers, and who waken me 
 in the morning by their song of praise long before 
 sunrise. I often envy the simplicity of their arrange- 
 ments for food, clothing, and service. I envy also the 
 lightness of their hearts, and the sociability of their 
 habits. For the work in which I am engaged — a work 
 that demands much retirement in prayer, and much 
 accessibility to the natives — I find that solitude (in a 
 certain sense) is very desirable. I mean, that a soli- 
 tary evangelist gets nearer to the people than if he 
 were accompanied by companions. As I sit writing, 
 I am by no means alone (except in spirit). There 
 are at least thirty men (to say nothing of boys) lying 
 and sitting around me under the same tree, at their 
 noonday rest from the plough. And yet they are so 
 well-behaved, that I am often quite unconscious of 
 their presence. I am quite certain that thirty plough- 
 men from an English district would not compare with 
 them for politeness and good manners, or for intelli- 
 gence either. 
 
 " One of them is an old pensioner, who has seen 
 sixteen years' service in the Indian army, and has 
 medals for the Mutiny and the Bhootan campaign. 
 
 "He has just brought me his little boy, who is 
 learning to read (from a book), and if I let him, he 
 would entertain me (in native style), at his own ex- 
 pense, for a week. Two others of my companions are 
 young soldiers from a cantonment about fifty miles 
 off, on leave amongst their friends and relations. An- 
 other is a Hindu merchant, who invited me just now 
 
232 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1875. 
 
 to expound from the Gospel, and gave a deferential 
 assent to every word I said. The rest are Muhama- 
 dan zemindars (or cultivators), and one or two fakirs. 
 
 " Yesterday I had a most intelligent visitor, who 
 explained with great composure that he was a con- 
 vict just returned from ten years' transportation in the 
 Andaman Islands. He had nothing of the gaol-bird 
 expression of our convicts at home, and seemed to 
 be much respected in his village. I was curious to 
 hear his history. He said, * I was a boy just out of 
 school when it happened. My family had a feud, and 
 killed their enemy. I was identified as being on the 
 spot. Some of us were hanged, and some transported. 
 He had had a very pleasant time in the Andamans. 
 One clergyman was very kind to him ; he was taught 
 English, and Persian, .... he passed an 
 examination with credit, and was appointed school- 
 master to the children of the convicts. He had 
 purchased an English and Hindustani New Testament 
 in Calcutta, which he showed me, and when I ex- 
 pounded passages, he gave an intelligent response, and 
 promised to come to see me in Find Dadan Khdn. 
 
 " This man's history is not an uncommon one. In 
 this district feuds are sadly frequent, in which blood 
 is shed. It is exceedingly difficult for the magistrate 
 to decide who is in fault, in consequence of the pre- 
 vailing tendency to untruthfulness, but it generally 
 happens that both sides are at fault. 
 
 " This morning I climbed a hill on which there is 
 a very ancient shrine, frequented by Hindu as well as 
 
^t. 36.] A PERPETUAL MIRACLE. 233 
 
 Muhamadan pilgrims. There is no idol, not even a 
 tomb or a fakir, only a tradition that fakirs used to 
 sit there hundreds of years ago. So anyone who is 
 in trouble, or pain, or childless, goes and pays his 
 vows, and sacrifices his kid or goat, and believes he 
 gets relief No doubt, for certain disorders, a stiff 
 walk up a steep, rocky path would (by quickening the 
 action of the liver) produce a desirable reaction, and 
 be regarded by the credulous as a miraculous cure." 
 
 About this same time Gordon writes : — 
 
 " I can so thoroughly endorse your valuable 
 remarks about the ' empty pitcher ' being the vessel 
 most honoured of God. Self takes a deal of empty- 
 ing, even under favourable circumstances. Solitude 
 and retirement, watchings and fastings, 'living on 
 sixpence a day and earning it,' habituation to fatigue 
 and self-denial — these I have found to be very favour- 
 able when rightly directed to the work of Evangelis- 
 ation, and yet it often astonishes me to feel what a 
 sturdy grip old self has got, and how much there is 
 for grace to do. 
 
 "And one is driven more and more to the ac- 
 knowledgment of that greater miracle of the Chris- 
 tian Dispensation (as Leander truly states it), viz. : 
 — the communication of the Life of God to the 
 Soul of Man. 
 
 " Having a young civilian friend with me lately, 
 vigorously preaching, and sharing my tent for a 
 week, set me thinking upon the great advance that 
 Mission work might make if all civilians and military 
 
234 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1875. 
 
 men were brought under the influence of a revival. 
 At home, if one were to start a mission, there would 
 be no lack of missionaries, lay and clerical, to assist 
 Here one stands * without the camp/ and calls, but 
 no one comes. Chaplains are asleep. Civilians (such 
 as my nearest neighbour) are sceptics or sensualists, 
 and those few who are of the right sort are too far 
 away to come. 
 
 " Meantime one has no leisure to be despondent — 
 the work is so vast, and the night cometh." 
 
 Again, on another occasion, the following is ex- 
 tracted from Gordon's diary : — 
 
 ^^2nd. — Started by moonlight, and walked \o\ miles 
 to Nurpur. The road ascends at once to a higher 
 plateau, with very fertile land and villages dotted 
 about. Passed some very ancient tombs, one of which 
 seemed like a mosque with four doors but no roof. 
 On entering found it to be a family burial-place, with 
 twelve tombstones hoary with age. No inscriptions 
 whatever. The village of Nurpur has no accommoda- 
 tion (as most villages have) for travellers, so I spent 
 the day under a tree. The people soon collected, the 
 village barber sitting at my feet, and beginning 
 to manipulate the muscles of my leg. This sham- 
 pooing custom is evidently an attention shown to 
 wayfarers, and reminds one of the similar courtesy 
 of washing the feet of a priest in Bible lands. It is 
 by no means an unwelcome, and certainly a whole- 
 some, method of treatment after the fatigues of a 
 
^t. 36.] A GREAT GRIEF. 235 
 
 long walk. Our meal was cooked and eaten before 
 a large audience, who afterwards listened attentively 
 while Andreas and I sung a hymn and prayed the 
 Litany. They were afterwards addressed by both 
 of us on the Gospel rules of devotion. Had many 
 visitors during the day, as my tree stood in a public 
 place in the middle of a street. Their questions show 
 how difficult it is for them to realise our object. 
 'What is your salary?' * Where is your home?' 
 ' Have you no tent ? ' etc. The other day a Sikh 
 hit upon a happy solution, * I see you are what we 
 call Sddu, the Muhamadans say fakir: In the 
 evening some little schoolboys came and requested 
 to know what I could possibly mean by saying, as 
 I did in the morning, that Muhamad Sahib could 
 never make atonement for our sins. Had they not 
 read that even the world could not have been created 
 without him ? A shopkeeper sat conversing till late, 
 when the street began to be paraded by two wedding 
 processions with music. This was kept up through 
 the entire night with relentless severity. All my 
 experiments at sleep proved fruitless. It is only a 
 native who can sleep through the wild discords of 
 a hymenseal chorus. 
 
 During this period a great grief befell Gordon. 
 He had, as his journals have implied, a most faithful 
 native helper named Andreas, one on whom he 
 seemed to rely with the fullest confidence. In the 
 Christmas of 1874-75, Andreas took cold in Amritsar, 
 consumption set in, and in spite of the summer spent 
 
236 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1875. 
 
 in Kashmir with Dr. Maxwell, he rapidly became 
 worse on his return to work. 
 
 " In Nov. 1875," Gordon writes, " he is now holding 
 on to life by a very frail tenure. I miss him much, 
 because although his good qualities are those of a 
 pastor rather than an evangelist, yet, in faithfulness 
 and readiness to remain at his post, he has been a 
 true pattern and a valuable helper. Although feeble 
 in body, he is strong in spirit, and most patient in 
 suffering. *Tell Mr. French,' he says, *that I have 
 no fear of death, but joy and confidence.' Among 
 his visitors in sickness are an old Hindu pundit, and 
 a young Muhamadan school teacher, who show a 
 kindly sympathy and appreciation of his former coun- 
 sels. A recently - converted Muhamadan Maulvi, 
 of Jhilam, has spoken to me of him in terms of true 
 brotherly affection. To another Muhamadan Maulvi, 
 who is an inquirer, he has written a letter of Chris- 
 tian exhortation as a dying message. His loss is a 
 heavy blow to a young mission like this, and the 
 more so that I have no one to supply his place. For 
 this kind of work offers a searching test to the sin- 
 cerity of applicants for employment as preachers ; 
 and sometimes with only depressing results. Of three 
 native candidates who have withdrawn their appli- 
 cations, one stipulated for a salary which exceeded 
 the limits fixed by a very liberal estimate, and which 
 would certainly have excited the envy of his worthy 
 acquaintances. Another estimates his services for 
 Christ at their possible commercial value in the 
 
^t. 36.] ANDREAS DYING. 237 
 
 Government market. He * cannot afford ' to evan- 
 gelise his countrymen for less than ;^I20 a year, a 
 salary equal relatively to ^480 to a European. A 
 third, who entered into an engagement with me, and 
 came with his family at my expense more than 200 
 miles, although trained in one of our orphanages, is 
 far too respectable to share my native house, walk 
 with me from village to village, and make his chupat- 
 ties as I do mine, 
 
 " He confesses that he never expected this kind of 
 work, and it does not suit him at all. He must seek 
 employment elsewhere. And thus he leaves me, and 
 embitters by his conduct the last days of poor 
 Andreas, who mourns over such unfaithfulness to 
 One who * had not where to lay His head.' 
 
 "These men have all been trained in mission 
 schools, and although unfitted for spiritual work, 
 might succeed well in some other department. They 
 are not strictly natives of the Punjab, and one is led to 
 the conclusion that as for countries so also for pro- 
 vinces, the right teachers are those who are country- 
 born. When the Gospel takes hold of the hearts of 
 the hardy and simple Zemindars of the Punjab (as 
 it is beginning to do), they will doubtless be the true 
 leaders of a spontaneous movement towards Chris- 
 tianity. None the less searching and anxious, how- 
 ever, should be our inquiries as to whether our 
 methods of training the Native mind are the most 
 judicious. 
 
 ''Feb. i2th, 1876. — Since I began this letter, which 
 
238 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1876. 
 
 I've been obliged to lay aside for two months, Andreas 
 has been taken to his rest, and our little cemetery has 
 received the first mission seed 'sown in corruption,' 
 to be 'raised in incorruption.' During his last few 
 months he seemed to be ripening for his promotion. 
 He had failed to pass at the last Catechist's examina- 
 tion at Amritsar for a higher grade ; but within a year 
 he obtained the highest place which a faithful disciple 
 can aspire to. I do not repine at the issue so plainly 
 appointed by the Master. We did all that we could 
 to prolong his life, but the disease was one which 
 often proves incontrollable by human skill. 
 
 " What I most desire is that his example in thus 
 dying at his post should not be lost upon his native 
 Christian brethren who survive him. And yet I fear, 
 not without reason, lest it should have an intimidat- 
 ing rather than a stimulating effect upon them. 
 
 " Andreas was a man of few words, and one who 
 took a sober rather than a sanguine view of things. 
 When, after preaching in a village one Sunday, I 
 tried to animate him by an account of revival work in 
 Scotland to hope for a corresponding revival here, he 
 remarked very justly, ' You cannot compare the two 
 cases. In my country the bones are very dry^ in 
 yours there is some flesh upon them.' 
 
 "On St. Andrew's Day he received the Holy Com- 
 munion in his bed for the last time. I remarked to 
 him that St. Andrew's example was one which he 
 had well followed. He replied, ' Ah ! our work is 
 poor enough, and we deserve nothing for it ; but 
 
^t. 36.] A NATIVE CHRISTIAN FUNERAL. 239 
 
 what a beautiful text that is in Revelation, " Be thou 
 faithful unto death, and I will give unto thee a crown 
 of life." Oh that I may obtain that crown ! ' He 
 added, ' Christ left everything for us ; it is only right 
 that we should give up a little for Him. Mr. French 
 was always saying this to us. Alas, how few there 
 are who are willing to do this ! I should greatly like 
 to finish my work at Find Dadan Khan. I have a 
 great desire to preach. The people are bad, yet we 
 must tell them of the Lord's mercy.' 
 
 " The Rev. J. Lapsley, who saw him about this 
 time, wrote to me afterwards : — ' One might envy the 
 tranquillity and resignation with which he can con- 
 template his fast approaching end.' Many kind in- 
 quiries were made after him by English friends, and 
 especially by Capt. Hutchison, the Assistant Com- 
 missioner, who, by reading and praying beside his 
 dying bed, performed that office of true Christian 
 brotherhood which ' availeth much.' 
 
 " We were a very little band as we stood round 
 his grave on the 9th December — only Yakub, the 
 native Christian chowkeydar, and the native Christian 
 schoolmaster of Bhawa, and the Collector of Customs 
 at Khewra, who kindly came five miles to show his 
 sympathy — a very small company, in view of a very 
 large town of heathens and Muhamadans. I ear- 
 nestly desired that all my native Christian brethren 
 in Lahore and Amritsar could have been there too, 
 to gather some instruction from that open grave, if 
 perchance there might be one heart touched by a 
 
240 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1876, 
 
 generous impulse to stand in the breach and to say, 
 in response to that silent appeal, * Lord, here am 
 I, send me.' " 
 
 In 1876, Gordon writes from Find Dadan Khdn : — 
 "Our chief interest at the beginning of 1876 was 
 a promised visit from the Bishop, a visit to which 
 subsequent events have given a melancholy pro- 
 minence. It is hardly likely that so remote a place 
 as Find Dadan Khdn will ever be visited by a Bishop 
 of Calcutta again. Bishop Milman came on February 
 18, looking remarkably well, after a very cold and 
 wet night-journey from Gujarat in a dooly, followed 
 by another down the Jhilam in an open boat. Our 
 little church was filled by a congregation of twenty, 
 most of whom had come from distances of from five 
 to fifty miles. Mr. Jacob and Mr. Lapsley took part 
 in the service, at which the Bishop confirmed seven 
 candidates — four European and three native, — and 
 gave a very solemn and fatherly exhortation, the 
 singing being led by a harmonium, which was his 
 own kind gift to the church. 
 
 " The native Christians who were confirmed were 
 Yakub and his wife, and Goolab Khan. A few weeks 
 later the scattered members of that little congregation 
 heard, one by one, through various channels, that their 
 chief pastor was removed, and we sadly realised that 
 Find Dadan Khan, Rawal Findi, and Feshawur had 
 been the Gilgal, Bethel and Jericho of our honoured 
 leader's departing steps. God grant that some true 
 ' sons of the prophets ' may be raised up at each. 
 
^t. 36.] NEED OF MEDICAL MISSIONARIES. 24I 
 
 " One great cause of thankfulness during the past 
 year has been the immunity which this district has 
 enjoyed from the epidemic which has visited so 
 severely other localities. While we heard of hundreds 
 a day swept off by fever at Amritsar, Jalandhar 
 Mari and other places, our death rate was com- 
 paratively low, proving that our district contrasts 
 very favourably with others. Occasional outbreaks 
 of cholera we had, but they were confined to small 
 villages, not to be attributed to local causes so much 
 as to individual carelessness. Still, during the sickly 
 months of August and September, one had plenty of 
 applicants for medicine among the villagers. With 
 the Bible in one hand, and quinine in the other, there 
 was abundant access to houses which would otherwise 
 have been closed, and some very valuable experience 
 was gained. The conviction was greatly strength- 
 ened that the medical element, when combined with 
 missionary work, is a powerful auxiliary for good, and 
 I earnestly trust that this district may not be long 
 without a medical missionary. The helplessness of 
 the people and their prejudices against hospitals, even 
 when available, is a reason for some special effort 
 to visit patients in their own homes. 
 
 " Sometimes they tell you that their mullahs and 
 pundits forbid them the hospital and the dispensary, 
 on the plea that the medicines are mixed by heretical 
 hands. Sometimes there is a famous ' peer' or quack 
 in their neighbourhood, whose amulets are potent to 
 confer anything, from a son-and-heir to a good appetite, 
 
 Q 
 
242 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1876. 
 
 the amulet being probably a scrap of paper with a 
 text of the Kuran to be taken in water. Sometimes 
 there is a shrine to be visited with votive offerings. 
 If the defunct saint be a renowned one, he must be 
 propitiated by the sacrifice of a goat ; if an ordinary 
 individual, it will suffice to tie a piece of rag over his 
 tomb, or strike a peg in front of it. A man has 
 been bitten by a snake. He is a Hindu, so he sends 
 for two Brahmans to pronounce mantras or incan- 
 tations, and, in case they fail, he employs also a 
 Muhamadan, that he may be saved by the Kuran 
 if not by the Shastras. At the same time, there is a 
 general impression that the white man's incantations 
 are the most powerful, and that we have instantaneous 
 (albeit illicit) cures for everything. One poor old man, 
 who has cried himself blind over the death of his son, 
 wants his sight restored ; another, who is bedridden, 
 wants the use of his limbs ; a third asks a remedy 
 for chronic chest or liver complaint. The solicitations 
 become increasingly urgent if one's remedies have 
 given relief; and a case of cholera, which I treated 
 successfully from a book, brought me many patients, 
 and was, I believe, gratefully remembered. 
 
 " The months of August and September brought 
 me into contact with no less than eighty different 
 villages, chiefly those of the Salt Range (a larger 
 number than I had access to in any other two months 
 of the year), and I thankfully record the fact, because 
 it shows that such precautions as a daily dose of 
 quinine, a Spartan diet, teetotalism, and constant 
 
jEt. 36.] A year's labour. 243 
 
 exercise on foot, with change of air, may, by God's 
 blessing, enable even a feverish subject like myself 
 to pursue the work without interruption. And any 
 suspension of such duties for a month, or even for a 
 week, would be a most serious hindrance ; for when 
 one has traversed 3500 miles of one's district in the 
 year (as far as to Cape Comorin and back), and 
 preached in 213 different towns and villages, more or 
 less frequently, then there is the painful consciousness 
 of twice that number left unvisited. For the adminis- 
 tration of law, we think it necessary that each district, 
 like Jhilam, Shahpur and Jhang, should have a full 
 staff of European officers, with scores of native sub- 
 ordinates. In the name of religion, it is considered 
 enough for three such districts to have one missionary. 
 What if in our slowness to discern God's purpose of 
 mercy towards these great cities, the work be com- 
 mitted to other hands, or some drying up of the 
 ' gourd ' of our national prosperity, be the lesson em- 
 ployed to arouse us to a more earnest effort ? 
 
 " The year has been intersected by three journeys 
 to Shahpur and Jhang, which were extended to 
 Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan, and this is equiva- 
 lent to a London clergyman having Lincoln, York 
 and Newcastle in his charge, to be visited periodic- 
 ally without the assistance of railways or coaches. 
 
 " I have not been able yet to replace the loss 
 of my native brother Andreas, but I believe that 
 Yakub does his best as the 'Luke' of the Find 
 Dadan Khan Mission. He readily consented to 
 
244 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1876. 
 
 my proposal that he should take up his quarters 
 at Kariala, a village thirty miles from Find Dadan 
 Khan, where there is an inquiring Maulvi named 
 Shirreff Deen who gave him quarters in his own 
 house. This hospitality to a disciple of Christ so 
 stirred up the enmity of the headman of the 
 village, a bigoted Muhamadan, that he incited the 
 people to deny the Maulvi access to the village 
 well and the village bakery, and withdraw their 
 children from school. Yakub then wrote to me 
 that he had left the Maulvi's house, and as no 
 one else would give him quarters for fear of the 
 Mambardar,' he was living with his wife and child 
 under a tree. By the assistance of the officer of 
 the district I was able to obtain shelter for Yakub, 
 and afterwards the headman deemed it better to 
 conciliate his superior by helping him to a lodg- 
 ing. From the same friendly source I obtained 
 an adjoining site, where I raised a little Christian 
 mosque for my own habitation, at the moderate 
 cost of i^3, including the compound wall. By 
 visiting the place from time to time I found that 
 (the opposition of the headman withdrawn) the 
 people were peaceable enough, and only once had 
 I to arbitrate in a case where some personal vio- 
 lence in the heat of controversy had been shown 
 to Yakub. An entry in my journal at a sub- 
 sequent date says, ' I have been spending several 
 days at Kariala where we were trying to fan 
 into brightness a spark of spiritual life which 
 
.^t 36.] FANATICISM OF THE MULLAHS. 245 
 
 Satan is doing all he can to quench. The Maulvi 
 is working with both hands at his school and his 
 glebe, and doing all I believe in the name of 
 Christ, although shrinking as yet from the ordeal 
 of baptism. At first he seemed to succumb to 
 the opposition which his Christian principle aroused, 
 and withdrew himself awhile from instruction. Now 
 he is creeping out again, comes to Yakub after 
 his day's work, for prayer and reading, and joins 
 the service in my little mosque. When urged to 
 make a bolder stand for Christ, he tearfully pleads 
 his difficulties, but does not attempt to justify his 
 faintheartedness. He has gained over one of his 
 two wives to the true faith, but the other is still a 
 thorn in his side.' 
 
 " Near Kariala is the village of B , where at 
 
 my first preaching the fanaticism of the Mullahs 
 carried them past the bounds of insult, even to 
 personal violence. Their excesses as usual over- 
 reached themselves and procured for me an atten- 
 tive hearing from the respectable class. After this 
 my duties took me hundreds of miles away, and 
 it was not for more than a year that I revisited 
 that village, and heard that the seed had not been 
 sown in vain. It came to me first through another 
 source. It happened that a villager of Kariala 
 going to B on business heard sounds as of mourn- 
 ing for the dead. Upon inquiry he found that the 
 lamentation was for one considered morally dead, 
 that is dead to Muhamad, alive to Christ. It 
 
246 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1876. 
 
 then appeared that the son of one of those Mullahs 
 who had opposed me had become himself a con- 
 vert to the true faith. Being thus separated from 
 his home he had gone to Jhilam, where he found 
 an American missionary, by whom he was further 
 instructed and baptized. 
 
 '* Two other candidates for baptism came to Yakub 
 in my absence and pressed to see me. One was a 
 dervish whom I had had an interesting morning walk 
 with two years before, the other a steward on a tea 
 plantation in Cachar who had heard us in his own 
 village. They were both on their travels, and have 
 not since been traced. I mention them as instances 
 of a class of inquirers who seek instruction from the 
 European missionary, and whom it is difficult to 
 reach while the cardinal points of one's itinerancy are 
 300 miles apart. It seldom happens that one finds a 
 disciple so free from worldly ties as the Sadu men- 
 tioned in my last report. Trained in the rigid school 
 of asceticism, this simple unlettered fakir is ready to 
 ' endure hardness as a soldier of Christ,' and though 
 he has not been yet enrolled under His banner, yet 
 his apprenticeship for more than a year as a follower 
 and learner gives me a good hope that his baptism 
 will be no mere form, but an intelligent and faithful 
 oath of allegiance to Christ. 
 
 " One of the most valuable (as well as difficult) 
 lessons taught by this kind of work is the quiet abid- 
 ing God's time. * It is good that a man should both 
 hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.' 
 
^t. 36.] " WHEN IS CHRIST COMING ? " 247 
 
 " Find Dadan Khan lies low, but the hills are never 
 out of sight There is the Salt Range in front, and 
 there are glimpses on clear days of the snowy barriers 
 Kashmir behind, reminding one of that ridge of Moab 
 mountains which was in David's view when he said, 
 * I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence 
 Cometh my help.' * We see not yet all things put 
 under Him, but we see Jesus crowned with glory and 
 honour ;' and He is not without His witnesses every- 
 where. The expectation of His coming and kingdom 
 is alive amongst Hindus as well as Muhamadans. 
 They find nothing unfamiliar in the thought of the 
 absorption of all creeds, castes, and languages into 
 one at His reign. The former often reconcile this 
 doctrine with their popular belief in one whom they 
 call Nd Kalank, the loth, or ' Sinless ' Incarnation ; 
 while the latter speak of Imam Mahdi as the com- 
 ing deliverer. But the Mussalman holds among his 
 traditions, ' Mai Mahdiyo ilia Isabni Mariyama,' i.e., 
 there is no Mahdi save Jesus, Son of Mary. An old 
 Sikh one day stopped me on the road with the ques- 
 tion, * When is Christ coming ? ' as though it lay much 
 on his mind. A Muhamadan officer, who made me 
 his guest, hoped that His coming might be near, ' for 
 when He comes, I will lay my turban at His feet,' — 
 and he gracefully suited the action to the word." 
 
 A few extracts from my daily journal which I ap- 
 pend will illustrate in an unvarnished way some of 
 the various phases of mind which present themselves. 
 
 One naturally avoids dwelling upon the gloomy 
 
248 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1876. 
 
 side. It is not pleasant to descend one of the 
 mummy caves of Egypt, and tread among the bones 
 of former generations, or to meet the caravan which 
 carries the Persian dead for interment in the ceme- 
 tary at Kerbela. And there is much that weighs 
 heavily on the spirit in our pleadings with the dead- 
 ness and dulness of heathen bondslaves, but we 
 believe in the Holy Ghost as the Lord and giver of 
 Life, we acknowledge the power of Christ over the 
 darkness of the tomb, and we look to see his name 
 inscribed over these mosques and temples. 
 
 " It is a matter of great thankfulness that succours 
 are coming from Cambridge to assist our brother 
 Winter at Delhi, and that Australia is beginning to 
 give her sons and her daughters to the Southern 
 Missions. 
 
 " May many more be led to obey the call as 
 Myconius did, who, seeing in dream the solitary 
 reaper on the harvest plain, and being led by the 
 Guide to the fountain of life, hesitated no longer to 
 leave the cloister and to grasp the sickle so nobly 
 wielded by a Luther. What an impulse would such 
 a crusade give to our holy warfare, and how different 
 an account would our reports present of the work of 
 the Lord as prospered in our hands." 
 I 
 ''January 31. — Walked fourteen miles to S 
 
 stopping at the fakir's temple near Myani on the way. 
 He showed me, preserved with great care, the Bible 
 and other books which Mr. French had given him 
 
^t, 36.] A MUHAMADAN THINKER. 249 
 
 three years ago. He cannot read himself, but his 
 disciple has ' read them to him.' His personal testi- 
 mony to Mr. French reminds me of Justin Martyr's 
 record of the ' meek and venerable old man ' whom 
 he met on the sea shore. ' I saw him no more, but 
 forthwith a fire was kindled in my soul, and I was 
 filled with a love for those people and friends of 
 Christ of whom he had spoken. And when I pon- 
 dered all his words I began to see this was the only 
 philosophy that was safe and suited my needs.' 
 
 ''March 11. — Walked to Jhang and called on G. 
 M., the native Christian schoolmaster. Maulvi Ali 
 Muhamad, another teacher in the school, and a great 
 reader of religious books, came to see me — also 
 Chiragh Shah, a fakir of the Sufi or philosophical class 
 of Muhamadans. He is not a reader, but a thinker, 
 and has a numerous following, to whom he expounds 
 his doctrines. In the course of conversation he re- 
 marked, ' We are all travellers, this is not our home, 
 why should we set our affections on things of this 
 world ? What is it that guides us ? yes, the Spirit of 
 God. The heart of man is impure : it must be 
 swept ; and God's Word is the broom to sweep it 
 with (the illustration of the Dark Chamber in the In- 
 terpreter's House pleased him). A man wandered by 
 the sea and picked up a casket of jewels. Not know- 
 ing their value he sat down and began pelting the 
 birds with them as they settled near him. He kept 
 one and brought it home. Some one saw it and 
 advised him to take it to the jeweller, who pronounced 
 
250 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1876. 
 
 it to be a pearl, and gave him a large sum of money 
 for it. " Oh that I had not thrown away the rest ! '* 
 he exclaimed. So do we trifle with our lives and 
 faculties, and don't know their value till they are 
 taken away. The mind of man is like iron, over 
 which rust has crept, and defaced the image of God 
 in it. Yes, I am a great sinner, greater than Satan, 
 for Satan served God faithfully for 1 50,000 years, and 
 was condemned for one act of disobedience, whereas 
 I have sinned all my life.' 
 
 " March 14. — Had an interesting conversation with 
 Chiragh Shah who appreciates the parables and 
 teaching of Christ, but shrinks from the doctrine of 
 the atonement as unnecessary. He condemns the 
 sectarianism of Muhamadanism and says, * You 
 Christians are much better than our Sunnis and 
 Shiahs. Sectarians abound, but believers are scarce. 
 The wave retires from the beach and leaves little 
 pools which grow stagnant, but when the tide rises 
 and refills them they are fresh. So must we all be 
 brought into contact with God. 
 
 ''March 15. — Had a call from B. P., the Assistant 
 Engineer of the district, a very enlightened native 
 gentleman, who inclines to Brahmoism. He says he 
 cannot find any speciality in the Christian doctrine 
 which the purified Hindu doctrine does not possess. 
 ' If you have martyrs, so have we — if you have a 
 Mediator, so have we.' On being asked whether 
 Christ's life did not contrast favourably with Krishna's 
 he admitted it at once as loftier and purer, but said. 
 
^f. z'^A AN inquirer's difficulties. 251 
 
 ' I don't see among you Christians evidences of His 
 teaching and inspiration being better than our's. We 
 have our Sadus and Sants, the Sadu who aims at, the 
 Sant who attains perfection. Sadus are many, Sants 
 few, so in every reHgion.' 
 
 ''March 16. — B. P. called again and opened his 
 heart more. Said he had tried everything, Hinduism, 
 Brahmoism— had been to Calcutta to see Keshub 
 Chunder Sen, but was not satisfied, felt that it 
 would be a great gain to him to be a Christian in 
 a religious, although not in a worldly point of 
 view. Had, however, difficulties about Inspiration, 
 and the Divinity of Christ. ' I can believe that He 
 raised himself by His virtues and austerities to the 
 level of a god, but not that He was God from 
 everlasting.' 
 
