Shrewsbury pointed out to us a Caffre covered with scars. This unhappy man himself told us, that having been accused of sorcery by the raimnakee, all the inhabitants of his kraal caused him to undergo the most cruel tortures, and condemned him to be burnt. There is nothing new under the sun; for, not long since, we had in France laws which sentenced sorcerers to the flames. This young man being very robust, was happy enough to escape their hands, and hastened to place himself under the protection of the missionaries at Mount Coke. His accusers enriched themselves with his flocks, and, as he dares not again appear among them, he is ignorant as to the fate of his wife and children. This man one day confessed to Mr. Shrewsbury that he had formerly, in concert with many others, inflicted a similar treatment on an inhabitant of the same kraal, and had shared in the distribution of the spoils. Such an account cast sadness into our hearts, and we found that the work already effected by the missionaries in Caffraria, compared with what remained to be done, was really nothing. On this evening, Dr. Philip offered a prayer so fervent, and which so forcibly expressed all the feelings which we experienced, that no one could restrain his emotion; it seemed to us that God had granted our prayer, and that Caffraria was about to be changed into a land of peace and light. On the 24th we went to Wesleyville, about five leagues from Mount Coke. After having travelled the whole day, through a country where nothing but huts and savages were visible, without a single trace of civilization, we were agreeably surprised to find a complete village in the bosom of Caffraria. Forty men and women came out to welcome us on our arrival. In the evening we went to the chapel; the service was very solemn and instructive. The missionary prayed in the Caffre language, and each petition was repeated in a simple and touching tone by the whole assembly. This form of worship, which a little resembles that of the church of England and of the Moravians, has appeared to us to have this advantage, that each one takes in it a more active part, receives in his memory without difficulty the fundamental truths of religion. In this manner more than one Caffre, who has often repeated in public these words, "Lord have mercy upon us," has learned to pray to God in the secret of his heart. We had a very interesting instance of this the following day at the missionary Young's. The wife of a chief, lately converted to Christianity, prayed with several others in a room which joined ours, and besought God, in her simple language, to disengage her heart from the love of ochre and paint. As the women are accustomed to smear their bodies with a sort of red earth, which is not less desired among the Caf fres than paint and perfume are in Europe, this petition was very significant. At this station a great number of poor people have been received as members of the church, and a still larger number have been baptized. Among the latter is a young chief named Kama. The day after our arrival he came to visit us with another chief of the district: both were clothed in European costume. This dress gave them such an air of dignity, that they might have been taken rather for French officers than Caffres. Mr. Young made them dine with us; and while we were at table their wives came to see us, and to receive from us a present. Kama, who has been baptized, has only one wife, and the religion of Jesus Christ exercises too great an influence over his heart for him to think of taking any more. Pato has, indeed, taken the European costume, but his heart is not changed; his conduct is still heathen, and forms a striking contrast with that of the young and interesting Kama. Among the wives of Pato there is one of a superior rank to the others, and descended from the tribe of the Tambookies. It is from this tribe that the Caffre chiefs take their wives when they wish to ennoble their descendants; and, for the same reason, the Tambookies take their wives from the Caffres. On the 26th of March we stopped on the banks of a stream between Wesleyville and Mount Coke, near which we found a kraal: soon after we were surrounded by all the neighbouring inhabitants. As there were a great number of children, Mr. Read placed them in a circle round him, and began to instruct them on the new system of infant schools. The children repeated the English with great ease, and were much delighted to imitate all the actions of their master. After this exercise, which had much interested their parents, Dr. Philip spoke to them on the importance of education, and exhorted them to send their children to the school at the neighbouring station. We happened to have a book, which contained a number of engravings, and which we showed to them, and the pictures of Caffres, represented in their costumes, of assegais, and different things relating to their habits, astonished them exceedingly. We then made them understand that this book told us what passed among them, and that if they were instructed they would be able to make similar ones regarding the manners of the white people. Before quitting this interesting tribe, Tchatelion, the disciple of Van der Kemp, of whom I have spoken, read them a chapter from the gospels, and addressed them in a discourse, to which they listened with the deepest attention; and when a prayer was offered, they all prostrated themselves with their faces on the ground, after the manner of the Orientals. (To be continued.) View of Publick Affairs. EUROPE. Advices from Britain and France, are as recent as the 31st of March from the former, and the 3d of April from the latter. While nearly the whole of Europe is more or less agitated, nothing of prime importance has transpired during the past month. In BRITAIN, the publick mind is still chiefly occupied by two subjects-the Reform Bill, and the Cholera. The Reform Bill was ordered to its third reading in the Commons, on Thursday, March 22d, by a majority