baptized twelve persons in November, that their church was well attended, and that their people had made peace with the "Blosleibs" Caffres, (naked Caffres.) "18 The assistance of the British Government at the Cape would be of great service to us, were they to provide us with a large ferry-boat to cross over the Orange-river, as for want of this we are now put to great labour, expense, and danger; having sometimes to wait a fortnight, and being obliged to employ from forty to fifty men to tow our waggons across. We also should be highly obliged to Government, for permission to establish a cotton manufactory in this place. But as we are so far beyond the limits of the colony, we doubt whether Government can do any thing for us. It is quite different with respect to Dr. Vander Kemp, his place being within the limits of the colony. "Thus we have answered all your questions, and trust it will make our situation more intelligible to you. At our first arrival in Warme Bath, we did not expect to have been able to reside here so long, but God has done beyond what we could ask or think; he has inclined the Heathen nations to peace, removed many difficulties out of the way, taken paternal care of us, and so far blessed our imperfect services among the Heathen, that we can say, we have a little flock who have entirely surrendered themselves to the Lord; and provided we grow not weary, and you should send us help, we may reasonably expect to see much good done among the Namaqua nation. Should the future Missionaries settle with us in Warme Bath, so that we constitute but one family, it would be adviseable to purchase at once 500 sheep and goats, with twenty cows, which would cost about 1200 rix dollars altogether. Though this appears, at first, a heavy expense, it would be a saving in the end, as the capital would remain and increase; should no unforeseen misfortune happen to us, we should then be provided with food from our own flocks and herds, which is now our greatest expense." No. II-Extract of a Letter from the Missionaries lately employed in Otaheite, dated Huaheine, November 12, 1808. Honoured Fathers and Brethren, You will, perhaps, at first sight, be ready to inquire into the cause of this being dated from Huaheine. We are sorry that time and circum stances will not allow us to enter into particulars. The cause of our removal is a serious war in Taheite; and that, such as will in all probability, end in the dissolution of Pomarre's government, and the total overthrow of his authority. We arrived here yesterday, and are just now getting our things on shore, and the vessel is ready to sail. We hope soon to find an opportunity to relate minutely the circumstances which led to our removal to this island. Four single Brethren, viz. Hayward, Scott, Nott, and Wilson, are still at Taheite; but may soon, probably, jour us here. The chiefs of this island received us kindly. Should we meet with encouragement, and some more Missionaries come to join us, we may, perhaps, attempt a Mission at Ulitea, under the protection of Tapoa. Praying that the Lord may over-rule this unexpected event, and to us painful dispensation, for the further good of the Missionary cause, we remain, &c. JOHN DAVIES, No. III. An Account of the Conversion of a Bramin, communicated by Messrs. Cran and Des Granges, at Vizagapatam. A Mahrattean, or Bandida Bramin, about 30 years of age, was an accountant in a regiment of Tippoo's troops; and, after his death, in a similar employment under an English officer. Having an earnest desire to obtain eternal happiness, he was advised by an elder Bramin to repeat a certain prayer four hundred thousand times! This severe task he undertook, and performed it in a pagoda, together with many fatiguing ceremonies, taking care to exceed the number prescribed. After six months, deriving no comfort at all from these laborious exercises, he resolved to return to his family at Nosom, and live as before. On his way home, he met with a Roman Catholic Christian, who conversed with him on religious subjects; and gave him two books on the Christian religion, in the Telinga language, to read. These he perused with much attention, admired their contents, and resolved to make further inquiries into the religion of Christ; and, if satisfied, to accept of it. He was then recommended to a Roman priest, who, not choosing to trust him too much, required him to go home to his relations, and return again with his wife. He obeyed this direction; but found all his friends exceed. ingly surprised and alarmed by his intention of becoming a Christian, and thus bringing reproach upon his caste. To prevent this, they offered him a large sum of money, and the sole management of the family estare. These temptations, however, made no impression on him. He declared that he preferred the salvation of his soul to all worldly considerations; and even left his wife behind him, who was neither inclined nor permitted to accompany him. He returned to the priest, who still hesitating to receive him as a convert, he offered to deliver up his bramin thread, and to cut off his hair-after which, no Bramin can return to his caste. The