Note 2 — Chapter XXIX · FROM KIAKHTA TO CHITA.

On my voyage I gathered from a Russian captain that there were in Japan 7 priests, 95 catechists, and 2,000 members, all of whom, not excepting even the priests, were converts to the orthodox Russian Church. In 1876, £1,174 were spent on this mission, which is the only Pagan mission, as far as I know, that the Russians have in foreign parts; and they think their Japanese work a great success, for in the Oriental Church Magazine for March 1880, the Russian editor says: “In 1879 the (Russian) Church in Japan numbered a total of 6,000 members, an increase of 2,000 having taken place during one year”; and he adds, “Though the other Christian Churches control over 320 missionaries, and have in their possession enormous pecuniary means, still our (Russian) missionaries have succeeded in gaining full and exclusive control over the northern part of the island of Nipouna, and compete most successfully with their Roman Catholic and Protestant brethren in the central part of the island.” “This brilliant success is mainly attributable to the chief of our Japanese mission, Father Nicolai.”