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causes of this are the novelty having though not so quickly, by writing as ceased, and some half-breed children, speaking it. Two or three write a betwho were among the most promising ter hand than I can, and I frequently and punctual scholars, having moved to have to learn from them to spell particuother places, I have mentioned hereto- lar words, for it is difficult for us to disfore. Another, which I did not much sus- tinguish accurately such sounds as do pect till lately, but which I am now fully not occur in English, while they do it persuaded has been operating for a long easily. One of their wandi okiye aptime, is mentioned above. This, howev- pears, so far as the understanding is coner, has rather operated to prevent an in- cerned, convinced of the truth of Chriscrease, than cause a diminution. Last tianity and axious to learn all about it, winter our school-room was cold and un- and says he wishes to forsake all the comfortable. From the time the Indians evil ways of the Dakotas. He is, I supreturned from their spring hunt, till late- pose, about thirty-five years old, posly, they were so much afraid of their sesses a good mind, one of the best I enemies, the Ojibwas, that they would have met with, and is the most indusseldom venture to come to our house trious Dakota I have seen. I hope the without one or more armed men as a Spirit of God is striving with him, and guard; and further they were uncom- that he may be a chosen vessel of good inonly destitute of provisions, most of to his people, though I see no evidence them having nothing to eat, except as as yet that he is converted. they could gather or beg it, and the children were either aiding their mothers in their corn fields, or, when they could|| venture abroad, running every where in search of roots, birds, or fish to eat. If you consider these things, and that we have no books in a language that any of our scholars can understand, you will not think it strange that our school is small. All things considered, I think we have no cause to be discouraged, but much for gratitude, that with such small facilities and abilities for teaching, we have been able to have a school almost constantly for two years, all the days missed being less than equal to the vacations which are common in schools in other places. The whole number who have attended within a year is about forty. The average daily attendance of the first quarter, counting from the first of August was fourteen, second quarter twelve, third quarter fifteen, and the last ten. Two had left the school more than a year ago, who had learned to read English. Of those remaining, nine read English, and read and write Dakota; two read and write Dakota; ten spell Dakota, and most of them read and write a little on slates. Others have not attended lately, or but very irregularly, and have made less progress, but a number of them know most or all of the letters. This only relates to Miss Poage's school. Besides these there are about a dozen men, whom Mr. Pond and myself have taught to read and write their own language. Some of them, it is true, can neither read nor write well, but most of them can write so that I can understand their letters better than their conversation; and can read so that I can communicate any thing to them quite as well,

Since I last wrote to you I went with a party of the Dakotas on a summer hunt, and was nearly eleven days without seeing a house, or hearing a word of any language, except Dakota, to learn which was my object. Since I returned Mr. R. has been absent two Sabbaths, for each of which, as I had no interpreter, I have, with the aid of Mr. Pond, prepared a short discourse in Dakota. Between thirty and forty, exclusive of the members of the mission, attend worship with us on the Sabbath, and I hope they learn something about God and Jesus Christ, imperfect as my knowledge of their language is. Perhaps I mentioned in a letter, that one woman, who formerly ranked high among their medicine folks, or conjurors, had given Mr. R. her medicine sack, telling him to burn it. This was equivalent to declaring in the strongest terms, that the Dakota religion was false and she determined to forsake it. She has been much ridiculed for so doing, and bears it with constancy and meekness, so far as I can learn. I have considerable hopes that she is born of the Holy Spirit, but such is her ignorance and the difficulty of learning the state of her mind, or instructing her, owing to my imperfect knowledge of the Dakota language, that I have not yet thought proper to baptise her. Some time since another followed her example in openly renouncing the gods of the heathen. They appear desirous to avail themselves of every opportunity to receive religious instruction, without being actuated by any hopes of worldly gain. Thus we are encouraged to hope that the Lord has a people among these poor degraded Dakotas, which he will ere long gather into his fold.

Proceedings of other Societies.

FOREIGN.

ANNIVERSARIES AND SUMMARY OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF RELIGIOUS AND BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES IN LONDON.

THE following summary is gathered from the Missionary Register, and the statements relate to the year preceding the several anniversaries in May last. Some idea may here be obtained of the variety of the benevolent efforts of the British churches and the liberality with which they are sustained.

