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features of the Institution from the period of its formation, in 1813, to the year 1834. Since the latter period, though not unimpeded by difficulties, it has been on the whole steadily and decidedly progressive. The annexed particulars comprise an account of its circumstances and progress in the past year; during which it has been largely favoured by the Divine Lord of Missions, in nearly all its departments.

Among the younger members of the native congregation there has been a pleasing revival of religion, and the meetings for prayer and mutual edification are marked with unusual seriousness and interest. The Bible-class, conducted by Mr. Anderson's daughters, is found highly beneficial. In November last, several of the young persons belonging to this class, of whose growth in religious knowledge and personal piety our venerable brother speaks in highly gratifying terms, were preparing for baptism. The Temperance Society, commenced in 1831, continues to operate in the most salutary manner.

In connexion with the schools, there has been an ample measure of encouragement. The Infant-school, under the care of one of Mr. Anderson's daughters, wears a delightfully promising aspect, and attracts the attention of all who visit the Station. The number of children taught in this school amounts to 160. On the Sabbath they are also instructed in the Scriptures; and the gratifying fact is stated, that many of these children on returning to their homes are in the habit of communicating to their parents the lessons of Divine truth which they receive. The day-school has declined in number, in consequence of several of the most advanced scholars having entered, with the advantage of the education afforded them, on various occupations to obtain a livelihood. This diminution is not a subject for regret, but for congratulation, as it is hereby shown that the school is fulfilling one of its chief ends.

At the close of the year the Mission Church consisted of 69 members. The congregation had increased to 400, and the Sabbath-school to 130.

We cannot conclude the present communication without observing, that Pacaltsdorp is among the Stations in South Africa, in connexion with which Divine love and mercy have been most conspicuously manifested. Many of the Hottentots at this Station are living evidences of what the grace of our Lord can effect. Those who were afar off have been made nigh; the power of his Cross and the influences and operation of his Spirit have been wonderfully unfolded. He has encouraged his servants to labour while it is called to-day, by giving them to see that their labour has not been in vain; and what has been thus accomplished may well be regarded as an invitation to others to enter into the field, that through their united instrumentality the period may be hastened when Ethiopia, throughout her vast extent, shall be converted unto God and rejoice in possessing the riches of his great salvation.

MISSION TO THE NAVIGATORS ISLANDS.

(Continued from p. 71,)
SAVAII.

MR. HARDIE commenced his labours at Savaii, in June, 1836, and was joined there by his colleague, Mr. Macdonald, at the close of the ensuing March, or beginning of April. During his stay at Rarotonga, Mr. Macdonald had been mercifully restored to health, and, when he arrived at his Station, had the prospect of being able to pursue his labours without interruption. He was accompanied by his wife and child. Mr. Hardie writes, under date 7th of April last. He had experienced the kindest treatment from the chiefs and people, and their endeavours to make him and Mrs. Hardie comfortable in their new residence had

been unceasing. Mr. Hardie omitted no opportunity of testifying his sense of their friendly attentions, and the most perfect good-will had thus been cemented between them. In company with Mr. Buzacott, to whose effective aid and fraternal affection he and the other brethren bear grateful testimony, Mr. Hardie made a tour of observation through the island, and was every where received with the most cordial frankness and hospitality. At several places he stationed native teachers, to whom the people evinced a kindly spirit, and willingly consented to receive instruction from them. In Savaii, as in the other islands, the prevalence of ophthalmic and scorbutic disorders had considerably arrested the attention of the brethren; the applications of the people for medicine had been eager and incessant; and although a temporary and partial diversion of labour was thus occasioned, yet the alleviation of physical suffering which the Missionaries had been able to effect greatly augmented their moral influence. After noticing these circumstances, Mr. Hardie mentions the formation and encouraging progress of a school containing 100 children, at Sapapalii, and then adverts to his hopes and efforts in reference to the direct communication of the Gospel.

"I am happy," he observes, "in being able to state that I am now able to impart to the people the knowledge of salvation by Jesus Christ, though my acquaintance with the language is, and for some time must be, imperfect. My earliest attempt at preaching was on the first Sabbath in September; and I have since continued to instruct the people, more or less, every Lord's-day and during the week, in the truths of the Gospel. For several months I have statedly preached two or three times every Sabbath, and once on the Wednesday, besides holding a meeting with the steady people on the Friday. After the services on the Sabbath, I make a rule of questioning the people on the sermon, and it gives me much satisfaction to state, that they generally repeat the text and divisions of the sermon and all its leading points very correctly."

