occupied in addressing the Governor-General of India and the Imaum of Muscat for the same purpose. The Directors trust, that those unconcerted but simultaneous efforts will be crowned with success; and that the time is not far distant, when that beautiful island, and the adjacent coasts, will be delivered from the merciless scourge which now desolates them." His Excellency was prompted to this measure, by information that 20,000 Slaves were collected at Zanzebar for exportation; and that a Company was established at Nantes, to carry on the trade on a large scale. A plan is now acting upon by the French Government, for colorizing the Island of St. Marie, close to the eastern shores of Madagascar-avowedly, with the same views as those which led to the establishment of Sierra Leone; but several suspicious circumstances have awakened just apprehensions, that this is but a pretext to cover the real design.

MAURITIUS.

Or, Isle of France-east of Madagascar-Inhabitants 70,000; chiefly French Colonists and Blacks, but belonging to Great Britain.

return from Mauritius, on the 16th of October. While in that Island, Governor Farquhar had furnished him with various articles for the Schools; and had assigned 30 dollars per month to each of the So

The operations of the Bible Society of this Island have been unremitted and pro-ciety's Missionaries, subject to the approgressive.

By the British and Foreign School Society, a Young Man, Mr.Jenkins, has been sent out with the view of establishing a Model School.

LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

1814.

bation of His Majesty's Ministers.

Mr. Jones re-opened his School, which is called the " Royal School," as it contains the Children of the Royal Family, on the 29th of October. He was happy to find that they had not forgotten what they had learned previously to the vacation.

The School under the care of Mr. Griffiths contained 16 Boys and 6 Girls; children belonging to the principal families in the town. Mr. Griffiths describes their desire for learning as rising to impatience; and observes, that, before it is yet

John Le Brun, Missionary. The labours of Mr. Le Brun increase The Comin usefulness, and in extent. municants are 43. The Boys' School contains 112; the Girls' 60: the Governor allows 30 dollars per month in sup-day-light, they are assembled about the port of the Boys' School.

Mr. Telfair's School at Belle Ombre continues to prosper. Many of his Slaves read well.

Respectable individuals at Port Louis manifest liberal zeal in behalf of the Mission.

School-House, waiting for admittance.

The "Colombo" reached Mauritius on the 27th of November 1821. Prince Rataffe immediately proceeded to Madagascar: Mr. and Mrs. Jeffreys, with the Artisans, after spending the unhealthy season at Port Louis, arrived at Tamatave on the 6th of May.

On the arrival of Mr. Griffiths at Mada. gascar in the Spring of 1821, Mr. Jones The names and ages of eight of the re-visited Mauritius. Having spent about Nine Madagascar Youths sent to Engeen weeks there, and married during his land for education, with the death of one stay, he embarked again, on the 23d of of them, were stated at pp. 229 and 261 of September, with Mrs. Jones-Mrs. Grifour last Volume: Shermishe, the eldest, fiths accompanying them, to join her hus-being 22 years of age, and having a family band. The Governor ordered them a free passage; relieving the Society thereby of an expenditure of about 1000 dollars.

MADAGASCAR.

A very large Island, off the Eastern Coast of Africa, in the Indian Ocean, about 800 miles by 120 to 200; in a partial state of civilization, and said to contain 4,000,000 of inhabitants. LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY. 1818-renewed 1820.

David Jones, David Griffiths, John Jef-
freys, Missionaries.

T. Brookes, John Canham, G. Chick,
T. Rowlands, Artisans.

Mr. Jones reached the capital, on his

in Madagascar, soon manifested a reluctance to remain in England, and returned with Prince Rataffe. The behaviour and progress of the Seven now in England have been highly satisfactory.

JOHANNA.

One of the four Comoro Islands, in the northern part of the Mozambique Channel. LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

1821.

William Elliott, Missionary.

Mr. Elliott, who sailed with one of the Princes of Johanna and his suite, on the 18th of May 1821, from the Cape, arrived at this island on the 12th of June. His

first reception by the King was not flatter- to the Sawahil, which partakes largely of ing; but, in subsequent interviews, he became more friendly.