 " We then read together passages of Scripture such 
 as John xx., I Cor. xv., Phil. ii. He said, after much 
 thought, and evidently with a struggle, 'Well, my 
 mind takes hold of this, it is all possible. But this is 
 my difficulty, when I read other books of other re- 
 ligions, my mind also consents to them and I don't 
 know which to choose.' Afterwards he came to me 
 again, and again expressed a great desire to learn 
 more. We read and prayed together daily. He ex- 
 pressed a willingness to be baptized if he could be re- 
 ceived on the merits of his present attainments in re- 
 ligious belief But he has a lingering desire to con- 
 sult the Hindu fakirs of Lahore, Delhi and Agra, as 
 well as the Brahmoists, and he would fain, if it were 
 
252 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1876. 
 
 possible, get into the kingdom of heaven ' direct/ in- 
 stead of ' through a Mediator.' 
 
 "May 20. — Walked to S , about twenty-four 
 
 miles from Jhang. Was called upon by the Tahsildar 
 and by N. M., a Muhamadan gentleman in Government 
 employ, who is very friendly, and evinces a very en- 
 lightened perception of the moral benefits of Christi- 
 anity. * I regard,' he said, ' your preaching as a very 
 excellent thing. You go and invite people to turn to 
 God. This is quite right ; you are much better than 
 we. We are not manly enough ; we are afraid of 
 your ways ; just as when education began, the Govern- 
 ment had to seize the boys and send them to school, 
 and even then they ran away — now they all come 
 willingly.' After commending our institutions, and 
 especially certain devout and Christian officers of his 
 acquaintance, he inquired, * Is there not a new sect 
 among you who say they believe nothing but what 
 they see, and regard prayer as unnecessary ? He 
 named certain leaders of the sect among the civilians 
 in the Punjab, and added, ' We do not admire them 
 at all. I look upon it as arising from intoxication of 
 the mind — pride of intellect and power.' He then 
 asked several questions, such as, * Are not English 
 theologians engaged in revising the New Testament?' 
 (He thought that the original Greek was being altered.) 
 ' What do you hold with regard to Muhamad and his 
 mission ? Did not Christ say in the parable of the 
 vineyard that He would give the vineyard to another 
 Overseer (meaning Muhamad) ? Has not the curse 
 
^t. 36.] SAMUEL AND THE VEDAS. 253 
 
 of Ham been fulfilled in the present idolatry of the 
 Hindus ? ' 
 
 ''May 21. — N. M. called again, and brought a 
 Maulvi of some celebrity, whose ancestral shrine is 
 visited from far and near for the potency of its reputed 
 cures. The Maulvi was exceeding affable, and anxious 
 to agree to the teaching of the Bible, which he had 
 read and studied. After a question or two about Seth, 
 whom the Muhamadans regard as a prophet, and about 
 Daniel (as to whether he lived before or after Christ), 
 he quoted a saying of Muhamad enjoining that the 
 Christians should be respected, and intimated that they' 
 should have great power. He wished to prove that 
 there was nothing in Christ's teaching to alter the 
 Mosaic law as to clean and unclean animals, and on 
 the passage in the Kuran being quoted where it is said 
 that Christ 'allowed some of the things which were 
 forbidden in the Law,' he replied, that this is interpreted 
 as referring to a habit of Jonah (or Job) of eating 
 fat, which was forbidden in the old dispensation but 
 permitted in the new. Upon ih^ precepts ot the New 
 Testament, the Maulvi and N. M. were both agreed 
 that they were holy and good, but, as regards obser- 
 vances, they thought that change might prevail. N. M. 
 inquired whether any prophet were alive at the time 
 of the authorship of the Hindu Vedas. Upon my 
 suggesting that probably according to received dates, 
 the prophet Samuel was alive, he exclaimed with some 
 harshness, ' then the idolaters have no excuse.' 
 
 " The Maulvi then asked me whether there was any 
 
254 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1876. 
 
 record concerning the dress and food adopted by our 
 Lord. The Muhamadan mind is apt to regard these 
 details in close connection with religious observance. 
 
 " In the evening, on going to preach in the bazar, I 
 passed a garden, where my friend N. M. was sitting 
 with the clerks and officers of his Kacheri round him. 
 He invited me to sit down and converse. 
 
 "The Maulvi was with him, and also the Police 
 Officer, and I had an unusually attentive audience — 
 took for my subject Nebuchadnezzar's vision of the 
 kingdom of Christ, Dan. ii., which led to discussion on 
 prophecy and its fulfilment. I was particularly struck 
 with the Maulvi's recital from memory of some of our 
 Lord's miracles, and of His death and resurrection, 
 before so many Muhamadans, who would naturally in- 
 quire the law at his mouth, and who are accustomed to 
 be told by their Maulvis that the Old and New Testa- 
 ments are abolished, and that Christ never died at all 
 but was translated to heaven, to die hereafter. N. M. 
 remarked, ' In this country there are many Governors, 
 but none, next to the Queen, so honoured as the Prince 
 of Wales. So are there are many prophets, but none 
 so honourable as Christ.' 
 
 '^ Aug. 12. — Morning preaching at N , evening 
 
 at A , with a walk of six miles. The general cal- 
 lousness of the people was redeemed by one man who 
 walked back some way with me saying, 'You have 
 shown us the way to God, I must show you the way 
 home.' 
 
 ^' Aug. ly, — A nice walk to J where I put up 
 
JEt 37.] DESCENDANTS OF THE PROPHET. 255 
 
 for the day under some trees, dodging the sun as best I 
 could. The leading people of the village are Seyyids 
 (reputed descendants of the Prophet), a class who live 
 upon others, do not work, and are distinguished for 
 ignorance, conceit and intolerance. They reminded 
 me of a mineral spring in their neighbourhood which 
 has petrifying properties. Whatever you put into it 
 is turned into stone in the course of a few weeks or 
 months. The classical legend of Medusa's head, which 
 petrified you at a glance, may have had some such 
 origin as this. 
 
 " A walk of six miles brought me to the spring, 
 which is approached by a steep descent down a gorge 
 in which the stream has been known to rise 100 feet in 
 the rains. The genius of the place is a hermit, who 
 unhappily owes a grudge to another hermit, who lives 
 on a rock overhead. So he declares that a stone which 
 fell upon his disciple from the cliff and killed him was 
 directed by the rival above. The official investigation 
 acquitted the rival, but did not satisfy the plaintiff. 
 This happened three weeks ago. The spot is a very 
 picturesque one. Several old banyan trees cling to 
 the precipitous rocks and shade the hermit's cell, form- 
 ing also a dripping well. Spent a sleepless night be- 
 tween closeness, prickly heat, boils and mosquitos, who 
 almost pull one out of bed, or rather off the ground, 
 for charpoys are unknown here. Had a refreshing 
 bath in the spring before daylight. I was glad to 
 climb the rocks and get on higher ground again. 
 
 "Walked to Salowi in the Salt Range, a little village 
 
256 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1876 
 
 where there is an ancient tomb, and a garden watered 
 by a stream, a MusHm paradise, all but the Houris 
 My retreat was shaded by a leafy screen of vines and 
 plantains, with a noble banyan for a roof. Went to 
 the Masjid and found an old Hindu fakir, who poured 
 out his grievance, which was that he had lost his jaghir 
 (Government grant of land) many years ago in a dis- 
 turbance at Jhilam, in which he got imprisoned. 
 After explaining something of the way of peace, of 
 which he seemed completely ignorant, told him that 
 fakirs such as I, who had obtained mercy, felt con- 
 strained to tell every one the good news. He con- 
 fessed that he had never considered it a part of a 
 fakir's duty to preach. ' If I tell people to repent they 
 will not listen to me.' I said that our book taught 
 that it was incumbent upon every good fakir to call 
 others to repentance. At last, when others had 
 assembled, he rose and explained to them that I was 
 a fakir who regarded not this world, and that I told 
 them the way of truth ; ' a way which none of you 
 know.' This comment (from a Hindu) fell like vitriol 
 upon the moral sores of a crusty old Maulvi behind, 
 who resented it bitterly. ' I'll hear the Sahib/ he said, 
 ' but I won't hear you,' and some very hard words 
 passed between Muhamadans and Hindus, proving the 
 accuracy of the old fakir's prediction, and giving me 
 an opportunity for appealing to all alike as brethren, 
 brethren in sin and brethren in the title to forgiveness. 
 
 " Had an interesting audience of rustics at C . 
 
 One of them plumed himself on having ' seen London/ 
 
^t. 37.] CROSSES THE INDUS. 257 
 
 He explained that he had been to Lahore and seen 
 in the Museum a Model of London, which he de- 
 scribed as ' a city with a big church in the middle, 
 and a river running through it.' This gave me a text 
 for a discourse on Christian Ordinances as a source 
 of National Life and Prosperity. 
 
 " Oct. 22. — At S met a native of Multan 
 
 who goes about the country exhibiting juggling tricks, 
 among which is a human head that is supposed to 
 answer questions and converse. He seemed a thought- 
 ful man, and said he had read the Gospel, which he 
 had obtained for himself. He begged me to instruct 
 him further, and suggested that we should make a 
 joint concern, he exhibiting and I preaching. 
 
 ^^Nov. 2. — A pleasant day with Mr. T., a Chris- 
 tian Magistrate, who reads the Bible daily with his 
 heathen and Muhamadan servants, and has their chil- 
 dren instructed. Was much interested by Allah Dad 
 Khan, the native Deputy, a very enlightened man 
 with no Muhamadan caste prejudices, who holds with 
 us the universal reign of the Messiah. Our con- 
 versation did not commend itself to some of his 
 brethren, who scowled on me as a heretic. 
 
 " Nov. 3. — Rode twelve miles on a camel along 
 a shady road, with fine Sheesham and Peepul trees, 
 crossed the Indus by a ferry. It has not so gorged 
 an appearance as one would expect, but seems to have 
 swallowed up the five great rivers of the Punjab as 
 easily as Moses' rod swallowed those of the magicians. 
 
 R 
 
258 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1876. 
 
 And yet its capacities are great, for its minimum 
 volume is stated at 18,000 cubic feet per second, 
 that of the Nile being only 12,000. The fact that 
 its value is estimated from ;^40 to £60 per cubic foot, 
 proves what a source of wealth it is to the country, 
 and yet, till you actually reach the river, the land on 
 either side is for the most part sandy waste. 
 
 " Nov. 6. — Preached in the morning at a mosque 
 in Dera Ghazi Khan ; was rejected inside, but a ven- 
 erable looking man got me a good hearing outside. 
 In the evening had a large but noisy audience in the 
 bazar. A hostile stall-keeper created confusion by 
 upsetting a number of listeners whose foothold was 
 precarious. Vendors of singing birds were also in 
 the conspiracy, which reminded me of Whitfield's 
 similar experiences at the English fairs. 
 
 "Nov. 8. — At Choti, the headquarters of Jamal 
 Khan, a Biloch chief. Visited the school of sixty 
 boys, one of whom was put forward to recite certain 
 geographical rhymes in Hindustani, illustrative of the 
 principal towns of England and their manufactures. 
 Some of the parents of the children came, and also the 
 Khan and his son, which gave me the opportunity for 
 religious discussion. The schoolmaster, who has a 
 reputation as a Maulvi, inquired concerning the origin 
 of our race, and whether we had any mention in the 
 Bible. I gave him the prophecy about Japheth 
 (Gen. ix. 27). He then asked how we should prove 
 the authenticity of our Scriptures as against Hindus, 
 Jews and Muhamadans. He afterwards accepted the 
 
^t. 37.] OVER THE FRONTIER. 259 
 
 Gospel of St. John. The Khan listened attentively 
 all the time without making remarks, as we had pre- 
 viously discussed the matter together. 
 
 " Numbers of villagers came for medicine, many of 
 them with chronic complaints. The woman covered 
 their faces as usual, and it was difficult to get at their 
 tongues. The Bilochis seem so fond of medicine, 
 that a dose never comes amiss to them, well or ill. 
 The interior of a Biloch house is a scene of admir- 
 able disorder, in which cocks and hens, sheep and 
 goats, are all equally self-assertive. 
 
 ^"■Nov. 9. — Walked twelve miles with Shirrefif to 
 Zeradan, which is across the British frontier, at the 
 foot of hills, which here are broken into cliffs of loose 
 pebbly composition. A little rill of water makes good 
 pasturage, and long grass, which made a very good 
 extempore bed at night, in the absence of a charpoy. 
 
 The Khan provided us with twelve men " in 
 buckram," sworded and shielded as an escort, and 
 safeguard against any possible marauders, but deer 
 and wolves were the only strangers that came in sight. 
 In the evening some shepherds came round us armed 
 with their very long guns, all mounted with silver and 
 brass. 
 
 " One of their number was a woman, and Shirreff 
 remarked that the men had a monopoly of the good 
 looks. One of them gallantly replied, ' It's because 
 the women do all the work and the men none.' 
 
 ^^ Nov. II. — Started before daylight, and walked 
 eighteen miles along a mountain track to a village 
 
260 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1876. 
 
 called Sakhi Sarwar which is a place of pilgrimage to 
 Hindus and Muhamadans. The path took me along 
 the border of a stream, which might be a source of 
 great wealth, but is allowed to waste itself unheeded, 
 except for cattle. Saw only one little strip of culti- 
 vation. Passed an ancient cemetery, which my guide 
 said was a relic of the occupation of the Pathans. 
 
 ^^Nov. 12. — At Sakhi Sarwar is a large tomb with 
 shrine of pilgrimage, and accommodation for hundreds 
 of pilgrims. Not a charpoy is to be found in the 
 village ; every one must lie level with the saint. To be 
 elevated above him would imply disparagement. Went 
 and preached to some of the guardians of the shrine. 
 Their principal relic is a copper cooking vessel of great 
 antiquity, and large enough to roast a bullock whole. 
 
 "Nov. 18. — Arrived at J an pur after a fifteen-mile 
 walk, and put up in the town, which gave me access to 
 a number of visitors. A Hakim (physician) named 
 Mohkam Din, a man of great repute, was one of the 
 first to call. 
 
 " He told me he had formerly known Mr. Bruce, and 
 as his manner was very polite, we soon became good 
 friends. His first questions were somewhat frivolous, 
 such as whether we English had the alchemist's art 
 of manufacturing gold, whether in my travels in the 
 Caucasus I had seen Gog and Magog, whether the 
 account in the paper was true that a man in America 
 who was shot out of a cannon had reached the moon 
 and come back safely, whether it was not probable 
 that the mountains of the moon were reflections of the 
 
^t. 37.] HIS HEALTH IMPAIRED. 261 
 
 Himalayas, etc. Having at last got him upon religi- 
 ous subjects, he showed a great deal of interest, and 
 brought two Maulvis to see me, with whom I had 
 much discussion. I afterwards saw the local native 
 doctor, who knew, and spoke very highly of, our 
 friend John Williams, of Tank." 
 
 We saw that Gordon had to leave South India 
 on account of his health, and that the Punjab so far 
 suited him that he was able to work permanently 
 there. To the casual eye he appeared to be always 
 in robust health and a tower of strength. Nature had 
 undoubtedly endowed him with a splendid consti- 
 tution, but few, except his most intimate friends, 
 knew to what extent his privations told upon him. 
 What he says in the foregoing extracts is interesting, 
 because, instead of attributing the ailments which he 
 had to bear to the mode of life adopted, he professes 
 to find in it a source of health. He truly did not 
 " fast before men." His right hand never knew what 
 his left was doing. His complaint about the fewness 
 of those who go into the highways and hedges, to 
 compel the people to come in, ought to strike a re- 
 sponsive note in the hearts of those who read it, 
 and at the same time love the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 Persecution has been frequently mentioned in the 
 accounts given by Gordon, and probably with most 
 persons the persecution in store for the new convert, is 
 the prominent thought in connection with missionary 
 work in India. Perhaps, then, it will be a matter of 
 surprise to some to hear that even in a province like 
 
262 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1876. 
 
 the Punjab, where missionary work is comparatively 
 young, there is a large section of the people who 
 sympathise with Christian effort, and who believe 
 that Christ and this teaching are finally to embrace 
 all nations. But these, alas, in most cases, act on 
 the policy of " peace at any price," with or without 
 honour. They do not face the open disgrace which 
 baptism must entail. 
 
 At the end of this year Gordon's journeys were 
 extended beyond their usual limits. From Multan 
 he was induced to go westward, and visit the Bilochi 
 country. This visit was fruitful in the foundation of 
 another mission, which must form the subject of an- 
 other chapter. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 FRONTIER WORK. 
 
 As it has been stated, in the end of 1876 Gordon, in 
 company with the Rev. F. A. P. Shirreff, of Lahore, 
 was induced to extend his journey from Multan in a 
 westward direction. From that place, on a clear day, 
 the sun can be seen setting in all its glory behind the 
 distant range of the Sulaiman Hills, which form the 
 boundary between the Punjab and Bilochistan. It 
 may have been that the sight of these re-awakened in 
 the heart of Gordon a desire felt years before, when, 
 on his way from Persia to India, the steamer touched 
 at the Port of Guadur. The people of that then 
 almost unknown country had claimed his sympathy, 
 but from that time to the present there had been 
 no opportunity of giving it practical expression. It 
 may be, that he now thought an entrance from the 
 Punjab side might be effected, and the country taken 
 possession of in the name of the King. 
 
 Accordingly, in the beginning of November 1876, 
 Gordon set out from Multan. Twelve miles would 
 bring him to the Chenab, one of the five rivers of 
 the Punjab. Crossing the ferry here, which at this 
 
264 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1876. 
 
 season of the year would present no difficulty, he 
 would find himself for the next six miles walking 
 through some of the most beautiful avenues of trees 
 that can be found in the Punjab. These extend from 
 the river to the town of Mazaffargarh, where there is 
 a civil station. Here also is a native agent of the 
 Church Missionary Society, who was for a number of 
 years supported by the generosity of a civil officer, 
 formerly Deputy Commissioner of the district. 
 
 From this point, setting his face again westward, he 
 traversed ground at that time unbroken by the Chris- 
 tian ploughman. The shady avenues of trees lining 
 the roads are now gradually left behind, and the 
 traveller sees before him tracts of country, here rich 
 in cultivation, there undulating with barren sand hills. 
 About twenty-two miles more, and the greatest river 
 of the country is reached, — the Indus, into which, 
 about fifty miles to the south, at Mithankot, all the 
 five rivers of the Punjab flow. 
 
 At this season of the year the giant river can 
 hardly be called interesting. After May, when the 
 snows begin to melt in the heights of the Himalaya, 
 the river rises, and frequently a sheet of water five 
 miles broad may be seen. But in the cold weather 
 the melting of the snow and the rains are over, and 
 the water diminishes to an insignificant amount com- 
 pared with the extent of sandy river bed. The tra- 
 veller goes on mile after mile, and might imagine 
 himself to be in the middle of a huge desert, until at 
 last, coming upon the river itself, he realises that at 
 
^t. 37.] DERA GHAZI KHAN. 265 
 
 another time the miles over which he has toiled are 
 flooded by a river-sea. 
 
 Once more crossing the river, the impression is 
 given that one is approaching a second Jericho, a city 
 of palm trees, so many date-palms are to be seen 
 on all sides. Perhaps it was with some such thought 
 as this — " Another Jordan crossed, another Jericho in 
 front, here is a land which is to be the inheritance of 
 the Lord ! But where is Joshua leading the host of 
 the Lord ? " 
 
 This Jericho is Dera Ghazi Khan, and, as we 
 have seen by his journal, Gordon himself preached 
 there on Nov. 6th. It is the southernmost town of 
 the trans'«-lndus country, known as the Derajat, so- 
 called because it contains three towns the name of 
 each of which begins with Derd or Camp — Dera 
 Ismail Khan, Dera Fath Khan, and Dera Ghazi Khan. 
 
 In 1861, Colonel Reynell Taylor, then Commis- 
 sioner of the Derajat, proposed to the Church Mis- 
 sionary Society to found a mission in the country. 
 He himself backed up his proposal with a gift of 
 ;^iooo towards carrying it out. The result was 
 the commencement of work at Dera Ismail Khan. 
 Colonel Taylor had wished to establish mission 
 stations at the northern and southern towns, the 
 former as a base for evangelistic work among the 
 Waziris and other Pathan mountain tribes, and the 
 latter as a similar base for the Bilochis ; while at 
 both places efforts were to be made to preach the 
 Gospel to the travelling merchants from Central 
 
266 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1876. 
 
 Asia, who yearly descend the passes into the plains 
 of India. But at the time, it was only found prac- 
 ticable to carry out the former part of the scheme. 
 The Rev. T. V. French (afterwards Bishop of Lahore) 
 was placed in charge of the new work. 
 
 To carry out the latter portion was left to the 
 energy and means of Gordon. Writing of his first 
 visit he says : — 
 
 " Derd Gh^zf Khan is a large city with no mis« 
 sionary traditions, about the same size as Find Dadan 
 Khan, but with much finer mosques and bazars. 
 We took up our quarters for a week or ten days in 
 the Serai (native inn), where our lodging reminded 
 us of the cell where St. Jerome spent the last thirty 
 years of his life, except that his was in the cave at 
 Bethlehem, hallowed by the memory of our blessed 
 Lord's nativity, and ours in the midst of a thronged 
 and busy Indian bazar. Thence, morning and even- 
 ing, we visited the mosques and temples, where we 
 found more apathy in religious matters than actual 
 opposition. One exception may be mentioned as 
 characteristic : We were sitting shoeless in a mosque, 
 conversing with an old Muslim, when some ill-dis- 
 posed person went and got other kindred spirits, who 
 came with a tumult that reminded one of the tuning 
 of orchestral instruments previous to a concert. But 
 just as the harsh discords are followed by the har- 
 monies of the oratorio, so, by a few calm words of 
 expostulation, the furious disputants became quiet 
 listeners. In dealing with these people one often 
 
JEL y]:\ BILOCHISTAN. 26/ 
 
 finds that, if the right note is struck, there will be a 
 right response. 
 
 " This town of Dera Ghazi Khan is not itself in a 
 Bilochi country. Many of the chiefs, or tumandars, 
 of the border tribes, have houses in this place, which 
 they visit from time to time with numbers of followers. 
 But it is not until one has gone about twenty-four 
 miles still further west, that one finds oneself in the 
 real home of a chief, and among a Bilochi-speaking 
 people." Gordon further writes : — 
 
 " In our preparations for visiting the country of the 
 Bilochis, we were very kindly assisted by the Com- 
 manding Officer of the cantonment, and the Deputy 
 Commissioner, who both take a warm interest in the 
 welfare of these people. Provided with a letter of in- 
 troduction, and with medicine for the sick, we started 
 on Nov. 1st (1876), and jogged along for twenty miles 
 on a camel to the headquarters of one of the many 
 clans of Bilochis. The chief and his son were fine 
 specimens of a noble race — men of great stature, 
 striking features, and long curling hair down to their 
 shoulders. Among some of the tribes, the Jewish 
 type could be distinctly traced. They take a great 
 pride in their horses, the breed of which is famous, 
 and this chief has carried off the first prize at the 
 Government horse fairs. We had a long conversation 
 together, for they are remarkably open to discussion 
 on religious subjects. 
 
 " They admit the purity of the Christian faith, but 
 the old objection, so painfully frequent, recurred : — 
 
268 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1876. 
 
 * We perceive that you English are very much divided 
 in rehgious behef. Some of your Sahibs tell us that 
 they have no need of padres ; they can interpret God's 
 Word for themselves.' This was a polite way of say- 
 ing, — ' You clergy are not always accredited by your 
 own people, who regard God's Word and ordinances 
 as open to criticism, and matters of opinion, whether 
 they are to be respected or not. How, then, can you 
 commend to us that which you are not unanimous 
 about yourselves ? ' 
 
 " This is a charge which is constantly coming up in 
 one form or another. We do not find it objected by 
 the natives of these parts that some of us hold the 
 Episcopal and some the Presbyterian form of church 
 government. But what they do say, sometimes in a 
 cavilling, sometimes in an inquiring, spirit, is, that we 
 are very loose as to religious ordinances, — to daily 
 prayer, reverence for God's Word, etc. 
 
 " It was easy to converse with the chiefs of the clans, 
 because they are familiar with Urdi and Punjabi ; but 
 the more ignorant of the people did not understand so 
 well. They knew, however, how to appreciate quinine 
 and other medicines, as they had many who were 
 sick of fever, and we soon became very good friends. 
 
 " A journey of thirty miles further brought us to 
 the foot of a range of mountains that we had been 
 wistfully gazing at for days, in the hope that we might 
 have the opportunity of planting the cross upon ground 
 beyond the British frontier, where no missionary foot 
 had ever trod." 
 
^t. y]:\ THE SULAIMAN RANGE. 269 
 
 The range of mountains here mentioned was the 
 Sulaiman, and perhaps a few words may be said 
 about the inhabitants of these hills, while we leave 
 Gordon and his friend resting at Zaradan, and pro- 
 bably speaking words of life to an assembled group 
 of Bilochis, who have never before heard of the gospel 
 of salvation. 
 
 If we could imagine ourselves in the Highlands of 
 Scotland a century or two ago, amongst a people split 
 up into different clans, and these clans often fighting 
 one against the other, we might have, iniitatis inutandisy 
 the scenes of many parts of Bilochistan before our 
 eyes. The phrase mutatis mutandis, perhaps, would 
 have to include a good deal. For the wild beauty of 
 the Scottish hills, for their waving trees and rippling 
 streams, we should have to place bare hills, and often 
 waterless plains, not without their beauty and grandeur, 
 but forming a far sterner page in nature's book than 
 anything in our more favoured western land. 
 
 A swarthy complexion, white flowing garments, a 
 shaggy beard, and aquiline features, set off by the full 
 array of arms, the sword, the shield, and the gun, 
 make up a figure which one would rather meet as a 
 friend than a foe. 
 
 Clanship is one of the most striking features in the 
 social system of the Bilochis. The headmen of tribal 
 sections are obediently loyal to their chief, or tum- 
 andar ; the people, in their turn, are equally obedient 
 to their headmen. 
 
 Tribal warfare is extremely common, and the law 
 
270 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1876. 
 
 of an *'Eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth," 
 or in other words, " blood for blood," is one of the 
 most fruitful causes of it. What would be only 
 accounted as an injury to a private person, where 
 the clan system does not exist, is often taken up by 
 the whole clan where it does, and thus the tribes 
 become embroiled. 
 
 These people claim for themselves Arab descent, 
 but as to the justice of the claim, one may well be 
 permitted to have doubts. In their nomad habits 
 and their pastoral employments, without any fixed 
 abodes, they do, however, resemble their supposed 
 ancestors. 
 
 In many respects, they form a most happy contrast 
 to the people of India. There is more of the western 
 element in their constitution. They do not take their 
 pleasure sadly like the Hindu, but almost in the spirit 
 of an Englishman. A Biloch can enjoy a joke and 
 laugh at a good story. He is truthful, except when 
 it very much suits his end to tell a lie, and com- 
 paring him with his neighbours of Afghanistan, to 
 quote from the Census Report of 1881, "He has 
 less of God in his creed, and less of the devil in 
 his heart." 
 
 The Bilochis are supposed to be Muhamadans 
 of the Sunni sect in religion. But even the most in- 
 telligent among them know next to nothing of what 
 they profess. Carelessness is perhaps their greatest 
 characteristic in this respect. This may be imagined 
 when one day a headman naively remarked, "We 
 
HEADMAN OF THE BILOCHIS IN THE SULAIMAN HILLS. 
 
uEt. y]^ SAKHI SARWAR. 2/1 
 
 are called Mussulmans because we are followers of 
 Hazrat Musa (Moses), just as you are." 
 
 A strict Biloch custom is, that one man should 
 invariably ask another on meeting him, " What is the 
 news?" And perhaps it was this question which 
 greeted Gordon and his companion on their meeting 
 that group at Zaradan, and perhaps, too, they had 
 an unexpected answer to give in the first message of 
 salvation and pardon for sin in Christ. 
 
 The two companions turned their footsteps north- 
 ward, skirting the range of the Sulaimans. About 
 twelve miles over a remarkably rough country, huge 
 boulders under foot, stretching away as far as the eye 
 could reach on the right, the bare hills reflecting the 
 sun's rays down on the left, brought them to Sakhi 
 Sarwar, a very famous place. 
 
 The journal says of this place : — " Here is a large 
 tomb with shrine of pilgrimage, and accommodation 
 for hundreds of pilgrims. Not a charpoy is to be 
 found in the village. Every one must lie level with 
 the saint. To be elevated above him would imply 
 "disparagement. Went and preached to some of the 
 guardians of the shrine. Their principal relic is a 
 copper cooking-vessel of great antiquity, and large 
 enough to roast a bullock whole." 
 
 The remark about a charpoy or native bedstead is 
 not strictly correct. For when I visited the place 
 during the fair in 1880, I was told that there was one 
 in the place which I might have if I wished, but when 
 they added, in explanation, that it was kept for the 
 
2/2 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1876. 
 
 purpose of carrying the dead to burial, the offer was 
 decHned with thanks. 
 
 The history of the founder of this place, as given 
 in the Settlement Report of Dera Ghazi Khan is inter- 
 esting. It is therefore quoted as follows : — 
 
 "Sakhi Sarwar was the son of Hazrat Zena- 
 buldin, who migrated from Baghdad and settled 
 at Sialkot, twelve miles east of Multan, 650 A.H. 
 (1220 A.D.). Hazrat Zenabuldin had two sons, one 
 Saidi Ahmad, afterwards known as Sakhi Sarwar ;. 
 the other, Khan Doda, who died at Baghdad, and 
 was not famous. 
 
