servation the missionaries from Seneca and Cattaraugus have frequently preached, and a flourishing church has been organized. On each of the reservations, except that at Tuscarora, about

half the Indians adhere to their heathen customs and have little intercourse with the portions who have embraced Christianity.

It appears that proposals had been made a year or two since, for such a general convention, but owing to some little difficulties the plan had been relinquished. During the visit to Alleghany, mentioned in my last, Young King, the principal chief of the Senecas, brought forward the proposition again, and the influential members of the church from the reservation being present, unanimously concurred, and appointed the time and place of the meeting. After our return to this station, little praying circles were formed, in reference partly to the state of religion here, which was at that time more than usually interesting, but with special regard to the expected convention. At the same time it was thought expedient to open a weekly meeting for inquirers, which for a time continued to be attended by from five to twelve or fifteen anxious sinners. Previous to the convention also, our temperance society held its quarterly meeting, and voted to propose the organization of a general temperance society, to which the societies on the several reservations should be considered auxiliary.

one white Seneca of this church, the other
Zechariah Lewis, a young man about
twenty years of age, of the Cattaraugus
church, were solemnly set apart for the du-
ties of their office, and afterward the sacred
ordinance of the Lord's supper was admin-
istered to perhaps sixty communicants from
the different reservations. The great Mas-
ter of the feast was evidently with us, and
To see members
it was a precious season.
of five Indian churches, all except one
gathered within ten years, from among a
people, till then involved in the darkness
and guilt of heathenism, with joyful hearts
now gathering around the table of the Lord--
to see the same hands which once grasped
the tomahawk and scalping knife now
stretched forth in Christian meekness to re-
ceive the memorials of the Savior's suffer-
ings-to hear the same voices which once
made the forests ring with the war-whoop
and death-yell, now sweetly singing the
praises of redeeming grace-oh, it was
enough to make your missionaries rejoice
that they had devoted their lives to this ar-
duous service, and bless God that they
were not laboring in vain, or spending their
strength for naught.

As we left the house, we said to each other, the witnessing of this one scene is an ample compensation for all the sacrifices we have made, of home and friends and comfortable parishes in New England.

During the afternoon the pagan party at Cattaraugus had assembled at their councilhouse, and at the request of some of the On Monday evening the 27th of Feb- Christian chiefs had consented to listen to a discourse. Accordingly Mr. Elliot ruary, the exercises of the convention were went immediately after the communion opened by a sermon from Mr. Elliot of the Tuscarora mission, on the subject of educa-service and preached to a crowded assemtion. In the morning the necessity of ef fort for promoting the cause of religion was urged upon Christians from the text, "Thy kingdom come;" after which the male members of the churches separated from the congregation to attend to the business of the convention, while Mr. Elliot continued to preach to the impenitent.

bly. As usual in such cases some were angry, some mocked, and some seemed inclined to hear further upon the subject. In the evening, after another sermon in the meeting-house, the anxious were called forward, and eight or nine requested the prayers of Christians. It was hoped that one or two of them submitted to after-Christ before they left the room; but it requires so long a trial for the full developement of character among Indians, that in all such cases we dare not speak with confidence. It was expected that this evening would terminate the exercises of the meeting, but a death having occurred in the neighborhood it was thought best for one of us to stay and attend the funeral on Friday, P. M., and therefore we continued the meeting during the whole day. Many pagans attended the funeral, and the whole assembly appeared more deeply affected than at any previous time during the meeting.

Preaching was continued in the noon and evening of this day. The forenoon of Wednesday there was preaching. The afternoon was devoted to the cause of temperance, and in the evening there was preaching again. Thursday morning was occupied in addresses from the Indians. A chief from this reservation (Seneca White) spoke on the subject of missionary exertions, in behalf of their brethren beyond the Mississippi, urging with great force and propriety the claims of those perishing pagans, and the obligation and practicability of sending some of their young men at no distant day to teach them the gospel. Seldom have I listened to a more consistent, lucid, and impressive appeal to the sympathies of Christians in behalf of the heathen. In the afternoon another sermon was delivered with reference to the communion which was to follow. Then two deacons,

Measures adopted by the Convention.

