, i 
 
 UNDER THE CARE 
 
 - 
 
 Board of 
 
 Torci^n IDissions 
 of the 
 
 Presbyterian 
 
 Church 
 in the 
 
 u. $. n . 
 
 Historical 
 
 Sketch 
 IDi$$ion$ in 
 Siam 
 
 
 Seventh Edition 
 
 
 Revised by 
 
 The Rev. A. Willard Cooper 
 
 The Uloman’s foreign . 
 missionary Society of 
 the Presbyterian Church, 
 Ulitherspoon Building. 
 Philadelphia : : 1915 
 
 
 Price, 10 cents 
 
Historical 
 Sketch 
 missions in 
 Siam 
 
 UNDER THE CARE 
 OF TH E 
 
 Board of 
 Foreign fDissions 
 of the 
 
 Prcsbvtcrian 
 Church 
 in the 
 U. $. }\, 
 
 Seventh Edition 
 
 Revised by 
 
 The Rev. A. Willard Cooper 
 
 The Uloman’s Toreign 
 missionary Society of 
 the Presbyterian Church. 
 Ulitherspoon Building. 
 Philadelphia : : 1915 
 
Historical Sketch of the Missions in Siam. 
 
 Note.— The materials for this Historical Sketch have been compiled 
 from so many sources that in many cases it has not seemed necessary 
 or feasible to use quotation marks, or name the souree. Special effort 
 has been made, hov/ever, in this revised edition, to verify each statement 
 and eliminate anything inaccurate, doubtful or out of date. 
 
 THE LAND. 
 
 The territory of Siam is shaped something like 
 GEOGRAPHY, a hatchet, with the long, narrow Malay penin¬ 
 sula for a handle. It is situated in the heart 
 of the Indo-Chinese peninsula, which forms the extreme 
 southeastern corner of Asia. British and French possessions 
 have now been extended till they meet on the north, thus 
 separating Siam from its old neighbor, China. On the west, 
 Siam is bounded by British Burma and the Indian Ocean; 
 on the south by the Federated Malay States (British), the 
 Gulf of Siam, and French Cambodia; and on the east by the 
 great Me Kong River, which forms the boundary between 
 French Indo-China (formerly the Kingdom of Annam) and 
 the still independent Kingdom of Siam. 
 
 A long, high mountain range extends all along the western 
 frontier, from the far north down through the Malay penin¬ 
 sula. The extreme northern province. Monton Payap, is 
 hilly throughout, but especially in the Chieng Mai region, 
 where some peaks are over six thousand feet high. 
 
 Eastern Siam is mostly a plateau, with an elevation of a few 
 hundred feet; and central Siam a low-lying plain, which slopes 
 very gently south-southeast to the Gulf of Siam. 
 
 In the basin of each of the four great rivers which rise in 
 the north—the Me Ping, Me Wang, Me Yome and Nan— 
 is a wide, level, fertile plain, encircled by hills. At Pak- 
 nanipo, in the heart of Siam, these four streams unite to 
 form Siam’s chief river, the Chow Phya, commonly known 
 to Europeans as the Menam, “Mother of Waters,” though 
 
4 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 me nam in Siamese means simply river, and is not a proper 
 name at all. 
 
 Thirty miles south of Paknampo, this stream divides again, 
 its overflow forming the headwaters of the Tacheen River, 
 and through these two roughly parallel channels, with mouths 
 twenty miles apart, flows through a rich alluvial plain, one 
 hundred and twenty miles farther to the sea. Farther west 
 are the next greatest river, the Me Klong, on the banks of 
 which are Ratburee and several other large towns, and the 
 smaller Petchaburee River, which bears the name of the 
 chief town on its banks. 
 
 All these rivers deposit large quantities of silt, and have 
 formed banks so much above the general level that during 
 flood season the country farther back is inundated, in some 
 places to a depth of six feet. This silt is rapidly extending 
 the coast line into the shallow Gulf of Siam, and obstructs 
 the mouth of each river with great sand bars. Even at high¬ 
 est tide, no ship drawing fifteen feet of water can cross the 
 Chow Phya bar, so that part of the heavy cargoes to or from 
 Bangkok must be transferred to lighters. Were this bar 
 dredged out, Bangkok would rank as one of the finest harbors 
 in the world. 
 
 The Siamese are an amphibious race, children often learn¬ 
 ing to swim almost as soon as to walk. They are the finest 
 watermen in the world, and proficient boat-builders, though 
 much of this building is now done by the ubiquitous Chinese. 
 
 The chief routes of trade and travel are the rivers and 
 intersecting canals, which form a network all over lower 
 Siam, and the villages cluster along the banks. Overland 
 roads better than rough cart tracks are very few. 
 
 The eastern (Nan) branch of the Chow Phya is navigable 
 for steam launches all the way to the Lao border at Uteradit; 
 but the western (Raheng) branch is too shallow, and ob¬ 
 structed by numerous sandbars. 
 
 As the traveler nears the I.ao border, steep hills close in 
 upon the river banks, affording picturesque scenery, but 
 obstructing travel by swift and sometimes dangerous rapids. 
 The most difficult rapids of all are in the course of the Me 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 5 
 
 Ping, below Chieng Mai, where there are more than thirty 
 to be passed. This isolation of the Lao territory, however, 
 will soon be ended by the completion of the railway from 
 Bangkok through Pitsanuloke, which is expected by 1917 to 
 reach its terminus at Chieng Mai. 
 
 The usual season of heavy rains is from May to 
 CLIMATE. October inclusive. The average annual rainfall is 
 abundant, varying in different parts of the coun¬ 
 try from four feet to eight feet. 
 
 . Lying wholly in the tropics, between 5° and 21° of north 
 latitude, with large bodies of water on three sides, Siam en¬ 
 joys a very equable climate—seldom colder than 50° F., or 
 hotter than 100° in the shade. 
 
 Many newcomers from Europe or America find the climate 
 very trying, some of the most prevalent diseases being 
 cholera, dysentery, malarial and typhoid fevers, liver trou¬ 
 bles, small-pox and tuberculosis. Yet such as acclimate 
 favorably during the first two or three years, and are tem¬ 
 perate and prudent in their habits, may reasonably hope to 
 enjoy health and vigor for a long term of service. The 
 records show that thirty-three of our Presbyterian mission¬ 
 aries and six missionaries of other societies have already 
 rounded out a quarter-century in Siam; and eight of these— 
 Dr. and Mrs. Dean, Mrs. Bradley, Dr. and Mrs. E. P. Dun¬ 
 lap, Dr. Wilson, and Dr. and Mrs. McGilvary—have been 
 able to live in Siam for periods ranging from forty up to 
 fifty-five years. Of the thirty-three Presbyterians, four have 
 entered into rest, but the other twenty-nine are all looking 
 forward to a still longer term of service in Siam. 
 
 The most important domestic animals of Siam 
 ANIMALS, are elephants (employed chiefly in the teak indus¬ 
 try of the north), water buffaloes and bullocks 
 (used in farm work or for food, but the cows not milked), 
 ponies (never used in farm work, but chiefly for riding), dogs, 
 swine, ducks, and fowls. 
 
 The chief v;ild animals include the tiger, leopard, bear, 
 rhinoceros, monkey, gibbon and deer. 
 
 Pythons grow to thirty feet long. There are forty-four 
 
6 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 non-poisonous species of snakes, and twelve poisonous 
 species, the hooded cobra being the most common. Reptilian 
 life includes the crocodile, the chameleon, gecko and other 
 lizards, and turtles, large and small. The country swarms 
 with insects. Fish are abundant, and there are many kinds 
 of birds. 
 
 The famous “white elephant,” so-called, which is really a 
 pinkish brown albino, though not actually worshipped, is 
 held in high esteem, and appears on the Siamese flag as the 
 national emblem, just as we use the eagle, or Britons the lion*. 
 
 The tropical sun, copious rains, and rich allu- 
 PRODUCTS. vial soil, combine tO' make Siam a garden spot 
 of foliage, flowers and fruit. Rice is the staple 
 food and chief export, the value exported being fourfold 
 greater than all other exports combined. The first mill for 
 hulling this rice was built in 1858. Bangkok has now twenty- 
 six large rice mills, all but four of then owned and worked 
 by Cdiinese. 
 
 Next in value to rice as an export comes teak lumber. 
 Siam yields also many other valuable kinds of wood, such as 
 rosewood, ebony, oak and pine. 
 
 Other leading exports are tin, dried fish, bullocks, hides 
 and horns, white pepper, silks, cotton, stick lac, and edible 
 birds’ nests. 
 
 The chief products, not exported but all used at home, 
 are bamboo, tropical fruits, maize, palm or cane sugar, betel 
 (areca) nut, and tobacco. 
 
 The chief imports include cotton and silk goods, opium 
 and li<|Uors, sugar, kerosene oil, tinned provisions, machinery, 
 hardware, and gunny-bags. 
 
 Siam has much undeveloped mineral wealth; 
 INDUSTRIES, but mining industry has thus far been seri¬ 
 ously hampered by scarcity of laborers that 
 could be depended on for hard and steady work, and by lack 
 of facilities for transport. There are no coal mines and no 
 ■ extensive manufactures. Siam is a country that raises hogs 
 in abundance, yet imports all its cured hams and bacon; that 
 exports live bullocks, yet imports its tinned beef from 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 7 
 
 Chicago; that exports raw cotton, yet imports cotton goods 
 back from Europe; a country where the best brands of coffee, 
 though grown in nearby Java, can be obtained only by way 
 of distant London. Such typical facts illustrate both the 
 necessity and future promise of industrial development. 
 
 Tin mining is the chief industry of the extreme south; and 
 lumbering, mostly carried on by British capital and Burmese 
 labor, of the extreme north. Siam produces and exports more 
 teak than any other country in the world, Burma ranking 
 second. Central Siam is a land of small farmers and gar¬ 
 deners, with few cities or large towns. The average farm 
 is only about seventeen acres. Present methods of cultiva¬ 
 tion are primitive and crude; but the efforts of the govern¬ 
 ment to extend the irrigation system and introduce improved 
 methods of farming, will doubtless make it possible for Siam 
 to support many times the present population. 
 
 THE PEOPLE. 
 
 According to the conclusions of such 
 RACES AND TONGUES, specialists in archaeology as Dr. 
 
 Frankfurter and the late Col. Gerini, 
 the whole Indo-Chinese peninsula was peopled in prehistoric 
 times by successive waves of overland migration from the 
 highlands of Tibet and Southwestern China, southward to 
 the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Siam. 
 
 The earliest wave was probably a Negritic race, the frag¬ 
 ments of which now appear in various rude hill tribes. 
 
 Next came the “Proto-AIalays,” a Mongolian race, who 
 were driven on by later invaders to the islands of the Indian 
 and Pacific Oceans, where, mingling with the aborigines, they 
 gave rise to the various Malay groups. In the twelfth cen¬ 
 tury A. D., they recrossed to the Malay Peninsula, and are 
 still numerous in Southern Siam. 
 
 Then followed a double wave of Mons or Peguans in the 
 west, and Cambodians in the east. A highly civilized Cau¬ 
 casian race, immigrants by sea from India, mingling with this 
 Cambodian stock, founded a great kingdom, which flourished 
 
8 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 from the seventh century, and in the famous ruins of Angkor 
 has left evidences of marvelous architectural and artistic skill. 
 
 Later came two successive waves of the great “Tai” race— 
 first the Siamese and then the kindred Lao, often incorrectly 
 spelled Laos. Modern scholars have traced back tlrpe name 
 “Siam” for one thousand years, and identify it with the other 
 form, “Shan.” 
 
 TENTATIVE DIAGRAM OF THE TAI OR SHAN RACE. 
 
 ('Prepared by Rev. John H. Freeman, in consultation with 
 Dr. W. C. Dodd.) 
 
 Eastern Tai. 
 
 1. Illiterate or Non-Buddhist Tai. 
 
 (About 8,(XX),ooo. Found mainly in the ancestral home of the race, 
 South China and Tonkin.) 
 
 (a) White and Black Tai—Tonkin and S. E. Yunnan. 
 
 (b) Tai Tho—Tonkin and Kwangsi. 
 
 (c) Tai Chawng—Kwangsi, Kwangtung, Kweichau. 
 
 (d) Tai Loong—Eastern Yunnan. 
 
 (e) Tai Yai—E. Yunnan, W. Kwangsi, S. W. Kweichau. 
 
 2. Literate or Buddhist Tai. 
 
 {6,000,000. Found along both banks of the MeKong or Cambodia 
 River, from Talifu in Western Yunnan, south and eastward through 
 British and French territory, and throughout northern and eastern 
 Siam.) 
 
 (a) Tai Niia and Lem—S. W. Yunnan. 
 
 (b) Tai Kiln—Keng Tung State and Northern Siam. 
 
 (c) Tai Lii—Sipsong Punna, Keng Tung, and North Siam. 
 
 (d) Tai Yuen—North Siam. 
 
 (e) Tai Lao—Eastern Siam and French Laos. 
 
 3. Siamese Proper. 
 
 (4,000,000. Special field of South Siam Mission.) 
 
 Western Tai, or Western Shan. 
 
 The special field of the American Baptist Shan Mission. Mainly 
 west of the Salween River. Data at hand insufficient to estimate their 
 number. Great traders, and so found at trading centres east of the 
 Salween and down into Siam, but nowhere forming a large percentage 
 of the population in these districts. 
 
 “Although the exploring work of the (North Siam) Mission 
 has brought our missionaries into intimate touch with almost 
 all the sections of the Tai race, our organized work thus far 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 9 
 
 has been directed mainly to the Yuen, Lii and Kiin, who form 
 together scarcely one-fourth of the 12,000,000 Tai for whom 
 we plead.” 
 
 “Both in China and Indo-China, the Tai people have an 
 honorable history, that far antedates that of the Anglo-Saxon. 
 Inscriptions discovered in I>ampoon Province show that in 
 the days of Wyclifife and Chaucer, a civilization little inferior 
 to that of to-day existed in Siam.” (Freeman.) 
 
 “The Siamese and the Lao tongues,” says Dr. McGilvary, 
 “are two closely related branches of the same linguistic stock. 
 The idiom and the great body of common words are nearly 
 the same, differing chiefly in accent and intonation. Siamese 
 is the speech of the ruling race throughout the kingdom; and 
 it was easy to foresee that the local dialect of the northern 
 provinces must eventually give way before it, especially for 
 all official and literary purposes. The chief obstacle has been 
 the wholly different character. Were the two alike in this 
 respect, there is no doubt that the standard form of speech 
 would take the place of the dialectical almost without notice.” 
 