 " Saidi Ahmad studied at Lahore, and from there 
 went to Dhokal, near Wazirabad, in the Gujrat dis- 
 trict. Whilst here he saw a mare, the property of a 
 carpenter, and asked the carpenter for it. The car- 
 penter denied having a mare, whereupon Saidi Ahmad 
 called to the mare and it came up to him of its own 
 accord. Saidi Ahmad then told the carpenter to sink 
 a well, which he did, and the descendants of the car- 
 penter are the guardians of the well, at which a fair is 
 held every year, in June, to Sakhi Sarwar's honour. 
 After this Saidi Ahmad went, by his father's order, 
 to reside at the foot of the Sulaiman range and settled 
 at the place now called after him. Shortly after, re- 
 tiring into the desert, Saidi Ahmad performed another 
 miracle. A camel, belonging to a caravan which was 
 going from Khorasan to Delhi, broke its leg. The 
 leader of the caravan applied to Saidi Ahmad, who 
 told him to return to where he had left the camel and 
 
^t. y]:\ LEGEND OF SAKHI SARWAR. 273 
 
 he would find it sound. The merchant did as he was 
 directed, and was rewarded by finding his camel re- 
 covered. On arriving at Delhi, the merchant pub- 
 lished the miracle and the emperor heard of it. The 
 emperor, anxious to inquire into the miracle, sent for 
 the camel and had it killed. The leg was examined 
 and found to have been mended with rivets. The 
 emperor, convinced of the miracle, sent four mule loads 
 of money to Saidi Ahmad and told him to build him- 
 self a house. Sakhi Sarwar Shrine was built with this 
 money. One Gannii of Multan now gave his daughter 
 in marriage to Saidi Ahmad, who had miraculously 
 caused two sons to be born to him. Gannu endowed 
 his daughter with all his property ; and it was for his 
 generosity in distributing this property to the poor 
 that Saidi Ahmad obtained the name of Sakhi Sarwar, 
 or the bountiful lord or chief. Sakhi Sarwar now 
 visited Baghdad ; on his return he was accompanied 
 by three disciples, whose tombs are shown on a low 
 hill near Sakhi Sarwar. 
 
 Still, the scheme of a mission was destined to be 
 for some time postponed. Gordon himself believed 
 that the best manner of commending the Gospel to 
 this rough but genial people would be to couple it, as 
 our Lord Himself did, with temporal blessings as well. 
 That which they stood most in need of was medical 
 aid. Their wild life and tribal warfare often caused 
 much suffering from wounds, which surgical skill 
 would have alleviated. Hence he proposed to estab- 
 lish a medical mission amongst the Bilochis, and to 
 
2/4 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1877. 
 
 give the Church Missionary Society a sum of Rs. 10,000 
 wherewith to commence it. It was not, however, 
 until 1878 that Dr. Andrew Jukes offered himself for 
 work. In the autumn of that year, he and the editor 
 of these pages came to the Punjab to join Gordon. 
 
 After this journey to the trans-Indus country, 
 concluded by the end of November, Gordon turned 
 towards Delhi, at the opposite extremity of the Pun- 
 jab, to be present at the great Durbar, appointed 
 for January i, 1877, 3-t which the Queen was to 
 be proclaimed Empress of India. On this occasion 
 he writes to A. Leslie Melville, Esq. : — 
 
 " The sound of the guns which have saluted Queen 
 Victoria as Empress of India have barely died away 
 as I write from my noonday retreat in the middle of 
 this great city. I came here a week ago — not to see 
 the Durbar, as you may suppose, but to proclaim to 
 the multitudes assembled the sovereignty of a ' greater 
 than Solomon,' or our Empress either. The Lord 
 has been pleased to bless my daily preaching to some, 
 I trust, and especially to a Muhamadan Maulvi of 
 learning and influence, who comes daily to read God's 
 Word and pray with me, and whose heart has been 
 turned from the false prophet to look to Christ as his 
 Saviour. That he may have grace to stand firm 
 against the storm of opposition which will be raised 
 against him, and to endure persecution and reproach, 
 is a subject for our most earnest prayers. 
 
 "Yesterday I visited one or two of the camps of 
 the native princes, in order to distribute portions of 
 
jEt. yj:\ THE IMPERIAL DURBAR OF 1 887. 2/5 
 
 Scripture and tracts amongst their retainers. This 
 is a work which requires a large staff of missionaries, 
 because the camps are remote, and the constant inter- 
 change of visits of state and ceremony renders access 
 difficult and uncertain. For the last few days the 
 city has been like Vanity Fair in ' Pilgrim's Progress.' 
 The crowds of buyers, sellers, sightseers, rajahs on 
 elephants and in carriages, with all their jewelled and 
 spangled train, European equipages, incessant firing 
 of salutes of twenty-one guns each, as every visit of 
 state is paid or repaid, are quite sufficient to distract 
 the mind, however bent upon higher objects. The 
 Bishop of Madras preached last night to a large con- 
 gregation, from the text, ' The fashion of this world 
 passeth away,' and I rejoiced, as I listened to his 
 godly exhortations, to think that we have, at any 
 rate, one evangelical and missionary heart and head 
 of our church in India." 
 
 Soon after, we find him once more back in the 
 Jhilam district, pursuing his usual work. He was 
 joined this year by the Rev. and Mrs. C. P. C. Nugent 
 whom he installed at Pind Dadan Khan. Here he 
 built for them a small mission bungalow. 
 
 It must now have seemed to Gordon as if one of 
 his objects in life had been accomplished, and shortly 
 
 after this, on April 15, 1877, on visiting the mission, 
 
 we find him writing : — 
 
 " A boat took us down the river to Pind Dadan 
 
 Khan, where we were warmly welcomed by the dear 
 
 Nugents, who had just got into their new mission 
 
276 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1877. 
 
 house. It was pleasant, after five years' wandering 
 among the villages of that district, to see at last the 
 thatched roof of a cottage in the middle of our cen- 
 tral town, and a brother and sister occupying it. It 
 seemed like taking possession of that town for Christ, 
 and we all joined in thanksgiving. A little school 
 has been built close by, and a small garden laid out. 
 It is all overlooked by the old Sikh watch-tower, 
 which forms my own mansion." 
 
 Owing to the presence of a missionary settled in 
 the Mission, Gordon was able to leave his work in 
 this part of the Punjab for longer intervals, and ex- 
 tend his journeys, as we shall see in the next chapter, 
 even to Kandahar. 
 
CHAPTER XII I. 
 
 Q U E T T A. 
 
 It is unnecessary in these pages to enter into details 
 of the unhappy dispute between the British Govern- 
 ment and the Amir of Afghanistan, which led to the 
 miserable war of 1878-80, We seem fated to make 
 mistakes in dealing with the country which separates 
 the Indian and Russian empires. All we have to do, 
 however, from a missionary point of view, is to en- 
 deavour out of evil to bring forth good, and to make 
 the best of existing circumstances. This Gordon was 
 ready to do. 
 
 While the war department was alive with prepara- 
 tions, and all India and England were looking for- 
 ward to the coming struggle, thoughts of war, too, 
 were born in Gordon's heart. But it was war of a 
 different kind. He thought that the entry of the 
 Empress's soldiers into Afghanistan might also enable 
 the Soldier of the Cross to go forward and spy out 
 the land, so that another province might be added to 
 the Sceptre of Christ. 
 
 He would not have been allowed as a pure and 
 simple missionary to have accompanied the troops. 
 So he proposed to offer his services as an honorary 
 
2/8 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1878. 
 
 chaplain for the campaign. His offer was accepted 
 and his name gazetted. In the autumn of 1878 he 
 was attached to General Biddulph's force. In the 
 beginning of October the march was begun. 
 
 It was not merely Afghanistan that he had in 
 view, but it was Bilochistan as well, through which 
 country the march to Kandahar must necessarily take 
 him. His journal here, as published in the " C. M. 
 Intelligencer" of January 1881, is reproduced : — 
 
 " The late war with Amir Shere Ali Khan of Kabul 
 afforded me a long-desired opportunity of visiting 
 Bilochistan, the Gedronia of the ancients. Biloch- 
 istan is the name given to the country west of 
 Sindh and south of Afghanistan. Its population is 
 somewhat heterogeneous, comprising many tribes, 
 amongst whom I was chiefly brought into contact 
 with Maris, Bugtis, and Brahuis. The country is 
 mountainous, except in the north-west, and along the 
 coast. The rivers are insignificant, except after heavy 
 rains. The inhabitants are more given to pastoral 
 than to agricultural pursuits. 
 
 " Most of the passes leading from India to Biloch- 
 istan cross the Sulaiman range. A glance at the 
 map shows a remarkable pecularity with regard to 
 this part of the country. Although numerous streams 
 issue from its heights, and owing to the formation of 
 the country, take an easterly direction, very few join 
 the Indus, the greatest number being absorbed by 
 the soil at the foot of the mountains. Here exists a 
 more or less narrow margin of horizontal beds of 
 
^i' 39-] ATTACHED TO GEN. BIDDULPH'S FORCE. 279 
 
 sandstone and conglomerate. Nothing can be^ con- 
 ceived as possessing a more desolate aspect than these 
 ridges ; scarcely a sign of vegetation breaks the uni- 
 form brown of the arid rocks. There are, therefore, 
 few inducements for a traveller to attempt the Bolan 
 Pass, if he be in search of the picturesque. Moreover, 
 the climate is very trying to the European constitu- 
 tion, and even natives have a tradition that nothing 
 hotter exists than this strip between the River Indus 
 and the mountains. 
 
 " Our starting-point was Rajanpur, which we left 
 on the 9th October 1878. This little place is situate 
 on the west bank of the Indus, near Mithankot, where 
 all the waters of the Punjab unite. The route usually 
 adopted by caravans through the Bolan is that via 
 Sakhur, Shikarpur, and Jacobabad ; but that route, 
 owing to the inundation of the Indus, was pro- 
 nounced, at this season, to be impracticable. There 
 was, therefore, no alternative but to adopt the direct 
 but more difficult route via Bugti Dera. Hence the 
 quiet little station of Rajanpur assumed an unusually 
 bustling and animated appearance. Numbers of 
 troops of all descriptions, artillery, cavalry and in- 
 fantry, were being pushed on to the front, and it was 
 interesting to observe how the native regiments con- 
 tained representatives of most of the martial races of 
 India. The brave little Gurkha from the central 
 Himalaya marched quite as well as his Pathan con- 
 frere of the north-west, and afforded as marked a 
 contrast to the Sikh as the latter to the Hindustani. 
 
280 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1878. 
 
 Moreover, military stores of all sorts were being sent 
 forward in eager haste to Quetta, and demanded all 
 the camels available for their transport These 
 patient animals were collected from all over Sindh 
 and the neighbouring provinces, and laboured on 
 under their heavy loads. Unacclimatized to the hills 
 of Bilochistan, a very large proportion subsequently 
 succumbed to cold, fatigue, and want of proper food. 
 It is difficult to estimate their loss correctly, but if 
 rough estimates are to be believed, some 50,000 of 
 these patient animals were lost between the declara- 
 tion of war, and the signing of peace with Yakub 
 Khan. 
 
 " October gth. I left Rajanpur with the 2nd 
 Biloch Regiment, commanded by Colonel Nicholets, 
 for Asin, the first halting-place on the road to 
 Quetta. The road lies to the west, the walk across 
 the plain, called the ' thai,' being easy and pleasant. 
 The country is flat and sandy, with low bushes now 
 and then to relieve its monotony. Our march was 
 lengthened by two miles, in order to avoid water 
 and mud, the result of recent rains. 
 
 " October \oth. Lai Gosha, sixteen miles. There 
 is little variety in the aspect of the country, for the 
 same flat desert spotted here and there with scant 
 herbage met the eye, and there was nothing to 
 mark our track but a furrow on either side, and 
 the carcase of a horse and a camel or two that 
 had died on the march. We found we had two 
 cavalry regiments ahead of us, the ist and 2nd 
 
^t. 39.] MARCH TO KANDAHAR. 28 1 
 
 Punjab Cavalry, both bound for the same destina- 
 tion as we were. The nearer we approached the 
 mountains the more apparent became the diffi- 
 culties with regard to the transport. Everyone was 
 eagerly discussing plans upon which the comforts of 
 the soldier depend ; and what is only an ordinary 
 obstacle to the Englishman, to be surmounted with 
 patience and hard work, seems an insuperable diffi- 
 culty to the native mind. Many camel owners, in 
 consequence, ran away with their charge, rather than 
 face the dreaded Bolan. There is no village at Lai 
 Gosha, only what is called a chowkee, a few huts that 
 mark the stage. The rule observed at this season 
 is to march by night, and halt by day. We found 
 the fatigues of the night's march far preferable to 
 the sultry heat of the daily halt. Here also another 
 element was against us, for a dust storm searched 
 every nook of our flimsy tents, which flapped and 
 strained at the tent pegs, while the thermometer 
 registered 104° in the shade. 
 
 ''October iitk. Bandawala, i6| miles. The first 
 part of this march presented no difficulties, except 
 where the road became heavy with sand. As a 
 change from the usually barren appearance of the 
 country, I observed, near Bandawala, some crops of 
 jawdr and bdjdr. The jawdr is a kind of millet 
 {holcus sorgum), usually cultivated for the kharif 
 (autumn) harvest. When used for fodder it is 
 much more thickly sown than when grown as a 
 grain. The bdjdr (holcus spicatus) or spiked millet 
 
282 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1878. 
 
 is, like the former, grown for the kharif. It is 
 said to be heating, and therefore specially adapted 
 as a food for winter, ground and made up into 
 cakes. There is a fort at Bandawala with an out- 
 post. I received here attention and civilities from 
 Shere Muhamad Khan, who recognised me as the 
 padre who had visited his uncle, the Nawab of Rojhan, 
 last year. 
 
 " October 1 2th, Kabudrani, twenty-one miles. This 
 is one of the longest and most trying marches in 
 the whole route, in consequence of the heavy sand. 
 After a walk of eight hours, we halted for four hours 
 at midnight by a well, where a very limited supply 
 of water is obtained in the bed of a stream. A 
 Biloch guide showed us the way, which would 
 otherwise be very difficult to find, as it lies 
 through a trackless jungle. We reached Kabu- 
 drani at eight o'clock in the morning, and found 
 the encampment located in the bed of a nullah 
 or watercourse, with good water under a cliff. But 
 beyond this there was absolutely nothing to cheer 
 the weary traveller, not even the sight of a few huts. 
 The only shelter we had was a wretched pilie-tree. 
 This encampment reminded me of the Desert of 
 Sinai. Here my Biloch guide asked leave to stop 
 at sunrise and say his prayers, which he did with the 
 usual prostrations and recitations. Such a custom is 
 somewhat unusual with the Bilochis, as he candidly 
 admitted. ' We used never to say our prayers, but 
 since the Sepoys from Hindustan have come among 
 
^t. 39.] THE FRONTIER REACHED. 285 
 
 US, they have persuaded us to do so.' So far he 
 approved of their customs, but to my question 
 whether, in other respects, they set a good example, 
 he replied, ' No ; they are a lying, rascally set.' He 
 certainly did not much like these foreigners. As we 
 sat under a tree he inquired whether the English, 
 as a nation, had always had the same power and 
 coherence. I told him that was not the case ; * on 
 the contrary, we were once like you, with your feuds 
 and forays between the Maris, Bugtis, Brahuis, etc. 
 We were split up into hostile tribes, Kelts, Saxons, 
 Angles, etc. ; but after foreign missionaries came to 
 visit us, and preached to us, we received God's Word, 
 and became a united nation.' * I wish,' he answered, 
 ' that we could do so also.' 
 
 " In spite of its general barrenness, the country 
 abounds in game, and as a proof of this we caught 
 sight of a few deer this morning. We had now 
 reached the confines of the British territory, and the 
 scene changed into one of peculiar wild picturesque- 
 ness. 
 
 ''October I2,tk. Kajiiri, 14J miles. This march 
 was heavy in the extreme, the road being nothing 
 but a succession of watercourses, the first hair 
 being stony and sandy, with water in many places, 
 said to be brackish. We started at seven in 
 the evening, as we had a brilliant moon, and 
 arrived at midnight, with about half-an-hour's halt. 
 This made thirty miles in one day, and a heavier 
 thirty miles' march I never had. Some of the 
 
284 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1878. 
 
 men had walked thirty-five miles in the twenty- 
 four hours with their rifles and kit. We were so 
 fortunate as to find a pleasant resting-place for a halt 
 half-way, studded with a few trees. On the road I 
 passed a place which was pointed out to me as the 
 scene of a sanguinary encounter in the time of the 
 Sikhs, and my guide showed me the spots, marked by 
 stones, where the warriors fell in the contest. The 
 first few hours after sunset were oppressively hot, 
 especially as a road or track runs through valleys 
 with lofty enclosing rocks. The latter half of the 
 march was somewhat easier. As it was Sunday we 
 had a short service in the mess tent, with the ther- 
 mometer over 100°. Civilisation seemed to have 
 been left behind ; we had not seen even a village 
 since we left Rajanpur, a distance of eighty miles. 
 
 " October id^th. Loti, 6\ miles. After a short 
 ascent a plateau is reached with a small cemetery 
 close by. Here my guide, according to his usual 
 practice, repeated his Fatiha, or confession of faith. 
 He told me that the Bilochis liked having their 
 dead buried close to the road. In a conversation we 
 entered upon, he asked me if it was true that 
 every English child has its pay fixed by Govern- 
 ment from the day of its birth. Major G 
 
 said he remembered a field-marshal of eighty years' 
 service who was made a captain at eight, and a 
 major at sixteen years of age. Having reached our 
 destination we encamped on an open piece of ground, 
 with small low trees, of the farash or tamarisk 
 
^t. 39-] GUIDES MISS THEIR WAY. 285 
 
 kind, giving a scanty shade to little knots of Se- 
 poys. This halt was quite refreshing, especially as 
 the water was good and clear. Evidence of game 
 was likewise procured, as some of our lovers of sport 
 managed to bring in some wild pigeons and sand- 
 grouse. A tent had been erected at Loti for the 
 sick, and I visited this temporary hospital, which was 
 under the care of Dr. A., who attended some thirty 
 or forty invalids, chiefly laid up with fever, most of 
 them being Mussulmans. 
 
 ''October i^tk. Bugti Dera, sixteen miles. We 
 were now entering a country so far away from 
 the plains that the guides from Bandawala pro- 
 tested and declared they should not know the way, 
 and mine, perhaps designedly, missed the path 
 thrice in three miles, no doubt to impress upon 
 me the impropriety of taking him so far from his 
 home. After some heavy plodding through loose 
 sand it occurred to him that he would like a drink. 
 This desire sharpened his ear to make out voices 
 in the neighbourhood, proceeding from a native en- 
 campment, and he went at once and addressed him- 
 self to a Bugti family consisting of a grandfather, 
 grandmother, children, and dogs. The old man was 
 quite civil, and gave me a humble saluation in the 
 name of God, 'Bismillah.' He then stirred up a 
 matronly camel, whose calf seconded his appeal for 
 milk. When the calf had sucked, he drew two large 
 bowls of milk, one for me and one for my guide. It 
 was welcome to thirsty people, but had a slightly acid 
 
286 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1878. 
 
 taste, and my dog refused it. Going on we came to 
 another Bugti encampment, with horses, asses, sheep, 
 goats, and cattle. The sheep in this district are ex- 
 cellent eating, superior to those in the Punjab. The 
 shepherds are a fine-looking set of men, with long 
 curling hair. They have no measurement for dis- 
 tance, and can never tell you how far a place is. They 
 gave us a guide who led us on past a conical hill to 
 the entrance of a narrow ravine, whose moonlit cliffs 
 were very striking. After this the road was good the 
 rest of the way, except where it followed a sandy 
 nullah. A little owl chattered at us from a tree, and 
 the two Bilochis stopped ' to hear what the bird would 
 say.' They would have stayed long had I not urged 
 them on. They say that when you are walking, and 
 the owl speaks, you are to halt till it speaks again. 
 If you are sitting you are to rise and go on. After 
 marching four hours I spread my plaid on the ground, 
 and lay down, though not to rest, for sleep was dif- 
 ficult, on account of myriads of pertinacious little 
 sand-flies. I rose, therefore, long before sunrise, when 
 I heard the voices of the approaching troops. After 
 prayers I again set out on my march, and went for 
 five miles through a land which had all the appearance 
 of natural fertility about it, and might therefore be 
 cultivated with success. Indeed, here and there I 
 passed through a field where irrigation was carried on 
 by means of small ducts leading from the rivulets. 
 At length I arrived at Bugti Dera, a little village on 
 a broad plain, and saw with pleasure our tent pitched 
 
^t. 39.] TRAVELLING BY NIGHT. 287 
 
 amidst the low shrubs abounding here, with partridges 
 in plenty. 
 
 " October i6tk. Sangsila, twenty miles. This was 
 a long march of y\ hours to the west, along a plain 
 flanked with mountains on either side. The land is 
 partially cultivated, though it is difficult to make out 
 anything at night. As soon as the moon made its 
 appearance, at eight p.m., we started again on our 
 journey, but had not got very far when we lost the 
 track, and only recovered it with the help of some 
 camp-followers, who just then came up. At a con- 
 venient spot we made a halt for a short time, and 
 watched the bhishtis filling their masaks with water 
 for the regiment following at a little distance. On 
 the road I observed, half-way, two or three large 
 cemeteries and mounds which seem to indicate the 
 site of an ancient city. The character of country 
 begins to change gradually, for on the right hand the 
 ridges of hills become lower and approach the road, 
 assuming in some places the even outline of a railway 
 embankment. There was a place near this, called 
 Traki, a spot of some historical note, as our troops in 
 former days had there an encounter with the native 
 tribes. After patient plodding I reached the encamp- 
 ing ground at eight a.m., near ancient mounds, but I 
 saw no village anywhere near. The Bilochis came to 
 my tent to take leave. One of them, more observant 
 than the rest, said, ' I perceive you are a fakir, for you 
 say your prayers morning and evening.' As he under- 
 stood Hindustani I repeated to him the Lord's Prayer. 
 
288 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1878. 
 
 with explanations, which he translated to the others 
 in Bilochi. Of course none of these people can read. 
 
 " October 17 tk. Chigardi, %\ miles. The night is 
 by far the best time for marching, and I consequently 
 started in the evening with the baggage. It took me, 
 however, some five hours over this short march, as I had 
 no guide with whom I could go ahead. The track leads 
 over very broken ground, now grassy, now sandy, now 
 stony. At last it descends the steep embankment of 
 a large river or watercourse, which, like the majority 
 of these streams, contains water which is barely ankle 
 deep, but after a few hours of rain becomes a roar- 
 ing, unfordable torrent. This place invited us to 
 rest, especially as a smouldering fire showed that the 
 cavalry regiment had passed before. The water was 
 good, but the camping-ground as shadeless as usual \ 
 it was a great relief at mid-day to get a little shadow 
 under an overhanging rock. All of us began now to 
 feel that the base of supplies had been left long behind,, 
 and the heat and the diet were beginning to tell upon 
 some. The food almost exclusively consisted of meat ; 
 fowls, eggs, and milk were like the vision of a dream, 
 more to be thought of than tasted. Flour, ghee and 
 ddl for Sepoy, are all that can be got from the solitary 
 banniahy whose penal task it is to be on the camping- 
 ground when the regiment arrives. He is always on 
 the move, a mystery to most, for where he comes from, 
 or how he gets there, no one knows. 
 
 ^^ October \Zth. Gwatch ki drik, ii\ miles. Nine 
 days had passed since leaving Rajanpur, and a glance 
 
^t. 39.] HALF WAY TO QUETTA. 289 
 
 at the map showed that half the distance to Quetta 
 had not yet been accomplished. But the approach of 
 the Bolan Pass was already becoming more apparent. 
 The road was rough and hilly for nearly the first half 
 of the march, so that we only proceeded in single file. 
 As for pushing on the baggage, those alone can speak 
 with full knowledge and feeling, who, time after time, 
 had to exercise all their ingenuity in overcoming the 
 numerous obstacles. How the guns were got over 
 this portion of the road is still a mystery to many. 
 The latter half of the journey lies through a nullah 
 called the Sori, which joins the Siaf millah close to 
 the camp, and proceeds in fact for a considerable 
 portion along the bed of this mountain river. The 
 water had therefore to be crossed and recrossed fre- 
 quently, sometimes up to the knees ; and there is no 
 danger attendant upon such a march provided there 
 has been no rain ; but if a thunderstorm bursts and 
 deluges the country with rain, each tiny rivulet be- 
 comes a rushing stream, adding to the fury of the roar- 
 ing torrent which it joins, and rendering a quiet march 
 like ours an impossibility. At length we reached the 
 camp, pitched on high ground encircled by hills. As 
 there is no village or sign of habitation, it is impossible 
 to say from what source these halting-places derive 
 their sonorous names. 
 
 " October igtk. Di7ighdn^ \\\ miles. This march 
 was considerably easier that the last one, and the night 
 was actually cold, so that the khansamaJis fire was a 
 great attraction to us as we rose from our shakedowns 
 
 T 
 
290 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1878. 
 
 at the sound of the bugle. The track towards the 
 resting-place descends again into the ravine, crossing 
 the bed of the river four times, after which it rises into 
 another somewhat rocky ravine. There was good 
 water obtainable half-way ; but it proved quite un- 
 drinkable at the camping-ground, and we had con- 
 sequently to bring water with us from our last place. 
 I need perhaps scarcely mention that the camp was 
 prefectly shadeless like the last, and void of supplies. 
 " October 20th. Lehriy twenty miles. The road for 
 a time leaves the mountains and enters the plain called 
 Cutchi. There are tracks across the plain, so that the 
 regiment went one way and the baggage another. 
 Starting at night in advance, I felt my way along in 
 the dark, partly by the sensation of a trodden path 
 and partly by the stars, knowing our course to be 
 W. by N. After a nine miles' walk I lay down, but 
 found the road unusually hard, and was constantly 
 awakened by the guard passing with the baggage, who 
 must have thought me either dead or sick. There was 
 no other alternative. I rose from this extemporised 
 bed at four in the morning, and found the halting- 
 place where tea was to be had. The unfortunate regi- 
 ment had, however, taken another road, and missed 
 their tea altogether. The latter part of the road is 
 through fields of maize, which turn aside the steps of 
 the traveller into tortuous bye-paths. It was a treat to 
 see a village again, however small, where supplies can 
 be obtained. A detachment of the Sindh Horse was 
 on the camping-ground. The headman of the place 
 
^t. 39.] FRIENDLY INTERCOURSE WITH BILOCHIS. 29 1 
 
 is Sorab Khan, who, with his son Mihrab Khan, called 
 on the colonel, and was very civil. 
 
 " October 21st. A halt was made at Lehri for the 
 day, and I made use of it by calling on Sorab Khan 
 at his home. He at once sent for his village maulvi, 
 a learned person who acts as interpreter of the law, 
 scribe and accountant, and, with the help of Nasirullah, 
 the maulvi in question, we got on very well. A circle 
 of Bilochis was soon formed, and we had a long con- 
 versation on the Law of Moses, the law of Christ, and 
 the Law of Muhamad. At last Sorab Khan said, 
 pointing to his maulvi, * Take him with you to Quetta 
 for a month and teach him, and he will come back and 
 teach us all' When I expressed my willingness, the 
 maulvi, who is old, most vigorously shook his head 
 and declined. He offered, however, to accept the 
 Bible ; so one of liis disciples, named Muhamad Yar, 
 came to my tent, and received the New Testament in 
 Urdu. 
 
 '' October 22d, J/^^:/^, fourteen miles. This march 
 may be generally characterised as flat and easy. The 
 crowing of cocks in the dark indicated two little Bilochi 
 settlements by the way. Hearing there was no water 
 procurable at Mach, we had to send some men ahead 
 yesterday to dig suitable holes ; but when we arrived, 
 the water which had collected in them had not had 
 time to settle down, and was as muddy as ditch-water. 
 Here we found no shade or vestige of living creatures, 
 nothing but a baked and cracked plain with hills 
 around. This general monotony was however re- 
 
292 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1878. 
 
 lieved in the night by some beautiful meteors shoot- 
 ing through space. In spite of many drawbacks, the 
 temper of the officers and men is fully equal to the 
 occasion. Thus, when yesterday, an officer of the — 
 regiment mentioned that their mess was devoid of such 
 necessary articles as chairs and tables, our colonel 
 quoted a passage from a military handbook, in which 
 the writer suggests that the officer who wanted such 
 luxuries ' had better stay at home with his mother.' 
 
 " October 2id. Mittri, fourteen miles. As usual, 
 we started long before the dawn of day, and certainly 
 felt our way for three dark hours across the same 
 parched and cracked plain. There was so little to 
 distract our attention that I distinctly remember how 
 we passed through a large flock of Brahui sheep. 
 Their owners are altogether migratory, and move from 
 one place to another as it suits them. They leave 
 the cold heights of Quetta about this season, and seek 
 the more genial climate of the plains. 
 
