sometimes four or five persons will give, to the questions put to them, such suitable and pleasing answers, that I go home with my heart full of gratitude and joy for what my God hath graciously effected by his Holy Spirit. Oh may his name soon be glorified here; for a new enemy has risen up against the word of Life, in a woman, who is the third wife of a Caffer chief, that lives very near to this station. This woman, after a long absence, has at length returned home. She attempts to perform cures, and to draw the people away from church, saying to them, When I cease beating the skin (Caffer drum), for dancing and singing, then I open my Bible." On one occasion I met her at the kraal, when she addressed me, saying, "I know all that you can tell me ;' but when I asked her, "What do you know?" she was silent; and afterwards, when I instructed the other women, she manifested great indifference.

As to my manner of catechising the people, to which I referred in my last, I shall only mention at present a short conversation (extracted from my Journal) I had with the old chief Tzatzoe, who is often present on those occasions. On the 2nd of July, I addressed the men on the following question—“ Where

does man sin against God?" When, in his turn, the question was put to old Tzatzoe, he endeavoured to persuade us, that he had no sin, adding, that if there was any case in which he had done wrong, it was the fault of Satan-consequently, that it was Satan who was the guilty person, and not he himself. He was then asked whether, when he performed the duties of reigning chief, and it happened that two men were brought before him, both of whom had committed theft, and one of whom had seduced the other to do the wrong, whether, in such case, he had punished only one of the men, viz., the man who had led the other into sin? "No, no, (replied old Tsatzoe), I punished both." It was then explained to him, that God would act in a similar manner towards all men, who complied with the temptations of Satan, and worked evil. On which he called out, "Au! au! &c." which was as much as to say, 'Oh, is this so?-then I am convinced!" On another occasion, when I was catechising the people on Ácts vii. 56-59, the old chief was also present, and, in answer to one of the questious put, inquired why the people stoned Stephen to death? After the reason had been explained to him, he again asked, How could they kill a man because he had merely preached to them the word of God?-and why did God permit them to do it? On this, he was reminded of the flight of the late Dr. Vanderkemp out of Caffraria ; on which he acknowledged that, when he was at Bethelsdorp, in the house of Dr. Vanderkemp, he heard some persons engaged in prayer, after he himself had laid down to

sleep for the night; and that he understood their petitions, and was so much affected thereby that he wept, feeling the power of the truth in his heart; but (added he) all those good impressions have been since taken away by Satan. The old captain was then shown that this way was his own fault.

Our school, I am happy to say, is increasing. Six adults visit the school, and manifest an earnest desire to learn. Two of them are able to read a little, and one writes a good hand. The school is kept open five days of the week; the sixth day is usually occupied in visiting the Caffer-kraals. The number of children and adults who attend the Sabbath-school is about thirty.

I have not yet finished the translation of the Acts of the Apostles into the Caffer language; but I hope to complete it in about three months. I now commend ourselves, and the spread of the holy gospel, to your prayers and supplications at the throne of grace; and I am, &c. &c.,

(Signed) F. GOTTLOB KAYSER.

AFRICAN ISLANDS.

MADAGASCAR.

(Continued from page 165.)

Extracts of letters from Rev. David Johns, to Rev. David Jones, accompanying the above.

MY DEAR BROTHER,

I send you the above copies, knowing that you will feel interested in them; for they come not from those with whom you were well acquainted, but from your children whom you have laboured for so many years to instruct in the principles of Christianity. You have been sowing for years, but I reap at present the benefit of your labours. But be sure of this, that you will not lose your reward; and it is plain to me that you have not laboured for nought. The seed which you have sown springs up now, and we hope we shall see a plenteous harvest ere long.

Our new chapel is nearly completed. We opened it for divine service on the 5th of June, ult. (1831), and baptized seven persons on the same day. You know some of them, if not all; and of the number were the old diviner (Impisikidy) and his wife, whom I mentioned in a former letter to it. He was baptized by the name of Paul, which was by his own choice. He is a very active and zealous man, and has been already the means of drawing many to our chapel. We have now about twelve in the society. They are instructed as candidates for communion. We are very cautious with regard to those whom we receive, as you well know the necessity of our being so here. We intend to have them advanced well in knowledge, before they be received. There is one old

woman among them who is about seventy years of age; and, were you to converse with her, I am sure you would feel great pleasure; but she is very ignorant yet of the way of salvation. But we must do the best we can to improve her, for who knows but that she was one of those whom God loved" with an everlasting love"?-and, as she says herself, it will be a most astonishing instance of divine grace, if this old brand be saved out of the burning.

