"In the WORK OF PREPARATION-of which, in so numerous a population, much, according to the common course of Providence, must precede the extensive prevalence of true piety-MUCH has, I think, been accomplished, and almost all by Missionaries. The introduction of the printed character into general use, by which unbounded stores of knowledge are communicated to the population generally, instead of being confined to the Brahmins-the preparation of almost all the entertaining and instructive works published by the School-Book Society -the commencement and superintendence of almost all the Schools yet established for Natives, whether males or females- the intelligible trauslation of the Sc.iptures into many languages-the preparation, printing, and extensive circulation of Religious Tracts, in Bengalee, Hindoostanee, Persian, Sanscrit, and Hinduwee-the commencement of Newspapers in the language of the Natives, of which FIVE are now printed in Calcutta and its neighbourhood-and the establishment of Printing Presses among the Natives themselves-all this, with the exception of what has been done by a few honoured individuals, must be attributed to Missionaries. And we wait, under the confident hope, that, a few years hence, the mighty effects of these labours will appear."

1

Forty-two stations are enumerated under this division, though some of them seem scarcely to merit the appellation. The most important are Chittagong, Sahebgunj, Calcutta, Serampore, Chinsurah, Burdwan, Cutwa, Beerbhoom, Moorshedabad, Dinagepore, Monghyr, Digah, Benares, Chunar, Allahabad, Futtyghur, Meerut, Delhi, Agra; Surat, Bombay, Bancoot; Belgaum, Bellary, Bangalore, Seringapatam, Tellicherry, Cotym, Cochin, Allepie, Quilon, Nagracoil, Palamcottah, Negapatam, Tranquebar, Madras, Vizagapatam, and Cuttack. Besides the forty-two stations particularly reported, there are thirteen others mentioned, respecting which no information had been received. Amongst these are Dacca, Ajimere, Vepery, and o hers, we believe, of considerable importance, with which we are not particularly acquainted, and some that are not now the scenes of Missionary labor, such as Barripore, Malda, Guyah, and Lucknow.

Of the Missionaries employed in this extensive country it is not easy to give an exact account, but according to the Survey before us. and as far as we are able to discriminate, there are seventy-six Europeans or Americans, twenty-two Indo-Britons or Portuguese, natives of India, and about fifty pure natives of the country. We could easily have made corrections on account of those who have been removed by death or sickness,

and also on account of those who have recently arrived, but we have thought it better not, especially as the total numbers would scarcely have been at all affected. We observe that two European Missionaries in Calcutta, and one in Chinsurah are, through mistake, omitted.

The Societies under whose auspicies these Missionaries labour are the Baptist Missionary Society and the Serampore Mission, the London Missionary Society, the Church Missionary Society, the Wesleyan Missionary Society, the Society for propagating the Gospel, the Christian Knowledge Society, the General Baptist Missionary Society, the London Jews' Society, the American Board of Missions, the Danish Mission College, and, there should have been added, the Netherlands Missionary Society. The operations of these are greatly assisted by local Auxiliary Societies.

TARTARY.

In our last number we promised to give some account of the Missionary, connected with the Baptist Missionary Society, in Tartary. The following letter, from our friend Mr. W. H. Angas, contains all that is yet known respecting him. It is addressed to the Secretary in England, from Basle, and is dated Sept. 24, 1823.

"In passing through the Prussian churches, I obtained tidings of a young man, a native of Switzerland, and by name Daniel Schlatter, whom I think the Committee will consider worthy of their attention. He served in the capacity of a

merchant's clerk in the town of St. Gallen, for a number of years, with great credit to himself, comfort to his family, and advantage to his employer. Very early in life his mother's pious care for his soul, was blessed to his conversion.

