of missions greater liberality and zeal than
ever; that they will stimulate them to be
constant and fervent in prayer before a throne
of grace, for a blessing to attend the means
which are used for the conversion of the
heathen;
and that not only on the first Mon-
day of every month, but every day, in the
family and in the closet, for he that seeth in
secret shall reward openly. Let us contem-
plate these Christian preachers in Madagas-

car,

who are like the prophet of old in the valley of vision, prophesying over the dry bones, and saying, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord; yet, after all, destitute of life they will be until the breath comes from the four winds, and breathes upon the slain that they may live, and stand on their feet, an exceeding great army. Hence is to be seen the necessity of fervent prayer for the influences of the Spirit, as well as the providing and the using of means. Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. But though Paul planted, and Apollos watered, yet it was God that gave the increase. Therefore let prayer be offered with every penny, shilling, and sovereign. Hoping the following will be acceptable,

I remain, my dear Sir,
Yours very truly,

DAVID JONES.

(To be Continued.}

SOUTH AMERICA.

DEMERARA.

Extracts of a Letter from the Rev. J. Ketley, dated George Town, Demerara, October 20, 1831, addressed to the Directors.

It would afford me much delight to be able to furnish you with details more deeply interesting than any which have been formerly communicated; but I am sorry to say that, owing to sickness on the one hand, and disappointments from unfavourable weather or low tides on the other, my visits to the west coast have very frequently been interrupted, so that I fear that station may not again be looked upon as prosperous, until some one shall constantly occupy it. We have had dry weather for several weeks, and, should it continue, I have no doubt of being constant in supplying it, as I suppose my health may now be regarded as fully established. Be this as it may, He in whose service I am unworthily engaged, doeth all things well. Though the Directors hitherto have been frustrated in their endeavours to send help hither, their constant concern, and unremitting exertions for this end, make me the more cheerful in my attempts to meet the Directors' wishes, and the more patient in anticipation of realizing our mutual hope; certainly it hath an expected end; and oh! may the missionary appointed to Guiana be indeed full of faith and of the Holy Ghost!

And whoever are directed hither under the providence of the great Head of the Church, may they be filled with the Spirit of love, as well as of power and of a sound mind! Union Chapel.

A short time ago, I took a chart to point out the situation of Union chapel, which I forwarded to His Excellency the Governor, accompanied with a petition for a grant of the land; His Excellency made some inquiries, and then wrote an order on the petition for a license of occupancy to be immediately granted. According to custom, it is published* for one month before the Secretary can give the written license; the time having nearly expired I expect it in a few days. You will be much gratified to learn that, notwithstanding I have not been able to visit Fort Island more than once since brother Lewis left for Berbice, yet the little chapel has been constantly well attended, insomuch that many have not been able to get admittance on Lord's-days: this is the more gratifying, as they have not the excitement which a missionary's frequent visits might be supposed to inspire-they have only one of themselves, a humble, meek, exemplary Christian, whose labours the Lord is evidently succeedingFoolish things hath God chosen, and things that are not! The Rev. Mr. Sting, (rector of St. Matthews,) on his way up the Essequi bo river, called at Fort Island, and expressed himself as highly delighted. He calls them an excellent people, bringing to his mind the representations of primitive ages; and was highly gratified by their readiness to bring him on his way after a godly sort. He speaks in very high terms of Mr. Peters the teacher; and, from his call, more than corroborates any thing I had ever told him of them. I feel additional encouragement by their being obliged to enlarge their chapel; they are adding two six-feet galleries, one on each side of the chapel, to aid them in which A. W. Pollard, Esq. has made them a present 3000 shingles (that gentleman also was with Mr. Sting at Fort Island). In a week or

two,

of

am expecting to go there for the pur pose of re-opening it; on that occasion I purpose to dispense with a Sabbath in town, as it will be most gratifying to the people residing at a distance from Fort Island who are able to attend only on Lord'sdays.

