and navy, and other poor Europeans. They have also resolved that 250 German Bibles and 500 German New Testaments, be sent from Halle to the German missionaries in India for the like purpose. They have dispatched 700 copies of the New Testament in Spanish to Gibraltar, for distribution among the Spaniards. The committee have reason to believe they would be received, as they have information that 600 Spanish Testaments, that had been transmitted to Monte Video, had been sought for with avidity by the inhabitants of that country*. A large supply of English Bibles and New Testaments has been sent to Gibraltar for the use of the garrison. Three hundred Testaments have been dispatched to Sierra Leone and Goree; and a much larger number consigned to the care of the Rev. Mr. Marsden, for the benefit of the convicts in New South Wales. S. D. Street, Esq. senior Master in Chancery for the province of New-Brunswick, has taken charge of a number of Bibles and New Testaments for that province, where they were much wanted.

The printing of an edition of the Scriptures in Arabic, and of the New Testament in modern Greek, has engaged the attention of the committee.

The editions of the Scriptures in Welsh and Gaelic have been completed. Applications have been already received for more than half the impression; and the whole will probably be called for. Five hundred Gaelic Bibles, and 800 New Testaments, have been sent to Nova

Extract of a letter from Monte Video, dated September 3, 1807.-"I have lately enjoyed very great facilities, for the distribution of the New Testaments. I have within the last month distributed upwards of 200, all which are spread about, and many of them leagues up the country. I could easily have disposed of many more, had I possessed them, as almost every customer for the last three weeks made a point of asking for a "Biblita." Even Priests have come for them; and gone so far as to recommend them to Spaniards as good and fair copies in my hearing. One of these has paid me several visits; one of which, on a Sabbath morning, occupied a considerable portion of time, in discoursing on this work, and religious subjects in general. He stated that this was the only copy of the Scriptures in the Spanish tongue ex'tant in Monte Video or the surrounding continent; and that upon giving it an examination by the Latin, he found it a pure and correct copy of the ancient text, without any reference made to catholic questions: This surprised him not a little."

Scotia and Canada for sale, or gratuitous distribution among the poor Highlanders in that part of the world.

The committee, since their last report, have received information which has induced them to suspend all measures with a view to an edition of the Scriptures in Irish. They have, however, granted a further supply of English Testaments and Bibles to seventy-four flourishing Sunday schools in Ireland, consisting of about 4000 scholars, who were in much want of them, at half the cost prices. They have also given a member of this society 1000 New Testaments for distribution in Ireland; and have voted a supply to a Roman Catholic school in the same country.

The committee have sincere gratification in reporting, that The Dublin Bible Society, (now The Hibernian Bible Society,) has received considerable patronage; and they have endeavoured to promote its object by a donation of 1007. Another Bible Society has been formed at Cork, under the presidency of the diocesan of that county; to which a donation of 100 l. has also been presented.

Seven thousand copies of the French Testament, have been voted to the French prisoners of war. The German soldiers and poor natives of Germany, in different parts of England and Ireland, have been amply supplied; several copies of the Scriptures have been sent to the sufferers by the fire at Chudleigh in Devonshire; an addition has been made to the former donations of the Scriptures to the prisoners in Newgate and other jails; a supply has been sent for the use of numerous female convicts sailing to New South Wales; and a grant has been made to the Refuge for the Destitute.

The society has received during the last year the same liberal support as formerly. The contributions from Scotland have been very ample. The association in London for contributing to its funds, have continued their active exertions with increased effect. And the augmentation from congregational collections, and from the liberality of individuals, has been considerable. The names of the Archbishop of Cashel, and of Lord Headley, are added to the vice-presidents of the society.

The accession of valuable books to the library of the Society, has been considerable; and, by the continuance

of the same liberality, the committee trust that the society will in time possess a collection of the Scriptures in various languages, as well as of other Biblical works, which will prove of the greatest utility, not only to the society in publishing the Scriptures, but to such of the subscribers as may have occasion to consult them.

In consequence of the vast increase of the business of the institution, the committee have found it necessary to make a fresh arrangement with respect to their depository, which is now placed under the charge of a bookseller, Mr. Leonard Benton Seely, No. 169, Fleet-street, to whom all future orders must be sent. Mr. Smith continues to act as collector and accountant.