 " October 24th. Dadar^ fourteen miles. This dis- 
 tance was got over in about five hours, and afforded, on 
 the whole, a pleasant march, as there was an easy road 
 at first for about four miles, after which it winds for 
 several miles among sand-hills, issuing again upon the 
 plain, with gradual descent towards the mouth of the 
 Bolan. Dadar is a much more imposing place than 
 Mittri or Lehri. The chief man is Sayyid Aurang 
 Shah, who is well spoken of by English officers, and 
 in this respect presents a contrast to Faiz Muhamad, 
 the Khan of Kelat's Naib or Deputy, who paid his re- 
 
^t. 39.] GRAVE OF LIEUTENANT LOVEDAY. 293 
 
 spects by calling on our colonel, but did not charm us 
 by his civility or communicativeness. Here, with the 
 guidance of an old Brahui, formerly serving in one of 
 the cavalry regiments, I visited the site of the British 
 cantonments of 1839-42. A number of ber-trees 
 {Zizyphus Jujtibd) mark the spot. The old man also 
 showed me the remains of two bungalows and a grave 
 of ' Lubday Sahib ' and another officer. It is a mound 
 of mud, without fence, stone, or inscription. Lieuten- 
 ant Loveday, Political Agent at Kelat in 1 841, was 
 captured by the Biloch chief, Nasir Khan, and taken 
 to Dadar in a camel's kujawa in chains, with all the 
 aggravation of privation, exposure, and torture. On 
 the approach of Boscawen's detachment, Nasir Khan 
 cut off Loveday's head and fled. The body was found 
 still warm by our troops. An account of this barbar- 
 ous deed was published by M. B. Neill in his ' Four 
 Years' Service in the East' A view of the hills from 
 here at sunset is very pretty, five ranges, one behind 
 the other, rising in the distance. In spring and autumn 
 this part of the country presents a scene of great ani- 
 mation ; for then the pass from Darwazah to Dadar is 
 filled with countless flocks of sheep, with Brahui fami- 
 lies, and all their goods and chattels, moving either to 
 or from their summer homes. This patriarchal life of 
 the Brahuis possesses charms of its own, as they are 
 always in search of a pleasant climate, and leave a 
 spot as soon as it becomes uncomfortable. Thus they 
 prefer the plains in the cold weather, the hills in the 
 hot ; and whenever they meet with satisfactory graz- 
 
294 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1878. 
 
 ing grounds, they pitch their black tents and make 
 themselves a temporary home. As we were passing 
 on our road to Dadar, I observed that the bajra and 
 jawar crops, which were very promising before, had 
 been destroyed by the locusts. 
 
 ''Oct 26th. Kundelayii, eleven miles. This and 
 the next stage are justly considered the mauvais pas 
 of the Bolan. ' It is not so much a pass over a lofty 
 range of mountains as a succession of ravines and 
 gorges, commencing near Dadar, and first winding 
 among the subordinate ridges stretching eastward from 
 the Hala chain of mountains, the brow of which it 
 finally cross-cuts, and thus gives access from the vast 
 plains of Hindustan to the elevated and uneven tracts 
 extending from the Hindu Kush to the vicinity of the 
 Indian Ocean. The elevation of its entrance is about 
 800 feet above the level of the sea, and that of its out- 
 let at the western extremity 5700 feet. There is no 
 descent on the western side, as the road opens on the 
 Dasht-i-Bidaulat, a plain as high as the top of the 
 pass. The total length is about fifty miles.' The 
 first few miles offered no difficulty in walking, and 
 thus the entrance of the pass is reached, consisting of 
 a ravine, with low hills on either side, and a stream 
 winding its way between them. The stony bed of 
 this stream is the road up the pass, which is practic- 
 able only when the water is low. We had to cross 
 the water eleven times, and found the sharp-pointed 
 pebbles very trying to the bare feet. We encamped 
 at a high spot with a 'chowkey,' consisting of a 
 
^t. 39.] SCENERY OF THE BOLAN PASS. 295 
 
 small mud tower for a watchman. About half a mile 
 further on is a fine large pool, from which a rock 
 shoots up steep and sharp. Here we bathed, and I 
 caught a fish called *murrel,' and another called a 
 ' mahser,' with a little paste for bait. The latter are 
 well known to all who ply the rod in the Punjab ; 
 both are good eating, and easily caught with a fly. 
 
 " Oct. 2'jth. Kirta, twelve miles. We had to cross 
 the river nine times to-day ; the water sometimes up 
 to our knees, but generally quite shallow. I found 
 great advantage in wearing ' chaplis,' or native sandals, 
 both on account of the ease to the feet in walking 
 over stones, and the convenience with which they can 
 be slipped on and off in crossing water. After four 
 miles' march the light came gradually into the narrow 
 valleys, shut in by somewhat precipitous rocks which 
 afford excellent shade long after sunrise. From the 
 narrow gorge you then emerge into a broader one, 
 and the path runs parallel with the water, instead of 
 crossing it. Following the line of telegraph through 
 another valley, a rapid turn to the left leads over 
 stony ground, through a broad plain to the camping- 
 ground, five miles distant. Kirta is a wretched little 
 village by the water, with a few ' bher ' trees, under 
 which I pitched my tent. Clouds of dust blowing 
 all day reduced everything to a uniform colour. The 
 Bolan Pass is disappointing to anyone who looks tor 
 fine scenery. It cannot compare with either of the 
 Swiss passes. The river-bed is the only road, and 
 following this, one ascends almost unconsciously for 
 
296 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1878. 
 
 sixty miles without a single dip. As the summit of 
 the Bolan is not more than 7000 feet above the sea, 
 the ascent is very gradual. Ordinarily there is very 
 little water in the Bolan River, but after heavy rains 
 the consequences might be serious to travellers on 
 the march, or halt, in any of the narrower valleys. 
 During the former campaign it is said that a squadron 
 of Skinner's Horse was suddenly overtaken in the 
 middle of the pass by the rising flood, and that men 
 and horses were swept away and drowned. 
 
 "At Kirta I was attacked by a hornet, whose 
 sting, superadded to an already troublesome boil, 
 caused inconvenience for some days. 
 
 " Oct. 2Zth. Bibindfti, 8J miles. An easy march 
 of three hours. No village or supplies. At this, as 
 well as at the last halting-place, good fish may be got 
 from the river. 
 
 " Oct. 2gth. Mach^ thirteen miles. A very heavy 
 and trying march over shingle, like the seashore, in 
 which the foot sinks at every step. Sometimes a shorter 
 march of nine miles is made to a place on the road 
 called Ab-i-Gum ; but as we had no supplies for the 
 regiment, we could not halt. We passed a large com- 
 pany of horse-dealers from Kandahar, on their way to 
 Jacobabad, with a cafila of horses for sale. Their 
 camels were laden with fruits, and we found some 
 water-melons very refreshing. At Mach there is a 
 telegraph station and store for supplies. The camp- 
 ing-ground is, as usual, in the bed of the river, which 
 here is much narrower. Here we noticed a perceptible 
 
^t- 39-1 SOURCE OF THE BOLAN RIVER. 297 
 
 difference in the atmosphere, and the coolness of the 
 air was a great relief. ._. 
 
 " Oct. 2)Oth. Sir-i-Boldn^ five miles. A short and 
 easy march. The camels suffer much for want of 
 their accustomed fodder, which cannot be obtained 
 in the pass. Nine of them broke down yesterday. 
 The encampment is close to the source of the Bolan 
 River, where it gushes out of the rock in a plentiful 
 cascade. The elevation here is said to be 4000 feet 
 above the sea. 
 
 ^'' Oct. 3 1 J-/. Darwdzaky thirteen miles. A long 
 march, with more rapid ascent to the top of the 
 pass by stony and winding ravines, sometimes branch- 
 ing off to right and left. It is not difficult to lose 
 the way, as subsequent experience proved, for the 
 colonel of a regiment in rear was taken up one of 
 these ravines by his dooly-bearers, and lost to his 
 regiment for the rest of the day. A guide is neces- 
 sary ; but although alone, and considerably in ad- 
 vance of my party, I was guided by the long string 
 of Brahuis whom I met descending from their villages 
 with their families, camels, and flocks, to their winter 
 pastures on the plains below. Their squalid appear- 
 ance confirmed the reports of the ravages of fever in 
 the Quetta Valley amongst natives and Europeans 
 alike. Near the head of the pass a short cut to 
 the right under the telegraph, still leads through a 
 valley near a steep kotal or ridge, to the Dasht 
 plain, saving two miles. Before reaching the kotal 
 the road seems, by a curious optical illusion, to 
 
298 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1878. 
 
 descend, while in reality there is a continued 
 ascent. 
 
 " The upper Bolan is more picturesque than the 
 lower, and has some fine wild olive-trees, with stems 
 at least 2^ feet in diameter. I observed many part- 
 ridges of three sorts — the red-legged, the grey, and 
 the small variety, called ' susi.' The last ridge com- 
 mands an extensive view of surrounding hill-tops, 
 enclosing a little plain called the Dasht-i-Bidaulat 
 Plain, with a post and telegraph station in the distance. 
 It was, alas ! here that a cowardly and murderous 
 attack was made by some ruffians, in 1842, upon the 
 wife of a conductor named Smith, who was travelling 
 alone in the pass. She defended herself bravely, but 
 was killed by her wretched assailants. The plain of 
 the Dasht is covered with tufts of low bad grass, 
 which seems to derive no nourishment, at this season, 
 from the soil. The keen blasts of wind which sweep 
 across the desert in the winter are fatal alike to man 
 and beast. 
 
 ^' Nov. isL 02/^//^, twenty-three miles. A tedious 
 march of sixteen miles to Sar-i-Ab, which is lower than 
 the Dasht Plain. The track, which is stony and rough, 
 crosses the undulations of a spur of hills, and then 
 gains the Quetta Plain. Sar-i-Ab is a small village 
 inhabited by Brahuis in the summer, but deserted in 
 the winter. Here I recognised a link with Persia, in 
 the method of irrigation employed by the cultivators. 
 They tap the foot of a hill where water is likely to be 
 near the surface by digging a well. Having found 
 
^t. 39-] QUETTA. 299 
 
 the water, they turn it on to the plain by an under- 
 ground channel, often miles in length, with shafts or 
 air-holes at intervals of about fifty yards. At length 
 the stream emerges, and is turned into channels over 
 the fields wherever it is required. The underground 
 channel, called here karez^ and in Persia kandty has 
 the great advantage of keeping the water cool in the 
 hot weather, and preventing its waste by evaporation. 
 It supersedes also the laborious process of raising the 
 water from wells, by wheels or levers, as in India. 
 
 " The regiment halted the night at Sar-i-Ab, as the 
 baggage camels could not do a double march. I 
 therefore proceeded alone for the remainder of the 
 journey, seven miles, and reached Quetta by sunset. 
 The country and scenery bear a striking resemblance 
 to Persia. The little village, with its fort, lies at the end 
 of a plain, shut in by hills of from 11,000 to 12,000 
 feet high. A few small groves of fruit-trees served 
 to enliven, with their autumn tints, the barrenness of 
 its surroundings. But everything had a charm after 
 the fatigues of the Bolan, and Quetta was welcomed 
 as the terminus to a dreary march on foot of 310 
 miles in twenty-four days. Bread was a treat after 
 tough chupatties, charpoys seemed a luxury after the 
 hard ground, and no midnight bugle broke one's 
 slumbers. But for the Bolan, Quetta would be de- 
 cidedly disappointing. There is nothing to see but 
 a very dirty little bazar, and a mound with a fort. 
 . . . There is a small cemetery with a wall round 
 it, and a grave — the grave of Lieutenant Heutson, 
 
300 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1878. 
 
 R.E., who was murdered by some Pathan fanatics 
 of the Khakar tribe. These men inhabit villages 
 near Quetta, and engage themselves for hire as 
 day labourers, just as other Pathans do in the winter 
 months in the Punjab. They are a wild-looking set, 
 and their habit of concealing a knife in the skirt of 
 their rough coats renders them dangerous neighbours. 
 Several unprovoked attacks have been made by them 
 upon European officials, and now no one goes without 
 a revolver for self-defence. The fanatical impulse to 
 take life at the risk of losing it, seems to be confined 
 to the Muhamadans of the Afghan tribes, and not 
 to exist amongst the Bilochis and Brahuis. The 
 cold at Quetta in November is severe, more especially 
 by contrast with the heat of the plains. There was 
 a large demand for felt coats and ' postines,' or sheep- 
 skins, a demand which far exceeded the supply." 
 
 Here there is a break in Gordon's journal during 
 the month he remained in Quetta. But his letters 
 at this time give us an insight into what he was think- 
 ing and doing. Thus, in a circular letter written on 
 November 14th, he says : — 
 
 " My last letter was written in the course of a long 
 march of three hundred miles over an almost track- 
 less desert and up mountain passes. The novelty of 
 a military camp is pleasant under ordinary circum- 
 stances, but it loses its attraction when you are 
 wakened by the bugle soon after midnight to make 
 a long march of fifteen or twenty miles before break- 
 fast. Long marches on foot, however, are my habit, 
 
^t. 39.] BREAKING UP CAMP. 301 
 
 and I got on better than those who were mounted. 
 The breaking up of a large camp is an animated 
 scene, especially by moonlight. The first sound after 
 the bugle is the rattling of tent pegs, which suc- 
 ceeds the striking of the tents. Your bed on the 
 hard ground is quickly rolled up and tied into a small 
 bundle. The tent falls, and is soon packed away on 
 a camel's back. A small fire is lighted, a cup of tea 
 made and swallowed in ten minutes. The Sepoys 
 fall into line and the muster roll is called over. The 
 drums beat, the officers fall into their places and the 
 ' advance ' is sounded on the bugle. Then follows 
 ' quick march,' the band plays and the regiment is in 
 motion. A long line of camels (we had 340) follows, 
 and the camping-ground has nothing to mark it from 
 the rest of the desert, except a few smouldering fires. 
 After a silent march of six or seven miles, a ' halt ' is 
 sounded and the men are allowed to fill their water- 
 bottles. The water in these regions is so scarce that 
 bullocks, laden with large skins full of water, have to 
 be stationed at intervals along the march, for the 
 native Sepoy is a very thirsty subject, and cannot go 
 three miles without drinking. It is one good feature 
 of Muhamadanism, that it is a great total abstinence 
 association, and no true Muhamadan may touch in- 
 toxicating liquors. I wish the same rule applied to 
 the English army. ..*«*. 
 
 "When we left the plains we had eighty-five miles 
 of ascent up the Bolan Pass. As we ascended the 
 air got cooler, which was a great relief, and we had a 
 
302 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1878. 
 
 good water supply from the river which flows down 
 the pass. The bed of this stream was our road, and a 
 very rough road it was. Sometimes the stream had to 
 be crossed eight or ten times in a single march. There 
 was nothing for it but to pull off boots and socks 
 and wade through over pebbles very trying to the 
 foot. I am fond of mountain climbing, but the Bolan 
 is singularly uninteresting. Day after day there is 
 the same gradual ascent, over heavy shingle like the 
 sea-shore, with bare hills on either side. It reminded 
 me of the rough up-hill plodding of missionary work, 
 and often recalled the text, 'Thou therefore endure 
 hardness as a good soldier of Christ.' Towards the top 
 of the Bolan the mountains are bolder, the ravines 
 narrower and more picturesque, and I was struck 
 with some wild olive trees of unusual size. The ab- 
 sence of animal life in the Bolan is very marked, ex- 
 cept at the summit, where partridges of two kinds 
 abound. A species of wild goat also inhabits the 
 ranges, and also bears are met with. The poor camel 
 suffers much in this pass, and it is a common thing 
 to hear of forty or fifty camels in a single regiment 
 being left to die in the Bolan, unable to sustain their 
 loads. After three weeks of toil we were very thank- 
 ful to reach Quetta. It is a wild, cheerless place, but 
 seemed a paradise to travel-worn frames. 
 
 " We are all waiting in suspense the result of the 
 ultimatum to the Amir, but the general opinion is 
 that war is certain, and the troops are ready and 
 
^t 39.] KINDNESS OF OFFICERS. 303 
 
 anxious for it. An advance to Kandahar would be 
 welcomed by all, for the cold is getting intense, and 
 a campaign in Afghanistan would be much more 
 congenial to the army than a winter in Quetta. The 
 elevation here is some 6000 feet above the sea, while 
 Kandahar is lower and warmer. 
 
 " I have received great kindness from some of the 
 officers. They have never had any ministry here, or 
 seen a clergyman. Some of them have been here two 
 years. Last Sunday I held service in Major Sande- 
 man's tent and administered the holy communion, 
 and next Sunday I expect to have a parade service 
 of the 70th regiment, out of doors. 
 
 "At this season the population leave their native 
 villages and go down with their flocks and herds to 
 the plains, where it is warmer. We met thousands 
 of Brahuis in the Bolan Pass travelling on foot, while 
 their rough tents, their wives and families followed 
 on camels. As I have not yet learned their language 
 I could not say much to them. They looked as 
 though they had all suffered from the epidemic of 
 fever, which has lately prevailed at Quetta amongst 
 the natives, as well as Europeans. 
 
 " This is a new country, and one into which the 
 gospel has never yet entered. Pray for me that *a 
 door of entrance' may be granted me amongst the 
 natives as well as amongst my own countrymen." 
 And again, in a letter to his aunt, the late Hon. Mrs. 
 
304 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1878. 
 
 Leslie-Melville, on November 23d, we find him with 
 plenty to occupy his attention and thoughts. 
 
 " I have been visiting here every day the poor sick 
 soldiers in hospital. They have few comforts, and are 
 very cold at night, for they have nothing but a flimsy 
 tent to shelter them, and their blankets and clothing 
 are not sufficient. They have left the hot plains only 
 a few weeks ago, where the thermometer was over one 
 hundred degrees, and they are now on the mountains, 
 where it freezes hard, and is no higher than eight de- 
 grees, or twenty-four degrees below freezing-point 
 There was such a hurry in getting them started, and 
 so little preparation for a climate like this, that the 
 result has been worse than a battle. The frost and 
 cold" are worse enemies 'than" the "Afghans. We are 
 obliged to wear sheepskin coats, with all the wool on 
 to keep us warm, but most of the soldiers and sepoys 
 cannot yet get these comforts, as it is a wild country, 
 with no shops or tailors to supply clothing. There 
 are ten regiments here, with six thousand men, and as 
 many more are expected to come. I had a heavy 
 cold last Sunday, but I held service, and preached 
 on one of our Lord's miracles, the draught of fishes 
 (Luke v.), dwelling on Peter's faith and self-surrender 
 to Christ, and illustrating my remarks by the example 
 of Sir Henry Lawrence. 
 
 " I trust the campaign will not last long. We are 
 going on to Kandahar, and it is believed that we shall 
 soon take that place, and go to Herat. The Lord 
 grant that good may come out of the present evil." 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 KANDAHAR. 
 
 After a month at Quetta, Gordon's journal is re- 
 sumed, and, once more, it is again given in extenso, 
 as the best means of bringing the reader and the 
 missionary chaplain into personal contact. 
 
 ''Dec. I. Quetta. Arrival of 70th Foot on 15th 
 Nov., and E 4 Battery, R.A., 24th Nov. The extra- 
 ordinary difficulties surmounted in getting the guns 
 through the Bugti Dera hills and up the Bolan will 
 be unknown to future generations when roads are 
 made. The appearance of the bullocks and horses 
 which dragged them told its own sad tale of suffering 
 and hardship. Chopped straw is the only substitute 
 for grass that can be obtained, and camels, horses, and 
 cattle have to eat it or starve. And now the intense 
 cold, with thirty degrees of frost at night, is added to 
 their other trials. It tells also on the men of the 
 70th, and the battery who have come ' from under the 
 punkahs ' at Multan. They had to march at a day's 
 notice, and with such restrictions, that they could not 
 provide themselves with anything warmer than their 
 serge coats. As a natural consequence, they get chest 
 disease, and the coughing at night is distressing to 
 
 U 
 
306 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1878. 
 
 hear. Some temporary stoves have been erected for 
 the hospital tents, and a range of mud tents is being 
 fitted up as a base hospital. The native dooly-bearers 
 suffer most. Having never been inured to cold, they 
 are defenceless against it, and the mortality among 
 them is great. 
 
 "No church has yet been built at Quetta, although 
 a site has been proposed. The civil and military lines 
 are far apart, and it is difficult to find a central place 
 for holding service. On my arrival I found that ser- 
 vice had been regularly held in Major Keene's mess- 
 room, 1st Punjab Infantry. As regiment after regiment 
 arrived in Quetta, the hope was encouraged that there 
 would be a large attendance, and I held a second 
 service every Sunday afternoon in Major Sandeman's 
 large durbar tent. The attendance, however, was very 
 disappointing. Almost every one had, or affected to 
 have, on Sundays as well as week-days, an overwhelm- 
 ing pressure of business. 
 
 "The arrival of General Biddulph and staff was 
 welcomed at Quetta by all the troops. The order to 
 advance was eagerly expected, and every one im- 
 patiently awaited the AmiVs response to the ulti- 
 matum. The Pioneers and Native Cavalry were first 
 sent on, and reported favourably of the country be- 
 yond. The 26th, 1st, and 19th Punjab Native Infantry 
 followed, and the Peshawur Mountain Battery. The 
 first march was to 
 
 ''Dec. 6th. Kzichldk, eleven miles. Encamped by 
 a large village, where water issues in considerable 
 
^t. 39.] MARCH RESUMED. 307 
 
 volume from the hill, and is very clear, but said by 
 the natives to be not very good for drinking. 
 
 "'Dec. yth. Saiyid Yarn Karez, twelve miles. The 
 battery started after an early breakfast. After two 
 or three miles we reached the stream, which divides 
 the Khan's territory from the Amir's. The ford is 
 shallow, but the banks are steep, and there was some 
 delay before the last gun and waggon crossed. The 
 horses had recovered strength and spirits during their 
 rest at Quetta, and seemed to enjoy their work. A 
 number of Seyyids from a neighbouring village ranged 
 themselves along the bank with their boys hand- 
 somely dressed. I inquired whether they had ever 
 seen artillery before. * Oh, yes,' they replied, ' we 
 have been all over India.' It must appear to them 
 a sign of weakness that we should forego all right to 
 travel in Afghanistan, while we give them so freely 
 the entree to India. We passed several villages with 
 some cultivation, the ground being broken by 7iiillahs. 
 One of these which had water in it I crossed on a 
 bullock, seated in native fashion behind the driver. 
 The people seem friendly and confiding, and bring 
 us their eggs and water-melons for sale. They talk 
 Pushtu, but understand Persian also, which is the 
 easier medium of communication. The weather is 
 perfect, but I was more with the rearguard to-day 
 than with the advance guard. One's enjoyment of 
 a day's march depends largely upon physical health. 
 
 " Dec. Zth. Haikalzai, eleven miles. After three 
 or four miles there is a steep kotal, from the summit 
 
308 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D 1878. 
 
 of which we could see the next encampment. There 
 was some delay in getting the guns up the narrow 
 ascent of the kotal. One or two of the waggons stuck 
 in the middle, and the m^en of the 70th had to assist 
 at the drag ropes. While this was going on, I walked 
 on ahead for seven miles through the Pishin Valley. 
 The crops depend upon the rainfall, as there is no 
 irrigation. Passed a ruined and deserted village, and 
 another inhabited one. The unarmed peasants were 
 sitting by the roadside selling melons. One of them 
 knew a little Hindustani, which he had picked up at 
 Karrachi. I offered him a salary if he would teach 
 me Pushtu, but he did not seem to care to go to 
 Kandahar, and excused himself on the plea of a bad 
 hand, which was bound up. Here, a few nights ago,, 
 one of the 32nd Pioneers, who had stayed behind on 
 the march, was missing. His body was found next 
 day shot with his own rifle, which was carried off and 
 never recovered. The Pishin Valley lies lower than 
 Quetta, and is not so cold. At the encampment we 
 rejoined the 70th and sections of other regiments. A 
 sale by auction of some cattle and sheep was going 
 on. It appeared that the baggage of the General and 
 his staff had been looted on a reconnoitring expedi- 
 tion after nightfall. A part only of the baggage was 
 recovered, and it became necessary to read the natives 
 a lesson by seizing some of their cattle to make up 
 the value of the remainder. 
 
 " Dec. gth. The Lora, eight miles. The division 
 started early, forming a line of march eight miles long,. 
 
^f. 39.] THE LORA CROSSED. 309 
 
 with the baggage. The latter was not in till after 
 dark. The country flat, but broken by large fissures, 
 through one of which the river Lora runs with a rapid 
 current. The water at the ford is not deep, but in- 
 tensely cold to the feet. On reaching the further 
 bank, I sat an hour watching the cavalry, infantry, 
 and guns crossing. The camping-ground about half 
 a mile beyond. On arriving I observed one of the 
 70th, a private, carried to the rear and placed in a 
 dooly with two medical officers in attendance on him- 
 He said that he had been stabbed by a Pathan, who 
 had come into the lines as the soldiers were resting 
 after their march. The wounds, which were in the 
 arm and leg, were severe but not mortal, and the 
 man, who was defenceless, had had a narrow escape. 
 His assailant, who had been knocked down with the 
 butt of a rifle and secured, was an ordinary-looking 
 Pathan (or Khadar), of great strength and forbidding 
 cast of countenance. Upon being questioned as to 
 his motive for the deed, he was not disposed to be 
 communicative, but seemed to consider it a trivial 
 affair, and not one to be regretted. 
 
 ''Dec. \oth. Arambi Kares, three miles. Com- 
 pleted yesterday's march, which was shortened by a 
 ditch which had to be bridged for the guns. Two 
 villages near, and supplies abundant. A court-martial 
 held on Muhamad Anvar, the prisoner ; found him 
 guilty of death, and sentence was executed in the 
 afternoon. He maintained to the last the same reck- 
 lessness of life which had nerved him to the deed. He 
 
3IO GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1878. 
 
 had done his best to kill an enemy and a ' Kafir,' and 
 he was indifferent whether he lived or died. Had he 
 lived, he might renew the attempt, such was the only 
 inducement. He had been to Mecca, and could recite 
 his prayers and parts of the Kuran in Arabic. More 
 of his history did not transpire. He may have been 
 trained to deeds of bloodshed, as many of his tribe 
 are, but his motives, if those of religion and patriot- 
 ism, are far higher than those of other murderers who 
 take life for revenge or filthy lucre. His only weapon 
 was a curved and worn Afghan knife with a keen 
 point. According to Muhamadan law, 'eye for 
 eye, tooth for tooth, and for wounds retaliation,' etc., 
 his life was not forfeit unless his victim died — so he 
 maintained. But he asked no reprieve, he only de- 
 precated suspense, and the soldiers who saw him shot 
 said ' he died like a man.' 
 
 ** There are many Pathans in our native regiments, 
 who are now invading the land of their birth and 
 kindred. One of them conversed with me to-day, and 
 told me he had been trained in the Rev. Mr. Sheldon's 
 mission school at Karrachi. He can read and write 
 well, and gave me a little assistance in Pushtu. 
 
 ^^ Dec. \2th. Abdullah Kharis village. Four miles 
 of broken ground leads through low hills to a small 
 plain with the Khojak range in front. 
 
 " Dec. I ith. Joined the headquarters' camp, half- 
 mile on, near the village of Abdullah Khan. Here 
 we stick for the present. The village chief, a man 
 of some importance, came to pay his salaams to 
 
^/. 39-] CHRISTMAS DAY. 31I 
 
 the General. He is said to be in disgrace with 
 the Amir. 
 
 ^' Dec, i^tk, Sunday. Held service in hospital, 
 and on parade with the 70th Foot, 60th Rifles, and 
 E 4 Battery, R.A. ; also in the evening at General 
 Biddulph's tent. General Stewart arrived yesterday 
 and takes command of the column ; General Biddulph 
 commanding 2nd Division. 
 
 " Dec. i6th. A reconnoitre of the Khojak Pass by 
 the two Generals, with a large staff of officers and 
 escort of the ist Punjab Cavalry and Fane's Horse. 
 The ascent for five or six miles is gradual. Here for 
 the first time the barren monotony of the scenery 
 is diversified by respectable trees called ' khinjak/ 
 now leafless and tenanted by a number of magpies. 
 Dead camels all along the road. 
 
 " Visited the camp of 32nd Pioneers and 26th 
 Punjab Native Infantry, who are roadmaking in the 
 pass. The summit, said to be more than 7000 feet, 
 is approached by a steeper ascent, and commands an 
 extensive view. Kandahar is not in sight, nor do 
 villages appear. A broad barren plain, with rocky 
 ridges cropping up, is all that presents itself We 
 descended to Chaman by a road so steep that every 
 one dismounted. Here the guns are to be let down 
 by hand, and there is a zigzag road for the camels. 
 
 " Christmas Day. Weather very seasonable. 
 Service at 11 a.m. in Major Sandeman's tent. The 
 guns have been got over the pass without a mishap. 
 
 " Dec. 26ih. Marched with the hospital in charge 
 
312 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1 878. 
 
 of Dr. Manby, V.C. Counted seventy -three dead 
 camels. They are stripped of their skins by the vil- 
 lagers as soon as they die. There must be a large 
 trade in camels' skins. 
 
 ''Dec. 27tk. The baggage of the 15th Hussars 
 first went over the pass, then the hospital. The path 
 is very narrow, so that only one camel can pass at a 
 time, and much steeper than anything in the Bolan. 
 The arrangements were admirably carried out. The 
 sick were first taken over in doolies, and placed at 
 the foot of the pass. Then the dooly-bearers were 
 sent back with the poles for the stores. It was a 
 hard day for dooly-bearers and camels. The latter 
 took their loads steadily down the steep incline, and 
 no mishap occurred. Major Tulloch, 26th Punjab 
 Native Infantry, is the traffic manager, and gives his 
 orders from the summit. This morning my camel 
 was returned as * dead ' by the driver, and hidden 
 away. I suspected a trick, and, after a careful 
 search, recognised and recovered it. The difficulty 
 is to see that it is properly clothed and fed at night. 
 If this were always done, the mortality among the 
 camels would be greatly checked. Many of the 
 drivers have an interest in killing or losing camels 
 which do not belong to them. Some of the officers 
 have purchased country camels, which are much 
 hardier than those of the plains. They feed on the 
 * southernwood ' which abounds here, and which the 
 Punjab camels refuse. The country sheep also thrive 
 on this coarse dry shrub. 
 
ON THE MARCH TO KANDAHAR. 
 
