Although Williams was a missionary among Khasis, his most historically notable work was his visit to
Mizoram (was then Lushai Hills). The Mizos had never been visited by any foreigner (except for punitive
British military expeditions in 1881 and 1889 to subjugate tribal warfare and raids on British plantations, which eventually led to British rule of Lushai Hills). In early 1891 Williams met Mizo prisoners, the tribal chiefs, at
Sylhet jail who were imprisoned after their defeat in the British expedition. Curious of their unexplored life and fertile land for mission work, he sent information of his plan to Revd Josiah Thomas, Mission Secretary at Liverpool, on 7 February 1891, as below: His plea was approved by the Shella Presbytery on 15 February. He left Shella on 18 February (Wednesday) and spent the following Sunday at Sylhet. He met Benjamin Aitken, an elder of
Free Church of Scotland and sub-editor of
Calcutta-based newspaper
The Englishman, who volunteered to join him in his expedition. His frequent companion Kasinath, a young
Assamese Christian who was preaching that afternoon, and one Khasi Christian U Khanai also joined him. On Monday 23 February the four set sail on a boat on
Surma River, preaching to people along their journey. They spent Sunday 1 March at
Silchar and moved the next day. On the third day they arrived at Jhalnacherra and spent a night at Alexandrapur tea garden where
Mary Winchester was kidnapped by Mizo Warriors in 1871, the origin of British encounter with Mizos. On Thursday they continued their journey and after a week on
Tlawng River, they reach Guturmukh (
Kutbûl Kai in Mizo), a British telegraph station at the
Tut River junction, on 11 March. Here they stayed for four days and saw the first
thatched huts of Mizos at a distant hill top, including stockades used during the British military expedition. On Sunday 15 March afternoon they met roaming native Mizos for the first time in their boat ride. They were friendly boys between 10 and 15 years old from neighbouring village, Liankunga chiefdom. They exchanged salt and tobacco for the boys'
yams and
bananas. They gave them some boxes of
matches, and Bible pictures. They also sang several songs to them which they "listened with their mouths open." On Monday afternoon they arrived at Changsil, where they camped among the military escort commanded by Captain Williamson. With the army they moved on Thursday to
Sairang where they spent the night. Army horses arrived in the next morning and they headed for
Aizawl ("Fort Aijal" as it was called). They reached Aizawl at noon on 20 March. They stayed there for four weeks, learning about Mizo lifestyle, distributing Bible pictures and preaching among non-Mizo such as Khasi,
Manipuri, and
Naga workers stationed there. Full of hope to return and start formal education and evangelism, they left Aizawl on 17 April. He published his appeal to open mission field in Lushai Hills in June and July 1891 issue of
Y Goleuad. Welsh General Assembly at
Machynlleth in June 1892 decided to adopt Lushai Hills as an extension of the Khasi Hills mission field. The arrival of Gospel in Mizoram, "Missionary Day", is observed by the
Government of Mizoram as public holiday on 11 January to commemorate the arrival of
F.W. Savidge and
James Herbert Lorrain in 1894. However, the date of his arrival, 15 March, was adopted as "Missionary Day" by Mizoram Presbyterian Church in its 89th General Assembly in 2012. ==References==