which is their daily food. Early in spring 1747, our Brethren began to build, and plant, and called the place SHARON.

Desirable as the situation of the new settlement was, its erection was in the beginning attended with various difficulties. In consequence of their incessant labours in building houses and improving the land, the missionaries fell sick one after the other. For five or six months they could reap nothing from their own plantations, and the Indians, residing with them, were as yet too few in number to obtain much by the chase, or by fishing. They were under the necessity of procuring most of their provisions from Paramaribo, and, till they got a boat of their own, this was not easy, for the Negroes who carried them, had to cross an extensive swamp, where, in the rainy season, they were obliged to wade up to the middle in water. In the sequel they obtained a little sloop of their own, and some of the Indians were always found willing to go with her and fetch provisions. On one of these voyages, as they were returning to SHARON, a Spanish ship, cruising along the coast, sent a boat to their vessel to plunder; but one of the Indians, who could speak Spanish, answered their questions with great freedom, adding "you must take none of these things; they belong to the Brethren on the Sarameca, who teach us the way of salvation; they want these things, and our Creator knows and sees all you are doing." These remarks, flowing from the lips of an Indian, reached the consciences of these rude people, and they returned to their ship without taking any thing.

Our missionaries considered themselves more than compensated for all their external trials, by the hopeful prospect, that a numerous congregation of believing Indians would be collected in this settlement. Among its first inhabitants, who had come from PILGERHUT and other places, grace, simplicity and brotherly love prevailed, and the work of the Spirit of God evidenced itself in young and old; even the children not excepted. Visits from the neighbouring heathen likewise became very frequent, among whom were many of the Carribbee tribe.

These came in companies of from ten to twenty at a time, and listened with eagerness to the conversation of the missionaries and their assistants. Several, after a short time returned, took up their abode at SHARON, and received the seed of the word in a good and honest heart, bringing forth the fruits of righteousness; and others, who could not be admitted into the settlement, formed small colonies in the vicinity.

in awe.

Suddenly, however, this bright prospect was darkened by a gathering storm. The establishment of the Brethren on the Sarameca was exceedingly disliked by the BushNegroes, who lived in the adjacent woods, and whose habitations were safe asylums for run-away Negroe slaves. But the flight of the latter was rendered very difficult by the many villages, now building by the Carribbees on the Sarameca, and who lay in wait for the fugitives, as government allowed them fifty florins for every slave they seized. The Bush-Negroes, therefore, resolved to destroy SHARON, hoping thus to compel the Indians to leave the country. Some of these marauders were occasionally seen lurking about the settlement, but they precipitately retreated into the woods on discovering any Carribbees, of whom they stood greatly They however watched their opportunity, and having received certain information that all the Carribbees had emigrated, in consequence of a scarcity of provisions, a number of them advanced towards SHARON, lying for some days concealed in the woods. On Sunday, January the 25th, 1761, as the congregation was returning from divine service, the Negroes sallied forth, and with a hideous noise commenced an attack, using both fire-arms, and bows and arrows. They killed three aged Indians in their huts and took eleven prisoners, but were afraid to approach the mission-house, as they observed persons with guns stationed in the inside. They therefore placed themselves behind trees, from whence they fired at the house, whereby one of the missionaries was wounded in the arm. Our brethren, however, maintained their post, till the enemies succeeded in setting fire to the premises. In making their escape, one had his forehead slightly grazed by an arrow. The Negroes did not pur

sue them, but having plundered the settlement, retreated with precipitancy, afraid of an attack from the Carrib bees, some of whom were now returning. Our fugitive: missionaries went first to the plantations on the Coropina, and then proceeded to Paramaribo. Thither they were accompanied by some of their converts, the rest took refuge in EPHRAIM and other places.

The missionaries, Schirmer and Clive, with a company of Indians, soon returned to SHARON, and, as no immediate danger was to be apprehended from the BushNegroes, others followed in a short time. For the sake of greater security, the governor sent an officer with fourteen men to the settlement; but their presence proved no edification to the Indians, and was attended with many inconveniencies. In other respects too the situation of our brethren was extremely distressing. The house, they inhabited, was in a most ruinous state: frogs and toads: crawled on the floor, and bats and other creatures took possession of the roof, which was but imperfectly covered. They were frequently in want of the necessaries of life; and the few Indians, living with them, being often sick, were consequently unable to hunt, or fish, or fetch provisions; and the soldiers took the fruits of their plantations without ceremony. For several weeks both missionaries were so ill, that they could not leave their hammocks, and had nothing to live upon but bread aud water. Towards the end of the year, however, their courage was considerably strengthened by the arrival of three missionaries from Europe; but how inscrutable are the counsels of God! Two of them departed this life a few days after their arrival, and in less than twelve months two of the survivers likewise entered into the rest, which remains for the people of God.

