Page 46 - Malaysia by John Russel Denyes

pledged $3,000 for this purpose. Miss Sophia A.
Blackmore of Australia was appointed, and began
her work August 15, 1887. A day school for Tamil
girls was opened in Singapore, and the women
were visited in their homes. In 1888 Miss Black-
more opened a school for Chinese girls in Teluk
Ayer. The field constantly widened, and in 1892
other helpers were sent.
In 1899 Bishop Foss wrote: "The Malaysia
Mission Conference has the genius of expansion.
I could select from the number of its present mis-
sionaries a first-rate man to be the founder of
missions in Bangkok or Manila or Borneo or
Sumatra, and could find men who are anxious to
go and open the work in those places." From the
first the missionaries to Malaysia have been pos-
sessed by the ambition to take possession of every
strategic position, to spread the kingdom to every
corner of this vast region. The mis-
Spirit of sion was scarcely five years old when
Conquest the spirit of conquest led to an ex-
ploring expedition to Borneo. In
January, 1890, Dr. West and Dr. Luering crossed
over to Pontianak, on the southwest coast, and
explored the Kapuas River for about two hundred
and fifty miles into the interior. This they found
to be a magnificent stream, navigable for ocean
steamers for more than two hundred miles; and
lined on either bank with Dyak villages.

Borneo Shortly after the Annual Meeting,
Explored in February, 1891, Dr. John C. Floyd,
then superintendent of the mission
and Dr. Luering made another tour of British
North Borneo, on the north end of the island.
On this trip it was decided that Dr. Luering
should remain and open work at the mouth of the
Kimanis River among the Dyaks. Dr. Luering
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