DAVID JOHNS.

Extract of a letter from a native preacher of the Gospel, who entered the school on the 20th of November, 1820, addressed to the Rev. D. Jones.

Antananarivo 1, Adaorai. e. April 12th, 1831. I wish you all five every happiness; namely, Mr. Jones, Madam, and Lucy, Eliza, and Elizabeth. I desire to know how you are Mr. Jones? Are you recovered from your illness, saith your son LAs to myself I am very well. I have received your good letter to me. I tell you that I am still very happy learning the word of God, and teaching others who know not what I have learut. Do not forget me in your prayers, that God would give me his Holy Spirit to aid me in teaching my fellowcreatures his holy word with boldness. I hope that many among the Madagascars, where you have been labouring hard above ten years, will be brought to believe in Christ through the blessing of God. We now preach the gospel with boldness to the people, and that without shame. There are five places in Antananarivo where we preach every Sabbath, and there are many people who receive instruction from us. Besides this, we go out into the country in rotation to preach every Sabbath. Peace be unto you, my father, saith your son L

I shall never forget you with whom I learnt first to know Christ,

Saith your son, L

A letter from a native preacher, who entered the school in June, 1821, to the same.

Antananarivo, 1 Adaora—
i. e. April 12, 1831.

DEAR FATHER,

I wish you and your family every happiness. How are you now? I send you my salutation until we meet, and may God bless you until we see each other again. As to myself I am free from illness and indisposition. Many of the scholars are brought to improve their learning for good, and there are crowds of people who attend to hear the gospel every Sabbath; for now there is a wide door opened. I have my hopes in Jesus Christ the Redeemer, whom you

taught me to know in the word of God. Therefore I thank you now for having instructed me. My father and mother, my brothers and sisters, have never done me so much good as your instructions. What I

have received from them is like the mist, in comparison to the instructions from you; for by yours, I was taught and instructed in the word relative to the master of life, and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This knowledge is truly happiness, and life to all. The good you have done me is beyond what I can recompense you for, except it be that I pray unto God to reward you. I hope, if I shall not meet you any more here on earth, I shall meet you in the presence of God, after Jesus will come on the clouds of heaven to judge all men. I shall never forget you wherever I go, and wherever I remain on earth,

Saith your son,

R

ARRIVAL OF MISSIONARIES OUTWARDS.

We have already announced the arrival of the Rev. Mr. Hands, with his family, at Madras, on his return to Bellary, after a visit to this country for the benefit of his health, during which he was enabled to perform various important and useful services for the Society. The following are extracts from his letter, to which reference is made in the announcement referred to.

Letter of Rev. John Hands, Missionary at Bellary, dated at Madras, 30th September, 1831, addressed to the Treasurer.

MY DEAR SIR.

I cannot express the pleasure I feel in being able to address you once more from the shores of India. After a voyage of only three months and two days, from the Land's End, we reached Madras in health and safety on the 22nd. instant, Every day of our voyage was fraught with goodness and mercy; our captain kind, fellow-passengers obliging and agreeable, and our ship an admirable sailing-vessel. Some stormy weather we encountered in rounding the Cape; but every gale we experienced was in our favour, and helped us onwards towards our destined port. Many opportunities of usefulness, during our voyage, were afforded us, and I hope, they were, in some measure, improved.

While we have been so graciously preserved, death has been making sad ravages here, of late, among our fellow-missionaries and friends. Dear brother Jennings to his rest. Brother Smith has lost his excellent wife, and Madras has experienced a

gone

public loss in the death of the Rev Mr. Ridsdale, a most zealous, devoted, and holy missionary, belonging to the Church Society.* We mourn, also, the removal of others, among whom is the late excellent Bishop of Calcutta, whose visit to Madras yielded much delight to our brethren here. Oh, that these mysterious dispensations of Providence may suitably influence the minds of those of us who are still spared, and rouse us to greater diligence and watchfulness! Our brother Buyers came on shore with us on the 22nd., preached for brother Smith, in the Black-Town chapel, on the 25th., and the next day embarked again, and proceeded to Calcutta. He will, I trust, prove an invaluable missionary. The more we saw of him, the more we loved him.

