whether in Siam, French, British, or Chinese terri tory. Early Two missionaries sent to China, Mitchell and Orr, December, 1837, were instructed by the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions to investigate Siam as a mission field. After visiting the city of Bangkok, the record says that the Rev. Robert W. Orr reported that "he deemed there was a large field still unoccupied where laborers sent from our Church would be welcomed and have ample employment, though already the missionaries of two Boards were established there." Proceeding to act in accordance with this report, the Board in 1839, "Resolved to establish a branch of the Chinese Mission at Bangkok, and also at the same place a mission to the Siamese," and the Rev. Wm. P. Buell, of Richmond, Va., with his wife was sent. Mr. and Mrs. Buell spent four years in Siam and returned on account of the broken health of Mrs. Buell. The minutes of the Siam Mission, Vol. I., which it was our privilege while in Siam to consult by permission of the Secretary, Rev. A. W. Cooper, relates in addition to the above, that, on the 20th of July, 1846, the Rev. Stephen Matoon with Mrs. Mary I. Mattoon and Samuel R. House, M. D., who had been appointed to recommence the Siam Mission, sailed from New York on a vessel bound for Canton. "After an unusually long, but agreeable passage of 163 days, they reached Macao, Dec. 25th, when no opportunity of going direct to Siam presenting, they were constrained, after a month's delay waiting for a vessel, to proceed via Singapore. In Singapore, where they arrived after a brief voyage of eight days, they were most kindly received by the Rev. B. B. Keesburry there, of the London Mission to the Malays; and, favored in finding in the harbor a trading ship belonging to the King of Siam commanded by a European, a passage to Bangkok was secured, and the ensuing week found them embarked in the "Lion" on their last but most tedious voyage. It was not till the 24th day on the 20th of March, 1847, that their vessel cast anchor in the Siam Roads." As early as 1818 Mrs. Ann Hazeltine Judson, of the Baptist Board, had "set herself to acquire the Siamese language and had translated a catechism and the Gospel of Matthew into that tongue." The American Baptists began work in Siam in 1833. In 1835 the American Board sent D. B. Bradley, M. D., to Bangkok to labor mainly in behalf of the Siamese. The above named missionary societies have long since withdrawn their missionaries from this field; although some of the fruits of their labors are still being looked after by the Baptists who have a Chinese Baptist congregation in Bangkok, which Dr. Foster, whom we met there this past year, told us is the first Protestant church in all Asia. Missions and the Government From the beginning of mission work in the Kingdom of Siam the Government has been for the most part in hearty sympathy with the activities of the missionaries, notwithstanding the government itself along with the people is Buddhistic in its religion. More money has been contributed by the Siamese Government and officials of the government toward the property of the Presbyterian Mission work in Siam than the church in America has contributed to that work. The following communication sent to the American Presbyterian Mission, by the new King of Siam, in reply to a letter of congratulations from the Mission on the occasion of his coronation, clearly manifests the present attitude of the government: "Bangkok, 20th December, 1911. Reverend Gentlemen of the American Presbyterian Mission, I am commanded by His Majesty the King, my August Sovereign, to acknowledge the receipt of the document containing the congratulations to His Majesty on the occasion of his Coronation, which was transmitted through the kind offices of His Excellency, Mr. Hamilton King. His Majesty desires me to express his sincere thanks for your good wishes and to assure you that, mindful of the excellent work performed by the American missionaries for the enlightenment of the people of this country, he will not fail to follow in the footsteps of his Royal Predecessors in affording every encouragement to them in the pursuit of their praiseworthy task. I have the honor to be, Your very obedient servant, The mission work in Siam has been greatly favored also in having as staunch friends the Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the U. S. A., Mr. Hamilton King and his accomplished family. It was our privilege to have frequent conferences with Mr. King, and we found both him and his family most admirable people. At the time we were in Bangkok, also, the acting U. S. Consul was Dr. C. C. Hansen, who had been for years one of the missionaries of the Presbyterian Church U. S. A., and who, of course, is most cooperative now with the missionary force. Thus, polit ically, the missionary work in Siam has many friends at court, especially in the highest circles. When we were in Siam, the missionaries were having some difficulty in buying ground on which to erect their buildings, this being due possibly to the ambitious desire of Siam to get recognition as a most favored nation and be placed on the same footing with Japan in the family of the civilized nations of the earth. Many of the missionaries were favorable to such a treaty between the United States and Siam, and were ready to surrender their extra territorial rights. We mention this as throwing an illuminating side light upon the stage of Siam's advancement in civilization and Christian culture. One of the most potent evangelizing agenThe Press cies both in Siam and Laos has been the Mission Press. The Siam Mission Press, located at Bangkok, dates back of 1841; and the Laos Mission Press, located at Chiengmai, dates back of 1891. These presses are both self-supporting. The missionaries printed the first book ever printed in Siam, viz. the Bible; and the Chiengmai Press is the only press in the world equipped to print the Bible in the Laos language. The manager of the Bangkok Mission Press is Mr. E. M. Spillman, who succeeded Rev. J. B. Dunlap. Mr. Dunlap had managed the press for twenty years and made a great success of it. Mr. Spillman is himself a practical printer and is proving himself not only an excellent press manager, but also a good business manager for the mission all along the line. The manager of the Chiengmai Mission Press is Rev. D. G. Collins, D. D., who has been in this position from the first. When he was chosen in 1891 there was only an old |