(Dr. Heylyn.)

character amid the corrupting idolatry of China" (Letter from Mr. Bonny, American missionary at Whampoa, 17th Dec., 1851).

NEW ZEALAND.-Benevolent Conduct of Natives." I set off for Parengarenga (North Cape), and had a pleasant, but very hot, trip. The natives had seen our fire, and were out in a canoe for us. They were all very glad to see me, and the natives with me. The Christian natives here have built a commodious chapel. I had a service with them on Saturday, and a meeting with many young people who are candidates for baptism. The two teachers here are the eldest sons of the two principal chiefs, and are good men; each of the same name-Brown. These teachers, and others of the people, behaved most properly to the captain and mates of a vessel, who, with two boarding-school girls, were put on shore a few miles distant by the piratical crew, who mutinied the night they left Sydney Cove, and have run off to California. The New Zealanders would not have behaved like this a few years ago. These

culation includes Ceylon; but for India alone | the East India Company provides an establishment of 3 bishops, 3 archdeacons, and I believe fully 132 chaplains, at a cost including all charges, I have good reason for saying, of more than £130,000 a year; and for whom? for 145 millions? No; but for the 30,000 "Europeans" in their service. The 132 church missionaries cost altogether, with their schools and other expenses, about £65,000 a year; and they are provided for 145 millions of people. The East India Company provides, at more than double the cost, a larger number of clergymen for 30,000 people, and pays Romish priests besides for the Irish soldiers, who are included in that number (Urgent claims of India for more Christian missions: by a Layman in India. 1852). CHINA.-Rhenish Protestant Mission.-"I have just returned from a ten days' excursion to visit Messrs. Genaehr and Krone, of the Rhenish Missionary Society, who have a station on the mainland about fifty miles below Whampoa. Our German brethren reside in the village of Sei-Christian natives, living sixty miles from us, cheong, which has about three thousand inhabitants, mostly traders. The mission premises contain rooms for preaching, for lectures, and a boys' boarding-school. There are thirteen boys in the school, three of whom have been baptized. The text-books used are the scriptures, Barth's church history, translated by Mr. Gutzlaff, universal and natural history, natural philosophy, and arithmetic, with the use of the Arabic characters. Music and gymnastics also form a part of the course of education. .... At family worship the school and all the household sing Chinese hymns to German music, whilst one of the brethren accompanies them on the seraphine. They have three institutions within the distance of fifteen miles, which are under Mr. Krone's care. Both (of the missionaries) prescribe for the sick, and perform surgical operations, as occasions offer; and this aids them in gaining the good-will of the villagers where they reside, and in removing any prejudices that might exist at the out-stations because they are foreigners. Both dress in the Chinese costume, and wear long Chinese cues. They have admitted into the church sixty persons, male and female. For a week I had an opportunity to observe the deportment of those, in their household, who had been baptized; and I must say I have never met with any Chinese who gave better evidence of an intelligent understanding of the Scriptures, and of a sincere love to Christ. One old lady, aged sixty-five years, who has been baptized eighteen months, particularly awakened my interest. She can read and write Chinese well, which Is a rare attainment for Chinese women. From ight to nine o'clock in the morning she hears the recitation of the boys in 'dogmatic theology," which consists in repeating, from memory, scripture proofs for the fundamental Christian doctrines. This old lady acts the part of a deaconess for the other Chinese females who have been baptized. ... Our German brethren appear to be much lessed in their labour. Their household and their chool have the appearance of a Christian establish

ment.

