Houston to Samuel P. Lord, September 17, 1872

Mr. Houston to Mr. Lord.

My Dear Sir: I have just received a note from Mr. Moule, in which he states, that as you were about to leave for Ningpo, you used an expression which seemed to show that you had not fully understood the position which the mission of which I am a member holds here on the Chinghwang Hill. Your remark was, that you supposed the hill was a kind of sacred place reserved for temples, &c. Mr. Moule tells me he assured you that it was not exclusively so, and that, in particular, he believed that the house of this mission stood on the site of an old family house, which had been surrounded formerly on every side by residences. Mr. Moule thought, however, that it would be well for me to write to you and give you an explicit statement on this point. I would beg leave, therefore, to say to you that Mr. Moule was correct in his opinion. The property which we hold on the hill is what is known here as the “people’s land,” and, as far as we know, no temple or other public building ever stood on it.

At the time the city was sacked by the Taipings, the whole face of the hill on which our mission-buildings now stand was occupied by private residences.

Our foreign residence now stands on the site of the former residence of a family named Wang, and our ground, as well as the ground on every side of ns, was never supposed by the natives at any time to have a sacred character. As far, then, as the mere effect of a private residence on the “fêng shui” is concerned, those mysterious influences have been liable to disturbance from this cause as far back as the history of the city extends, and we violated no precedent in erecting dwellings here.

Renewing my thanks for the patience and resolution with which you attended to our interests while you were here, I am, &c.,