the whole country. Thousands have died in different cities and large towns, The hot winds have been blowing most severely since last March, and we have had only one shower of rain since last September. Tanks and wells are drying up in all directions, and in Chittagong such is the state of things that the people were buying water. Brother Lawrence and his dear family were well when I last heard from them a few days ago. I have not been to see him since my illness, owing chiefly to the state of the weather, but while ill, and since my recovery, I have frequently had the pleasure of a visit from him. Brother Leslie has been ill, but thanks be to the Lord he is well again. I heard from him lately. SAMARANG. From Rev. G. Bruckner to the Secretary, dated Samarang, June 1, 1837: My dear Brother in the Lord, Your letter dated 13th September reached me the 26th May. I was glad to hear from you once more. I trust another letter of mine has been received by you by this time. During this rainy season I have been much kept at home, as my debilitated constitution cannot bear the moisture and rain so well as it did formerly. We have had inundations several times during this season, by which all the compounds around were under water, by which a considerable quantity of mud is carried down, and which afterwards lies exposed to the heat of the sun. When the weather clears up, this produces insects and a bad exhalation. It is still a secret to me how the natives in the compounds around the town can live at all under such circumstances, indeed I am convinced that they die off very fast, and were their places not again filled by people from the country, many empty places would soon be visible. A narrowness of my chest accompanied with a considerable pain in my left side, has also frequently prevented my speaking much to the natives; yet with all this I have much reason to bless the Lord that I have not been laid entirely aside. In the mean time I have revised the book of Genesis, with some reflections to most of the chapters, which I hope to get printed for the use of the natives, when my friend Medhurst comes out again. I have also received about three thousand Chinese tracts from Mr. Gutzlaff, for distribution among the Chinese here. These books are various, but all bearing on the Gospel; a great number of them contain upwards of a hundred pages. Of these tracts there remain now only a few hundreds with me. The Chinese are here about very numerous. Their town here at Samarang contains about four thousand souls; besides this they are scattered in small communities over all the country. They are living in every native town of any extent. A Chinese missionary might find sufficient work here. I cannot speak their language, and have, therefore, merely been the mute instrument to bring these books amongst them; they have hitherto been well received by them, although the eagerness for them has abated a great deal of late. They have discovered sufficiently from their contents, that the doctrines contained in them do not agree with their worldly mindedness, which prompts them merely to strive after the gain of money and enjoyment. Some of them speak a little Malay, so I can sometimes drop a word to one and another in this language. By this means the name of Jesus has become known to them. Lately when I came with a packet of tracts in one of their streets, many came to ask for them. I heard one say, "Inèe surat dari Intchi Yaso," these are books of the Lord Jesus. The books are generally said by them to be good, and thus these writings approve themselves to their judgment. Who can tell whether the blessing of the Holy Spirit may not accompany them here and there, though this may not be visible to us? That the Lord is working with these pamphlets appears from an instance which I met with about three or four months ago in a young Javanese, who came among the market people from a distance of about seventy miles. He had seen some Javanese tracts and came to ask for more. I asked him whether these books were read in his neighbourhood, and what people thought of them? He said, " Certainly they are read, and when we read them we can only weep over them." I spoke a little farther to him, but cannot exactly now remember what I said at that time. In the compounds hereabout I do not meet with much encouragement in my work; it is true some are friendly and listen sometimes for a few minutes to my discourse; others with whom I have often spoken much on the one thing needful,' seem to have forgotten it all when I come at another time; others who lent in the beginning an open ear, have become more rigid Mussulmans than they were before, and do not like to hear much of Jesus. I am making up a parcel of New Testaments and of the various tracts which have been printed in the Javanese language; of the latter I can only get one complete set together, because several of them are so far distributed, that there remains only one single copy with me for the purpose of reprinting it. Of those numbers of which I have left some, I have put two of each in the parcel. As you will perceive from the numbers which I have