the work.

We propose to begin with the mission station and to set down the
information which we need, in order that we may take an intelligent
interest in the work at the station, viewed by itself, as progress is
made towards the immediate object of its existence; and then we propose
to look at it in relation to other stations in the province or country,
both comparatively to see how they differ, and as parts of a whole, to
see what is the position of the Church in the province or country, and
what place each station occupies in the work done in the larger whole.

When we look at the mission station viewed by itself, the first question
which we ask is: Has the station any defined area, district, or parish,
connected with it in which it is the business of the missionaries to
preach the Gospel and establish the Church? If the answer to that
question is, "Yes, it has," and that answer would very commonly be
given, then at once we get our feet on firm ground. We can start our
survey on a territorial basis; and with a common territorial basis we
can immediately compare the work of one station with that done at
another station. We have further a _terminus ad quem_, and in our survey
we can tell whether progress is in that direction and how rapid it is.

We can do this, because the definition of a parish or district implies
the recognition on the part of those who define the parish or district,
of the purpose, if not the duty, of preaching the Gospel and
establishing the Church in the area of that parish or district. The mere
definition of the area, therefore, implies a policy for the mission
which defines the area and for the station for which the area is
defined. For such a station, therefore, we design our first survey, the
object of the survey being to discover how far the work of the station