priest perceiving his constancy, and satisfied with his sincerity, instructed, and afterwards baptized him : upon which, his Heathen name, Subbarayer, was changed to his present Christian name, Anandarayer. A few months after this, the priest was called away to Goa; and hav ing just received a letter from a Padree, at Pondicherry, to send him a Telinga Bramin, he advised Anandarayer to go thither; informing him, that there he would find a larger congregation, and more learned Padrees; by whom he would be further instructed, and his thirst for knowledge be much gratified. When he arrived at Pondicherry, he felt disappointed in many respects; yet there he had the pleasure of meeting his wife, who had suffered much among her relations, and at last formed the resolution of joining him. He then proceeded to Tranquebar, having heard that there was another large congregation, ministers, schools, the Bible translated, with many other books, and no images in their churches, which he always much disliked, and had even disputed with the Roman priests on their impropriety. The worthy ministers at Tranquebar were at first suspicious of him; but, by repeated conversations with him, during several months that he resided among them, they were well satisfied with him, and admitted him to the Lord's table. He was diligent in attending their religious exercises, and particularly in the study of the Bible, which he had never seen before. He began to make translations from the Tamul into the Telinga language, which he writes elegantly, as well as the Mahratta. His friends would readily have recommended him to some secular employment at Madras or Tanjore; but he declined their offers, being earnestly desirous of employment only in the service of the church. Having heard of the Missionaries at Vizagapatam, he expressed a strong desire to visit them, hoping that he might be useful among the Telinga nation, either in church or school. This, his desire, is likely to be gratified, the Missionaries having every reason to be satisfied with his character; and, upon their representation, the Directors of the Missionary Society have authorized them to employ him, and to allow him a competent salary. A gentleman, who knew him well, says, "Whatever our Lord Jesus requires of his followers, he has readily performed. He has left wife, mother, brother, sister, his estate, and other advantages which were offered to him, and has taken upon himself all the reproaches of the Bramin caste; and has been beaten by some of the Heathen, to whom he spake on Christianity; and still bears the marks of their violence on his forehead. He declined complaining of it, and bore it patiently." We trust that this man will prove a valuable acquisition, and afford important assistance to the Brethren Cran and Des Granges, in their translation of the New Testament into the Telinga language, in which they are employed. From Mr. Des Granges' journal we find that he has derived much assistance from Anandarayer, the converted Bramin. He joined the Mission on the 28th of May, 1808. "This evening," says the journal, "Anandarayer, his wife, and another native Christian, sat down to supper with the Mission family. Before supper, he offered up a thanksgiv ing to God, and prayed very fervently that the distinction of caste might be universally abolished, and that all the Heathen might be brought with one heart to glorify God." Extract of a letter from Mr. Des Granges, dated Vizagapatam, April 17, 1809. I received your letter of the 31st of August, 1808, shortly after the death of my beloved brother and zealous fellow-labourer, the Rev. George Cran. As I have written upon the subject of his sickness and death to the Directors of the Missionary Society, I shall not enlarge upon it here. Indeed, reflection on my loss creates in me sensations of grief which I cannot easily suppress. I would have written a Memoir on what I knew of the worth of my departed friend, and have sent it to England before this time, had the state of my mind, my health, and my complicated labours, permitted me to steal a convenient season for that purpose. Pardon me for speaking about stealing a convenient season; but as the immediate labours of the Mission demand the whole of my time, from the dawn of day until nine or ten o'clock at night, I can give no better appellation to time spent, that has not the welfare, enlargement, and stability of the Mission as its chief object. If God spare my life, I will endeavour to perform this duty, as a testimony of my esteem and respect for departed worth, when the Brethren Gordon and Lee, or any other Brethren, are sent to cheer my heart, and to strengthen my hands in this infant institution. I thank God that I enjoy better health at this hour than I have since the time that I was first attacked with the liver complaint; but I speak with fear and trembling on the subject of health, in a country where it is so precarious as it is in this. I feel more powerfully the force of the expression than ever I did before, "In the midst of life we are in death." I wish I could inform you of the conversion of the thousands of the Heathen in this district, whose