 The Laocien dialect of Eastern Siam, both spoken and 
 written, is intermediate between the other two. All three 
 dialects as spoken are mutually intelligible in the main, 
 though each has borrowed from India a peculiar alphabet of 
 its own. They are all tonal like the Chinese, but show no 
 affinity to the Mon-Annam or Malayan linguistic groups. 
 Those whom we call Siamese always call themselves “Tai,” 
 meaning P'ranks or free people. 
 
 The oldest inscription using the Siamese language was 
 found at Sukotai, where King Phra Ruang in 1250 A. D. 
 established the capital of the first independent Siamese State. 
 Just a century later. King Utong moved his capital far down 
 the Chow Phya River to Ayuthia, within sixty miles in an 
 airline from the Gulf. That date, 1350 A. D., marks both 
 the beginning of authentic Siamese history, and the end of 
 Cambodian supremacy in the Chow Phya region. The long 
 rivalry between the waning power of Cambodia and the 
 growing power of Siam ended with the passing of the rem¬ 
 nant of Cambodia under PTench control in 1863; but many 
 
HTSTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 ]0 
 
 traces of Cambodian influence still appear in Siamese customs 
 and religious rites. 
 
 The Yuen Tai, or Lao, are a less cultured branch of the 
 same race, physcally taller and stronger and more vigorous 
 in character. 
 
 Still more recent immigrants from China, with their Simo- 
 Chinese offspring, though reported in the census as Siamese, 
 and no longer enumerated separately, are very numerous and 
 influential. To quote again from Dr. Brown; “The Chinese 
 are adding a more virile strain. The king himself is said to 
 be part Chinese. As in the Philippine Islands, the Chinese 
 almost absolutely control the trade of the kingdom, and 
 establish themselves more permanently than in America. 
 They are to be found in all our schools, hospitals and 
 churches. The blending of the two races is such—practi¬ 
 cally every Chinese having a Siamese wife and half-caste 
 children—that it would be quite impracticable to separate 
 them in mission work.” 
 
 Such infusion of fresh northern blood is a very important 
 providential agency for counteracting the natural tendency 
 of the human race gradually to deteriorate in any tropical 
 climate. 
 
 The best national types are evolved by the blending of 
 diverse though not incompatible races. The American Indian 
 is not the ideal American; nor was there ever, perhaps, a 
 more truly representative Siamese than the honored and 
 lamented Rev. Boon Boon-Itt, whose ancestors were all 
 originally either Cambodian or Chinese. 
 
 The modern Siamese, like modern Americans, are among 
 the most composite peoples on earth. To the chief racial 
 elements—Chinese, Cambodian and Tai—there is added a 
 strain from every other Indo-Chinese stock—Annamese, Bur¬ 
 mese, Karen, Peguan and Malay. There are also Moham¬ 
 medans from India and Ceylon, Japanese, and at least two 
 thousand representatives of the white races of Europe and 
 America. In ability to assimilate and unify such a medley 
 of races and tongues, Siam compares not unfavorably with 
 the United States. The recent census shows a population 
 of 8,150,000. 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 11 
 
 The Siamese people generally are less bound 
 CHARACTEP. by prejudice and ancient custom than the pure- 
 blooded Chinese, more courteous and agree¬ 
 able in manners, more docile and readily influenced, whether 
 to good or evil. They are submissive to authority, respect¬ 
 ful to parents, extremely fond of children, given to hospi¬ 
 tality, and very generous in helping those in need. Grada¬ 
 tions of rank and social position are sharply defined, but the 
 caste system is unknown. Women, though regarded as 
 lacking in merit and inferior to men, enjoy equal property 
 rights, and in general far better treatment and more freedom 
 and influence than in most heathen lands. 
 
 Mentally, the Siamese excel in memory but not in close 
 reasoning. They are bright, but rather superficial. They 
 are excessively fond of amusement, and seem never to “put 
 away childish things,” but waste much time in holidays and 
 sports. Though lacking in endurance for severe and long- 
 sustained effort, physical or mental, they apply themselves 
 at times with great energy and enthusiasm. And much of 
 the indolence with which they are often reproached is merely 
 a natural consequence of unsanitary conditions, which breed 
 hookworm and other enervating diseases, of present indus¬ 
 trial conditions, or of Buddhist teaching and ideals. 
 
 "There is no occasion to struggle for existence in Siam,” 
 says Dr. Brown; “and it is therefore not surprising that peo¬ 
 ple take life easily. I marvel not that the people are 
 
 so backward, but that they are so forward, and that I find 
 them making modern improvements which cannot be paral¬ 
 leled in any Asiatic country I have visited, except Japan.” 
 
 Morally, the Siamese, like other heathen people in every 
 land, are commonly untruthful and unchaste. Divorce and 
 remarriage of both parties are of frequent occurrence. Poly¬ 
 gamy is sanctioned both by law and usage, though common 
 only among the higher classes. 
 
 The habits of chewing the betel or areca palm nut, prac¬ 
 ticed by both sexes, and of cigarette smoking by men and 
 boys down to a very tender age, are well-nigh universal. In¬ 
 temperance is prevalent, and opium smoking still more so. 
 
12 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 But the characteristic national vice is g'ambling. In recent 
 years the government has closed all the large gambling halls 
 except some in Bangkok, but many other forms of betting 
 and gambling, such as games of cards or dice, fish-fights and 
 cock-fights, are still licensed, and yield a large revenue to the 
 public treasury. 
 
 The government of Siam is a hereditary 
 GOVERNMENT, monarchy, the succession being determined 
 
 either by the king during his lifetime, or at 
 his death by the “Senabodi” (Council of Princes), but usually 
 passing to the eldest son that can claim full royal blood on 
 both sides. 
 
 Though in theory an absolute monarch, the king, since 
 1895, has voluntarily sharjed executive powers with the 
 “Senabodi,” a Cabinet or Privy Council, mostly chosen from 
 princes of the blood royal, and shared legislative powers 
 with a larger Council of State (which includes the members 
 of the smaller Council), to whose judgment His Majesty 
 commonly defers. He has also committed supreme judicial 
 powers to a “Dika Court,” which acts in the king’s name, 
 but with whose decisions he does not interfere. 
 
 Outside the royal family are several lower grades of 
 nobility, but not hereditary. The kingdom comprises 
 eighteen “Montons” (Provinces), each governed by a Royal 
 High Commissioner. All high officials are appointed by the 
 King, Minister or High Commissioner on their merits, so 
 that, with education and ability, young men of very humble 
 birth often rise to high position. Local officials of the two 
 lowest grades, “Kamnan” and “Village Headman,” are 
 chosen or changed at the will of their neighbors. Such a 
 blending of monarchic, aristocratic and democratic features 
 of government seems admirably suited to the present needs 
 of Siam. 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 13 
 
 POLITICAL HISTORY. 
 
 During the period from A. D. 1350 to 1767, thirty-six 
 Siamese kings in succession reigned in Ayuthia. This period 
 was one of frequent warfare among the rival kingdoms of 
 Indo-China, with varying fortunes, though in the main Siam 
 fully held her own. During the sixteenth and seventeenth 
 centuries, Siam opened the door for commercial relations 
 with the Japanese, Portuguese, Dutch and French in turn. 
 
 The most noted man of this period was Constance Phaul- 
 con, an adventurer from the Greek Island of Cephalonia, 
 who by his ability and address repaired his ruined fortunes, 
 and finally rose to be the favorite and Prime Minister of 
 the King of Siam. But his intrigues in the interest of France 
 and the jealousy of the Siamese nobles, led to his violent 
 death in 1688, when the leader of the anti-foreign party, Opra 
 Pit Rachard, seized the throne, founding a new dynasty. The 
 foreigners themselves were chiefly responsible for this anti- 
 foreign reaction, which was provoked by their abuse of 
 .Siamese confidence and hospitality, and their mutual rivalries 
 and intrigues against each other and against the Siamese 
 government. 
 
 In 1767, Burmese invaders, after two years’ siege, took 
 Ayuthia, pursued, discovered and put to death the fugitive 
 king, thus ending his dynasty. But after a few years of dis¬ 
 order, General Tak Sin, an able young Simo-Chinese, rallied 
 and united the Siamese forces, drove out the Burmese in¬ 
 vaders, and took the throne. 
 
 The Siamese Civil Era dates from April ist, 1782, when 
 the Prime Minister, General Chakkri, a full-blooded Siamese, 
 put to death Tak Sin, who is said to have become mentally 
 unbalanced, ruling oppressively, and fancying himself a god. 
 Chakkri seized the throne for himself as King Yaut Fa, 
 founder of the present (Mahachakkri) dynasty, and moved 
 the seat of government down to Bangkok. This new city, 
 only twelve miles in an airline, or thirty by the winding river, 
 from the sea, thus grew to be the metropolis and great sea¬ 
 port of Siam, with a population of 630,000, though Ayuthia, 
 with 200,000, still ranks next. 
 
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 T4 
 
 At the death of King Phra Chom Klao, son of King Yaut 
 Fa, Prince Mongkut, son of the First Queen, was by Siamese 
 custom his rightful successor; but an elder half-brother by 
 a queen of lower rank, intrigued successfully to secure his 
 own election by the Senabodi. Prince Mongkut prudently 
 eliminated himself from the sphere of political rivalry by 
 taking orders in a monastery, where he was granted the dig¬ 
 nity of High Priest of Siam. It was during the long reign 
 of this King Prawat Tong, 1824-51, that Protestant mission¬ 
 aries first arrived in Siam. This forceful ruler in 1828 com¬ 
 pleted the subjugation of all the Lao chiefs by establishing 
 Siamese supremacy over Luang Prabang and Wieng Chan. 
 P)Ut his violent anti-foreign policy had brought Siam to the 
 verge of war with England, when the crisis was averted only 
 by his mortal illness. The Senabodi, no longer subservient 
 to a dying king, refuse/! to confirm the succession to his son. 
 He died cursing them in helpless rage, and they at once 
 offered his brother, Mongkut. the throne, April, 1851. 
 
 This new Fling, Maha Mongkut, was a man of studious 
 tastes and habits, a patron of science and education. He 
 promptly reversed the policy of his immediate predecessors, 
 by ratifying treaties of amity and commerce with the leading 
 Western nations. 
 
 His son. King Chulalongkorn, whose early education had 
 for some years been entrusted to an English governess, 
 showed himself still more enlightened and progressive. His 
 long reign, from 1868 to 1910, was an age of notable im¬ 
 provements and reforms. He visited all the leading capitals 
 of Europe, being the first Siamese King to travel abroad. 
 He abolished debt-slavery, gradually but completely, and 
 greatly mitigated the burdensome corvee system of forced 
 labor for the government. He celebrated each royal birth¬ 
 day by opening a fine new bridge somewLere in the capital. 
 During this reign, P)angkok quite outgrew the old title, 
 “Venice of the East,” for besides the numerous canals and 
 floating houses, a much greater city has been built on solid 
 ground, with three hundred miles of good macadamized 
 streets, fine public buildings, several electric tramway lines, 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 15 
 
 and electric lights. Bangkok boasts six hundred and fifty 
 registered automobiles, and is buying more annually than any 
 other city of the Far East. Cable communication was estab¬ 
 lished in 1883, and in 1885 Siam joined the Postal Union. 
 The first short railway line was opened in 1893; but seven 
 hundred miles had been completed by 1912, of which all but 
 sixty-five miles was owned and operated by the government. 
 The last annual report of the Railway Department showed 
 that not one passenger had been seriously injured throughout 
 the year, and the traffic was yielding a fair profit on the 
 money invested in construction. The small national debt, 
 which does not exceed one year’s revenue, was contracted 
 only to hasten further railway construction. Government 
 paper money, redeemable at any provincial treasury, was first 
 issued in 1901. The circulation has steadily increased to over 
 30,000,000 ticals (the tical is worth about thirty-eight cents). 
 The metric system has been introduced, and a new decimal 
 coinage. Every department of public service has been re¬ 
 organized and greatly improved. A new penal code was 
 promulgated in 1908. 
 
 In 1912 there were in Bangkok eight thousand telephone 
 wires, and in the whole kingdom one hundred and forty tele¬ 
 graph stations, six thousand miles of telegraph wires, and 
 two hundred and twenty post offices. Public works for sup¬ 
 plying Bangkok with pure filtered drinking water were com¬ 
 pleted in 1914. 
 
 The total imports in 1900 were valued at $12,000,000, and 
 exports at $15,000,000. The average for four recent years— 
 1909-1913—had increased to $27,000,000 for imports, and 
 $35,000,000 for exports. The public revenue, meanwhile, 
 increased from $11,000,000 (in 1902-1903) to $25,000,000. 
 Thus within a single decade, revenues, imports and exports, 
 have all doubled, with the balance of trade steadily in favor 
 of Siam. 
 
 So many Europeans are employed in public service that 
 motives of convenience have led even this Buddhist govern¬ 
 ment to make Sunday, instead of their own sacred day, the 
 legal holiday, when most public offices are closed. 
 
i6 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 At the accession of King Chulalongkorn, feudal conditions 
 still prevailed in Siam. Each peasant sought the protection 
 of some influential patron in exchange for personal service, 
 not daring to trust the law and the courts for impartial jus¬ 
 tice. The Malay Chief of the far South, or the Lao “Chow” 
 of the far North, was a local despot, yielding scarcely more 
 than nominal allegiance to the absent King of Siam. But 
 the railway, steam launch, telegraph and postal service, have 
 now made an effective central government possible, and a 
 wise policy has gradually, but surely and effectively, estab¬ 
 lished its supremacy throughout the kingdom. The govern¬ 
 ment is now consummating this tendency toward national 
 unity by requiring the Siamese dialect to be taught exclu¬ 
 sively in the public schools throughout the kingdom. 
 
 During the latter part of his otherwise prosperous reign. 
 King Chulalongkorn was forced to yield various large slices 
 of territory to both his powerful neighbors, France and 
 England. However, Siam retains full independence, which 
 in 1896 France and England pledged each other to respect, 
 with about two hundred thousand square miles of territory 
 still left to her, which is larger than either Japan or the 
 British Isles, and equal m area to the whole of France. 
 
 Under the old treaties with Siam, as formerly in Japan, 
 each Western nation claimed extra-territorial jurisdiction 
 over its own subjects. But by recent treaties, France has 
 agreed to waive such authority over her Asiatic proteges in 
 Siam, and England and Denmark over all their citizens, even 
 white men, though with some reservations, notably the pro¬ 
 vision that European defendants are entitled to trial in a 
 special court where European judges in Siamese employ will 
 have the decisive voice. 
 
