[
    {
        "id": 210877,
        "series_id": 26,
        "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine",
        "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊",
        "series_use_hku_proxy": false,
        "document_key": "RAS-1986",
        "page_number": 228,
        "title": "RAS-1986",
        "content_text": "211\n\nsome 500 interested people and twice as many had been turned away for lack of room.\n\nIt was time to act. After an impromptu huddle of the dignitaries on the platform during a momentary lull in the proceedings, Mr. Poore announced that a second meeting would be held in a larger building at which the two Chinese would be designated for their work. Mr. Poore later observed that he had been careful not to alarm the Episcopalians with any suggestion of an act implying ordination to a particular ecclesiastical office. He used the term Scripture reader or lay agent to refer to the two young men.\n\nThere were some sour notes struck in the general community. One newspaper sneered at attempts to convert Chinese. Another tried to discredit the qualifications of the young men. In reporting these matters, Mr. Poore noted that the criticisms backfired. They attracted the attention of the community to the meeting and provoked curiosity and interest.\n\nThe Attorney General volunteered to be the main speaker. In his address he reassured his hearers that he had examined and cross-examined the candidates. For Mr. Poore there could have been no better confirmation of his efforts: \"It was a triumphant vindication, and, coming from such a quarter, admitted of no cavil.\"\n\nTo top it all, the committee had been able to secure the services of a missionary from China to accompany and supervise the newly appointed Scripture readers. Mr. Young, the missionary, had been stationed at Amoy. He was able to talk with the Hokien-speaking Chinese and the two young men with the Cantonese.\n\nThe team was sent off to the goldfields at Castlemaine. Here the Christian community had just built the first church in the town. After the arrival of the Rev. Mr. Young and the two Scripture readers, a meeting was held. Mr. Poore, who was present, reported: \"Meeting admirable, speeches good, great pressure of people, many could not get in... The whole Christian community seems to be pervaded with a tender concern for their salvation.”",
        "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1986.txt",
        "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/jq08c7063",
        "rank": 0
    },
    {
        "id": 210878,
        "series_id": 26,
        "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine",
        "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊",
        "series_use_hku_proxy": false,
        "document_key": "RAS-1986",
        "page_number": 229,
        "title": "RAS-1986",
        "content_text": "212\n\n► - + CARL SMITH A notice of a different stamp from the August 14, 1855 issue of The Age is quoted in Geoffrey Serle's history of the colony of Victoria. It states that some 3,000 Chinese converts were present. \"The Chairman expressed his deep regret at the prevailing wickedness of the Colony. Popery ... was rampant (loud cheers). Puseyism was worse (hear, hear) and he should like to thrust the chopsticks of faith into the heart of tractarianism at once (applause). (The Government has done nothing for) the Anglo-Australio-Asiatico evangelical movement . . . A hymn, expressive of pity for all unconverted Chinamen, and the extremist doubt as to their ultimate destiny (was sung).” Serle pointedly remarks: \"Someone's leg was being pulled.\"\n\nIn spite of ridicule in the papers, opposition from the white miners and indifference among the Chinese, the Rev. Mr. Young and his assistants began their work. After three months, Mr. Young reported they had been round to the different camps of Chinese. \"We have visited them in their tents, at their diggings and have on Sabbath days convened them in places of worship.\"\n\nThe results were not as spectacular and inspiring as the initial enthusiasm which launched the mission. However, missionaries sometimes have a dogged persistence even though results are meagre.\n\nAfter a year, Ho A-low wrote to Dr. Legge asking him to send a former student, Leung A-to, to join the work at Castlemaine. Armed with a letter of introduction to the ecumenically constituted committee in Melbourne, A-to set off for Australia. Here he worked at Castlemaine until 1862. During that time there were some 20 converts.\n\nIn 1859, Chu A-luk, who had accompanied Ho A-low in 1855, returned to Hongkong. A-low had already severed his connection with the Castlemaine mission in 1856, but continued to live in Australia. I have no information regarding his future career, but he seems not to have returned to Hongkong. His brother Ho A-mei, who joined him in 1858, although not so",
        "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1986.txt",
        "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/jq08c7063",
        "rank": 0
    }
]