Order, harmony, the fear of God, a high egard for the bible and spiritual worship, pervade t, as can be seen by any visitor. It was truly cheering to find a place with such a healthy moral

showed these afflicted people all the kindness they could; and the teacher's brother came with two of the officers to our magistrate, who instantly sent a vessel to convey the party to Auckland. The pirates were honourable thieves'; for they gave the captain and all of them the whole of their clothes, &c., and a little bread, &c., to keep them alive. The young women also were honourably dealt with. The chief, Tom Bowline, who formerly lived at the Three Kings, was on the spot when these pirates landed the party, and, fully understanding matters, went off in his canoe to the vessel, taking potatoes, &c., which he bartered for bread, tea, and sugar, in order to provide for the white people. Would, or could, our own countrymen have done more? May the prayers of the Lord's people, from the founder of the mission to the present day, in behalf of New Zealand, be abundantly answered! The last time Mr. Marsden was in New Zealand I heard him say to a whole missionary party at the Waimate, The Lord will surely bless you and your families; and I believe that he will also bless the natives.' The pirates passed by our coast at Wharo, sailing with two black flags. Several other vessels were to be taken in the same way." The population of New Zealand has been variously estimated at from 80,000 to 100,000, of which considerably more than three-fourths are protestant Christians: of the remainder about 5,000 are supposed to be connected with the Romanist mission, and about 10,000 refuse to join either party, though they have laid aside, for the most part, their heathen practices. Hence, the reports from New Zealand are gradually passing from the missionary into the pastoral type; yet of that kind of pastoral work which belongs to our overgrown or extensive parishes at home; for each missionary has still his ten, or twenty, or thirty miles to travel over, in the pastoral visitations of his scattered flock. The number of natives connected with the mission of the Church Missionary Society exceeds, on the lowest calculation, 45,000. The communicants are between five and six thousand; none are admitted, as at home, simply because they express a wish to come; but on such occasions they undergo an examination in the company of their native

2

teachers and neighbours, when there is little |
opportunity for inconsistency of conduct to pass
unnoticed. There is, therefore, the best reason to
believe that the amount of real Christianity is
great, and that the outward change is the fruit of
a sound principle within. This result may well
excite our praise and gratitude to the great Head
of the church, for such a blessed recompence upon
the past labours of the Church Missionary Society.
JERUSALEM.-Talmudic Superstition. Not
long ago the Jews of Jerusalem were placed in a
great difficulty, from being unable to procure any
meat. The history of this incident is so singular
and characteristic, that it is worthy of mention.
The killing of meat is an important branch of
talmudical regulations: it is an office committed
to an officer called the "schochet," who uses a
particular kind of knife for that purpose. This
knife is of the best steel and of the finest edge, the
original intention of which was to slaughter the
animal with the least possible pain. But, as the
principle of talmudism is to put the letter above
the spirit, and the form before the substance, so in
this instance it has ended in showing more care to
keep the knife intact than to avoid giving pain to
the poor animal. The schochet, accordingly,
begins by plucking out the hair or wool from
around the neck of the animal, thereby occasioning
it considerable suffering, in order that his knife
may suffer the least possible injury in making the
incision across the throat. The pasha of Jerusa-
lem, this year, all at once gave orders that the
schochet shall not be allowed to practise this
barbarous usage of plucking out the hair of the
animal previous to his slaughtering it. In conse-
quence of this, the schochet, not being able to
use his knife without its undergoing some little
flaw, or turning of the edge, which is contrary to
the strict rule of the talmud, has declared all the
animals so slaughtered to be unclean, or trefa.
Thus the whole Jewish community was condemned
to fast in consequence of this absurd practice. On
the other hand, the pasha does not care for sheep
or goats, but hoped to exact a bribe from the
Jews to allow them to kill meat according to their
custom; and thus the matter has, probably, ended
(Jewish Intelligencer).
H. S.

THE BISHOP OF MELBOURNE AT THE

G

DIGGINGS*.

(Extract from the Journal of the bishop of Melbourne.) WEDNESDAY, March 10th, 1852.-Setting off at 6 o'clock in the morning, we proceeded to the gold fields by slow journeys, breakfasting at Mr. -'s, fifteen miles from Melbourne, and sleeping at K- and H. -'s, twenty miles further; proceeding to the J- -'s, twenty miles, on Thursday; to Mr. M- -'s, through Kyneton, sixteen miles (out of our way), on Friday; and to Mr. O's, eight miles, on Saturday. It was my intention to have driven into the gold fields very early on the Sunday morning, held service morning and afternoon, and returned to Mr. O -'s in the evening; as Mr. Wright, the chief commissioner, did not recommend our sleeping on the ground, and Mr. B.