 The young King Maha Yajiravudh (pronounced Wajira- 
 woot), who studied in England 1893-1902, and succeeded to 
 the throne at the death of his royal father in 1910, continues 
 a similar liberal and progressive policy. 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 17 
 
 RELIGIONS OF SIAM. 
 
 The religions now dominant are Demon Worship 
 DEMON in the most northern province, Monton Payap, 
 WORSHIP, the home of the Lao race; and Buddhism in the 
 other seventeen provinces. The following para¬ 
 graph is condensed from Freeman’s “Oriental Land of the 
 Free 
 
 “Buddhism, the nominal religion of the Lao, absolutely 
 forbids any worship of the evil spirits. ‘He who makes the 
 spirits great, that man is outside the religion of Gautama.’ 
 These are quoted as the words of the Buddha himself. Yet 
 all the Lao people worship the spirits, and the Buddhist monks 
 themselves are very often the leaders in this worship. Why 
 has Buddhism failed to drive out the demon worship that 
 here, as all over Asia, preceded it? First, because spirit 
 worship has always entered more deeply into the life and 
 soul of the Lao people than Buddhism. Their sense of the 
 presence and influence of the unseen has only been dulled, 
 never removed, by Buddhist teachings. Second, because the 
 Buddha gave to his followers no refuge or strength that could 
 deliver them from the fear of the unseen. 
 
 “Yet even demon worship may be a school-master to lead 
 to Christ, for it has served to keep alive a realization that 
 man is dependent. There is everywhere prevalent a sense of 
 dependence on unseen spiritual powers, wholly foreign to 
 the self-dependence, the atheism, of Buddhism. A God who 
 created all and has power to deliver from evil spirits, meets 
 the need and longing of their hearts. Many of our Christian 
 people have thus been first drawn to Christ.” 
 
 The people of Siam were converted to Buddhism 
 BUDDHISM, bv foreign missionaries from India in prehistoric 
 times, but probably during the seventh century 
 of our Christian era. By this time Christian missionaries 
 had carried the Gospel to the far north and west of Europe; 
 but they missed a great opportunity in allowing Buddhism 
 to forestall them in the Far East. Knowing nothing of 
 Christ, and finding the teachings of Buddha truer and better 
 
i8 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 than their primitive faith, the people of Siam accepted the 
 best religion they knew, and have since adhered to it tena¬ 
 ciously through more than a thousand years. This history 
 proves that religiously the Siamese are no fickle race; yet 
 neither are they hopelessly conservative. Where Buddhist 
 missionaries succeeded by peaceful influences, without force 
 or compulsion, in thus converting a whole nation, Christian 
 missionaries need not fail. 
 
 Though Buddhists, so-called, are numerous in many other 
 lands, only the people of Siam, Burma and Ceylon still adhere 
 to “orthodox Buddhism,” and since the passing of Ceylon 
 and Burma under a Christian government, the King of Siam 
 is the only independent Buddhist sovereign on earth, the 
 official Head of Buddhism, and sworn Defender of the Faith. 
 He appoints all the chief ecclesiastical dignitaries, and all 
 monks throughout the kingdom are under control of the 
 State through its Ministry of Public Worship. Though all 
 religions are tolerated. Buddhism has the advantage of special 
 favor and patronage as the established religion of the State. 
 
 As Dr. Brown reports: “Siam is the centre and stronghold 
 of orthodox Buddhism. The shaven-headed monks are in 
 evidence everywhere. The temples are more numerous and 
 expensive than those of any other land I have visited. Many 
 of them literally blaze with overlaid gold and imbedded 
 precious stones. Statues of Buddha are simply innumerable.” 
 
 Buddhism seems to have originated about the fifth century 
 B. C., in an age which also witnessed the teaching of Con¬ 
 fucius among the Chinese, and of Pythagoras among the 
 Greeks—a time of mental quickening and enlargement of 
 thought all over the earth. Its founder is commonly known 
 by the title “Buddha,” that is, “The Enlightened One;” and 
 by his family name, Gotama. He has left an impression by 
 his character and teachings rarely equalled among men. 
 
 Nothing, however, was committed to writing by Gotama 
 or his early disciples. Christians revere as their sacred book 
 the Bible; Mohammedans the Koran; Buddhists the “Tripi- 
 takas” (Three Baskets). But the very oldest Buddhist scrip¬ 
 tures date only from the time of King Asoka, about 250 B. C., 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 19 
 
 while large portions of the Tripitakas were doubtless added 
 later, both before and since our Christian era. Thus the 
 earliest records of Buddhism bring us no nearer to its founder 
 than the early Christian fathers to the time of Christ, and 
 W'ith no means of testing their accuracy, as Protestants test 
 the fathers by comparison with the New Testament. Hence 
 our knowledge of the biography or teachings of Gotama is 
 both meagre and uncertain m comparison with our knowl¬ 
 edge of Mohammed or of Christ. 
 
 Furthermore, the Tripitakas, though held authoritative, 
 and published by the late King of Siam in thirty-nine hand¬ 
 some volumes, are scarcely read by any one, not even by 
 the monks. The typical Buddhist derives his creed from 
 oral teaching, or at most from reading a few modern Bud¬ 
 dhist tracts. This makes it hard to define just what Bud¬ 
 dhism really is, for even in the most orthodox Buddhist coun¬ 
 tries, like Siam, one finds no little unconscious divergence 
 between the sacred books and the current popular belief and 
 practice. 
 
 For instance, modern Siamese worship the images of 
 Buddha; they seek to make merit for the benefit of others, 
 living or dead; they believe in their own personal identity, 
 and expect rewards or punishment in a future life. Many 
 even believe in a Creator, and other doctrines absorbed from 
 Christian books and teaching. They are imbibing in large 
 measure the spirit of a modern age of progress, aspiration, 
 and striving after better conditions, personal and social. 
 Yet in all these points their thinking and actions are incon¬ 
 sistent with the authoritative doctrines and ideals of primitive 
 Buddhism. Some day they may suddenly come to realize 
 with a shock of surprise how far they are but nominal adhe¬ 
 rents of a crumbling and obsolete faith. 
 
 Buddhism, as defined in its own scriptures, teaches of no 
 God above and no soul within us. Its followers have in their 
 language no exact equivalent for that which we call God, 
 and the very idea of such a Being does not exist in Buddhism. 
 The Buddha himself was not a god, but a man; and each man 
 must work out his own destiny for himself, with no aid from 
 any higher power. 
 
20 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 Buddhism has, therefore, logically, no room for prayer or 
 religious worship in any form. The nearest approach to this is 
 in the form of inward meditation or of paying outward honors 
 to the memory of Gotama by carrying flowers to his monu¬ 
 ment. When Buddhists wish to find any outlet for the religious 
 instinct, they must go outside of Buddhism to seek it. They 
 crave some object of worship, and since Gotama has given 
 them none, they addict themselves to some form of devil- 
 worship or witchcraft by way of addition to his system. They 
 do also say prayers, which are in some cases the real cry of 
 the soul toward some one or some thing for help. Usually, 
 however, the “prayer” which they repeat is not so much in 
 the form of an appeal to any living hearer, as in that of a 
 charm or incantation; the mere repetition of the words being 
 supposed to have magical power in itself. In such ways as 
 this Buddhism has come to receive an enormous mass of addi¬ 
 tions, many of which are directly opposed to its original 
 teachings. 
 
 Gotama taught that there is no such thing as soul or spirit 
 in man himself; that a man is only a body, with certain facul¬ 
 ties added to it, all of which scatter into nothingness when 
 the body dissolves. One feature of Buddhism, therefore, is 
 its denial of all spirituality, divine or human. 
 
 A second feature is its assertion, as the positive facts upon 
 which it builds, of two most remarkable ideas. One of these 
 is the doctrine of transnii(^ration. This belief is held bv a 
 great part of the human race as the only explanation for the 
 perplexing inequalities of earthly experience. It teaches that 
 the cause of every joy or sorrow is to be found in the conduct 
 of the man himself, if not in this life, then in some of his 
 previous lives. As the usual emblem of Christianity is the 
 cross, so that of Buddhism is the wheel—chosen as such from 
 its suggestion of endless rotation. 
 
 Buddhism, however, which denies the existence of the soul, 
 is obliged to teach transmigration in a very strange form. 
 According to this, although you go to nothingness when you 
 die, yet a new person is sure,to be produced at that moment, 
 who is considered to be practically the same as yourself. 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 21 
 
 because he begins existence with all your merits and demerits 
 exactly, and it is to your thirst for life that he owes his being. 
 Yet as it is acknowledged that you are not conscious of 
 producing him, and he is not conscious of any relation with 
 you, it is hard to see how men can accept in such a form 
 this doctrine of “Karma.” Practically its believers are apt 
 to forget their denial of the soul, and speak as if it did exist 
 and goes at death into a new body. This new birth may not 
 be into the form of a man, but into that of a beast of the 
 earth, a devil in some hell, or an angel in some heaven. 
 Buddhism not only teaches the existence of hells and heavens, 
 but fixes their exact size and position, so that any acquaint¬ 
 ance with astronomy is enough to prove the falsity of its 
 declarations on that point. It is further taught that each of 
 these future lives must come to an end, for all things above 
 and below are continually changing places with each other, 
 as they ever have done and ever will do. There is, therefore, 
 no real satisfaction even in the prospect of a heavenly life, 
 since it must in time change, and probably for the worse. 
 
 In close connection, then, with this fundamental idea of 
 Buddhism, namely, transmigration, is the other idea, that all 
 life, present or future, is essentially so transitory, disappoint¬ 
 ing and miserable, that the greatest of blessings would be 
 the power to cease from the weary round entirely and for¬ 
 ever. Practically its votaries have before their minds a life 
 in some delightful heaven, secured against any following evil 
 by passing instead into calm, unending slumber. This condi¬ 
 tion is marked by the perception of life’s illusiveness, with 
 freedom from all resulting lusts and passions; and this ensures 
 that when the life you are then living shall close, no new 
 being will be formed in your place, because your thirst for 
 living is at last extinguished. While it is true, then, that this 
 condition of heavenly calm or Nirvana (called in Siamese 
 “Nippan”) is represented as eminently attractive, yet its dis¬ 
 tinguishing benefit lies in the fact that when it ends, that 
 which follows is not a new birth, but an eternal freedom from 
 all life. This is in its essence a doctrine of despair, even 
 though the annihilation of life is called by the softer name 
 
22 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 of endless slumber, and attention is mainly fixed on the joys 
 of Nirvana which precede that slumber. 
 
 The third chief feature of Buddhism is its description of 
 the “Noble Path”—the way by which a man is to reach the 
 desired goal. Having (i) denied the existence of God and 
 the soul, and (2) asserted the existence of transmigration and 
 of an essential misery in all life, from which Nirvana is the 
 only deliverance, it proceeds (3) to tell how Nirvana may be 
 reached. It is by means of persevering meditation upon the 
 hollowness of life, together with the practice of control over 
 self and beneficence to others. Many of the rules given for 
 this end have in them a moral truth and beauty which is 
 remarkable. The opposition to caste and to extending reli¬ 
 gion by force of arms, the freedom given to women and the 
 mildness of manners cherished among all, are most com¬ 
 mendable. But as there is no love to any God in all this, 
 neither is there any beneficence toward men which is other 
 than negative and selfish. The self-annihilation which is 
 emphasized is sought simply as a means of finally escaping 
 from misery by escaping from existence, after tasting what¬ 
 ever sensual enjoyment may come within reach on the way. 
 
 The chief aim of every zealous Buddhist is to “make merit.” 
 For a man, the most efficient means is to join the order of 
 monks, commonly but less correctly called priests. In 
 modern times very few remain for life in the “wat” (monas¬ 
 tery) : but every man from the King down is expected to take 
 his turn once at least. 
 
 A woman’s best hope for future happiness is to have many 
 sons, who can thus “make merit” for their mother, as well 
 as themselves. The very few nuns are aged widows, to 
 whom the temple serves as a form of almshouse. 
 
 Boys under twenty cannot be full-fledged monks, but enter 
 the temples in great numbers as novitiates. Without count¬ 
 ing these novitiates, the latest official report shows about 
 100,000 monks in the Kingdom of Siam, nearly all of them 
 able-bodied young men, whom the women, who are the chief 
 merit-makers, are feeding and supporting in idleness. 
 
 The priests are clad in yellow robes, each suit consisting 
 of seven pieces. The wearing of these patched garments is 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 23 
 
 in imitation of Gotama, who is said to have adopted the 
 yellow garb worn in his time by robbers, so that the world 
 would cease to praise him. At daybreak the thoroughfares, 
 canals and rivers of Siam are thronged with monks collecting 
 their day’s food from the people, each carrying a rice-pot 
 suspended from the shoulder, and a bag hanging on the arm,^ 
 to receive rice, fish or fruits. They never ask for alnTs nor 
 return thanks, but take their stand at a'hdus'e and wait in 
 silence until the inmates bring the food, worship them, and 
 then place the gift in the pot or bag. The people consider 
 that the priests have conferred a great favor on them by 
 receiving the food. 
 
 The stricter “Tammayoot” order of monks was established 
 by King Maha Mongkut, with the aim of restoring the 
 ancient discipline; but the easy-going majority prefer the 
 laxer discipline of the “Mahanikai” order. The practical 
 conduct both of monks and laity is far below even their own 
 Buddhist standard. They live as the heathen did whom 
 Paul describes in his letters to the Romans and Corinthians. 
 
 The great distinction, after all, between other religions and 
 Christianity, is not merely that th^y present lower standards, 
 but that they do not offer at all that grace and strength 
 whereby men are enabled to rise toward the standard. Bud¬ 
 dhism makes no such offer, and has no such conception, it 
 fi-xes the mind upon the evils and miseries of life, which it 
 is exhorted by its own power to shun, and not upon the posi¬ 
 tive holiness and blessedness of a Divine Saviour, whose 
 grace can lift the soul toward the glory which it sees in Him. 
 
 “We should not hastily assume that Buddhism in Siam isi a waning 
 force, or that the friendliness of officials is indicative of a disposition 
 to accept the Gospel. The mental attitude which looks upon Christian¬ 
 ity w'ith good-natured indifference is as hard to overcome as that which 
 regards all religions as equally true or equally false. 
 
 “A languid indifference is the special obstacle to mission work. 
 This is partly due to a tropical climate, but natural physical and mental 
 sloth is greatly intensified by the teaching of Buddhism. Buddha held 
 that man should be neutral in all things, avoid extremes, and neither 
 love nor hate. Activity is evil; passiveness is virtue. 
 
