opportunity of seeing the large gathering of the Miao who come in for the service and also for medical treatment. Pereira describes Mr. Parsons as one of those apostolic characters who devote their lives to helping poor and down-trodden races ; and Mrs. Parsons he describes as like a mother to the tribe. The famous Sam Pollard started the Mission about seventeen years previously with Mr. and Mrs. Parsons. He invented a writing for the Miao as they then had none, and the Mission now print books in Miao. Sam Pollard was the first to enter the Miao country about 1905 or 1907. Very few others have entered the country. Mr. J. W. Brooke was murdered in it in December 1908. Monseigneur de Guébriant and Vicomte d'011one and party are the only white people who have crossed it ; but Père Walta and perhaps other Catholic missionaries have penetrated to Kia-kio.
Pereira records of the Miao near Shih-menk'an that they are called the Ta-hua Miao on account of the large size of the embroidery which they fabricate. They are below the medium height and are considered to be the lowest in stature of the tribes. Mr. Sam Clarke was of opinion that the Miao were of the same origin as the Chinese and represented an earlier immigration whom the Chinese found in occupation when they reached Shensi and Shansi. Others think they are a distinct aboriginal race.
Pushed south, they retreated to the south side of the Yangtze, and about two centuries ago, when the Chinese pushed southward in Kwei-chow and Yunnan, the Miao retreated still farther west and
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