er, three hundred dollars per annum. That time and oppor tunity may be given for a full trial of their qualifications for their respective offices, and that they may be able to des termine, with some degree of precision, whether they can accommodate themselves, with a prospect of usefulness to the stations assigned them, the term of the contract between these gentleman and the Directors is for a year. The expenses of Mr. Alexander's visit to this city, and of his removal to Buffaloe, together with the charge of transporting Mr. Hyde and his family thither, the Board have agreed to pay, and have appropriated a sum of money which they deemed sufficient for the accomplishment of these objects. A few spelling books, and other small books, together with writing implements, for the use of Schools, have been purchased, and forwarded by the hands of Mr. Alexander. A set of instructions has been drawn up for the direction of both the preacher and teacher, as a general guide for their conduct. A letter to the Rev. Andrew Gray, another to Nicholas Cusick, and a recommendation to the patronage of Erastus Granger, Esq. Superintendant of the Indian affairs, have been prepared and transmitted by Mr. Alexander, together with an Address to the Sachems, Head Men, and Warriors of the Seneca nation. These measures were supposed necessary to facilitate the introduction of Mr. Alexander into the nation, and to prepare them for receiving his ministrations, as an Ambassador of Christ, with civility and friendship. As an additional inducement to their reception of the Gospel, the Senecas have been informed, that the Rev. Mr. Alexander, and Mr. Hyde, will give them advice and directions on the subject of Agriculture, on which they are anxious for instruction. it must not be dissembled, that after all the precautions which have been taken, there are many obstacles to be overcome. The Seneca nation has hitherto perversely rejected the Gospel; and in this rejection, their false prophet has encouraged and confirmed them: but the Lord has promised to remove mountains, when they stand in the way of his Gospel, In this confidence, the Directors have engaged in the work, and in the strength of the Lord, they mean to prosecute it. Since the last annual meeting of the Society, two of the natives have been received into the full communion with the Church at Tuscarora. These offered four children to bap tism; four children were presented to baptism by another member; and three of the grand-children of Sacharissa, were also admitted to a participation in the same ordinance, This is all the addition the Church has received. The conduct of the professing part of the nation is uniform and consistent with the Christian character. A weekly prayer-meeting has been instituted, to which the members pay strict attention. By the medium of this prayer-meeting, the Missionary becomes particularly acquainted with the state of his little flock. Some of those who are not in Churchmembership, occasionally attend the prayer meeting Last autumn the Lord's supper was administered to eight white persons, and seven of the natives. Two of the latter, who are members, pleading the unprepared state of their minds, did not attend the ordinance. The white persons were admitted as occasional communicants. The number of adult natives, who generally attend the preaching of the word, amounts to sixty or seventy. Although all these have not been admitted into fellowship with the Church, they have abandoned the absurdities of pagan idolatry, and steadfastly wait upon the ordinances of public worship. The opposition of the pagans, who compose about half the nation, was last summer and autumn unusually great. Eve-t ry attempt to visit the nation, from house to house, had proved abortive; and idle pretences were set up, to elude the proposals of the Missionary; but lately, blessed be God, the hearts of the natives have been opened to the admission of the Minister into their houses. Mr. Gray, accompanied by Sacharissa, has visited every pagan family in the nation, without the smallest opposition. This event caused Sacharissa to exclaim with rapture, this assuredly is the work of God." The result has been, a more general attendance on the preaching of the word, so that the audience sometimes now amounts to near one hundred persons. A wide door being thus opened to the Gospel, gives reasonable hopes of a more abundant ingathering of souls to the Lord Jesus. The goodness of the Lord, in providing a more extensive field of usefulness to our Missionary, calls for the most sincere and earnest acknowledgments from all that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity and truth, and will, of course, encourage them to wrestle at the throne of grace, that this merciful dispensation may not be ineffectual. Two opinions, which appear to have taken deep root in the minds of the Indians, greatly obstruct the progress of the Gospel among them. They cannot comprehend the necessity of a Mediator, which is a fundamental article of the Christian faith, and enters into the very essence of the reli gion of Christ; and they conceive that the Creator has assigned to each description of men, their different modes of life, and different forms of worship, and has ordained that each species should embrace and retain the mode prescribed and transmitted to them by their forefathers. -To the white people, Mr Gray preaches on the evening of every Sabbath. His audience is considerable, and among them are a number of the Lord's people, whose hearts overflow with gratitude for the opportunity thus afforded them in the wilderness, of attending upon the preached word. From the applications made by many of the white people for admission into church-membership, we draw the grate ful conclusion, that the Gospel has not been preached to them in vain. The School among the Tuscaroras has not