in July, 1838-'I have had the consolation to administer, in secret, the sacrament of Baptism to two young Oceanians, at the moment of death. They are gone to heaven to swell the number of the protecting angels of Wallis' Island.' Father Bataillon informs us how he managed to make these protecting angels. In order (he says) to avoid any difficulty, when I wish to baptize children, even under the eyes of their mothers, this is the way I manage: I have always about me one little phial of scented water, and a second of pure water. I throw, at first, some drops of the scented water on the head of the child, under pretence of giving it ease, and while the pleased mother rubs it gently over with her hand, I change the phial and pour on the regenerating water, without her having any suspicion of what I have done."-Wilks' Tahiti, p. 46.

A SUNDAY SCENE-THE HOST DIS

CHARGE OF FIREARMS, &C. "The following is an abridged account of the scenes got up by the priests, as witnessed in the Gambier Islands. 'It was Sunday (says Captain Dumont d'Urvilli), the day I had appointed to attend high mass, performed by the Bishop, with the staff and the crews of the two corvettes. At half past nine I embarked in the great boat with all the officers of the Astrolabe, in full uniform, and forty men; twenty of whom, armed with muskets, followed in another boat. The same order was observed by the captain, officers, and men of the Zélée. The two corvettes were covered with flags from top to bottom. At length the Bishop appeared. The altar was erected in the open air before the chapel and decorated with flags from the corvettes, which formed a tent of various colours." "The king, (says M. Desgraz) was before his house, surrounded by about forty natives armed with lances. The inferior chiefs kept order among the crowd of people who looked with gaping mouths on the

uniforms and ornaments of the French. A space, adorned with flags, was set apart for the staff and the king. The two captains were seated on the right and the king on the left. As soon as the formalities appointed by the priests were terminated, the Bishop rose and began the mass, aided by the two missionaries, Laval and Cyprien. Onasignal being given hymns were sung in Magnarevida. At the moment of the adoration of the host a general discharge of musketry produced a universal fright. The women screamed, the children cried, the men were astonished. A discharge of the guns from the corvettes answered to the vollies on shore. Before we left the shore the troops made a variety of evolutions. The natives then came nearer; even the women mingled with the crowd. On seeing these exercises so novel to them, they laughed with pleasure, and they continued to follow us until we embarked. The pomp of this ceremony will, no doubt, leave a deep impression on the minds of the people. Almost the whole population of the Gambier group were present; and this display of the forces of the French will serve, if it were necessary, to consolidate the power of the missionaries." "The object of this ceremony (says another officer, M. Marescot,) was both to satisfy the religious feelings which any individuals might have as Christians, and to give the islanders a specimen of what we could do, either in way of defence or attack. This military promenade may also serve to raise France in the opinion of the inhabitants of these islands, and to secure still better the authority and influence of our missionaries."-Wilks' Tahiti, pp. 35, 36.

We might add much more in illustration of the tactics of Roman Catholic Missionaries in TAHITI: let us, however, next notice the following extracts from letters by Rev. T. M'CLATCHIE, a missionary in connexion with the Church Missionary Society, resident at

character-not fit to be read by the people; who are called upon, if they even see any friend reading them, to take them away immediately, and persuade such persons not to have anything to do with such books."

We conclude this article with the following quotation from Mr Hobart Seymour's Mornings with the Jesuits, on the subject of Romish missions.

Mr. Seymour.-"A friend of my own was witness to the conversion of a whole tribe of American Indians. He told me that the whole tribe marched down to a river, and that the Roman Catholic priest, without a word of instruction, sprinkled water upon every one in the usual form, and that he then hung a little cross by a string round the neck of each, and, telling them that they were Christians, he left them. A triumph this!"

The Jesuit.-He said-" Mr Seymour was altogether mistaken in doubting the reality of this conversion; that it was in this that the interposition of God was so clearly manifested; that their conversions partook very much of the miraculous in their nature; at least, could not be accounted for often, unless on the principle of a Divine miracle. It was the great and good God setting his seal to the work of his own Church. These very Indians, heathen and savage as they had been, were real converts, and the proofs of the reality of their conversion were undoubted and convincing; so much so that after the missionary had left them, after he had remained absent from them for two years, after they had been left without further instruction of any kind, beyond the memory of his teaching, when he returned to his missionary station, at the close of those two years, and was again among those very Indians, he, of course, as was his duty required of them to come to confession,-to confess their sins that they might receive absolution. How agreeably surprised, and indeed

The Jesuit rejected the suggestion and flung it from him at once, replying that "the very missionary was then at Rome, that he had just returned from America, and was at the Collegio Romano, where he had heard him himself relate the facts." And as a proof beyond question of the reality of the conversion, and the holiness of the Indians, he mentioned what he called a most wonderful miracle that had occurred when the missionary was administering the Communion to them. "He was holding the host in his fingers, thus, (my friend suiting the action to the word), and as the poor Indian was too far from him, the missionary priest could not place the host in his mouth; the poor, humble, devout Indian knelt So far away that the priest could not reach him." And here my friend lifted his hands in an attitude of awe, looked devoutly to heaven, and then earnestly and solemnly addressed me-"The host flew out of his fingers, flew over to the poor Indian, and flew into his mouth! O (he added in a tone of the most reverential devotion), the blessed Lord Jesus so loved that poor savage that He longed to enter into his heart, and thus miraculously flew into his mouth. How anxious He was to get into him!"

Mr. Seymour." I could no longer doubt the sincerity of this priest; there was a fervent a devotional manner which shewed he fully believed what he thus narrated."

