In

In Ceylon, an Island containing more than 100,000 Inhabitants, a great work is also carrying on. The british poffeffions are divided into 4 districts-these are divided into counties, which are fubdivided into parishes. In every parish is a proteftant school, where the youth are inftructed in reading and writing their own language, and in the principles of chriftianity. Over every 10 fchools is appointed one catechist, whose business it is to perform a visitation once a month to enquire into the conduct of the teachers; to examine the progress made by the scholars, and to exhort them to industry and diligence. In each of the leffer districts is established a native officiating preacher, who has been examined, and performs divine fervice in one of the churches or fchools every Sunday &c. each of the principal districts are one, two or three clergymen who have been ordained in Europe. Each has the fuperintending charge of a certain number of fchools, to which he performs a vifitation once a year, and adminifters the holy communion. Some of the native preachers and catechists are really men of principle and abilities, and are extremely useful. By the last returns, there were nearly 170 fchools and upwards of 42000 profeffing proteftant chriftians. The number of christians profeffing the religion of the church of Rome was very great. There are 15 priefts on the Island, who are indefatigable in their labors, and are daily making profelytes. The doctrines of those who have been educated by the Dutch are purely calvinistic and their fermons evangelical.

A British Miffionary has alfo, in a great meafure, fucceeded in establishing a mission in Aftracan in Perfia. He writes from Corass Befhnaw near Geotghieusk under date of 27 January 1803. “I have met with a degree of prosperity in my undertaking, that makes me afraid-Providence has enabled me to do more than ever I meditated. We have fixed ourselves in a village, which feparates the Tartars from the Cabordians who inhabit a great part of Caucafus. This place in which we are settled, is on the frontier of the Ruffian empire, but properly in the Circaffian country. We travelled, under the favour of an open letter from the emperor of Ruffia to his governors &c. by the way of Mofcow, Sarepta Aftracan &c. about 3000 Verfts to the place where we now are. It is within a few days journey of Perfia and Bokkaria and within 50 miles of Turkey. Although I doubt not the Society for Miffions to Africa and the Eaft, have already fufficient engagements, yet may I not venture to afk, whether they might not ransom a few Tartar youths? should any of them prove pious, they might afterwards do much in propagating the gofpel-you cannot conceive the respect and attention a Tartar or Circaffian would meet with, who understood the Arabic, Turkish, Perfian and Tartar languages well."

The Church of the United Brethren,

COMMONLY called Moravians, have also shewn a zeal and activity in their master's fervice, that deferves well of every friend to the falvation of men. They have had greater fuccefs among the heathen of various denominations, and particularly among the Northern Indians, than any other protestant fect of Christians what

ever.

The number of perfons employed by them in miffions to various parts of the world, ftood thus in 1802,

At the close of the year 1800, the Congregation of native Indians at Hoop in Surinam, in South America, confifted of 208 perfons, 169 baptized, 84 communicants, 39 not yet baptized; alfo at New Bombay in the fame country 49 free Negroes, 17 of whom are communicants.

The last letters from Surinam fay, "The work of God proceeds, though not rapidly, yet with a manifeft bleffing upon the labors of our brethren. In all the four fettlements they are earnestly and diligently engaged in inviting poor loft finners, to hear and believe the gofpel of their redeemer. At Paramaribo 16 adult negro flaves had been baptized from January to the end of September 1802. This year the believing negroes in the three lands of St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. Jan confifted of 10,276 fouls. One of the brethren

writes from Jamaica under date of January 1803. "I went to brother Lefter to land, where on the last day of the year, I had the pleafure in the evening to meet about 40 negroes, who were ranged in great order on the floor of the Hall, and liftened very attentively to my discourse. May our Lord grant that this new year may prove a period of renewed grace and mercy both for us and our negroes, that a true hunger and thirst after him and his word may be excited in their hearts.

The Committee are forry to fay, that fince the most promifing appearances in favour of the people of colour in this Ifland, laws have been made, making it highly criminal for any but minifters licenced according to law to preach to the blacks, and as much fo, for the blacks to hear; which has put a stop to this glorious work for the prefent."

The brethren in their account of Miffions fay, that their fimple motive in fending Miffionaries to diftant nations was, and remains, an ardent defire to promote the falvation of their fellow men, by making known to them the gofpel of our faviour Jefus Chrift They were grieved to hear of fo many thousands and millions of the human race fitting in darkness and groaning beneath the yoke of fin and the tyranny of fatan; and believing the glorious promises in the word of God, that the heathen should become the reward of the sufferings and death of Jefus; they confidered his commandments to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, as given to all his followers; they were filled with confident hopes, that if they also went forth in obedience unto, and believing in his word, their labor would not be in vain in the Lord. They accordingly went forth in the ftrength of their God, and he has wrought wonders in their behalf. From very small beginnings, the miffions of the brethren have encreased to above thirty fettlements in different parts of the earth, in which about 160 Miffionaries are employed, who have the care of upwards of 24000 converts from among the heathen."

The Miffion among the Hottentots at the Cape of Good Hope, was begun by a man remarkable for his zeal and courage, who labored fuccefsfully, till he had formed a fmall congregation of believers. When the Miffionaries first arrived in the country, at the place called Bavians Kloof in 1792, it was a barren uninhabited place. There were in the year 1800, five married Miffionaries refiding there, and 1300 Hottentots of the congregation.

