chiefs, totally abstaining themselves from the use of intoxicating drinks, exert their influence to prevent the use of them among their people, and become the guardians and supporters of a temperance society, and a thousand persons are immediately found in one village who pledge themselves neither to use, make, nor vend these destructive liquors. This is the legitimate effect of introducing the morality of the gospel into these islands. The missionaries have proclaimed the truths of the Bible. They have exerted no other sort of influence than ministers, and the friends of religion and sound morality exert among us. I left home the latter part of May, in company with eight or ten natives. We went directly up the mountain till we reached the upper region of vegetation; then turning to the left, as we were passing along to the southeast of the summit, being probably 12,000 feet above the level of the sea, we met a hailstorm, being the first that I had seen since passing Cape Horn. It was quite amusing to see the natives use their endeavors to catch the hail stones as they fell, some with their hats, and others with the tops of their callabashes, held out to catch it. They were disappointed for some time, saying that it went into their hats or calabashes, but that it flew directly out again. At last, having collected some, they commenced eating them, and here they expressed surprise exclaiming hui-hui cha loa ka niho. "It is very cold and hurts the teeth." They call hailstones hua ke-hekili, eggs or fruit of thunder. One asked me Why does cold dwell only upon the mountain? Another says that he has no hands; another that his feet are thick; another that his nose is benumbed. We descended again into the valley between the mountains, having Mauna Kea on our right, and Mauna Loa on the left. Some part of the way is sandy, interspersed with trees and shrubbery, and many huts of the sandalwood cutters, though the occupants had previously left them. The valley between the mountains is probably 8,000 or 10,000 feet above the level of the sea. Mauna Loa presents a most appalling aspect. Scarcely any thing is to be seen but black and dreary looking lava. Currents of black, rough lava seem to have issued from the tance of fifty miles or more, fell into the sea at Kowaihae. We arrived at Waimea and found all comfortable. After the Sabbath we commenced our return, designing to ascend the summit in search of a pond of water of which we had frequently heard. We followed the same route very nearly that was pursued the first time that we ascended the mountain, when the tour of the island was made by a deputation from the mission. We discovered nothing very special except a beautiful stream of water murmuring down the mountain. It was occasioned by the melting of the snow, and had its head in the pond for which we were looking. I saw as before fragments of granite imbedded in lava, the cohesion of almost all of which was very feeble, which was probably destroyed by the action of volcanic fires. In travelling on the loose masses and frag ments of lava, the sound under foot would very nearly resemble that of travelling on plates of iron. Solid mural precipices, slag, scinder, scoria, and sand compose the principal part of the summit of Mauna Kea, while Mauna Loa is composed almost entirely of black compact lava, of a hard confused mass, of jet black appearance. Some portions, however, incline to a clay color. I find it very distressing to ascend the summit, being afflicted with a severe pain in the head. The natives also complain of the same. Several times, while in the upper regions, I have been attacked with violent vomiting of bilious matter. All these complaints subside as we descend the mountain. Cherokees. VARIOUS NOTICES. School at Brainerd. UPON the burning of the mission premises at Brainerd, in March 1830, the schools at that station were suspended; and owing to the time requisite for erecting other suitable buildings, the disturbed state of the mission, and other causes, the schools were not recommenced till lately. Under date of February 3d, Mr. Elsworth re inarks are fre Our school commenced three weeks since under favorable prospects. We have nearly our number of fifty scholars. Twenty came the first week. Applications quent which we are obliged to refuse. If the schools are suspended in that part of the nation claimed by Georgia, it would seem desirable that the others should be enlarged. Tour of Mr. Thompson for Preaching. Since leaving Hightower Mr. Thompson has top of Mauna Loa, and after running a dis. I spent as much of his time as the circumstances of his family would permit in travelling and || extension of the laws over the nation, they preaching in various parts of the nation; especially among the people constituting the congregations and churches at Carmel, Hightower, Haweis, and New Echota, from which the missionaries have been driven by the Georgia guard. Under date of January 25, he writes cannot promise themselves much undisturbed enjoyment. Instances of grievous One out of many I will relate, as it came oppression have now become common. under my own observation, and is of recent occurrence. A citizen of Mississippi, with an unjust claim, entered the nation with a civil officer, and carried forcibly away property to the value of several hundred dollars. The Chickasaw instituted a suit, and recovered the property; but by attending to this business, he sustained considerable loss at home, owing to his absence for several weeks; travelled more than eight hundred miles, bearing his own expenses; and paid a lawyer one hundred dollars for pleading his cause. It is a fact honorable to the court which has cognizance of the affairs of this nation, that in every case, I I have for the first time visited Creekpath and Willstown. At the former place I preached three times in the course of two days, it being a communion season, and at the latter I preached once. From Willstown I proceeded to Haweis, spent the Sabbath, and preached to a very considerable number of Cherokees. On Monday following was the monthly concert for prayer. My interpreter had met me here on Saturday. We called