therefore send them out with the Island of Ceylon, this being much satisfaction and cheerful the station on which the attenhope, that they will seek and tion of the Society, and of the obtain grace to be faithful to Directors, is more especially fixGod, to the Society, and to the ed, and where, we trust, they Heathen, in the course of their will actually labor: yet in the ministry. Mrs. Vos, and Mrs. | first instance they are to accomPalm, have also an important pany their brethren to Tranqueservice to occupy their zeal, in bar, where they will obtain such the instruction of the female na- accurate and comprehensive intives, and in assisting in the ed- formation as will greatly assist ucation of children. them in forming their future plans; and where they will find some Christian friends, who will promote their introduction, were not this rendered almost unnecessary, by the kindness of one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, who has furnished them with a letter to his Excellency Frederick North, the Governor of the Colony. The Directors have also fixed in their own minds a particular station for the labors of the Brethren who are to remain on the Continent, and in which a very extensive field appears ripe for the harvest; this they have more particularly pointed out in their instructions, leaving, however, the ultimate decision to themselves, under the intimations of Divine Providence, and the advice of those pious and well informed friends with whom they will communicate on their arrival.

Those who are designed to labor on the continent of India, are the Rev. Messrs. Ringeltaube, Desgranges, and Cran. The first is a native of Prussia, who has already passed a short time in India, and has since held his principal intercourse with the Society of the United Brethren. The other Missionaries have been about two years in the Seminary at Gosport; and the whole have been ordained to the office of the Christian Ministry, and recommended to the grace of God in the discharge of the arduous and important service to which they are called, and on which, we believe, they enter with a humble sense of their own insufficiency, a firm reliance on divine influences, and a sincere desire to consecrate themselves to the glory of Christ in the salvation of the Heathen. The Society, and the Christian community at large, will, no doubt, bear these devoted servants of God in their affectionate remembrance; and at the throne of grace, implore in their behalf the divine protection, counsel, and support, that they may make known among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and at length finish their course with joy.

It has been observed, that some of our brethren are intended for VOL. V. No. 8.

The Directors have the satisfaction to make a favorable Report of the state of the Seminary at Gosport. The young men who are under a course of instruction suited to Missionary labors, pursue their studies with diligence, and evince that devotedness of heart to the great object in view, which encourages their worthy Tutor and the Society to hope that they will one day become burning and shining Oo

lights in the benighted regions | siderably reduced; and unless of the pagan world. Two other the exertions of the public, parpersons have nearly finished ticularly in the country, shall their medical studies, and we keep pace with the extended ophope, may be eminently quali-erations of the Society, the refied for situations in which the duction must be far greater than healing art may prove a happy the Directors conceive is com introduction to the dispensation patible with the permanent inof the gospel, particularly in the terests of the Institution. But more highly civilized countries they indulge a confident expectof the East. ation, that while they pursue With cheerful confidence the with steady zeal the grand obDirectors look forward to theject proposed" the spread of continued and liberal support of the gospel in Heathen and other the religious public. The So-unenlightened countries,”—and cicty will perceive, by the fore-while the Great Head of the going statement of the enlarge- Church shall be pleased to suc ment of the Missionary sphere, ceed, with the sacred Influences that the expenditure of the Insti- of his Holy Spirit, their feeble tution must of course be exceed-endeavors, their fellow Chrisingly increased : about two thou-tians, of every denomination, will sand pounds will be requisite for the conveyance of the Missionapics now on their way, or ready to depart; and nearly the same sum may be annually necessary, for several years to come, for the purposes of their several Missions. The visit of the Africans to this country, and their return, together with eight additional laborers, have occasioned an unexpected and considerable demand; but we trust that this expense will not become a matter of regret, when the satis-duct their concerns, with mofaction which their visit has afforded to the Society, and the probable advantage which the Mission may derive from their report in Africa, are taken into consideration. When the large sums which the efforts of the last year have occasioned, are paid, it will be found that the ex-bear a relation to the final tripenditure has greatly exceeded the income. Those of our friends, therefore, who have supposed the retention of a large capital by the Society to be improper, will find that it will then be con

cheerfully consecrate to this service a sufficient portion of their worldly substance, to enable the Society not only to support the Missions already established, but continually to make new inroads into the kingdom of darkness, and to erect the standard of the cross in every country to which they may have access.