Sunday School Society. 51st anniversary. Schools assisted 402, containing 35,313 scholars.-Books granted: Bibles 2,133, Testaments 2,051, spelling books, 34,200, sets of collective lessons 392, primers 1,200, alphabet boards 6869.

Books granted from the beginning: Bibles 30,870, Testaments 185,047, spelling books, collective lessons, and alphabets on boards 1,252,904.

Lord's-Day Observance Society-6th anniversary. Receipts £507 18s.

Wesleyan Missionary Society.-On Sunday, April 30th, one hundred and five sermons were preached in behalf of the society, in fifty-three chapels of the Wesleyan Methodists in and near London.

The receipts of the year, including government grants of 5,000l. toward the erection of school-houses, amounted to 75,5261. 11s. 1d.; the payments were 70,460l. 9s. 1d.

The sum collected at the anniversary, including contributions to the amount of 9947. announced on the platform, and a donation of 2,000/. on annuity, exceeded 4,000l.

The stations occupied by the society, in different parts of the world, are about 180; each station being, in general, the head of a circuit of towns and villages around, embracing a numerous population brought under missionary instruction. The missionaries, accredited ministers of the Methodist connection, are about 300, more than eighty of whom are employed in the West Indies. They are assisted by catechists, local preachers, assistants, superintendents of schools, schoolmasters and mistresses, and artisans; of whom about 200 are employed at a moderate salary, and 2,600 afford their services gratuitously. The members of the society under the care of the missionaries, exclusive of those in Ireland, are about 62,000, being an increase of 7,157; the members of the mission congregations not in society, may be fairly estimated at a larger VOL. XXXIII.

number. To these may be added the num. ber under school instruction, about 43,000; making a total of more than 160,000 individuals, who are directly receiving spiritual advantage by means of the society's missions. In Ceylon, in Africa, in the Friendly Islands, and in New Zealand, the society has printing establishments. Valuable translations

of the Scriptures, and of various other works, have been effected by the missionaries, by whom in more than twenty different languages the gospel is preached.

Church Missionary Society-37th anniversary. Total receipts for the year 71,7271, 1s., and payments 69,6687. 4s. 11d.

Stations 72, missionaries 67, native missionaries four, catechists and other laymen 67, native and country-born teachers 451, communicants 1,550, attendants on public worship 21,306, schools 460; scholars, boys 13,289, girls 3,135, sex not distinguished 4,286, youths and adults 2,363-total 23,073,

The returns of communicants and attendants on public worship are imperfect.

Christian Instruction Society-12th anniversary Receipts 1,2127. 10s., payments 1,1151. 3s. Associations 85, gratuitous visitors 1,909, families visited 48,971. In the year 736 copies of the Scriptures were circulated, 1,900 cases of sickness and distress were relieved, and 2,616 children were led to attend Sabbath or some other christian schools, making a total, during the past eight years, of 4,500 copies of the Scriptures circulated, 11,714 cases relieved, and 19,188 children introduced into schools of religious instruction.

British and Foreign Bible Society-33d anniversary.-Receipts 108,740l. 19s. 11d., payments 103,171l. 5s. 2d.

Church of Scotland's Foreign Mission4th London anniversary.-Receipts in Lon. don 7501. The Calcutta Institution, under the patronage of this society, contains 620 Hindoo pupils, and might have 2,000. It has several branch institutions under native teachers, superintended by Mr. Duff.

British and Foreign Sailors' Society-4th anniversary.-Receipts 1,8397. and a legacy

of 5001.

In the port of London about 4,000 ships are employed in the conveyance of exports and imports. Not less than 15,000 cargoes are annually received in London, and, on an average, 2,000 ships are lying in the Thames and in the docks, with about 10,000 small craft. There are 20,000 sailors besides others out of employ, constantly in this port. There are also 2,300 small boats, and about 8,000 watermen, besides 4,000 laborers en

59

gaged in loading and unloading, and 1,200 || revenue officers.

Twelve preachers have been employed; the sailors' library contains 4,000 volumes, 20,000 pamphlets, and 100,000 temperance and religious tracts. From 1793 to 1829 the average number of British vessels annually wrecked was 500; and in 1829 it was 800, and probably has since increased.