idolatry and wickedness make my heart bleed for them from day to day. Oh, the blackness of the darkness that covers them! darkness that may be felt and bewailed over by men ; but which none can remove but God. I glory in God, through Jesus Christ, that the gospel is as much the power of God to salvation in this country as ever it was in any other country. At times I see by faith the piercing light of the glorious gospel dispelling the clouds, blackened by Satanic art, and which envelope the hearts, the worship, and manners, and customs of this people. Nothing but such prospects, presented to my mind through the medium of the prophecies, promises, and declarations of Scripture, keep me from sinking in despair respecting the conversion of men, driven by the Devil to all kinds of excess and riot. But I forget myself. I am dreaming. Who is this at the side of me? Anandarayer, once a Bramin, but now, I trust, by superabounding grace, a genuine disciple of Christ; once named Legion, but now, by the power of Jesus, he sits clothed, and in his right mind. What is his employment? He daily carries on the devotional exercises of the natives, who are inquiring the way to Zion, with their faces thitherward. He prays in public worship with fluency, fervency, and zeal; he preaches the gospel to sinners, with every expression of ardent zeal for the glory of God, burning love for Christ, and marked affection for immortal souls; he labours from morning to night, assisting in the translation of the four Gospels, and in examining manuscripts of religious tracts, that he may put the word of salvation into the hands of his countrymen. He is blessed with a suitable partner, who has made a good profession before many witnesses-who adorns the doctrines of God her Saviour; and who has been received into the church by the sacred ordinance of baptism. Father of lights, keep them as thy jewels, and thy peculiar treasure! Hide them with the shadow of thy wings! Fill their hearts with thy love! Enrich them with the graces of thy Holy Spirit! Guide them by thy counsel, till thou receive them to thy glory! Oh, may this carnest of thy sovereign, special grace, be the forerunner of the salvation of millions yet unborn, until Immanuel's angelic hosts exclaim, Hallelujah! Hallelujah! the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ! No. IV. Extruct of a Letter from Mr. Des Granges, dated Vizagapatam, Sept. 1809. "I have received the sum of 500 sicca, or 540 Arcot rupees, from the society entitled The Christian Institution in the East,' to be devoťed to the purpose of translating the Scriptures, and other useful works, into the Telinga language. When that sum is expended, I expect to receive supplies from the same source; so that I shall not make any application to you, at present, for pecuniary aid for the above purpose. But in the present state of the Mission, the distribution of tracts in the native language is of the last importance. I have several drawn out, calculated to attract the attention of the natives, and to impress upon their minds the necessity and excellence of the doctrines and precepts of the Bible. Hitherto I have had as many manuscript copies written as I possibly could, and have given them away to the natives. But this is very tedious, and is attended with great expense; I have therefore written to Madras, in order to ascertain whether it is not possible to have a few hundred copies of each tract printed. "My time is now so fully occupied, that I must again request you to excuse me for not sending a regular journal. I must omit the performance of this important duty, and pleasing exercise, until the arri val of the long-expected Brethren: I hope then to make up the deficiency. "I long for the arrival of the Brethren, in order that I may give you a correct statement of the affairs of the Mission, of the translations, schools, &c. which I am not able to do at present. My time must be principally employed in completing, if possible, a correct grammar and dictionary for the use of the Brethren, that they may commence the language with facility immediately on their arrival. Blessed be God that the way is smoothed for them, and that they will be able to leap over the hindrances upon which my late dear Brother and myself so often stumbled. I have abundant materials for the above purpose, but great diligence and intense application will be necessary to collect them into a luminous and correct system; however, if God spare my life, all will be ready by the time that the Brethren have learned to spell and to read." No. V.-Extracts of a Letter from Mr. Errhardt, Missionary at Matura in the Island of Ceylon, dated Sept. 25, 1808. "To-day I had the peculiar pleasure of receiving a letter from the highly-respected Directors of the Missionary Society, dated Jan. 6, 1808. informing me that they would allow me the same salary as to Mr. Palm, for which I return my sincerest thanks, wishing that our Lord Jesus may bless both them and the whole Missionary Society. I am grieved that I cannot, as yet, contribute any thing towards my own support; and Government has not made the least addition to our salary; but |