CHRISTIANITY
IN
CHINA, TAHTARY, AND THIBET.
CHAPTER I.
Influence Of The Catholic Missions Of The Middle Ages Upon European Civilisation.—Origin Of The Lama Hierarchy And The Ceremonies Of The Buddhist Faith.—Vasco De Gama Doubles The Cape Of Good Hope.—Portuguese Establishment On The Coast Of Bialabar.—First Conquests Of The Portuguese As Related By A Syrian Monk.—The Portuguese Undertake The Discovery Of The Cathay Of Marco Polo.—They Land At Canton.—Embassy Of Thomas Pires To Pekin.—Deplorable Issue Of The Undertaking.—François Xavier Resolves To Convert The Chinese To Christianity.—After Many Adverse Accidents He Reaches The Isle Op Sancian.—Death Of St. François Xavier In Sight Of China.—Gaspard De La Croix, The First Missionary Who Penetrated Into The Celestial Empire.—Commercial Relations, Of The Portuguese And Chinese.—Establishment Of Macao.—Father Roger.—Father Matthieu Riccl—First Mission In The Province Of Kouang-Si.
The Catholic missions of the middle ages, which we have endeavoured to sketch, were not followed by the results which might have been expectcd from the persevering efforts of numerous missionaries, who never ceased at that epoch to labour for the conversion of
VOL. II.
B
