RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

FOREIGN.

Report of the Directors to the London Missionary Society, at their sixteenth general meeting, on Thursday, May 10, 1810.

(Concluded from page 109.)

APPENDIX.

No. L-Extracts of Letters from Messrs. C. and A. Albrecht.

Warme Bath, October 29, 1808.

Honoured and much beloved Brethren in Jesus Christ,

We received your last letter, of Nov. 30th, 1807, on the 22d of this month, in which we perceive your constant affection, and that, being actuated by the love of Christ, you heartily participate in all the trials which, by the grace of God, we now have wrestled through. And what is more, the worthy Brethren encourage us, by their friendly exhortations, to look, in all our circumstances, to our Lord Jesus Christ-to dedicate ourselves repeatedly to his service, and in every discouraging situation to invoke him who has sufficient power to remove, in his own Such letters, time, all that is prejudicial to us in our important work. dear Brethren, we particularly need very frequently: for the state of my own deeply corrupted heart, the conviction of my incapacity, as also the external circumstances which often seem to hinder our labours, discourage me frequently, and therefore your last letter was to my heart as fresh water upon a dry land; I was inflamed by it, to live with my whole heart for my Lord and Saviour, and to serve him with a true and zealous desire; therefore, dear Brethren, I entreat you to write to us by every opportunity.

Our present dwelling-place is the same to which we wished to come in the beginning; but because we were then told that there would not be a sufficient supply of water, we postponed our inquiry after it till September, 1806. My brother then became an eye-witness of the sufficiency of this fountain, and we removed in the following month of October, with some of our scholars, to this place. Nevertheless, we could not be without fear, because the fields had been three or four years successively very dry, and but very poorly provided with grass; therefore we earnestly desired at that time to remove to Blackmodder-Fountain, (Zwartmodder-fonteyn,) or rather to the west sea-coast. We then consulted together, and resolved to make inquiry with our scholars about a better place; but many well grounded objections have hindered the fulfilment of our wishes; of which matters our worthy Brethren probably are informed by the Direction of the Cape, who are not very well pleased that we have so long deferred this intention, not yet knowing that I undertook a journey in the months of June and July, with some of our people, who went out to hunt, to try if I could find a better place

for Missionaries, and if the word of God could find entrance among other nations. Not because we desired on our own account such a place, but because we wished to clear the way for other Missionaries, whom our worthy Brethren would please to send us hereafter. However, it would be desirable for us to live at a place where each father of a family of our scholars might have as much corn-field and garden as each of them should want; but the experience of three years has taught us, that the greater part of them will not leave the country in which they are born and grown up, and because they can subsist by their cattle, which, however simple, is an honest subsistence: therefore our scholars have found it more expedient to establish our Mission here, and to remain in their own country, to hear the word of God, and to trust unto the Lord, who has showed us for more than two years that he would take care for us as a father; and to give us at his time the needful rain, so that the grass should shoot out to give fodder for our beasts. Nevertheless, we must confess that all our scholars cannot remain with us; but that they are obliged, for the care of the cattle, to live else. where, near waters and grass-fields. These then come sometimes to us, to hear the word of God, or one of us go to them, to instruct them and their children; for which reason also, more Missionaries are requisite here; and the society would rejoice us very much, by sending us some true Missionaries to help us in our labour, for we have a large field before us. (To-day came some of these people to intreat me to go and to remain some time with them, to which I agreed.)

Our congregation is now increased to seven hundred, whose names are written in the church book; and we have yet many other scholars who are not yet inscribed. As long as the gospel shall be preached in the first part of this land, we trust to gain in time also the other nations, but this requires more Missionaries; and I can assure the worthy Brethren, in truth, that travelling in the months of June, July, and August, last, to the west side of this country, I found every where among the Heathen an open door for the word of God; and that they would be highly rejoiced, if there came Missionaries to them to dwell in their own country, at Blackmodder-Fountain, or a little more northerly, which places, as we hear, are very proper to settle another Mission. Some could also go to the sea-coast, where they would find the best and most advantageous place for a settlement, because they could perhaps receive supplies from time to time at this coast from the ships that touch there. I have been in a dismal wilderness, where it is impossible, on account of the mountains and rocks, to pass over with a waggon, or even on horseback. I was obliged to seek these poor creatures in the most frightful holes and dens, to speak with them; and when I approached, they fled; therefore always I sent the pilot before to tranquillize them. These poor people hide themselves from their neighbours, who are at war with them; however, I believe that my arrival among them has tended much to their peace and rest. They loved me, and said, That if I should come again, they would show me more friendship than they could do now. I have not found there a place of subsistence, because I was too much westerly, and could not reach Blackmodder-Fountain and others, because the horse-shoes and the hoofs of the oxen were worn out by mounting the rocks. I was very glad to return home to our people, whom we have brought, by the help of God, to peace, and to the em

bracing of his word, within two years. We have here more level fields, and sufficient food for our beasts, as also a garden in which we raise à little corn and vegetables, and some of our scholars have now also cultivated a garden for themselves.