 “Such spongy material is harder to break than a rock—like the 
 southern forts of palmetto logs; the bullets buried themselves without 
 shattering the logs, so that the more lead was fired into them, the more 
 impregnable they became.” (Condensed from Dr. Brown’s Report.) 
 
24 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 CHRISTIANITY IN SIAM. 
 
 ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONS. 
 
 Long before the beginning of Protestant effort, French 
 Catholics had, as early as 1662, established the first Christian 
 mission in Siam, during the reign of the liberal-minded and 
 famous Siamese King Narai. The grand embassy of 1673 
 from Louis XIY of France was accompanied by a consider¬ 
 able number of Jesuit priests. In 1780 a royal decree ban¬ 
 ished all Catholic foreign missionaries from the kingdom, 
 and they did not return in any considerable numbers or for 
 permanent residence until 1830, when Bishop Pallegoix was 
 appointed to resume the interrupted work. 
 
 Their work is now under the direction of two bishops, one 
 in Bangkok and another for the Lao. Different methods, 
 both of securing and of reckoning adherents, hinder any 
 fair comparison between statistics of Protestant and Catholic 
 work. But it is probably not wide of the mark to state that 
 they have more European workers than all Protestant mis¬ 
 sions combined; more stations and places of worship, includ¬ 
 ing four substantial brick churches in Bangkok and a stately 
 cathedral; more schools, with four thousand pupils; and a 
 membership threefold greater than the Protestants. 
 
 They are more disposed than Protestants to concentrate 
 special effort in the centres of political power. For example, 
 they have a large hospital, supported largely by non-Catholic 
 donors, in Bangkok, where we have none, but attempt no 
 medical work in the interior, where there is greatest lack of 
 such service. 
 
 They provide for their adherents some devotional books 
 in Romanized Siamese, but do not teach the Siamese alpha¬ 
 bet, so that few Catholics can read ordinary Siamese books, 
 nor can ordinary Siamese read Catholic books. They are 
 not seen, like Protestant workers, showing Bible pictures, 
 and publishing the Gospel story to such groups of heathen 
 as can be gathered in market chapels, temples, wayside rest 
 houses, and open-air meetings, nor distributing Scriptures 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 25 
 
 or Christian tracts in heathen communities. Their favorite 
 policy is to segregate their adherents in separate communi¬ 
 ties, under their special protection and control, and thus 
 indoctrinate parents and children in their faith and forms of 
 worship. 
 
 Their policy appeals strongly to a certain class, who are 
 anxiously seeking protection in law-suits or other forms of 
 aid in temporal affairs, but alienates others. Most of the 
 converts they gain are not Siamese, but Chinese or Eurasians. 
 Just as the Lao make more offerings to propitiate the 
 demons they fear than the Buddha they revere, so it is, no 
 doubt, less from confidence and good-will than State policy, 
 that the French Catholics succeed in obtaining more favor¬ 
 able concessions in the matter of holding property, and larger 
 donations and grants from the Siamese officials, than do the 
 Protestants. But the prevalent conviction that, unlike the 
 American missionaries, they are in very close alliance with 
 a foreign government, makes them generally distrusted, dis¬ 
 liked and secretly feared. 
 
 Yet. with all their faults and limitations. Catholic missions 
 have doubtless been the providential means of leading many 
 to a knowledge of the essentials of Christian truth, and to a 
 saving faith in. the true God. 
 
 BEGINNIiNGS OF PROTESTANT MISSIONS. 
 
 The very first Protestant missionary effort 
 PATHFINDERS, for the Siamese on record was made by a 
 
 woman who never saw Siam. Mrs. Ann 
 Haseltine Judson, the young wife of Dr. Adoniram Judson, 
 became so deeply interested in the numerous Siamese colony 
 she found at Rangoon that in April, 1818, she wrote to a 
 friend: “I have attended to the Siamese language for about 
 a year and a half, and with the assistance of my teacher, have 
 translated the Burman catechism, a tract containing an 
 abstract of Christianity, and the Gospel of Matthew, into 
 that language.” Some of this manuscript was probably never 
 printed; but her Siamese version of her husband’s Burman 
 
26 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 catechism was published in 1819 by the Baptist Press at 
 Serampore, India. 
 
 Not till Aug-ust, 1828, did the first Protestant missionaries 
 land in Siam. These were an Englishman, Rev. Jacob 
 Tomlin, of the London Missionary Society, and a German, 
 Dr. Carl Gutzlaff, who had severed his previous brief con¬ 
 nection with the Netherlands Missionary Society, and came 
 to Bangkok independently at his own charges. Both these 
 men traveled widelv in the Far East, laboring in many dif¬ 
 ferent fields, but everywhere with special reference to the 
 Chinese dispersion, as China itself was not yet open to the 
 Gospel. Each made two visits to Bangkok, not only giving 
 free medical treatment to crowds of patients, and freely dis¬ 
 tributing many Chinese tracts and Scriptures, but diligently 
 studying Siamese, and making a beginning, as best they 
 could, in translation of the New Testament, and preparing a 
 Christian tract in that tongue. 
 
 After his marriage in Singapore to Miss Maria Newell, of 
 the London Missionary Society, Dr. Gutzlaff in 1830 returned 
 to Bangkok with his bride, the first pioneer of woman’s work 
 for Christ in Siam. But in June, 1831, after burying both 
 wife and babe, and himself very ill. Dr. Gutzlaff left Siam, 
 never to return. After a notable career in China, he died 
 there in i\ugust, 1851. Failing health likewise compelled the 
 return of Mr. Tomlin to Singapore in January, 1832. 
 
 The first American missionary was Rev. David Abeel, of 
 the American Board, which at that time was still supported 
 by Presbyterians jointly with Congregationalists and others. 
 Mr. Abeel was another zealous worker of rather roving 
 habits. He seems never to have settled down long in any 
 field; but he twice visited Bangkok, first arriving from Can¬ 
 ton in June, 1831, and being compelled by ill health to take 
 his final departure in November, 1832. 
 
 Despite all hindrances, reverses and seeming failure, the 
 observations and appeals of these three missionary prospec¬ 
 tors soon bore fruit in the more permanent occupation of 
 the field by three American missionary societies. 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 27 
 
 Continuous and permanent Protestant 
 BAPTIST MISSION, missionary work dates from the arrival 
 1833 - 93 . in Bangkok, March, 1833, of Rev. John 
 
 Taylor Jones, D. D., and wife, American 
 Baptist missionaries from Maulmain, Burma. Dr. Jones was 
 a man of exceptional industry, scholarship and literary gifts, 
 and the first missionary to devote himself chiefly to work for 
 the Siamese race. Before his death, in 1851, he had com¬ 
 pleted a Siamese version of the New Testament, and pre¬ 
 pared several excellent Christian books or tracts that are still 
 in use. Like Dr. Judson, he was thrice married to noble 
 Christian women, who rendered their full share of effective 
 service. Rev. William Dean, D. D., whose bride did not 
 live to complete the long sailing voyage, arrived in July, 
 1835, and devoted himself specially to the Chinese-speaking 
 population. In 1837 he organized the Chinese converts into 
 the first Protestant church in Siam. At his death, in 1884, 
 he had nearly rounded out half a century on the field. 
 
 A Christian tract published in 1836 by the Baptist Mission 
 Press, is believed to have been the very first printing ever 
 done in .Siam. 
 
 From 1868 on the Baptists dropped their Siamese depart¬ 
 ment, and worked in the Chinese language only. The roll 
 of Baptist missionaries shows thirty-two names in all. But 
 the great success of their work in Swatow, China, where the 
 same dialect was used as in Siam, finally led to weakening 
 the Siam Mission by transfer of many of these workers to 
 China; and since the departure for the United States of Rev. 
 Lewis Eaton in 1893, they have had no resident American 
 missionary, though in recent years Dr. Foster makes from 
 Swatow occasional visits of supervision to their Chinese 
 churches and Chinese workers in Bangkok. 
 
 In July, 1834, Rev. Stephen Johnson 
 CONGREGATIONAL and Rev. Charles Robinson, with their 
 MISSIONS, 1834-74. wives, arrived in Bangkok, to follow up 
 
 the work of Mr. Abeel. Daniel Bradley, 
 M. D., and wife, arrived in company with Dr. Dean the fol¬ 
 lowing year. This Mission, like the Baptists, combined work 
 
28 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 in both languages, Siamese and Chinese, but using a different 
 Chinese dialect from the Baptists. In 1846 they transferred 
 their Chinese-speaking workers to China, and in 1849 the 
 American Board withdrew entirely from Siam, turning over 
 its remaining work, workers and property to the American 
 Missionary Association, which continued the work till 1874. 
 The list of missionaries of these two societies, about thirty 
 in all, includes many honored names; but none more notable 
 than the versatile and forceful Dr. Bradley. He was the 
 first (in 1840) to introduce vaccination, previously unknown 
 in Siam. His work as physician, writer, translator, printer 
 and preacher, ended only with his death in June, 1873. His 
 son, Cornelius, and wife, were missionaries in Bangkok, 
 1871-74. His widow, Mrs. Sarah Blackley Bradley, con¬ 
 tinued active in voluntary Christian work till her death in 
 1893, after forty-three years’ continuous residence in Bang¬ 
 kok, without even once revisiting the United States. Two of 
 his daughters, Mrs. Sophia Bradley McGilvary and Mrs. 
 Sarah Bradley Cheek, and two granddaughters, Mrs. Cor¬ 
 nelia McGilvary Harris and Mrs. Margaret McGilvary Gillies, 
 became the wives and active partners in service of Presbyte¬ 
 rian missionaries. 
 
 One of the first acts of our own Presby- 
 PRESBYTERIAN terian Board, organized in 1837, was to 
 
 MISSIONS. establish in Singapore a mission for 
 
 Chinese, which, by reason of the opening, 
 in 1842, of the five “treaty ports,” was in 1843 transferred 
 to Amoy, China. Meanwhile, in 1838, Rev. R. W. Orr, of 
 that mission, visited Siam for a month, and his favorable 
 report led to the starting of the Presbyterian Mission by the 
 arrival of Rev. William Buell and wife in Siam, August, 1840. 
 Barring the India Mission, started in 1833, and in 1837 taken 
 over from the “Western Foreign Missionary Society,” Siam 
 is thus the oldest existing mission of our Presbyterian Board. 
 
 After some years of faithful foundation work, Mrs. Buell 
 was stricken with paralysis, making it necessary for the hus¬ 
 band to bring her home to the United States. Three full 
 years elapsed before the Board was able to fill this vacancy 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 29 
 
 and resume the work. But since the arrival in March, 1847, 
 of Rev. Stephen Mattoon and wife, and Samuel House, M. D., 
 Siam has never been without Presbyterian missionarieil 
 
 This early period was one of privations, hardships and 
 hindrances, such as in our day it is hard to realize or imagine. 
 A private letter from Dr. House, never before published, 
 says: “When I first went out to Siam, it was a semi-barbarous 
 land, with very little trade or intercourse with other nations. 
 The people went half nude, hatless and shoeless. There was 
 plenty of rice (then only half a cent a pound), brown sugar 
 and tea; but not a needle, or a pin, a button, or hook and 
 eye, a tooth brush, or a box of matches, or a lamp. Nor 
 could you buy wheat flour, cornmeal, butter or beef, writing 
 paper, looking glass, table or chair. We had to send home 
 for these, and anticipate a year’s needs, and were often in 
 great straits from delay, or if from long voyage the flour 
 grew musty, or full of weevils.” 
 
 The secret opposition of the King, a fanatical Buddhist, 
 had such influence that none dared sell or rent any property 
 to the missionaries. The frequency among these pioneers 
 of severe illness or death, often no doubt the direct result 
 of overwork and exposure, and lack of suitable homes or 
 ordinary home comforts, was appalling. 
 
 A few Chinese converts were gathered, but not one Siamese 
 dared avow himself a Christian. Not until the next reign 
 did the missionaries have the joy, in 1859, of baptizing Nai 
 Chime (Mr. Joy), their first Siamese convert. 
 
 Even when war with England seemed imminent, involving 
 extreme peril to all English-speaking residents in Siam, they 
 stedfastly refused to abandon their post; but the outlook 
 seemed well-nigh hopeless, till in this darkest hour, as in 
 the days of Herod and Peter, Providence signally interposed. 
 The King’s unexpected illness, which terminated fatally in 
 April, 1851, changed the whole situation. 
 
 The new King, Maha Mongkut, had for eighteen months 
 studied science and the English language with a missionary. 
 Rev. Jesse Caswell, as private tutor, and learned to esteem 
 all missionaries highly. Though he lived and died a staunch 
 
30 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 Buddhist, his tolerance and good-wili first made possible in 
 his kingdom the securing of suitable missionary homes, and 
 unhampered Christian teaching. 
 
 By special request of the Siamese authorities, when they 
 ratified a treaty with the United States, the first Consul ap¬ 
 pointed was the trusted missionary. Rev. Stephen Mattoon. 
 
 The long reign of King Chulalongkorn, who came to the 
 throne in 1868, was an eventful period in the religious as 
 well as the political history of Siam. One of the notable 
 events of this reign was the Edict of Toleration, which in 
 1878 finally put an end to religious persecution, and guar¬ 
 anteed full liberty of conscience throughout the Kingdom 
 of Siam. 
 
 In 1867-68, Dr. McGilvary and Rev. Jonathan Wilson 
 had begun at Chieng Mai the first missionary work for the 
 Lao race. They were soon encouraged by the conversion 
 of Nan Inta, a man who had thoroughly studied Buddhism 
 and was dissatisfied with it, while knowing of nothing to re¬ 
 place it. He was much impressed by having the solar eclipse 
 of August, 1S68, foretold by the missionary a week in ad¬ 
 vance. He thus found the science of the Christians disprov¬ 
 ing the fables of Buddhism, and began eagerly to study the 
 spiritual truths of the Gospel. He w^as soon able to make 
 an intelligent confession of faith in Christ, which he main¬ 
 tained until his death. Within a few months seven other 
 converts were baptized. 
 