SIR,

Having seen in your Magazine several letters requiring hints respecting the best means of retaining our elder scholars in connection with our Sunday schools, I have become emboldened to make my thoughts public, that is, if you consider them worthy of a place in print.

I would suggest, that the Church Sunday schools in every parish, and eventually in all London, or it may be, through Christian England, would form themselves into a "Sick and Benefit Society," admitting honorary members from the upper classes. Our royal children might take the lead in such a Society, having for its object,-The assistance of our Sunday scholars in sickness, and their burial at death. The payment might be within the reach of all, say one half-penny every Sunday. The expenses of working would be nothing; the officers of each school could transact the business of their several schools, the Clergyman in every case being president. Scholars removing from one neighbourhood to another, should take a card of instruction to the Clergyman, who should give an order for his admission to his school.

Medical men are to be found, Christian men, who would readily undertake the working a school, either gratuitously or for a small sum.

Former scholars, when married, should have the privilege of enrolling their wives and children; the former, and those of the latter under three years of age, to be exempted from attendance.

Conducted as above, such a Society could afford to give four or five shillings a week during sickness, and pay three pound at death, as funeral expenses.

Need I recommend the above by any

argument need I remind you that it would have the warm support of the Bishops, and indeed of every good man? Need I say how many hundreds, yea thousands of our male population, are led into drinking habits through joining, at public houses, "Odd Fellows," "Druids," "Foresters;" or need I say, that this my proposal contains a provision for female servants and work girls, which of itself is sufficient to recommend it to every lover of God and his fellow-creatures? Who can tell what misery such poor things have to endure when unable to ply their needle, or follow their usual avocation?

The above would be one means of retaining our elder Sunday scholars in connection with their school, and with their clergyman; for attendance regul arly would be a stringent rule.

Another means of retaining our elder scholars, would be the employing them in their several districts as missionaries. This, of course would be voluntary; but those actively disposed might be usefully employed by the clergyman in delivering tracts, books, &c., amongst the poor.

Another means, and which is the only one ever proposed in your Magazine, is, "Bible classes in separate apartments." Much has been said of this means, but not too much; the subject can scarcely be over-rated.

Now, all these means may be united in one great exertion, and, with God's blessing, would be productive of lasting and eternal good.

I am, Sir, An Old Teacher.

P. S. Should the above hints meet your approbation, I will draw up a set of working rules, and enter more minutely into the details of the proposed society.

THE ANNUAL SERMON

was preached on Wednesday, the 30th of April, at St. Dunstan's Church, Fleet Street, by the Rev. John C. Miller, Rector of St. Martins, Birmingham, who took his text from the 1 Corinthians, xv. part of the 58 verse, "Always abounding in the work of the Lord." The sermon, practical, earnest, and full of sound doctrine, will, we are happy to say, form part of the Report of our Annual proceedings; it will be found well worth the perusal of all who are engaged, either directly or indirectly, in Sunday school teaching.

OUR ANNUAL MEETING

took place on the following Friday, the 2nd of May, and was well attended. In consequence of our esteemed Treasurer having been restricted by his medical adviser, from attending public meetings this year, it became necessary to seek for a Chairman; application was accordingly made to the Right Hon. the Earl of Harrowby to preside, and his lordship at once acceded to the request of the Committee. His opening speech shews that his lordship did not consent to take the chair as a thing of course, but that he understands the nature of Sunday school teaching, and is fully sensible of its value and importance. As a very full account of the proceedings of this Meeting is published with the Annual Report, which may be obtained by Members and Subscribing schools, at the office of the Institute, we here merely give the names of the movers and seconders of the Resolutions.

From an unavoidable and unexpected cause, the Committee were disappointed of the promised services of the Rev. J. Harding, who had engaged to move the adoption of the Report; this office was ably discharged by the Rev. John C. Miller, seconded by Rear Admiral Vernon Harcourt.

The second Resolution was moved by the Rev. E. Hoare, Seconded by the Kev. J. Mc Connell Hussy, and supported by the Rev. E. Auriol.

The third Resolution was moved by the Rev. J. V. Povah, seconded by the Rev. H. Hughes, and supported by the Rev. J. Hall.

These Resolutions were all carried unanimously.

1. "That the Report now read be adopted; and this Meeting, while thankfully acknowledging the blessings of the past year, pray that the guidance of the Holy Spirit may be granted to those on whom the responsibilities of the future shall devolve: And that the gentlemen, whose names have been read, be the Officers and Committee for the year ensuing."

2. "That the Sunday school system is one of the best means of counteracting the efforts vigorously made to mislead the young; and that teachers should earnestly endeavour to impart to their scholars those Scriptural principles, by which alone they can be prepared to meet the attacks of Romanism on the one hand and infidelity on the other."

3. "That great good having resulted from the operations of the Church of England Sunday School Institute, this meeting would earnestly recommend the formation of similar Associations in all large towns and cities; and it would be highly desirable that such Societies, when formed, should be placed in connexion with the Institute, thus forming a bond of union among the Sunday school teachers of our national Church, and forwarding the great work in which they are engaged-that of bringing neglected children to a knowledge of Him, one of whose last commands was, to 'feed his lambs.""

The Divine blessing on the proceedings of the evening was asked by the

Rev. J. W. Weeks; a hymn was sung at the commencement and at the conclusion, and the benediction was pronounced by the Rev. H. Hughes.

Lord Harrowby acknowledged the vote of thanks, and in doing so, expressed the pleasure he had experienced in presiding over the Meeting.