of 116 votes, in a house of 594 members. Last year the majority was 109, there being 581 present. It passed the house finally on the next day. On Monday, 26th, the members of the House of Commons, led by Lord John Russell and Lord Althorpe, entered the House of Lords, and presented the Reform Bill to the Lord Chancellor. On motion of Earl Grey the Bill was read a first time, and was ordered, after considerable debate, to be read a second time on Thursday, April 5th. It has since been adjourned to the 8th of that month. It appears that certain lords, in debate, expressed their purpose not to vote for the rejection of the Bill, on the second reading, as they did last year; but to favour its going to a committee of the house for discussion. They however declared themselves still hostile to some leading features of the Bill, as too democratick. On the whole, it appears, that the passage of the Bill in the House of Lords, is very questionable, except with modifications to which the Commons will probably not consent. It is still stated, that the king and ministry are determined on creating, if necessary, a sufficient number of new lords to ensure the passage of the Bill. The existing nobility are highly indignant at the suggestion of this measure; and we find it hinted in a London paper, that they will, perhaps, affect a tolerance of the Bill till the final vote, and then reject it decisively. We doubt this. Such a course would not only increase the popular odium against them, which is already very strong; but the new lords would, in this event, be certainly sent into their house, and the Bill be got up again in a new session of Parliament. 1 The Cholera, it appears, notwithstanding the levity with which it was treated a month ago, was prevalent, and exceedingly fatal, in London. In six days 326 new cases had appeared, and more than half of them had proved fatal. There had been in all, between seven and eight thousand cases in England, and a large proportion of them had terminated in death. This awful calamity had also invaded both Scotland and Ireland-in the former, it had appeared in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and in the latter, at Dublin and Belfast. The prospect seemed to be, that it was likely to extend throughout the United Kingdom-with different degrees of violence in different places, but with no certainty of entire exemption in any. The intemperate and the necessitous poor are its favourite victims. There was great agitation still in Ireland, chiefly produced by the demand and refusal of tithes. Some measures of compromise were in prospect, which it was hoped would have a favourable influence. FRANCE was tranquil at the date of the last advices. There had been a serious disturbance at Grenoble, which had been subdued by a military force, and for which the military authorities had received publick approbation. A treaty had lately been concluded with Belgium, which it was hoped would have a favourable influence in terminating the controversy between that State and Holland. A French military force had entered Ancona, one of the provinces of the Pope's territories in Italy, which had given grievous offence to his holiness; but the French troops maintained their position. France has, for some time, been extremely jealous of the undue influence of Austria, in what are called the States of the Church; and this lodgement of troops in Ancona, appears to be intended to check some of the military movements of Austria. It has been apprehended that the conflicting views of these rival powers, in regard to Italy, would lead to war; but of this there seems to be no great probability at present. The Cholera was prevailing in Paris, and so many of the members of the Chamber of Deputies had left their post, that it was difficult to obtain a quorum to do business. Arrangements were making to relieve and take care of the poor; but dissatisfaction had been excited among them by evil disposed persons, which produced a disturbance that called for the interposition of a military force to restore order. On the 2d of April, the date of the last account, an official report stated that in the preceding twenty-four hours, there had been 252 new cases and 100 deaths. The disease appears to have spread much more rapidly in Paris than in London. In several other towns and cities, in different parts of the kingdom, this fearful malady was also said to have occurred; but there was no official statement in relation to any city but the capital. SPAIN and PORTUGAL remain in statu quo. Don Pedro was collecting and marshalling his forces for the invasion of Portugal at Terceira; and some expectation was entertained that the whole of the Azore or western islands would be brought to make their submission to Donna Maria. Even the island of Madeira was believed to be likely to acknowledge the young queen as the lawful sovereign. But all this is uncertain; and we fear Don Pedro's prospect of placing his daughter on the throne of Portugal is not flattering; although the troops at his disposal are well disciplined and devoted men; but their numbers are small in comparison with those to which they will be opposed. NAPLES.-It appears that the king of Naples has agreed to indemnify fully the merchants of our country, for the spoliations wantonly committed on their commerce, on the coasts of his kingdom in the time of Murat, and by his order. It is said that at first, the present king utterly refused to treat on the subject; but on being given to understand, that after a specified period of ten days, his refusal would be considered as final, and that he must abide the consequences, he consented to treat, and to make full restitution. It is well that fear sometimes prevails in favour of equity, when honesty is disregarded. HOLLAND and BELGIUM.