written on them, that ten different ones have been published, and altogether 32,000. At least 29,000 have been circulated. The general cry of the Europeans here is, "Let the natives remain what they always have been." We are indeed now here in the same, if not worse, circumstances with our mission, than our brethren were in just thirty years ago in Bengal. I trust, however, as it pleased the Lord to let light shine out of darkness there, he will do the same in his due time even this country, for the isles of the sea shall see his glory. I trust also that He will enable me to persevere to the end, even if I should not be permitted to see any fruit of my labour, knowing that what I do for the sake of his name will not be lost. tention. We are willing and anxious to The subject has occupied much of our at employ it; but if we have it not, what is to and the churches under their care, are to be done? And who but the missionaries tive help. We have three deacons in HaLet it be remembered, that we have na conduct a prayer-meeting acceptably. Each of them has long done this; and, during my absence, not only on a week evening but on nover Street, either of whom can exhort and a Sabbath, when there has been no minister. They have supplied Yallahs altogether, and both churches have been kept in peace. Their expenses are paid (about eight dollars) when they go to Yallahs, and that is all they expect; by this means an important station is kept at work, without expense to the Society. wards of two months' wet weather, and nine I am just returned from Yallahs. Upor ten weeks' illness of the master-carpenter, has delayed the completion of the schoolhouse, but now the weather is fine, and the The British Religious Tract Society has sent again seventy-two reams of paper to Batavia for the printing of native tracts; several months ago thirty-two reams arrived, which have been expended. I have always got a part of that paper which that So-judge of the fitness of our members for misciety has sent, to print my tracts with, except sionary labour? the tract No. 10, this was entirely printed on other paper, and the printing expenses were defrayed solely from the profits of my Javanese grammar. 1000 copies of it have been entirely distributed gratuitously, for no one could ever expect to get a farthing for such things from the poor natives. I have written to the Bible Society in England for a certain number of Dutch Bibles. But I must request you to be so kind as to make inquiry whether these books have already been sent; if they are not yet sent, please to request that ten or fifteen German New Testaments might be added to the former number, that I may have something for the German soldiers here. Since I wrote you last, several more American missionaries are arrived at Batavia, some, I understand, with an intention to remain in this island. My heart has been gladdened by this event, as it indicates as if the Lord intended good for this poor nation. A number of German missionaries from the Rhine Society has also come to these isles; three of them are lately gone to the island of Borneo, to establish а mission there among the Dayaks, who seem to be desirous to be instructed in the word of God. One of these missionaries wrote me lately from Borneo, saying that he and his brethren had not yet been able to penetrate into the midst of that nation, but had established themselves on the shore, where they, however, found some of that nation to teach them. One of the Dayaks had made a profession of faith in Christ. I think I have mentioned all in this letter which can be interesting to you. And now I pray that I may always have a share in your prayers, and in the continuance of your brotherly affection. Your affectionate brother, G BRUCKNER. carpenter is well, and he and his hands are at work, and before you receive this I hope to have the school in operation. STEWART TOWN. Mr. Dexter, the zealous and successful missionary at this station, is one of the brethren referred to in our last Num ber, as having been laid aside by illness. We have just received a letter from him, and we are persuaded that its contents will be found so interesting as that none will complain of its length. He addresses the Secretary from Stewart Town, December (day not specified) You will doubtless have heard, some time before this reaches you, that, in common with several others of my brethren, I have been suffering severely from affliction. But for this I should, ere now, have given you some account of the stations under my care. I had, till this season, been merci over to the Established Church. Six have been dismissed by letter to other churches, and six have died, I trust, in the Lord. You will feel with me that this is a dark part of our picture, but I would rather it should be seen, so that the Committee may be able to judge fairly respecting these stations. Blessed be God, however, we have a brighter side, though perhaps not so bright as in some other churches. There have been eighteen baptized, and twenty more would have been admitted by this ordinance but for my illness. One has been received by letter, and several