Source/Author: By Rev. J.M. Hoover

After the Boxer rebellion in China in 1900, the conditions under which the Christians lived were very hard. A man, by name Uong Nai Siong, a scholar and teacher of the missionaries who came to Foochow, was a reader of American history. It occured to him that poor Christian Chinese might emigrate as poor English-men had done under much the same conditions when the Mayflower sailed.

So he set out for the South Seas not knowing whither he went, just to have a look around. If you go south from China there is only one place to go, that is Singapore. There he heard of Rajah Brooke and his big fertile domain. So he went to see the Rajah. Now it happens that is Sarawak there is much land suitable for rice culture, and the Rajah had tried to get Chinese to come in to raise rice. Many did come, but soon moved up the river to dig gold. So when Mr. Uong appeared proposing to bring in settlers who were chiefly farmers and whose desire it was to raise rice and then more rice an agreement was soon reached. The Rajah gave a grant of land on the Rejang river, and $20,000 to get the immigrants down. The proprietor, Mr. Uong, was to bring down 1000 farmers. He had no trouble getting this number. In fact so many wanted to come he could choose his men. He selected practically a solid bunch of Methodists.

They went by several boats from Foochow to Hongkong from which place their Mayflower was to sail direct to Borneo. Bishop Warne happened to be in Hongkong on his way to Manila and heard of this band of Pilgrim Fathers, so he joined them. His presence made it much easier to cast off from China. On his way he held services, and the few who were not Christians threw the idols they had with them into the China Sea. After they landed the Bishop stayed with them few days and saw them more or less settled in their new home. This was in 1901. According to the plan the colony would be self-supporting after the first crop of rice–in about nine months–but the crop was eaten by rats and birds, not half was harvested. The next crop was entirely destroyed by floods. The third crop was also a failure principally on acount of birds. It is easy to imagine conditions after such an experience. Everybody was discouraged. Their one thought was to get back to China. Some made a little money sawing boards–these returned to China. Some died, some drowned, others ran away. At the end of three years less than five hundred were left. During this time they had to be fed. The Rajah gave another $20,000, the proprietor spent all he had or could borrow.

In the meantime, these people being Methodists and in the bounds of the Malaysia Conference, some care had to be given them. Dr. West, Superintendent of the Singapore District, visited them soon after they came down, organized a Quarterly Conference, put a preacher in charge and got things under way. The next year he returned with Dr. Denyes who was a missionary in Singapore at that time. They found things very unsatisfactory–the crop failures had upset everything and church affairs had not prospered. It was thought best to put a missionary in charge. John F. Wilson, then in Penang (now pastor in Sacramento, Cal.) and I volunteered for the job. Wilson took sick and had to go home before Conference, so I was sent in 1903. Dr. West came with me. Things were in a dreadful state. Everybody had to be fed by the proprietor, and he was fast reaching the end of his resources. Nobody worked–what was the use? There were a few women and they put in the time crying to return to China. All the children, 33, were in the Roman Catholic school in Sibu, fed and clothed free, church services were held in private houses, and the time of the service taken in discussing their troubles. That first year we got all the children but three out of the Catholic school. We got three meeting-houses built, did a lot of visiting, distributing quinine and zinc ointment–many of them had malaria, and many more were covered with sores.

When Dr. West returned the next year, things had reached a place where something had to be done. It happened that the Rajah came to Sibu on a visit while Dr. West was with us. To try to save the situation the Rajah did the following. He sent the proprietor out, appointed me in charge, and told the remaining colonists they could expect no more help but would be given every opportunity to make good.

That was 23 years ago. It was a long hard pull, but today there are more than 10,000 people in the colony, about 30,000 acres are planted 44 in rubber, we have 23 churches and over 1000 children are in school. Churches and schools are self-supporting. We do not get a cent of missionary money for work except for the girls’ school. So manyimmigrants have been coming the last few years that the Government has stopped immigration till they can catch up with the land survey. When the gates are opened again WATCH-US GROW!

The Malaysia Message
August 1926
Vol. 38 No. 11