children, especially their daughters, are married. If they should, their caste and dignity and respectability would be lost, and no young man of good family would seek their daughters. A single fact will show the worth of caste in the opinion of many. A few months ago, a rich man, who is one of the moodeliars at Colombo, offered to give in dowry 300,000 rix dollars, if a young man of a little higher caste would marry his daughter. The young man's relations would not consent.

Pagan Festival.

While distributing tracts on the last great day of the festivals at Condasuammy's temple this year, I went near enough to see those who were rolling after the car. I could not count them exactly, but conclude there must have been as many as 250 men and 40 or 50 women. The women did not roll, but "measured their length," by prostrating themselves, then rising and placing their feet where their head was, they uttered a short prayer, raised their clasped hands over their heads, then prostrated themselves again. In this way they followed the car round the temple. After rolling after the car, one man in performance of a vow began to roll from the temple to Keedy Mally, the famous bathing place, a distance of more than a mile and a half. But after rolling about half way, the road being full of stones and bushes, he said, Swamy appeared to him and gave him leave to walk the rest of the way. As distributing tracts and conversing with the people are common things, and have been told many times, an account of this temple and bathing place, which I have lately got hold of, may be as acceptable as any thing I can say.

Syria.

shop, we thought proper to send Tannoos with him. And so it happened that on the second or third answer, the papists wrote no more, although Tannoos waited nearly two weeks, under the daily promise that an answer should come. Since his return W. writes, that the great champion, in the dispute, on the part of the papal churches, tells the people who go to inquire of him about the dispute, that their fathers have been in an error in acknowledging the pope to be head of the church. If this be true, (for W. is only told so) it will be likely to have a thrilling effect on the people's hearts in that region.

Tannoos fully confirms the statement, made by W. to us, that at all times of the day, people were coming to his magazine, to the number of from ten to fifteen at once, and that W. would talk till his tongue could scarcely move any longer. They left him no time for business, and hardly any for eating his meals. W. also writes, that the visit of T. left a very favorable impression, which, from his sober and careful believe. During T.'s absence, the school manner of conversing, we are very ready to here was to have been conducted by his brother, but in a very few days it was necessarily discontinued, on account of the breaking out of the plague. Susan, W.'s wife, has lately been sick with the small pox. In the highest stage of the disease. there was, it seems, some alarm on her account, and her mother secretly proposed to her to call for one of the priests of her church, encouraging her not to be afraid of her husband in so doing. "One of your priests," said Susan, "no, never.' "If I have any, I will have one of my own church at Beyroot." It is quite pleasant to hear this of Susan, with the little opportunity she has had of enjoying Christian instruction, and surrounded as she is by the whole circle of her family friends, who are trying to get her back to her old church

Good Work in Sidon.

You express your joy at the returning hopes we have of Wortabet, and as you prudently choose to suspend your opinion of him, it will add perhaps somewhat to your joy when we are able not only to confirm all that we have said of him hitherto in his favor, but to assure you that through his means the Lord is evidently carrying on a good work at Sidon. Such has been the excitement there for many weeks, that Wortabet came here to get Tannoos El Haddad to go to help him. The Greek and Maronite papists there, had proposed to enter into a discussion of the various points at issue, in writing. W. not understanding Arabic well enough to dictate, much less to write, on such an occasion, and needing some one also to assist him in conversation with the many people, who called at his

The alarm of war, at just this season, will operate unfavorably on the religious excitement at Sidon, otherwise we have every all that has been sown there of the word of prospect, that some fruit will result from God.

Prospects of Usefulness for a Physician.

You wish us to give the reasons why a physician should come hither, that you may be able to send them to individuals. I think they must have been stated in previous communications. But among the obvious reasons are 1. Christian philanthropy. Hundreds of people being in a suffering state from sickness here, at all times of the year, who suffer or die as the case may be, without the least radical relief. 2. The prospect of influence with men of consequence, who might favor the cause of religion. 3. The hope (after a time) of a handsome support from his practice,

4. The direct access, which he might procure, for other missionaries, to the persons and friends of his patients. 5. The general air of respectability and consequence, which he might throw over the missionary families, when known to be in their intimate friendship. 6. The unostentatious, inoffensive way in which he may drop his remarks on religious subjects, answer inquiries, remove prejudices, &c. in bigotted families or companies, where a missionary would not be heard. 7. The possible prolongation of the life of the missionaries, and the certain relief of their minds from a great deal of anxiety, which more or less impedes their work. These reasons occur to me at the moment, and I put them down without much regard to methodical arrangement. Perhaps on some other occasion, we may take up the subject more at length.

