where we had a large congregation, whom | terest had cooled, or that they were awed by Nainsookh addressed, but they were not atten- the fear of man. About noon, on the 19th, tive. Afterwards proceeded a short distance having spoken in several villages as we to Mahaishpoor, where Nainsookh and myself passed, we reached the terminus of our tour, addressed a more attentive congregation; the populous market-town of Dulsing-serai. then went across to a brahmin village, called On our first appearance in the bazar, the Gownee, and a large number of people, per- whole town seemed moved, and a vast crowd haps 150, soon assembled, but after they had assembled round us, and followed us. On heard a little, some aged brahmans came and, subsequent days the interest declined; still after interrupting our discourse by discussion, we remained five days, three of which we drove all the people away from us like a flock spent in visiting every part of the town, and of affrighted sheep, though some few returned preaching to the various congregations, and to listen. Thence we proceeded to two oppo- two in sitting on the ghaut, where we were site villages, Kudderabad and Hurpoor, in able to secure hearers from ten or eleven in the former of which we began to speak, till a the morning till sunset, comprising not only ferry-boat full, chiefly brahmans and Ma- the inhabitants of Dulsing-serai itself, but also hommedans, came over from the other side, of many villages round. From this town we and interrupted us with boisterous and violent returned to Monghir in four days, not by the language, driving away the people from way we came, but over the inundated land, listening. We continued sitting on a piece having only opportunity to preach in two of timber on the bank till after sunset; and villages by the way. Through the kind hand very late, after I had gone into the boat, some of the Lord upon us, we were enabled to poorer people came to Nainsookh, saying, declare his precious gospel in about sixty"The brahmans do not allow us to hear; they seven villages, and distribute about 120 porforbid us, and abuse us if we listen; but now tions of the word of God, and somewhat more they are gone, have the kindness to tell us than that number of tracts. If this seem but your message." One of them also told Nain- a small number, the reason is, that but a sookh that the report of our coming had small proportion of the villagers can read, reached them eight days before. and we are not accustomed to give to any besides. And now, dear and respected On the 14th and 15th we had good oppor- brother, the seed is sown, will you join with tunities for speaking in several villages, and us in earnest prayer that the indispensably in the afternoon of the latter day reached a necessary influence of the Holy Spirit may large village, called Munsook-chuk, which cause some to take root, and bring forth fruits has a large bazar, where the first time we of holiness, and wheresoever we have gone, preached, we had a quiet, attentive congregation may we be, through the love of God in of three or four hundred persons. Here we Christ, "a sweet savour unto God" of Christ, stayed till the 17th, having large congregations and a witness in every man's conscience in in the bazar, numerous visitors to our boat, the sight of God! and a clamorous demand for books, which,| however, we did not feel it right in many instances to satisfy, as the parties requesting could not read. Here there were also some particular individuals, whose earnest inquiries, patient hearing, and apparent sincerity, awakened some hope regarding them, and therefore when we left the village we determined, the Lord permitting, to spend another day there on our return, but I am sorry to have to say that on our return those very individuals gave us evidence that their in I have now to acknowledge (and I do it with much pleasure) the receipt of your kind letter of July last, for which accept my best thanks, as well as those of my beloved brother Lawrence, with whom the longer I have the privilege to be associated, the more I love and esteem him, and regard it as a peculiar favour of God to his unworthiest child to be allowed not only to be engaged at all in the mission field, but also to be in conjunction with such a lovely brother. MADRAS. Though neither this immense city, nor the presidency which derives its name from it, have had any place in our annals hitherto, we trust that the time is not far distant when we may expect to receive from it regular communications. In a very remarkable manner, the way has been providentially opened, and a loud call made to send thither a missionary. A regiment in her majesty's service which left England in 1842 was stationed in Maulmein. One of its officers had been baptized in Jamaica, we believe by Mr. Phillippo, and there was in it one private soldier who was known to be a pious man. The preaching of the American baptist missionaries in Maulmein was, however, greatly blessed by the Divine Spirit, and when the regiment was removed in 1845, there was in it a baptist church comprising between thirty and forty members, several of whom were officers. Being stationed at Madras, and finding no minister of their own denomination, they became desirous both for their own sake and for the sake of others, that a missionary should be sent thither. Having opened a communication first with our brethren in Calcutta, and then with the Committee, they spontaneously placed in our hands a sum of money sufficient to maintain a missionary there for several years; and the Committee, after long continued and anxious inquiries, have accepted the services of a young brother, Mr. J. C. Page, who is on the point of completing his studies at Stepney, and who they trust will be found well adapted for this interesting station. In the Presidency we are informed that there are many pious persons, chiefly connected with the army, who adhere to our views of