Having on one occasion specially invited such of the people as were seriously impressed to meet him for religious conversation, Mr. Hardie supplies the following pleasing statement of the results :

At the time appointed there came twelve men, with whom I conversed separately at considerable length. I found their knowledge of the plan of salvation, though limited, sufficiently clear. The truth seemed evidently to have taken hold of their minds. Being satisfied from my knowledge of their character and conduct, and believing that they sincerely trusted in Jesus, and were willing to renounce every thing incompatible with his service, I told them that it was the will of Christ that all who believed in him should be baptised, and formed into societies for the observance of his worship, and the advancement of his glory. They said it was very good, and that it was their desire to do whatever was the will of Jesus. Accordingly, on Sabbath the 26th of March, I baptised twelve of them, and eleven of their children. Previous to baptising them,

and in presence of the people, I asked them a series of questions, in the simplest manner I could adopt, respecting the duties incul cated by the word of God. The answers which they gave were very satisfactory. Deep interest was manifested by the people, and several of those about to be baptised were melted to tears. The whole service was deeply interesting and impressive. In the afternoon a church was formed, consisting of eleven Samoans, the native teachers, and ourselves. It was to us a time of much interest and spiritual enjoyment. We felt deeply humbled before God on account of our unprofitableness, and melted by his great goodness. Pray for us, that the blessing of God may rest upon all our endeavours to do good to this ignorant and degraded but interesting people.

TUTUILA

THE effects of the first introduction of the Gospel to this island have been already noticed. These, it is hoped, will, through the Divine blessing, be fully developed and matured by the labours of the brethren, Murray and Barnden, who are now stationed here. The measure of encouragement which they have received is not less decided than that which has been experienced by the brethren at the other

islands. Leone.

Tutuila has been divided into two districts, namely, Pagopago and Under date, 18th of April, Mr. Murray, who has taken charge of the former district, in communicating his report of the Station, thus writes :—

"At the conclusion of the first nine months of our Mission, I rejoice to be able to state that hitherto the Lord has graciously prospered us, given us favour in the eyes of the people, and supplied all our necessities with a bountiful hand. I mean not to say that we have had no difficulties and no trials. Some of these we have indeed experienced, but they are not worthy to be named in comparison with our great object.

Mrs. Murray and myself have both suffered occasionally from bodily illness, but are now by the goodness of God in the enjoyment of a good measure of health. Hitherto our principal attention has been directed to the acquisition of the native language. This we find, of course, a work of no small difficulty; yet not by any means more difficult than we had anticipated. For the last three months I have been attempting to conduct the worship of God; and hope, ere long, to be able with freedom and fluency to make known the blessed Gospel to this poor degraded people.

our

own resources.

For the first six weeks we had the assistance of Mr. S. Wilson, which was of great advantage to us in reference to the lan. guage. After that time we were thrown completely on We judged it best for the first six months to confine our efforts of a directly Missionary kind to the settlement where we live. We have had public service twice on the Sabbath, and on Wednesday and Friday evenings, conducted by Raki, our native Assistant. The average attendance is from thirty to a hundred persons, being a fair proportion of those who are professedly Christian; and such only attend on public instruction. On this account even an outward adoption of Christianity is in a measure beneficial; it has the effect of bringing the people under the sound of the Gospel, and operates moreover as a powerful check to many of their evil propensities. It is a very rare circumstance for any who have once professed themselves Christians to return again to heathenism.

On the 27th of January, 1837, we were joined by Mr. and Mrs. Buzacott, and were favoured with their kind and valuable aid, till the arrival of the schooner on the 21st of March last. Mr. Buzacott and myself made a tour of that part of the island connected with this Station, and afterwards Mr. Buzacott and Mr. Barnden explored, in a similar manner, the district connected with Leone. Mr. Buzacott preached at all the settlements where a hearing could be obtained. There are eighteen settlements connected with Pagopago, containing a population of about 5000, scattered over a space of probably forty miles in circumference."