War at Tripoli.

We are likely soon to witness a scene of confusion, and perhaps of danger. The threatened civil war has begun at Tripoli. Some hundreds are said to have lost their lives. As the war is not a war of religion, or that concerns Franks, we shall probably remain on the coast, and perhaps in Beyroot itself, leaving the event to God.

EXTRACTS FROM MR. WHITING'S COMMUNICATIONS, BEYROOT, APRIL 3, 1832.

Warlike Preparations.

CONSIDERABLE interest was excited here yesterday, by the arival of Ibrahim Pasha from Acre, on his way to Tripoli, with (I should think) some 2,000 cavalry, and about 4,000 infantry, and six or eight pieces of cannon. He is going, as is thought, to oppose Osman Pasha, who has been commissioned by the Porte to take possession of Tripoli, and has arrived near that place, with 5,000 or 6,000 men. These troops of Ibrahim look exceedingly well, and appear in fine spirits. They are trained according to European tactics, and appear to be as well disciplined almost, and march silently and as regularly as European troops. Such order, and such equipage, was never before seen in any body of men, by the inhabitants of Beyroot.

as

This movement of Ibrahim does not look like the amicable negociation, which we have heard, was in progress between the divans of Constantinople and Alexandria.

We are entirely at a loss what to believe, also, respecting the "large bodies" of the sultan's troops, said to be on their march towards Acre, through the interior, by way of Hams and Damascus.

Accounts from Alexandria to the 13th of April state, that Ibrahim Pasha has opened the operations of the campaign against the Porte, with a victory,--N, Y. Observer.

Wortabet at Sidon.

You would be interested in knowing something more of what Wortabet has been and is doing, at Sidon. I mentioned that he had had some discussions in writing with the papists. He received a challenge from a zealous Maronite, (a stranger I believe, or at least not a resident at S.) who came there and found an extraordinary state of excitement, respecting the "evangelical way," as Wortabet styles our views of the gospel. His wish was to have a disputation in a private place and before a certain number of friends. W. replied to the friend through whom the challenge was given, "that he was no disputer, and had no time nor inclination for controversy— that he was a humble shop-keeper, and was obliged to attend constantly to the business of his little shop, to earn his daily bread. But that if any person was disposed to converse with him upon the truths of the gospel, in a friendly manner, for mutual edification, his shop was always open, and it was his delight to receive such visitors." This anwer was carried to the man.

He

replied, that being a Maronite, it would not be safe for him to resort to Wortabet's shop, it being a public place, and constantly thronged. He proposed, therefore, to state some questions to W. in writing, to which he wished a written answer. To this W. assented.

The first inquiry sent to him was, in substance, this "Seeing there are so many sects or churches of Christians, differing from each other, but all claiming to be true churches of Christ, what is the church' mentioned in 1 Timothy iii. 15-how are we to know it-and since all churches profess to derive their arguments from the scriptures, who shall deterinine what interpretation is right?" To this W. wrote a brief but temperate and judicious reply, after sending to the man, previously, the statement of Asaad Shidiak, to think upon, while he was writing. Business called him to Beyroot after he had sent his answer— and when he returned Tannoos accompanied him to assist him in writing, (W. not being able to write Arabic,) and also in conversing with the people. The challenger replied to W.'s first answer, and sent a second set of questions, or objectionsand, I believe, a third. In W.'s second and third replies, the great points in which the church of Rome is at issue with us, were brought fully out and discussed, his arguments being drawn, to a considerable extent, from previous discussions, which our brethren, Messrs. Bird and Goodell, have had with the papists, from Mr. King and Asaad. His last paper was full and strong, Several copies of it were circulated, and much attention was drawn to it as well as to his preceding answers. An answer to this was promised, and promised, but no answer appeared, nor has any appeared to