^t. 39.] FIRST RAIN SINCE AUGUST. 313 
 
 '^ Dec. 2%th. Chaman. We all got comfortably 
 into camp by sunset yesterday evening, and here again 
 we stick for the present, while the cavalry brigade, 
 under General Palliser, reconnoitre in the front. 
 There is a very marked difference in the temperature 
 on this side of the Khojak, which is noticeable in the 
 foliage on the trees. We have done with the intense 
 cold, unless snow falls. The price of marketable 
 articles is very high, as the villagers are allowed to 
 make what they can, and the British soldier is reck- 
 less as to what he pays. Flour sells at one seer the 
 rupee, coarse flour at four seers, barley and grain 
 eight seers, eggs one anna each. In the Pishin Valley, 
 when the troops first arrived, the eggs were twenty- 
 four to the anna. The same day they fell to eight per 
 anna, and so on. There is a good supply of water 
 in the Khojak Pass, and also at Chaman. 
 
 ^^Jan. 2,rd, 1879. Spin Baldak, fourteen miles. The 
 road descends and passes a low ridge to the right. 
 All day a dust wind blew, which is the usual precursor 
 of rain. A slight shower fell in the evening, and just 
 wetted our tents, but soon stopped. This is the first 
 rain since the August showers in the Punjab. Clouds 
 have often gathered and threatened, but all predic- 
 tions of snow and rain have been falsified. Hence, 
 by a merciful Providence, an untold amount of suf- 
 fering and sickness has been averted. Water here is 
 abundant. There is a small village built in Afghan 
 fashion, with dome-roofed mud houses like tombs. 
 
 "Kila Fatiullah, twelve]miles. There is great mon- 
 
314 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1879. 
 
 otony in the scenery. To-day we passed some rather 
 remarkable black limestone rocks, with mixture of 
 conglomerate and sandstone. The people are well 
 disposed towards us, and whatever their anticipa- 
 tions of our intentions, it is generally true, as the 
 soldiers say, that it takes only one day to make 
 them our friends. 
 
 '^ Ja7i. ^th. Me/ Manda, twelve miles. The news 
 met us on our arrival of a cavalry action, which hap- 
 pened yesterday in the front. This being the first 
 encounter with the enemy, created some excitement 
 and impatience to push on. 
 
 "/an, 6th. Abdul Rahman^ twenty-two miles. 
 We are all ready for an early start by order of our 
 Brigadier-General, Lacy, but on reaching Saifudden^ 
 eleven miles, an order came from the front to halt. 
 As I was anxious to join the headquarters' camp, I 
 marched on with Mr. C, who was in charge of the 
 postal department. A few miles on we came to a 
 pass between two hills with a small stream of water, 
 and what looked like a cave in the rocks to the right. 
 Following the path we entered a plain beyond, and 
 in a ravine to the right I saw unmistakable signs of 
 the recent action. The corpses of men and horses 
 were lying about on the rough and broken ground^ 
 and here and there a hungry villager was prowling 
 about in search of spoil. 
 
 " It was a long march to Abdul Rahman, and as 
 daylight waned, we recollected that we had no guards 
 or arms for our own protection "and that of the mails. 
 
^/. 39-] " KANDAHAR SURRENDERED." 315' 
 
 We could just see some of the mounted forms of 
 General Biddulph's rearguard on the horizon in front. 
 Mr. C. therefore rode on and obtained a few Sepoys 
 from Major TuUoch, who commanded in the rearguard. 
 There was, however, no information as to where we 
 were to halt, and it became an anxious matter as to 
 whether our camels could go much further. The 
 track as we advanced was well marked by the poor 
 broken-down camels of the column in front. Some 
 of them I secured to the tails of our camels, and 
 brought into camp, but as a feed of straw could not 
 be got for love or money, they lost their last chance 
 of surviving. About two hours after sunset we came 
 to a large village, and heard all the unmistakable 
 sounds of unloading and tent-pitching. And now 
 the difficulty was to find one's particular regiment 
 out of so many. After a vain attempt I pitched my 
 tent with Mr. C.'s at the headquarters' camp, and 
 General Stewart kindly invited me to dinner. 
 
 ''/an. yt/i. Khiishab, fifteen miles. Everyone 
 was early astir, and there was a general hope that 
 we should see something of the enemy. General 
 Stewart's division took the lead. General Biddulph's 
 was drawn up in line of march, but the order to 
 advance was not given. During the suspense all eyes 
 were directed to the kotal in front, where the flashes 
 of the heliograph were unusually active. The mes- 
 sage was soon interpreted. A rumour ran through 
 the host, ' It's all over ! Kandahar has surrendered ! ' 
 And many an expression of disgust and disappoint- 
 
3l6 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1879. 
 
 ment followed. There were no mutual congratula- 
 tions upon the successful termination of a bloodless 
 campaign. It seemed as though the last hope of 
 distinction had gone. After all the toils of the 
 Bolan, the sickness of Quetta, and the cold night 
 duty of December, the troops had not even crossed 
 swords with the Afghans ! 
 
 ^^ January Zth. Kandahar, ten miles. A very long 
 day over a short march. The orders were for a par- 
 ade of troops and march through Kandahar. Some 
 delay occurred in crossing the River Tarnak, as the 
 bank was steep, and there was no practicable road 
 for artillery. The water was fordable, but intensely 
 cold. A few miles on a small stream turns a water- 
 mill, and then by a rapid ascent a ridge is attained 
 which gives a fine view of Kandahar, still five or six 
 miles off. The city is well situated in a plain, sur- 
 rounded by sharp, rocky hills. From a distance one 
 sees gardens and walls, surmounted by the domed 
 shrine of Ahmad Shah, and the distant view is the 
 best. To-day, however, there was much to add im- 
 pressiveness to the scene, in the appearance of the 
 troops, for a finer army never entered Kandahar. 
 The Generals and staffs preceded, and were followed 
 by the cavalry brigade, consisting of 15th Hussars, 
 and 1st and 2nd Punjab Cavalry. Then came the 
 Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Artillery batteries, 
 and the infantry regiments, headed by the 70th. 
 The absence of brass bands was a felt want. As 
 we approached the town the road became very 
 
^t. 39.] UNHEALTHINESS OF KANDAHAR. 317 
 
 tortuous, and at length took us over a stream by a 
 solid masonry bridge, which was evidently a relic of 
 the former campaign. Groups of citizens, with some- 
 what anxious, but subdued faces, lined the road. 
 These were Muhamadans. But the Hindus, in red 
 turbans and holiday dress, wore an unmistakable 
 expression of welcome, and fraternised eagerly with 
 their co-religionists amongst our camp-followers. 
 One had asked me about his native place, mention- 
 ing a town I knew well near Find Dadan Khan. At 
 the gates some fruit-sellers made a tempting display 
 of pomegranates and apples. As we filed through 
 the bazars there was not much to see, for the shops 
 were all shut. The explanation was that for four 
 days the town had been in a state of anarchy, and no- 
 one considered life or property safe. 
 
 " The camp was pitched at some distance outside 
 the city walls, the 25th N. I. only being quartered in 
 the citadel. The night's rest was none the less wel- 
 come for the thought that the long tedious march on 
 foot of 465 miles from the Indus to Kandahar was at 
 length over. We have had abundant cause to ac- 
 knowledge the good hand of our God over us in the 
 removal of many difficulties which might have made 
 the expedition a failure instead of a success. 
 
 ^^ January gth. The city of Kandahar is by no 
 means attractive from the inside. Its unhealthiness 
 is everywhere asserted by bad drainage and bad 
 smells. Hence the huge cemetery outside the walls^ 
 Nor has it any redeeming architectural features.. 
 
3l8 ' GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1879. 
 
 There is nothing to look at, except the shrine of 
 Ahmad Shah. Two long bazars intersect the city, 
 and are covered, where they cross each other, by 
 arches of brick. They are wider than the bazars of 
 Old Lahore, but cannot compare with those of Ispa- 
 han, or even of a second-rate Persian town. In the 
 •variety and excellence of their products, they certainly 
 compare favourably with those of the Punjab. Why 
 should the Punjabi merchant allow himself to be 
 passed by the Parsee and Kandahari? The latter 
 will astonish you with his fertility of resources. He 
 will show you Russian samooars and china teacups, 
 skins from Astrakan, and carpets from Herat, mun- 
 •dahs and pastines of first-rate quality made on the 
 spot, fur robes, and Damascene silks and blades, arms 
 and accoutrements, both native and European. But 
 what struck me most was the profusion and variety 
 of English uniforms and ammunition-boots hanging 
 up in the shops. How they came there, and how, 
 except amongst Europeans, they would find a market 
 was a puzzling speculation. Men of the 70th Regi- 
 ment, the R.A., and the cavalry soldier and Sepoy, 
 -each could put on his own particular uniform, and 
 purchase it, if necessary, brand-new at the market 
 price. 
 
 " Nor was there any slackness in the various de- 
 partments of native industry. In the ironmongers' 
 quarter, the goldsmiths', the potters', or the weavers', 
 one might find creditable specimens of native art. 
 
 " In several ways the Afghan seems more nearly 
 
J^t. 39.] PARADE AND HOSPITAL SERVICE. 319 
 
 allied to us in his tastes than the Punjabi. Afghan 
 cookery is very superior. A good meal may be had at 
 any time of the day in the streets of Kandahar. The 
 baker is always ready with very excellent hot bread. 
 The confectioner produces a variety of superior sweet- 
 meats. The cook has first-rate pillaws, kabobs, and 
 fresh fried fish from the river. 
 
 " Amongst the townspeople two very marked types 
 of feature were conspicuous by contrast, the handsome 
 aquiline Jewish type, which one sees so often amongst 
 the Povindah merchants who cross the Punjab plains, 
 and the Mongolian type, flat-nosed and almond-eyed, 
 which belongs especially to the Hazarah tribe. They 
 all seemed to understand and speak Persian, but our 
 Hindustani troops had great difficulty in making 
 themselves intelligible. 
 
 ''Sunday, 12th Jait.—Kt 11 a.m. held parade ser- 
 vice with 59th Foot, 15th Hussars, 60th Rifles, R. H. 
 Artillery, and two field batteries, all belonging to 
 ■General Stewart's Division. Another service in hos- 
 pital at 3 p.m. A third at the headquarters, 2nd 
 Division, at 5 p.m. with 70th Foot E., 4 R.A. Battery, 
 etc. General Biddulph and staff attended. After this 
 I went into the city and held a fourth service in the 
 Fort, with Holy Communion, for the benefit of the 
 officers of the 25th N. Infantry quartered there. 
 
 ''Monday, i^th Jan.— Had a very hearty little 
 prayer-meeting in my tent, attended by four officers 
 and eight soldiers. We made room by clearing out 
 everything, and sitting on the ground, by the light of 
 
320 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1879. 
 
 a home-made candle, composed of sheep's fat, with a 
 piece of tent-rope for wick. The singing was very 
 good, and we all felt mutually edified. 
 
 ''Jan, i6th. — An event of solemn interest occupied 
 us — the funeral of Lieutenant Willis, R.A., who died 
 yesterday morning from a blow dealt by a wild fanatic 
 in the street of Kandahar. His genial and attractive 
 disposition had endeared him to us all on the march, 
 and we mourned for him as for a brother. It was a 
 privilege to attend his last hours, to hear his simple 
 confession of trust in Christ, and to administer to him 
 the Holy Sacrament. The funeral procession, headed 
 by the band of the 70th, left the camp and skirted 
 the city till it reached the fort, when the coffin 
 was lowered from the gun-carriage, and carried by 
 men of the Battery to its final resting-place. The 
 spot selected for a cemetery was a walled garden 
 inside the fort, secluded from all but guarded access. 
 Here General Biddulph and his staff met the pro- 
 cession. The funeral service seemed to be felt as a 
 very solemn one by many officers who attended to 
 pay their last tribute of respect to their departed 
 comrade. 
 
 ''Jan. 3 1 J/. — Visited the tomb of Ahmad Shah, 
 the founder of the city, and of the Dourani dynasty. 
 The tomb is surmounted by a somewhat high dome, 
 which is seen from a long distance, being the only 
 monument or architectural feature of Kandahar. 
 Under the dome is the last resting-place of the Shah 
 and his three wives. The tomb is covered with 
 
^/. 39-] GOES BACK TO THE PUNJAB. 32 1 
 
 Kashmir shawls, and is considered the most inviol- 
 able asylum in the country. 
 
 '■'■Jan. 31^-/. — The day being Friday, all the Mu- 
 hamadan shops are shut (as with us on Sunday). 
 At two o'clock, when the prayers in the mosque are 
 over, the Mullahs repair to the principal bazar, and 
 display books relating to the Muhamadan religion 
 for sale. It was at this spot that poor Willis was 
 murdered. Engaging in conversation with a respect- 
 able-looking man, named A. K., who proved to be a 
 chief of one of the local tribes, I offered him the New 
 Testament in Arabic, which he gladly accepted. He 
 asked my address, and promised to call on me, which 
 he afterwards did. 
 
 " Feb. ^^rd. — Took an early walk to a neighbouring 
 hill, which is ascended by an ancient flight of steps 
 cut out of the limestone rock. At the top of the 
 steps are some old Persian inscriptions, one of which 
 bears the date of the Emperor Baber. On my return, 
 passed a number of boys and men, who were amus- 
 ing themselves by sliding down a rock in a sitting 
 posture. The rock has been worn smooth by succes- 
 sive generations of sliders." 
 
 In February 1879, we find Gordon once more 
 on his way back to the Punjab. He writes to the 
 Church Missionary Society, Feb. 17th, during the 
 journey, as follows : — 
 
 " I shall always regard my journey to Kandahar 
 as very important from a missionary point of view ; 
 and although the slow and tedious march there, with 
 
322 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1879. 
 
 its long delays, disappointed the hope of an earlier 
 return, yet the time has not been wasted, and I shall 
 henceforth be able to read the Bible to the Afghans 
 in their own language, whenever the opportunity pre- 
 sents itself. It was one of those undertakings in 
 which I felt the leading of God's providence, and 
 when I saw some twenty regiments encamped with- 
 out a pastor or Scripture-reader, there seemed to me 
 to be an additional inducement to urge me onwards. 
 The generals and officers gladly accepted my services, 
 and I found a missionary sphere in the hospitals and 
 soldiers' tents. If in this venture of faith I have 
 exceeded my duty as a missionary of the C.M.S., the 
 fault is mine, and I hope that your Committee will 
 condone it, and not lose confidence in me for the 
 future. One may be said, in common parlance, to 
 have carried one's life in one's hand every day in 
 Kandahar, for the place was full of fanatics more fatal 
 in their attacks than the enemy in the field ; but my 
 life, thank God, was in better keeping than my own. 
 The language of David and of St. Paul is at such 
 times inexpressibly appropriate : * I will say of the 
 Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God, in 
 Him will I trust.' 
 
 " I have received great kindness from many 
 officers during this campaign, and all have been 
 cordially friendly. Some have been more like 
 brothers than friends. The Christian intercourse 
 which I have enjoyed with them has been very 
 refreshing. 
 
y^t. 39.] WITH GENERAL BIDDULPH S DIVISION. 323 
 
 " I am thankful to say that the Gospel in Arabic, 
 Persian, and Pushtu was favourably received by some 
 of the learned and influential natives of Kandahar, 
 whose friendship was shown in frequent visits to my 
 tent, and hospitality at their own houses. One of 
 them was the Kazi, or head of the priesthood ; an- 
 other was a ' a doctor of divinity ' (Muhamadan), of 
 very inquiring mind, who showed me a copy of the 
 New Testament in Hindustani, which he had not 
 only read, but committed parts of it to memory. I 
 found the same friendliness and cordiality among 
 the leading members of the Hindu community, 
 and I am quite certain that a residence of a few 
 months there would establish an intercourse most 
 favourable to the reception of the Gospel among 
 all classes. 
 
 " General Biddulph's Division is now returning to 
 India, and I have taken advantage of the opportunity 
 to return with them. General Stewart's Division re- 
 mains for the present at Kandahar. 
 
 " I now turn in dependence upon God to the work 
 of the Biloch Mission and the Jhilam Itinerancy. 
 May God in His own time raise up an apostle to the 
 Afghans of Kabul and Kandahar ! I believe that it 
 is in those cities that one might expect a reception 
 (humanly speaking) for the Gospel, rather than 
 amongst the wild mountain tribes, the Afridis, 
 Waziris Mahmands," etc. 
 
 A private letter, dated Dera Ghazi Khan, supplies 
 some further interesting particulars : — 
 
324 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1879. 
 
 " When I last wrote to you, I was leaving Kan- 
 dahar to resume my missionary duties in the Punjab. 
 The return journey was not an eventful one, as no 
 enemy offered to attack us. The detachment with 
 which I marched consisted of a battery Royal Ar- 
 tillery, part of the 12th Native Infantry, and such of 
 the hospital patients as were able to travel. The first 
 evening after we left Kandahar, the hospital got separ- 
 ated from the battery and lost their way. It was mid- 
 night before the last of them got into camp, and yet 
 although they had to pass without escort through two 
 villages, no attempt was made to molest them. A 
 chaplain arrived at Kandahar shortly after I left, so 
 that the services will be carried on regularly, which I 
 was very glad to hear. Yesterday, I received a letter 
 from a Christian officer, commanding one of the 
 regiments there. He writes that some Persian and 
 Afghan Testaments which I left with him for distri- 
 bution amongst the natives were very eagerly and 
 thankfully received by them, and he asks for another 
 camel-load of Bibles to be sent. He also writes very 
 encouragingly of the weekly Bible-classes for soldiers^ 
 which he says are very well attended, and that there 
 seems to be a manifest blessing. I earnestly trust 
 that we may be able to follow up the work com- 
 menced at Kandahar amongst the natives, and that 
 at Kabul also, and Herat, there may be openings for 
 Gospel light. Roads are now being made by our 
 Government ; forts erected, and depots formed, so 
 that communication is greatly facilitated. I noticed 
 
^i- 39] PUSHES ON ALONE. 325 
 
 this on my return from Quetta. I was able to leave 
 the troops behind and push on alone, and it took 
 me only six days to do the 200 or 300 miles, which 
 last October took us three weeks, by a more toil- 
 some route." 
 
 George Maxwell Gordon was elected a F.R.S.G. 
 in 1879. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 DERA GHAZrKHAN. 
 
 Gordon was often likened by his friends to a 
 comet, for it was impossible to say where one would 
 or would not meet him. 
 
 The two young colleagues, who were mentioned 
 before as having been sent out by the Church Mis- 
 sionary Society, arrived in the Punjab at the end of 
 1878. They were under the impression that when 
 they arrived they would forthwith be placed under 
 the fostering care of Gordon, and initiated by him into 
 their missionary work. But, alas ! the news which 
 greeted them was that Gordon was hundreds of miles 
 away from the Punjab, at Kandahar. 
 
 So they settled down, the one in Peshawar, the 
 other in Amritsar, learning the Urdu language, and 
 waiting for definite news from their future leader. On 
 February 17, 1879, however, Gordon writes : — 
 
 " I am now on my way to Dera Ghazi to meet 
 Lewis and Jukes, who are to be there with the Bishop 
 and Clark in the beginning of March. General Bid- 
 dulph's Division is now returning to India, and I have 
 taken advantage of the opportuuity to return with 
 them." 
 
^t. 39.] A WORD PORTRAIT. 327 
 
 However, the party mentioned above were not 
 destined to meet at Dera Ghazi Khan. It so hap- 
 pened that the Bishop of Lahore went to Clarkabad, 
 a Christian agricultural settlement about thirty-five 
 miles west of Lahore, to lay the foundation stone of 
 a new church which was to be built by Mr. Bateman. 
 Mr. Clark accompanied him, and as the two newly- 
 arrived missionaries thought that they had ample 
 time to meet Gordon, they too went to Clarkabad to be 
 present at the ceremony. There, while being enter- 
 tained in all the sumptuous luxury of Mr. Bateman's 
 mud hut, one morning, looking up they saw a stranger 
 approaching. He was a man about five feet nine 
 inches in height, of middle age, stoutly made, clad in 
 a costume which displayed the calf of a leg of unusual 
 circumference, well befitting one who could walk to 
 Kandahar and back. His tanned face told, too, a tale 
 of travel. His somewhat slow gait, his kindly but 
 solemn glance, the long staff in his hand, all seemed 
 to combine to give one the impression of a prophet 
 of olden time. His constant companion. Dandy, the 
 spaniel, followed too, at a steady pace behind, and 
 added completeness to a scene that will never be for- 
 gotten by those who saw it for the first time. 
 
 " Who is this ? " exclaimed one. 
 
 " Why, it's Gordon ! " said Bateman, as he saw the 
 figure approaching. 
 
 So it turned out that he had left General Biddulph's 
 force, and had hurried on alone. Thus he had arrived 
 much sooner than he had been expected. On reach- 
 
328 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1879. 
 
 ing Multan he knew that there would be no one at 
 Dera Ghdzi Khdn awaiting him, so he had come on 
 at once to this place. Of this visit to Clarkabad 
 Gordon writes : — 
 
 " I reached Multan on 8th March, and thence pro- 
 ceeded to a village where Mr. Bateman has a colony 
 of Christians, and is building a church. The Bishop 
 of Lahore was to lay the foundation stone, so I went 
 to meet him. It was a very interesting ceremony. 
 Dr. Clark came with the Bishop and also my two 
 young colleagues, Mr. Lewis and Dr. Jukes. Just as 
 the Bishop performed the ceremony there came down 
 a long-prayed-for and much-needed shower of rain, 
 which supplied a fitting illustration of that spiritual 
 outpouring which that house of prayer is intended to 
 draw down. It was pleasant to see the native Chris- 
 tians, men and women, in their working dress, some 
 engaged in the foundation of the church, some at their 
 picks, and others in domestic duties, all earning their 
 own livelihood, and each one brightened up by an en- 
 couraging word from their pastor as he moved among 
 them." 
 
 On April 5, 1879, the party of three reached Dera 
 Ghazi Khan. I make an extract from a report of my 
 own written at this time. " We now began to look 
 round us for some place in which to reside. We were 
 anxious not to reside in cantonments, feeling that mis- 
 sionaries ought to identify themselves in every way 
 with the native, and not with the European population. 
 
 " It seemed to be a matter of doubt whether this 
 
.^i' 39-] BAZAR PREACHING. 329 
 
 place would ultimately prove to be the best position 
 for our mission. Our object being to open work in 
 Bilochistan, we felt that it might be possible to get 
 more thoroughly amongst the Bilochi people. On 
 this account Gordon was unwilling to undertake any 
 building in or near the city, and we quite fell in with 
 his decision, that it would be far better to wait and 
 see what openings might be forthcoming. 
 
 "We found a pomegranate garden close to the city 
 walls. It belonged to a Biloch chief. The owner 
 readily gave his consent to our pitching our tent here. 
 Within the garden, too, were the ruins of a native 
 bungalow. In this we found one small room, which 
 still had a roof on it, which, however, was tenanted by 
 a donkey ; another room of the same size was par- 
 tially roofed; but,, generally, the whole place was a 
 scene of debris from fallen masonry, etc. With pick- 
 axe and shovel we set to work to clear the place ; we 
 had the roof of the small room repaired, the four- 
 footed tenant was ejected, and then, with our tent, we 
 had ample accommodation. Here Dr. Jukes began his 
 practice amongst the natives, and had plenty of patients 
 every day. Mr. Gordon, as a rule, preached in the 
 bazar each evening, and we accompanied him. 
 
 " All this was very invigorating, and we began to 
 feel that we were in the midst of mission-work." 
 
 It is strange in India to see how men are con- 
 stantly meeting where perhaps they least expect it. 
 It so happened that there was a native Assistant 
 Engineer of the Public Works Department stationed 
 
330 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1879. 
 
 in Dera Ghazi at this time, whom Gordon had known 
 well in the J hi lam district. 
 
 In one of his journals of 1876 Gordon writes : — 
 "15//^.— Had a call from B. P., the Assistant 
 Engineer of the district — a very enlightened native 
 gentleman, who inclines to Brahmoism. He says he 
 cannot find any speciality in the Christian doctrine 
 which the purified Hindu doctrine does not possess. 
 ' If you have martyrs, so have we ; if you have a 
 Mediator, so have we.' On being asked whether 
 Christ's life did not contrast favourably with Krish- 
 na's, he admitted it at once as loftier and purer, but 
 said, * I don't see among you Christians evidence of 
 His teaching and inspiration being better than ours. 
 We have our Sadus and Sants — the Sadu who aims 
 at, the Sant who attains, perfection. Sadus are many, 
 Sants few. So in every religion.' 
 
 " \6th. — B. P. called again, and opened his heart 
 more — said he had tried everything — Hinduism, 
 Brahmoism — had been to Calcutta to see Keshub 
 Chunder Sen, but was not satisfied — felt that it would 
 be a great gain to him to be a Christian in a religious, 
 though not in a worldly, point of view — had, however, 
 difficulties about inspiration and the divinity of Christ. 
 * I can believe that He raised Himself by His virtues 
 and austerities to the level of a god, but not that He 
 was God from everlasting.' We then read together 
 passages of Scripture, such as John xx., i Cor. xv., 
 Phil. ii. He said, after much thought, and evidently 
 with a struggle, ' Well, my mind takes hold of this ; it 
 
^f. 39-] RELIGIOUS DISCUSSION. 33 1 
 
 is all possible. But this is my difficulty : — When I 
 read other books of other religions, my mind also con- 
 sents to them, and I don't know which to choose.' 
 Afterwards he came to me again, and again expressed 
 a great desire to learn more. We read and prayed 
 together daily. He expressed a willingness to be 
 baptised, if he could be received on the merits of his 
 present attainments in religious belief. But he has a 
 lingering desire to consult the Hindu fakirs of Lahore, 
 Delhi, and Agra, as well as the Brahmoists, and he 
 would fain, if it were possible, get into the kingdom 
 of heaven ' direct,' instead of ' through a Mediator.' " 
 
 The history of this gentleman is an interesting 
 one, and therefore it is given here. It is not merely 
 interesting in itself, but also in its relation to others, 
 as showing the way in which new feelings are spread- 
 ing, and old systems giving way. 
 
 After what is mentioned in this extract from 
 Gordon's diary, it is not surprising that the advice of 
 the latter was that his friend should wait awhile be- 
 fore receiving baptism. But instead of drawing nearer 
 to Christ, the attraction, possibly as involving less 
 sacrifice, seemed to be towards Keshub Chunder Sen. 
 
 We find, in a diary of May ii th, 1 879, that he is ob- 
 serving the Sunday, and holding religious meetings in 
 his house on each Sabbath evening. Gordon writes: — 
 
 " On Sunday evening he invites to his house the 
 leading members of various Hindu creeds for prayer 
 and discussion, conducting the service himself. I was 
 shown to the top of his house, where carpets were 
 
332 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1879. 
 
 spread, and lights placed in the middle. We all sat 
 in order, forming four sides of a square, and the great- 
 est decorum was observed. 
 
 " The meeting commenced with a short exposition 
 by an old Pundit, who read and translated from one of 
 the Hindu Shastras. called the Bhagarat Gita. Then 
 followed the singing of bhajams or native hymns, to 
 native musical instruments. After this our friend 
 conducted extempore prayer in his own language, 
 commencing with a meditation, * What are we here 
 met together for ? Not worldly gratification, not vain 
 discourse. We are come to seek thee, O God.' He 
 proceeded in a very solemn manner, with confession 
 of sin, ascription of praise, and invocation. After 
 prayer he introduced discussion, with a few remarks on 
 the subject of seeking after God, and alluded to the 
 Hindu doctrine of three conditions of mind — namely, 
 (i) the 'wakeful,' (2) the 'dreaming,' (3) the 'heavy 
 slumberous ' condition. Enlarging on the second con- 
 dition — the dreaming, contemplative habit of mind, as 
 fitted for revelation of God — he thus illustrated his re- 
 marks : ' There is a dark house, and a bird sits in it. 
 A hawk sits outside and waits for the bird, but will 
 not enter the darkness. The bird flies out, and is in- 
 stantly pursued by the hawk until it again seeks refuge 
 in the house. So with the human spirit ; it finds no 
 rest in the world ; care pursues it till it returns to its 
 ark, and finds rest in the solitude of contemplation.' 
 These remarks were met by a warm rejoinder from 
 an old Hindu lawyer, who argued that ' You cannot 
 
^i' 39-] WITH EDUCATED NATIVES. 333 
 
 find God by merely shutting your eyes and meditat- 
 ing. There must be successive steps from lower to 
 higher, and these steps are all indicated in the written 
 word, the Shastras.' He declined all merely specula- 
 tive discussion. 
 
 " The other replied, ' You refer only to the Vedant 
 Shastras ; you know nothing of the Bhakti Shastras.' 
 This introduced the old battle-ground of ' faith ' and 
 ' works.' The old simile of the ' straight new road ' 
 and the ' old tortuous road ' was given, and, as usual, 
 turned both ways. Neither party would yield the point 
 
 "The company present numbered about twenty-five 
 persons, most of whom (like my friend) were educated 
 men in Government employ. Four only took part in 
 the discussion. The others were listeners, like myself 
 One of them told a nice story about an old man and 
 a Garu or teacher. The former, who was known to 
 be wealthy, on being questioned about his income, 
 stated it as only Rs.25. His age, he said, was only 
 two or three years. On being asked to explain, he 
 replied, ' I reckon my income as limited to the portion 
 of it which I have given to God, and my age as only 
 the time which I have spent in His service.' 
 
 " The proceedings concluded with the singing of 
 another hymn. 
 
 " I came away at ten p.m., strongly impressed with 
 the influence for good which can thus be exerted by 
 one like my friend, whose views on prayer and worship 
 are as much at variance with ordinary Hindus as 
 those of any Christian missionary. He has great dif- 
 
334 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1879. 
 
 Acuities and prejudices to contend with. May he be 
 more and more enh'ghtened by Him who is the light 
 that lighted every man that cometh into the world ! " 
 
 Perhaps I may be permitted to say, with regard 
 to this gentleman, whom I may myself claim as a 
 friend, that I have met him from time to time since 
 he left Derd Ghazi. On the last occasion, in another 
 town, he took me over his house, introduced me to his 
 family, and showed me a chapel which he was having 
 built in his house for family prayer. Surely we may 
 say of such that they are not far from the Kingdom 
 of God. But where is the flower of intellect and 
 energy of our English Church to come to their aid ? 
 