have been restored. Among the deaths, too, two or three have been of the most triumphant kind. In one of these cases, that of a free person of colour, and one of our most intelligent members. I visited her two or three times on the day of her death, and was much cheered by what I saw and heard. Her expressions of deep self-abasement, of ardent love to the Redeemer, of unshaken confidence in him, and, consequently, of triumph over the last enemy, were such as I had never heard from any one, either in England or Jamaica. If the friends in England could have been present, they would have felt with me that this alone was a sufficient recompence for all the sums which have been expended on the mission. Another case was that of an estates' negro, whom, from the distance at which he lived, I had not an opportunity of seeing. On the day before his death he told his wife that he had been in great darkness and distress, "but," said he, "it is all over now, and my soul is as peaceful as a lamb." Fearing, from the manner in which he expressed himself, that he was trusting to some dream or fancied vision, she warned him against all such vain confidences, when he replied that she was mistaken, he had not fixed his hopes on anything of the kind. But," said he, "O how great is God's forgiveness! how different it is from man's forWhen man says he forgives you, he keeps something back against you in his mind; but when God forgives, he forgives altogether. Presently afterwards he said to his wife, "Well, Betsy, my wing is flapped!" She asked, "Do you mean that you are going to fly?” "Yes," he replied, "I am going to fly, my wing is flapped." She asked again, fully preserved from the fevers of the coun- In the church at Rio Bueno there has been much to humble us. During the past year eleven have been excluded; four have withdrawn; two because they could not give up their right in their fellow-creatures, and two without assigning any reason. The former still attend with us, the latter have gone | 66 And do you think that you have faith to fly?" "Yes," he exclaimed, summoning up all his remaining strength, "I bless God that through my Lord Jesus I have faith." He spoke no more, but, in a very few minutes his spirit took its anticipated flight into the presence of that Saviour in whom he trusted. I went the next day about eleven miles to bury him, and was much gratified by hearing the overseer and doctor for the property give him an excellent character for diligence and faithfulness. But to return to Rio Bueno; our congregation keeps up: the Sunday-school is flourishing, having an attendance of from 150 to 200 children; and we have lately commenced a day-school, having engaged a member of Mr. Knibb's church who had learned the British system at Falmouth. There are at present about 50 on the books, but we expect that that number will be considerably increased after Christmas. The master is employed on alternate Sabbaths in reading a sermon, and otherwise conducting the services while I am at Stewart Town. While speaking of this church, I may remark that our most intelligent member, and the one who knows most of his Bible, is a blind young man. Having been frequently struck with the aptness and correctness of his scriptural quotations in prayer and conversation, I asked him how he acquired this knowledge? He told me that he kept a little boy, who could read pretty well, to lead him about; and that when they were at home he employed him in reading, frequently for hours together; "and," said he, minister, when I have heard words two or three times over, I can generally recollect them." If he had one of the Bibles for the blind, I think he would soon learn to read it. I have therefore told him that I would mention his case to you, and you would perhaps find some way of getting one for him. He is an apprentice, and has nothing to depend upon, or I should have felt it was duty to buy one. We have, as yet, no house on the mission property here, and were I, by any means, to be obliged to leave that which I at present rent, I believe it would be impossible to get another in the place. It becomes, therefore, important to erect a small one, and it will be begun as soon as possible. At Stewart Town we have lost several members by death, some of whom died very happily; though I have no detailed account of their last moments. There have been three excluded and 39 added, and I expect to baptize about 30 more as soon as my strength will permit. The congregation here continues too large for the chapel; the Sunday-school is about equal to that at Rio Bueno, and a day-school has just been commenced with about 45 scholars. Here, as at Rio Bueno, there will probably be a considerable increase directly after Christmas. The young man whom I have engaged for this school, is about to join the church under very interesting circumstances. He is the son of very respectable parents, contrary to whose wishes he left England in a man-ofwar, when only about fifteen years of age. On the vessel arriving at Jamaica, he was discharged at Montego Bay, and shortly after became clerk to a store-keeper at Stewart Town. After