Water carrier, Liaoyang, China, 1889

“Watchman carrying water.” Portrait of an indigenous man standing outside with a pole over one shoulder. Hanging from each end of the pole are two large wooden buckets. The Watchman was probably employed by the mission in Liaoyang. ❧ The image is from an album associated with Rev. James A Whylie (1863-1894) who was ordained to the Manchuria mission in 1887 and based in Liaoyang, 1888-1894. He did much itinerant work and built upon the work of Old Wang who had been the ‘native evangelist’ in Liaoyang until his death in 1885. When the first Sino Japanese War (1894-1895) broke out troops were being gathered to send to Korea and suspicion of foreigners was heightened. In Liaoyang, on the 10 August 1894, a group of Chinese soldiers wrecked the U.P. chapel and attacked Mr Whylie, who died of his wounds several days later. Missionaries and foreigners then sought refuge in the port of Newchwang where many remained until the war ended the following year