From the "Colonial Church Chronicle."

had

us.

expressed a doubt of being able to accommodate
We learnt, however, from Mr. M-
that this plan was impracticable on account of
the distance (sixteen miles), and the character of
the latter part of the road, directly through the
thickest part of the workings. We therefore de-
termined to make a circuit, by which we might
flank the mass of the miners, and arrive at the
commissioner's tent without being smothered with
dust, or overturned into one of the thousand dry
wells or gold-pits, and then throw ourselves
upon the hospitality of Mr. Wright for such ac-
commodation as he could provide for us. To ac
complish this, we set off about half-past six
o'clock from Mr. O- -'s, and after a bea
tiful morning's drive of more than twenty miles,
the enjoyment of the last eight being destroyed
by dusty roads and other symptoms of our ap-
proach to the gold country, we arrived safey
about ten o'clock, at the commissioner's camp.
Here we were most kindly received by Mr.
Wright, who assured us of his readiness to do al
in his power to make us comfortable.

During the day I had three short services; the
first consisting of the morning prayer with the litany
and a sermon, at eleven o'clock, near the commis
sioner's encampment; the second, of the litany
alone, with a sermon, at Forest Creek,_ about
three o'clock, near the temporary post-office, to
which I rode (about four miles), and at which I
was therefore obliged to officiate in my riding cos
tume; the third, of a portion of the communi
service, viz., the introductory prayers, with the
commandments, the confession, absolution, and
following texts, the gospel and prayer for the
church militant, with a lecture on the gospel-
about five o'clock, at the same place as in the
morning. At the third service, as I wished to
make it short, I omitted the first lesson, and the “0
Venite." The congregations consisted of about
200 persons, morning and evening, and about 400
in the afternoon; estimated by the conjecture et
the gentlemen about me, for there was no at
tempt made to count them. They behaved wi
perfect propricty during the service, and showed
at least as much attention as an ordinary congr
gation in any of our churches. Before I began,
told them of what the service would consist,
I said that, as the place did not admit of the
kneeling generally, we would all worship
gether standing, holding our hats off our bes
but still so as to shelter them from the sun, during
the prayers. I thought this better than th
while the great mass of the people remained
myself and two or three others should knee.
standing. As I have observed already, I
compelled to perform the afternoon service in
riding dress; and, my pulpit being a stump ofa
tree, which afforded rather a precarious footing
you may imagine that I did not present a very
episcopal appearance; but in the morning ad
evening I wore my usual robes. At the close
each service I spoke to the people upon
portance of providing some building for pub
worship before the winter sets in; and it w
agreed upon by them that subscription lists shoul
be immediately opened at the different stores,
and a meeting held this afternoon at the “Shep
herd's Hut" (the usual place of holding assemblies
of the miners), at four o'clock, to appoint a

the in

committee, and make arrangements for the accomplishing of our object.

or forty feet in the solid rock, but are now stopped by water, and are waiting for a pump to enable them to carry on their operations. Their method is to break up the stones which contain the gold, and which they have now learnt to distinguish with tolerable certainty, into small pieces, and afterwards to crush them into powder, which is washed just in the same manner as the auriferous earth. We procured several specimens, and Mrs. Perry brought away some of the quartz powder, of which she washed out a small quantity, and obtained, as before, a few grains of gold as her reward. Yesterday morning we proceeded to Fryer's Creek, where there is a gold-field, to a point of the Loddon, where they are washing, about thirteen or fourteen miles; and thence back by Fryer's Creek, about fifteen miles, to this quiet, retired spot, which we reached about halfpast five, right glad to have got away from the gold region. The great plague there at the present time is the dust, which is so thick in the more