Baptist Missionary Society.-Receipts 15,045. 18s., and payments 12,617. Collections at anniversary 5007.

British Reformation Society-10th anniversary-Receipts 3,149., and payments

2,9531.

Prayer-Book and Homily Society-25th anniversary. Receipts 2,0721. 68.

-

Sunday-School Union--34th anniversary. Receipts 9,422. 16s. Returns give 556 schools, 8,370 teachers, and 82,710 pupils.

Jews Society 29th anniversary.Receipts 14,887. 14s. Provisions have been made for furnishing a larger supply of the Hebrew Scriptures and liturgy.

Newfoundland and British North America School Society-14th anniversary.-Receipts 3,0461., and payments 3,299. The society's schools are all in active operation; there are now forty-three, in which upwards of 9,000 scholars have received instruction; and in connection with these schools there are loan libraries. The society has been instrumental in getting into circulation upward of 10,000 copies of the Scriptures, and more than 100,000 tracts, besides a considerable number of prayer-books and homilies.

Home and Colonial Infant School Society. -The teachers prepared for schools and sent forth, who were fifty one in number at the first anniversary, are increased to eighty, and there are now eleven under instruction.

Receipts 3001.

London Missionary Society-43d anniversary. The receipts of the year, including 8,7771. for legacies, amounted to 64,372.; being an increase on the preceding year of 8,5071. The payments were 63,160., or 2,5331. beyond those of the previous year. Religious Tract Society-38th anniver- Collections at the anniversary 1,6271. Stasary. Receipts 67,3017. Cost of publications and out-stations 428, missionaries 114, tions 50,703, grants in money 1,625l., in paper and publications 5,519., other grants 1,3957.

native and other assistants 432, communicants 6,615, scholars 34,222, being an increase in the year of 1,376 communicants and 4,621 scholars.

Destitute Sailors' Home, etc.-Above 2,030 sailors have found relief at these institutions during the year, at an expense of ||2,2587., and more than 11,000 since their or

Hibernian Society-31st anniversary.Receipts 10,6251. 14s. Day schools 1,071, with 52,182 Protestant and 31,066 Romancatholic scholars. Sunday schools 765, with 43,111 scholars; adult 493, with 9,157 scholars; Irish classes in day schools 241 schol-ganization. ars: total 2,355 schools and 135,933 scholars, 25 inspectors and 43 Scripture readers.

Of the day schools 576 are under clergymen of the established church, 78 under ministers of other denominations, 393 under noblemen, ladies, and gentlemen.

Circulation of Scriptures, English Bibles 4,417, Testaments 21,965, Irish Bibles 19, Testaments 70: total 26,471, and making a grand total of 396,339 copies.

British and Foreign School Society-32d|| anniversary.Receipts 5,144., and payments 5,2591.

Trinitarian Bible Society-6th anniversary.--Receipts 2,9791., and payments 3,184/. Bibles issued 6,334, Testaments 4,250.

Naval and Military Bible Society-57th anniversary. Receipts 3,0097., and payments 3,0381. Copies of the Scriptures issued 10,874; total from the beginning 307,912 copies.

British and Foreign Temperance Society 6th anniversary. Receipts 1,1817., and payments 1,3147. New societies formed in the year about fifty; members added 20,000.

Church Pastoral-Aid Society-2d anniversary.-Receipts 7,362. There are few cases in the list in which it would not be ex

pedient that two, and even three or more clergymen should labor among the large flocks committed to the care of one shepherd. As it is fifty-eight clerical and thirteen lay assistants have been engaged to be employed in promoting the spiritual and temporal welfare of sixty-eight parishes, and in almost every case of clerical aid, additional services in churches or chapels, or licensed school-rooms, have been secured, as well as increased pastoral visitation and cottage lectures within an assigned district.

District Visiting Society.-Receipts 2501.