Political reasonings are confessedly remote from the sphere of duty belonging to Missionary institutions, yet those who con

tives and aims which are purely spiritual, will, nevertheless, contemplate the great changes which take place in Empires and Nations, as arrangements of an infinitely wise and holy Providence, designed to produce important moral effects, and which

umphs of the kingdom of Christ. Among these events, the immense acquisition in territory and population made to the British Government in the Eastern part of the world, cannot but in

en to a knowledge of the gospel. A door is opened for instructing the wild Hottentots, Boschemen, and other barbarous tribes, who never before heard of the true God, the Saviour of men. Dr. Vanderkemp, Mr. Kicherer and sundry other faithful servants of Christ, appear to be filled with an apostolic zeal, and are painfully laboring in the work. To see the most degraded part of mankind, thus visited by light from on high, is a new evidence of the power and riches of divine grace. The liberality of the Christian Dutch inhabitants to the Missionaries, in supplying them with provisions and other necessaries, shows that the Lord

spire the breast of every true South African Missionary SociChristian with an earnest hope eties, have become the means that thereby a way may be pre-of bringing many savage heathpared for the spiritual dominion of the Redeemer; especially when it is considered, that while these and other external dispensations produce an interesting opening for the exertions of Christians, the liberal principles of the enlightened Government under which we live, countenance and encourage them. What Divine Grace has lately effected in the West, in the remarkable revival of religion, and conversion of multitudes of nominal Christians in several parts of America, affords additional ground of hope, that the Saviour is about to take unto him his great power, and reign in a more splendid and extensive degree. There seems, however, abundant evi-hath opened their hearts to addence of the Lord's gracious ap- vance his own work.-Mr. Kichprobation of the various and zeal-erer's Narrative of his Mission ous efforts of his ministers and people, in different parts of the world, and, consequently, strong encouragement to proceed with increasing diligence and vigor in the Missionary work. Much, very much indeed, remains to be done. We have but just begun our work. We have made a beginning, and God has prospered it. Let us go forward. The voice of the Word is-Go forward! The voice of an ap-tinued in succeeding numbers.] proving Providence is-Go forward! Let the encouraging voice of the public, in their prayers and in their generous contributions, also be-Go forward!

[THE latest accounts from South Africa inform us, the Missions established in that country by the London, Rotterdam and

to Zak River, appears the best calculated of any thing the Editors have seen, to give their readers a just idea of the savage state of these heathen, the fortitude and danger of the Missionaries, the success with which the Missions have been attended, and the manner of divine operation on the minds of these ignorant people. The Narrative, which is here begun will be con

The Rev. Mr. Kicherer's Narrative of his Mission to the Hot

tentots.

BEING requested by the Di

sionary Society to give a written Narrative of my proceedings in South Africa, I have to regret the want of my papers, which the Captain who brought me

over from Holland, advised me | is the source of every good;

to leave behind, as they might possibly involve him in difficulties; on this account I cannot be exact as to the dates of particular occurrences, but my statement of facts will, I trust, be found accurate.

I embarked with my missionary brethren, Vanderkemp, Edwards, and Edmond, on the 5th of December, 1798, and arrived at Cape Town on the last day of March, 1799. Our original intention was to visit the Namaquas, but learning that they were then at war, we changed our plan, and prepared for going into Caffraria.

they were also told that their ignorance and neglect of this Divine Being was the real cause of their comparative wretchedness. On this explanation, the Boschemen expressed their earnest desire that proper persons might come and reside among them, who would afford them those val uable instructions which would enable them to become as rich and happy as their neighbors. For this purpose they were directed to the Government at the Cape, where we met with them on our arrival. We considered this peculiar concurrence of events as a providential call to visit them; and having looked

