read. He is about forty years of age, and has no family but a son, who has forsaken him since he came amongst us. "Aradhun, another Hindoo, who has for many years past been in the habit of reading our tracts and visiting our Christian friends, has discarded the whole system of Hindooism, and admires the purity, consistency, and divine origin of the Christian religion. Formerly, he used warmly to oppose the truths of the gospel. He had often before wished to embrace Christianity, but an aged mother, who is deaf and extremely ignorant, threatened to destroy herself if he did so, which hitherto prevented him. About eight months ago, he happened to attend the court of this place on business, and took opportunities of calling on me frequently. I warned him most seriously of the danger of delaying to come to Christ, and told him that he required us to give up all, even parents, for his sake; exhorted him to prefer Christ to all things else; heaven to all earthly joys; holiness to sin. Shortly after he left this, he called on our friends at Bhursapore, and, for the first time, voluntarily ate with them, and told them he would no longer delay in making an open profession of Christianity. He is much respected by his neighbours, can read, and has got through the greater part of the Bible. His sister-in-law seems willing to embrace Christianity also. He has a grown up son, a young man, who is quite indifferent about his salvation. The poor mother of our brother is so perfectly deaf, that it is quite impossible to convey to her any idea of the gospel. "Jeebun-Krishna, an old Hindoo, of about fifty, heard of the Saviour through some of his neighbours. Many years ago he embraced the tenets of the Hindoo sect, called Vyshnubs, thinking that by being a follower of Krishna he might obtain salvation. But still he was dissatisfied, as he could not believe that one sinner could save another. He hailed with joy a Saviour who was holy, and had given his life a ransom for sinners. Old as he is, he has commenced learning his letters, and I suppose by this time he is able to read. 66 Besides, there are three other Hindoos under conviction, viz., Kebul-ram, Saphulram, and Ram-Krishna. I have built them a place of worship in their village, at their own request, where they all meet as often as they can on week-days, but regularly on the Sabbath. They do no kind of work on that day. This testimony was borne before me by their heathen neighbours; and they also added, that these who were about embracing Christianity were good and respectable men, their conduct being blameless. On my last visit, I was delighted to hear such things of my new converts. "At Badpookureeya, three candidates for baptism were proposed at our last church meeting there, the wife and brother of Ramdhun, the native preacher, and a poor old widow. She has been attending on the means of grace for a year. She and her daughter were favoured with the light of the gospel about twelve years ago, but they never sought to walk in the way of life. The poor daughter, about a year and a half ago, was suddenly overtaken by death, and, I fear, quite unprepared. This event, through the mercy of God, has been made instrumental to warn her of her danger. The whole number who appear to have received the grace of God are ten; and, if it please God, in a short time we hope to receive them into the church, to the praise and glory of that blessed Saviour who shed his blood for us all." DINAGEPORE AND SADHAMUHAL. Missionary-Mr. H. SMYLIE. Native Preacher-BHOODOO. The district of Dinagepore, lying towards Bootan, in the northern part of Bengal, is of great extent, and has a population of no less than three millions. It is likewise one of the districts in which there are no other missionaries, and is that which enjoyed the early labours of Carey and Thomas, soon after their arrival in India. The church here was raised by the instrumentality of the late Mr. Fernandez, who had residences both at Dinagepore, the chief town of the district, and at Sadhamuhal, a village about twenty-four miles to the north-east, which he bequeathed to the mission. Mr. Smylie resides statedly at Dinagepore, and visits Sadhamuhal occasionally; whilst Bhoodoo, the native preacher, resides chiefly at Sadhamuhal. Mr. Smylie and his wife have suffered greatly from the inhospitable climate of the district, and have met with severe discouragements; but they continue faithful and zealous in their labours, and appear now to be reaping abundantly the fruit of them. In the report for 1837, Mr. Smylie remarks, "The church here and at Sadhamuhal," he says, "are enjoying much, and we have about fifteen who wish to be baptized. Some of these were Hindoos but a few months ago, and others Moosoolmans, and some the children of Christians; but mostly Moosoolmans. I would have baptized them before this time, but my health has been very poorly, and my means for going to Sadhamuhal so scanty, that they have not received that instruction I could wish before they are baptized." BURISAUL. Missionaries-Mr. S. BAREIRO, and Mr. J. SMITH. Native Preachers-VISHWANATH, GORACHAND, and PANCHOO. Burisaul is the civil station of the district of Backergunge, which is a great rice country, lying to the south-east of Jessore, and having a population of about a million of souls. It is also one of the districts in which there is no missionary, except those placed there by the brethren at Serampore. Considerable success has attended the labours of the brethren, which are very abundant, and a small church is under their care. DACCA. Missionary-Mr. O. LEONARD. The district of Dacca, lying on the east side of Bengal, has also a population of about a million of souls, amongst