1

them, so that they walk about and grin and snarl with impunity. The Bramin of the temple refused me entrance into it, and I therefore left the place with a slight inspection.

At a place called Trioor, some little distance, we came to a number of ruined temples. The Bramins complained loudly that most of the temples were

going to decay, and that they could not get money sufficient to keep them in repair, much less to build new ones. Indeed the place bore evident marks of poverty and ruin. A respectable person pleaded very much to have a school here, and said 100 children would be collected.

Extract of a Letter from Mr. Carver, dated Madras, March 9, 1825.

ON Sunday, March 6th, I preached in St. Thome to a most encouraging and attentive congregation. Mr. Martens accompanied me, and preached there in Portuguese in the evening. At ten, A. M., our Tamul services at Royapettah were conducted by Brother Hoole; I also attended to assist in introducing our own hymns and tunes among the people. They begin to sing some of them pretty well, and it appears to give spirit to the services. In the evening I preached in the new chapel, Popham's Broadway, and then administered the holy Sacrament to about forty people. On my return home at ten o'clock at night, I found Brother Hoole equally fatigued as myself with the labours of the day. He had been among the natives in the streets and lanes, distributing tracts, and conversing with the Heathen; when it became dark he told them that he must go to the chapel, when one of the people observed, "O! he need not do that, they would bring a light, aud he could stay and make a sermon to them: they would hear!"

To preserve a little order in my remarks, I may notice a few things concerning St. Thomas's Mount in the first place.

For several months we have given all the attention we could to the Mount, which is a place occupied as a cantonment for the artillery. Many widows of officers and men who have fallen in the Burmese war reside in it; and a large population of natives. The native school is well conducted, and we hope to see fruit in due time. With the people of the army, and the residents there, we have endeavoured to cultivate an acquaintance; and in order to render religious instruction by preaching more beneficial, we have followed it up with pastoral visitation. We generally contrive to go early and even remain late, that we may have a better opportunity to converse on religious subjects, though it is sometimes midnight when we get home; having to travel seven or eight miles. Our situation is such that we

cannot visit this place more frequently than once a fortnight, but lately one of our Leaders has felt himself so much interested in the work as to visit it, and speak to the soldiers on the Sabbathday. The congregations have increased, and many persons of the army have held prayer meetings in the school chapel every day.

The protracted war in Burmah has been fatal to many of the troops, and several of our Society have died through the fatigues consequent upon so much exposure, and so many privations. Accounts concerning the Christian experience of some of them, in their last hours, have been sent to us, and they have afforded fresh proof, if proof were wanting, that God is faithful.

A few words below, extracted from a letter, from one of our Leaders in the army, may be acceptable. It was written on February 12, 1825 :

:

"I suppose you have heard of the death of the late Serj. Major Thompson, of the 3d regiment. He died at Martaban, 28th November, 1824, about seven o'clock on Sunday evening. I often called to see him during his illness at Rangoon. Although his affliction was severe and of a painful nature, I always found him resigned to the will of his heavenly Father. I one day asked him, if he did not wish to be restored to health; he answered,

I

I have no choice or will of my own; let the Lord do what seemeth him good." I observed, I often felt it difficult to suffer the will of God. He said, thought so once, but at present I feel it perfectly easy and pleasant; I have strength according to my day: these afflictions will work out for me a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.'

When we were speaking of the Society in our different regiments, and the happiness we experienced since we had an opportunity to meet for public worship at the great Dagon pagoda, and the advantages we expected to derive from these blessed means, he said, 'I will come up to the pagoda and conduct the meeting; I desire nothing so much

as to speak for Him who has done so much for me.' At that time he was too weak to walk one hundred yards, yet I could scarcely persuade him to stay at home. He said, on another occasion, 'I expect to leave my bones among the Burmans, but I am as near heaven in this country as in any other. Jesus is Omnipresent, and will by and by find my body, should it mingle among ten thousand Burmans. If this earthly tabernacle is soon dissolved, (and I think it soon will,) I have a building of God, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.' Conversing with him another day, we observed a Heathen worshipping the sun before he had performed his devotions, a cloud with rain covered the object of his adoration,-he con

tinued on his knees, and refused to rise until the shower and cloud had passed away; when he felt the beams of a meridian sun he concluded his devotions and retired. Brother Thompson made some remarks, and asked me if I ever rose from ny knees before I was warmed and comforted by the beams of the Sun of Righteousness. I felt this a severe reproof, and said, 'I had often retired cold and careless, and that this Heathen had taught me an important and necessary lesson.' I visited Brother Thompson every day when not on duty, and always found him in the same heavenly frame. The Society have lost a worthy member and a decided and exemplary Christian."