baptism and associate together for worship. A pleasing incident has just occurred, illustrative of the spirit which prevails among them. One of the circulars respecting the shilling contribution for the liquidation of the debt happening to fall in the way of some private soldiers who are accustomed to meet together for united prayer at Madras, they of their own accord collected £2 4s. towards it, and requested one of their officers to forward to us this sum, from whom it has just been received. CEYLON. Matura is a small sea-port town, about one hundred miles from Colombo, at the southern extremity of the island. It contains about three thousand inhabitants, and is surrounded by populous villages. Missionary operations were commenced there above five years ago; a native preacher has been useful to some of his countrymen, and a disposition to listen to the gospel is evinced by many. A small chapel has been erected, a view of which is on the first page of this sheet; and Mr. Dawson is about to remove thither, at least for a few months. He writes as follows, Kandy, October 11, 1846 :— Your reply to our joint letter about Matura was duly received, and, as we have carefully re-considered the subject with special reference to the points which you advert to, and have judged it best to comply with the suggestion contained in the last clause of your letter, viz., that without incurring any present or permanent expense to the mission, I should reside at Matura for a time, I deem it advisable to let you know our principal reasons for the contemplated change. 1. Matura is one hundred miles from our nearest station (Colombo), and cannot on that account be visited so often as we think it ought to be. 2. It is a town of some importance, having a fort, a district court, and a population of about 3000, including perhaps one hundred burgher families. The villages around are numerous and densely populated. 3. Tangalle, about twenty miles distant, is a town of equal importance with Matura, or nearly so, and there there is no agent of any society or any Christian instruction given to the people. From this place we have had repeated and earnest requests for missionary aid, and my residence at Matura will enable me to visit it once a month, or oftener. 4. The native assistant at Matura, and the people there, are extremely anxious for me to go, and regard it as an answer to their prayers. 5. There are greater facilities at Matura for perfecting myself in Singhalese than in Kandy, where the English language is so extensively spoken, and for acquiring a knowledge of Pali, which I am studying, as the Matura priests are famed for their knowledge of Pali literature. I feel a strong hope that a year or two's intercourse with Singhalese only, constantly speaking and preaching in that language (with the exception of a sermon to the burghers once a week in English), will be an incalculable advantage to me. My heart is set on thoroughly mastering the language, and as I can now read it as fluently as English, and converse in it on any common of the same disease. Our book-binder has subject, I am encouraged to hope that constant practice will soon make it as familiar to me as my mother tongue. To persons in England it may seem strange to talk of any place as being more favourable to the acquisition of Singhalese than Kandy, situated as it is in the very interior of the island; but it is thus accounted for. Since the Kandyan province has been inundated with planters and Tamil Coolies it has become the resort of natives from all parts of the island who can speak English, and who will do so even if they are spoken to in Singhalese. The Kandyan population is so small that (you will probably be surprised to hear) there is not in Kandy a single bazar or shop for the sale of any article whatever kept by a Kandyan. Their chief employment is cultivating their paddy fields, whilst Tamil Moormen and low country Singhalese do all the trade; and they too are the only artificers, except Portuguese. Matura is the reverse of this, and to live there a person must speak Singhalese. The same may also be said of many other parts of the island, where the population is almost exclusively Singhalese. 6. The change can be effected without the smallest expense to the mission, as the letting of the house in Kandy will meet the house rent at Matura and the expense of removing. The surplus will also, after the first year, should we remain there, enable us to support a new school or two. 7. The work of the Kandy district can be effectually superintended by one missionary now that the printing-office has been reduced to two Singhalese hands, and "The Commentator" discontinued. As Mr. Allen takes the Kandy services and the superintendence of the village stations, there would be little left for me to do if I remained in Kandy except to preach on the coffee estates, by interpretation, to the Tamil Coolies, whereas all agree that I ought to labour among the Singhalese, and such is my desire. I may add, that since the arrival of brother Allen, we have laboured together with unbroken harmony, and in Mrs. Allen my dear wife has found a most agreeable and sisterly companion. She is just what a missionary's wife ought to be, and cannot fail to win the esteem and affection of all who know her. We shall therefore feel much at parting with the family. CHOLERA. The last month has been a truly alarming time in Kandy. Cholera has raged to an extent never before known among the Europeans. In twenty days sixty-three English soldiers, out of 250 who are stationed here, were cut off with it, many after only three or four hours' illness. An English neighbour on our right died after twelve hours' illness, and avother on our left after a similar attack, having just before buried his wife, who died fallen a victim, and so has, I am distressed to add, our interpreter. He was a fine young man of about five-and-twenty, clever, pious, and superior to most of