Account of the Magaginé,an African Tribe. Mr. Kugler has communicated some interesting particulars relative to the civil and religious state of a Tribe in the interior of Africa, which he obtained from an individual belonging to it, during his residence in Egypt. He commences his account with some

Geographical Situation of the Tribe. The African Tribe, concerning which I have proposed to give you some information, inhabit a place called Darbia, and the name of the people is Magaginé. Darbia is about south-west from Darfur, at a distance of 300 English miles. There are three considerable rivers in this country: the largest of these is the (White River) Led; the second Karo (River of Reeds); and the third is called (the Black River) Gililo. All the horrors of the invasions for the Slave-Trade, already mentioned, trouble the Magaginé in Darbia: they are however so fortunate as to be in possession of a good asylum; not the work of their hands, but the work of Him to whom we owe all good things: this is, a very high and steep mountain, and accessible only in four places: its name is Surock. This is the place of refuge for the Magaginé, when they are so fortunate to spy their enemies in good time; but the latter exert themselves to the utmost to take the people by surprise, in order to make a prey of them. The Magaginé, however, having once safely reached their asylum are secured there from all the terrors and consternation occasioned by these invasions: the four passages of that mountain are well defended by the men of the tribe against their enemies; so that the people live unmolested in their asylum till their enemies retire. These people do not suffer from any want while on that mountain; for they have good fountains and a plentiful pasturage for their cattle, and other necessary supplies are provided while the

people effect the retreat to their asylum. The siege of this mountain lasts sometimes for several months. The abodes of the people are usually pulled down by their enemies; but this is a matter of little concern to the Magaginé, for they do not think much of the trouble of building other houses of mud and stones in place of their former abodes. The soil in Darbia is very fertile, and requires but little labour for obtaining the enjoyment of its fertility. It is remarkable, also, that it snows in Darbia, but the snow melts as it falls to the ground. Nobody claims a property of soil; and quarrels about property of land are, of Every one cultivates as much ground as unknown amongst the Magaginé. he pleases.

course,

Its Government, Customs, and Manners.

The Magaginé are a free people, and appreciate liberty as the greatest blessing: Slavery, therefore, is to them the greatest horror and abomination. Their liberty, however, is not without order and discipline; but they have good and just laws-not many-according to which differences and quarrels are admirably adjusted. The Magaginé have a Headman, whom they obey and honour as their superior: they have also other ranks besides that of their Prince; but nothing raises an individual to a higher rank, except bravery and personal merit.

Trifling quarrels are never referred to the judge, but are settled by the parties themselves in single combat: such two competitors cut branches from a tree, and beat each other with them till they are satisfied. Whenever jealousy is the cause of quarrels, then the single combat always ends in the death of one of the party. The elders exert all their authority on such occasions, to bring the parties to terms of reconciliation; and such is their authority, as frequently to put a stop to quarrels which would cost the life of a man without their interference. Thus we see that wisdom and good counsel are sought with old age; that great honour is conferred on it amongst the Magaginé; and their elders therefore are invested with the power of judgment. The Prince and the elders together maintain good order by a regular discipline amongst their people. Singular measures are taken in difficult suits in which witnesses are wanting. The suspected criminals are sought in the following manner, and by these two extraordinary measures. There is a set

of men among the Magaginé Tribe who make it a practice to swallow an immense quantity of water; and this strange practice is repeated till they appear to the people to be masters in their art, and the preparation for their office is thus finished. When a crime is supposed to have been perpetrated by a man, application is made to a water-drinker. He begins his work with swallowing as large a quantity of water as practicable; the individual suspected to have committed the crime is then called by name; and the charge is detailed in the presence of the water-drinker, who uses every effort for throwing off the water whilst the charge of the criminal is detailed to him. If the water-drinker succeeds in throwing off the water, the person accused is cleared; but if his efforts are in vain, the individual accused is declared guilty, and is reserved for punishment. The second measure is for detecting unknown female criminals; and it is this: water is poured into a pot, and put to the fire till it boils: the suspected female is then called, and is obliged to put her hand into the hot water: it is confidently believed that this hot water only injures the guilty persons. Considering that the Magaginé have no coin, and that the necessaries of life are plentiful with them, it is obvious that there cannot be many quarrels among such a people; and their judges have little to do. Adultery is punished with death, not always by a regular trial. A person having the smallpox must separate himself from the community of the people, and live in a tent, by himself, during forty days. The relations have to take care of such a patient; but nobody dare touch him whilst in quarantine. The same regulation is in force for other contagious disorders. The Magaginé are reported to be generally on good terms with one another : and, it appears, they live together as one family, of which each member delights in relieving or assisting those of the community who need support. The men assist each other in tilling and sowing the ground, and in gathering in the harvest. Hunting is a favourite pursuit among the men: they make use of nets, when they have hunting parties in the proper season. The women assist each other in arranging the domestic affairs. The Magaginé are said to be a very active and industrious people. The practice of medicine is not

entirely neglected by them, though they are not troubled with many complaints. These people have only natural wants; and artificially refined things being out of their reach, they satisfy themselves with things which nature yields, and avoid many troublesome complaints by this reasonable way of living. The women are the practitioners of physic; and are said to possess a good knowledge of botany, which they turn to the best account. The roots of the medicinal plants are generally employed by the female physicians, either boiled for making baths, or for external local application: they are also taken internally in some shape or other, and are sometimes used in both ways, to insure success. Surgery is very properly allotted to men. The strikes of scorpions, the bites of poisonous serpents &c. are safely cured, in due time, by the application of the remedies with which the female physicians are well acquainted. There is no salt in Darbia, but the Magaginé have made nitre a substitute for it: it is obtained in the same manner as in Europe.