Prince Abdallah, the heir to the crown, treated Mr. Elliott with the utmost kindness. The confidence of this Prince had been conciliated, a short time before, at Mauritius, where he had, in the month of March preceding, met with Mr. Griffiths, of Madagascar, and had expressed his willingness to receive instructors. On this subject, the Directors remark

It must be regarded as a concurrence of circumstances not a little remarkable, that, at the time the Prince of Johanna and his companions were receiving from Dr. Philip and others, at Cape Town, instructions relative to the superiority of the religion of Jesus Christ to that of Mohammed, Mr. David Griffiths, one of the Society's Missionaries, was employed in communicating similar instructions to another Prince of Johanna and his companions, at the Isle of France: and that, in both instances, it was proposed that instructors should be sent to Johanna, and the proposal acceded to by each Prince respectively.

A. house was provided for Mr. Elliott by the King. Many of the Johannese had expressed a desire to be instructed in English. He was himself making progress in Arabic and Johannese: this last is a poor and indefinite language; and gives place, in correspondence and accounts,

Arabic.

Mr. Elliott thus speaks of the Mufti and the people:

The Mufti here, a man of high character and diligent study, is assiduously employed in reading the then for the loan of it four days but, being won Bible in Arabic. He first asked for a sight of it, derfully pleased with it, he desired me to allow him to read it through. I am sure you will join me in the prayer, that the Spirit of the Word may dispose his heart to receive it in the love of it.

The uniform kindness of the Johannese has encouraged me to throw off all restraint, with regard to my profession of Christianity, in my conversa. tion with them. Of course I am happy to embrace every opportunity of unfolding and recommending the Gospel. But I am disposed to think, that the most efficacious means of doing good here, would be the establishment of a small community, which might be done without any alarming expense, as the King would sanction and assist it; and from the richness of the island, and the neighbourhood of an adequate market for the surplus produce in Madagascar, Mozambique, and Zanzebar, industrious men might support themselves independently of any foreign supply.

A number of Arabic Testaments might be distributed to advantage, Mr. Elliott thinks, at Johanna and in the neighbouring islands.

The average height of the Thermometer, in the month of June, was 84 in the shade.

Abyssinia.

I speaking of the Four Gospels, in Amharic, which are proceeding at press, the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society thus refer to this quarter of our Survey :-" Abyssinia will enjoy, it is hoped, at no distant period, the privilege of being admitted to a participation in the benefits of Scriptural Light. The late residence of the Rev. Mr. Jowett for some time in England, and his purchases of Ethiopic Manuscripts at Paris, will afford your Committee opportunities of maturing various important measures in regard to the publication of those and other Versions, in the languages of the Mediterranean."

Mediterranean and Black Seas.

THE Volume of "Christian Researches" by the Rev. William Jowett, to which we have before called the attention of our Readers (see, in particular, pp. 163-165 of our last Volume), supplies the most complete view of this field of Christian Labour which has been yet made public. Such of its facts and statements as have appeared in our pages, are incorporated with a mass of additional information and remarks, and all are arranged in luminous order.

But some parts of the scene described by Mr. Jowett have since suffered an awful change. At Scio, for example, the fine city which he witnessed in 1818 is become a heap of ruins-the learned Professors and Bishop, with whom he took instructive counsel, are driven into corners-and the acute and eager Students murdered or scattered to the winds. But Mr. Leeves, who visited Scio in September last, shall draw its present picture. He thus writes to the British and Foreign Bible Society :—

Melancholy and utter desolation has befallen this beautiful and once flourishing island. I could not have conceived, without being an eye-witness, that destruction could have been rendered so complete We walked through the town, which was handsome, and

[JAN. built entirely of stone; and found the Houses, the Churches, the Hospitals, the extensive College, where a few months ago 600 or 700 Youths were receiving their education, one mass of ruins. On every side were strewed fragments of half-burnt books, manuscripts, clothes, and furniture; and, what was most shocking to the feelings, numerous human bodies mouldering in the spots where they fell. Nothing that had life was to be seen, but a few miserable half-starved dogs and cats. The villages have shared the same fate; and of a population of 130,000 Greeks, there remain, perhaps, 800 or 1000 individuals scattered through the most distant villages. In the town nothing has escaped but the Consuls' houses, and a very few immediately adjoining them, which could not be burnt without burning the Consulates.

