In October a British warship anchored itself in Tanshui harbor to protect the foreigners there. The ship's captain invited Mackay to come aboard with his wife and valuables. Mackay responded, "My valuables were in and around the college: The men who were my children in the Lord. They were my valuables!
當年十月中，一隻英國軍艦在港內保護外僑，軍官請馬偕帶著太太和貴重物品上船，馬偕的回答令人感動：「我的貴重物品都在學校中及其四周，他們是我信奉的上帝的孩子，他們就是我的貴重物品。