Thus far, beloved Brethren, I have written at Warme Bath, but I am now (the 5th of Nov.) more than one day's journey distant from it, at a fountain called Horroros, where some of our scholars reside. I intend to remain here about a month, to instruct them in the way to salvation, and then to return to Warme Bath; from whence, if it pleases God, I hope to travel again to the north side, to seek for the kraal of Captain Bondelzwart, and to instruct them in the knowledge of God. From Captain Bondelzwart, I hope to go further on, and to visit Captain Jantje Kagap, and his kraal of Hottentots; as also the other people, among which Brother Sydenfaden has laboured more than two years alone. I trust God will enable me by his grace to instruct these poor creatures aright in the way of happiness and salvation.

The worthy brethren will easily perceive that we are obliged to make such an arrangement, because it is impossible that so many people, who live only by their cattle, can remain at the same place; and if we travelled through all Africa, we should find no where a place sufficiently provided with fields to maintain such numerous cattle. Our scholars at Warme Bath have about nine thousand sheep and goats, and about a thousand head of cattle. For this and other reasons, we are resolved not to remove further into the interior of the country, but to abide here.

In our congregation are seventeen, in whose hearts we perceive that the Lord works by his spirit and grace. To Him be praise and glory. for ever! A Hottentot, of the Kaminniquas, who has been about two years among us, died lately; but just before his death exhorted his children, saying, " My children, remain after my death constant in the same doctrine; be converted to God, and obedient to your teachers. The Lord Jesus, the Son of God, is with me; he calls me, and I go to him. Oh, believe it, my children, he takes me from you! He calls me, and I go to him." He died by an apoplexy, so that we could not visit him; but when I heard from our other scholars this simple discourse, I felt myself very ashamed by the goodness of God, and also incited and encouraged to go on in my poor endeavours to gain souls for our dear Lord Jesus; and to believe that his word shall not be spoken in vain, but that it shall bring forth fruits of everlasting life in the very uncultivated hearts of the rude Namaquas. This man, called Henry Noewoeip, of whom we may trust that he died very happy, is the first whom we buried, with as much solemnity as our circumstances would permit, for to remind them of death, and to give them an impression of order and regularity; and they all showed during this solemnity much silence and reverence.

At another time we spoke with an aged woman of the Kaminniquas, because we observed that she came daily to our public service, and asked her, " Why she so often came to church?" But she had not courage to answer. We then asked her if she thought herself a sinner! She replied, "Yes, I am, ever since my birth, full of sin; and when I come to church, that word which you preach is so ageeable to me :" and added, "I have heard the word of God at Steiregawis, (of Brother Sydenfäden,) before you came here; but since that time I feel much affection in my

heart, as often as I have opportunity to hear it; and I was much rejoiced when you came in our country, thinking you were our best friends." Of our scholars are four men baptized; and two of them enjoyed with us the Lord's supper. Twenty read tolerably well. Besides the psalms, we sing in our public service the evangelical hymns of F. Deknatel, which we find very useful to excite the Heathen to faith in our Lord Jesus.

We sowed here some seed of the cotton-plant, and we see it grows well, and that we shall obtain much cotton; but because we are not provided with spinning-wheels and looms, we cannot make use of it, nor instruct our scholars in that business. If we knew that such an undertaking would please the government, we would entreat our worthy Brethren to send us all these utensils, to weave cotton. We tried also more than once to rasie linseed, but we are disappointed in it; and to raise flax here is not possible. These undertakings would perhaps be too expensive; for besides all the utensils, we should want a separate house for this purpose. We are obliged to build this year also for me a house of stone; and we must think about building a better church, for that we have is only of reeds, and very ruinous; and because the Directors of the Cape, on account of the many expenses we have made before, always recommend us the most frugality, which we readily do, we find many difficulties to attempt it; and we are quite unable to do it on our own account, therefore it seemed to me necessary, to inake known to our worthy Brethren, and to inquire your opinion about these subjects.

