Kiukiang, China,

Sept. 22d, 1875.

My Dear Sister:

Your letter of Aug. 2d reached me this morning, and found me in my usual health and spirits. I find it has been about a month since I wrote home last, but I have such hard work to write at all that I think I cannot write any oftener. Besides the letters I get from home are as few and far between as those I write. I am afraid I cannot comply with your request in sending you the young ladies' pictures, as I have nothing to offer them in exchange, and would not like to ask for photographs gratuitously. Besides I doubt if they have any to dispose of, as there is no place nearer than Shanghai where a moderately good picture can be obtained, and even then the work is of very inferior quality.

Miss Mason has been sick all summer, and unable to do a thing, but I am glad to say that she is now improving. Bro. Hall's wife has been losing her hearing, and he took her to Shanghai for treatment. The physicians under whose care she has been placed express great hopes of curing her, and she has already made great improvement, so that the necessity is obviated of her going home, which for a time seemed the only alternative.

In my last letter I talked about the existing troubles between the Chinese Government and the English, which seemed to forebode a speedy and vigorous war. The aspect of affairs was quite alarming for some time, but Mr. Wade, the British Minister, pressed the Chinese so closely that they gave in at last. A treaty was concluded in which the Chinese agree (1) to cut off the heads of three or four mandarins who were implicated in Mr. Margary's murder, (2) to pay an indemnity of several million dollars to the English Government, (3) to send an embassy to England to apologize for the outrage, and (4) to open a trade route through the Province of Yunnan to Rangoon in Burmah so that the ultimate object of Mr. Margary's expedition is likely to be obtained after all. I presume the names of these places sound barbarous and strange to you, but they are as familiar to us as if we were regular Chinamen. The Chinese have also granted some other things of scarcely less importance, and the prospect of peace and harmony has once more arisen. It seems that the father of the late Emperor, who was hostilely disposed towards foreigners, and who was likely to use his influence against them, has been "laid on the shelf," and Prince Kung, the "champion" of foreigners, has the Government virtually in his own hands. A Peking correspondent of the Shanghai Courier says the Prince enjoys at present unexampled power, and that the outlook for foreigners is brighter than it has ever been before. Of course this assertion must be taken with some allowance, as I doubt if it coincides with the view of very many persons. For my part I have no faith in any permanent peace between China and foreign nations until this proud nation* is thoroughly humbled by the sword. The Chinese have cause of quarrel enough

with foreigners in that the latter have forced the opium trade upon them at the point of

* (The portion of the letter preceding this asterisk is in the possession of Will Pool, and the latter portion was transcribed by Ruth Stritmatter Jarvis in the 1960's. The two portions were recombined during the compilation of Andrew's writings in 1998.)

the bayonet, and are pouring in the pernicious drug upon them every year, draining the country of its wealth (what little there is), and leaving misery, ruin, and death in its place. But it is not so much a wish to put a stop to the opium trade (in which too many of the mandarins themselves are interested) which would drive them to open hostilities with foreigners, as a deeprooted jealousy against the latter, and a desire to keep them entirely

out of the Empire. This, however, it is impossible for them to do, and a war begun on their part would only have the effect ultimately of throwing their country open to foreigners as it has never been done yet.

I have recently taken a week's trip in the Mission boat up the Poyang Lake, but met with nothing of special interest. We have just had our Annual Meeting, and the work has been laid out for the coming year. My health is excellent, I am advancing each day a little in the language, and I trust that within a year from now, with the blessing of God, I shall be able to preach to these idolaters pretty well.

Please remember me to all the friends, none of whom I have yet forgotten, or am likely to. May our Divine Master bless you every one.

I am your aff. brother,
A. Stritmatter

Your letters are very homelike, and every little incident is of interest. Let nothing seem too small to write about, but tell everything as though it concerned me directly.