 At this point the Governor of Chieng Mai began to mani¬ 
 fest the hostility he had thus far concealed. In September, 
 1869, Noi Su Ya and Nan Chai w^ere arrested and confessed 
 that they had forsaken Buddhism. The “death yoke” was 
 put around their necks, and a small rope passed through the 
 holes used for earrings by all Lao people, and carried tightly 
 over the beam of the house. After being thus tortured all 
 night, they again steadfastly refused to deny their Lord and 
 Saviour, even in the face of death. They prepared for exe¬ 
 cution by praying to Him, closing with the words, “Lord 
 Jesus, receive my spirit.” Being then taken to the jungle, 
 they W'ere clubbed to death, and one, not dying quickly 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 31 
 
 enough, was thrust through the heart by a spear. The whole 
 record is like one from the apostolic age, and speaks vividly 
 of the first martyrs, and of the same Lord by whose living 
 presence they were sustained. 
 
 For some months after this martyrdom the missionaries 
 found their work at a standstill, and it seemed as if they 
 would surely be driven out. But Providence interposed in 
 a way that strikingly reminds one of the earlier crisis of 1851 
 in Bangkok. The persecuting Prince being just then sum¬ 
 moned to Bangkok, was there suddenly stricken with mortal 
 illness. On the last stage of his homeward journey, he died 
 at Lampoon June 29, 1870. 
 
 The good-will of his son-in-law, who thus became Gover¬ 
 nor, not only ended the persecution, but gave the mission¬ 
 aries facilities to begin building permanent homes. 
 
 Another crisis was encountered in 1878. The missionaries 
 had decided to perform the marriage ceremony between two 
 native Christians without making provision for the customary 
 feast to the demons. The relatives, all demon worshippers, 
 prevented the marriage on this account, and the local authori¬ 
 ties supported them in the refusal; but an appeal to the King 
 of Siam secured in reply a proclamation declaring; “There 
 is nothing in the laws and customs of Siam to throw any 
 restriction on the religious worship and service of any one. 
 To be more specific, if any person or persons wish to em¬ 
 brace the Christian religion, they are freely permitted to 
 follow their own choice. This proclamation is to certify that 
 from this time forth all persons are permitted to follow the 
 dictates of their own conscience in all matters of religious 
 belief and practice.” This proclamation of religious liberty 
 entirely changed the attitude of the Lao officials. 
 
 Within twenty years from the first occupation of Chieng 
 Mai, North Lao Presbytery was able to report 432 communi¬ 
 cant members, and Siam Presbytery 393. Ever since that 
 date the Lao membership has exceeded that of the older 
 mission. 
 
 From 1866-1890 inclusive, the force of American mission¬ 
 aries increased from eleven work^s at two stations, to 
 
32 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 forty-six workers at five stations, nine of them single women. 
 There were no single women in the Siam missions earlier 
 than iS/f. 
 
 Meanwhile, the total number of pupils had increased from 
 thirty-six to 780 in twenty-five mission schools, and the 
 native com.municant membership of Presbyterian churches 
 from eleven to 1,280, of which 880 were among the Lao. 
 
 During the following decade the work so continued to 
 grow that the nineteenth century closed with over seventy 
 Presbyterian missionaries at ten stations, about 850 pupils 
 {512 in the South and 335 in the North), and over 2,800 
 members (389 in the South and 2,440 in the Presbytery of 
 North Laos). 
 
 During the early years of this period, the missionaries 
 were so few, and so isolated from each other by lack of any 
 facilities for communication between the different stations, 
 that each had to work almost independently, with scant 
 opportunity for effective organization and co-operation. But 
 the closing years of the century found each of the two sta¬ 
 tions welded into an effective organization, with all needed 
 officers and committees for team work, and a set of mission 
 rules, gradually elaborated on the basis of practical expe¬ 
 rience, to define the mission methods and policy. 
 
 MISSION PRESSES. 
 
 For some twenty years all the printing of Christian litera¬ 
 ture was done by the Congregational and Baptist Mission 
 presses. But since i860 our Presbyterian Church has main¬ 
 tained in Bangkok its own Mission Press. 
 
 At first the press occupied a dark basement under a mis¬ 
 sionary dwelling at Sumray, a suburb of Bangkok. In 1892 
 it was removed to larger and better quarters across the river, 
 and in 1897 again moved to its present permanent location, 
 where buildings were erected suitable for both press and 
 godown. New equipment has been added year by year, till 
 there is now no more complete publishing establishment in 
 Siam. 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 33 
 
 The rapidh^ increasing number of readers, as schools are 
 multiplied all over Siam, magnifies as never before both 
 demand and opportunity for the Mission Press. 
 
 Since 1909, the growing work of our Press in Bangkok, 
 together with the duties of Godown Manager and Shipping 
 Agent for both Missions, have been transferred to an ener¬ 
 getic and efficient layman, Mr. Edward Spilman, leaving the 
 ordained men free to devote full time to other work. 
 
 This Press publishes The Daybreak, an attractive monthly, 
 which gives a variety of good reading in the Siamese lan¬ 
 guage, including stories, scientific and religious articles, and 
 inews of current events. Just now a Siamese translation of 
 Ben-Hur is appearing in serial form. The Press also carries 
 a varied stock of school text-books, and Christian books 
 or tracts. Among its recent publications may be named 
 translations of the story, “Titus, the Comrade of the Cross;” 
 and of Munhall’s “Manual for Christian Workers;” a series 
 of small volumes of Old Testament Bible stories, a Siamese 
 concordance, primarily for use in the Christian Training 
 Schools, a book on Ethics by Miss Galt, and an enlarged 
 Siamese Elymnal, with tunes, and over four hundred and 
 fifty hymns. 
 
 During the hot dry season of 1914, a great fire in Bangkok 
 burned over an area of some thirty acres, including all the 
 buildings on three sides of our Press Compound, seriously 
 threatening our Press and other valuable property there, 
 when the wind was providentially so shifted as to blow the 
 fire away. This marvelous escape was a signal manifesta¬ 
 tion of Divine protection, which became a lesson to the entire 
 citv, as an evidence of the protecting care of the Christian’s 
 God. 
 
 There is also a smaller press at the Christian College, 
 managed by the students as a feature of their industrial work. 
 This publishes College Nezvs in Siamese, and in English The 
 White Elephant, which will appear bi-monthly as the official 
 organ of both Siam missions for giving news of their work. 
 
 Eor twenty-five years after the founding of the North Lao 
 Mission, they had only books in the Siamese character, which 
 
34 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 few of the Lao people could read; but Dr. Peoples brought 
 in December, 1890, a font of Lao type cast in America. A 
 building was put up at Chieng Mai, and the only press in the 
 world equipped to print the Lao character was finally estab¬ 
 lished in 1892 by Rev. David Collins, who has continued in 
 charge of this work ever since. 
 
 This Press doubled the space and quadrupled its working 
 capacity by the completion of a new building in June, 1913. 
 Here is published the only vernacular Lao newspaper in the 
 world, with a monthly circulation of over one thousand 
 copies, reaching every station and out-station of North Siam. 
 
 The late Dr. Jonathan Wilson translated or composed in 
 the Lao dialect about five hundred hymns. The recent new 
 edition of the Lao Hymnal, enlarged to include nearly four 
 hundred hymns, has been the most difficult work undertaken, 
 as tlie new music type could not have been handled without 
 the constant supervision of Mrs. Collins for months. 
 
 A Karen tract in Lao character was published in 1914. 
 This press also constantly prints English and Siamese, and 
 occasionally French. 
 
 The financial loss on Christian literature, much of which 
 is sold below cost, is made good by profits on job work for 
 government departments, business firms, and other patrons. 
 Thus both presses are self-supporting, the earnings covering 
 all outlay both for running expenses and increased equip¬ 
 ment, and the Bangkok Press even paying part of the sup¬ 
 port of the American manager. 
 
 The most important work of both presses is 
 BIBLE WORK, of course the publication of the Scriptures. 
 
 Besides the New Testament entire, eight of 
 the more important Old Testament books have already been 
 translated and published in Lao, while others are in prepara¬ 
 tion. The Siamese Bible has long been published complete, 
 but in three or four rather bulky volumes. All new editions 
 are now being printed partly on India paper, which, with 
 other improvements, such as photographic reproduclion, 
 with reduced size of page (done in Japan), will eventually 
 make it feasible to bind the complete Siamese Bible in a 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 35 
 
 single handy volume. New editions, whether in Siamese or 
 Lao, are also being carefully revised under the supervision 
 of committees chosen by each mission. 
 
 Dr. John Carrington, formerly a member of the South 
 Siam Mission, labored indefatigably as agent of the American 
 Bible Society from 1889 until his death in 1912. His suc¬ 
 cessor is Rev. Robert Irwin, formerly a member of the 
 North Siam Mission, but since 1911 in the service of the Bible 
 Society, which is spending about $12,000 a year in Siam. 
 Besides employing and directing about thirty Chinese or 
 Siamese colporteurs, Mr. Irwin has opened a Bible depot 
 on the main business street of Bangkok, where the Scriptures 
 are offered for sale in seventeen languages or dialects. 
 
 The I.ao Christians have in recent years begun to buy 
 large quantities of Scripture portions for free distribution 
 among their heathen neighbors. Though few copies are 
 given entirely free, the circulation of Scriptures in Siam has 
 within twenty-five years increased from 9,000 to 173,000— 
 nearly twentyfold, and threefold within four years past. 
 
 MEDICAL WORK. 
 
 Medical work has always been a prominent factor in Siam. 
 With the single exception of Bangkok, which has many gov¬ 
 ernment hospitals and European physicians in private practice, 
 each station of both missions has its hospital and dispensary, 
 with native assistants under the direction of an American mis¬ 
 sionary, and some have American trained nurses. Dr. Cort 
 returned in the fall of 1914 from the United States to Chieng 
 Mai under appointment to start a Medical College for the 
 training of native doctors. 
 
 There are thousands of lepers in Siam, but only one leper 
 asylum. This is on an island four miles below Chieng Mai. 
 Dr. McKean obtained the grant of this site from the Siamese 
 Government in 1907. The present annual expense of main¬ 
 tenance is nearly four thousand dollars. The completion of 
 permanent buildings, free from debt, was celebrated with 
 aiipropriate opening exercises in June, 1913. The seven neat 
 
 I 
 
36 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 brick cottages are filled with about one hundred and fifty 
 lepers, nearly all of whom have become Christians and mem¬ 
 bers of the “Leper Church.” Medical work among the Lao 
 has proved a most effective means of combating their super¬ 
 stitious belief in witchcraft and demon worship. 
 
 Tn recent years special effort has been made to transfer 
 financial responsibility in increasing measure to the Siamese 
 themselves, with such success that in no other country do 
 Presbyterian Medical iMissions report so large receipts on 
 the field as in Siam. The financial cost of charity cases is 
 made good by fees or donations from those able to pay, so 
 that the work as a whole is fully self-supporting. 
 
 SCHOOLS. 
 
 d'he early days, when little directly evangelistic work was 
 possible, saw the beginnings of the present important schools 
 both for boys and girls. Years of patient labor, in spite of 
 limitations and obstacles, have transformed public opinion, 
 and introduced new ideals of education. 
 
 In 1878, King Chulalongkorn appointed Rev. S. G. Mc¬ 
 Farland as his first Superintendent of Instruction and head 
 of the new government college. Since that time the Siamese 
 Government has organized and developed a new educational 
 system, w'ith a prescribed curriculum and under State control. 
 
 This advance has rendered it necessary for the missions 
 to adopt a definite educational policy. Each station aims to 
 provide for its children up to the high school grade, main¬ 
 taining boarding schools for boys and girls, and day schools 
 where necessary. The school courses conform to the gov¬ 
 ernment code, with the addition of Christian teaching in every 
 grade. Each mission has its schools of higher learning; at 
 Chieng Mai, Prince Royal’s College and the Girls’ School; 
 at Bangkok, the Christian College and the Harriet House 
 School. Each of these includes preparatory classes and a 
 Xormal Department. The Harriet House School is the most 
 popular and infiuential girls’ school in the kingdom. It is 
 full to overflowing, with more than one hundred pupils. 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 37 
 
 In connection with the cremation ceremonies in March, 
 1911, for the late King Chnlalongkorn, all our mission 
 schools, as well as the hospitals, and some Christian churches, 
 shared in the royal distribution of memorial gifts. 
 
 The Siamese Government is moving steadily toward a 
 system of compulsory education, which would doubtless in¬ 
 crease the attendance at mission as well as other schools. 
 
 Mr. Harris, in Laos News for April, 1915, says; “Within a 
 few years all our schools will conform to a single curriculum, 
 which, in turn, will be the curriculum of all the schools, gov¬ 
 ernment and mission, throughout Siam. This change of 
 policy standardizes our educational work; it has greatly in¬ 
 creased the prestige of our schools in the eyes of the people; 
 and finally, it has won the favor of the Government Education 
 Department, who are pleased to find us conform as far as 
 possible to their wishes and ideals.” 
 
 At Chieng Mai alone about two hundred mission school 
 pupils, including sixty girls, took the government examina¬ 
 tions in 1915. 
 
 STATIONS. 
 
 South Siam. 
 
 For many years, Bangkok, lying on both banks 
 BANGKOK, of the Me Nam, was the only centre of mission- 
 1840 . ary work. The first buildings erected were on 
 
 a rented site on the west bank of the river. In 
 1857, a desirable property was obtained at Sumray, in the 
 southwestern part of the city, where the mission was per¬ 
 manently established. A school for boys, opened in 1852, 
 was attended at first only by Chinese pupils. Under the 
 devoted care of Dr. House, Dr. McDonald and their suc¬ 
 cessors, the school became well established, and developed 
 into the Boys’ Christian High School, and afterward into 
 the Bangkok Christian College. 
 
 By the aid of the Troy Branch of the Woman’s Synodical 
 Society of Albany, N. Y., a Girls’ Boarding School was be¬ 
 gun in 1874, at Wang Lang, five miles north of Sumray. 
 
38 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 The first principals were Mrs. House, whose name the school 
 now bears, and Miss Arabella Anderson (Mrs. Henry Noyes 
 of Canton). After several changes. Miss Edna Cole look 
 charge in 1886, and has been identified with the school ever 
 since. 
 
 In 1910 the self-supporting First Church of Bangkok, 
 which since August, 1896, has been in charge of the faithful 
 native pastor, Kroo Yuan, dedicated a neat new chapel build¬ 
 ing, costing 7,000 ticals, without aid from the United States, 
 and free of debt. 
 
 The “Krit Sampantuwong” (United Christian Family) 
 Church, organized December, 1908, worships in a beautiful 
 chapel centrally located near the Bangkok Christian College. 
 This offshoot of the First Church owes its origin to the 
 leadership of a grandson of the first Chinese preacher, 
 Quakieng, Rev. Boon-Itt, who, after graduating from 
 Williams College and Auburn Seminary, returned to devote 
 his life to his countrymen in Siam. The building was well 
 under way before his lamented death from cholera in 1903, 
 and was carried on to completion in accordance with his 
 plans. 
 
