Page 22 - Three Score Years & Ten
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“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
STEPPING STONE TO YUNNAN
George Andrew and Arthur Eason settled down for a time in Guiyang for language study as well as to
study the customs of the people and to prepare themselves to go even further into the interior to cities
and villages where the Gospel had never been preached.
By January 1882 it was felt they were ready to leave Guiyang and go to the south-west province of
Yunnan to sell Christian literature and preach the Gospel as they had opportunity, and as much as
their limited knowledge of the language would permit.
The trip took them three weeks and it was 12 February before they reached Yunnanfu (Kunming), the
capital of Yunnan province. They had with them a Christian Chinese who was employed by the CIM
as a full time colporteur, a travelling seller of Christian literature. Unused to walking such long
distances (30 miles every day), George found his feet were very sore and blistered at first, but soon
became hardened to the unaccustomed exercise.
The trip was full of interest and he was able now to enjoy it as he had not enjoyed the overland trip to
Guiyang. They met many people of the Miao aborigine tribe from south-west China, distinguished by
their colourful dress and different hair styles. They passed tea plantations and saw not only rice and
beans and other food crops, but also the ubiquitous opium poppy.
OPIUM
A few years later Arthur Eason was to write, "Nearly everybody in Yunnan smokes opium, even the
women to the proportion of 50%, the men as much as 80%. Children born of opium smoking mothers
are born with a craving for the drug, and to relieve this mothers inhale smoke and then breathe into
the baby's mouth what she has inhaled. From the time of birth such children look old and worn,
haggard and shrivelled, with a lifeless expression."
In Yunnanfu there were said to be 245 opium dens as well as numerous shops where the drug was
sold. On the road could be met as many as 60 to 100 coolies in a company carrying opium to Hunan,
Jiangsi, Canton, Jiangsu and Fujian. Each coolie would carry as much as 93 to 100 pounds. At that
time it cost about 3.5.0 per 133 ounces. It was reckoned that a man who did not smoke could do as
much work in one day as an opium smoker could do in three.
YUNNAN AT LAST
As they drew nearer to Yunnanfu they met many men leading horses loaded with salt going towards
Guizhou. They were able to sell many books and had opportunities of talking to interested people,
some of whom had had conversations with Mr.Broumpton or Mr.Clarke on previous occasions and
seemed willing to learn more.
Two days before they reached Yunnanfu they saw the heads of three robbers hung up by the roadside
as a warning to other evildoers. As they neared the city it was another more attractive sight which
met their eyes. About seven miles from the city they caught their first glimpse of the lovely hill-
surrounded lake which lies to the south of the capital.
22
Amy Moore
STEPPING STONE TO YUNNAN
George Andrew and Arthur Eason settled down for a time in Guiyang for language study as well as to
study the customs of the people and to prepare themselves to go even further into the interior to cities
and villages where the Gospel had never been preached.
By January 1882 it was felt they were ready to leave Guiyang and go to the south-west province of
Yunnan to sell Christian literature and preach the Gospel as they had opportunity, and as much as
their limited knowledge of the language would permit.
The trip took them three weeks and it was 12 February before they reached Yunnanfu (Kunming), the
capital of Yunnan province. They had with them a Christian Chinese who was employed by the CIM
as a full time colporteur, a travelling seller of Christian literature. Unused to walking such long
distances (30 miles every day), George found his feet were very sore and blistered at first, but soon
became hardened to the unaccustomed exercise.
The trip was full of interest and he was able now to enjoy it as he had not enjoyed the overland trip to
Guiyang. They met many people of the Miao aborigine tribe from south-west China, distinguished by
their colourful dress and different hair styles. They passed tea plantations and saw not only rice and
beans and other food crops, but also the ubiquitous opium poppy.
OPIUM
A few years later Arthur Eason was to write, "Nearly everybody in Yunnan smokes opium, even the
women to the proportion of 50%, the men as much as 80%. Children born of opium smoking mothers
are born with a craving for the drug, and to relieve this mothers inhale smoke and then breathe into
the baby's mouth what she has inhaled. From the time of birth such children look old and worn,
haggard and shrivelled, with a lifeless expression."
In Yunnanfu there were said to be 245 opium dens as well as numerous shops where the drug was
sold. On the road could be met as many as 60 to 100 coolies in a company carrying opium to Hunan,
Jiangsi, Canton, Jiangsu and Fujian. Each coolie would carry as much as 93 to 100 pounds. At that
time it cost about 3.5.0 per 133 ounces. It was reckoned that a man who did not smoke could do as
much work in one day as an opium smoker could do in three.
YUNNAN AT LAST
As they drew nearer to Yunnanfu they met many men leading horses loaded with salt going towards
Guizhou. They were able to sell many books and had opportunities of talking to interested people,
some of whom had had conversations with Mr.Broumpton or Mr.Clarke on previous occasions and
seemed willing to learn more.
Two days before they reached Yunnanfu they saw the heads of three robbers hung up by the roadside
as a warning to other evildoers. As they neared the city it was another more attractive sight which
met their eyes. About seven miles from the city they caught their first glimpse of the lovely hill-
surrounded lake which lies to the south of the capital.
22
