Page 62 - Three Score Years & Ten
P. 62
“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
Anxi was on the edge of the Black Gobi which separates Gansu from Xinjiang. Other travellers have
described it as "a limitless expanse of gray grit mixed with small pebbles, a plain so windswept as to
have lost its sandy surface which has been carried away by the gales and deposited elsewhere."
Arthur's party still had five more stages before they were to reach Hami, a large oasis town famous for
its watermelons. Years later in Shaanxi, whenever we ate watermelons or other melons, Arthur
would always talk of the wonderful "Hami gua" (Hami melons) which grew to perfection up there in the
Gobi.
In writing about this part of their trip, Arthur said, "It was while passing through the desert that we were
able to see for ourselves the hardships and sufferings endured by the poor men who had left home
and friends to seek their fortune in Xinjiang. They carried all their possessions on their backs and had
to take with them whatever food they needed as there was nothing to buy along the way. They also
had to collect wood and sticks to build themselves a fire for cooking food as the innkeepers helped
nobody and spent most of their time smoking opium." Even travellers like themselves had to do
everything for themselves, though sometimes innkeepers sold them wood at a price.
At Hami Mr. Hunter, who had come to meet them, had already been waiting a month, but had made
the most of the time preaching to the many travellers who passed through. Tall and well built, with a
dark grey beard, after eight years alone it was a great experience for George Hunter to be with two
other members of the CIM who were young men still in their thirties. "Oh but it's grand to have you
young folk here", he said. "It does my heart good just to see you and hear you talk."
Eighteen years later I met him in Shanghai on one of his rare trips to the coast. He sat next to me at
a meeting in the prayer hall and asked to share my Bible. Old and grey by then, but still distinguished
looking, I felt it a great privilege for a new inexperienced worker like myself to sit and converse for a
brief moment with a man who had become a legend in his own time.
They stayed there another five days and Arthur's party were glad of the rest. A heavy storm blew up
which hindered them getting out on the street, and when it was over they moved on to cover the
eighteen days travel still ahead of them to Dihua. Arthur now found himself out of the more familiar
Chinese speaking places and among a mixed population of Turks with a minority of Chinese both
Buddhist and Muslim. George Hunter could communicate with the Turks and Arthur and Mr. Meng
with the Chinese so they worked together to preach the Gospel.
From Hami they came to the lower ranges of the Barrakul Mountains which they crossed in a snow
storm and came out on the northern side to a plain peopled by "Kassaks", a tribe whom Arthur was
told originated with the Turks, but may also have been related to the Mongols whom some of them
strongly resembled. Arthur described them as "a hardy race who live a nomadic life. They are great
thieves and delight to steal horses, sheep and cattle, but Mr. Hunter tells me that their standard of
morality is much higher than the Turks."
Reaching a place called Guchengzi, they spent the weekend there. Arthur described it as "a place
which seemed to be prospering commercially, perhaps because it is the first place touched by
business men from Tianjin coming across the desert on camels carrying their goods.
The streets of Guchengzi were crowded all day, and many of the immigrants from China proper stayed
and took up farming there. All the way from there to Dihua Arthur could not help noticing the large
numbers of opium smokers and gamblers who congregated in each place.
62
Amy Moore
Anxi was on the edge of the Black Gobi which separates Gansu from Xinjiang. Other travellers have
described it as "a limitless expanse of gray grit mixed with small pebbles, a plain so windswept as to
have lost its sandy surface which has been carried away by the gales and deposited elsewhere."
Arthur's party still had five more stages before they were to reach Hami, a large oasis town famous for
its watermelons. Years later in Shaanxi, whenever we ate watermelons or other melons, Arthur
would always talk of the wonderful "Hami gua" (Hami melons) which grew to perfection up there in the
Gobi.
In writing about this part of their trip, Arthur said, "It was while passing through the desert that we were
able to see for ourselves the hardships and sufferings endured by the poor men who had left home
and friends to seek their fortune in Xinjiang. They carried all their possessions on their backs and had
to take with them whatever food they needed as there was nothing to buy along the way. They also
had to collect wood and sticks to build themselves a fire for cooking food as the innkeepers helped
nobody and spent most of their time smoking opium." Even travellers like themselves had to do
everything for themselves, though sometimes innkeepers sold them wood at a price.
At Hami Mr. Hunter, who had come to meet them, had already been waiting a month, but had made
the most of the time preaching to the many travellers who passed through. Tall and well built, with a
dark grey beard, after eight years alone it was a great experience for George Hunter to be with two
other members of the CIM who were young men still in their thirties. "Oh but it's grand to have you
young folk here", he said. "It does my heart good just to see you and hear you talk."
Eighteen years later I met him in Shanghai on one of his rare trips to the coast. He sat next to me at
a meeting in the prayer hall and asked to share my Bible. Old and grey by then, but still distinguished
looking, I felt it a great privilege for a new inexperienced worker like myself to sit and converse for a
brief moment with a man who had become a legend in his own time.
They stayed there another five days and Arthur's party were glad of the rest. A heavy storm blew up
which hindered them getting out on the street, and when it was over they moved on to cover the
eighteen days travel still ahead of them to Dihua. Arthur now found himself out of the more familiar
Chinese speaking places and among a mixed population of Turks with a minority of Chinese both
Buddhist and Muslim. George Hunter could communicate with the Turks and Arthur and Mr. Meng
with the Chinese so they worked together to preach the Gospel.
From Hami they came to the lower ranges of the Barrakul Mountains which they crossed in a snow
storm and came out on the northern side to a plain peopled by "Kassaks", a tribe whom Arthur was
told originated with the Turks, but may also have been related to the Mongols whom some of them
strongly resembled. Arthur described them as "a hardy race who live a nomadic life. They are great
thieves and delight to steal horses, sheep and cattle, but Mr. Hunter tells me that their standard of
morality is much higher than the Turks."
Reaching a place called Guchengzi, they spent the weekend there. Arthur described it as "a place
which seemed to be prospering commercially, perhaps because it is the first place touched by
business men from Tianjin coming across the desert on camels carrying their goods.
The streets of Guchengzi were crowded all day, and many of the immigrants from China proper stayed
and took up farming there. All the way from there to Dihua Arthur could not help noticing the large
numbers of opium smokers and gamblers who congregated in each place.
62