-Since we began to write, we have seen announced the arrival of a vessel which left the Texel on the 5th of April, bringing intelligence that the king of Holland is inflexibly determined not to accede to the 24 articles of the London Conference; and that the people not only will bear him out in this, but that he would lose the attachment of his subjects, if he adopted a different course. issue remains to be seen. The PRUSSIA. Our countryman, Dr. Howe, has been closely incarcerated at Berlin, by an order of the court. We hope it will appear that the whole occurrence has taken place from misapprehension; yet even so, we think the Prussian authorities have acted precipitately and unwarrantably. Dr. Howe has been imprisoned and treated with great rigour, under the impression that he had entered Prussia to foster discontent, and promote insurrection-at least with a view to sow the seeds of these evils. Whereas it is positively affirmed, and we believe truly, that his sole errand was to bear the benevolent donations of his countrymen, and of the friends of the Poles in France, to those revolutionists who were suffering all the evils of poverty, want and degradation, in a country to which they had fled as to a neutral state. It seems to us that if such be the fact, it would have appeared to be so, had he been examined with candour before he was confined. Prussia has acted a cruel and unfair part toward Poland, in the whole of the late revolution. It is stated that strong representations have been made by the French authorities, to those of Berlin, in regard to the treatment which Dr. Howe has met with; and that the Prussian ambassador at Paris has been satisfied that his mission was purely charitable and benevolent, and has given information to this effect to his court. His release therefore may be expected; but his benevolent views may, notwithstanding, be in a measure disappointed. From GREECE we have heard nothing new, during the last month. TURKEY.-It appears that the Turkish sultan is taking vigorous measures, to repress the expected attack of the Pacha of Egypt, on his territories in Palestine and Syria. We have, however, seen but little of the details, and must wait for additional informa. tion. Mahmoud is certainly an extraordinary sultan. He has not only established a printing press, and caused a newspaper to be published, in two or three languages, at Constantinople, but is patronizing Lancasterian and other schools, in several places, and favouring improvements of various kinds-calculated, as seems to us, to undermine, eventually, both the power and the faith which he has, received from his Ottoman ancestors. We have no reason to believe that such is his intention, or expectation. He calculates, we suppose, on an exactly different result. But if strict Mohamedism and general science can flourish together, we certainly have miscalculated. From AUSTRIA and RUSSIA we have nothing to report. ASIA. It appears that in October last, a tremendous hurricane, accompanied by torrents of rain, thunder, lightning, and an earthquake was experienced, in the vicinity of Calcutta. The destruction of property was immense, and of life considerable. It is also stated that in the upper provinces of India, the natives are restive and discontented under the British government, and that popular insurrections are to be apprehended. The cholera still continues its destructive influence in various parts of the entire Asiatic continent. In some provinces of Persia, the cholera and the plague are stated to have carried off more than two-thirds of the population. In the province of Ghilhan, it is said that out of a population of 300,000, only 60,000 men and 44,000 women remained.The British, it seems, as well as our country, have a quarrel with the Malays. A Calcutta paper of the 24th December last, states, that two British ships of war were on the eve of sailing from Madras, with a considerable body of troops, attended by a train of guns, for the purpose of establishing the British power among the chieftains of the Malay peninsula.-A letter from Canton of the 19th Dec. ult. says: "We have here the British ship Challenger, of 28 guns, with despatches from the Governor-General to the Viceroy of Canton, who has appointed a time and place for the Kongheep to meet Captain Freemantle, and to receive the despatches, the Admiral is on his way from India, with all the ships he can collect,-every one asks-what for? None can tell, unless it be to give us all trouble; the negotiations may be spun out until answers are received to the despatches sent last August to England. I cannot suppose it possible that the Company will quarrel with the Chinese, having but two years to live-they may keep us in hot water for some months, and all end in smoke." An inundation in the neighbourhood of Canton has produced great desolation; and still more disastrous effects have been experienced in the Manilla islands from a terrific tornado and storm of rain. AFRICA affords no news for our present number. AMERICA. BUENOS AYRES.-A pretty serious affair has taken place between the authorities of this republick and the commander of the Lexington sloop of war, Captain Duncan, of the United States navy.-The Falkland Islands belong nominally to the British, but have not, recently at least, been occupied, nor, we think, formally claimed by that power. Their location renders them important as a place to which the whaling and sealing vessels of every country may resort for refreshments, and a temporary stay; and for this purpose they have been used by our fishing vessels, as well as by those of Britain. Lately, however, the republick of Buenos Ayres has cancelled a public debt due to a Mr. Vernet, by making over to him what they call a colony at those islands. His agent residing on the principal island, at the port of La Soledad, embargoed three American vessels, or in effect captured them, for having taken seals contrary to the orders of the government of Buenos Ayres. Our Consul at that place remonstrated, but obtained from the government no satisfactory answer. On this, Captain Duncan sailed from Buenos Ayres to the pretended colony, took forcible possession of the