remaining with him some I time, they disagreed; and he began selling goods here on his own account. Till this time, though he had been kept, in a great measure, from the prevailing sins of the country, he had seldom been to a place of worship, and, even when he did go, it was only with a view to ridicule what he heard. He at first began to attend occasionally. then more constantly, and frequently, as I thought, evincing symptoms of concern. did not, however, say anything to him till he one day came to me in the chapel, and, in an interesting and affecting manner, opened the state of his mind. It appears that, while conversing with some of our people, who, to use his own language, had enjoyed far less advantages of education than himself, he was struck with the greater degree of religious knowledge, especially the knowledge of the Bible, which they possessed, and with the ease with which they silenced his objections. This led him to think that if they were right he had grossly neglected his privileges, and he determined to search the Scriptures for himself whether these things were so. By doing so and attending on the ministry of the word, he had become fully convinced of his need of an interest in Christ, and had therefore come to me for advice. I gave him such as I thought suitable, and, having with much pleasure observed his conduct and apparent growth in grace and knowledge, I proposed to him to take the school in connexion with his shop. Though the salary which I could offer him was much less than he could have obtained in some other employments he readily consented, went to Falmouth to acquire a knowledge of the system, and then commenced the school. He has since given up all thoughts of secular business, that he may devote the whole of his time to the pursuit of spiritual knowledge. What may be the design of God regarding him, I know not, but I feel it my duty to assist him by imparting to him whatever of such knowledge I may possess, and trust that he who has given him the desire for it, will teach him so to employ it as shall be most for the good of his cause. He will be baptized shortly, together with the young person who was the means of first leading him to think seriously on the concerns of his soul. He will be employed, on alternate Sabbaths, in the same way as the schoolmaster at Rio Bueno. I have not yet been able to make any collection for the Society, owing to my illness, but I mentioned it to the people last Sabbath, and they expressed their readiness to do what they can, as I have no doubt they will at Rio Bueno. The effort will be made directly after Christmas; I cannot say, with Brother Burchell, that it will not interfere with our regular receipts, I believe it will; though not perhaps to the amount of what will be raised for this specific object. The next year, however, will show. I will endeavour to send my yearly statement of receipts and expenditure as early in the new year as possible, though it may perhaps not be till after the meeting of the Association. Mrs. Dexter and the children (for we have had another since I gave you any detail of family affairs) are pretty well. I have put off, from time to time, the enlargement of our house, but our increasing family renders it absolutely necessary. It is the smallest house I have seen at any of our stations, the whole of our dwelling being only equi valent to one floor of fourteen feet and a half by thirty-three feet. The schoolmaster also is at present forced to reside with us, there being no house to let in the town. From this you may easily judge how we are circumstanced in case of sickness, or a call from a brother missionary. I had forgotten to say that the only member of Stewart Town church who had any apprentices gave them their freedom on the 1st of August. She is a poor black woman, and had nothing else to depend upon. They were four in number. Both the churches are now free from the stain. Contributions recived on Account of the Baptist Missionary Society, from Ja Miscellaneous Contributions for Special Objects. Of Miss R. Stacey, Secretary to Ladies Negro Friend Society, Falmouth, by Mr. Knibb.. Kingston, by Mr. Whitehorne Near Brown's Town, by Mr. Clark.. Of C. M., for Schools under the care of Mr. Knibb.... 5 0 0 10 10 0 5 5 0 30 0 0 10 0 0 2 2 0 J. Venning, Esq., Norwich, per Rev. R. Knill.. W. M. Forbes, Esq., Denmark Hill.. 1 0 0 Mr. Davis, Do... 1 0 0 20 0 0 0 5 0 0 8 0 W. Curling, Esq., Herne Hill.. 1 1 0 5 0 0 5 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 Joseph Curling, Esq., Do... W. Manfield, Esq., Denmark Hill.. T. B. Oldfield, Esq, Champion Hill. Mr. Teede, Bishopsgale Street. Friends at Bessels Green, by Mr. Paine. Friends at Amlwch, Anglesea.. Mr. R. Cartwright.. Mrs. Austin, Tulse Hill. 3 0 0 C. M. Miss Gray, Do.. Mrs. Blackett, Bri ton Rise.. 2 0 0 W. H. Nash, Esq., Royston Buckingham, friends at.. Mr. Cooper, Do. 0 5 0 Mr. Joseph Dawson, Do.. 2 0 0 Mr. Richard Ball, Taunton. Lady, by Rev. J. A... Friends at Hackney, by Rev. Dr. Cox... 41 0 0 TO CORRESPONDENTS.-The Box from Worcester has not yet arrived. J. Haddon, Castle Street, Finsbury. 0 10 0 |