From various causes, I shall be unavoidably detained at Madras for a month or two; but I long greatly to be at home, and in our own field of labour.

Brother Reeve is here, labouring hard at his Canarese Dictionary, and supplying Dr. Laurie's place in the Scots Church on Sabbath mornings, and preaching in brother Smith's chapel, to crowded congregations, on the Sabbath evenings. We have just got a letter from Bellary; all friends there are well, and greatly rejoiced to hear of our arrival here.

Chinsurah, he resumed his useful labours in the Mission, and in the superintendence of the Government schools at that station, which labours he was enabled, with but slight interruptions, to prosecute with his accustomed assiduity and diligence, till the early part of last year, when the state of his health exhibited serious symptoms of decline. As Mr. Lacroix's letter has not been as yet received, we, at present, can insert only the following communication from the Rev. Mr. Higgs, of Chinsurah, who had lately become Mr. Pearson's colleague at that station.

Extracts from a Letter of the Rev. Thomas K. Higgs, dated Chinsurah, 1st of December, 1831, addressed to the Rev. H. Townley.

REVEREND AND DEAR SIR,

I have the painful duty devolving upon me, to send an account of the very low state to which it has pleased our heavenly Father to reduce the mission at this station. Before

this comes to hand, you will have received, per the Mountstuart Elphinstone, a letter from brother Lacroix, containing the particulars of the departure of our beloved and valued brother Pearson.

As he noticed, in his last communication to the Directors, bearing date, April, 1831, he was at that time in a declining state of health, and found the wet season this year affect him so distressingly, as to determine him to try the effect of an excursion to the Sand Heads, in hopes that, by the blessing of the Lord, his health and strength might be restored, and he be enabled to resume the labours in which he truly delighted. With this intention, he left Chinsurah the latter end of August, and embarked on board the Hon. Company's pilot schooner, Henry Meriton, Mr. Heritage commander, who treated him with the greatest kindness, and had invited him to spend two months on board the schooner. But the weather was so rough, and our dear brother so much reduced, that he was under the necessity of returning almost immediately, in a very distressing and emaciated condition.

He then obtained medical advice, and, as soon as he was able, left Chinsurah for Calcutta, for the benefit of further advice; the medical practitioner here having strongly recommended, as absolutely necessary, a trip to England or the Cape. On his arrival in Calcutta, and consulting with Dr. Vos, he gave it as his opinion, that he should without delay proceed by the first vessel to Europe, and regretted that he had not before embarked, as he considered it questionable if he should live to reach to England. Under these circumstances, he applied to government for leave of absence for

three years, which was very kindly and readily granted; and I was recognised as the acting superintendent of the government schools during that period, and every preparation was made for his departure in the Mountstuart Elphinstone. But it was the will of the Lord, that his bones should rest in that land, in which his energies had been spent in endeavouring to promote the cause of the Redeemer, till the morning of the resurrection.

The particulars of his death have, I suppose, been fully communicated by brother Lacroix, who was with him when he died. He left a decided testimony to the truth of the holy gospel, and, with a calm composure, and unwavering confidence, committed his spirit into the hands of his adored Redeemer, his end was peace.

By this affecting stroke of Divine Providence, I am now left here quite alone, unable to engage fully in missionary work. All that I can do among the heathen is to distribute tracts. When I attempt to speak to them, I cannot make them understand me; and I have had a great interruption to my studies in attending to the affairs of our late brother, and in having the whole of the English services for some time past devolving

on me.

It is a source of unspeakable grief to me, when I look around upon the people here, and consider, here is a station where may be found thousands of heathen perishing without the knowledge of the way of salvation, and no one who is able to point them to the only Saviour of sinners, the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world. May I hope that, ere this letter is received, some considerable additions may be made to the number of labourers in Bengal, and particularly to this station. You, my dear Sir, well know what the station is, and the teeming population by which we are surrounded; and, now that it is a regular military station, it appears desirable that the usual English services should, if possible, be kept up, as there are so many of our own countrymen here, the greater part of whom are far from God, and destitute of the knowledge of his ways. We have at present three services in the week in English; but I fear, without assistance is afforded,* I must be under the necessity of diminishing them, as it is so great an hindrance in endeavouring to acquire fitness for decidedly missionary employ.

ment.