From the painful sight of these dreadful effects of unbridled human passions, we were a little refreshed by visiting, in the afternoon, the country house of the British ViceConsul, Signior Giudice; who, during the sack of Scio, humanely received all the unfortunate creatures who fled to him for protection, and has redeemed many others from slavery. He has a little colony of 207 Sciots, chiefly women and children, hutted in his garden and premises, whom he feeds at his own expense; and who, under the British flag, have found protection amidst the wreck of their country. There are similar establishments in some of the other European Consulates. Their food, at present, consists chiefly of the figs and grapes, which are now common property, there being no hands to gather in the fruits of the soil: but, as this supply will soon fail, we have, since our return, commenced a subscription among the English residents at Constantinople, who have been ever ready to meet similar calls upon their charity during this calamitous period, in order to send them a supply of biscuit and flour for the winter months. I mean to add, on the part of the Bible Society, a donation of Greek Testaments; and have written to Smyrna, to desire that a sufficient number of copies may be sent to furnish the refugees both at the British and other Consulates.

The Divine Visitations are, indeed, signally manifest in this Quarter of our Survey. The Turkish Empire, the strong-hold of the Mahomedan Antichrist, is shaken to its foundations. The bold and persevering resistance of its oppressed subjects, which led to the desolation just described, and the fierce conflicts of party and faction in the capital, indicate the rapid growth of internal disorganization: while the successes of its enemies on its eastern border, the equivocal allegiance of the Pacha of Egypt, and the watchful though smothered indignation of the Great Powers on its northern and western frontier-are all additional symptoms of the approach of that Ruin, which has long been preparing for this main support of the Delusions of the False Prophet-Delusions, by which the God of this World has, for twelve hundred years, blinded the eyes and besotted the hearts of countless millions of mankind.

But the finger of God has been still more immediately manifest, in one of those desolating judgments, which all History shews, in entire conformity with the intimations of Scripture, to have not unfrequently accompanied and promoted the great acts of His moral government of the world, and in which His overruling and direction of Second Causes is most awfully displayed. We allude to that dreadful Earthquake, which, in a few seconds, laid in ruins an entire district of the Asiatic Provinces of this Empire. "On the night of the 13th of August," writes one of the sufferers, “about half-past nine o'clock, Aleppo, the third city of the Ottoman Empire, built entirely of stone, was, in the space of a few seconds, brought down to its foundations. Antioch has likewise been destroyed, as well as Latakia, Gisser Shogre, Idlib, Mendun Killis, Scanderoon, and all the rest of the towns and villages in the Pachalic of Aleppo.'

The British Consul, John Barker, Esq. has transmitted home, from "near the ruins of Antioch," under date of Sept. 13th, an Official Report, part of which we shall extract :

Every village and every detached cottage in this Pachalic, and some towns in the adjoining ones, were, in ten or twelve seconds, entirely ruined by an earthquake, and are become heaps of stones and rubbish; in which, at the lowest computation, twenty thou sand human beings, about a tenth of the population, were destroyed, and an equal number maimed or wounded.

It is impossible to convey an adequate idea of the scenes of horror, that were simultaneously passing in the dreadful night of the 13th of August. Here, hundreds of decrepid parents, half buried in the ruins, were imploring the succour of their sons, not always willing to risk their own lives by giving their assistance. There, distracted mothers were frantically lifting heavy stones, from heaps that covered the bodies of their lifeless infants. The awful darkness of the night, the continuance of the most violent shocks, at short intervals, the crash of falling walls, the shricks, the groans, the accents of agony and despair of that long night, cannot be described.

When at length the morning dawned, and the return of light permitted the people to quit the spot on which they had been providentially saved, a most affecting scene ensued. You might have seen many, unaccustomed to pray, some prostrate, some on their knees, adoring their Maker. Others there were running into one another's arms, rejoicing in their existence! An air of cheerfulness and brotherly love animated every countenance.