whom there are no other missionaries. The city in which Mr. Leonard resides was once the seat of a great Mohammedan viceroyalty, and is still a place of much commercial importance. The attention of Mr. Leonard is divided between an extensive system of schools, attended by more than 900 boys and 250 girls, the proclamation of the gospel to the Hindoo and Moosoolman population, and the instruction of a small church and congregation in the English language. In 1836, three members were added to the church by baptism, none of whom were natives. One native member had died peacefully in the faith of the gospel; and Mr. Leonard, at the close of the year, was cheered by the decision of a Brahmin, who has heard the word of God for a series of years, and studied the Scriptures daily, to cast away his idols, abandon caste, and give himself to the Lord Jesus Christ. A few more also appeared to be inquiring the way to Sion. CHITTAGONG. Missionary Mr. J. JOHANNES. Native Preacher-GUNGANARAYUN, Jun. The district of Chittagong forms the south-eastern extremity of Bengal, and is separated from Dacca by the intervening district of Tipera. It also has no missionaries except from Serampore, although its population is calculated to be about a million and a quarter. The time of Mr. Johannes is very much devoted to an English school, containing about 100 boys, chiefly of Portuguese extraction, and partly also native; but he likewise preaches abroad to Missionary-Mr. W. SMITH. Benares, it is generally known, is reputed among the Hindoos to be a place of peculiar sanctity. Hence it is resorted to by multitudes from all parts of India, and great numbers of Brahmins reside there. Mr. Smith has been engaged in the work of the gospel here for a considerable time. The following incident respecting him is mentioned in the report of the Serampore mission for 1836: "During the year Mr. Smith has baptized two persons, one at Chunar and the other at Benares; the latter is a case of much interest. He was a Hindoo. Fourteen years ago he was under the care of brother Smith, but left him; and during all these years he has been wandering about, seeking rest to his guilty conscience from the Hindoo gods, but, of course, was unable to find it; he therefore returned to brother Smith, and avowed his determination to give himself to Christ. After being satisfied with his sincerity and piety, he was baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Several members of the church have been thirteen members in full communion." removed to other places, but there are still ALLAHABAD. Missionary-Mr. L. MACKINTOSH. Native Preacher-BHUGUWAN-DAS. The brethren at this station have continued faithful in their labours, but heavy domestic affliction has prevented Mr. Mackintosh from furnishing any very recent accounts of them. DELHI. Missionary Mr. J. T. THOMPSON. Native Preacher-DEVIGIR. In this imperial city, Mr. Thompson has laboured for many years, and has been much in the habit of making extensive journeys in various directions, for the purpose of preaching the gospel, and distributing portions of the holy Scriptures and tracts. Recently, he has been, and now is at Serampore, engaged in carrying through the press a new edition of the Scriptures in the Hindee, and in supplying the place of Messrs. Mack and Leechman, now in this country. Hence, for the present, the labours of the station at Delhi have devolved entirely on the native preacher, Devigir. We now turn to those branches of the Mission which lie on the eastern frontier of the British dominions in India. ARRACAN. Arracan is a maritime province, forming the eastern shore of the bay of Bengal, which was added to the British dominions at the close of the Burmese war. During its subjection to the Burmans, their tyrannical oppression drove multitudes of the people from the country, and the population now is said to be only about 200,000. The inhabitants speak the Burmese language, with some provincial peculiarities in their pronunciation; and the scriptures and tracts translated by Dr. Judson and his colleagues serve equally well for Arracan as for the Burman empire. The prospects, both as to the extension of the gospel in this province, and the progress of education, are stated to have been very gratifying; but we apprehend the unsettled state of political affairs between the British government and the Burmese empire may interpose some difficulties in the way of the Brumhapootra, from its issuing from the distant mountains to its appearance on the plain of Bengal at Goalpara. It was also cruelly devastated by the Burmans, but its population has again risen to full 600,000 souls. The principal station occupied by the mission in Assam is Gowhattee, the provincial capital, where six individuals were baptized in 1836, and a little church was formed of twelve members. For some time much prosperity was enjoyed by the church; but at the close of the year two of the members were suspended from communion, and the prospects of the mission were clouded. A second station has lately been formed at the principal town of one of the great districts of the province, Nougong, where Mr. Robinson has been urgently solicited to establish an English school. On the north-eastern frontier of India, the Himalaya mountains bend round to the south, and break into several important ranges, which are inhabited by a number of very interesting tribes, which have only lately been brought to our knowledge. No fewer than thirty such tribes have been enumerated, varying in extent from 20,000 to 500,000 each. Amongst one of these tribes, the Khassias, has been established the station of CHERRAPOONJEE. Missionary-Mr. A. LISH. Mr. Lish (son of