this day. And it would seem from a late letter we received from Wortabet, that the champion himself is, partly at least, convinced that he is in the wrong. I will give you an extract from his letter. He says, "The man, (El Nhaas) after my answers to him, says to the people which saw my proofs about the pope and went to him to ask about the matter, that their fathers are mistaken in receiving the pope as head of the church of Christ." He adds, in his own English, "Two part of the Christians here are not fast, and are eating meat in this Lent openly; and the priests are not able to tell them any thing. The people come to me always, and I am engaged with them daily in respect of evangelical way. Many things then are to be written to you, if they were not dangerous in these times."

Cherokees.

EXTRACTS FROM THE JOURNAL OF MR.

BUTRICK, AT CANDY'S CREEK, Jan. 29, 1832.

FROM this communication it appears that the church at this station, have, repeatedly holden protracted meetings, for three and four days in succession; and have been assisted by missionaries from other stations. The last meeting, holden in April last, is thus described.

Brothers Eagleton, Dunlap and Blackburn, from Tennessee, and brothers Chamberlin and Thompson, assisted. Esq. Blackburn, though not a minister, is a very useful man at such meetings. A prayer-meeting was held every morning at sunrise, preaching at ten o'clock, A. M., and at two P. M., and again at candlelight. On the Sabbath the congregation was very large. Isaac Bushyhead and Sally Bigbey were received to the church, previous to the holy communion. On Sabbath evening and Monday morning, when the anxious were called, near twenty came forward. Two of these have since expressed a hope

in Christ.

On Monday morning the church appointed one of their number to return thanks to Messrs. Eagleton, Dunlap and Blackburn, for their assistance on the occasion, and request them to attend a similar meeting next fall, and also to request the church Brainerd to unite with them in the contemplated meeting in September next. After some appropriate remarks and prayer, the congregation was dismissed. Some of the family from Brainerd continued with us till Tuesday morning, and observed with us the monthly concert, at two o'clock, P. M. The church in this place contains nineteen members, nine male, and ten female, including brother and sister Holland. Though the members do not generally manifest as much religious feeling as

VOL. XXVIII.

we could wish, yet, with some exceptions, their walk has been regular. Their labor last year in building the meeting house, and this year in purchasing plank, laying the floor, making the pulpit, building each a tent, &c., which they are about doing, places them, in point of efficiency, before any other church members in the nation. Most of the church and many others have adopted the plan recommended in the verse system of committing to memory a verse each day, and reciting the seven verses on the Sabbath.

My dear wife has taught the school since the 9th of April. The school consists of twenty different scholars. Thirteen live at the mission. I think the children are making good improvement.

Arkansas Cherokees.

EXTRACTS FROM A LETTER OF DOCT.

PALMER, FAIRFIELD STATION, MAY 24, 1832.

State of Schools.

The school is in operation with about 30 scholars. This spring, two schools have been opened within about 15 miles of us, which have taken off more than half of our former scholars, and yet there are more pressing upon us, to be received, than we can possibly take. It is interesting to see how these full blood Cherokees, as soon as they begin to feel the power of the gospel themselves, will bring their little tawny children, and give them up to receive a

Christian education. We have now in our care, and, as I might almost say, in our arms, as many as a dozen little interesting creatures, from four to six years of age. The parents seem to have perfect confidence in us, and it is remarkable that they will permit us to switch their children, if necessary, when they would on no account do it themselves. I am glad the natives have shewn so much energy in trying to have schools at their own expense. How they will succeed I do not know. The Methodists will perhaps foster one or both of them. I would do all I could to help and encourage them, and if I had time, would visit them frequently. To one of the schools 1 sent some books, the other day, which were thankfully received, and the Tract Society sent half a dozen testaments, to be distributed among the scholars.

A few good, pious young men, teachers from New England, who would be willing to spend two or three years in the service of God among this people, would do immense good.

Religious Revival.

Last year the Lord revived his work among us greatly, and many I think were 37