Among other reflections, which Mr. A. Albrecht makes, he writes: "That they have, by the help of God, made two nations of the Namaquas acquainted with the gospel, besides the Hottentots who live along the Orange-river, the Oorlam, or more cultivated Hottentots, and Bas.tards; but we three Missionaries cannot serve them as we desire to do: if therefore the Directors could send us five-and-twenty or more Missionaries, they would all find work enough in this country, where a Missionary may every where speak freely upon religious subjects."

From a subsequent letter, dated April 19, 1809, it appears, that the number of men, women, and children, under their instruction amounted to 1200; 300 of whom constantly reside at Warme Bath, and receive daily instruction, the rest occasionally. About 200 persons constantly attend public worship at Warme Bath. The Brethren have baptized among the Namaquas, three men, four women, and five children; sixteen are admitted to the Lord's supper. Twenty-eight adults, and fourteen children, have made a good progress in reading. Under the Dutch Government, an order was issued that no Missionary should teach the Heathen to write, which order has not yet been repealed by the English Government. They are in great want of school-books, Bibles, Testaments, and Hymn-Books, in the Dutch language, as also agricultural implements, (a supply of which the Directors sent out some time since.) They repeat their earnest wish for more Missionaries, and desire that they may be persons acquainted with some useful business, such as that of weavers, tailors, cutlers, and dyers. Besides the stations they now occupy, they observe that another may easily be established at

Motterbrunnen, from which place they have received pressing invitations from two chiefs. Their interesting letter concludes thus :

"12.-Sister Ch. Albrecht teaches the girls to knit and to sew. "13. The heat of the climate, and the few valleys, leave very few acres for agriculture; yet, however, each family has a small garden; and we have a very large one, wherein, besides garden-stuff, we have sown a good half bushel of corn: and in a fortnight, we hope, with the assistance of some of our people, to sow between three and four bushels in a place called Karegas. We are in great want of spades, pickaxes, ploughs, and all other implements for cultivating the ground. They may be procured at the Cape, but at an exorbitant price. To send us these, and articles of clothing, from Europe, would be much cheaper. With respect to the natural productions of the country we can say but little, the greatest attention of the natives being paid to the rearing of cattle. Before our arrival they never thought of raising in their gardens any thing except a species of hemp, which they call " Dache," which grows as tall as little trees, and of which they smoke the leaves mixed with a little tobacco, which they sometimes cultivate. With this stuff the hard smokers not seldom lose their senses. We have persuaded some of them to cultivate other things, for instance, "Bampunen," which are not unlike gourds, and are dressed in a similar manner. This plant grows very fine, and is very useful to us in our housekeeping. There are also other cooking fruits-water-melons, Spanish figs; but the latter is dangerous if eaten immoderately. The Namaquas also find nuts and herbs in the fields, which they use for vegetables, and collect the seed of the grass standing in the deserts, which serves them for flour. There is much wild honey in the bushes: chiefly near the Orange river, where bees abound. Of this they make a sort of drink which very soon intoxicates them; and we find it a hard matter to persuade them to sobriety. There is also a sort of wild berries, near the Orange river, which the poorer sort make up of.

" 14, 15.—They have no fixed habitations. In order to preserve their cattle, they wander from one place to the other, except those in Warme Bath, who are settled here, and only send their children with part of their cattle. The manner in which they build is described in our journal. Two of our people have built themselves durable houses, and others have promised to do the same.

"16.-Some of them understand a little of the tailors', carpenters', and smiths' business, but they belong to the Bastard Hottentots, who wear clothing. Parents will not be persuaded to send their children to the Cape, in order to learn any trade; but of the Missionaries they would learn any thing. We have three very clever boys in our schools; and we often thought, were they to be put to an European seminary, they might become very useful Missionaries, as none would labour so effectually as natives, from the knowledge of their own language, which is very†† difficult to learn, and being inured to the climate and manner of living. Will you tell us your opinion?

"17.-We correspond with the Brethren Anderson, Kramer, Jansen, and Bakker; and have also written to the Brethren Vander Kemp and Ullbricht, but have received no answer, though it is more than three years ago, and we cannot guess the reason. The Brethren Anderson and Jansen inform us in their last letters, of Dec. 1808, that they had