CEYLON MISSION.

Extract of a Letter from Mr. B. WE arrived here in perfect safety on Tuesday evening last, after a voyage of five months. From what I have seen and heard in the short time since my arrival, the Mission, in many respects, appears to be in a better condition than I expected to find it. I was very thankful to find all the Brethren of this District in so good a state of health, and, generally speaking, in good spirits, and labouring by the blessing of God to promote the work of

SOUTH SEA MISSIONS.

NEW-ZEALAND.-The last accounts from the Brethren in New-Zealand, inserted in the Notices, were painful. Not only had no effectual impression been made upon the minds of any of the adult natives by their religious instruction; but the Mission family had been subject to continued alarms, to noisy intrusions, and in two instances to personal ill-treatment. The threatening and unsettled state of things had, as then stated, led to the removal of Mrs. Turner and her children to one of the settlements of the Church Missionaries, about thirty-five miles distant, and under the protection of the Chief, Shungee, who, whatever may be his faults, and especially his love of war, affords protection to the Missionaries connected with his tribe; and to the fear of whom, among the Natives of Wangaroa, our Brethren there, in part, under Providence, owe their preservation. From the Missionaries of the Church Society our Brethren have met with the kindest sympathy in their troubles; they were visited by several, and by all offered an asylum in case of their removal from their station. This measure, indeed, they strongly advised, and for a time the Brethren consented, though with great reluctance. In this reluctant feeling Mrs. Turner, whose heroisin is above all praise, most deeply participated. The reasons for removing

from that Station, at least for a time, were indeed very strong, and had they done so, no considerate person would have blamed them. Both Mr. White and Mr. Turner had suffered personal violence, so that all sense of safety was destroyed; but what rendered their case the more alarming was, the probable death of George, the Chief. They could scarcely hope less from his successor; but there was behind all a superstition which had but recently been discovered, and from which they had every thing to dread. The notions of satisfaction among the New-Zealanders, life for life, blood for blood, are deep and deadly. The father of George had been killed in the affair of the ship Boyd; and the notion which haunted him in his last sickness was, that he had not taken sufficient satisfaction of the Europeans for his father's life. The Missionaries came to know that he had left this satisfaction to be exacted by his heir, by the plunder and probable destruction of the Missionaries in his power. From the same notions of taking satisfaction, it will be seen from various parts of the following Journals, that equal dangers from other quarters were continually arising. The more friendly natives of the Bay of Islands, Shungee's people, were at one time determined to fetch them away from George's tribe, and to punish that Chief and his people for the plunder of the ship Mercury; this involved them in new anxieties. The probable punishment of some of the people for their bad conduct in the affair of the Mercury, by some of the European vessels, added to their apprehensions. By various unexpected occurrences, and various workings of their own minds, they were however induced to postpone their departure, until they were at length encouraged to rescind their resolution to give up the station, and remain. That they were not driven away hastily by their fears and dangers, is indeed only to be attributed to the special and supporting grace of God. Of them it may be indeed said, they were દ in deaths oft;" hut their preservation is another proof of the efficacy of prayer, and the watchful care of the God of Missionaries. Several critical circumstances occurred; but the death of the Chief, George, was the most serious The people on whom had devolved the task of taking satisfaction for the death of George's father, according to the last will of George, assembled for that purpose, and approached their dwelling; when, after some consultation, one of the Natives jumped over the fence, and bore off a duck from the poultry in the yard, and the whole party went off peaceably, contented with the blood of a mere bird, as the satisfaction! So truly are the hearts of men in the hands of God.

one.

Mr. White has lately come to England to arrange some affairs respecting the Mission, and to return. When he left, all apprehension of danger had vanished.

