to a high stage of human existence, there is no reason why this part of Arabia should not be as prosperous and as populous as the other countries where the discovery of gold has led the way. As the Land of Midian lies directly opposite Egypt, and is itself partly mountainous, for it is traversed by two chains running parallel to the coast, the climate cannot be intolerable to Europeans. Arabia has always had a good character in this respect, though whoever expects to share the health and longevity of a Bedouin chief must condescend to take a few hints from his diet and his manner of life. "Only a well-ordered and powerful State will be able to utilize this very important discovery. Though these mines have been worked, for it is hard even to conjecture how many ages, they must everywhere have been limited by the want of mechanical appliances, and in many places they are mere 'scratchings,' If the Midianites, and the Romans after them, did only as much as the Phoenicians, and after them the Romans, did in this island, they left an enormous remainder to future enterprise. The discovery is in keeping with the tenour of Egyptian history-full of surprises, full of reverses, full of recoveries coming from one quarter or another. Who shall say that the Treasury of Egypt shall not again overflow like its own river, and feed many others besides its own children? That would not be a greater marvel than the discoveries which have led the British races to people the southern hemisphere. But what is a more immediate and, perhaps, a more certain gain is the addition to our historical information in what may be called at once its weakest and its most interesting points." After travelling through a land once as rich and prosperous as mining could make it, but now the very picture of dreary desolation, the Explorers reached a plain, where hills of red porphyry were covered with insoriptions in Cufie and modern Arabic characters. Their furthest point was the Wady Hanz, the great gap in the maritime mountain chain, which is the highway for pilgrims returning from Medina, The party returned to Cairo on the 21st of April. Specimens of their ores will be sent to Paris and London, and the curiosities of all kinds will be exhibited first in Cairo, and then taken to the Paris Exhibition. The land of Midian must be a wonderful place. As one hears of the mines spread over the country one begins to understand why "all King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, none were of silver; it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon." When we read of the mines that are yet unworked, with their quartz and their Colorado ore, one feels tempted to ask why the Khedive at Cairo, like Solomon at Jerusalem, should not "make silver and gold as plenteous as stones"? Oh for grace to wait with patience Sweet it is to labour for Him, Sweet to wait-when He commands. Let us then with glad surrender troy Yield ourselves to His dear hands. - H-ALONE MILAO KAU E. S. 7-arg FOR LONDON BIBLE AND DOMESTIC FEMALE MISSIONS. Money received between May 10th and June 10th, 1878. Kemble, Mrs. H. Interest Legacy 2 2 0 100 1 0 0 076 0 15 0 0 3 0 200 10 0 0 1 12 0 4910:00 0 10 0 0 1 0 0 60 0 0 Mrs. Cumberlege* BEDFORDBURY By Miss Braithwaite.. 5 0 0 III-ISLINGTON, No. 3, N By Mrs. Bidlake 5 0 0 TOTTENHAM 0 7 Mrs. Pedley 23 Jorrit 20 0 0 EAGLE WHARFELS IV.STEPNEY GREEN, E. Miss Du Pré 25.0 0 Kinnaird, Lord, best on Miss Cope's on By Lady V. Evans Freke 2199:18 VFALSTAFF YARD, S.E. Mrs. Scarth VI.—PIMLICO, S. W By Miss A. E. Webb- 35,5" kitten .. 2 0 0 VII.CRAVEN,W.VICCING 7300. Bus By Mrs. Clapp.CN017 H0 0 BELSIZE, NOW, JC xnk yo Mrs. Barker¶12) Mrs. Linsoll 0.10 6 Carried forward 1 0 0 ..£133 6 3 Examined and certified by me, as duly entered in the books of the Mission, JAMES WADDELL (of J. WADDELL & CO.), Fellow of the Institute of Accountants, Mansion House Chambers, 11, Queen Victoria Street, E.C. Received for the Missions and Bible-women Nurses, with thanks :-Parcels of clothing, pillows, old linen, &c., from Miss Berry; Anonymous; Miss Sandwith; S. J.; Mr. Davidson; Mrs. Brightwen; Marchioness Dowager of Cholmondeley; Miss F. C. Manning; Mrs. Silvester; An Invalid, Brighton; Mrs. Bramwell; M. D. H.; Mrs. Poore; new socks and crossovers from F. A.; boots, &c., from Miss Kirkpatrick; shoes from Anonymous; hospital letters from Hugh H. Seymour, Esq., and T. Bagnall, Esq.; Miss Jeffery; flowers from Mrs. Brightwen; Mrs. Hutsh; Anonymous; Miss E, Huish; Miss Whitehouse, and Anonymous, Missenden." Contributions to the LONDON BIBLE AND DOMESTIC FEMALE MISSIONS can be received by the Honorary Secretary, Mrs. Ranyard, 13, Hunter-street, Brunswick-square, London, W.C.; by Lord Kinnaird, addressed to the Bank of Messrs. Ransom and Co., No. 1, Pall-mall East; also by Messrs. Barclay, Beyan, and Co.. 54 Lombard-street; and by Messrs, Nisbet and Co., Berners street. Money Orders should be made payable at the Post-office, Burtoncrescent, W.C., in the name of Ellen Ranyard, and cheques crossed Ransom and Co. 66 PENNY SUBSCRIPTIONS. "DEAR MADAM,— "I have received your receipt this morning for the 1d. a-week subscription to the Bible-women's Fund in London, and it may interest you to know how it has been collected. I must remind you that, many years ago, you wrote a letter in the MISSING LINK MAGAZINE,' suggesting that people should give even 1d. a-week subscriptions to the Bible-women's fund, and urging subscribers to try among their friends to make such collections. Since then, by this method, I have sent you every year regularly from 67. to 87. It is not all obtained in my own neighbourhood; many of my friends send it to me from afar. I keep it in the Savings Bank through the year as I collect it, and so get a little addition to the money, and still to me the Magazine keeps up its old interest. "Believe me, very truly yours, "M. C. V. H." N.B. We should indeed rejoice to see this kind example followed. Two other Ladies have long wholly supported one of our Missions in the same way. The Penny Subscription is the peculiar stamp of our kind of BIBLE WORK with our poor neighbours; and the PENNY WEEKLY collected by our many SUPPORTERS among fresh circles of their friends would deliver us from all fear of lessening the number of our good workers. On carefully looking over our list, with an eye to this purpose, and referring to the columns of "Bible-pennies,” the totals are so much improved, even in these hard times, that we see not where to dismiss a good Bible-woman. We keep perpetual revise of their efficiency, and though "ever doing, we seem never to have done" with the work of SCRIPTURE SUPPLY, by offering the large-print copy to be paid for by instalments, to the working classes in their own homes. We have as yet only received 1717. for our Superannuated Bible-women, who are thirty-four in number. 1307. more is still needed to meet the cost of pensions for this year. Penny Subscriptions would here do much for us. Their salary is small VOL. XIV. -No. 8. |