 Of the commencement of work in Dera Ghazi 
 Khan, Gordon says : — 
 
 " The people listening attentively to bazar preach- 
 ing, and some of them visit our tent, but the majority 
 regard us with great suspicion, and seem by no means 
 confident that their gods and prophet can deliver them 
 from the dreaded clutches of conviction and the spells 
 of the Christian preacher. 
 
 " Dr. Jukes has already had some patients, one of 
 these being an old Biloch chief who was formerly 
 Prime Minister to the Khan of Khelat, and now re- 
 ceives a pension from our Government." 
 
 " Dera Ghazi Khan, 
 May 18, 1879. 
 
 "My dear Friend, — I am grieved to hear of 
 your sad trial, the heaviest that man is called upon to.. 
 bear, and in your case peculiarly so. 
 
jEt. 39.] A LETTER OF SYMPATHY. 335 
 
 "Yet you have been mercifully spared the addi- 
 tional burden of watching through a long illness, 
 and she whom you loved so well has been released 
 from all suffering, to be forever with the Lord. 
 
 " May it be your happy experience to have 
 nearer glimpses of that bright home where she has 
 gone, and a closer communion with that Saviour 
 who has prepared a place for you both at His side. 
 
 " The lessons of Whitsuntide are full of comfort 
 for mourning hearts, and my subject for preaching 
 to-day is full of it also : that gracious disclos- 
 ure of Himself to His trembling disciples of all 
 ages in their night of trouble. ' It is I, be not 
 afraid.' How many, alas, are brothers with you in 
 affliction ! Almost the same post brought me a 
 letter from a dear young friend, son of Sir R. Mont- 
 gomery, who has just lost a bright, devoted. Chris- 
 tian wife from typhoid fever, and I am daily antici- 
 pating the sad news of a beloved aunt's departure, 
 who has been to me like a mother — Mrs Melville. I 
 trust that your son and his wife and children will 
 be a blessing to you in your bereavement, and that 
 you will have strength given you to resume those 
 labours for Christ which are so dear to you. Mean- 
 time, your assurance of prayer is very valuable, for 
 every Church needs, as Colosse did, the prayers of 
 an Epiphras. 
 
 " My brother, who is at Woolwich, has been 
 asked to collect a few of my journal letters, and 
 I referred him to you, as perhaps able to furnish him 
 
336 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1879, 
 
 with some information. The list has of late, I think, 
 terminated with Mr. Girdlestone, but I do not 
 know his address. If you can recover any of the 
 letters, and read them to my brother, you will 
 much oblige. 
 
 "Please give my love to Clifford, and the assur- 
 ance of my deep sympathy. I shall always feel 
 grateful for dear Mrs. Parker's kindness to me 
 while I grieve at the thought of not meeting her 
 again below." 
 
 In June 1879, Gordon left Dera Ghazi Khan to 
 pay a visit to the Nugents at Pind Dadan Khan. The 
 two new missionaries then went westward to the 
 Sulaiman Hills to Fort Munro, to make acquaint- 
 ance with the wandering tribes, and to find out 
 what prospects for work there would be among 
 them. 
 
 In July they were again joined by Gordon, who 
 writes to Miss Holmes on the 26th, describing a visit 
 to an encampment of Bilochis : — " I went a few days 
 ago with Dr. Jukes to one of the gipsy camps, an oper- 
 ation was to be performed on a very small baby, we 
 knelt together on the hillside and asked God's bless- 
 ing in native language. The little baby's foot was 
 crooked, and as it was a boy it was a serious matter, 
 had it been a girl they would not have minded. Dr. 
 Jukes made a small incision behind the ankle while I 
 held the little leg, and the mother the infant on her 
 lap. Then the limb was carefully bandaged with a 
 splint, after being straightened. There were a few 
 
^t. 39.] THE KHETRAN COUNTRY. 337 
 
 cries at first, but before the operation was over, the 
 baby was fast asleep." 
 
 Part of Gordon's purpose in coming to Fort Munro 
 at this season, was to pay a visit to the Khetran 
 country, which, it so happened, was accessible at this 
 time. This is a rich valley, lying in the Sulaiman 
 Hills, west of Dera Ghazi Khan, and having an eleva- 
 tion of about 3500 feet above the sea level. Although 
 the Khetrans are a people living with Bilochis 
 and Pathans as their neighbours on all sides, they 
 themselves cannot claim near kinship with either. 
 They are, as their language testifies, of the same race 
 as the Jats of the plains living about Dera Ghazf 
 Khan. At this time they were an independent people, 
 living under the dual government of two chiefs, like 
 the Spartans of old. But of late, at their own re- 
 quest, their country has been annexed by the British 
 Government, and only one of the two chiefs is now 
 entrusted with authority. 
 
 Through this Khetran valley lies one of the most 
 ancient caravan tracks between India and Central 
 Asia, and during the Afghan war the route was used 
 for the passage of troops. A camp was established at 
 Vitakri, five marches from Fort Munro, and this place 
 was the limit of the journey which Gordon now set 
 himself to accomplish. One of his colleagues accom- 
 panied him, but Dr. Jukes preferred to remain at Fort 
 Munro, and have no interruption to his studies. 
 
 They set out on July 28, and walked stage by 
 stage, varying from ten to fifteen miles each day. It 
 
338 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1879. 
 
 was interesting to notice the character of each village 
 and town. Whereas in India small fortifications are 
 allowed to fall into ruins as being useless, since the 
 powerful arm of the British Government has given its 
 protection to the people, here everything bore witness 
 to the raids that these possessors of a fertile soil might 
 expect from their more warlike and rapacious neigh- 
 bours. Each village, and almost each hamlet, was 
 carefully walled, while all cattle were brought in before 
 dark, from the fields, within the walls. 
 
 The two missionaries almost invariably found shel- 
 ter in a dark, windowless, dirty, mud guest house, 
 which was usually built just within the gate of each 
 town. And in return for this hospitality, Gordon 
 would give them a message from the Word of Life. 
 
 At Vitakri, at this time, were stationed two regi- 
 ments of Madras infantry, and one of Bengal cavalry, 
 and consequently there was work to be done both 
 among officers and a number of native Christian 
 Madrassis who were in the band. On August 9, 
 Gordon writes to Jukes : — 
 
 " Every day the native Christians of the band 
 came to us for instruction, and sometimes we visit 
 them in their tents. Yesterday a young medical officer 
 from Madras spoke very warmly of our visit, and espe- 
 cially the services." 
 
 On August II, the return journey to Fort Munro 
 was commenced, and on the 12th, owing to exposure 
 to the sun, Gordon's companion became seriously 
 unwell. The chief object of recording this journey at 
 
^t. 40.] A SKILFUL AND UNTIRING NURSE. 339 
 
 all is, that to Gordon's companion a new side of his 
 character — that of nurse and amateur medical attend- 
 ant — was presented. Nothing save the loving hand 
 of woman could have been more untiring in service 
 and tender in ministrations. On one occasion, when 
 his companion was too ill to walk or ride, Gordon 
 sent off some ten miles to fetch the more powerful of 
 the two chiefs, Biloch Khan by name. With his aid, 
 a gang of Khetrans was collected, who carried the 
 sick man on a charpoy (native bedstead) to the foot 
 of the hill on which Fort Munro stands. 
 
 It might be mentioned that in many ways this 
 country seemed to promise well for missionary open- 
 ings. The people were friendly, the country fertile, 
 well- watered, and, on the whole, probably healthy. 
 A medical man especially would be well received, as 
 Dr. Jukes found when he visited the valley some five 
 or six years later. 
 
 It has since become more accessible than it was, 
 owing to the construction of the Pishin Road for mili- 
 tary purposes, as well as from the fact that it is now 
 definitely under British control. 
 
 In the autumn of this year, a tour was made by 
 the Bishop of Lahore, Gordon and his two new col- 
 leagues, to the south of the Dera Ghazi Khan district, 
 as far as Rojhan, the residence of one of the most 
 powerful, as he is certainly the most enlightened and 
 polished, of all the Biloch chiefs. It is the head- 
 quarters of the Mazari tribe, and the chief mentioned 
 above who governs them is the Nawab Imam Bakhah 
 
340 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1879. 
 
 Gordon thus writes of this tour : — 
 
 ^^ Nov. 26th. — Rowed down the Indus in a boat, 
 the Bishop, Jukes, Lewis, and self, on a visit to the 
 Chief of the Mazaris, a tribe of Bilochis. Not forty 
 years ago these men were all at war with us. They 
 are now as peaceful as any of the Queen Empress's 
 Indian lieges. They still cling to the ornamental 
 appendages of sword and shield, but only as emblems, 
 not as instruments of strife. We disembarked on a 
 bank made sandy and barren by the caprice of the 
 shifting, restless tide. This was the nearest point to 
 Rojhan, where the chief or Nawab resides. On hear- 
 ing of our arrival, he sent camels for our baggage, and 
 his son came to escort us across the pathless jungle. 
 As we neared his village, the Nawab came out to meet 
 us. He is a man of shorter stature than the ordinary, 
 but his fine intelligent face shows a capacity for re- 
 ceiving and imparting enlightened views. There was 
 nothing in his dress to indicate the position he holds, 
 or to distinguish him from his followers. He is true 
 to the tradition of his ancestors for simplicity and 
 hospitality. The Bilochis all dress in plain white, and 
 the only outward distinction of a chief is the superi- 
 ority of his horse. In this respect they indulge in a 
 little display. They are justly proud of the breed of 
 their horses. Otherwise, rich and poor are alike. ' I 
 dwell among my own people,' was the almost literal 
 response of their chief to a remark upon his position 
 with regard to his retainers. 
 
 " He made us his honoured guests as long as we 
 
^t 40.] VISITS THE MAZARIS. 34 1 
 
 chose to stay with him. Sheep were killed for us, 
 and piles of rice, sugar, and flour placed before us in 
 embarrassing profusion. 
 
 This tour, and the year 1879, came to a close, full 
 of hope that there were openings more effectual than 
 had been expected amongst the Bilochis. Little could 
 anyone have foreseen the trial that the new year was 
 to bring upon the infant Mission. 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 KANDAHAR — DEATH — 1 8 8o. 
 
 For some time past Gordon's health had not been 
 so good as could have been wished. He felt that 
 some complete change was necessary to set him up. 
 He began to think of home, but he resolved, if 
 possible, not to indulge himself thus, until he should 
 have completed his ten years of service since last 
 leaving England. The renewal of the Afghan war, 
 consequent upon the massacre of Sir Louis Cavagnari 
 and his staff, seemed to open the way for a partial 
 change meanwhile. There was, as was seen on his first 
 visit to Kandahar, plenty of work to be done in one 
 way or another. Without this condition Gordon could 
 not have been happy, and it was supposed then, what- 
 ever subsequent experience may have taught, that the 
 high level of Quetta or Kandahar would prove neither 
 unhealthy nor disagreeable for the summer months. 
 
 Accordingly, when the Bishop of Lahore invited 
 Gordon to accompany him on his journey into Afghan- 
 istan, and proposed that he should spend the summer 
 there, he readily acquiesced. 
 
 In January 1880, Gordon started on his last jour- 
 ney, and long after his arrival in Kandahar the subject 
 
yEt. 40.] GORDON'S LAST JOURNEY. 343 
 
 came before the Committee of the Church Missionary 
 Society in Salisbury Square. In the C. M. Intelligencer 
 of May of this year we read ; — 
 
 " A letter was read from the Rev. G. M. Gordon, 
 dated Jan. 24, 1880, referring to his acceptance of 
 an invitation which Bishop French had given him to 
 accompany him on a journey to Quetta and Kandahar, 
 and asking the wishes of the Committee as to the 
 advisableness of his spending the hot weather, for the 
 sake of health, on the high plateaus of Afghanistan. 
 The Committee cordially acquiesced in Mr. Gordon 
 taking some suitable change in the hot weather, if 
 his health should need it, but directed that he be ear- 
 nestly urged to use great caution as to exposing him- 
 self in unsettled parts of Afghanistan, both for his 
 own sake and on account of political complications 
 that might ensue." 
 
 This passage is quoted here for the sake of the 
 concluding sentences, which seem to show that the 
 Society at home, as well as a great many of Gordon's 
 friends in India, knew how totally devoid he was of 
 fear for himself, so long as he thought that he could 
 do Christ service. 
 
 On many occasions officers who were engaged 
 through the Afghan campaign, and intimate with 
 Gordon, have borne testimony on this. He would 
 appear at mess in the evening, and to the question, 
 " Well, Gordon, what have you been doing to-day ? '* 
 he would quietly answer that he had been in the city 
 visiting some of the leading Maulvis, and holding 
 
344 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1880. 
 
 religious discussions with them. And this was at a 
 time when no man, venturing alone and unarmed 
 amongst the native population, could be safe for a 
 moment from the assassin's knife. 
 
 At times the orders were very strict, that no one 
 should go away from camp without being armed with 
 a revolver. It came to the commanding officer's ears 
 that Gordon disregarded this order, and at the same 
 time went alone into places of very great danger. 
 The culprit was then informed, that if he did not 
 submit to discipline and orders, he would forthwith 
 be sent back to India. 
 
 The following letter, of which the date has dis- 
 appeared, may be identified with one which Gordon 
 is known to have written on February 13, 1880 : — 
 
 "1880. 
 " There seems to be a great deal of interest at home 
 with regard to Afghanistan, and as I am again, after 
 a year's interval, on the road to Kandahar, I venture 
 to think you will be glad to hear something of the 
 present aspect of affairs in these parts. The Bishop 
 of Lahore had a great wish to visit the military can- 
 tonments at Quetta and Kandahar, cut off as they 
 are from intercourse with India. He asked me to go 
 with him, and we started from Multan on the 23rd of 
 January. It had been a much easier journey than it was 
 in 1878, when we toiled on foot across barren plains 
 and up the shingly bed of mountain torrents. The 
 recent extension of the railway from Jacobabad to 
 Sibi has brought us 100 miles nearer to Kandahar, 
 
^t. 40.] ON THE ROAD TO KANDAHAR. 345 
 
 and the difficulties of the Bolan Pass have been greatly 
 lessened by a good road which General Phayre has 
 made to Quetta. Notwithstanding these facilities, 
 and the improved state of the transport and commis- 
 sariat, there is, I am sorry to say, a great deal of 
 suffering among the men (natives) and cattle employed 
 in carrying stores and provisions from the base of 
 operations to the front. This is mainly entailed by 
 the renewal of the war consequent upon the menacing 
 attitude of Russia. The army at Kandahar has been 
 ordered to move to Ghazni, to co-operate with Gen'eral 
 Robert's army at Kabul, and another army from Bom- 
 bay, under General Phayre, is ordered up to Kandahar. 
 These operations are putting a strain upon every 
 department, and the intense cold of these mountainous 
 and wintry regions is proving fatal to men and to 
 cattle. Camels are not much used now that cartroads 
 are made, and one is no longer shocked by the daily 
 spectacle of hundreds of those patient animals dying 
 and dead along the line of march. But as we ascended 
 the Bolan, and the cold increased, we were horrified 
 by seeing the bodies of several bullock drivers who had 
 perished the previous night, and of a dozen or more 
 bullocks which had shared their fate. The violence 
 of the wind, as it swept down the narrow ravines, 
 and carried dust and grit into our faces, was almost 
 irresistible by man and beast. It took me three hours 
 to walk four miles against it one evening after sunset, 
 and some natives who accompanied me gave in, and 
 sat shivering under the rocks, and were not brought in 
 
346 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1880. 
 
 till after midnight. We spent four days at Quetta, 
 where the Bishop held services for the soldiers and the 
 officers now stationed there. There is no church nor 
 room large enough to hold fifty men, so we borrowed 
 a large tent, and they extemporised sittings by means 
 of sundry boxes and planks placed across them. The 
 troops consisted only of a battery of R.A., whom I 
 had formerly known at Kandahar, their excellent 
 commander. Major Collingwood, being now at Wool- 
 wich on sick leave. Some of the officers of native 
 regiments and of various departments attended the 
 service, and seemed very glad of the opportunity 
 afforded them, for they have no public service at 
 Quetta, nor any chaplain to administer the sacraments. 
 We are now delayed by a heavy fall of snow in the 
 Pishin Valley. The ground is covered by a white 
 sheet at least half a foot thick, and the Thajah range 
 in front, which has to be crossed, is for the time im- 
 passable. We are fortunate in having a hut to shelter 
 us, and an old Punjabi friend as our host. On our 
 former visit here in '78, we had only thin tents to cover 
 us, and General Biddulph's army was delayed here a 
 fortnight in the cold of December, waiting for General 
 Stewart to come up. The inhabitants of the valley 
 are friendly, and apparently very glad of the English 
 occupation, for Shere Ali's rule was very unpopular. 
 The resources of the valley are yet to be developed. 
 The soil is good, and so is the water, but cultivation 
 scant. No doubt, when the railway comes here, there 
 will be a great improvement. The last time I camped 
 
^t. 40.] THE GOSPEL AND GOOD GOVERNMENT. 347 
 
 here on my way from Kandahar, we were not certain 
 of the friendHness of the natives. A shot fired after 
 dark was taken for the signal of an attack upon the 
 camp. A company was ordered to be under arms at 
 once, and guns were to be pointed at the neighbouring 
 village. It was afterwards ascertained that the shot 
 was an accidental discharge of an unoffending Parsee 
 merchant's pistol in camp, and the panic was soon 
 allayed. 
 
 " Those who are conversant with the facts of these 
 countries, and the great boon which good government 
 brings to these warlike races, to say nothing of the 
 blessings of the Gospel, are apt to read with some 
 astonishment the utterances of certain orators of the 
 Gladstone School, who might learn much by coming 
 here." 
 
 Gordon again writes : — 
 
 "Kandahar, March 22, 1880. 
 
 " As I sent you last time some extracts from my 
 journal, of a journey with the Bishop to Kandahar, I 
 think you will be interested to hear more about the 
 Bishop's visit. 
 
 " On Feb, 24, we went to see the ruins of old 
 Kandahar, about three or four miles off. They consist 
 principally of earthworks, surrounded by a moat, and 
 surmounted by the mud walls and bastions of an 
 old fort. Although they have nothing of the solidity 
 of many of the old Roman ruins of far greater anti- 
 quity, yet they are very picturesque, and the posi- 
 
348 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1880. 
 
 tion is one of great strength. It was taken by Nadir 
 Shah, King of Persia, who carried his conquests to 
 Delhi. Having destroyed the place, he built another 
 Kandahar, and the present town, built by Ahmed 
 Shah, is the third city. Should we, as seems probable, 
 build a cantonment in one of these valleys, we shall 
 certainly see a fourth city spring up. And it is high 
 time that another were built, for the present one can- 
 not be healthy, on account of the enormous cemetery 
 which surrounds it. One of the most interesting relics 
 of old Kandahar, is a huge bowl of blue limestone, 
 covered with Old Arabic inscriptions. They say that 
 there were formerly two, and that one found its way 
 to England. I fancy you will see this one some 
 day in the British Museum. 
 
 "On Feb. 25, the Bishop addressed a large gather- 
 ing of soldiers on total abstinence. He told them 
 that he had signed the pledge to encourage others to 
 do so, and exhorted them not to regard temperance 
 as everything, but as a link in a chain. * Add to 
 your faith, virtue,' etc. etc. I afterwards signed the 
 pledge with one or two soldiers, for I thought that 
 having been for eight years a total abstainer, it might 
 add to my usefulness to become a pledged one. 
 
 " On Feb. 26, we visited the English cemetery. It 
 was the same that was used during our former occu- 
 pation, 1839 to 1842. For some time no clue as to 
 its position could be found. Afterwards an old 
 resident pointed out the spot. Nearly 100 graves 
 were traced, all lying east and west, instead of north 
 
^t. 40.] NEWS FROM SHIRAZ. 349 
 
 and south, like the Muhamadan graves which sur- 
 round them. On opening one of the graves, all doubt 
 was removed. Orders, therefore, were given, and the 
 cemetery was carefully restored, and enclosed by a 
 wall and gate. Here the chaplain pointed out to us 
 many new graves of soldiers and officers who died 
 last year of cholera. We afterwards went to see the 
 tomb of Ahmed Shah, the builder of the present city, 
 and founder of the Dourani dynasty. A handsome 
 domed building has been erected over it, the only 
 architectural ornament at Kandahar. It is very 
 elaborate inside, and is held in great veneration 
 by the Muhamadans. Near it is a smaller building 
 in which they preserve an old shirt, said to be that of 
 Muhamad himself. The Bishop addressed a nice 
 little meeting of Christian officers in the evening. 
 
 " On Feb. 28, I went to the city to breakfast with 
 a Persian gentleman, who holds a post here, as assist- 
 ant to the political officer attached to the force. I 
 recognised in him an old friend, for, in 1872, I was 
 his guest at Shiraz, in the very same house where 
 Henry Martyn had stayed in his father's time. I 
 was glad to renew acquaintance and hear about 
 Shiraz. He told me that the orphanage, which I 
 then started on the interest of the famine fund sent 
 out from London, is still going on, and that the roads 
 and sanitary condition of the town had been improved 
 by the relief works. The Bishop called in the after- 
 noon on Shere All Khan, the governor of the city. 
 The chief mullah was also present, and the Bishop 
 
350 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1880. 
 
 did not lose the opportunity of saying something on 
 the subject of religion, which was well received. In 
 the evening he addressed a large number of soldiers 
 
 who had been invited to hear him by Col. , and 
 
 there was a great tea-drinking. 
 
 " On Sunday, 2gth February, the Bishop addressed 
 the soldiers on parade, taking for his text Israel's 
 marching song, * Arise, O Lord, let thine enemies be 
 scattered.' There were two regiments on parade, the 
 60th Rifles, the 59th Foot, and a battery of Artillery. 
 The band played and sang a hymn very nicely. 
 
 "On Monday, March i, the Bishop started on his 
 return journey, and I am happy to say that I have 
 to-day heard of his safe arrival at Multan, and start 
 by train for Lahore, where he would arrive March 
 20. He is said to be looking none the worse for his 
 adventurous journey, and I feel very thankful for the 
 good he has done, and for his safe return. I have 
 endeavoured since his departure to carry on the 
 prayer meeting for the soldiers, in conjunction with 
 Col. . 
 
 " General Stewart's forces are about to start for 
 Ghazni, and I shall lose most of my friends among 
 the officers and men. But there will be another 
 sphere of work amongst the Bombay forces, who are 
 arriving daily to occupy Kandahar, and I am daily 
 reminding myself, in various ways, that I am here first 
 and foremost as a missionary. I am reading the Bible 
 and Pilgrim's Progress daily in Persian and Afghan 
 with a munshi of the town, and making occasional 
 
^i' 40.] GHAZI FANATICS. 35 1 
 
 calls upon respectable natives, who are willing to 
 cultivate friendly relations ; and I hold weekly services 
 in Hindustani for some native Christians attached to 
 the regiments. 
 
 " One great barrier to missionary work and friendly 
 intercourse with the people, is the fanaticism of a class 
 of Afghans who call themselves Ghazis. They are a 
 set of poor ignorant men of the ascetic type, who are 
 inflamed by the Muhamadan priest to sacrifice their 
 own lives in the endeavour to take the life of a 
 Christian or' a Hindu. It is evident the movement, 
 is directed against us, and those that serve us, and is 
 therefore to a certain extent a patriotic movement, 
 because they do not attack the Hindus who are 
 established as traders in the country, only those who 
 are attached to our camps. One cannot help pitying 
 these misguided men, who firmly believe they are 
 doing service to God and their country, and are there- 
 fore much better than the shooters of landlords in 
 Ireland. One of them was caught and hung the day 
 before yesterday, before he could effect his purpose. 
 When questioned, he avowed his intention without the 
 slightest reserve. He was greatly disappointed at 
 having failed to kill one of us, but had no other objec- 
 tion to be hung. Last Saturday a poor soldier of the 
 59th was found murdered by another Ghazi just out- 
 side his barracks, and the murderer was instantly 
 despatched by his comrade. Since I have been here, 
 these attempts to assassinate have been of constant 
 occurrence. One officer was shot at, and hit in the 
 
352 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1880. 
 
 shoulder, but is now recovering. Another was stabbed 
 by a mere boy of twelve, but he happily recovered. 
 This boy, and another of the same age, have been 
 transported to the Andaman Islands. They are nice- 
 looking boys, and I hope the day may come when we 
 shall be able to have a mission school in Kandahar, and 
 teach them the lessons of the Sermon on the Mount. 
 
 " There is a large class of Afghan boys who are 
 receiving no instruction in anything good. Some of 
 them are glad to engage themselves as servants to the 
 officers and soldiers, and they are wonderfully quick at 
 picking up Hindustani and English. They can, most 
 of them, speak Persian as well as their native tongue. 
 
 General suggested to me that a secular school 
 
 might be desirable ; but I discussed the matter with 
 the Bishop and General Phayre, and they both regard 
 secular schools as conducive to no good, if not to 
 positive harm. And certainly our experience of 
 secular education among the natives of India is any- 
 thing but favourable. General Phayre is so good a 
 man, and so devoted a servant of Christ, and has had 
 so long an experience, that, next to the Bishop, I 
 attach great weight to his advice. I regret very much 
 that he is not to succeed General Stewart in the 
 command here, but is to be in command of the com- 
 munications between Kandahar and Quetta. Mean- 
 while, I am expecting a large consignment of Persian 
 and Pushtu Bibles and Testaments, which have been 
 
 ordered from Lahore by Colonel for distribution 
 
 in Kandahar. 
 
^t. 40.] A CHIEF MULLAH OF THE ACHAHZAIS. 353 
 
 " There was an interesting instance the other day 
 of how an officer may assist the missionary cause. A 
 
 friend of mine, Major , of the Punjab Cavalry, 
 
 was out on duty in one of the villages, amongst the 
 tribe called Achahzais, who inhabit the country of the 
 Khojak. He made friends with the Chief Mullah, or 
 High Priest of the tribe. This man asked him vari- 
 ous questions respecting the Christian religion, such 
 as, * Do you ever pray ? ' To which, I am glad to 
 say, the Major was able to answer, both for himself 
 and for many of us, in the affirmative. ' Is it part of 
 your religion to destroy Muhamadan mosques as the 
 
 Russians do ? ' ' No,' said Major . This was 
 
 highly satisfactory to the old man, who proceeded to 
 ask, ' Why is our country getting worse and worse, and 
 your Hindustan better and better ? ' * Because,' said 
 
 Major , *you allow bribery and corruption, and 
 
 we don't/ The old man then asked for a Persian 
 
 Bible. Major said, ' But if you read it you may 
 
 find things you don't approve.' The old man would 
 take no refusal ; he must have the Bible, and he in- 
 sisted on Major sending for one, which he did. 
 
 I hope I may meet this old man some day, and have 
 a good long talk with him over his Bible, as Major 
 is ordered to Ghazni. 
 
 " I hope it may not be long before a medical mis- 
 sionary is sent to Kandahar. The people would give 
 no one so hearty a welcome. There is not even a 
 Government free dispensary here, as at Kabul, where 
 Dr. Owen has won the gratitude of thousands of native 
 
354 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1880. 
 
 patients. A curious disclosure was recently made 
 here, through one of the medical officers attached to 
 the force. He had been urgently requested to attend 
 a native lady, who was one of the late Amir's State 
 prisoners, and whose history was a secret to our poli- 
 tical officers. He attended her, and performed suc- 
 cessfully a difficult operation. She was very grateful 
 for his skilful advice, and told him she was no less a 
 personage than the favourite wife of Abdul Rahman, 
 the chief on whom so much depends, and who is 
 supposed to be hesitating between a Russian and an 
 English alliance. He is more influential at Kabul 
 than anyone else. His wife said she would be glad 
 to let her husband know what benefit she had de- 
 rived, and bring him over to our side. This is only 
 one instance out of many to show how greatly they 
 appreciate that medical treatment which only an 
 English doctor can give." 
 
 Though Gordon was so far away from his colleagues, 
 he continued always to take the keenest interest in 
 his Punjab missions. He was not satisfied unless the 
 mail brought him letters continually posting him up in 
 the latest intelligence, and telling him of the advance 
 of the Kingdom of Christ in the hearts of men. But 
 if he expected much in this way, he was always ready 
 to give as much. He was a most faithful correspon- 
 dent, almost always asking in his letters for the sup- 
 port of the prayers of those to whom they were sent. 
 
 Writing to Dr. Jukes, on April 9, 1880, from Kan- 
 dahar, he says, — " I have now received my instruc- 
 
^A 40.] soldiers' PRAYER MEETING. 355 
 
 tions from the Corresponding Committee at Lahore. 
 They wish me to remain here, or at some cooler place, 
 during the hot weather. At present the climate here 
 is very cool ; when it gets hot (in June) perhaps it 
 may be desirable to go up to Khilat i Gilzai or 
 Ghazni. 
 
 " The Afghans in different parts are still unsettled 
 and warlike. Poor Showers, who was killed near 
 Quetta, was with G— at Dera Ghazi Khan this time 
 last year. 
 
 " Yesterday we were told of seventy armed men 
 prowling about outside the city, and the English 
 soldiers were confined to barracks anticipating an 
 attack, but nothing came of it. Letters from General 
 Stewart's force say they expect resistance towards 
 Ghazni, and I am afraid they will have difficulties 
 about transport and supplies. 
 
 " We started a soldiers' prayer meeting in canton- 
 ment yesterday, General Phayre taking the lead. 
 Unfortunately, we shall lose him, as he goes to Quetta, 
 but I hope to keep up the meetings. It is always diffi- 
 cult to begin again when a prayer meeting is broken 
 up, and others come. 
 