his countrymen in all that constitutes excellence of character. Such was the suddenness of his death, that though Mr. Allen parted with him at noon on the 21st, leaving him apparently in perfect health, when he returned from a journey on the afternoon of the next day he found him dead and buried! His death was a great shock to us all, and added much to the gloom which we, in common with the inhabitants generally, felt on seeing our fellow-creatures daily hurried to the grave. The 95th regiment, on the disease breaking out amongst them, were marched to Peradinia, four miles from the town, in hope of escaping from the sword of the destroying angel; but it followed them, and, after burying ten of their number without coffins or funeral rites, they hastened back only to surrender to the foe from which they could not escape. I was called to attend some of the dying, and witnessed scenes of agony which will never be effaced from my memory, but was mercifully kept from contagion. The pestilence has, I am thankful to say, abated, and the mission circle here are spared to sing of mercy as well as judgment. If I add a few particulars respecting the death of Don Lewis, our interpreter and translator, they may be thought interesting. At one, P.M., he was taken ill at the house of a friend, and not apprehending any serious result, he did not send for me till six o'clock in the evening, when I found him prostrated upon a couch with the most malignant symptoms of cholera. His sufferings from cramp and burning thirst were most intense, but his soul was in perfect peace. In answer to my questions, and just before his articulation failed him, he said, "I do not fear to die. No! I am not at all afraid of death. I know that I am going to a far happier world. My hope is in Christ. He is my Saviour, and on him alone I rely," He said a few words more to the same effect, gave me directions about the disposal of his property (being unmarried and away from all his relatives), and continued in the same peaceful, I may say triumphant frame, till his spirit took its flight to the heavenly world. Such a dying testimony to the supporting power of the gospel is too precious to be lost, especially as it came from one who may be regarded as the fruit of missionary toil. And it affords me pleasure to assure those who were unacquainted with his life, that it was a uniform exemplification of the Christian character. Seldom have I seen such a high sense of rectitude, combined with much Christian simplicity, mark the conduct of a Singhalese. Nothing is wanting but the multiplication of such instances of piety to make this lovely island the garden of the Lord. SINGHALESE TRACTS. Lewis's place, will correct the tracts for the As some special contributions are promised press. The lithographic press has been very for printing a large number of Singhalese useful. We have been printing by it a series tracts, we think it best not to close the office of broadside sheets of Singhalese lessons in at present, and not at all if the subscriptions large characters. As it is easily packed in a are continued. Mr. Corea, our native assistant box, and no one here but myself understands from Gampola, who has come to take Don the art, we take it with us. AFRICA. FERNANDO PO. Our most recent intelligence from this island is contained in a letter from Mrs. Sturgeon, commenced on the 27th of August, but, through illness, not concluded till the 28th of September. From this it will be seen that a temporary provision for the wants of the church at Clarence has been made by Dr. Prince's acceptance of the request which he had received, as we had learned previously, to take the oversight of it for the present. I know not how to address you: my heart have since attempted to accomplish it, but in is overwhelmed within me. From communi- vain, until now. I am still weak, and incations recently forwarded to you, ere this, you creasingly feel that which God alone can will have received intelligence conveying the heal. I did purpose returning to England at cause of the distress and agony under which the close of this year, had a favourable opmy soul is writhing. I would not repine, for portunity presented itself, but am advised by the Lord has done it. Yes, it is the Lord, the brethren to remain till the commencement let him do as seemeth him best. I trust I of next year, as it will be better for my health can say," Thy will be done," although the to land in the spring. Although I have been desire of my eyes has been taken away as called to partake copiously of the cup of as it were with a stroke-cut off in the midst affliction in Africa, and am now called to of his days, in the full vigour and bloom of mourn and to endure the loss of one of the health-inured to the clime, labouring with best of husbands, for whose life I could willall diligence, devotedness, and most encour-ingly have yielded up my own, yet I bless aging prospects amongst the dear people of his charge, and widely expanding his increasing efforts for the perishing heathen around, and the schools under his care, in which he was most deeply interested. Oh, sir, pray for me! I need your fervent supplications for a perfect submission and resignation to the will of our all-wise God. Your prayers have been, and I trust will continue to be, poured forth on behalf of the bereaved church, that soon another faithful servant of the cross may be raised up to fill the place of that devoted and laborious one who has entered into his rest, having accomplished the work his heavenly Master assigned him, and he is now enjoying the full reward of his labours in that land where there shall be no more sickness, pain, or death; where no more fatigue, no more distress, shall trouble his blissful spirit, but where he shall be for ever before the throne of God, serving him day and night in his temple, with all those who through faith and patience are now inheriting the promises. September 28. Sickness