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[Letter from Young John Allen to Tsoong Kia Tsing, Februray 27, 1906]

On Board T.S.S. “Dakota”
in
Mid-Pacific
Feb 27th 1906
My dear George —

Your letter of Jan 1st reached Shanghai after I had left but caught me up at Kobe, Japan. So I brought it on with several others to be acknowledged at Sea. We left Shanghai on the 4th inst and hope to reach port Seattle, Puget Sound, about 27th or 28th inst. and Georgia a week or ten days afterward —

We crossed the 180° meridian on Tuesday, 20th inst, hence had a double Tuesday or a day of about 47 hours long — This ship Dakota is said to be the largest Cargo Capacity of any vessel afloat at this date — though larger are abuilding — It has 28.000 tons capacity —

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It is simply immense and complete in its accommodation and comfort of its passengers — At present we have only about 10%, but it can accommodate all told some 2000 including Steerage — The recently appointed Imperial Chinese Commission sent abroad to Study and report on the Governments, methods of administration & etc. of different countries, is aboard and comprises some 40 members of suite — Prince (Tsai T__h [unclear] [deleted] ) TSAi Tsêh and two other mandarins of high degree are the heads of the Commission. Two leading Commissioners went on ahead and have already reached Washington — I find them very pleasant, and have been supplying them day by day with reading matter, mostly my own books and copies of my periodicals, which they

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2nd Sheet

have read and appropriated most eagerly — One of them said to me: I find your periodical the best paper in China for the use of information and Edification, and the most widely read and influential among the Officials — I have had some close discussion with the Chief members on the subject of their mission which is to prepare their country for the adoption of Constitutional Govt. and one of the members who listened to my views of China’s needs and how to proceed, etc., remarked there is no one understands China as you do — I esteem this present opportunity for influencing these leaders as one of great importance and so am trying to improve it, both for the Cause of Mission, and the Good of the Country — I regretted very to leave China at this juncture in her history, but hoped to make up for it by contact with the leading members of this Commission. To my gratification

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I found among the suite two of my former pupils at Shanghai, and number of them who were familiar with my books and periodicals, so that intercourse with them from the prince down has been easy and pleasant and I hope profitable. —

I am always glad to hear from you, and I can assure you that it is with the greatest pleasure I look forward to seeing you, and thank you ever so much for your very kind invitation to sojourn with you for several days. It is certainly very kind of you and I am sure I should enjoy as never before such an opportunity for high & holy communion and fellowship.

I can understand your loneliness, for in this far away East, while I have many acquaintances, there are no old friends and the distance, silence and separation from those in the Home land is something appalling —

I mail this in Seattle and will follow it immediately, and hope at a convenient time to be with you — till then good bye my dear old friend — Love to all — YJA