HISTORY    OF    CHRISTIAN    MISSIONS       263

Greek  Christians  who  were  maintaining  a  chapel  at  royal
expense.  This  discovery  led  to  the  coming  of  other
Christians  from  Syria,  Babylonia  and  the  Aral,  the  most
learned  of  whom  became  the  Khan's  physicians  and  as-
trologers. Some  at  least  were  men  of  conviction,  for  John
of  Piano  Carpini  himself  witnessed  the  execution  of
Michael  Chernigoflf  for  refusing  to  worship  the  Mongol
gods.^^  Later  Mongol  histories  speak  of  Russian  regi-
ments, of  a  Russian  camp  of  10,000  men,  and  of  Russian
guards  even  in  Peking,  It  is  also  clear  that  in  the  four-
teenth century  there  were  many  Greek  priests  and  at  least
one  Russian  deacon  in  Mongolia  and  China.^^  From
the  time  of  the  Mongol  overthrow  until  the  advent  of  the
Manchus  in  1640,  Chinese  documents  are  silent  as  to
Russia  and  her  religion.
It  is  with  the  capture  of  Albazin  on  the  Amur  River
by  the  Manchus,  which  occurred  in  1685,  that  the  Rus-
sian Holy  Orthodox  Church  became  fairly  established  in
China.  A  little  party  of  twenty-five  Russians,  who  had
the  option  of  going  free  if  they  preferred,  accepted  the
Emperor's  oflfer  to  settle  in  Peking.  A  priest,  Vasilly
Leontyeff,^"  went  with  them  carrying  his  ikons  and  his
Christian  faith  to  China's  capital,  almost  a  century  after
Ricci's  advent  there.  Indeed,  had  it  not  been  for  the  op-
position of  the  Jesuits,  Peter  the  Great  would  have  sent
an  archbishop  to  Peking.  As  it  was,  those  Russian
priests  who  were  allowed  to  come  to  the  Capital  nearly
cost  the  Jesuits  their  posts  on  the  astronomical  board,^^
and  doubtless  would  have  done  so  had  not  Romanist  in-

"  Parker,   China   and   Religion,   p.   232.
29  Ibid.,  p.  233.