has prevented my finishing this letter earlier. I was taken with fever the day I commenced writing you. I my God he ever put it into my heart to come to Africa, and that my late dear husband was honoured so long to labour for his Lord and Master, and that he laboured not in vain in bringing many of the benighted sons and daughters of Africa into the glorious light of the ever blessed gospel. Dr. Prince has taken the oversight of the dear people till they have another pastor, which I trust will not be long first. They need constant shepherding. Miss Vitou is still with me, and will continue so till I leave. The schools are being carried on as usual. Miss Vitou in the British school, assisted by Mr. Richards (one of the two teachers my dear husband was training, purposing to employ them amongst the natives in the coming year), Mrs. Johnson is in the infant school, which Mr. Sturgeon had just commenced. I am still suffering from pain in my head. You will excuse my saying more, as I feel quite inadequate to it. I trust to be enabled to reach my native land in the spring, and communicate all intelligence. Miss Vitou is slightly indisposed at present; Mrs. Prince is better; Dr. Prince is quite well; Mr. Duckett is better, though he is still very ill; Mrs. Duckett and child quite well. News from the continent states that Mr. and Mrs. Newbegin have been very ill, but are recovering. The remainder of our little band, I believe, are well. The Lord has been very gracious unto me hitherto, and a very present help have I experienced my God to be in time of trouble; but I need, dear sir, and crave your prayers for strength of body and strength of mind, that I may not dishonour my God, and grieve his Holy Spirit by repining, but that I may be enabled to glorify his holy name by an entire submission to his all-righteous will. BIMBIA. JUBILEE. On a part of the continent immediately opposite to Fernando Po, our brethren Clarke, Merrick, and Newbegin, with their coadjutors, have fixed on a spot of ground on which to locate themselves as the centre of future operations. It is to be named Jubilee. The following account of their procedure is contained in a letter from Mr. Clarke, part of which was written at the end of July, and part on the 5th of August: The At this place brother Newbegin's house is been only to Fo, on the one hand; 'Mbopi, on nearly finished, and in two weeks more he the mountain, and to Ganggi and Munggo, hopes to reside in it. The iron house is now on the north-east. Brother Merrick has travelled here far more extensively. figures go not to show the exact places where the districts lie, but as near to them as our information enables us to come. up, but not quite finished, and will make a strong store, but is not fit for a dwelling house. Mr. and Mrs. Williams have a house near to the doctor, and with out-houses and garden, the outer point on first lot is occupied. The second is intended for my residence, but first I wish to see a place of worship erected out of the lumber of the former old building. Third lot is for the captain, if he chooses to build. The fourth is where I now reside. In my yard Mr. and Mrs. Byl, and Mr. and Mrs. Philips, and my Fernandian boys, two in number, reside. I am enlarging the house to get store room, and a place for the 'Mpongnie lad, who is to be baptized on the first of August. Near us, on the same lot, Mr. and Mrs. Trusty have their little house, but are yet residing in a corner of the old chapel. Lot fifth is brother Merrick's house and outhouses. The old matted chapel is upon this lot, and the houses of brother Merrick's interpreters. Lot sixth is Mr. Duckett's house and outhouses, and lot seventh is brother Fuller's. His framed house is not yet finished, but I am giving him boards to finish it without delay. My object is to get all the lumber quickly wrought up, and do as much good to all the brethren, to render them comfortable as I am able. In the end, if I need help for my house, I shall not be refused it. But I wish those who have been longest here first served, and a good place of worship speedily erected. I enclose a rough plan of Jubilee, intended only to help you to understand my history of the lots. I make no pretensions to accuracy in the form or size: a general idea is all I design to give you. I hope, too, an idea of the districts round will not be unprofitable. For the 140 districts I am indebted to brother Merrick, and at all these the Isubu language is spoken. I have In the Diwalla district, brother Merrick has been to Yabgang. Brother Saker, and others of us, have been to Bassa, Soroko, Maso, Bariba (brother Saker did not accompany us to these three or four), Jibarri, Hickory, and the towns upon the Diwalla district. We hope now to go far beyond our former limits, and pray God to grant us to see some fruit from our labours in his holy and blessed work. BAPTISM. August 5th. On the first of August we had a good day at Jubilee. We baptized, in our little landing-place, Samuel Wilson, an 'Mpongnie from Cape Lopez.. He was brought to God by the preaching of Mr. Wilson at Gaboon River; and left for Fernando Po when he thought the French would drive away his friend. He was afraid of his heathen parent forcing him back to Cape Lopez, to see only the superstition and the horrors of heathenism. We intimated the new thing at Bimbia to King William, and he was willing it should be on his sand-beach, but on the morning of the day, when we sent to put up the tent, some folly got hold of him, and he sent to ask Matthews and Lynslager (both in their vessels here), if it would be right to allow us to baptize there. They mistook, and thought he asked if it would be right for Mr. Merrick to baptise him! and sent in reply, that they thought him very unfit for such a thing, but that if Mr. Merrick thought differently, he could do as he pleased. We, hearing of this, were sorry, and sent quietly to say that we would have the baptism |