The first Journal from which we shall give Extracts is that of Mr. Hobbs, which commences March 20, 1825, and extends to April 10, following. Our readers will recollect that Mrs. Turner and children had previously been removed to Kiddee-Kiddee, a settlement of the Church Society; and that the persons on the Mission were, Messrs. White, Turner, Hobbs, and an Assistant, Mr. Stack. Our extracts are rather long, but we thought it best not to break the thread of so interesting a narrative.

Extracts from the Journal of Mr. Hobbs.

SUNDAY, March 20th, 1825. This afternoon some of the Natives came to our gate, evidently desirous of conversing about something. They asked many questions, such as, "When will Mr. White go to the Bay of Islands in the boat? When shall you all go? What is Mr. White about to take away with him? Did the vessel lately plundered belong to any person connected with you? Does it belong to a tribe of King George?" During the conversation my mind was much affected with some awful displays of the depravity of human nature, as manifest in several blasphemous speeches against Jehovah, who, I told them, would bring every man's work into judgment. They scoffed much at eternal things; but being told that the Mercury was from the river on the banks of which King George's house stood, the information gave them much concern. I was impressed, in no ordinary degree, with the necessity of the Holy Spirit's influence to change their hearts.

21st. This evening Messrs. Turner and Clarke arrived from the Bay of Islands, stating, that while on their way they were overtaken by two messengers from Rangehoo, who said they were going to the Heads of our Harbour, to inform the natives of that place that a party of natives, headed by a chief named Rangetooke, from Pyhea, Mr. Williams's settlement, together with a party from Rangehoo, headed by Wikato, (the companion of Shungee while in England,) had fitted out a great number of canoes, and were then on their passage to our settlement, and would be here to-night. The Brethren inquired into the particular object of their coming, and were informed that it was to remove the whole of our property, together with ourselves,, to the Bay of Islands, to "a good place." They say, with much truth, that the tribe with whom we dwell are a bad people, as the Mercury is the secord ship which they have destroyed in this harbour. They refer to the ship Boyd, which was destroyed by the natives here about fifteen years ago, with as much feeling as if it had been done but yesterday.

Rangetooke has prepared one canoe seventy feet long, and about seven feet wide, which will carry eighty men, and in this canoe he intends to convey all our property. I cannot tell what may be the result, but the will of the Lord be done! George, our principal Chief, is very ill, and

being in our house while Brother Turner was telling this news, was anxious to know what we were talking about. On receiving the account from Brother Turner in the native language, he was so much affected that he left the house instantly, expecting, I believe, that his end was come.

23d. The party of natives spoken of on Monday have not yet arrived. Mr. Clarke returned to his residence at the Bay of Islands this morning. His visit has been very agreeable and profitable. Praise the Lord for the little Christian intercourse we enjoy !

24th. We received letters this afternoon from the Church-Missionary Brethren, stating, that on account of the weather, the party of natives who had assembled to fetch us away, have dispersed to their several homes. It appears, at present, as if we should be able to remain in our station, as the natives are now very civil and quiet. Shungee is expected here on his return from the war. We think he will solicit us to remove to the Bay of Islands, in order to punish the natives here for' their conduct towards the ship, as this outrage will, of course, tend to put the crews of vessels more upon their guard, and, probably, prevent many vessels from touching at New-Zealand. And as the Bay of Islands, which is Shungee's residence, is the principal place of resort for ships, it is not unlikely that he may take severe vengeance of the people here, in order to secure the confidence of the captains of vessels. The reason of this is obvious: if the intercourse with ships should be stopped, the people of the Bay of Islands would not obtain gunpowder, and the tribes in other parts of the island where ships do not touch would soon be equal in war to the islanders of the Bay, who now tyrannise over this large country. We know that the Chiefs in the Bay of Islands have wished for many years to destroy the natives of this place; but as Shungee would not give his consent, they have been thus far spared. If Shungee on his return should attack the natives here, we must remove to the Bay. May the God of Israel be our guide and defence!

These letters from the Brethren state the return also of the small schooner which went from the Bay of Islands in search of the brig Mercury; she has returned without seeing any thing of the Mercury, and therefore it is conjectured she has drifted to sea. Should she be found at sea, a paper