 *' I have had less fever lately, but indigestion 
 troubles me as usual. 
 
 " A chaplain has come up and taken the services 
 in cantonments, while I take them in the fort. Last 
 Sunday, as I was going to service, I passed a tent 
 where two poor natives of the transport had been 
 fired into during the night by some miscreants. One 
 
356 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1880, 
 
 was lying dead, the other wounded, but likely to 
 recover. As usual there is no clue to the marauders. 
 
 '* I hope, if you can get a riding camel for me, you 
 will do so, and let me know the cost, as I fully intend 
 to keep one, and you and Lewis are welcome to the 
 use of it." 
 
 This last sentence shows that he was at this time 
 thinking as much as ever of those who were associated 
 with him in his work, and wishing to help them with 
 his advice and means, if not by his presence. In 
 another letter, about the same time, sent to myself, 
 he expresses his readiness, under certain conditions, 
 to put down at once Rs.3000 or Rs.4000 for the 
 building of a hospital for the Bilochis. 
 
 " Kandahar, April 25, 1880. 
 
 " I have had the fever for more than a week, and 
 from the little cell in the fort, my thoughts have gone 
 out much towards the sick and afflicted in all parts 
 of the world. I daresay this fort has held many a 
 sorrowful captive in the hard days of Mussulman 
 rule, and, maybe, witnessed many a deed of horror. 
 Our men found the other day, while they were ex- 
 cavating, the skeleton of a poor wretch who had 
 evidently been buried alive, as he was in a crouching 
 position, which is never the case in ordinary burial 
 among Muhamadans. This is the most peaceful pro- 
 vince of Afghanistan, but yet here, of late, we have 
 been having disturbances. Twice it has been given out 
 that an attack would be made upon us in the fort 
 on a particular day, but the day has passed without in- 
 
jEt, 40.] WRITES FROM KANDAHAR. 357 
 
 cident I often think of Colonel Lumsden's mission 
 here with Dr. Bellew in 1857. They were lodging 
 close to my present quarters. But instead of moving 
 about freely, as we do, they were in a kind of confine- 
 ment for several months, in constant apprehension for 
 their lives. On one occasion the whole city rose 
 and besieged the fort, and but for the fidelity of some 
 of the native troopers of Colonel Lumsden's escort, 
 they would all have been murdered in the same way 
 as poor Sir Louis Cavagnari and his suite. 
 
 " I have had some nice letters from my friends 
 among the officers and men of General Stewart's force, 
 on their march to Ghazni. Our latest news is that, 
 on the 19th, they encountered a large body of the 
 enemy, who fought for an hour and then fled, leaving 
 a thousand dead bodies in the field. The loss on our 
 side was 15 killed and 115 wounded, including several 
 officers. The following day General Stewart's advance- 
 guard entered Ghazni unopposed. 
 
 " The country between here and Quetta, which I 
 have three times traversed in perfect security, is now 
 anything but safe. Armed bands of tribesmen are 
 going about cutting the telegraph wires, stopping the 
 postal communication, and attacking our outposts. 
 First, we heard that a political officer, whom many of 
 us knew and admired, named Captain Showers, had 
 been attacked and killed near Quetta. Then there 
 came rumours of threatened attacks upon other places 
 which were quite defenceless. Officers (like my friend 
 Major , of the 2d Punjab Cavalry) who had been 
 
358 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1880, 
 
 on the frontier all their lives, knew the language and 
 the people, and were most fitly entrusted with the 
 charge of the roads, were withdrawn when General 
 Stewart's force left, and their places supplied by men 
 from Bombay, who could not speak the language, and 
 were utter strangers to the country. The consequence 
 has been the sacrifice of another valuable life. Majoi 
 Waudby, who succeeded Major as road com- 
 mandant, was a good officer and popular man, but he 
 had everything to learn as to these parts. Last week,, 
 in the course of his duties, he halted for the night at a 
 place fifty miles from here, which used to be considered 
 perfectly safe. The Bishop and I passed a quiet night 
 there two months ago, with only four Sowars for escort 
 But latterly the man in charge of Government stores 
 there urgently represented that there was danger, and 
 requested to be removed. His appeal was not attended 
 to, and on the night of the i6th some hundreds of the 
 enemy attacked the place. Major Waudby had only 
 two Sepoys with him and three Sowars of the Scind 
 Horse, who behaved badly, and sought how to 
 escape. Two days after, an officer, on his way here 
 with troops, came to the place, and found the body of 
 Major Waudby and his two faithful Sepoys fearfully 
 mangled, and a heap of the enemy whom they had 
 killed. The sole survivor was the Major's faithful dog^ 
 who stood there to identify his master's body. It is 
 to be hoped that the faithful creature will recover, but 
 as he had received two sword cuts, and was half 
 starved, it is very doubtful. They are now sending 
 
^t. 40.] AFGHAN BIBLE-READERS. 359 
 
 out troops in all directions to punish the offenders and 
 check these outrages, and orders have been given to 
 fortify all the posts along the road to Quetta. It is 
 to be hoped that we shall learn a lesson not to be 
 careless and over-confident. The Afghans know well 
 our weak points, and are exceedingly clever in watch- 
 ing their opportunity and striking a blow when we 
 least expect it. It is fully expected that clouds will 
 gather from the Herat side before long. Meanwhile, 
 every one looks towards Kabul, and wonders what 
 Abdul Rahman is going to do. If fighting is his in- 
 tention, he will not have much chance, humanly speak- 
 ing, between General Roberts and General Stewart. 
 But it is a great cause of confidence, that ' the Lord 
 reigneth, be the earth never so unquiet.' 
 
 " Yesterday I had a visit from some of my Afghan 
 friends in the city. They have got the Bible, but they 
 say that others want it also, and we had a long talk 
 over it, and I promised to get some more Bibles from 
 Lahore, but they take a long time coming. Letters 
 travel in a week, but books take months to arrive. I 
 was talking to my Munshi about preaching a ' Jehad,' 
 as they call it (or religious war), and he agreed with 
 me it is better to make a * Jehad ' against Satan and 
 our besetting sins, than for a deluded rabble of fanatics 
 to rush on British bayonets and leave a thousand of 
 their slain upon the ground. I have got a young 
 Afghan as a servant, and I am going to make a com- 
 mencement with him in the elements of a moral 
 training and education, hoping that others may follow. 
 
360 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1880. 
 
 My Bible class with the soldiers in the fort has begun 
 well. Some who had grown cold through want of 
 the means of grace are reviving, and it is touching to 
 see how the word of God and the singing of hymns 
 wake responsive chords of love, and rally them to their 
 old allegiance. I grieve to say we have our Sanballats 
 and Tobiahs in camps, and they have shut up and 
 dismantled the prayer-rooms in cantonments which 
 
 Colonel used for a year with such a blessing, and 
 
 which General recently rebuilt at his own expense 
 
 and re-opened. Colonel 's successor in the 
 
 barracks, being a man with no sympathy with religious 
 things, claimed and obtained from the General who 
 now commands the possession of the prayer-room, 
 although built by private friends, and then, without a 
 word of reference to the chaplain or myself, who were 
 holding meetings there, turned it into a barrack-room. 
 Apart from all considerations of courtesy, it is an act 
 of great injustice towards the soldiers, and especially 
 the Presbyterian soldiers, who have no other place for 
 their meetings and services except this prayer-room. 
 I do not believe that any commanding officer in 
 General Stewart's army would have done such a 
 thing. Unfortunately we have no appeal, and the 
 only thing to be done, if the chaplain agrees, is to 
 build another prayer-room somewhere else." 
 
 Again, in a letter to Miss Holmes, Gordon 
 speaks of the cause of his remaining in Afghan- 
 istan, and gives some idea of his work in Kan- 
 dahar : — 
 
^t. 40.] AFGHAN BIBLE AND PILGRIM'S PROGRESS. 36 1 
 
 '' Kandahar, June i, 1880. — The Committee wish 
 me to stay here till October, on account of my health. 
 I have had frequent recurrence of fever the last two 
 months, but the climate is much cooler than that of 
 India, and though I may have to go home next year, 
 yet I hope {D. V.), by remaining here, to recruit for a 
 cold weather campaign among the Bilochis. I am 
 reading the Bible and Pilgrim's Progress in the Afghan 
 language with such of the Mullahs as visit me, and I 
 have also plenty of work among the English soldiers. 
 I believe Kandahar is the most favourable place for a 
 missionary in Afghanistan, but one is here at the risk 
 of one's life, and at the risk, also, of being turned out 
 by the politicals at any time." 
 
 During this time the missionaries in Dera Ghazi 
 Khan had been somewhat tried by the shifting con- 
 duct of the chief of the most powerful Biloch tribe on 
 the frontier. After he had derived a vast amount of 
 relief and care from the treatment of Dr. Jukes, it 
 struck him that it would be a good thing to have a 
 European doctor near him in his own town, about 
 twenty-four miles from Dera Ghazi. He accordingly 
 had made proposals some time before Gordon started 
 for Kandahar, offering to build a hospital, and give a 
 grant of land, if the Mission would fix its headquarters 
 with him. This the missionaries were all eager to do. 
 Negotiations were entered into, the chief somewhat 
 moderated his eagerness, pressure was probably brought 
 to bear upon him against the mission by energetic 
 Muhamadan Maulvis. It seemed at last as if the 
 
362 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1880, 
 
 chief wished for the doctor, but no preaching ; then he 
 was unwilling to alienate any land, and one difficulty 
 after another turned up until, finally, the plan had to 
 be abandoned. 
 
 Most of Gordon's letters at this time show a 
 keen interest in the question. The following is a 
 sample of the way in which he would encourage his 
 friends : — 
 
 " Many thanks for yours of 3rd, just received, which 
 explains your negotiations with the Nawab. 
 
 " Yes, I think it is as well to wait a little. We are 
 taught in mission work the necessity of the old rule, 
 ' Festina le7ite' You have not yet had as many dis- 
 appointments and checks as have fallen to my share 
 in the Find Dadan Khan Mission. You naturally wish, 
 as I do, for a base hospital. But in so important a 
 matter, all we can do is to seek God's guidance, and 
 He has not yet made it clear where we should fix 
 our headquarters. 
 
 " For six years I tried to centralise myself at Find 
 Dadan Khan, which I thought could be done by build- 
 ing a house and school. But land could not be got, 
 and again and again I was driven out to preach the 
 Word in the villages. That was God's way of working, 
 although it did not seem to me the right way at the time. 
 
 " What I am very anxious for is, that you should 
 be free to work in the way that you feel to be right. 
 And yet God's way may be otherwise. The * common- 
 sense way,' the ' way of experience,' as men say, is by 
 no means always God's way." 
 
,Et. 40.] SHERE ALI KHAN. 363 
 
 " Kandahar, June 7 1 880. 
 " We have had no great event here since I wrote 
 last, unless the installation of the Governor, Sherc 
 Ali Khan, can be called an event. The ceremony 
 was rather of a private character than public. The 
 presents given to Shere Ali Khan seemed suggestive 
 of what would happen on the withdrawal of our troops 
 from Afghanistan. One of them was a sword, to 
 show that he would certainly have to fight for his 
 life, and another a clock, to show that his days were 
 numbered. He was then told he might call himself 
 a Wali or Governor, and a salute of twenty-one guns 
 was fired from the fort. A few days after, he re- 
 turned the General's visit at the cantonment (one 
 and a half mile from the city). He was dressed in 
 a gold embroidered coat, with an Astrachan cap, in 
 shape like a teapot cosy. They lined his road with 
 soldiers, and fired all the guns in the station. He 
 has now gone out with his troops and a battery of 
 six guns, which we have given him, to the Halmand 
 river, on the way to Herat. There is a district there 
 called Zamindawar, which does not acknowledge his 
 authority, and some think the warlike inhabitants 
 will rise and take away his guns, in which case we 
 shall have to send a force to get them back again. 
 There is also apprehension of an army from Herat 
 coming to attack us. On the Queen's Birthday there 
 was a parade of all the troops, and a royal salute 
 fired. It was curious to observe how indifferent the 
 townspeople were to the demonstration. With the 
 
364 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1880. 
 
 exception of the Governor and suite, who were 
 officially present, there seemed to be absolutely no 
 representation of the Afghan population. They are 
 * a fortuitous concourse of atoms,' with no cohesion, 
 accustomed from long misgovernment each to look 
 •out for himself, and to hate every one else. 
 
 " Last week I called on a wealthy landed proprietor, 
 who lives out in the country. He was away in the 
 wars ; but his friend and kinsman did the honours, 
 and was very civil to me and my companions. He 
 ■ordered tea and sweets, which were brought out and 
 served in an orchard. The tea, which was green, 
 was made as usual without milk, and poured from a 
 Russian china teapot into little cups. An attendant 
 then brought a lot of fruit, which he had shaken 
 down from the trees near where we sat. The absent 
 landlord's youngest child was then brought and in- 
 troduced to us. He was about two years old, and 
 could trot about by himself He was very smartly 
 frocked in silk, and covered with charms — verses of 
 the Kuran written on paper, and sewn up in leather, after 
 blessed by some priest of fame and sanctity. Colonel 
 
 T gave the little fellow some sweets, which 
 
 he would not eat, but gravely handed on to some 
 member of the company. This he did to one by one 
 in succession, till all were supplied. We were told 
 that his mother is a daughter of the celebrated Dost 
 Muhamad Khan, about whom all the fighting and 
 disasters of 1846 took place ; but we were not intro- 
 duced to the lady. We had a long conversation 
 
^t. 40.] GIVES SOLDIERS' TEA PARTY. 365-, 
 
 with our host in Persian, and when I drew his atten- 
 tion to some point of contrast between the Kuran and 
 the Bible, he seemed by no means averse from re- 
 ligious discussion. We asked him among many other 
 things if he could account for the absence of rain at 
 the present season. He replied that, * Whenever 
 Shere Ali Khan is Governor of Kandahar there is- 
 no rain.' This meant, of course, that he had a very- 
 low opinion of Shere Ali Khan. But when I sug- 
 gested that God only can send or withhold the rain,, 
 he agreed that we must leave the matter in his hands. 
 We returned by a very pretty ride along the banks 
 of the Argandab river, the water of which is skilfully 
 turned by the villagers into numerous channels, which 
 irrigate their fields and orchards. The authorities 
 here have taken advantage of the mulberry groves 
 on the bank of the river for the purpose of a sani- 
 tarium, and have sent out some of the invalids and 
 convalescents to live in tents under the shade. Many 
 of the officers and men are suffering from fever, and 
 many more from home sickness. I had a nice tea 
 meeting in the garden of the Fort last week. My 
 guests were fifteen soldiers, who attend the Bible- 
 class, and form the church choir. Several of the 
 officers were present, and after tea we had sacred 
 songs and hymns, and concluded with prayers. They 
 all enjoyed it very much. Here everything is done 
 in camp fashion, and when anyone is invited out, it 
 is always understood that he brings his own plate, 
 cup, knife, and chair. The weather is hot, but not 
 
366 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1880. 
 
 nearly so hot as in India. I go out to my work 
 morning and evening, and spend the middle of the 
 day in study. I was able to bring very few books 
 up here, but I have books in ten different languages 
 on my shelf. I read the Bible and ' Pilgrim's Pro- 
 gress ' daily in the Afghan language with a Mullah 
 from the city. He is greatly captivated with the 
 latter, and often says we have no such book among 
 us. He remarked one day, ' You English have a 
 great deal of love, we have very little,' and he gave 
 a proof of it when he added, * No Jew could live in 
 Kandahar ; we would kill him at once.' I argued 
 that there are lots of Hindus living in Kandahar, 
 and you don't kill them, though they are idolators. 
 Why should you kill a Jew who is a worshipper of 
 the true God ? ' He said, ' The Jew is a worse infidel 
 than the Hindu, because he professes to believe, 
 and the Hindu doesn't.' I replied, 'That's not the 
 reason you spare the Hindu. The reason is simply 
 because they are your bankers and shopkeepers, and 
 you can't do without them.' He smiled, and agreed 
 that I was right. It is very curious how ubiquitous 
 the Hindu is, and how he can live and thrive in the 
 most fanatical cities of Central Asia. I sometimes 
 visit them in their temples in the city, and have a 
 chat over the Gospel with grey-bearded men, who 
 have talked with Russians in Bokhara. 
 
 " On Sunday morning, after church, I walked 
 through the town, and shortly afterwards heard of 
 an attack made by a small native boy upon a Hindu 
 
.m. 40.] LETTERS FROM DERA^GHAZrKHAN. 367 
 
 in the same street. The boy was caught, after stab- 
 bing the man with a pocket-knife, and questioned. 
 At first they could get no information, but on receiv- 
 ing an electric shock, the little ruffian confessed that 
 he had been prompted to the fanatical deed by a 
 bigger boy, who said he was going to do the same 
 himself. Accordingly, yesterday, a soldier of the 
 66th was attacked, and stabbed in the same street by 
 a bigger boy, supposed to be the one indicated. I 
 visited the soldier in hospital, and found that the wound 
 is not deep. Happily for him he had a comrade with 
 him, who stopped the assailant, and transfixed him 
 with his bayonet The two boys were probably set 
 on by some fanatical Mullah. We never can go out 
 without the risk of encountering some murderer, who 
 has taken the pledge. There is little wonder that the 
 country, accustomed to deeds of violence, has come to 
 grief. Afghanistan is like Canaan was in the days of 
 the Judges, as we read in our lesson for last Sunday 
 (Judges V. 6, 7), ' The highways were unoccupied, and 
 the travellers walked through byways. The inhabi- 
 tants of the villages ceased.' This is literally true 
 in parts we have passed through, where you see the 
 ruins of old villages on the highways, and other 
 villages built at a distance, so as to be out of reach 
 of the exactions of the rapacious soldiery. I received 
 encouraging letters from Mr. Lewis and Dr. Jukes at 
 Dera Ghazi Khan, and I hope to join them in October. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Nugent have had to go home, but 
 Charles Matthews is at Find Dadan Khdn, and he 
 
368 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.d. 1880. 
 
 writes hopefully of some of the boys in the school. 
 The report of the anniversary C.M.S. in the Record is 
 cheering to read. And one is thankful for news from 
 home, such as the appointment of Bishop Ryle. But 
 I fear such appointments are over for some time to 
 come. And certainly we cannot hope for religious 
 progress of the right sort under a Roman Catholic 
 Viceroy. I see that my last journal letter was dated 
 April 25th ; I hope it arrived safely, for another letter 
 that I sent in April with a cheque was not received, 
 and the explanation was, that about that time vari- 
 ous letters with money were abstracted by someone 
 in the Kandahar postal department." 
 
 In a private letter, dated Kandahar, June 8, 1880, 
 he writes that he hopes, " if spared, I may have the 
 pleasure of seeing you all next year. For I cannot 
 help dwelling by anticipation upon what at times 
 seems necessary to maintain and animate me in my 
 work, namely, the hope of a return home. At other 
 times, when not out of health, I feel as though I 
 could do without going home, in order to take the 
 post of someone else who requires a change." 
 
 Mr Parker writes as follows to the Record news- 
 paper : — 
 
 " Sir, — In unwarehousing some of my furniture, I 
 have come across the last letter written to me by the 
 Rev. George Maxwell Gordon, whose work I shared 
 in London, and whose loving friendship I retained 
 until he fell in a sortie in the act of ministering to 
 the wounded on August 16, 1880. The quinine 
 
jEt, 40.] LAST LETTER TO MR J. C. PARKER. 369 
 
 ' never ' reached him, but was wisely used for others 
 not beyond the reach of temporal aid. His bio- 
 grapher, the Rev. A. Lewis, and other Punjab mission- 
 aries and officers, may be interested in Mr. Gordon's 
 last words to a former fellow-labourer. — J. C. P." 
 '■''June 16. 
 
 "' Kandahar, /zm^ 14, 1880. 
 " ' My DEAR Parker, — Will you kindly send me 
 by letter post one ounce of Quinine done up in paper 
 or waxcloth, unless the chemist says it will spoil. If 
 it travels in a bottle it has to be packed in a box, and 
 then it will never reach me. Parcels take many 
 months to reach Kandahar, and I shall be gone else- 
 where. That's why I ask for it in a letter. Please 
 let me know what it costs. I am a great consumer 
 of quinine. Here they would probably ask £2 for 
 one ounce, if it is to be had at all. I write to catch 
 post. I hope you have got all my circular letters, 
 dated February 13, March 12, April 25, June 8. — 
 Yours affectionately, G. M. GORDON.'" 
 
 There is one more short letter from Gordon on 
 June 29, and then comes a silence, which is only 
 broken at last by the sounds of disaster and defeat. 
 
 Many will remember the course of events of that 
 miserable and inglorious Afghan campaign. Ayiib 
 Khan marched on in the direction of Kandahar with 
 a large force. He was met by the British with vastly 
 inferior numbers about forty miles from the city, 
 and the battle of Maiwand was fought, which added 
 
 2A 
 
370 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1880. 
 
 one more to the list of black letter days in our his- 
 torical connection with Afghanistan. After a humi- 
 liating defeat, the remnants of the shattered army- 
 reached Kandahar, and, with the garrison, were shut 
 up and beseiged until General Roberts retrieved the 
 honour of the British name by one of the most glori- 
 ous marches that history can record, at length gaining 
 a brilliant victory with his travel-worn men, captur- 
 ing all the enemy's guns, and setting free the besieged. 
 But, alas ! too late as far as the subject of these pages 
 was concerned. 
 
 It seems that, on the morning of August 16, it was 
 determined to make a sortie to the neighbouring 
 village of Dehi Khwaja. The enemy had planted some 
 guns here, which caused a great deal of annoyance 
 to the beleaguered garrison, and it was felt that they 
 must be silenced. Gordon did not go out with the 
 party, but was in the hospital within the walls, receiv- 
 ing the wounded as they were brought in off the field. 
 After a time he went to the Kabul gate in the per- 
 formance of the same duty. Whilst there he heard 
 that there were some wounded men lying in a ziyarat 
 or shrine, some two hundred or three hundred yards 
 outside the gate. He got a dooly and bearers, and 
 went out to this spot for the purpose of bringing them 
 in. This he did under heavy fire. On arrival at this 
 ziyarat he found that there were no wounded there, 
 but that they were lying at a second ziyarat about 
 thirty yards further on. An officer was with him, and 
 he told Gordon that it was quite impossible to go on 
 
^/. 41.] MORTALLY WOUNDED. 371 
 
 as the fire was too hot. He was not, however, to be 
 dissuaded from his purpose. He was about to set 
 out when he was struck by a bullet, which passed 
 through his wrist, and entered his side. The dooly 
 which he took out for others brought him in. This 
 was about seven a.m. 
 
 The Rev. A. G. Cane, at that time Chaplain at 
 Kandahar, writes: — 
 
 "I soon saw his case was hopeless. At first he 
 said, ' I am not so badly wounded as some, and they 
 have not the consolation that I have.' A little later 
 he knew that he could not recover ; but he was per- 
 fectly resigned and contented. I several times asked 
 him if he had any messages, but he said nothing, 
 beyond a few instructions to his servants. He lived 
 such a God-fearing life that he was quite prepared to 
 meet death. He passed away quietly the same after- 
 noon about 3.30, and we buried him in the evening 
 with the other officers. On that sad day we lost 
 many officers ; but there was not one so universally 
 regretted as poor Gordon. When the siege began 
 he once said to a wounded colonel, ' How fortunate 
 I am to be here, where I can be of some use.' And 
 all felt that he was giving up his life in the per- 
 formance of a voluntary duty. He and I had be- 
 come firm friends, and his loss I now feel keenly — 
 and I am afraid not only I, but the wounded too, 
 miss him." 
 
 And so, like Elijah of old, he was, as it were, taken 
 up to heaven in a chariot of fire. May the simile be 
 
372 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. [a.D. 1880, 
 
 carried out to the full, and many an Elisha be raised up 
 to be the possessor of his mantle. And may the waters 
 of Satanic pride and power be scattered hither and 
 thither in Afghanistan, and a path for the messengers 
 of the Lord be prepared through the midst of them. 
 "My ways are not thy ways, saith the Lord." It 
 was inscrutable that he, of all men, in the vigour of 
 manhood, with so much work in the vineyard appar- 
 ently depending on him, should be taken away thus. 
 It may be that the Lord had need of him for even 
 higher work, and thus taught his friends and col- 
 leagues to look up through tears of bereavement, and 
 to trust henceforth not in the servant, but in the 
 servant's Lord, the master of the vineyard. " If it 
 die, it bringeth forth much fruit," wrote the Bishop of 
 Lahore at this time, seems the one thought at present 
 which comforts and partially upholds me. 
 
 Deep and sincere was the sorrow with which the 
 intelligence was received in England. Three extracts 
 from the obituary notices it elicited, recording charac- 
 teristic anecdotes of Gordon's Christlike, self-denying 
 life, and the impression produced by it on his fellow- 
 workers, may not unfitly be here preserved, even at 
 the risk of some slight repetition, in memoriani of the 
 feeling awakened when the news was fresh, — a feeling 
 which survives the lapse of the rushing years which 
 have since succeeded. 
 
 The first extract is contributed by the brother of 
 Dr. Jukes, from the Sussex Daily NewSy to which a 
 correspondent wrote as follows : — 
 
letter from mr g. w. vyse. 373 
 
 " The late Rev. George M. Gordon. 
 
 "Mr G. W. Vyse, who can boast that he was 
 the only civilian engaged in the field against the 
 Afghans, sends some interesting particulars, in addi- 
 tion to those which have appeared about George 
 Maxwell Gordon, the missionary, killed while attend- 
 ing to the sick and wounded during the sortie from 
 Kandahar. 
 
 " ' Maxwell Gordon, an M.A. of Cambridge, was 
 noted at college for his muscular strength and endur- 
 ance. In India, he gave himself so wholly up to the 
 natives, that his services could be commanded at any 
 hour. For his labours he took no pay, whether as 
 acting chaplain, or as a missionary. Whatever 
 money he received, he gave to the Mission fund, or to 
 the poor. " I never," says Mr Vyse, " met with so 
 unselfish a man. I have known him walk from early 
 morn to late at night through a burning sun on the 
 Dera-Ismail-Khan road, in order that a poor, tired, 
 sick native should ride his pony. The cold weather 
 is very keen on the frontier, and three winters ago, I 
 accidentally came across Mr. Gordon, many miles from 
 the station, without overcoat or vest ; he had actually 
 taken them off to give to a sick native and his child, 
 who were both lightly clad, and suffering from the 
 cold. When I spoke to him about it, he was dis- 
 tressed at my having found it out, and said, " I am 
 strong, and can rough it a bit sometimes." I never 
 knew him sleep on the commonest of cJiarpoys (native 
 
374 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. 
 
 beds), "the ground was good enough, he would say," 
 and add, " with straw or date palm leaves for a bed, I 
 can sleep very soundly." He never drank but water, 
 or water and milk, and his food was plain c/mppaties, 
 or unleavened bread, fruit and vegetables ; but, if 
 purposely prepared for him, occasionally a little meat. 
 He was no bigot. I never knew him say anything 
 harsh or severe. Last year I had a very clever fellow 
 as sowar (trooper), who was great at Bilochi and 
 frontier languages. Mr. Gordon was anxious to en- 
 gage him as Moonshee (or teacher of languages), and 
 offered him 70 rupees a month, or double what the 
 Government was giving him ; moreover, that he 
 should receive substantial compensation in lieu of his 
 far-off pension. " Sahib, I dare not," said the sowar. 
 " I should be made a Christian." Mr. Gordon pro- 
 mised not to mention the subject of religion. But the 
 sowar replied, " It is too tempting. I love Gordon 
 Sahib, and in spite of myself, I am sure I could not 
 help accepting his religion." There is a grand 
 field for missionary enterprise on the north-west 
 frontier of India, but you want men of the stamp 
 of Mr. Gordon, who has now met his death as a 
 volunteer chaplain, where he thought he was most 
 wanted.' " 
 
 A second "In Memoriam" notice is by GENERAL 
 Maclagan, and begins with a reference to the al- 
 most coincident removal of the Hon. Secretary of the 
 Church Missionary Society, George Maxwell Gordon's 
 relative by marriage. 
 
IN MEMORIAM NOTICES. 375 
 
 " Very brief was the space of time that had passed 
 after the news of the sudden removal from among 
 us, of a devoted labourer in the home service of the 
 Church Missionary Society, when we were called on 
 to mourn the loss of another ardent worker, taken 
 off by a stroke as rapid, in a far distant field, amid 
 very different scenes and surroundings. Beneath the 
 calm waters of a peaceful lake of our own moun- 
 tain land, Henry Wright passed away, when he was 
 enjoying, in the midst of family and friends, the quiet 
 retirement of a well-earned summer holiday. Far 
 from home and country, and amid the noise of 
 battle, fell George Maxwell Gordon, the faithful mes- 
 senger of the gospel of peace, sharing an enterprise 
 of peril with those among whom he was ministering, 
 and sharing, with those who fell around him in the 
 strife, a soldier's grave. 
 
 "How came the missionary to be at Kandahar, 
 when that small British garrison was straitly shut up 
 and hard pressed by a numerous enemy, elated and 
 emboldened by a little temporary triumph ? A double 
 object had drawn him there, and a felt duty had kept 
 him. When engaged on the Punjab frontier in de- 
 vising and organising a mission to the Bilochis of 
 our border districts, he resolved to take advantage of 
 the presence of a British force in Quetta, and of a 
 British representative in Kelat, to proceed into Bilo- 
 chistan, and see whether the time had come for exten- 
 sion of the Mission to the territory beyond our border.* 
 
 * See Mr. Gordon's "Plea for Bilochistan" in the C.ALS. Intelli- 
 
3/6 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. 
 