In regard to the measures adopted by the convention, the more important were the fixing of a time for a similar meeting an

||

clude her at the next church-meeting. She had appeared the most promising of all the converts since my arrival here, but now we have but little hope of her. Doubtless it is for wise reasons that the Lord permits such disappointment of our expectations. None but those surrounded by heathen can know how bitter such trials are to missionaries.

from this church, and that was on the 9th of June last. He had been a church-member five or six years, and for a time had been very zealous, and apparently sin

his conduct has been a scandal upon the cause. The crimes for which he was expelled were intemperance and violation of the marriage contract.

nually, on the second Wednesday of February, to be held on the different reservations in rotation; the next to be at Alleghany: the formation of a general temperance society to which the reservation societies are auxiliary, and of a general missionary society whose auxiliaries are the several churches; and the adoption of a resolution to abrogate the law of non-inter-As yet but one person has been excluded course with the pagans on the subject of religion. It appears that some agent of the United States government, in order to quiet the dissensions of the two parties, had instructed them that they ought not to inter-cerely devoted. But for three years past fere with each other at all on the subject of religion, but let each worship in peace according to his own views of duty. To this both parties gave assent at the time; but, ever after, the pagans considered it a breach of contract if any of the Christian party spoke to them at all, in ever so friendly a manner, on the subject of religion. It was against this perversion of the contract that the above resolution was directed, and the adoption of it gave occasion to many very spirited addresses, only a part of which I was able to get interpreted. Among other things, a brother from Tonawanda remarked in substance, that Christ had commanded many more; but perhaps they do not dishis children to preach the gospel to every criminate between the malignant and comcreature; that this gospel was making rapid mon cholera. There were only eleven or progress through the earth, and would soon twelve deaths, and these were most of them overspread it. You might as well attempt in the heathen party. In much mercy the to prevent the water of a river from flow-whole church, and I believe all except one ing downward by building a dam across it, as to prevent the progress of the gospel. It will either flow over, or cut a channel around or under the dam, and you cannot stop it. Shall we then allow ourselves to

be hindered from preaching the gospel to our pagan brethren, by their perversion of our agreement? Is that perversion a dam sufficient to prevent the water of life from flowing in this channel? &c. &c.

Church at Seneca-Cholera.

About the middle of July the cholera appeared among us and became the all-absorbing subject of anxiety and exertion. For a while its progress was rapid, but a merciful God soon stayed its ravages;-not, however, till it had taught us many solemn lessons in regard to missionary zeal and faithfulness. As nearly as can be ascertained there were about a hundred cases on the reservation. Some of the Indians reckon

member of the temperance society, were spared; and this one had recently violated his engagements.

Religious meetings—Additions to the Church at Alleghany.

In the mean time, after the pestilence had left us, the Indians became anxious for a protracted meeting; and accordingly the 16th of August was fixed upon for its commencement. About a week previous to its commencement I was attacked with a slight For several weeks after this meeting the bilious fever, which prevented my taking a state of religious feeling in this reservation part in the meeting, except preaching a appeared to be improving. Several persons short discourse at its close. The neighborexpressed hopes; two or three of them such ing ministers, however, very kindly assistas till within a few weeks had been reck-ed us, so that we were able to continue the oned with the pagan party. But when the meeting six days. season arrived for making maple sugar. many families removed for that purpose to a distant part of the reservation. Some of them were absent three or four weeks; and the business of their farms claiming immediate attention as soon as the sugaring was finished, the worldly spirit began to prevail, and our hopes of a powerful revival, were blasted in the bud. Our church received an addition of five, however, on the 8th of April. One of these was James Young, the scholar who aided brother Harris in his translation of the gospel of Luke, &c. Two out of the five had been baptised in childhood. One has since fallen into grievous sins, and we shall probably ex

We hope there were a few cases of conversion; one or two of them of a very interesting character. But the apparent results of the meeting would scarcely warrant a similar measure again, though we would by no means allow ourselves to despise the day of small things.

I should have mentioned in the former part of this communication that Mr. Hall, the young gentleman employed in Mr. Elliot's place at Tuscarora during his absence to New England visited Cattaraugus and Alleghany in my stead about the last of June. At the latter place he held meetings three or four days in succession. There was much apparent interest excited

both among Christians and the impeni-munion. Perhaps an equal number are tent. A few weeks after, Mr. Cowles of cherishing hope and waiting with much Napoli, went down to Alleghany at my re- anxiety for another opportunity of uniting quest and administered the sacrament, and with the church. received thirteen new members into com

Proceedings of other Societies.

FOREIGN.

THIRTY-EIGHTH REPORT OF THE LONDON
MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

THE following paragraphs are taken from the last Report of this society.

Summary of the Missions of the Society In the several parts of the world, connected with the society's operations, there are 113 stations and out-stations, 92 missionaries, 19 European assistants, 133 native assistants, 54 churches, 4,771 members or communicants, 891 schools, 22,193 scholars.