I should not omit to mention also, amongst the pleasing intelligence regarding Fort Is land, that we have the prospect of opening place for worship a little higher up the river Essequibo, which also the teacher will be able to supply, as a lady has expressed a wish to have the gospel nearer her. I hope to be able to furnish pleasing information on this head after my expected visit to the island.

* In the Royal Gazette.

Malacca............. 1 July, ditto.

.Singapore

Thomas Beighton........Pinang

W. H. Medhurst.... Batavia
James Hill.............. Calcutta

..Ditto.....

A. F. Lacroix......... .Ditto..
T. K. Higgs....

..Chinsurah

Kaira.........

Messrs. W. and A. Fyvie.Surat

A. Fyvie ....................................Surat

Secretary to the Madras District Committee........

Rev. W. Taylor

J. Smith...

J. Dawson
W. Howell..

J. Hands

J. Reid.

W. Reeve

W. Campbell..

E. Crisp

H. Crisp ....

Madras...

.Ditto........
.Ditto...
.Vizagapatam..
.Cuddapah.

At Sea

.Bellary

Madras ...............................15 and 16 Ditto, ditto,

.Bangalore

Combaconum

.Salem

Neyoor

.Ditto

Nagercoil

Quilon

Nagercoil.

Coimbatoor... . . .

........St. Petersburgh....
.Selenginsk....

J. Lowndes............. Corfu
S. S. Wilson ..........Malta

THE town of Vizagapatam is situated on the sea-coast, in one of the northern Circars, about 480 miles (travelling distance) northward from Madras, and contains between 30 and 40,000 inhabitants, principally consisting of Gentoos (or Hindoos). Teloogoo (or Telinga) is chiefly spoken here; also throughout a wide extent of country, in this part of India, and in the province of Mysore.

The Society's mission at Vizagapatam was commenced in 1805, by the Rev. Messrs. Cran and Des Granges, both of them men of deep piety, and eminently devoted to the cause of Christ among the heathen. After labouring with great diligence and zeal for a few years, they were both called to their rest and their reward. The mission has also subsequently suffered much by circumscribed or suspended labours, resulting from the inroads of disease and the ravages of mortality.

In a comparatively short time the missionaries were capable of conversing with the natives on the great principles of the Christian revelation, and constantly availed themselves of opportunities of so doing; which practice has been constantly kept up by the brethren who have subsequently laboured at this station. They have not, however, been able to go forth into the Bazaars, and other places of public resort, as the brethren at many other stations have been enabled to do; but they have assiduously availed themselves of opportunities of addressing the natives who occasionally assemble at the school-rooms, both in the town and neighbouring country.

In the first year of the mission, English preaching was commenced for the benefit of the military stationed, and the Indo-Britons resident, at the place; by which means good seems to have been, from time to time, effected, and an evident change of character in some. Connected with the Indo-British congregation, a church was formed in 1810. In 1830, the number of members was eleven, and there were eight candidates for communion.

From among the native, or Hindoo, adult population no stated congregation has been as yet collected. Indeed, such is the versatility of their character, and so insensible are they to the solemnities of Christian worship, that it has not been yet found practicable even to bind them to the observance of the usual order of a regular Christian service.

It was at an early period of the mission, also, that the establishment of native boys' schools commenced, which have been, from that time, gradually increasing in number. For several years past these schools have amounted to about 12, and the number of boys under instruction to between 300 and 400. In 1824, after several abortive attempts, a native female school was formed, which was followed by another of the same description shortly afterwards. The number of native females instructed in these schools is from 60 to 70.