Ladies Hibernian Female School Society. -The receipts from June 1834 to June 1836 were 4,4334., and the payments for the same period 4,4067. Schools in connection with the society 222, scholars 11,519, nearly half of whom are Roman Catholics. Above one hundred applications for schools remain upanswered, from the want of funds; by which perhaps 5,000 female children are left withUnited Brethren, (London Association).--out Scriptural instruction. The society was Receipts of the year 4,6327., and payments formed in 1823, having for its object the 8487.; balance paid to the Brethren's Socie-establishment, through Ireland, of female schools, where girls, in addition to a Scriptural education, may be taught whatever is

ty for the furtherance of the Gospel among the heathen 3,7841.

suitable to their sex and station. The committee have the satisfaction to state, that the object of the society, at least so far as it has extended, has been fully carried into effect.

London City Mission-2d anniversary.Receipts 3,128!., and payments 4,459. 198. Agents sixty-three; courts, alleys, and portions of streets allotted to them 1,307; containing 17,816 houses, occupied by 27,072 families. Visits paid 209,769, of which 30,576 were to persons afflicted or dying.

District meetings for prayer were held to the number of 5,208, seven work-houses were regularly visited, and several large lodging-houses, in some of which were found as many as eighty of the adult poor, were visited, with some instances of success. Fifty wretched females were rescued from profligacy. Many drunkards have been reclaimed, and reverence for the Sabbath awakened.

In forty districts it was found that 12,200 persons totally neglected public worship, and that 4,000 of them had not a single page of the Scriptures. By the assistance of the Bible and Tract Societies, 805 Bibles or Testaments were lent or given, and 253,870 tracts distributed. The population of London is 2,000,000, houses for worship 618, affording accommodation for 497,670 persons. Supposing three eighths of the population to be necessarily absent, 610,002 could not be accommodated in the present churches and chapels.

a noble field for a preacher; but till one is
accustomed to it, no small nerve is required
to stand up to proclaim the gospel to such
a host of brahmins and practical devotees
from all parts of India. Our native brother
Narapot (now Maurice Sing) was with me,
and we were joined by some of our East
India brethren of the Serampore Society, so
that our force was considerable. A friend

of mine pitched a tent for our use, and at
another place a temporary booth was erect-
ed, so that we might shift our ground as the
state of the weather or other circumstances
required. Our operations were pretty much
the same every day. We met at our station
about nine or ten o'clock in the morning,
when one would commence by reading the
Scriptures, and then addressing the crowd.
On his concluding, if their attention seemed
deeply engaged, another would ascend the
platform and deliver a second discourse.
Sometimes, between these addresses, ques-
tions would be heard and answered, and
In this way
books and tracts distributed.
we would go on, relieving each other till
each had done as much as his strength per-
mitted.

Maurice Sing and I generally preached each about four times every day while we remained; and as it required considerable exertion to make ourselves heard by such crowds in the open air, this preaching campaign quite exhausted our strength. The conduct of Maurice Sing was admirable. He is a strong man with a powerful voice, and the ardor with which he gave himself to could be more encouraging than to see a the work was remarkable. Indeed nothing daunted countenance before hundreds of converted brahmin standing with an brahmins, tearing the veil from their abomiIrish Society of London-15th anniversa- nations, and exhibiting them in all their nary.-Collections 115.

European Missionary Society-19th anniversary-Receipts 1,6227. and a legacy of

5001. Missionaries of different classes-in

France 15; and in Switzerland, Lisbon, and

Corsica one cach.

Peace Society-21st anniversary.--Receipts 8421., including a legacy of 1007.

LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY'S MISSION
IN NORTHERN INDIA.

Preaching to the Pilgrims at Allahabad.

THE Rev. W. Buyers, missionary at Benares, writes in July 1836, that he visited Allahabad in January of that year, at the time of a religious festival of the Hindoos, of which he gives the following account.

From the appearance of the Mela, the assemblage of pilgrims could not have been so great as last year. Calculation is such cases is very difficult; but I should not think the number of visitors under five or six hundred thousand. These were not, however, all present at once, as the meeting lasts the whole month, and multitudes are constantly arriving, and others leaving. There is herell

un

ked deformity to his countrymen, and at the same time pointing them to the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world. A few years ago they would not have listened to him; but now many of them shed tears at hearing the truth, and scarcely an opponent of any consequence appeared, though tens of thousands of brahmins were assembled close by us, and hundreds listened to all that was said.