Religious Notions of the Tribe.

The Magaginé have an idea of God, but their knowledge of Him is that of tradition: they believe that every body receives reward or punishment of God, according to his merits, after this life; and they, therefore, believe also in the immortality of the soul. They have a correct notion of the existence of the Devil and his angels; but their idea of the good angels has a taint of superstition. The history of the Deluge is preserved in the tradition of the Magaginé; but it is defective, as they believe that every living creature perished in that awful calamity, and that God created altogether new beings after the Deluge. Thunder and lightning are considered as signs of God's displeasure towards men, on account of their wickedness; and they appear to have a deep impression of the fear of God. Neither figure nor image of any kind is to be found among this interesting people; but they have a temple, to which they occasionally bring sacrifices of cattle, for the angels. A singular opinion is attached to a correct idea respecting the good angels: the good angels are considered as the guardians of good people, and an individual falling into wickedness is said to have been forsaken by his good angel and to be under the controul of a bad one: they have therefore great regard for good angels,

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our own house, as the dearth is daily increasing a few days since, it rose again 5 piastres. The water which we want, for drinking and cooking alone, costs every month three dollars, and for the school nearly one more.

Importance of a Seminary for the Prepa

ration of Native Teachers.

The difficulty of obtaining suitable Teachers has suggested to the Missionaries the value of a Seminary for the preparation of Native Youths for the work of Education; though the expense of the Establishment, in the present state of the Society's finances, and other local circumstances, throw difficulties in the way of such an undertaking. On this subject Mr. Schlienz writes:

The Brethren seem to agree in opinion, that an Institution for the education of Schoolmasters for Egypt should be established by our Society. It will be observed in their different Letters, that they found with the greatest difficulty a man whom they could employ in their present school; and even that one, whom they have got, does not seem at all to meet their approbation. They also mention, that the want of a suitable Schoolmaster was one of the principal

reasons which influenced them not to establish a school at Damietta; which, it seems, could have been done with considerable advantage. Of course, to the ignorant and to the blind they cannot entrust the teaching of children; and yet the Schoolmasters they can find at present in Egypt have, besides other deficiencies, especially those of ignorance and blindness. It is therefore plain, that if the Brethren ought to yield effectual assistance to the Youth of the Egyptian Christians, and, through them, to the whole mass, suitable Teachers must first

be procured, by giving to promising

Youths Christian Education.

On the means of effecting so desirable an object, Mr. Schlienz remarks

How can this work be effected, except

we ourselves put our hand to it? From a Mahomedan Government-from morally-degraded and superstitious Christian Churches from a people, among whom truth and love, knowledge and virtue, are universally estranged and despised; and hypocrisy and hatred, ignorance and vice, are frequent-we cannot expect efforts for such purposes. Parents know not their duty towards their children, nor are they possessed of the necessary qualifications for instructing them; and many of them would know better and find more pleasure in training up camels and wild Nubian horses than their children. To us, therefore, to our Society especially, which has the spiritual welfare of Egypt at heart, it belongs to procure Schoolmasters and other means by which we are able to bring the totally-neglected children, and through them also more of the adults of

the different Christian Denominations in

Egypt, to the knowledge and love of our

Lord Jesus Christ.

Mr. Schlienz adds:

Difficulties will certainly attend such an undertaking; several of which might perhaps be comprised in questions like

these-Where can we establish such an Teacher or Teachers for it? How can it Institution? Where find a suitable be placed on the most advantageous footing in general ?-As to the first of these questions, the answer might be different. Some would say in Egypt: some, in Malta. If it be in Egypt, I fear we should always hear of assaults and excommunications from the side of the

blind Clergy: and if it be in Malta, the oriental customs of the Youths, the prejudice of the people as if we had political intentions, the expenses which their carriage occasions, might make us difficulties. The advantages which such an Malta, have been mentioned on former Institution might enjoy, if established in occasions: if undertaken in Egypt, it promises many benefits for Egypt, Ethiopia,

and Palestine.

WHILE the Society had extended its operations to the Continent of India, in the Bengal and Madras Presidencies, its attention was directed to another part of the British Empire in

the East, the Island of Ceylon, where the favourable disposition of the Government, and the abolition of Slavery, afforded many facilities for commencing a Mission. The population