Mrs. Robinson, of Calcutta) makes the following statement in his Mr. Fink resides at the provincial capital, report for 1836: "In the course of the past Acyab, a sea-port; and the three subordi-year the schools, translations, and village nate stations of the mission are all within preaching have occupied the greater portion about forty miles of his residence. For of my time, whilst, during the latter part of many years there was no other missionary it, I have been called to the pleasing duty in the province; but of late the American of resuming English preaching twice on the missionaries have been able to establish anSabbath, in consequence of an increase in other station, to the south of those occuour congregation. A boarding-school has pied by Mr. Fink and his fellow-labourers. been established for the support and instruction of indigent children. A small bungalow, adjoining the mission premises, was purchased by the school-funds here for forty rupees, and appropriated to the residence of the boys, and the school-room on the ground has been enlarged for their accommodation, in consequence of the addition made to the original numbers by the boarders. There are fourteen boarders, three of whom provide their own food and clothing, being of wealthy connexions, and the remaining eleven are supported entirely by our local funds. The object of the school is to remove these poor children from mixing in the bad company, and witnessing the immoral conduct of the people, and to place them entirely under religious instruction. of Mr. Fink and his native assistants. ASSAM. GOWHATTEE. Missionary-Mr. W. ROBINSON, Jun. Native Preacher-NUNDU. The province of Assam was likewise added to the British dominions by the Burmese war. It consists of the great valley "Village preaching has been continued regularly on the Sabbath, and on market days throughout the year, except when the heavy rains or my own illness has prevented my going out. The attention which the gospel has received by the people of Musmai, and strangers who have come to the market at Cherra, has been very pleasing; so that, though I have been prevented by my engagements at home from making any distant preaching excursions, the word of God has been taken to different parts of the country by those who have heard it here. Within the last few weeks I have gone out once a week to some distant villages, and preached to the people with much encouragement; and as long as the fine weather lasts, I hope to continue these visits, besides preaching as usual at the markets." The stations which have now been enumerated require an outlay of about £2,500 per annum, to maintain them on the most economical scale. When to this is added the expenditure arising from the re-inforcement of new missionaries ately sent out, and about to proceed both to the East and the West, it must be clearly evident that a correspondent enlargement of the resources of the Society is indispensable. The Committee have felt that they were discharging a duty in thus attempting that which, viewed in connexion with their means, may well be called 'great things; and the warm approbation which the churches throughout the land have expressed warrants them to indulge the cheerful hope that, in the way of liberal contribution, they may expect great things.' SEWRY. From Mr. Williamson to Mr. Dyer, dated Sewry, 25th Oct., 1837 :: It has pleased God, I am happy to say, to revive our native church a little this year. Two persons have been baptized, and several members, who had long been excluded, and whom I had little hope of ever seeing in the church again, have been restored to Christian fellowship. I trust their repentanee is sincere, and that they will prove it to have been so, by a steady Christian deportment to the end of their course. Two or three Hindoo families, amounting to about twenty persons, have lately come amongst us. Some of the children and youth have been received into our Christian boarding-school, and the rest are maintain themselves by their own industry, while they attend worship and receive suitable instruction daily. Our English school, in which I have been labouring for the last five years, and from which I have been anticipating gratifying results, has afforded me very little encouragement for some time past. The youth of the first class who, having made considerable progress in their studies, had become an interesting class, and who had all along been valuable assistants to me as monitors, from various causes left the school. We had also two severe visitations of the cholera, which carried off some, and consider-ing ably thinned the general attendance for several months. Nor ought I to omit to mention the fact, that an unsuccessful, and perhaps rather imprudent, attempt to introduce the reading of the Scriptures, with prayer, contributed also in some degree to disperse the scholars. The introduction of a class-book, too, entitled, Scripture Extracts, gave offence, and still continues to do so. Notwithstanding, I do not intend to yield so far to their prejudices as to withdraw it, being resolved either to conduct the school on Christian principles, or relinquish it altogether. I hope, however, it will not be necessary to resort to this latter alternative. Indeed, the school is already beginning to assume a more favourable aspect. Some who had gone away have returned, and others are expected, not excepting two or three of the highest class, whose loss I had most regretted. Sometime ago we had an offer of assistance from the Education Committee, which, being only on the condition of our excluding Christianity, was declined, of course. JAMAICA. SALTER'S HILL. From Mr. Dendy, dated 23rd April, 1838. On Friday the 13th inst., we held the second anniversary of the opening of Salter's Hill Chapel. In the morning of the day, in an adjoining river, eighty-two persons were baptized. Brother Dexter kindly assisted in the service. The spectators were numerous, and conducted themselves with the greatest degree of order and decorum. At half-past ten o'clock our morning service commenced, when the chapel was completely filled; the school-room was also full; even then many were obliged to remain outside. The estimated number prewere two thousand six hundred: Brother Dexter preached from Ps. cxlvii. 