yet attained to a prosperous state. The teacher, though a pious man, has, through bodily infirmity, been found incapable of conducting the institution with advantage, and has, of course, in the most tender and affectionate manner, been dismissed from the service of the Society. Great pains have been taken to procure a proper character to succeed him, and different means employed without effect. The Directors have been constrained for the present to authorize Mr. Gray to engage some person to perform the duty of a teacher. The pious and indefatigable Paul Cuffee, the field of whose labour extends upwards of seventy miles from east to west, has changed the place of his residence, and removed to Montauk. The destitute situation of the people in that vicinity, and other providential circumstances, determined the mind of Paul, to whom the place of his residence is unimportant, provided he may fill up the remainder of his life to the glory of God, and with usefulness to men. This faithful servant of Christ had, for some time, deemed himself an unprofitable servant, and was apprehensive that he had laboured in vain. His prospects have at length brightened. In the middle of March, 1809, attention to religion within the bounds of his charge became more serious and solemn, both among the white people and people of colour. The places of public worship were crowded; and the fruits of the Spirit were manifest in the general reformation which ensued. Twenty-two persons, he has reason to believe, were savingly converted. I hose who, at that period, made a profession of the truth, have adhered with steadiness to their profession. But one instance of apostacy has appeared. And the use of spirituous liquors has much diminished within the bounds of his charge. There were then 63 communicants belonging to the congregations under his care: at Islip 20, at Puspatock 16, at Coldspring 15, and at Montauk 12. By a letter from Paul, dated February 28th, 1811, it appears that three of the members at Islip have removed; but that notwithstanding, the aggregate number under his charge have increased by additions at Puspatock and Coldspring. At these two places, particularly at Puspatock, numbers appear to be under powerful convictions; and the heart of the Preacher is filled with animation and joy, in the prospect of another revival. This humble Ambassador of Christ expresses a high degree of gratitude for the aid afforded him by the Board, which has enabled him to read, meditate, and study; and to pay much greater attention to the scattered people under his Gare; and he earnestly solicits the prayers of the Society for a blessing on his labours. He sometimes preaches four times in one week; and his people, especially at Puspatock, instead of wasting their precious time in drinking, dancing, and carousing, have, many of them, become the subjects of divine grace, and now place their chief delight in the service and worship of that God who has extended unmerited mercy to their souls. There are so many societies of different descriptions engaged in promoting the interests of the Redeemer, both in this country and in Europe, that the very mention of their designations would occupy a greater space than can be allotted to them in this Report. -During the last year, the Board of Directors have received communications from the Netherland Missionary Society'; from the Hampshire and Northern Missionary Societies, and from the London Missionary Society. The last of these, has carried its labours to the four quarters of the earth, with various success, and at an immense expense. Some account of their labours, and of the exertions of the Hampshire and Northern Missionary Societies, may be seen in the Christian's Magazine, to which every member of this Society has access. It is, therefore, needless to repeat the proceedings of these different associations in this report. The resources of this Society are principally drawn, at present, from collections made in the Churches connected with it. In making these collections, there has, for two years past, been a degree of remissness, which, if not speedily corrected, must paralyze the efforts of the Board. The Direc tors have no coercive power; they can only prefer their so licitations for a voluntary donation; and are confident no thing more will be necessary for the attainment of the ob ject than a simple notification. The Treasurer has accordingly been directed annually to call up this subject to the remembrance of the different congregations, that provision may be made for remedying the defect. The substance of God's children, as well as their persons, is dedicated to their Lord and Master; and a conviction that the call is necessary, is sufficient to awaken their liberality. The generosity of the Assistant New-York Missionary Society claim the warmest acknowledgments of the Board. They have testified the sincerity of their profession, by presenting to this Society, as a voluntary contribution, for the, last year, the sum of five hundred and eight dollars and thirty cents, for the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ, and the extension of Missionary exertions. Our thanks are also due to the Presbyterian Youths' Assistant Missionary Society, for a donation of fifty-five dollars, paid by them into the treasury of this Society, to promote its purposes. The Treasurer's account will exhibit a view of the receipts and disbursements of the Society for the year past; which will show the necessity of additional resources, to enable the Board to execute their plans with a reasonable hope of suc cess. By order of the Board of Directors. P. WILSON, Sec'ry. Officers and other Directors of the NEW-YORK MISSIONARY SO. Rev. Dr. JOHN M. MASON, President. Mr. JOHN E. CALDWELL, Clerk. OTHER DIRECTORS. Rev. Dr. SAMUEL MILLER, Mr. JESSE BALDWIN, Rev. Dr. JOHN N. ABEEL, Mr. RICHARD DURYEE, |