As he

rose in years he was accustomed to read missionary intelligence with great avidity. As he read, he felt a growing interest in the Lord's work among the heathen, until at length this

came to a burning desire, that one day He might open a door for him also into the wide fields of missionary labour. His prayers to this effect were, after some years, graciously answered, so that he found himself at liberty to apply to the missionary institution here for admittance as a student. But ashe had embraced the sentiments of Adult Baptism, he could not, consonant with the rules of the institution, be taken upon its establishment. For the great regard, however, the directors had for his character, and respect for his natural capacity for the work, they liberally paid his travelling expences to Tartary, where it was in his heart to go, among the Nogaien tribe, as their missionary. Being shut out from pecuniary support from all missionary institutions on the continent, he hired himself out as a groom, and house servant to a Tartar chief, by name Abdullah. By this means he thinks to be able to live until he acquires the language, while he has the best opportunity of becoming acquainted with the Tartar character in all its bearings, and recommending that gospel which he hopes soon to be able to preach to them, in a speaking life and con versation. He has, it seems, enjoyed a liberal education, and has by nature a constitution of body, for hardihood and robustness, seldom perhaps or never equalled. Indeed in the possibility of his one day being called to this work, he had for years previous, prepared himself for enduring hardness and bodily privation in every possible way. For some years he has never slept in a bed, nor drank any thing stronger than water. The extraordinary decision and, consistency of his character, his unassuming modesty, and deep piety, have already won many hearts to him, on his way through the Prussian states, particularly wherever he met with the friends of Jesus.

"In the city of Konigsberg, where he called, and where the excellent of the earth are not a few, he appears to have been well received; and I find by the last missionary accounts from that place, that the Konigsberg Branch Society, Auxiliary to

the Berlin Missionary Institution, had remitted him fifty dollars, about £9 sterling, by way of rendering his situation more tolerable, and cheering his solitude with this token of their love. On my way out of Bavaria into Switzerland, I passed through St. Gallen, Schlatter's native place, and where indeed are all his relations. I availed myself, therefore, of the opportunity to make proper inquiry concerning his character, and found in every quarter where I asked, all to agree with what I had heard elsewhere, and even much more to his credit. I visited his mother, who is truly a mother in Israel, and who is maintained by her two other sons, in business in St. Gallen. I also called on his aunt, who is considered as the Mrs. Hannah More of Switzerland, and is living in St. Gallen with a numerous family. I found among other things that Daniel had been at home on a visit from Tartary, and returned thither some months ago. There are circumstances attending this visit which will give a further insight into his character. His affection for his mother (some years since a widow) is almost proverbial in St. Gallen. She was visited with an indisposition which threatened her life, and conceiving a very strong desire to see her son Daniel once more, he was written to accordingly. This sad news he made known to his master, Abdullah, and obtained his permission to return. He set off therefore the same day, a journey of near one thousand English miles, without any other means than faith in God, except that his master, who shed a tear at parting with his servant, gave him one of his best horses out of his stable. brought him back it was well; if not, it was no matter. horse he sold on the road, and sent back the whole proceeds to Abdullah. This, however, though well intended, and done from motives the most noble, gave his master great offence at first, as he took it for a want of confidence in his friendship. Thus he walked by faith, literally, nearly all the way home, and found his mother recovered, though the utter astonishment of seeing her son so soon from so immense a distance, was almost too much for her at first. After spending a few weeks

If he

The

with his mother, he returned to his Tartars again, in the same manner as he had left them, and in due course, his friends were gladdened in heart by a letter from him, announcing his safe arrival at his post again, all well.

"It does not appear that D. Schlatter came by his sentiments in favour of adult baptism, in any other way than simply reading the scriptures, and considering the subject for himself. It seems also, that he has been the instrument of awakening the attention of several young men of his acquaintance, to the subject of evangelical truth in St. Gallen; a place once as renowned for the light and life of real religion, as it is now for the absence of it. His sentiments as to other parts of divine. truth, are, as far as I can learn, Calvinistic."

The Committee took immediate measures to open a correspondence with this singularly devoted Missionary. The result is not yet known in India.

SLAVERY AT THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

We feel much pleasure in extracting from the Christian Observer, the following paragraphs of a proclamation, issued by the Colonial Government at the Cape of Good Hope. It cannot, however, fail to strike every one that the genuine spirit of Christianity is greatly violated in the proclamation, and that its direct tendency will be to establish its name and form with scarcely any thing of its power. What the better will these children be after being baptized by orders from Government? And how would a Baptist fare, under the enactment which imposes a fine of not less than twenty-five rix dollars and not exceeding one hundred, for the offence of not having every child of christian slaves born in wedlock, baptized within twelve months of its birth? Further, what can be meant by women's having embraced the Christian religion and yet having children not born in marriage? Still with all its faults it is a pleasing document; and we fear we must wait long before we see any thing of this kind emanating from the West Indies.