Being an increase during the year of 22 branch stations, two missionaries, four churches, 820 members or communicants, 39 schools, 1,496 scholars.

The society has 13 printing establishments, at eight of which 139,000 books, including 33,000 portions of Scriptures, have been printed. And from nine stations 115,000 copies of books have been put into circulation.

Missionary Students.-The number of young men desirous of serving the Redeemer among the gentiles, who have placed themselves under the auspices of the society, is nineteen.

Funds.-The contributions for the ordinary purposes of the society, during the past year, have been 34,5681. 3s. 8d.; for special objects 5171. 3s. 2d.; making a total of 35,0851. 6s. 10d.; being 6,504. 16s. 8d. less than the receipts of the preceding year. The expenditure during the past year has been 39,2401. 10s. 7d.; being 4,155l. 3s. 9d. more than the receipts during the same period.

The experience of the society in the year that is past, has added to the evidence of each one preceding it, in confirming the testimony of scripture, that the advancement of the divine glory in the conversion of souls, the ultimate aim of all missionary efforts, must be the work of the Holy Spirit. To his divine influences alone, the directors look for success in the labors of their brethren; and encouraged by the promise of the Holy Spirit to them that ask him, they rejoice in the increased attendance at the missionary prayer-meetings in the metropolitan districts, and some other portions of the country; and regard this as one of the most favorable indications of divine approbation. The directors notice also with pleasure, the increasing number of holy and devoted young men, who, in answer to the claims of the world, and the prayers of the church, have been led, they would hope by the Holy Spirit, to consecrate themselves to missionary service, and are now training for the work.

has been an important increase in the most ef fective means of good, and under the divine blessing, a proportionate addition of fruits, among which, with deep humility and holy gratitude to Him to whom alone all praise is due, the directors would notice the addition of 820 converts to the church on earth, besides the numbers who have left the most satisfactory grounds to conclude, that they have departed from Christian

fellowship on earth, to join the spirits of just men

made perfect before the throne.

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

THE Rev. Joseph Knight, of the Church Missionary Society in Ceylon, thus reviews the difficulties which a missionary in the east is called to encounter in the prosecution of his labors. "It is well to know the nature and extent of these difficulties," says the editor of the London Missionary Register, "but when we call to mind the divine commission under which the missionary goes forth, and the triumphs which the gospel, as the power of God, has achieved over the most formidable opposition from the day of pentecost to the present hour there is no cause for despondency or discouragement."

In addition to the obstacles which arise from the depravity of human nature, and which, though differing in degree among different people, are common to all, there are many peculiar to this country, which, therefore, demand particular no

tice.

Of these, one of the most obvious is, the exclusive and consequently forbidding and unsocial nature of their institutions, both civil and religious. These are blended together, and rest on the same authorities; viz. the Shasters, remote antiquity, and universal practice. They are regarded as of divine origin, and as coeval with their existence as a people. They so insinuate themselves into every feeling of the mind, and every action of the life, that the views, and habits, and character of the people are formed from them; and they totally exclude all, except where the hope of gain, or some such motive, operates, from familiar intercourse with others.

1. Among the institutions of the country, caste stands first. This pervades the whole nation, and prescribes the rank of every individual in the community, the trade and occupation which each must follow, the duties to be done, the connections to be formed, &c. &c.; and these are all practised from generation to gener ation, with the most undeviating scrupulosity. The tenor of communications from every quar2. Included in the above is a system of heredter has shown so strongly the need of vigorous || itary priesthood; forming an integral part of the effort, that the expenditure of the year now clos-nation, and from time immemorial claiming and ed has equalled the income of the preceding one, exercising an indisputable supremacy over all and exceeded that of the current period. There the other classes. Notwithstanding the rever

ence occasionally paid to individual brahmins, they are regarded as little less than divineespecially such as hold the sacerdotal office, by those for whom they officiate: and, without any reference to the morality or immorality of their characters, they are, by the highest sanction, esteemed as the representatives of the Deity, and not unfrequently receive divine honors.

Though the contributions which form the support of this class are, for the most part, voluntary, yet such is the bondage in which the people are held by custom, superstitious dread of demons, the authority of their sacred books, &c. &c., that the amount paid annually by each respectable person to this object is said to be very great. Occasions for such payments are endless. Not only from the very birth, but, in some castes, or by such as strictly conform to prescribed rites, even from the very conception, and onward through life, offerings are frequently made, or rites performed, which require the offices of the family brahmin, who always immediately receives the accustomed dues. But not only through life are burdensome and expensive ceremonies performed: feneral obsequies, and rites to the manes of progenitors, are deemed very important; and these are continued annually, and even monthly, so long as children or descendants survive, to bear in remembrance the name or any knowledge of the individual.