Hitherto the christian Indians, alarmed by false reports of meditated attacks from the Negroes, had often fled into the forests, and, being thus deprived of the instruction: of the missionaries, were rather declining in their reli gious profession. But by the grace of God they were brought to serious reflection, and in the year 1762 most of them returned, and with penitent tears besought their

teachers to take them anew into their care. This request, which was most readily granted, served to animate the zeal of our brethren, and revive their fainting hopes.

Thus SHARON once more assumed the appearance of a promising station, and its Indian inhabitants, about sixty in number, enjoyed peace and rest, and walking in the comforts of the Holy Ghost, were edified. And, peace being established between the government and the BushNegroes, our missionaries indulged the pleasing hope, that many of the Arawaks, who had formerly been baptized, but scattered in the wilderness during the late troubles, would now return. In this hope, however, they were disappointed; for the fear entertained by the Indians of the Negroes rather increased after peace had been made. For, in spite of their professions of friendship, their conduct, when visiting SHARON, was not the most conciliatory. Besides, some secret enemies tried by false reports to terrify the Arawaks still more, hoping thus to accelerate the ruin of the mission. Many of the inhabitants left the settlement and fled into the woods. their dwellings were soon occupied by others, the missionaries did not relax in their exertions, and both by their instructions at home, and by frequent visits through the country, endeavoured to diffuse the glad tidings of grace and redemption through the blood of Christ.

But as

It was not long, however, before they were threatened with new dangers from the Negroes, which seemed to ren-. der the occupancy of SHARON, as a missionary settlement, very precarious. Besides this, vast swarms of large ants had almost totally destroyed their plantations, and thus, deprived them of the principal means of subsistence. These and other circumstances led to the final relinquishinent of this station in 1779.

A few years before brother Schirmer had departed this life and entered into the joys of his Lord, after having for the space of fourteen years endured hardness as a good soldier of Christ on this difficult post. In October, 1776, brother Christopher Lewis Schuman, son of the late missionary of that name, arrived at SHARON, principally,

with a view of devoting himself to the service of the Carribbees. His attempts in this respect, however, proved unsuccessful; but he zealously served the mission in many other ways

SECTION III.

Hope on the Corentyn.

IN order to take possession of the land surveyed on the river Corentyn, as mentioned in the preceding section, Brother Daehne went thither in April 1757, accompanied by a few Indians, who assisted him in clearing a piece of ground and building a hut, but in a short time they all went away except one, called Christopher, and even he, falling sick a few months after, was obliged to return to his friends. Thus our missionary was left alone in this horrid wilderness, the haunt of tigers, serpents of enormous size, and various reptiles, whose bite or sting is venomous. He had not been long here, before he was seized with a fever; but by the timely assistance of brother Schuman, who had a slight knowledge of medicine, and who immediately hastened to his relief, he recovered.* An account of the hardships and dangers he encountered in this solitary abode, as well as of the almost miraculous preservation of his life, will be read with the greatest interest in his own words.

"The Indians," says he, "who were continually passing by, often inquired into the reason of my building a hut in this lonesome place; whether I did it by my own,

*For a more extensive account of Sharon, see Risler, Part ii. Sec. 3. p. 97-108, & 127-135, & 148-160.

† Schuman remarks concerning him; "Daehne reminds me of the old patriarchs, dwelling in tents, e. g. Abraham living at the oak in Mamre, and he experiences the protection and care of the Angel, who visited Abraham in his tent. I have never seen him so cheerful and happy, as he is in this solitude." [Risler, Part ii. Sec. 3. p. 110.]-Another of his brethren says of him: "Da-hne can endure every hardship, like an Indian. He is indefatigable in the cause of our Saviour; and has a perfect knowledge of every thing requisite for the improvement and cultivation of land." Ibid. p. 118.