The direct utility of the boys' schools has advanced with their increasing number and attendance. The successive reports of the missionaries, corroborated by the statements of

other respectable individuals who had inspected them, have been uniformly favourable in regard to these schools. Indeed, such is the reputation in which they are held, that, could the Society place increased pecuniary means at the disposal of the missionaries, and an adequate superintendence could be provided, the number of them might be greatly increased. The Scriptures an earnest desire to become acquainted with which has been manifested by many of the boys--have been uniformly taught in all the schools. Not a few of the boys daily read the Teloogoo New Testament, and commit portions of it to memory. In this way much Christian knowledge has been attained by them, so that the missionaries have been led, not unfrequently, to express a high degree of delight while describing their progress, and more than once to intimate, that they could not but regard those seminaries as preparing the seed of a future native church, and as constituting the hope of the coming generation, at Vizagapatam.

The teachers in the schools have, generally speaking, a good knowledge of the Scriptures, and are exemplary in their conduct. The Teloogoo and English school, which the missionaries are of opinion bids fair to become a seminary for native teachers, has already supplied the mission with two useful assistants.

Of the numerous youths instructed in the several mission-schools, of which some are situated in the town, and some in the neighbouring country, many assemble on the Sabbath in two different parts of the town (sometimes to the number of 80 or 90), for the reading of the Scriptures, and for catechetical exercises.

Numerous copies of the Teloogoo New Testament, translated by the missionaries who have laboured at this station, and of tracts in various languages, have been from time to time distributed among such of the natives as manifest a desire to read them, and to understand the meaning of what they read; and, as the missionaries have endeavoured to regulate the distribution generally on this principle, they are disposed to conclude that the books have usually turned to good account. The principal part of the books distributed have been conveyed, eventually, to places distant from Vizagapatam. In many instances, they have been given on the application of individuals, who have been led by the perusal of them to further inquiries

after the truth.

On the Teloogoo New Testament being distributed and publicly read and explained, a spirit of inquiry was excited among the people as to the nature of the Christian religion; and the immediate effect was, that prejudice visibly declined.

It would be gratifying to state, that, at this station, as at many others in India, a number of the Hindoos had embraced the gospel, and turned with purpose of heart unto the Lord. While many from among the English and Indo-Britons have received decided spiritual benefit from the labours of the missionaries, and been united in church-fellowship, we are not aware that, connected with the mission at Vizagapatam, more than one Hindoo has been baptized.

Nevertheless, the operations of the mission have been attended with considerable benefit to the Hindoo population; and when we recal to mind the gross darkness in which they were involved at the time the mission was commenced, we find much cause for gratitude to God, for what, under his blessing, has been actually achieved; for the awful superstition in which they are more or less involved, not only darkens the mind to a degree deplorable beyond all that can be conceived by those who have not had frequent intercourse with the people, and conversed with them on religious subjects, but mingles with and influences all their civil and social relations; chaining them to the most slavish and melancholy subjection to it. In 1816, however, the missionaries were able to write that many of the natives had then acquired "correct ideas of God," and were no longer "involved in their former state of darkness." We are able to add, that the mission, since that time, has been gradually exerting greater influence over the native population, not only by means of the increase of schools, and the distribution of the Scriptures, but in consequence of the increased attendance, and less prejudiced attention, of the adults, who have assembled to hear the gospel.

A

Incontestible evidence has appeared of the partial decline of Hinduism among the people here. Several of them long ago cast away the visible symbols of their idolatry. Some of their idolatrous ceremonies have fallen into comparative disrepute and neglect. relaxed attachment to their superstitions is exhibited by many of the people, with diminished reverence for the Brahmins, and less deference to their authority and opinions. On the other hand, the Brahmins are, apparently, actuated chiefly, if not altogether, in their efforts in support of Hinduism, by the motive of supporting themselves, and a desire to retain their reduced portion of importance and influence among the people. When they enter into dis cussions with the missionaries in the presence of the natives, they not only give proof of ignorance of their own system, but involuntarily show that they are conscious of the great superiority of Christianity.

May it be the earnest prayer of the members of the Society, that both the Brahmins and people of India on the present occasion, at this station, particularly-may be speedily turned from dumb idols to serve the living God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, even Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come! Amen.