on some families in the former part of the day, and at night observ-believe, without exception, the decision has ed the concert with a number of the members of the church, and some others, together with the mission family. The season was an interesting one. Mrs. Butler bears her afflictions with a good degree of fortitude, yet the weight of care resting upon her is at present great. She seems to me to have as much as she been in favor of the Indian, who is uniformly the defendant. This, however, does not relieve the natives from the expense of feeing lawyers and attending courts. Sufferings of the Emigrating Choctaws. the Choctaws cross the Mississippi to their country in the west. The distance by that route is about 500 miles; a large part of which is an uninhabited wilderness. It could hardly be expect ed that many hundreds of healthy men and women could accomplish such a journey, even in the most favorable season of the year, without much hardship and suffering; but when all the inhabitants of an Indian town are gleaned up, the decrepit and the infant, the sick and the healthy, the well clad and the naked are brought together, and marched 500 miles through a wilderness, with few of those conveniences which white men possess for rendering a long journey comfortable, and during a winter of unparalleled severity, the suffering must be intense. Martyn, the station at which Mr. Holmes recan well get along with. From Haweis I sides, lies on the road leading from the Choctaw proceeded with my interpreter to High-ration to Memphis, a route by which a portion of tower, and preached on Wednesday to a large number of Cherokees a few miles below the mission station. Here the meeting was unusually large for one collected in the week time. Good attention was given, and after meeting the poor Cherokees expressed much satisfaction on seeing us, and signified their wish that we might again visit them ere long. We soon took our leave of them, as we had an appointment at New Echota the following day. At New Echota the meeting, though small, was not unusually so for that place. On the following morning we left for Carmel, and late in the evening we arrived there, drenched in rain, having travelled several miles while it was descending. The next day, Saturday, I was prevented from visiting, as I had intended, by the rain which fell incessantly. The Sabbath was pleasant, but the streams were all swimming, which prevented many from attending meeting. Thirty or forty, however, were present. Chickasaws. EXTRACTS FROM A LETTER OF MR. HOLMES, Disturbed State of the People. The expectation of a removal beyond the river seems to have concentrated every thought to that one point. Even those who are determined to remain on reservations, as is the case with this neighborhood, are far from enjoying tranquillity of mind. Judging from what has passed since the" VOL. XXVIII. About a month ago several hundred Choctaws spent a part of three days in sight of Martyn, on their way to their new country. Although the contractor seemed to do every thing in his power to render their situation comfortable, there was still much unavoidable suffering. There were very aged persons and very young children in the company; many had nothing to shelter them from the storm by day or night. The weather was excessively cold, and yet a neighbor remarked to me a few days ago, that he had noticed particularly, and in his opinion, not one in ten of the women had even a moccason on their feet, and the great majority of these were walking. An interesting girl, who was formerly a scholar at Mayhew, sustained a compound fracture of the arm several days before they reached 16 this place, and was brought thus far in a rough baggage-wagon. In compliance with our suggestion, a litter was made, and she was carried the remainder of the way to Memphis on mens' shoulders. On her arrival there, a gangreen had proceeded so far, as to render it very doubtful in the opinion of the physician, whether an amputation would save her life. They, however, resolved to operate, and her right arm was taken off as near the shoulder as possible. Her parents were compelled to move over in two days, and she was left in the hospital. A number of small companies have since passed, who were detained on the way by loss of horses and other causes. No provision could be made for them, and consequently they were, in some instances, very destitute. One party came to us and begged an ear of corn apiece, to relieve, for a season, their sufferings. Another party camped in the woods near us, about three weeks ago, and that night a storm of hail and sleet commenced, which was followed, in a day or two, with a heavy fall of snow. For more than two weeks there was continued freezing and colder weather than I have ever seen in this climate. During the whole of this time these suffering people were lying at their camp, without any shelter, and with very little provision. Much suffering was to be expected in the removal of the Choctaws, but if I am to judge from what I have seen and heard, the half was not anticipated. EXTRACTS FROM A LETTER OF MR. STUART, Decline of Religious Feeling in the Church. My labors do not appear to be blessed. The church under my care is not prospering but declining. Its members are decreasing. Some who once appeared well and bid fair for the kingdom of heaven, as far as we can judge from outward deportment, are now in the enemy's ranks. The defections of late have been confined to the blacks, with only one exception. One poor young man, a native, has been drawn away by the great adversary, and has given himself up to intemperance. A general and distressing apathy, however, prevails among all the members of the church, which is to be attributed, without doubt, to the present distracted state of national affairs. Their minds are diverted from the great concern, and taken up with present cares and future prospects, which has a deadening influence upon their religious feelings. Much anxiety prevails among them to know what course to pursue in the event of the removal of the Chickasaws. From what has already passed before their eyes, and from what