3. As the shasters are held in such high veneration, and regulate to so great an extent the views and practices of the people universally, they also must be regarded as forming a most powerful obstacle to the spread of truth. These are writings undoubtedly of great antiquity, deemed sacred, inculcating the rigid observance of the rites and customs prevalent in the country; and totally excluding foreigners, and all who are not by birth of approved caste, from all participation.

4. The monstrous tales contained in these books also form a difficulty of no mean importance. All the puranas (sacred poems) are filled with the most extravagant and wonderful accounts of the exploits of their gods and heroes, achieved in remote ages; which, strange as it may seem, are all received with the most unhesitating confidence, being universally considered of divine authority. Provided such accounts, whether ancient or moderu, be in accordance with, or in support of, their systems, no evidence is required of their authenticity. No inquiry is ever instituted as to their truth or falsehood; for doubt seems never to enter the mind. With a people so credulous, the evidence arising from real miracles has little weight. The miracles of the Bible are scarcely deemed worthy of notice; and abstract truth, however supported by argument, makes little or no impression on the mind. Their intellects are, as it were, blunted; and their thinking powers but little brought into exercise, except within certain prescribed limits; the writings and opinions of the ancients always determining the bound of investigation. The utmost apathy characterizes the great mass of the people, with regard to every thing but what immediately affects the senses; so that the passions are not easily wrought upon by affecting representations, nor the conscience roused by fear of impending danger in a future state.

5. The doctrines taught in their books are not less pernicious. The doctrine of destiny, or rather of works of merit and demerit, supposed to have been performed in consequence of the connection of the soul with matter in former VOL. XXVIII.

states of existence, issuing into an endless succession of transmigrations and their attendant enjoyments and sufferings, has an inconceivably powerful hold on the mind. Joyous or adverse events, and even future destiny, being supposed to happen merely as things of course, or as the result of past actions not at all within their controul, and but little affected by present conduct, an inconceivable apathy pervades the mind with regard to futurity. The feeling runs into all the occurrences of life. All their hopes and fears are regulated by it; and the stupitying salvo is constantly applied to lull the feelings under misfortune and disappointment. This doctrine is found in all their books, is inculcated by all their teachers, and is ever recurring in conversation, as the source to which all events are referred, whether they regard themselves individually or otherwise. Hence a superintending Providence is kept out of sight; but their system does not properly admit of the idea. If powers are ascribed to the gods to do them good or evil, it can happen only according to their former merit or demerit; even the gods themselves, whether individually, or in their operations for others, being subject to the same unalterable influence.

This doctrine is one of the most difficult to refute in the whole system, and is probably the last that retains possession of the mind of the convert to Christianity. It accounts for all the evils that exist in the world, whether moral or natural; and furnishes a reason wherefore one is poor and another rich, one a prince and another a beggar, one wise and another a fool, one a man and another a brute or vegetable. All natural defects, as blindness, decrepitude, &c., among the brute creation, as well as among the human species, are ascribed to it; nor is there any thing in the whole range of creation beyond its influence. Though shewn the absurdity of this doctrine again and again, except convinced by more than human power, the poor bewildered Hindoo still clings to it with the utmost tenacity.

6. The very obscene character of these writings may also be mentioned. They furnish an almost inexhaustible fountain of impurity, calculated greatly to strengthen the depraved feelings of the natural heart; and thus form no inconsiderable barrier to the spread of the religion of the holy Jesus. In other systems, purity and virtue are taught by precept and recommended for imitation, how much vice and obscenity soever may be found in practice: but here, the puranas, which are the class of sacred books chiefly read, and by which the views and feelings and general character of the people are for the most part formed, are full of the grossest allusions. No adequate conception can possibly be formed of the very low and debased character of these writings, except by those who have read them; and yet they are chaunted and explained in their temples from day to day, to companies of both sexes and all ages, and it is considered very meritorious to hear them. As might naturally be supposed, the state of morals in the country is exactly the counterpart of their books.

7. The degradation of the female character, arising from the low estimation in which it is held, and the proscription of female education, also proves a very powerful obstacle to the spread of knowledge. To be born a female is universally considered an evil, both to the individual herself, and to the family in which she is born. Ali through life she is treated as a being of infe rior rank in the creation; as unfit for society, and incapable of comprehending subjects conversed 52

American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.