One day an old brahmin, who had listened to us for several successive days, arose and declared before all that this was the true

religion, and that he was determined to embrace it. An interesting scene ensued. Another brahmin had just been making some objections, when this venerable old man, standing up, his grey hairs streaming in the wind, and his brahminical string hanging over his drooping shoulders, exclaimed, "Who are you that object to these truths? What shasters have you read?

Am I not

a brahmin as well as you? Do you not see my badge? Am I not a pundit as well as you? And have I not read the shasters, and do I not know that they are

false, and that this is the word of the Su-ed, principally Hindoo. We had no more preme Being?" to give away, else we might have distributed six times as many.

The alarm, however, produced among the heathen by this public declaration of faith was likely to prove dangerous to him; and, during the evening and succeeding night, he was so entreated and threatened by his companions and disciples, that he at last consented to return home with them, promising to join us at Benares. It is impossible to say if ever we shall see him again. His friends, being in the secret of his wishing to become a Christian, will, of course, do all in their power to prevent it. On the same day several other brahmins were so much impressed, that they declared they were ready to cast their brahminical cords and other emblems of caste and religion into the river, and go with us to Benares to be baptised.

Without entering more fully into particulars respecting my operations at Allahabad, there was on the whole much to encourage. The gospel was preached to thousands, who heard it with attention. The opposers were few, and far from formidable. As regards the conversion of souls, no one can tell until the great day, when all secrets shall be revealed. Much, however, was done towards the general preparation of the minds of the people for the ultimate reception of the truth. This, in such a country as India, is no unimportant part of our work, without which, indeed, it seems almost vain to expect an extensive work of conversion.

Having concluded our labors at the Mela, we returned, after a journey of four days, to Benares. The road was crowded all the way with pilgrims, so that, had I not been exhausted by my labors at the Mela, I might have frequently preached on the journey homeward to large assemblies. The number of people that pass between the holy place at the junction of the Ganges and Jumna, and the still more celebrated Benares, at this season is truly astonishing. The shrine of Juggernaut, to which various circumstances have given so much notoriety in Europe, sinks into comparative insignificance. The length of the road betweea Benares and Allahabad is about eighty miles, and equal in breadth to any of the principal lines of road in England. Along this highway an uninterrupted stream of pilgrims continues to pour for a whole month, besides the thousands who go and come by water. Multitudes on horseback, or in palanquins and carriages of every description used in India, and tens of thousands of both sexes and all ages, on foot, move along in an almost unbroken mass. One day the main current runs towards Benares, another towards Allahabad, according to the supposed degrees of sanctity of the respective days. The number of travellers is not every day so great, but there are very few days during the month in which the numbers are not such as to make the whole line of

During the festival, besides portions of
Scripture, about 5,000 tracts were distribut-road appear like a fair.

American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE BOARD.

THE Twenty-eighth Annual Meeting of the AMERICAN BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FOR FOREIGN MISSIONS was held in the first Presbyterian Church in the City of Newark, N. J., on the 13th, 14th, and 15th days of September, 1837; at which were present

Corporate Members.*

JOHN COTTON SMITH, LL. D.

CALVIN CHAPIN, D. D.
JAMES RICHARDS, D. D.
SAMUEL MILLER, D. D.

JEREMIAH DAY, D. D. LL. D.

LEONARD WOODS, D. D.
WILLIAM ALLEN, D. D.
JOSHUA BATES, D. D.

*The names of the Corporate Members are aranged according to the order of election.

SAMUEL HUBBARD, LL. D.
WARREN FAY, D. D.
EDWARD D. GRIFFIN, D. D.
HEMAN HUMPHREY, D. D.
S. V. S. WILDER, Esq.
DAVID PORTER, D. D.
GARDINER SPRING, D. D.
JOHN CODMAN, D. D.
JUSTIN EDWARDS, D. D.
JOHN NITCHIE, Esq.

THOMAS DE WITT, D. D.
NATHAN S. S. BEMAM, D. D.
THOMAS MCAULEY, D. D. LL. D.
THEODORE FRELINGHUYSEN, LL. D.
JAMES CARNAHAN, D. D.
BENJAMIN M. PALMER, D. D.
JOHN TAPPAN, Esq.

HENRY HILL, Esq.

JOHN MCDOWELL, D. D.
ENOCH POND, D. D.
RUFUS ANDERSON, D. D.

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