some of them have already felt, they fear they shall not be able to remain among the whites in peace. The only alternative, then, seems to be to remove; and the idea of being buried in the western wilderness, banished from the means of grace, having no one to break to them the bread of life, and to encourage and comfort them in their Christian warfare, is very trying. There is, also, a great falling off in the attention to the gospel on the part of those who are still without. But few of the Indians now attend preaching. Our usual routine of religious exercises is still attended to. I preach twice on the Sabbath, and attend a regular weekly lecture and prayer-meeting, besides the monthly concert for prayer, and other occasional meetings. Since the commencement of the winter, which has been unusually inclement, I have not preached any abroad, except at Martyn on a communion season. On the first instant our school at this place was opened. Miss Foster, of the Choctaw mission teaches. We have yet but nine scholars. We expect to board four in our family. Choctaws. EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS OF MR. WRIGHT DURING the last two years, as has been often Character Sustained by the Church Members. Many anecdotes illustrating the happy effects of the gospel upon this people might be mentioned. I will note one or two. A native member of our church, purIchased in the white settlements, fifteen or twenty miles from his house, a wagon for the purpose of removing his family. In the contract for the wagon, he engaged to carry the man who sold it to him thirty bushels of corn. Owing to unforeseen events he was unable to start from home with the corn before Friday. About this time he received word that those who were to remove must assemble the next day at the place of rendezvous. He proceeded on with his corn, but did not discharge his load till Saturday evening. The next day was the Sabbath. Necessity seemed to urge his immediate return; yet he was required to keep the Sabbath holy. He yielded to a sense of duty and rested till the Sabbath's sun had set. He then harnessed his team and started for home, where he arrived, by travelling all night, the next day. I was at his house when he arrived. He immediately told me the circumstances, and with a countenance expressive of concern said, "I am afraid that I have broken the Sabbath, because I did not wait till this morning." The white men where he staid, he said, spent the Sabbath in playing at marbles. About the time that the above took place, I had occasion to be often at the house of the man of whom I have been speaking, over night. He, his wife, her mother, and a brother are members of our church. Morning and evening prayers were regularly attended, and I think with as much interest as in our best regulated Christian families. Family devotions were conducted by the females in the absence of the men. I have noticed them, after family worship was concluded, retire to another room, and heard them there singing the songs of Zion, and listened to the accents of prayer falling from their lips, till I could recount three or four prayers offered by as many individuals, and these both male and female. I have every reason to believe that it was their love to their Savior which prompted these acts of devotion. Peace and happiness seemed to smile upon their humble dwel ling. Mr. Wright, who has been the missionary at Goshen, and who spent the last summer in the northern states, superintending the printing of books in the Choctaw language, has recently proceeded to the new Choctaw country to commence a mission there. Previous to his crossing the Mississippi, he visited the scene of his former labors, respecting which he remarks Goshen is now a lonely deserted place. It has no school nor meetings for religious worship. After the emigrating party left,|| the school was so much diminished that it was discontinued, and will not probably be resuscitated. Almost all the seriously disposed part of the Choctaws in this part of the nation, including the members of the churches at Goshen and Emmaus, and indeed all the more industrious and better part of the Choctaws have gone. At a protracted meeting at Goshen in October three were added to the church and three suspended. The present number of native members is eighty-six. The greater part of these afford the most satisfactory evidence of having passed from death unto life, and that they will be bright gems in the Savior's crown of glory. The Christian Choctaws have, as far as I have learned, so conducted on their present journey as to adorn the doctrine of God their Savior. The Captain of a steamboat who carried a party of 200 up the Washita said he never saw any people conduct better or appear more devout. They had morning and evening prayers and spent much of their time on board the boat in reading and singing hymns. A part of this company belonged to the Methodist society. Some statements respecting the conduct of the Choctaws while on the way to their new country were inserted at p. 28. Various other statements of a similar character might be inserted, showing that the introduction of the gospel among them has not been in vain. "The captain of a steamboat who carried a portion of the Christian party said, without any interrogation, that he had seen a great many people from different countries, and had done business with them; but he had never before seen such people as he carried up the river. They were constantly reading or teaching, and on the Sabbath they did nothing but sing and pray. It seemed like a continued meeting all the way." Arkansas Cherokees. EXTRACT FROM A LETTER OF MR. A. HITCH COCK, DATED DEC. 17, 1831. Boys School at Dwight. THE class of studies pursued, at the school at Dwight, the manner of teaching, and the progress of the scholars may be learned from the following statements. It is I believe conceded on all hands, that our schools are very much improved, and it is attributed as generally to the modern helps we have been enabled to employ. It is found that small Indian children are as much interested with subjects within their reach, such as simple