Mr. Murray states, that for some months after his arrival, he had not been able to make any effective arrangements for the instruction of the children, owing to the want of school books; but he subsequently received a plentiful supply of those issued from the press at Huahine, together with a large number of St. Matthew's Gospel from the same source. In the same ship by which the books were conveyed, a native teacher of Rarotonga also arrived, and was immediately stationed at the large and populous settlement of Fagasa. Mr. Murray was anxious to increase the number of native teachers, and intimated his design of directing his best attention to that object. In conclusion Mr. Murray, after expressing his earnest hope that the Mission with which he is connected would be remembered in the prayers of the friends of the Saviour at home, observes :

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"We are anxious, to hear from our native land, yet we are by no means unhappy; on the contrary, we rejoice in our work, and look forward with cheering anticipation to the time when we shall rest. from our labours, in those everlasting habitations where anxious separations shall be experienced no more."

• Massacre Bay.

A Missionary printer, and a brother well qualified to aid in the important work of translation, have sailed for the Navigators Islands with Mr. Williams, in the Missionary ship; and so truly encouraging is the state of the Mission, and so impossible is it that the present number of Missionaries should be able to visit, even at remote intervals, the numerous and important spheres of labour around them, that the Directors have felt it their duty to send out, in company with their venerable brother, Mr. Nott, in the course of the present summer, four additional labourers to this important Mission.

CHINESE CONVERTS AT MALACCA.

AT this Station there is an increasing fulfilment of the Divine promise, that the Redeemer shall receive the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession. For some time past the accounts from the brethren have been peculiarly cheering; the grace which bringeth salvation has appeared unto the Chinese; the Lord is turning their hearts, one by one, unto himself, and the truth is beginning to make them free. These delightful changes are taking place in a community of no slight importance in itself; and were they to pervade the whole of it, without extending further, the addition hereby realised to the kingdom of Christ would claim the largest tribute which could be rendered, of gratitude to Him who is the first and the last in this infinitely gracious work. But it should never be overlooked that the changes adverted to hold an essential connexion with a field of unequalled magnitude and importance; in reference to which primarily their progress must be viewed, and their value esti mated. It would be impossible to prize them too highly, when it is considered that every successive triumph of the Cross among the frontier Missions presents an irresistible claim to be regarded as an indication of the Divine intentions of mercy towards China Proper; and as a means, more or less direct, for the evangelisation of that immense but still enthralled empire. The latest intelligence from Malacca, dated in August last, fully sustains the eminently encouraging communications conveyed to the friends of the Society, in February of the present year.* At the former period Messrs. Evans and Dyer transmitted to the Foreign Secretary the subjoined statement of the progress of their truly interesting labours. After mentioning that they had recently enjoyed the satisfaction of receiving into the Church of Christ by baptism ten Chinese, in addition to those, fourteen in number, of whom they had before written, and that a number more had presented themselves as candidates for the ordinance, they observe:

One of the individuals who were baptised is a venerable old man, with a long flowing white beard. He was formerly a schoolmaster, and a most rigid idolater; perhaps none more so, in the village where he resided. Humanly speaking, he was one of the last persons upon whom the truth seemed likely to make an impression; and yet he says, the things which he read in Christian books, caused him to see the folly of idolatry. The truth seems to have been working in his mind for many months, and at last he came forward with a degree of courage quite delightful in so aged a man; he exclaimed before his idolatrous countrymen-" I have served idols, but I will serve them no more."

Two of the baptised persons, husband and wife, have suffered some persecution for the Gospel. The guardian of the wife, with whom they reside, threatened, that if they were baptised, they must leave his house and reside elsewhere, and that the woman should not take any thing away with her, except the apparel with which she was clothed; and that he would not on any account give his consent to the wife being baptised. For a long time they were thus threatened; but at length the husband, actuated by the words of the Saviour-" If

any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sister, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundred-fold, and shall inherit everlasting life." Thus encouraged, he determined to sacrifice all for the sake of Jesus. He communicated this determination to his wife's guardian, who, finding the woman anxious to be baptised with her hus band, ceased his opposition, his hard heart relented, he recalled his former threat, and, strange to say, promised that if they conti nued to remain with him, he would not only consent to the baptism, but would take down his idol; and he was true to his promise, for when they returned home after being baptised, that very evening every vestige of idolatry was removed.