establishment, released the American vessels, destroyed a cannon and some powder, and brought off and left at Monte Video the most of the colonists, confining six (it is said, in irons) who had been chiefly concerned in embargoing, or capturing the American vessels. This has been highly resented by the Buenos Ayrean government. The functions of our Consul at that port have been suspended, two proclamations or publications have been issued, and an appeal is to be made to our government for satisfaction. Captain Duncan and the Consul have not yet told their story. It will no doubt be a different one from that of Buenos Ayres; and the result remains to be seen. MEXICO. It appears by the following recent communications, apparently worthy of credit, that we are in danger of a serious controversy with this republick, as well as with that of Buenos Ayres. "The ministry is much enraged against foreigners, and Mr. Alaman (Secretary of State) has stated to the foreign representatives, that the army is aware that strangers have taken up arms in favour of Santa Anna, and this, he says, has so exasperated them, that, in case they gain the city, Vera Cruz, the government will not be accountable for the destruction of lives and property. The presumption is that the troops are promised a Saqueo-permission to plunder. As it is not a fact that foreigners had assumed arms, and accordingly probable that the government was only seeking to vindicate, by the assertion, the proposed pillage, it is obvious that the persons and property of American citizens at Vera Cruz would be exposed to great danger in the event of a successful attack by the besieging army. Dates from the capital of Mexico are to the 2d of April, and every thing was in a state of agitation, and apparently approaching to a civil war. The states of Guadalajara, Zacatecas, and Tamaulipas openly supported the declaration of Vera Cruz." At the date of the last accounts, the governmental army of Mexico, consisting of about 3000 men, was stationed, and had been so for some time, within half a league of Vera Cruz, which was defended by Santa Anna with an army of about 1800 men. An attack had for some time been expected.When will there be an end to the intestine wars of these recent republics? Not, we fear, till there is more knowledge and more virtue among the people. UNITED STATES.-We seem to have a speck of war on our own horizon. It appears that the Sac and Fox tribes of Indians, under their noted leader Black Hawk, have invaded the State of Illinois, in violation, the governor affirms, of the treaty made last summer. General Atkinson, who commands the United States troops in that region, has advertised the governor that the frontier of his state is "in great danger," and a spirited call has, by the governor, been addressed to the militia of the state, who were to rendezvous at Bairdstown on the 22d ult. We still hope that bloodshed will not ensue, but the prospect of avoiding it is rather unfavourable. Our Congress have given us but little in the past month that is proper for our pages; for we take no part in congressional or political quarrels, except to lament them. Yet we must solemnly protest against club law, whether in or out of Congress-and pistol law is no better. The appropriation bill has passed, and the bank committee have made a divided report, which is now before the House of Representatives; or rather the report of the majority is there, and the minority are preparing their statement. THE CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE. ADVOCATE. JUNE, 1832. Keligious Communications. In place of a catechetical lecture, which our engagements for the past month have not permitted us to prepare, we insert, as the first article in our present number, the following pastoral letter from the General Assembly of our church, issued at the sessions which have just been closed. PASTORAL LETTER. The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, to the Ministers and Churches under their careDEARLY BELOVED BRETHREN You will perceive by the narrative of the state of religion which we this year publish, that the God of all grace has been pleased, during the last year, to pour out more copiously of his blessed Spirit on the people of our denomination in this land, than perhaps in any period of equal extent, in former times. For this signal and ineffable benefit, we desire that you may unite with us in ascribing humble and fervent thanksgivings to Him from whom we have received this transcendent mercy, and "from whom cometh down every good and every perfect gift." And suffer us to remind you, dear brethren, that one of the best and most acceptable expressions of gratitude to God for the unspeakable favour we have received, Ch. Adv.-VOL. X. is, to be exceedingly careful not to abuse it. It is of more importance than we know how to express, that we should, together with much prayer for direction and aid from on high, use all our influence and put forth our best efforts, to preserve the glorious revivals of religion with which we have been blessed, from all that may mar their beauty and prevent their extension; and where any thing of an injurious tendency has already taken place, that we should labour to correct the evil as speedi ly as possible. Let it not be supposed, however, that we would willingly say any thing that might encourage or countenance those who condemn all revivals of religion-condemn them because they may be attended by some errors and irregularities, which, it is readily admitted, ought to be deplored and avoided. Far, very far, be this from us. Those who cherish an aversion to revivals of religion, because they are accompanied by imperfections and are liable to abuse, should recollect that there is nothing with which the human powers and passions have to do, whatever be its general excellence, that is not open to the same objection. In revivals of religion in which there are confessedly some things to be lamented-as there was in the abuse of 2 G |