I am not very sanguine respecting the result, for I find that there are already two Wesleyan ministers arrived, one from South Australia, and the other from Van Diemen's Land, and that there is also an Independent minister from the former colony; and I fear that the miners are of a class, of which almost all who feel an interest about spiritual things are dissenters, and only the multitude of the careless and ungodly are professed members of our church. The two Wesleyan ministers are at present the guests of Mr. P-, at whose house I am now writing; and I have availed myself of the opportunity of talking with them about their system and its practical operation. They certainly have a machinery admirably adapted, speaking after the manner of men, to carry out their objects; and, when we contemplate it on the one hand, and that of the church of Rome on the other, the deficiency of the church of England in this respect cannot but be acknow-frequented parts as to make any attempt to preledged and deeply lamented. My own growing conviction has long been that, unless we can adopt some means for establishing some closer bond of union among our people, and enabling them to recognize and associate with one another, we shall never obtain any hold, as a church, upon the mass of the population in the colonies. The gentry, and those who are utterly destitute of religion among the trades-people and labouring class, will call themselves churchmen; but, among the mass of the people, the really pious, and such as are at all concerned about their salvation, will, almost to a man, join the methodists, or some other dissenting community.

You will perhaps think I have written, as my custom is, too strongly; but, although, if I were to re-write this letter, I might modify some expressions, I should repeat the substance of what I have said as the deliberate conviction of my mind, which all my observation and reflection for several years have forced upon me. To return from this digression. On Monday morning we walked about a little to see the men washing out their earth, which they are now obliged to cart three or four miles to water. We did not see any large amount of gold procured; but there was sufficient to show us the nature of the operation, and the manner in which the precious metal shows itself; and, after our return, Mrs. Perry put the process to a trial, with some earth which we carried home with us, and obtained a few grains as a specimen. This morning, also, we visited the treasury tent, where all the gold which is brought in for the escort is deposited. Here we saw one beautiful specimen of pure ore, weighing upwards of 5lbs. It was the only piece procured from the hole where it was found, and it bore several marks of the pick which had been used in extracting it. How great must have been the excitement of the digger when he first perceived what it was, and while he was picking it out! In the afternoon we drove to a very pretty spot among the hills, about five or six miles distant, and quite removed from the mass of the miners, where three parties of three or four men each were at work upon a vein of quartz, which runs between masses of ironstone, and which is thickly sprinkled with gold. They have dug down thirty

serve a respectable appearance altogether vain. There is nothing picturesque in the scene generally; and the feeling which it produces upon the mind is, that nothing except the love of money, or the higher motives of duty, as the love of souls, could induce any man to remain above a day there. The miners are very respectful in their manner, and for the most part orderly.

March 19th. When I had written the above portion of my letter, I was summoned away to lunch, previously to my setting off with the rev. Mr. Cheyne, who had joined us, and Mr. Gregory, to preside at the meeting of the miners, which was to be held that afternoon at four o'clock, for the purpose of raising a subscription for the erection of buildings for public worship, before the winter. You will see the resolutions which were adopted, in the newspaper. The meeting was not numerously attended, but there were several who seemed really anxious about the object; and the result was more favourable than I expected. After the meeting, we rode back to Mr. P- -'s, a distance, by the shortest way, of some fifteen or sixteen miles; so that we were prepared for a ride of some miles in the dark; but, as the road was plain after we got clear of the gold pits, there was nothing to fear. Mr. P, however, had sent a native with us, and this man took us a short cut, which proved, as is often the case, a long round; for, when we had been riding for more than an hour, we found ourselves in the midst of Fryer's Creek workings, where we had been the day before. The light barely sufficed to show us our way through the holes, and see us fairly upon our road; and we had then ten or twelve miles still before us; but, through the good providence of God, we got safely to our destination about half-past nine o'clock; not a little cold and dirty, but without any other discomfort.

The next morning (yesterday), after a long and good night's rest, we ascended mount Franklin, better known as "Jim Crow hill," where may be distinctly observed the basin of an extinct volcano, broken down on one side, but preserving its general circular shape. The evidence of its having been formerly an active crater is also to be found in the lava with which the whole of the sides are