 The membership and congregation of the Second Church 
 is largely composed of present or former pupils of the Har¬ 
 riet House School. Its services are held in the school 
 chapel. The government hospital next door is in charge of 
 George McFarland, M. D., son of the early missionary. Dr. 
 Samuel McFarland, who is also elder of this church, and 
 often preaches there most acceptably in Siamese. 
 
 The membership of the Third Church (Rajawong) is chiefly 
 Chinese, and services are held both in Chinese and Siamese. 
 There are also regular evangelistic services at the “Confer¬ 
 ence Chapel,” so-called because supported by the Christian 
 Conference, and at Ban Maw Chapel, where “Siamese, 
 Chinese, Hindoos, Burmese and a few Europeans come and 
 go like the waves of the sea.” 
 
 The Boon-Itt Mem.orial Institute, which is conducted along 
 similar lines to Y. M. C. A. work, but under Pres¬ 
 byterian Mission auspices, occupies a fine site in Bangkok, 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 39 
 
 bought for about six thousand dollars gold with funds all 
 given on the field. The main building was completed in 
 1909, as a memorial of the late Rev. Boon-Itt, with money 
 raised by his college classmates and many friends in the 
 United States, thus realizing the cherished hopes and plans 
 which he himself was not spared to carry out. This Asso¬ 
 ciation has now been duly registered and incorporated 
 according to Siamese law, and a recent campaign 
 increased the membership to one hundred and twenty. 
 
 The situation of Bangkok affords unlimited opportunities 
 for itineration. Rev. Eugene Dunlap, D. D.,, the senior 
 member of the mission, has spent a large part of his long 
 ministry in visiting both shores of the Gulf of Siam in the 
 mission schooner, and has made long journeys, preaching, 
 teaching and healing, in the Malay Peninsula and on the 
 shores of the Bay of Bengal. 
 
 Ayuthia was occupied as a separate station, 1872-74, but 
 the available force was not sufficient to maintain it. The 
 mission still holds property there, and Ayuthia has since been 
 worked to some extent from Bangkok, from which it is dis¬ 
 tant about two hours by rail. 
 
 When Petchaburi was first visited by a mis- 
 PETCHABURI, sionary in 1843, his books were refused, and 
 1861 . all his attempts at Christian teaching were 
 
 thwarted by the authorities. But in 1859 the 
 acting Governor welcomed Dr. McGilvary cordially, offering 
 a house and every assistance, if missionaries would settle 
 there and teach his son English. Sickness and death in the 
 little mission circle delayed these plans; but in June, 1861, 
 Dr. McGilvary was finally able to return there with his bride 
 and also another young missionary couple. Dr. and Mrs. 
 McFarland. A site fronting the river was secured for build¬ 
 ings. A church was organized in 1863, a girls’ school opened 
 in 1865, and eventually a boys’ school and a hospital. This 
 station, which since 1905 has been within five hours’ journey 
 by rail from Bangkok, could then be reached only by native 
 rowboats, a journey of about two days and nights. In 1913 
 land was secured, and the Boys’ School transferred to new 
 
40 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 buildings. Evangelistic tours are regularly made through 
 the scattered hamlets and out-stations to the north and south. 
 
 Ratbiiri, thirty-two miles from Petchaburi, was occupied 
 in 1889. Since the opening of the railway, it has been pos¬ 
 sible to oversee the work from Petchaburi, and in 1913 the 
 last resident missionary was withdrawn. 
 
 The chapel, schools and hospital, with a missionary resi¬ 
 dence, have been rebuilt on a new site. The hospital is cared 
 for by a Simo-Chinese medical man, Kean Koo, who is com¬ 
 petent and faithful. 
 
 Pitsanuloke was one of the ancient capitals 
 PITSANULOKE, of Siam, and is still a provincial capital. It 
 1899 . is located on the Nan River, two hundred 
 
 and forty miles above Bangkok. Dr. and 
 Mrs. Toy and Rev. and Mrs. Boon-Itt began permanent 
 work there in 1897, although Pitsanuloke was not ofidcially 
 recognized as an independent station until 1899. Dr. Toy 
 and family lived for some time in a house boat, which served 
 also as a floating dispensary, there being for several years 
 no funds available for suitable dwellings on land. The hos¬ 
 pital buildings and the substantial teak building for the 
 Padoong Rart Boys’ School, were put up with funds raised 
 entirely on the field. Since 1908 the completion of the rail¬ 
 way linking Pitsanuloke with Bangkok and with the sur¬ 
 rounding towns of Pitsanuloke field has greatly improved the 
 facilities for touring and other mission work. A good 
 motor launch has also been secured for touring by water in 
 this wide field. A church was organized in August, 1909. 
 IMany improvements have recently been made in the hospital 
 buildings with funds raised by Dr. Shellman on the field. A 
 new building was put up in 1914 for the Girls’ School. The 
 enrollment in 1915 was about forty girls, and forty-five in 
 the Padoong Rart School for Boys. 
 
 “Pitsanuloke," says Dr. Brown’s report, “impressed me as one of 
 the strategic points in all Siam for a w'ell-equipped station. Its natural 
 held extends northward to the border of the Laos Mission at Uteradit, 
 six days distant by boat, and along the intervening river bank are nearly 
 two hundred villages. Southward the Pitsanuloke Station has no less 
 than one hundred and fifty villages lining the banks between it and 
 Paknampo, an eight days’ journey, where it meets the northern end 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 41 
 
 of the Bangkok Station field. The people are chiefly farmers and 
 traders—the most reliable class. Westward the missionaries can find 
 other villages during a six days’ overland trip to Raheng on the Me 
 Ping River, while eastward for an indefinite distance there are hundreds 
 of villages which have never even seen a missionary. Our mission 
 compound is a spacious tract, extending feet along the river, and 
 650 feet back from it.” 
 
 The liealing of a native of this province at 
 NAKON SRI the Petchaburi hospital in 1883, resulted in 
 TAMARAT, 1900. his conversion, which was followed up by 
 several missionary tours to that region. 
 In 1895 the converts were organized into a church. Their 
 number grew, and in March, 1900, a permanent station was 
 opened by the arrival of Rev. Charles Eckels and Dr. 
 Hamilton. For some years this distant outpost, three hun¬ 
 dred and fifty miles from any other missionary, was most 
 of the time held by the Eckels family alone. They kept up 
 dispensary as well as evangelistic and other work until the 
 transfer from Petchaburi of Dr. Swart. By his efforts suf¬ 
 ficient funds were secured to build and equip an excellent 
 hospital, the new buildings being dedicated in 1907. All the 
 materials, except brick, had to be imported—teak from Lao 
 forests, other lumber and paint from Bangkok, tiles and lime 
 from Singapore, cement from Copenhagen, steilite ceilings 
 from London, and hardware from New York. The roomy 
 wards are almost constantly filled, and at times patients have 
 to wait for room. Quite a number of these patients have 
 been converted and joined the church. 
 
 The new station at Taptieng, far south in the 
 TAPTIENG, Malay Peninsula, was opened in 1910 by Dr. 
 
 1910 . E. P. Dunlap and wife, and Lucius Bulkley, 
 M. D. The late High Commissioner, Phya 
 Ratsada, had built and donated the hospital building and 
 , the doctor’s residence in gratitude for his recovery under 
 Dr. Dunlap’s treatment from a serious illness. Taptieng is 
 an important market town in Trang Province, and in 1914 
 was linked by the completion of the railway with Nakon Sri 
 Tamarat, and was also made a post office and telegraph sta¬ 
 tion, thus ending its previous extreme isolation from other 
 workers in Siam. 
 

 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 North Siam. 
 
 Near Petchabiiri are several villages settled by 
 CHIENG MAI, descendants of Lao captives of war. Becom- 
 1867 . ing deeply interested in this race, Dr. McGil- 
 vary and Dr. Wilson secured mission author¬ 
 ity to explore the unknown region to the north. After 
 spending ten days at Chieng Mai, January, 1864, they re¬ 
 turned full of enthusiasm for this new field. But such mani¬ 
 fold difficulties intervened that not until April, 1867, after a 
 tedious three months’ trip at low water up through the many 
 rapids, were the McGilvarys able to open at Chieng Mai the 
 first station among the I.ao race. The Wilsons followed 
 early the next year. 
 
 What hardships and hazards this involved, we can now 
 scarcely realize. Chieng Mai was then the most isolated and 
 distant missionary outpost in the world, as far in time of 
 travel beyond Bangkok, as Bangkok from the United States, 
 and with not even postal service till many years later. This 
 involved practically cutting themselves off from former asso¬ 
 ciates, to maintain a separate mission. It also involved 
 spending many years in open native salas (rest houses) or 
 bamboo huts, before they could secure land and homes. 
 Until the arrival of the first medical missionary. Dr. Vroo- 
 man, five years later, these isolated families faced sickness 
 and even death of darling children, with no trained physician. 
 In one instance, when Dr. House undertook to meet a special 
 need of both families, he was not only unable to arrive at 
 the critical time, but nearly lost his own life, being gored 
 by his elephant, and having to sew up his own dangerous 
 wounds. 
 
 Furthermore, the virtual independence of Lao chiefs at 
 that time left the strangers largely at the mercy of capricious 
 local officials, their isolation putting them almost beyond 
 reach of effective and timely protection, either from the 
 Siamese Government or their own American Consul in 
 Bangkok. 
 
 There were in 1867 but twenty-five native Presbyterian 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 43 
 
 communicants in all Siam, or about one convert for each 
 Presbyterian missionary who had labored in that field during 
 a quarter century. 
 
 The occupation of Chieng Mai at such a time had seemed 
 to some members of the missions premature; and when dif¬ 
 ficulties and dangers multiplied, they again urged that it 
 was prudent to withdraw. The determination with which 
 Dr. and Mrs. McGilvary refused to give up this post might 
 well have seemed rash, if not foolhardy; yet the outcome has 
 fully justified their sacrifices and their faith, for this Lao field 
 has since proved an exceptionally fruitful one. 
 
 The First Church of Chieng Mai received more than three 
 hundred new members in 1914, and more than three thou¬ 
 sand v/ithin the half century of its history. From this mother 
 church, thirteen other churches have successively been or¬ 
 ganized, and it still numbers more than one thousand three 
 hundred communicants. 
 
 Chieng Mai is the largest city, the oldest station, and the 
 chief centre for institutional mission work in Northern Siam, 
 including the I.ao Press, Theological Training School, Medi¬ 
 cal School, and Prince Royal College. 
 
 The Severance Dormitory for the Training School was 
 completed in 1915, at a cost of $15,000 gold, and will accom¬ 
 modate two hundred students. During 1914 this Training 
 School was in session eight months, with eighty-five men 
 enrolled, representing every station of North Siam. 
 
 Soon after lack of funds for current expenses made it 
 necessar}' to limit attendance to thirty at any one time, dif¬ 
 ferent students coming at different times for one or two 
 months of consecutive study and training, but sent out each 
 week end for practical experience in evangelistic work. 
 
 An appeal for the financial support of this work was sent 
 to all the Lao churches. The first gift in response was from 
 the Church of the Lepers—the equivalent of ten dollars 
 gold, saved from their pennies by these poor incurables, who 
 know from experience what the Cospel means to lives other¬ 
 wise doomed to hopeless misery. 
 
 The majority of the students are men of limited education 
 
44 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 employed as evangelists. But six young men, representing 
 three stations, are preparing themselves for ordination by a 
 fuller and more advanced theological course. 
 
 Lampoon, eighteen miles south of Chieng Mai, was occupied 
 in 1891 by Rev. and Mrs. Dodd, the government granting a 
 fine property for religious and medical purposes. In recent 
 years this has been grouped with Chieng Mai, as a sub¬ 
 station. 
 
 In 1877 a venerable man of high rank, 
 LAKAWN LAMPANG, then seventy-three years of age, came 
 1885 . to Chieng Mai to ask medicine for his 
 
 deafness, and referred to the miracu¬ 
 lous cure which Christ had wrought upon a deaf man. He 
 proved to be the highest official of the court in the Province 
 of I.akawn Lampang. Twenty years before, he had visited 
 Banglcok and received religious books from Dr. Bradley 
 printed in the Siamese character, which he had to learn for 
 the purpose of reading them. He gave assent to the truth 
 so far as he could understand it, but had never found any 
 missionary to give him further instruction. At Chieng Mai 
 he immediately sought out the missionaries, and made this 
 matter his one study, obtaining Buddhist books from the 
 temple and comparing them with Christian books. He soon 
 professed his faith in Christ and joined the Chieng Mai 
 church. As soon as he was known to be a Christian, he 
 was ordered back to his native city. Threatened with death, 
 he said; “If they want to kill me because I worship Christ 
 and not demons, I will let them pierce me.” His life was 
 spared in the end, but office, wealth and social position were 
 taken, and he was ignored by all his friends. Later we hear 
 of this aged man starting to walk all the way to Chieng Mai, 
 being too impoverished to command any mode of convey¬ 
 ance. The result of this second visit was the return with 
 him of two native members from the Chieng Mai church 
 to begin work in his native city. Out of this there developed 
 one of our most promising stations; and the whole affair is 
 directly traceable to the patient work of that early missionary 
 who never in this life came to know anything of it. 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 45 
 
 Lakawn Lampang (Lampang City) was first occupied as a 
 permanent station in 1885 by Dr. and Mrs. Peoples, who 
 established both medical and school work. The Governor 
 gave a fine site for a hospital, and the original building was 
 put up in 1893. 
 
 In that same year the country sufifered from a terrible 
 famine. Even the seed-rice was consumed, and many sold 
 themselves into slavery. Relief committees were at once 
 formed, and by the aid of money from America the mission¬ 
 aries were able to distribute rice, both for seed and food, and 
 relieve the worst suffering until another harvest could be 
 gathered. Nearly ten thousand dollars was expended in this 
 work of mercy, which did much to open the hearts of the 
 people to Christianity. 
 
 The station work is centred in two large compounds on 
 the river about a mile apart. In the southern compound 
 are two missionary homes and the boys’ school. Stretching 
 back from this compound is a tract of sixty acres presented 
 by King Chulalongkorn, on which it was hoped to develop 
 an industrial farm. This hope is now being realized in part. 
 Eight miles east rises a beautiful chain of hills, the boundary 
 of the province. On one of the peaks is built a bamboo 
 cottage, to which the missionaries sometimes resort in the 
 hot season for a short rest in the cooler air. 
 