The other family, baptised at the same time, is also one of much interest, consisting of a man, his wife, and two children. The man is a master shoemaker, and carries on his business in the town in the midst of idolaters. Several months ago he was present at a Chinese baptism: his mind became so deeply impressed with the solemnity of the service, and the truths of Christianity,

• Missionary Magazine, No. 22.

that he began to inquire for himself. He borrowed Christian books from one of the workmen at the college, and for a considerable time continued to peruse them without communicating his opinion or his determination to any one. At length the great change in his conduct became so manifest, that his acquaintance began to ridicule him. Now he was called to confess Jesus before men, and he was not ashamed to do so. He continued firm, and is now a consistent and upright follower of that Saviour whom he hath been spiritually taught to love and serve. Nothing could be more pleasing than the whole of the deportment of this family.

The other individuals consisted of one man about thirty years of age: two young men, the one twenty-one, and the other seventeen. The two latter, in addition to five others, are preparing for the ministry of the Gospel.

The conduct of the whole of those who have been baptised, is most commendable. Their attendance on the means of grace is very punctual and regular; they conduct family worship among themselves morning and evening; their attention during Divine service is such as would rarely be exceeded

in any English congregation; a most happy and friendly feeling exists among them, and they seem very desirous not only to walk worthy of their profession themselves, but to induce others to come with them, that they may do them good. The order and consistency of those who are receiving an education to qualify them for the important office of evangelists to their countrymen, are such as to afford us much comfort.

We cannot but hope that the little flock now collected at Malacca, and which continues to increase, will be as a light shining in a dark place, and that from thence shall go forth many a ray to dissipate the moral gloom around.

There are at present ten candidates for baptism: one family, consisting of a man, his wife, and one child, and seven single men. These all attend daily at the college to receive catechetical instruction. It is most gratifying to us to state, that one of the Theological students in the college has been made the sole instrument, in the hands of God, of the conversion of this latter family to Christianity; and their deep humility and meekness of disposition are a true index of the grace of God dwelling in the heart.

GOOJURAT IN ITS RELIGIOUS AND MORAL ASPECTS. FROM a deeply impressive statement on this subject, forwarded by the Rev. Alexander Fyvie, of Surat, and addressed to the Directors and friends of the London Missionary Society, we derive the appended extract. It exhibits in a strong and affecting light, the character and tendency of the Hindu idolatry as it exists at the present day, and supplies many topics calculated to lead the Christian mind to solemn meditation, and direct it afresh to the consideration of personal duties and obligations in reference to this momentous subject.

CHRISTIAN BRETHREN,-Supported by your bounty, cheered by your sympathies, and encouraged by your prayers, I am permitted "to preach among the heathen the unsearchable riches of Christ." To be thus employed is, I trust, esteemed by me my greatest privilege, my highest honour, and most delightful duty; and while it will ever be considered by me as a part of the service I owe, to send you, from time to time, detailed accounts of the success with which God is pleased to favour his cause among this people, I must also view it as a part of my work, occasionally at least, to make you acquainted, in some humble degree, with their remaining necessities, and to press on your attention the extent of pity, of prayer, and of exertion still required in their behalf. A deep sense of Christian duty, a mind filled with the magnitude and responsibility of the service in which I am engaged, and a heart greatly oppressed with the unutterable miseries of these poor heathen, induce me to address you at this time, and to set before you, as individuals, families, churches, and as a society, a brief view of the present state

and future prospects of this bewildered people. The subject is indeed melancholy, but do not on that account refuse to meditate upon it. The picture is dark, very dark; but as it is faithful to fact, do not, I beseech you, remove it from your presenee till your minds receive the impression which a sight so lamentable ought to produce. The reality, ten thousand times more vivid and awful than I can describe it, is before me every day, and is hourly witnessed, more or less, by all Missionaries in every heathen land. Listen therefore, I entreat you, to my tale of woe. I will give it, as far as possible, in plain language. May it be the means of deepening and extending your compassion for the souls of men, not only throughout the whole of this province, but to the remotest bounds of this apostate world!

The inhabitants of the province of Goojurat, in Western India, are estimated at five millions, and if we include in our view the province of Cutch, and the borders of Rajpoothana and Malwa, where the majority of the people, especially in the large towns,

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