In a public calamity, in which the Turk, the Jew, the Christian, the Idolator, were indiscriminate victims or objects of the care of an impartial Providence, every one forgot, for a time, his religious animosities; and, what was a still more universal feeling, in that joyful moment every one looked upon the heaviest losses with the greatest indifference. But as the sun's rays increased in intensity, they were gradually reminded of the natural wants of shelter and of food; and became, at length, alive to the full extent of the dreary prospect before them: for a greater mass of human misery has not been often produced by any of the awful convulsions of nature. A month has now elapsed, and the shocks continue to be felt, and to strike terror into every breast, night and day.

The Consul wrote, on the 18th of October, that the shocks continued to be felt till the 9th of that month, but had ceased from that day: on the 19th, however, he adds these affecting words :

At half-past five, P. M. a violent shock of earthquake has destroyed all our hopes of its being terminated.

These impressive representations will, we trust, not only awaken liberal efforts to relieve the temporal wants of the sufferers; but will call forth Inany prayers in behalf of all the survivors, that, while the judgments of God are thus so awfully displayed in the land, its inhabitants may learn' righteousness.

It may be hoped that numbers are, at this moment,deriving instruction and consolation from those copies of the Sacred Scriptures, which had providentially been put into their hands but a few days before this overwhelming calamity. The following statement, transmitted by Mr. Benjamin Barker, the Consul's Brother, and Agent at Aleppo of the Bible Society, on the 3d of August, only TEN DAYS before the Earthquake, cannot be read without emotion. May the Holy Spirit bless the reading of the Word to those, whose hearts thus seem to have been under a gracious preparation for its consolations, at a time when they little conceived how soon those consolations would be so peculiarly needed!

A few days ago, I received 499 Arabic New Testaments, and 640 Arabic Psalters. The Christians crowded in great numbers to the Society's Depôt to become purchasers. Being most of them of the lowest class of the people, we gave them at very low prices. In three days all were distributed. Purchasers have not ceased since to come to us for books, and we had the painful task to send them away without the Word of God, but we promised that they should be soon supplied.

It was a pleasing sight to see with what eagerness they sought the possession of those holy books; and to hear their invocations of blessings on the English and on the Bible Society, who did not forget the poor Christians of countries so distant from their own." They were even clamorous in the expression of their feelings. I only regret how inadequate I am to paint, in a proper manner, the natural sensations of those poor people, who by the liberality of the Bible Society, have been supplied with a real comfort, the posses sion of the Word of their God and Saviour.

On the especial duty of Christians toward these countries, we quote a passage from the Twenty-second Report of the Church Missionary Society:

Recent and passing events have awakened in every humane heart warm sympathy with our suffering Fellow-Christians, within the sphere of this Mission; and the Committee feel, that, while it is the duty of the Members to pray that Almighty God would direct the interests and affairs of nations to the promotion of His own Glory, it is equally their duty to seize every opportunity which His Providence may afford, by humbling the Members of fallen Churches through their sufferings, to pour in the instructions and consolations of the Divine Word: they now mark His over-ruling hand, in opening ways for its diffusion under apparent impossibilities; nor can they doubt but that a peculiar blessing will attend the patient and redoubled exertions of Christians, favoured as we are with light and security, to lead the Members of suffering and fallen Churches to hear the rod, and Him that hath appointed it.

BIBLE SOCIETIES.

The efforts of the British and Foreign Bible Society have been checked, as might be expected, by the paralyzing influence of those intestine commo:ions which distract the Turkish Empire. Under these

difficulties, however, Mr. Leeves and Mr Barker, the Society's Agents, have, in their respective spheres, vigilantly availed themselves of every opportunity to pro mote its designs.