A few days previous to our arrival at the Cape, three Bos-up to the Lord to point out which chemen had come thither from of us should go, we appealed to Zak River, with a view to so- the Lot, which fell upon me : licit the Government to send Brother Edwards had previously Teachers into their country. determined to go there; and They came in the capacity of Brother Kramer, a native of the public ambassadors. Providence Cape, followed us afterwards. had opened this door in the following manner. The Farmers of the back settlements, of whom Florus Fischer was the principal, had been greatly reduced by the depredations of the neighboring Boschemen. To prevent similar calamities in future, the Landdrost advised them to purchase a Peace, at the expense of several thousand Sheep. At the ratification of this contract, some of the Settlers, being religiously disposed, offered up a prayer in the presence of the Hottentots; who, upon their inquiry into the nature and design of this action, were informed that it was done with a view of imploring the blessing of Almighty God, who

Zak River is between four and five hundred miles North-East of the Cape.

On the 22d of May, we left Cape Town, accompanied by the brethren Vanderkemp and Edmond, who travelled with us as far as Rodezand, in their way to Caffraria. Here we met with the most welcome reception by the Rev. Mr. Vos, who presided over a flourishing congregation, and whose successful zeal in the cause of Christ is well known to the Society. Mrs. Smith also, an eminently pious lady, treated us with great hospitality. We were detained here for some time by our want of a waggon and the necessary cattle; but our time was agreeably spent among our christian friends, and we enjoyed frequent opportunities of preaching the word in the neighborhood. From hence we made an excursion to Bavian's Kloof, where the Moravian

Brethren had a numerous and zand, Mrs. Meyer, a widow, well regulated congregation of having lent us her waggon, and Tame Hottentots, for by this name some of the neighboring Farmthey are distinguished, who doers their servants to drive the not run away at the sight of the oxen. Our object was now to White people, and who are some-proceed as far as Florus Fiswhat more civilized than the cher's, who possesses the last wild Hottentots or Boschemen. farm in the Karroo. This is a These latter, when approaching vast tract of land, of many days a white man for the first time, journey, so dry in the Summer for some urgent motive, such as as not to produce a blade of their ardent desire of obtaining grass; but, happily for us, it afa little Tobacco, appear in an forded, when we passed it, sufagony of fear, which discovers ficient pasture for our cattle, and itself by the trembling of every for those of the surrounding inlimb; yet so vehement is their habitants, who hearing of our love of this narcotic, that they journey came from all parts to will venture any thing to procure hear the Gospel. We travelled it; and had it not been for the but slowly, our waggon being powerful attraction of this favor- overloaded with the numerous ite herb, which we liberally dis- presents of these open-hearted tributed among them, I am per-colonists. We had, however, suaded we could not have pre- frequent opportunities of preachvailed upon them to venture nearing to small congregations of the Farmers from the adjacent countries.

us.

After a fortnight's journey through the mountainous Buckfield, and the level Karroo, we arrived safely at Florus Fischer's, where we received a cor

On our way to Bavian's Kloof, near Broad River, the Lord was pleased to bless my poor labors among the people in an abundant degree. Some of the hearers expressed their gratitude with tears of joy, and by a very wel-dial welcome. Mr. Fischer is come present of eleven draught- the person already mentioned, oxen for our intended journey who was employed by Governnorthwards. Upon our return ment, (under whom he was a to Rodezand, Brothers Edmond Field-Cornet) to negociate a and Edwards were solemnly set peace with the Boschemen, and apart to the work of the Minis-in which he happily succeeded; try, in Mr. Vos' church; and and to his family devotions it the next day Dr. Vanderkemp seems chiefly owing, that his and Mr. Edmond proceeded to-heathen neighbors conceived the wards Caffraria.

On the 25th of June* we took leave of our kind friends at Rode

Some of these dates are supplied from a former Journal, sent to the Society by Mr. Kicherer, when in Africa; an extract from which appears in Vol. 1. of The Transactions of the Missionary Society, No. VIII. The readers of that Volume will ex

desire of receiving religious instruction. This desire Mr. Fischer was sincerely desirous of gratifying, but by what means,

cuse the repetition of some particulars which appear therein, as it is the wish of the Society to present to the public in this Narrative, a complete account of Mr. Kicherer's Mission, and settlement at Zak River.