In closing their report, the committee observe, « that the benefits of an institution which provides consolation for the unhappy prisoners of war, the means of comfort and reformation for the victims of the laws of their country, and of moral and religious improvement to thousands of their fellow-creatures in so many parts of the world, cannot be too highly estimated. The weight of this last observation will be sensibly perceived, if we extend our view to the effects produced by the example and encouragement of the society in exciting an ardent zeal of cooperation with its efforts both within and without the united kingdom. Your committee lament that the prospect of a most extensive circulation of the Scriptures on the continent, which was opened to their view, should for a time have been overcast; but they have the consolation to know that the active exertions of the friends of Christianity in Germany, Denmark, Prussia, Switzerland, and other parts, have not entirely subsided; and that they only wait the return of a more prosperous period to resume them with redoubled vigour.

"On the whole, the committee look forward with anxiety to the day when "the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.”

"In the mean time, blest as we are by the mercies of providence, in an exemption from the calamities which have overwhelmed the nations of Europe, let the observation of a correspondent, " to do good whilst we have. the opportunity, make its due impression upon us," and

stimulate our exertions to promote the object of our association in the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, till "all the ends of the world shall remember, and turn unto the Lord, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God,"

FIFTH REPORT.

Notwithstanding the unpropitious state of affairs on the continent, the committee have still sufficient documents thence, to prove the continuance of the deep interest excited by the establishment of this society; and of a zealous and successful co-operation in promoting its great object.

A letter from the Bible Society at Basle, the only one received, dated October, 1808, states, that the New Testament, which had been printed with standing types, by the assistance of the society, had received the fullest approbation; that the Old Testament would be completed by the end of the year; that the demands for this Bible were so numerous, as to exhaust the first impression; and that a second and third edition would be wanted. A company of active Christians in Basle had determined to print the New Testament, for the benefit of the Grisons, who have a peculiar dialect, in which scarcely a copy of the Scriptures can now be procured, intending that it should be gratuitously distributed, or sold cheap. They had also supplied the Protestants in the interior of France with a number of French Bibles at reduced prices; and the returns had enabled them to undertake a new edition of the French New Testament. It was

their wish to have printed the whole Bible, had their funds been sufficient. However, the supply of a set of stereotype plates, now preparing by the committee for the use of the society at Basle, will materially assist this desirable object.

The printing of the Bohemian Bible at Berlin has been completed, and its rapid circulation has greatly exceeded the expectations of the Berlin Bible Society. They earnestly wish to be enabled to print the Scriptures in

the Polish dialect, but lament the insufficiency of their funds, in consequence of the general and severe distress. The committee have therefore cheerfully supplied for this purpose the sum of 8007. The society at Berlin, encouraged by this grant, have increased their impression to 8,000 copies of the Polish Bible entire, and 2,000 extra New Testaments.

A new association has been formed at Stockholm, under the sanction of the king and privy council, called the "Evangelical Society." One of its objects, for which there is a distinct and separate fund, is the circulation of the Scriptures. The poorer classes in Sweden were in great want of Bibles: and this society proposed to print an edition of the Scriptures in the Swedish language; but the smallness of their means obliged them to confine themselves to the New Testament. The committee have voted 3007. in aid of their fund, for the express purpose of printing the Swedish Bible on standing types.

The ministers of the United Brethren at Sarepta, encouraged by the grant of 600 rubles, and a promise of further assistance, had commenced the translation of St. Matthew's Gospel into the Calmuc language; and it is expected that they will not desist till they have completed the New Testament.

Nothing more strongly marks the general approbation of the society, and the beneficial influence of its example, than the establishment of similar societies in distant parts of the globe. A Bible Society has been formed in Philadelphia, for the purpose of distributing the Scriptures in Pennsylvania, and in the contiguous states; and with the hope of producing similar establishments throughout the several states in the American Union. The assistance of the British and Foreign Bible Society being urgently solicited, the committee voted 2001. and intimated that their aid would be enlarged, in proportion as the Philadelphia Society extended the sphere of its operations. That society had begun to order a supply of Bibles and Testaments for distribution, in Wesh, Gaelic, French, and German; and, as these could not be had within the United States, the committee have furnished them at the cost prices.

The intelligence of the supplies granted for the pur