At Cape Town the number of the converted heathens is confiderable, who manifeft the power of the fpirit not only in the public worship but in their intercourse among themselves; fo that while the declenfion of zeal for the cause of Jefus among many profeffors is lamented, his holy name is daily more and more adored among the Heathen.

At Stillenbock about 20 miles from cape Town, feveral poor heathen have joyfully embraced the Saviour of finners, and manifested in their experience the genuine marks of a divine work; and one of them on the near expectation of her departure into the eternal state, expreffed the most comfortable persuasion of her perfonal interest in the love of Jefus, and the redemption procured by his death. The Miffionary has also opened a school here for the children of the Hottentots, in which he has about 30 children.

At another station in Waggonmakers valley, after much oppofition from perfons calling themselves chriftians, by the aid of Gov. Dundas, who greatly countenanced the undertaking, a fettlement has been effected, and the Miffionary expreffes his hope that he begins to fee the work of the holy fpirit. He fays "that at their monthly prayer meetings, when we bow our knees before the throne of grace, the Hottentots cry out, we thank God that you are come to us. Many of the flaves exprefs a great reverence for the gofpel, and rejoice that they hear of a crucified Saviour, Twenty of them are now learning the alphabet. Thirty can spell, and five can read, and are learning the catechifm. There are feveral other stations occupied by Miffionaries. One of them is at Zaak River, which is about 19 days journey (or 300 miles) from the Cape, where the gofped is attended with confiderable effect. Another is at Graff Reinet near the limits of the Colony towards Caffraria, where a confiderable number of heathen are hearing the word of life. About three years ago a Miffionary arrived in Africa, when a deputation from a people called the Corannas, who live about five weeks journey on the great Orange River, arrived at Cape Town, earnestly defiring that fome good man might be fent to instruct them. This the Miffionaries confidered as a plain call to vifit the poor wild Hottentots.They accordingly fet off, and with incredible labor and fatigue reached the place, having travelled feven days, through a country almost without a blade of grafs, living on Oltrich eggs, and without feeing a human creature.

Here they began, among the Hottentots, Corannas and Briquas; but afterwards, on the invitation of a confiderable number of Hottentots, they removed eight days journey lower down the River. They were met half way by the heathen, to their mutual joy, and found among them a general defire for inftruction. The Miffionary has about 800 under his care, and has been gratuitously supplied with as much provifions as were neceffary. He has been but about fix months with them, yet 20 of them had began to read, fome could fpell and others were learning the alphabet. Spiritual impresfions feem to have been also made on fome of them; and great hopes are entertained, that these measures will prove the most powerful means of civilizing the natives and tranquillizing the Colony.

Another Miffionary, who is a native of Mozambique, and had been fold as a flave and carried into the Cape, had been awakened by the preaching of the gofpel by one of our Miffionaries, so as to render it effectual to his falvation. This young man, already free in the Lord Jesus, the Society redeemed from civil bondage, and is preparing to be sent to the extenfive region of Mozambique. The Society has the strongest reason to believe that many thousand heathens in Africa are now hearing the gospel of falvation from the lips of thofe Miffionaries who have been fent out by the Society. Among many of the chriftians, they observe an energy unknown and unexerted before; a time of refreshing from the prefence of the Lord, the effects of which are felt to the extremities of the Colony.

Sarepta near Czarina on the Wolga in Ruffian Afia, was built chiefly with a view to bring the gofpel to the Calmuck Tartars and other heathen tribes in those vast regions. Hitherto little or no fuccefs has attended the brethrens labors, though their exertions have been great and persevering; and equal to thofe of any of our Misfionaries in other countries. Some brethren even refided with them, conforming to their manner of living in tents, and accompanying them wherever they moved their camps. They omitted no opportunity of preaching unto them Jefus, and directing them from their numberlefs Idols and wretched fuperftition, to the only true God, and the way of life and happiness: but though they were heard and treated with civility, no impreffion could be made upon the hearts of these heathen: but the German Colonists on the Wolga received them; they formed Societies amongst them, and so answered a very beneficial purpofe.

The Society alfo have a Miffion in Newfoundland, of which a Miffionary fays, "The Lord has bleffed his efforts in a degree that has feldom been heard of in a fimilar fituation. Twenty-eight perfons have been formed into a church of Christ-fourteen others, chiefly young men, joined statedly in public prayer together, and at least half that number of young women are apparently under fpiritual concern.

Two Miffions have been also established at Quebec and the Bay Chaleur. Much oppofition has been met with here from those who bear the christian name, and yet both Miffions feem to be attended with beneficial effects. The principal Miffionary writes "that there are fome precious fouls, whom charity and their pious conduct and devout breathings, oblige him to believe that they have been brought out of nature's darkness, into the marvellous light of the gofpel-and that he has great hopes a good work is going forward among them. The most flourishing Miffions, at prefent, are thofe in Greenland, Antigua, Saint Kitts, the Danish West India Islands, and the Cape of good Hope. A new awakening has appeared of late among the

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