arithmetic, grammar, geography, geometry, natural history, Scripture prints, &c., as any other children. And I am often delighted to see with what avidity they will seek after even common things, if presented in an interesting man ner. All my little scholars, except those quite recently received, have made very good progress on the maps of the world, the United States, and Europe. These three I have hung up in my school-room, drawn by myself, upon a large scale. On the map of the world they will readily give the principal divisions, such as continents, oceans, seas, capes, islands, &c.; together with latitude, longitude, and the zones. On the map of the United States they can give the several states, their boundaries, capitals, large rivers, large lakes, &c.; and on the map of Europe the same. They are exercised on a black board in various ways. In numeration they can read any number up to tens of thousands, both in English and Cherokee. They have likewise attended to their own language, fourteen having learned to read it, by having verses of Scripture written on a black board, in their own char acters. Several other small presents have been given as marks of approbation, and as a source of encouragement to the scholars. Two or three scholars have left the school, the most of whom are now under French Catholic influence, whose very breath seems to poison and blast the labor of our hands. It is a matter of deep regret that so many, reared under the fostering care of They have likewise made better progress in reading English, than at any former time. The large scholars have, I think, made good proficiency. Their studies have been arithmetic, geography, history, gram-your missionaries, should be swallowed up mar, geometry, astronomy, and algebra, with writing and drawing maps. One of them, formerly a member of the school at Brainerd, has been in this school a little over a year. in iniquity. Thus far, as a matter of course, they claim all the girls educated in our school. You cannot think strange, that to be daily witnesses of the increasing degradWhen he entered here, hisation of those nourished and brought up as children, should have a tendency both to weaken our hands and to discourage our hearts. knowledge extended only to spelling, reading, and writing. He has since acquired a good knowledge of Colburn's system of arithmetic, having gone through his first lessons, and twice through the first part of his sequel, and has pursued his algebra as far as the sixth section. He has been nearly twice through Woodbridge's Geography, parses grammar with ease, and has gone as far as the 109th article in Walker's Geometry. Other scholars are attending to the same studies, except algebra, and are doing well. The young man just referred to we consider quite promising. This would especially be the case if he should become pious. Several of the boys are evidently under the teachings of the Holy Spirit, though we have no reason to think they have been born again. We feel that we have reason for unfeigned thanksgiving to God for what he has done for us within a few months past, and we feel that the Spirit has not departed from us. There is still an interesting engagedness, on the part of Christians, in prayer and labors for the conversion of sinners, and an evident moving of their souls. We crave the prayers of all who desire the salvation of the Cherokees, that God would carry on his own work in his own way, and accomplish a complete deliverance for this people. Osages. EXTRACTS FROM A LETTER OF MR. JONES, The School. Many French Catholics early ascended the Mississippi river and its branches, and are now found settled on the borders of the Indian terri tory. Some have entered it. They intermarry with the Indians, and by their intercourse exert much influence over them. They have no schools and no religious instruction, except that they are visited by priests once or twice a year. Encouraging Appearances. Present We are not, however, without hope that these days of darkness will eventually pass away. We bless God that a brighter day seems to be dawning upon us. appearances favor the idea that the great Shepherd of Israel is about to take some of these tender lambs under his own charge, by gathering them into his fold. For some two months past more seriousness has prevailed among the youth at this station. After laboring for ten years in this barren heath, you may well suppose, that even the prospect of some precious fruit would have an exhilarating effect upon our spirits. To be permitted to merely break up the fallow ground, that those who come after us may not sow among thorns, is a high privilege, but to gather in the golden grain is in the highest degree encouraging. We are sensible, that to labor for Christ, whether in the wilderness, or in the har vest field, should be a sufficient inducement to active exertion, and that it should be the high source of our rejoicing. With great THE average number of Indian scholars for pleasure we listen to the recent triumphs of the last year was from 36 to 40. The good the cross both in heathen and in Christian order which has prevailed among them, the lands, and we believe it has the effect to progress they have made in their studies, in lead us to pray and sigh for the salvation of the domestic arts, and in agriculture, when the Osages. We are so far removed from we look no farther than the present, is high-them, our numbers so few, our calls so ly flattering. In the course of the year, several gentlemen of some distinction have visited the school, and have spoken in the highest terms of commendation, both as it respects the progress the scholars have made in their studies, and of their general appearance. Mr. Choteau, the agent, to express his good will, has presented to the mission a bell, weighing thirty-three pounds. numerous and pressing, that it is out of our power to do much directly towards proclaiming the gospel among them. Our work seems to be to raise up lights, and send them forth to guide these wandering souls in the pathway of life. Pray for us that we may labor in this department with renewed diligence and with disinterested love for Christ. |