 The church, organized in 1880, has grown steadily, and 
 two more churches have been organized. The membership 
 includes a number of scattered families in remote villages, 
 and there is a large field for itinerating work. 
 
 A training class is maintained for Lao helpers, and Bible 
 women are employed to teach the women in their homes. 
 
 Three Chinese and one Siamese gentlemen of means jointly 
 met the whole expense of adding to the hospital plant a new 
 ward, which was dedicated in February, 1915, the donors 
 naming it “Preeda Ward,” which means “Appreciation.” 
 This substantial building is intended for the use of high class 
 Asiatic and European patrons, and is well adapted to its 
 purpose. 
 
46 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 The town of Prae is about sixty-five miles east 
 PRAE, 1893. of Lakawn Lampang, on the banks of the Yome 
 River, and in the centre of a beautiful and fer¬ 
 tile plain, dotted with villages. The population within a 
 radius of fifteen miles is estimated at one hundred thousand. 
 The famine of 1893 was specially severe in this region, and 
 many heard of Christ through the relief work. The first 
 resident missionaries were Dr. and Mrs. Briggs in 1893, 
 followed in 1894 by Rev. and Mrs. Shields. A church was 
 organized, and school and dispensary work begun—all show¬ 
 ing good promise. 
 
 In 1908, the missionary in charge was compelled by failing 
 health to leave Siam, and furthermore the undermining of 
 the river banks at flood season made the old mission com¬ 
 pound untenable. But a fine new site of nearly twenty acres 
 has now been secured, and the station rebuilt. Since the 
 arrival of Rev. and Mrs. Gillies in December, 1911, and Dr. 
 and Mrs. Cort in February, 1912, progress has been very 
 rapid. In 1914, more than one hundred and fifty new mem¬ 
 bers were gathered into the church. Both the medical work 
 and schools also show encouraging progress in numbers and 
 self-support. 
 
 Nan is a beautiful walled city on the Nan River, 
 NAN, 1894. and capital of Nan Province, which has a popu¬ 
 lation of one hundred and fifty thousand. It 
 was visited by Dr. and Mrs. Peoples in 1894, but their per¬ 
 manent occupation was delayed until September, 1895. A 
 vigorous church has been developed, and the city is also an 
 important centre for itinerating, with many out-stations. 
 The Sunday school raises funds to send out one of its mem¬ 
 bers as an evangelist. Each March a Conference for Chris¬ 
 tian Workers is held, with special reference to the needs of 
 the country Christians. 
 
 Since 1914, the general evangelistic work has been in the 
 care of Dr. and Mrs. Peoples. This is the first time in the 
 history of the station that there has been a man free to devote 
 his whole time to evangelistic touring. 
 
 Dr. Taylor, in charge of Nan Church, reported forty-four 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 47 
 
 adults baptized in 1914—threefold more than the previous 
 year. 
 
 In January, 1915, the schools had seventy-five boys en¬ 
 rolled, forty of whom were boarders, and fifty-five girls. 
 
 Mr. Palmer, Principal of tlie Boys’ School, says: “We are 
 rejoicing in our new brick building, which has a nice assem¬ 
 bly room and three class rooms. The acetylene gas plant 
 gives excellent light. When the wings planned for and 
 needed are built, we would not trade our school plant for any 
 other in the mission.” The Girls’ School was also soon to 
 be housed in a new brick building. 
 
 The antiquated wooden structure that now serves as a 
 hospital needs to be replaced with a suitable building. Dr. 
 Beach reports his discovery of the startling prevalence of 
 the hook-worm infection. Examination of more than one 
 hundred and fifty individuals from a wide area in the province 
 showed indications that ninety per cent, of the common peo¬ 
 ple are victims of the malady. 
 
 Dr. McGilvary first preached the Gospel at 
 CHIENGRAI, Chiengrai (Chienghai) in 1872, beginning those 
 1897 . annual tours which, by the blessing of God, 
 resulted in the formal opening of a station in 
 1897, with Rev. W. C. Dodd, Dr. Denman and their wives, 
 as the first resident missionaries. 
 
 This frontier post, one hundred and thirty miles north of 
 Chieng Mai, is essentially an itinerating station. The coun¬ 
 try trails are difficult from May to September, but all the 
 cool season is utilized for trips by land and water, often to 
 districts never before visited by missionaries. The tours of 
 Dr. McGilvary in 1897 and 1898 among the “Ka Mu” hill 
 tribes living in French territory east of the Cambodian 
 frontier resulted in the formation of a little church. These 
 converts were visited by Lao evangelists, and by Dr. Dodd 
 and others, until the F'rench authorities forbade further visits 
 and even the circulation of papers and leaflets in the Lao 
 dialect. There would probably be no objection, however, to 
 evangelistic work among these Lao. if conducted by a sepa¬ 
 rate mission located entirely within French territory, and by 
 workers who could speak French. 
 
48 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 The Chiengrai Church has built a chapel and maintains a 
 liourishing Sunday school. The organization of Chieng 
 Kum Church' in September, 1914, makes six churches in this 
 station field, with a present membership of one thousand 
 communicants. 
 
 The Kennedy Boys’ School, a boarding school for girls, 
 and about one hundred and fifty day pupils enrolled in eight 
 parochial schools, testify to the interest in education at this 
 distant station. 
 
 The Overbrook Hospital (a gift from the Gest family of 
 Overbrook, Pennsylvania) is the finest building in the North 
 Siam Mission. 
 
 Keng Tung (pronounced Keng Toong), in 
 KENG TUNG. British Burma, eleven days’ journey north of 
 Chiengrai, was occupied by Dr. and Mrs. 
 Dodd, 1904-08, and a promising work begun, with an organ¬ 
 ized church and nearly fifty members. The Presbyterian 
 Board has since yielded that territory to the Baptists, but 
 has planned for the opening instead of a new station at 
 Chieng Rung, as soon as funds permit. 
 
 Chieng Rung (also called Chieng Hung, 
 CHIENG RUNG, pronounced Hoong or Roong) is an import¬ 
 ant town on the Kong (Cambodian) River, 
 three hundred miles north of Chieng Mai, in South Yunnan, 
 China. This will be the strategic centre for extension of 
 mission work among the eight million unevangelized Lao 
 beyond the frontier of Siam. 
 
 SIAM IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. 
 
 The Government of Siam had an exhibit at the St. Louis 
 Exposition of 1903, and made a still more creditable showing 
 in the Siamese pavilion at the Panama Exposition of 1915. 
 
 Since the opening of this twentieth century, railway con¬ 
 struction and various other unifying influences have brought 
 the various peoples and missions of Indo-Qiina into closer 
 relations than ever before. 
 
 The Siam Council, representing both Presbyterian Mis- 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 49 
 
 sions, has been established to consult on matters of common 
 concern, with a view to secure closer co-operation and 
 greater efficiency. And when, in 1915, war conditions in 
 Europe brought serious financial embarrassment upon the 
 Swiss Mission to the Lao race in French territory, members 
 of both Presbyterian missions in Siam personally contributed 
 over three hundred ticals for their relief. 
 
 A Conference of Christian Workers, held annually since 
 1905, has done much to inspire and stimulate the Christians 
 there assembled from widely separated fields of work. Of 
 the fifty-two speakers who took assigned parts in the three 
 days’ program of the 1914 Conference in Bangkok, thirty- 
 nine were Siamese. A Simo-Chinese, Kroo Kim Heng, was 
 chosen to preside as chairman, and under his efficient leader¬ 
 ship the meeting was a great success. 
 
 It is expected that by 1917 all our existing mission stations 
 in Siam will be linked together by railway and motor lines, 
 extending from Chieng Mai in the far north to Taptieng in 
 the extreme south. 
 
 The South Siam Mission has now (July, 1915) 
 STATISTICS five principal stations, with forty-eight Ameri- 
 OF GROWTH, can missionaries: and North Siam, five princi¬ 
 pal stations, with fifty-seven missionaries—one 
 hundred and five in all, including some on furlough. The 
 1914 reports showed for the Presbytery of Siam, thirteen 
 organized churches, with 819 communicants and 936 pupils 
 in thirteen Sunday schools; for North Lao Presbytery, 
 twenty-eight organized churches, with 6,934 communicants 
 and 6,588 pupils in eighty Sunday schools. During the past 
 three years, 1912-14 inclusive, 3,830 new members have been 
 gathered into the Church, the average each year thus ecpial- 
 ing the whole number gained in the first half century, 
 i8z]o-9o. 
 
 The number of pupils, in round numbers, had in 1914 
 increased to 1,500 boys and 900 girls in fifty mission schools. 
 Of these, one-fourth were boarders, and 150 pupils joined 
 the Church within the year. The total school revenues in 
 .Siam were, in United States money, $25,000; and medical 
 revenues, $31,500. 
 
50 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 I'hree schools in North Siam and seven in South Siam 
 were fully self-supporting. 
 
 Of the eighteen Montons (Provinces) in 
 CLAIMS OF SIAM, the Kingdom of Siam, seven only now 
 
 have any resident Protestant missionary. 
 Seven others can be worked more or less bv extended tours. 
 Rut the four provinces to the east, approximately equal in 
 area and population to the whole State of Michigan (over 
 60,000 square miles and 2,530,000 souls), are still unevangel¬ 
 ized, and so distant as to be practically inaccessible from any 
 existing station. 
 
 To meet the urgent need of this region, the missions are 
 anxious to establish a station at Korat, and probably another 
 at Roy Ett, capital of the province next beyond. Both mis¬ 
 sions recently approved the offer of two experienced mis¬ 
 sionaries to pioneer this work as soon as feasible, though it 
 cannot be undertaken with the present force. As Dr. Arthur 
 Brown reported so long ago as 1902; “Korat, 750 feet above 
 sea level, is a wdiolly independent centre, terminus of a rail¬ 
 way which gives it direct communication with Bangkok, one 
 hundred and sixty-three miles distant. When we occupy 
 Korat, our work will touch all the important centres in 
 Siam.” 
 
 “In North Siam there is a general expectation of another 
 Buddha, Ahreya Mettai. These people, hungry for truth 
 that satisfies and longing for light, are awaiting the coming 
 of the promised Messiah of Buddhism. Never has the Chris¬ 
 tian missionary had a better opportunity to take tactful ad¬ 
 vantage of a national belief to present the Gospel of Christ.” 
 
 “In spite of obstacles, Siam and Lao are among our most 
 promising mission fields. There are notable advantages in 
 the openness of the entire country, the good-will of all classes, 
 the willingness of high officials to send their children to our 
 schools, the frankly expressed gratitude of the King and his 
 Ministers for the services the missionaries have rendered to 
 Siam, and the comparative absence of that bitter poverty 
 which so oppresses the traveler in India. Then there is no 
 caste, no ancestral worship, no child marriage, no shutting 
 up of women in inaccessible zenanas.” 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 51 
 
 Nor should we forget that this extensive field, peopled by 
 the Tai race, has, in the Providence of God, been committed 
 to our Presbyterian Church, though but a small part has 
 yet been) occupied, so that for this our special field we alone 
 must bear the grave responsibility. 
 
 The favor of princes is proverbially uncertain. Political 
 complications may some day close against us the doors that 
 now stand so invitingly open. The revival of interest in 
 historic Buddhism may end in transforming easy tolerance 
 into active antagonism. We can scarcely expect that the 
 present remarkable freedom from external obstacles will 
 always continue, should we neglect our present opportunity. 
 
52 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 MISSIONARIES IN SIAM, 1840-1915. 
 
 * Died while connected with the Mission. Dates, term of service in the field. 
 1 Signifies reappointed; 2 transferred; 3 service in both Missions. 
 
 For the list of missionaries at each station, consult the current Year Book. 
 
 South Siam. 
 
 -Anderson, Miss Arabella 
 
 F. (Mrs. Henry Noyes, 
 
 China) .1872-1876 
 
 Armstrong, Rev. Harry.1901-1902 
 
 Armstrong, Mrs.1901-1902 
 
 Arthur, Rev. R.1871-1873 
 
 Arthur, Mrs.1871-1873 
 
 Bates, Miss Elsie (Mrs. 
 
 Vernon Kellett) .1891-1898 
 
 Berger, Rev. Christian. 1888-1890 
 Berger, Mrs. (Miss 
 
 Van Email) .1887-1890 
 
 '’ Bissell, Miss Edna.1899-1906 
 
 Blount, Miss Bertha.... 1908- 
 *Boon-Itt, Rev. Boon... .1893-1903 
 Boon-Itt, Mrs. Kim 
 
 Hawk.1897-1903 
 
 -Boyd, Harry, AI. D. 
 
 (China) .1931-1902 
 
 -Boyd, Mrs. (China)... 1901-1902 
 Buell, Rev. William.... 1840-1844 
 
 Buell, Mrs.1840-184^ 
 
 Bulkley, Lucius, M. D. .1905- 
 Bulkley, Airs. (Aliss E. 
 
 Bruner) . 1903- 
 
 Bush, Rev. Stephen.1849-1852 
 
 *Bush, Airs.1849-1851 
 
 Caldwell, Air. Albert... 1909-1912 
 
 Caldwell, Airs.1909-1912 
 
 Carden, Rev. Patrick... 1866-1868 
 
 Carden, Airs.1866-1868 
 
 -Carrington, Rev. John, 
 
 D. D. (Bible Society) 1869-1875 
 
 Carrington, Airs.1869-1875 
 
 Christensen, Aliss J....1911- 
 Coffman, Aliss Sarah... 1874-1882 
 
 ^Cole, Aliss Edna S.1879- 
 
 Conybeare, Air. Samuel. 1909-1911 
 
 Conybeare, Airs.1909-1911 
 
 1 Cooper, Rev. Willard.. 1886- 
 Cooper, Airs. Nettie 
 
 Sayers .1886-1887 
 
 Cooper, Airs. (Aliss S. 
 
 E. Parker) .1890- 
 
 Cooper, Aliss Larissa J.. 1890- 
 
 Cort, Aliss Alary.1874-1891 
 
 Cross. Airs. Samuel 
 
 (Aliss Linnell) .1882-1885 
 
 Culbertson, Rev. John.. 1871-18S1 
 Culbertson, Airs. (Aliss 
 Belle Caldwell) .1878-18S1 
 
 2 Dickey, Aliss Elizabeth 
 
 (China) .1871-1873 
 
 Dunlap, Rev. E., D. D.. .1875- 
 Dunlap, Airs. Emma... 1875- 
 Dunlap, Rev. J., D. D...i8^- 
 Dunlap, Airs. (Aliss 
 
 Alary Stoaks) .1888- 
 
 Eakin, Rev. John, D.D. .1888- 
 *Eakin, Airs. (Aliss 
 
 Laura Olmstead) ...1880-1896 
 Eakin, Airs. (Airs. 
 