 Then from Quetta he advanced with the force pro- 
 ceeding to Kandahar. He seized that opportunity 
 of making some acquaintance with Southern Afghan- 
 istan and its people, and of forming a judgment 
 with regard to missionary action at some future in 
 that country, seeing that he might also at once be 
 of service in ministering to the British troops on 
 the line of march. And with them he remained in 
 Kandahar, performing the duties of chaplain, to the 
 great satisfaction of officers and men. The position 
 in which he was now placed, and the work it enabled 
 him to do, confirmed and satisfied his own sense of 
 the importance of the step he had taken, and of the 
 usefulness of his offered and accepted service. 
 
 " Mr. Gordon was a missionary at his own charges, 
 his private means not only maintaining his mission 
 work without cost to the Church Missionary Society, 
 but being ever liberally bestowed on useful objects 
 conducive to the temporal or spiritual well-being of 
 people whom he could help. Such a man, with felt 
 capacity for a certain line of action, with oppor- 
 tunities presented to him of which he perceives the 
 value, is guided by an impulse which is true for 
 him, however differently others might be affected 
 by it. He was urged, as his letters at the time 
 quietly but unmistakably showed, by a pressure 
 which he felt was not to be resisted. He at once 
 accepted the leading which was indicated to his 
 
 gencer of February 1879, and his letter respecting Kandahar in the May 
 number of that year. — [Ed.] 
 
NOTICE BY GENERAL MACLAGAN. 377 
 
 willing mind, not without something of that adven- 
 turous spirit which animates every man who is in 
 earnest, which has stirred the heart and quickened 
 the steps of many a noble missionary in days past 
 and present, and will in all time to come. It was 
 the same spirit, with the same views, which took 
 him back from England to India on the last occa- 
 sion through Persia, and which enabled him there, 
 with his wonted devotion, to be the means of so 
 great usefulness, in co-operation with another active 
 missionary of the C.M.S., at a time of grievous 
 famine and distress. 
 
 "When we hear of the missionary killed in a 
 sortie from a besieged fortress— a difficult and peril- 
 ous operation, undertaken to check the harassing 
 fire from a strongly-occupied and well-armed place 
 of cover — let us think of him as the minister, for 
 the time being, of the British soldiers employed on 
 this duty. He was their friend, who sought to be 
 their helper wherever he could, not only in the tent 
 but in the field, in the time of danger, and in the 
 hour of death. Not altogether profitless, we may well 
 believe, was this last service, though it was the hour 
 of death also for himself. 
 
 "Thus was he taken away, at an age little over 
 forty, in the full vigour of earnest usefulness, like 
 Henry Wright, with whom he was not distantly 
 connected. 
 
 "After having been for some time attached to 
 the Divinity School at Lahore, Mr. Gordon went 
 
378 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. 
 
 out as an itinerant missionary into a central part 
 of the Punjab, which had not before been syste- 
 matically visited in this way, and which was not 
 included within the limits of any of the established 
 local missions. The tract of country is that between 
 the Indus and Jhilam rivers, known by the general 
 name of the Salt Range. It is occupied by a mass 
 of hills containing inexhaustible stores of rock-salt, 
 which has been excavated in large quantities for 
 many centuries, and at the present day supplies the 
 wants of a great part of the Punjab and neighbour- 
 ing territories. The chief town of this region is 
 Pind Dadan Khan, on the river Jhilam. This place 
 Mr. Gordon made his head-quarters— if any place 
 could rightly be so called by one whose home was 
 anywhere. His work was to see and know the 
 country and the people, to give them his message 
 and his help ; and he made himself thoroughly 
 independent of any local habitation. It was this 
 freedom from the cares belonging to a fixed abode 
 or personal requirements that fitted him to do what 
 he did. That he might move about with the greater 
 facility, he accustomed himself to such fare as even 
 the lower classes of natives of the country could 
 ordinarily command. He used, likewise, like some 
 other missionaries, to adopt the local native dress 
 when this seemed desirable. He thus had occasion 
 to carry little about with him, and he made small 
 and few demands on the resources of the people 
 and of the places he visited. 
 
UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS. 379 
 
 "Wherever he stayed, and whatever his habits 
 for the time, he gained the respect and esteem of 
 natives and EngHsh aHke, even of those who did 
 not quite admire his simple mode of Hfe. But it 
 had its uses, specially when they who saw it knew 
 that he had means which could have procured him 
 all he could desire. Possessed of private wealth, he 
 used it for others, and denied himself. The manner 
 of his life varied according to the needs of the 
 occasion, but this was its principle at all time — 
 self-denial, and labour for the good of others. His 
 influence and his example impressed those among 
 whom he worked, for this principle ruled his action. 
 
 " But only such a constitution as his could stand 
 what he did. That his mission journeyings were on 
 foot, and that he walked to Quetta and to Kandahar, 
 was nothing more than many other missionaries are 
 accustomed to, even in such a climate. Mr. Gordon's 
 strength, however, submitted to privations which are 
 not often consistent with demands for personal exer- 
 tion and exposure. It was little to say that his 
 English friends thought he over-did his self-denial in 
 this respect, and that even he would have been better 
 if he had not carried it so far. But it was something 
 more when his native assistants found it a struggle to 
 follow his example, and plainly showed that they 
 could not manage to rough it like Padre Gordon. 
 It is rightly considered in India that, in such a climate, 
 imperfect protection from the weather, with defective 
 food, is not suitable for any ordinary Englishman, 
 
380 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. 
 
 But Mr. Gordon was not an ordinary Englishman. 
 And there are not many who could wisely or safely 
 do as he did, or who could attempt it with any pro- 
 priety, having regard to the services expected of them 
 in the great work they have undertaken, and their 
 obligation to preserve their bodily health unimpaired, 
 so far as this is in their power. 
 
 "It was no fanciful experiment on himself, or 
 neglect of duty with respect to his health, that in- 
 duced him to adopt his simple mode of life among 
 the people of the country for whom he laboured, sub- 
 sisting as they did, and inured to native ways. It 
 was a conviction that, for the work he had in hand, 
 and the position in which he was placed, this method 
 best answered his purpose, and that he was able to 
 carry it out. His simple habits did not make him 
 appreciate less the ordinary social requirements of 
 English hfe in India. He had equal aptitude for 
 quiet companionship and general society, much readi- 
 ness in conversation, and enjoyment of music. In 
 camp he was a welcome and valued addition to the 
 mess of the 32nd Pioneers, of which he was an hono- 
 rary member on the line of march, and at Quetta. 
 
 " Like other missionaries who live much among 
 the natives of the country, he learned a good deal 
 about their condition, their thoughts, and their wants, 
 and he gained their goodwill by his free intercourse 
 with them, and his ready sympathy which could be 
 expressed in action. At a place near Find Dadan 
 Khan, which he had occasion to pass frequently, he 
 
SINGLENESS OF PURPOSE. 38 1 
 
 found that a well was much wanted, and would be 
 of great use, not only for the cultivation, but for tra- 
 vellers also, and for cattle ; and, after due inquiry 
 and consultation with the local civil officer, he made 
 the necessary arrangements, and had a good well 
 constructed. 
 
 " Having prepared the way for a permanent mis- 
 sion in the Salt Range district, and having started a 
 new missionary on the work, Mr. Gordon proceeded 
 to the Derajat districts, west of the Indus. For 
 the special mission to the Bilochis he obtained the 
 services of two more men, one of them a medical 
 missionary, who commenced the work under his 
 guidance, and have since carried it on. It was while 
 thus engaged that he saw and took the opportunity 
 of going into Bilochistan as a missionary pioneer. 
 And thence, as the minister and comrade of the 
 British soldier, to Kandahar. 
 
 ** His missionary life was directed by singleness 
 of purpose with a zeal guided by knowledge. His 
 eye was ever attracted to openings for the preach- 
 ing of the Gospel, which he longed to see occupied, 
 while his wisdom taught him how to watch and 
 wait. His every step was taken with fullest trust 
 in the leading of God, to whom he committed his 
 ways. A life such as his could not fail to make 
 its mark on the minds of men with whom he came 
 in contact. If we lament, as we must, its too early 
 close, we rest satisfied, as we look at his character 
 and his work, that his labour has not been in vain." 
 
382 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. 
 
 The Rev. C. P. C. Nugent, who worked under 
 Gordon in the Jhilam Mission, thus wrote : — " This 
 notice of a dear and honoured friend and leader in 
 the Lord's array cannot have a better preface than 
 the following words from a letter of his to a relative : — 
 * I like the Latin motto. Bene vinit, qui bene lattdt, 
 He hath lived best, who has concealed himself best.' 
 In every great work much retirement is necessary, 
 and especially in missionary work. But it is no easy 
 thing to hold the balance between one's duty to the 
 outer world, and one's duty to God and the special 
 ■charge which He has committed to one — to be, as St 
 Paul says, ' as unknown and yet well known.' By 
 grace he was enabled to hold that balance ; and into 
 whatever society he entered, he seemed to carry about 
 quiet Christian dignity, and charmed and won the 
 lasting love and respect of not a few. 
 
 "■ Although one of the very greatest labourers for 
 Ghrist, his life was indeed a quiet one — one, we 
 always felt sure, ' hid with Christ in God.' He 
 always set the Lord bfefore him ; and this was the 
 secret of his unwearying labour for Christ. I believe 
 I do not exaggerate in saying, that for almost six 
 years in which he served Christ's Church as an 
 evangelist he never knew what rest was, save when 
 he lay down at night. And here I do not speak of 
 his work in Madras. He could not rest with the 
 burning thought ever before him that there were souls 
 for whom Christ died, all around, who had never 
 Jieard the message of God's love. The words we 
 
NOTICE BY REV. C P. C. NUGENT. 383 
 
 •extract from a letter he wrote from Kandahar at the 
 beginning of this year, express the great fact ever 
 before him, ' Life is so short, and the field so vast 
 that if we don't preach, the precious seed is un- 
 sown ; ' therefore he felt bound ' to extend the 
 preaching of the Lord as far as possible.' One 
 could not know him for a week without feeling his 
 sympathy with St. Paul's expression, ' Necessity is 
 laid upon me ; yea, woe is unto me if I preach not 
 the Gospel.' 
 
 "He laboured as an evangelist for six years in 
 the Punjab and Afghanistan. We mention the latter 
 place, because there may be some who imagine that 
 his entry into that country was only for the purpose 
 of ministering to his fellow-countrymen in the army. 
 But, in truth, the idea still uppermost in his mind 
 throughout his two visits to Kandahar was to carry 
 the Gospel to the natives. 
 
 '' Prior to his going to Kandahar he had an im- 
 mense stretch of country committed to his prayerful 
 oversight and labours — Multan Jhang, Dera Ghazi 
 Khan ; each of these places, far distant from one 
 another, claimed him as a ' chief.' 
 
 " Let me extract from one of his letters an 
 account of not the longest journey undertaken by 
 this devoted, self-denying soldier of Christ, simply 
 for the purpose of comforting and cheering a brother 
 missionary : — ' I started off as soon as I could to 
 pay them a visit of consolation. I had five rivers 
 to cross, two of them without bridges. At this time 
 
384 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. 
 
 of the year (June) the river Indus gets swollen by 
 the melting snows of the Himalayas, and is several 
 miles wide. However, the wind was favourable, and 
 took my ferry-boat across with a sail very quickly. 
 Then I took a horse and rode all night, till I came 
 to another river, the Chenab. This I crossed more 
 easily in another ferry-boat ; and then I got to 
 Multan, and went 200 miles by rail in the night to 
 Lahore, and from thence by rail 100 miles to Jhilam. 
 And at Jhilam, which is a little town on the Jhilam 
 river, I took a boat, and rowed down 50 miles to 
 Find.' He never spoke of the weakness, and 
 subsequent illness, which accrued from this trying 
 journey, the second of the same length he had made 
 during that year. 
 
 " To those who had the happy privilege of being 
 his fellow-labourers in the Salt Range, and in some 
 of his missionary tours, he ever endeared himself 
 by his loving unselfishness, and solicitude for their 
 comfort and happiness. Although believing strongly,, 
 as he did, that missionaries in contact with Muham- 
 adans and Hindus obtained a much greater degree 
 of influence over them by a life of the strictest self- 
 denial, and even asceticism, he never attempted to 
 force his views on others. His life spoke them. 
 Many a weary hour has been made happy by 
 his cheerfulness and courage under very depress* 
 ing circumstances. Hunger, inhospitality on the 
 part of natives, weariness, have been quite for- 
 gotten when one listened to his quiet dry humour. 
 
THE QUESTION OF RESULTS. 385 
 
 or perhaps was struck by his great forgetfulness 
 / of self in cheering up those still but new to such 
 a life. 
 
 " The question will be asked, What are the results 
 of such a life? If a number of converts gathered in, 
 and little bodies of believers walking in the fear of 
 the Lord, only be results, then our dear brother's 
 work was unsuccessful. But if our blessed Lord's 
 words in St. John iv. 36 be true for all time, and if 
 the joy be the same for sowers as for reapers, then I 
 do not hesitate to say it was eminently successful. 
 I do not think he ever felt stumbled at the possibility 
 of never reaping; it was quite joy enough to sow. 
 Writing to a relative at the commencement of his 
 work in the Salt Range, after speaking of the great 
 difficulties in the way, and of his loneliness (in all 
 this immense district he had no helper save one 
 native catechist) he says : ' I often think of that 
 text, " Show Thy work unto Thy servants, and Thy 
 glory unto their children." We should be thank- 
 ful if the work only is our's, so that God's glory 
 is manifest to the next generation.' Those who 
 believe that the work of sowing is indeed a special 
 work for God, and the faithful discharge of which 
 earns a no less gracious word of welcome from the 
 Lord of the harvest than that of the reaper, can 
 sympathise with our earnest conviction that at last 
 many will rise up and call George Maxwell Gordon 
 blessed, who had heard the story of the Cross from his 
 lips in the villages on the banks of the Jhilam, in the 
 
 2B 
 
386 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. 
 
 Salt Range, in the Dera Ghazi Khan district, about 
 Multan, and in Kandahar itself. 
 
 "All the time we knew him he seemed to have 
 been particularly free from moving in what may be 
 termed one ' groove ' only. He had large sympathies, 
 which made many who had little interest in mission 
 work (perhaps because not understanding it rightly) 
 esteem him highly. To officers and soldiers in our 
 army, with whom he very frequently came in con- 
 tact, he endeared himself greatly, and proved no 
 little help to many of those who were searching 
 after truth. He won their esteem too by the con- 
 tinual exercise of that great qualification for a good 
 soldier, the patient endurance of hardship. His 
 letters from Quetta and Kandahar, written when he, 
 in common with the troops, was suffering many 
 privations, never breathe the least spirit of discon- 
 tent. He was happy wherever he was, and was 
 ready to do anything that came to his hand well 
 and thoroughly. His supervision of necessary works 
 connected with the erection of mission premises, and 
 efforts for the comfort of natives travelling along 
 the hot and dusty roads of the Salt Range, all proved 
 how much he realised that a good missionary ought 
 to be ready for anything. 
 
 " He read much. He used to read books recently 
 published and sent out from England as he marched 
 along from place to place. It was thus that we saw 
 him reading the life of Canon Kingsley. Thus he 
 kept his mind fresh and acquainted with the doings of 
 
SELF-DENIAL AND PRAYERFULNESS. 387 
 
 the world from which he was so much shut off, and 
 in this way he never lost the influence obtained over 
 many who loved his thoughtful and really charming 
 conversation. 
 
 " But undoubtedly the two most striking features 
 of his life were his self-denial and his prayerful- 
 ness. His was no gloomy, morbid form of self- 
 denial which would repulse people, but one so 
 impregnated with the principle ' For Christ's sake, 
 and the souls of men,' that he was never unhappy 
 in it. Grieved and wearied in soul he often was — 
 as who would not be that fully realised all Christ's 
 love and all the ingratitude of man ? Often and 
 tenderly as he longed for the joy of seeing home 
 and friends again, keenly as he appreciated the 
 many delicacies and refinements of European life, 
 he never, I believe, regretted the step he took, 
 when in 1874 he left Lahore for a life of voluntary 
 poverty among the people to whom God sent him. 
 The uppermost wish of his heart in re-visiting home, 
 which he had purposed doing in 1881, was to beat 
 up recruits for the Salt Range. 
 
 "In May 1878, he wrote from Find Dadan 
 Khan : ' To many people India is full of variety 
 and amusement. If it has a hot season they avoid 
 it by going to the hills, or if they are obliged to 
 stay on the plains they can surround themselves 
 with comforts and luxuries ; and as for the cool 
 season, it is far pleasanter than an English winter. 
 But to a missionary who is intent on knowing the 
 
388 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. 
 
 natives and being as one of themselves, these com- 
 forts are quite foreign, and by degrees he finds 
 that they are by no means necessary to existence. 
 And in order to get the confidence of the people, 
 and do them any good, one has to make up one's 
 mind to devote one's life to it, and all one's dreams 
 about ending one's days in a cottage near a wood 
 in some pleasant English nook give place to the 
 prospect of a mud hut in an Indian village, and 
 the enviable distinction of a rough tombstone rever- 
 enced alike by Christians and Heathens.' And 
 these words are simply the expression of his every- 
 day life. I have known him even in Amritsar go 
 to the Seria (a native inn) and lodge there for the 
 purpose of being among the people whom he loved 
 for Christ's sake. 
 
 '' It is a mistake to suppose that he was rash in his 
 self-denial. He believed, indeed, that it was only 
 given him to work while it ' was called to-day ; ' and, 
 therefore, he was never idle, but rather most abundant 
 in labours. But, whilst ruling his body, as St. Paul 
 teaches the true Christian to do, he never forgot 
 that he had to take care of his body for the Lord's 
 sake, Whose it was. He was most cautious about 
 himself, and this those who were most with him can 
 testify. 
 
 " His constant prayerfulness struck one at once. 
 The little time of prayer preceding each visit to the 
 bazar or village was a very blessed time, and one very 
 full of reality to him. Very often have we noticed, 
 
HIS BEST MEMORIALS. 389 
 
 and felt justly rebuked by, his solemn and reverent 
 demeanour during the walk to the daily preaching, 
 and the short replies to any thoughtless or irrelevant 
 remarks, and subsequent silence taught us not a little 
 the awful solemnity of our mission, and of the frame 
 of mind with which one should leave the King's 
 presence to execute His command. 
 
 " He wrote the following, after a year's labour in the 
 Salt Range : ' I cannot call my room a lofty one ' — he 
 had been speaking of the usual height of Indian rooms, 
 — * there is nothing attractive in it, except a motto on 
 the wall (a scroll which I have had framed) Ora et 
 labora^ Pray and work. Whenever I come in from a 
 long preaching tour this scroll animates me to go out 
 again and alternate labour with prayer.' Thus be- 
 lieving in the power of faithful prayer, his great 
 energy never flagged until the day when God called 
 His faithful servant home. 
 
 " His best memorials will be the Salt Range and 
 Biloch Missions, and the proposed College Chapel 
 at Lahore. The work connected with each of these 
 places was very dear to him, and indeed the first two 
 missions were practically founded, and the premises 
 given, by his Christian love and generosity. May it 
 please God to raise up faithful followers of so true a 
 pattern of a missionary. He was but one of the 
 blessed company ' who loved not their own lives unto 
 the end,' but it is helpful to study the great features 
 of the life of each of these as they are set before us. 
 Self-denial, prayer, and hard work, were those of this 
 
390 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. 
 
 true servant of God, eminently scriptural graces well 
 worthy our imitation. 
 
 " As we think of him now, we can find no words 
 more suitable with which to conclude than those in the 
 Collect for the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity, 'That 
 we being ready, both in body and soul, may cheerfully 
 accomplish those things which Thou wouldest have 
 done, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.' " 
 
 Gordon's services to the missionary cause did not 
 finish with his life, for it was found that half his pro- 
 perty was left to the Church Missionary Society for 
 the support of those missions which he had himself 
 founded. These are his memorials, more abiding than 
 brass. No costly monument marks his last resting- 
 place on earth. But his name is written in the Book 
 of Life. May there be many following in his foot- 
 steps, of whom the Gospel words are true, quoted on 
 the tablet in Hadlow Churchyard, after the inscrip- 
 tions commemorating the other members of Captain 
 James Edward Gordon's family, " In memory also of 
 his youngest son, the Rev. George Maxwell Gordon, 
 M.A., of the Church Missionary Society, who was 
 killed at Kandahar when ministering to the wounded 
 in a sortie, as Acting Chaplain to the Forces, i6th 
 August, 1880. Aged 41 years." 
 
 " And he left all, rose up, and followed Him. ' — 
 S. Luke V. 28. 
 " For My sake, and the Gospel's." — S. Mark x. 29. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 The following account of the Travancore and 
 Cochin Mission of the Church Missionary Society 
 is kindly furnished by the Rev. J. H. Bishop : — 
 
 " Since the Rev. G. M. Gordon's visit to the Native 
 States of Travancore and Cochin in 1870, very con- 
 siderable progress has been made all along the line 
 of missionary work — pastoral, evangelistic, and educa- 
 tional — in this interesting corner of the mission field. 
 There are not wanting signs of remarkable spiritual 
 vitality and expansion in the Native Church. This is 
 the more noticeable, because there have been many 
 changes and deaths during the last twenty years in 
 the European staff, which has always been weak, and 
 is now reduced to its minimum of weakness, there 
 being only four European missionaries in the whole 
 of the C.M.S. Travancore and Cochin Mission field. 
 Three of these much need a furlough home, and the 
 remaining one has only recently joined the Mission. 
 But the Rev. F. Bower and Mrs. Bower are on their 
 way back to Travancore for the third time. 
 
 " Most of the various congregations of native 
 Christians, scattered all over the country, have been 
 grouped into two district church councils, which 
 
392 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. 
 
 manage their own financial matters, each pastorate 
 sending lay delegates with the native pastor to the 
 periodical meetings of its district council. There is 
 also a provincial council for consultation on general 
 matters of missionary interest, consisting chiefly of the 
 members of the two Native Church councils. The 
 C.M.S. give an annual pecuniary grant on a gradually 
 diminishing scale to each district council. 
 
 "In 1879 the Right Rev. J. M. Speechly, D.D., 
 formerly Principal of the C.N.I. Cottayam, was conse- 
 crated Bishop of the newly-formed diocese. He has 
 under his jurisdiction, besides the European missionary 
 clergy, one native archdeacon, and seventeen native 
 pastors. The total number of native Christians, in- 
 cluding catechumens in connection with the C.M.S. 
 in the diocese, reaches very nearly 20,000. 
 
 "At Cottayam, the headquarters of the Mission, 
 where Mr. Gordon spent some days — though the mis- 
 sionary staff has since then undergone a complete 
 change — real progress has been made. The Rev. H. 
 Baker (Mr. Gordon's host), founder of the Hill Arrian 
 Mission, died in 1880, and his mother, the veteran 
 Mrs. Baker, who superintended a Girls' Boarding and 
 Day School for nearly seventy years, has just been 
 called to her rest and reward (1888). 
 
 " Miss Baker, the daughter of the late Rev. H. 
 Baker, carries on a large Girls' Boarding School, and 
 has been much helped by the Rev. H. B. Macartney, 
 and other friends in Melbourne, in response to an 
 appeal made by Mr. Gordon after his visit to Cottayam 
 
APPENDIX. 393 
 
 (see p. 46). Caste Girls' Schools have also been opened 
 in and around Cottayam. The Dewan Peschcar of 
 Cottayam, a Brahman gentleman, on being lately pro- 
 moted to the office of Dewan (Prime Minister) at 
 Trevandrum, handed overKs.500 (;^5o) to the Bishop, 
 as a private contribution to one of these Caste Girls' 
 Schools, superintended by Mrs. Neve. Archdeacon 
 Koshi, the senior native clergyman, is the pastor of 
 the Cottayam congregation, and, with the generous 
 co-operation of the Rev. W. J. Richards, has lately 
 restored the large mission church there. A beautiful 
 stained glass window has been put in the east end of 
 the church, in memory of the Rev. H. Baker, by his 
 widow. The Cottayam College has greatly improved 
 in numbers and efficiency. There have been within 
 recent years some deeply interesting cases of conver- 
 sion in and around Cottayam from the Hindus. 
 
 " Mr. Gordon appears to have been much interested 
 in the Hill Arrian Mission. Its wild, romantic char- 
 acter possessed a peculiar charm for him. After his 
 monotonous tent life in the arid plains around Madras, 
 he revelled in the grand mountain scenery of the 
 Western Ghauts, and in the uncleared jungle, where 
 he heard the chattering of monkeys, and at night the 
 trumpeting of wild elephants, and saw the footprints 
 of the tiger. Then, too, the rude simplicity, uncouth 
 manners, but withal the honesty and truthfulness, of 
 the Hill people greatly pleased him. 
 
 " The work among the Hill Arrian and other jungle 
 tribes is still being vigorously prosecuted, though under 
 
394 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. 
 
 great difficulties, not so much from wild animals as 
 from the unhealthiness of the climate (especially at 
 certain seasons), and the inaccessibility of the inhabi- 
 tants, the opposition and jealousies of petty rajahs and 
 others, and the introduction and sale of intoxicating 
 drinks by native traders from the plains. Melkawa is 
 one of the chief centres of the Arrian Mission, where 
 there is a flourishing congregation of native Christians, 
 all Arrian converts, under a native pastor, numbering 
 1 100. It is one of the most satisfactory of all the 
 native pastorates in the Mission, and for the year 1886 
 raised nearly £^6 (reckoning 2s. to the rupee) for 
 church expenses and endowment. The Rev. A. F. 
 Painter, who took charge of the Arrian Mission in 
 1882, has given a great impulse to aggressive work 
 amongst the heathen. He has opened several new 
 stations, and baptised many converts from the Arrian 
 and other jungle tribes. 
 
 "Mr. Gordon mentions the Metran or Syrian Bishop,. 
 * Mar Athanasius,' as being favourably inclined towards 
 reformation in the Syrian Church. The arrival of the 
 Patriarch of Antioch in i Z']6^ who was greatly opposed 
 to Mar Athanasius and the reforming party, and 
 favoured the rival Metran, ' Mar Dionysius,' led to a 
 reactionary movement. Before the Patriarch left Tra- 
 vancore, he consecrated six metrans, confirming Mar 
 Dionysius as the Metropolitan of Malabar. But Mar 
 Athanasius, before his death in 1877, appointed his 
 nephew. Mar Thoma Athanasius, as his successor. 
 There has consequently been a great deal of confusion 
 
APPENDIX. 395 
 
 in the Syrian Church, and continuous litigation in the 
 heathen courts. Matters are not yet settled. 
 
 " When Dr. Milman, Metropolitan of India, visited 
 Travancore in the year 1 871, he urged the formation 
 of a National Synod of the Syrian Church in Malabar, 
 which should frame rules for the election of a metran, 
 the education and support of the clergy, and should 
 manage its own ecclesiastical affairs, independently of 
 Antioch. The connection with that ancient See has 
 not tended to promote unity and prosperity in the 
 Syrian Church of Malabar, but has been fruitful in 
 producing party strife and dissensions. 
 
 " In Trichur, the first C.M.S. station which a visitor 
 from Madras to the Travancore and Cochin Mission 
 would arrive at, there has been a marked improvement 
 and growth since Mr. Gordon's visit. There have not 
 yet been many conversions from the high castes in 
 this stronghold of Brahmanism; the progress has 
 been intensive rather than extensive, in the increased 
 vitality rather than the numerical strength of the 
 native congregations. 
 
 " Parochial missions have been very helpful in 
 stimulating the spiritual life of the native Christians. 
 In 1885 and 1886 there was quite an outpouring of 
 God's Holy Spirit; many were led to decision for 
 Christ. On these two occasions the Rev. Isaac F. 
 Row, of the Anglo-Indian Evangelisation Society, was 
 the chief missioner. He preached the word with re- 
 markable power and simplicity through a native in- 
 terpreter. Thus the way was prepared for the labours 
 
396 GEORGE MAXWELL GORDON. 
 
 of the Rev. Gilbert Karney and the Rev. B. Baring- 
 Gould, of the C.M.S. Winter Mission to India and 
 Ceylon, who commenced their missions to Travan- 
 core and Tinnevelly at Trichur on November 30th, 
 1887. 
 
 " This Winter Mission has been a very great bless- 
 ing indeed to the native churches. Missionaries, too, 
 and their native fellow-workers have been much stirred 
 up. Educated Hindus have openly confessed Christ 
 as their Saviour, and have been baptised. European 
 Christians in India have been led to see their privileges 
 and great responsibilities. 
 
 " The Church of England Zenana Missionary So- 
 ciety has now a flourishing mission in Trichur, and 
 there have already been several converts from the 
 Nair women and others. A C.M.S. Middle School 
 for high caste youths has been opened in the centre 
 of the town, which may probably soon be further 
 developed into a high school. Village itinerating work 
 is being vigorously carried on. There is a native 
 Christian Total Abstinence Association in Trichur, 
 and a branch in Kunnankulam, which together num- 
 ber about 100 members. A Young Men's Christian 
 Association has also been formed by the native Chris- 
 tian young men themselves, with a view to voluntary 
 work among their fellow-Christians, and the heathen 
 around them. 
 
 " The large Roman Catholic population have se- 
 ceded from Rome, and elected Bishop Melius, a Syro- 
 Chaldaic Bishop, as their head. They still retain the 
 
APPENDIX. 397 
 
 Roman ritual, but are much less prejudiced against 
 hearing and reading the Word of God than they for- 
 merly were. Altogether the prospects of the further- 
 ance of the kingdom of Christ in the Native States of 
 Travancore and Cochin are very much brighter than 
 they were nearly twenty years ago, when the Rev. G, 
 M. Gordon visited them and wrote in his journal 
 and private letters so graphic and interesting an 
 account of what he then saw and experienced." 
 
 COLSTON AND COMPANY, PRINTERS, EDINBURGH. 
 
CHURCH MISSIONARY ATLAS 
 
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