12-14, Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; sent praise thy God, O Zion; for he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates, he hath blessed thy children,' &c. After the morning service, I availed myself of the opportunity afforded to the people of rebutting the charge that had been made against them, that they would not work after the 1st of August next. "It was resolved without a dissenting voice, "That this report is a false and malicious libel upon us, as we never had such thoughts or intentions, but are willing to work as usual for our masters so long as the present law continues in force, although we would rather be free.* "In the afternoon of the same day the newly-baptized persons were received into full communion by the church, and sat down to the ordinance of the Lord's supper; and thus closed the services of the second anniversary of the opening of Salter's Hill Chapel. We trust we found the day a day of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. "The collections amounted to seventyfive pounds. In a former letter, I mentioned that I had visited the mountain district of St. Elizabeth's parish, bordering on the parish of St. James. I now continue to supply the station, in connexion with my esteemed assistant, Mr. Pickton, once a month. The station is to us of difficult access, being about twenty-five miles from Salter's Hill, over bad roads and through an extensive forest; but it promises to be a field of much usefulness. The last time I went I was informed that, in consequence of my former visits, seven couple who heard me preach were induced no longer to live according to the custom of the country, but entered into the honorable state of matrimony." • We learn from the Falmouth Post, of the 25th of April, that at this meeting the following important questions were put to the apprentices by Messrs. Dendy and Dexter. 1. Have you ever heard from the Baptist Missionaries that you would all be free on the 1st of August next? (cries of no, Sir, we never did.) 2. Have they ever told you that you were to sit down and do no work after the 1st of August. (No, Sir, they never did.) 3. The papers say that you will not work when entirely free will you be willing to work for fair and equitable wages? (Loud cries of yes, Sir, we will.) 4. Is there any prædial apprentice here who does not mean to work as usual? If so, let him lift up his hand that we may know what we have to expect. (A gentleman stood up, and emphatically observed, not one.) 5. If any one should be so wicked as to try to fill up your minds with the thought that you are all to be free in August next, will you take him, whether he be white, brown, or black, to the Special Magistrate, that he may be punished? (Loud cries of yes, Sir, we will,) MONTEGO BAY. Our brethren Messrs. Burchell and Knibb have held the first anniversaries of the opening of their new chapels, The following account of the service at Montego Bay is copied from the Falmouth Post of April 25th last: "On Saturday last, was the first anniversary of the opening of the Montego Bay Baptist Chapel, under the pastoral care of the Rev. Thomas Burchell. Early in the morning, the various schools established by the Rev. Mr. Burchell, assembled with their teachers in different parts of this town. The British, the Infant, the Sabbath schools of Montego Bay, met their teachers, Mr. Andrews and Miss Cumming, and assistant teachers, at the premises in Union-street. The Mount Carey Schools, with their teacher, Mr. Hayles, met at the Old Chapel premises. The schools, at present conducted at St. Andrew's, by Mr. Vaughan, met at his residence. The Montpelier School, under the care of Mr. Chambers, met at the residence of that gentleman; and the Shortwood and Bethel Hill Schools, superintended by Miss Scott and the Miss Reids, assembled at the new chapel. Many of the children, some so young as four years, had travelled a distance of twenty-five miles to be presentTM on this festive occasion. "At ten o'clock the schools, that were arranged in the other places already mentioned, moved in processional order to the chapel ; and certainly, greater decorum and propriety could not exist in the best organized system of school management than seemed to prevail amongst the children of these schools." The service of the day was commenced by the children singing the hymn from Willcock's Selection, 393, "Beyond the glittering starry skies," &c., and Mr. Andrews, of the Montego Bay schools, engaged in prayer, and read a portion of Scripture. Mr. Vaughan, of the school at St. Andrews, read from one of the Sunday Collection hymns, 133 "Come, children, hail the Prince of Peace,"&c., and read part of the 4th chapter of Proverbs. Mr. Hayles, of the Mount Carey schools, engaged in prayer, and Mr. Chambers, of the Montpelier school, gave out the 12th hymn in the Selection, sung at the opening of the chapel last year : "Yes, we hope the day is nigh," &c., which was sung by the children to the tune of "Hosanna," and after the 67th Psalm was read by Mr. Chambers, and the children had sung the "Amen Chorus," in the Surrey |