 Lyman, 1896) .1899- 
 
 Eakin, Aliss Elizabeth.. 1891-1901 
 
 Eakin, Rev. Paul.1913- 
 
 Eakin, Aliss Ruth.1914- 
 
 Eckels, Rev. Charles... 1888- 
 Eckels, Airs. (Aliss AI. 
 
 Galt) .1891- 
 
 Ellinwood, Aliss Alice..1911- 
 ^ Franklin, Rev. Robert.. 1902- 
 
 ^ Franklin, Airs.1902- 
 
 F'uller, Rev. Graham.. .1915- 
 
 Fuller, Airs.1915- 
 
 Gait, Aliss Annabel.... 1891- 
 George, Rev. Samuel C. 1862-1873 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 53 
 
 George, Mrs.1862-1873 
 
 Grimstead, Miss S. D... 1874-1877 
 2 Hamilton, Guy, M. D. 
 
 (China) .1899-190T 
 
 - Hamilton, Mrs. (China) .1899-1901 
 Hartwell, Miss Mary... 1879-1884 
 
 Hays, T. H., M. D.1886-1891 
 
 Hays, Mrs. (Miss J. 
 
 Nielson) .1884-1890 
 
 House, Rev. S., M. D... 1847-1876 
 House, Mrs. Harriet N. 1856-1876 
 
 Jones, Rev. Robert C...1899- 
 Jones,Mrs.Jegsie Magill 1899- 
 Lee, William, M. D.. . .1890-1891 
 
 Lee, Mrs.1890-1891 
 
 *Lyman, Rev. F. L.1896-1897 
 
 Mattoon, Rev. Stephen. 1847-1865 
 *Mattoon, Mrs.1847-1864 
 
 - McCauley, Rev. J. M. 
 
 (Japan) .1878-1880 
 
 - McCauley,Mrs. (Japan) 1878-1880 
 McClelland, Rev. Chas.. 1880-1882 
 
 McClelland, Mrs.1880-1882 
 
 McClure, Rev. W., D.D. 1886- 
 McClure, Mrs.(Miss M. 
 
 J. Henderson) .1886- 
 
 *McClure, Mr. Arthur.. 1912-1915 
 McClure, Miss Helen.. .1914- 
 
 McCord, Miss Margaret. 1905- 
 McDaniel,Edward,M.D. 1903- 
 
 McDaniel, Mrs.1903- 
 
 McDonald, Rev.N.,D.D. 1860-1886 
 
 McDonald, Mrs.1860-1884 
 
 McDonald, Miss Hattie. 1879-1882 
 McDonald, Miss Mary. 1881-1886 
 McFarland, Rev. Samuel 
 
 D. D.1860-1878 
 
 McFarland, Mrs.1860-1878 
 
 McKee, Rev. Archie... 1899-1901 
 
 McKee, Mrs.1899-1901 
 
 *McLaren, Rev. Charles. 1882-1883 
 Mercer, Miss Bertha... 1912- 
 Moeller, Miss Beatrice. 1912- 
 Moody, Rev. Hugh.... 1905-1907 
 
 Moody, Mrs.1905-1907 
 
 Morse, Rev. Andrew... 1856-1857 
 
 Morse, Mrs.1856-1857 
 
 *Odell, Mr. John.1863-1864 
 
 Paddock, Benj., M. D. .1888-1890 
 Post, Rev. Richard.... 1902- 
 
 Post, Mrs.1902- 
 
 Ricketts, Miss Annie 
 
 (Mrs. Chas. Barley) . 1893-1895 
 Shellman, Carl, M. D. .1906- 
 
 Shellnian, Mrs.1906- 
 
 *Sma!l, Miss Jennie.1886-1891 
 
 Snyder, Rev. Frank.... 1890- 
 
 Snyder, Mrs.1890- 
 
 Spilman, Mr. Edward.. 1909- 
 
 Spilman, Mrs.1912- 
 
 Steele, Mr. Clarence.. .1911- 
 
 Steele, Mrs.1911- 
 
 Stewart, Rev. Herbert. 1910- 
 
 Stewart, Mrs.1910- 
 
 - Sturge, Ernest, M. D. 
 
 (San Francisco) ....1880-1885 
 -Sturge, Mrs. (San 
 
 Francisco) .1881-1885 
 
 Swart, William, M. D... 1898-1913 
 
 *Swart, Mrs.1898-1901 
 
 Swart, Mrs.1905-1913 
 
 *Thompson, James, M.D. 1886-1898 
 
 Thompson, Mrs.1886-1893 
 
 Toy, Walter, M. D.1891-1905 
 
 *Toy, Mrs.1891-1905 
 
 Van Dyke, Rev. James. 1869-1886 
 
 Van Dyke, Mrs.1869-1883 
 
 Van Metre, Paul, M. D. 1913- 
 
 Van Metre, Mrs.1913- 
 
 W'achter, Rev. E., M.D. .1884- 
 Wachter, Mrs. (Mrs. 
 
 McLaren) .1882- 
 
 Walker, Chas., M. D... 1904-1913 
 
 *Walker, Mrs.1904-1906 
 
 Walker, Mrs. Winnett. . 1911-1913 
 *Wilson, Maria (Mrs. 
 
 Jonathan) .1858-1860 
 
54 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 North Siam. 
 
 Bachtell, Rev. Ray.1911- 
 
 *Bachtell, Mrs. (Miss 
 
 Campbell) .1910-1915 
 
 Barrett, Rev. A. P.1904-1907 
 
 Barrett, Mrs.1904-190“ 
 
 Beach, William, M. D.. 1912- 
 
 Beach, Mrs.1912- 
 
 Beebe, Rev. Lyle.1908- 
 
 *Beebe, Mrs.1911-1913 
 
 Briggs, Wm., M. D.1890- 
 
 *Briggs, Mrs.1890-1891 
 
 Briggs, Mrs.1^2- 
 
 Brunner, Miss Hazel.. .1912- 
 
 Buck, Miss Edith.1903- 
 
 1 Callender, Rev. Chas...1896- 
 
 1 Callender, Mrs. Chas... 1896- 
 *Campbell, Miss Mary.. .1879-1881 
 Campbell, Rev.H., D.D. 1894- 
 Campbell, Mrs. Sarah.. 1894- 
 Carothers, Miss Eliz_1904-1910 
 
 Cary, A. M., M. D.1886-1888 
 
 *Cary, Mrs.1886-1887 
 
 Cheek, Marion, M. D... 1875-1886 
 Cheek, Mrs. Sarah B.. .1875-1883 
 Collins, Rev. David.... 1886- 
 
 Collins, Mrs.1886- 
 
 Cornell, Howard, M.D.. 1903-1904 
 
 Cornell, Mrs.1903-1904 
 
 Cort, Edwin, M.D.1908- 
 
 Cort, Mrs. (Miss Mabel 
 
 Gilson) .1904- 
 
 Crooks, Charles, M.D... 1904- 
 
 Crooks, Mrs.1904- 
 
 Curtis, Rev. L. H.1895-1899 
 
 Curtis, Mrs. Lilian.1895-1899 
 
 Denman, Rev. C., M.D. .1894-1906 
 
 Denman, Mrs.1894-1906 
 
 Dodd, Rev. Wm., D.D.1886- 
 Dodd, Mrs. (Miss Belle 
 
 Eakin) .1888- 
 
 *Fleeson, Miss Kate.... 1888-1905 
 Freeman, Rev. John H..1894- 
 •■^F'reeman, Mrs. (Miss 
 
 Emma Flitchcock) ..1892- 
 
 Ghormley, Miss Hattie. 1895-1899 
 Gillies, Rev. Roderick. .1902- 
 Gillies, Mrs. (Miss M. 
 
 A. McGilvary) .1891- 
 
 Griffin, Miss Isabella... 1882-1903 
 
 Hansen, Carl, M. D_1895-1908 
 
 Hansen, Mrs.1895-1907 
 
 Flarris, Rev. William ...1895- 
 
 Harris, Mrs. (Miss C. 
 
 H. McGilvary) ..1889- 
 
 Hartzell, Rev. Jacob. ..1912- 
 
 Hartzell, Mrs.1912- 
 
 Hatch, Miss Julia.1894-1903 
 
 “Hearst, Rev. J. (Japan) 1882-1883 
 -Hearst, Mrs. (Japan). .1882-1883 
 -Irwin, Rev. Robert 
 
 (Bible Society) .1890-1905 
 
 Irwin, Mrs. (Mary 
 Bowman, M. D.) ... .1895-1905 
 
 Irwin, Miss Alta.191S- 
 
 Lyon, William, M.D....1912- 
 
 Lyon, Mrs.1912- 
 
 MacCluer, Rev. Donald. 1910-1911 
 MacCluer, Mrs. S. C... 1910-1911 
 
 MacKay, Rev. C. A_1902-1904 
 
 *MacKay, Mrs.1902-1903 
 
 Martin, Rev. Chalmers, 
 
 D. D.1884-1886 
 
 Martin, Mrs.1884-1886 
 
 Mason, Claude, M.D...1906- 
 
 Mason, Mrs.1906- 
 
 Maxwell, Miss Maud.. 1914- 
 
 2McGilvary, Mrs. S. B..1860- 
 McGilvary,Rev.Evander 1891-1894 
 
 McGilvary, Mrs.1891-1894 
 
 McKean, James, M.D...1889- 
 
 McKean, Mrs.1889- 
 
 McKean, Miss Kate... .1912- 
 McMullin, Mr. Arthur.. 1912- 
 Niederhauser, Miss M.. 1915- 
 Palmer, Rev. Marion.. 1906- 
 Palmer, Mrs.1906- 
 
THE MISSIONS IN SIAM. 
 
 55 
 
 Park, Rev. David.1899-190S 
 
 Park, Mrs.18^-1908 
 
 Park, Charles, M.D.1913- 
 
 Park, Mrs. (Miss 
 
 Marie Collins) .1910- 
 
 Peoples, Rev. S., M.D.. .1882- 
 Peoples, Mrs. (Miss 
 
 Sarah Wirt) .1882- 
 
 *Phraner, Rev. Stanley.. 1890-1895 
 *Phraner, Mrs. Stanley. 1890-1891 
 Phraner, Mrs. (Miss E. 
 
 Westervelt) .1884-1895 
 
 Preston, Mr. Newell... 1914- 
 
 Preston, Mrs.1914- 
 
 Reid, Mr. Henry.1911-' 
 
 Reid, Mrs. (Miss A. 
 
 Burr) .1912- 
 
 Shields, Rev. William. .1894-1903 
 
 Shields, Mrs.1894-1900 
 
 Starling, Miss Lucy.... 1909- 
 Taylor, Rev. PL, D.D...1888- 
 Taylor, Mrs.1888- 
 
 Thomas, Rev.J.S., M.D. 1894-1903 
 
 Thomas, Mrs.1894-1903 
 
 Van Vranken, Miss E. .1906- 
 Vincent, Rev. Howell.. 1903- 
 
 Vincent, Mrs.1903- 
 
 Vrooman, Chas., M.D... 1871-1873 
 2 Waite, Rev. J. (China) . 1899-1901 
 2 Waite, Mrs. (China)... 1899-1901 
 ^Waite, Rev. A. (China) . 1899-1901 
 2 Warner, Miss Antoin¬ 
 
 ette (Japan) .1882-1885 
 
 White, Rev. Henry.1902- 
 
 White, Mrs.1902- 
 
 *3 Wilson, Rev. J., D.D.. 1858-191 r 
 *3 Wilson, Mrs. Kate... 1866-1876 
 Wilson, Miss Margaret. 1895-1907 
 ^Wishard, Miss Florence 
 (Mrs. Albert Fulton, 
 
 of China) .1882-1883 
 
 Worthington, Miss H...1913- 
 Yates, Rev. William.... 1909-1913 
 
56 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 BOOKS OF REFERENCE. 
 
 Encyclopaedia Brilannica, art. Siam. 
 
 An Oriental Land of the Free. Freeman. 1910. Presbyterian Board 
 of Publication. 
 
 The Kingdom of Siam. Carter. 1904. Putnam Sons. 
 
 Christ and Buddha. Cushing. 1907. American Baptist Pub. Society. 
 Nearer and P'arther East; Chapter V, on Siam. Dr. Arthur J. Brown. 
 190S. 35 cents. 
 
 The White Elephant (bi-monthly). 25 cents a year. 405 West Adams 
 Street, Fairheld, Iowa. 
 
 Educational Series, Siam. 3 cents. Philadelphia. 1915. 
 
 Medical Mission Series, Siam. 3 cents. Philadelphia. 1914. 
 Itinerating in Siam. Dr. E. P. Dunlap. 1907. 3 cents. Board of 
 Foreign Missions, New York. 
 
 Work among Lepers. J. W. McKean, M.D. 1910. 
 
 Boon Itt in Siam. Dr. J. A. Eakin. Philadelphia. 6 cents. 
 
 Call to Siam. Mrs. Julia Cole. Chicago. 1908. 2 cents. 
 
 Siam; Questions and Answers for Bands. Philadelphia. 1915. 5 cts. 
 
 Lotus Land. Thompson. igo6. Lippincott Co., Philadelphia. 
 
 A Half Century among the Siamese and Lao. Dr. McGilvary. 1912. 
 Revell Co. $2.00. 
 
 The Laos of North .Siam. Mrs. Curtis. 1903. $1.25. 
 
 Laos Folklore. Miss Fleeson. 1899. 
 
 Around the World Series of Missions. Bradt Party, 1912. Chapters 
 VH-IX. Missionary Press Co. $1.50. 
 
 Miracles of Missions. First Series, No. IV. Dr. Arthur Pierson. 
 Funk & Wagnalls. 
 
 The Light of Asia and the Light of the World. Dr. S. H. Kellogg. 
 1885. MacMillan & Co. 
 
 Siam and Laos. 1884. Presbyterian Board of Publication. $1.85. 
 
 .Siam the Heart of Farther India. Miss M. L. Cort. 1886. Randolph 
 
 Co. $1.75. 
 
 Siam: Its Government, Manners and Customs. Dr. N. A. McDonald. 
 1884. $1.25. 
 
 Note. —The above list has been carefully selected, after wide reading, 
 with a view to include only publications of real value. But for busy 
 people who cannot read all, the compiler specially recommends the 
 works listed above the line, as up to date and important. 
 
'-rM