Circumstances allowing of Mr. Leeves's

return from Odessa to Constantinople, be gave up his purpose of proceeding to Paris. At Constantinople, he pursued the Society's plans. The revision of Hilarion's Modern Greek Testament was nearly finished by the Archbishop of Mount Sinai, and measures taking for a first edition. The Albanian Testament had been

The same Committee quote from the Rev. Isaac Lowndes, the following state

ment

The Ionian Society goes on with spirit. The Committee have distributed many copies of the other Islands. Scriptures, both in Corfu and The internal arrangement of the Society's affairs is very pleasing, as it respects regularity, and judicious plans of operation. They have engaged Priests to read the New Testament, in the different and also in the prisons in the town of Corfu.

finished by Dr. Mexicos, and a copy for- villages, on Sundays and other particular days,

warded to Malta, which had safely arrived: Hilarion had invited an Ecclesiastic of Salonica, well qualified for the undertaking, to reside with him at his See of Ternova, in order to translate the Old Testament into Albanian, Eugenius, who succeeded Gregory in the Greek Patriarchate, died on the 8th of August; and was succeeded by Anthimus, Archbishop of Chalcedon, greatly beloved by the people, and a friend to the objects of the Society. In the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, Mr. Leeves finds also a warm supporter of the Society: he gives

his zealous aid to the circulation of the Turkish Testament, printed by the Russian Bible Society in Armenian characters, a great demand for which has been excited. Mr. Leeves was putting to press 4000 Turkish Psalters in Greek characters and 2000 in Armenian, with 1000 Armenian Psalfers. Of the Turkish Testament, it is stated in the Report

The Turkish New Testament, the circulation of which had been stopped on account of some errors detected in the version of Hali Bey, has undergone a revision by Professor Kieffer, of Paris, who has prepared a list of the minor errata, and cancelled leaves where defects of importance had been discovered. At the same time the revision and printing of the whole of this version of the Bible, is in progress at Paris; and your Committee hope that its speedy completion will prepare them for stepping forth, on the first appearances of returning tranquillity, to administer with impartial hand to the spiritual necessities of the contending nations.

Of the Bibles and Testaments entrusted to the American Missionaries, at Smyrna, a considerable number were circulated by them, with the assistance of the Chaplain of the Dutch Factory, partly by sale and partly by gratuitous distribution. Many demands had arisen for Arabic,

Bibles and Testaments.

JEWS SOCIETIES.

Mr. Joseph Wolff, whose departure from Malta, on a visit to Egypt and Syria, was stated in the last Survey, has sent home copious Journals, which occupy about 100 pages of close printing in, the Jewish Expositor. The following is an abstract of his route:

Reached Alexandria, Sep. 4, 1821-Cairo, on the 24th-left, for Mount Sinai, Oct.29th ; and reached Calro again Nov. 27th; having been, for some days, held in captivity by the Arabs-leftCairo, Dec.13th, for the land of his Fathers-at Gaza, the 26th-at Jaffa, the 28th-at Acre, Jan. 1, 1822-at Tyre. the 8th-at Saide, the 9th-at Beyrout, the 10ththence visited Mount Lebanon, and spent upward of a month among the Convents-returned to Beyrout, Feb. 23d-left on the 27th-reached Jerusalem, by way of Saide, Acre, and Jaffa, March 8th.

After spending three months in the Holy City, in continual discussions with his Brethren on the Christian Faith, Mr. Wolff proceeded to Aleppo, from which place he wrote on the 2d of August. The dire calamity, which so soon afterward befel that city and territory, naturally occasioned anxiety for further intelligence respecting him. This has just been received. He was at Latakia at the time of the EarthThe Committee of the British and Fo-quake, and has sent home a most affecting reign Bible Society, in reference to the recent obstructions to its exertions, state

Mr. Barker's proceedings at Aleppo and in Syria, in 1821, were stated at pp. 165 and 166 of the last Volume. His late seasonable distribution of the Scriptures has just been mentioned.

account of that tremendous scene.

Mr. Wolff has projected the establishment of a College, in a vacant Convent on Mount Lebanon, for the education of the Children of Europeans on the coast. The plan has been approved by the principal Europeans.

The Committee of the Jews' Society remark on Mr. Wolff's proceedings

It is truly gratifying to find, that his zealous endeavours have, in general, met with a kind and encouraging reception from Jews of all ranks, with whom he has freely and fully conversed, and among whom he has circulated numerous copies of the Hebrew New Testament, and of other Christian Publications.