The long-desired period has at length arrived, when, through the gracious providence of an indulgent God, I can say we have a

The Rev. Mr. Mundy, who has been for some time in England for the benefit of his health, is expected to embark for India in the ensuing July, for the purpose of resuming his useful labours at Chinsurah.-ED.

mission chapel at Chinsurah. The building is very neat, the dimensions on the inside 50 feet by 30, and the expenses of its erection are nearly collected. The accounts are not yet closed; but I suppose there is now a deficiency of about 400 or 500 rupees, which I hope will be soon collected. It was opened for divine worship on Thursday evening, Nov. 17th, on which occasion the Rev. A. F. Lacroix read the history of the dedication of Solomon's temple, 2 Chron. vii., and offered up the introductory prayer; and the Rev. J. Hill preached from Isa. xxviii. 16: "Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation he that believeth shall not make haste." It was a highly interesting and, I trust, profitable occasion. But there was, necessity, a feeling of peculiar awe pervading the services, when each must have had it powerfully impressed upon his mind, that the faithful servant of the Lord to whom, under God, we are principally indebted for the erection of the building, was consigned to the silent grave about a week before the service was held; not being spared to witness that pleasing proof of the success of his efforts. On the following Sabbath morning, Nov. 20, the Rev. A. F. Lacroix improved the decease of our beloved brother in the new chapel from Phil. i. 21: “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain ;”—a passage peculiarly appropriate to the occasion, and from which he had himself preached almost his last sermon to the European congregation.

Oh, my dear Sir, pray for us, that all who are now in the field may become efficient missionaries, and that we may be excited to renewed zeal, and greater energy, as our numbers are diminished by the hand of death; and that the great Lord of the harvest would send forth more labourers into his harvest!

With respect to myself, I have to acknowledge, with unfeigned gratitude to the God of all our mercies, the great blessings he has conferred on me. I have now been more than thirteen months in India, and with thankfulness I would record that, on the whole, my health has been as good as I could reasonably have expected to enjoy in my native land; and I am happy to add that the families of my brethren at Calcutta have cause for gratitude in the measure of health they enjoy.

Mr. Pearson's death contained in Mr. Higgs's letter, we doubt not they will be stimulated to renewed efforts in its behalf, by the information it gives of the state of Comparative feebleness, to which the mission in Bengal has been reduced, and of the demand likely to arise out of recent occurrences in that quarter, for increased missionary labour.

Extracts of a Letter from the Rev. A. F. Lacroix, Missionary at Calcutta, dated 9th November, 1831, addressed to the Rev. H. Townley.

MY DEAR BROTHER,

I have a mournful piece of intelligence to communicate to you. Our dear brother Pearson is no more! Since last spring his strength has failed, owing to a want of tone in the digestive organs. He tried the Sand Heads, but was obliged to return as soon as he reached Kedgeree, as he could not bear the motion of the vessel. On his arrival at Calcutta, however, he was advised to proceed to England, and had actually taken his sage in the very ship which conveys this letter; but it pleased the Lord to remove him to a better world yesterday, at half-past one, a.m. I was with him at the time. His death was peaceful-his confidence in the Redeemer unshaken to the end. Oh, may my end be like his!

pas

He was interred in the New Scots' burialground, close to the grave of dear John Adam. His funeral was attended by the Missionaries of all denominations, residing in Calcutta.

Thus, in less than eight months, two valuable members of our body are gone. This leaves the mission just as it was, or rather weaker than it was, at the time Messrs. Christie and Higgs came, for the two who are gone, were actually engaged in the work, whilst the two newly arrived are only preparing for it. O, how much faith, indeed, is required to enable one to say, “Amen," to these dispensations!

Mr. Higgs is now alone at Chinsurah. The English chapel is ready, and will be opened next Thursday week; but the native work, the native work, the native work; that is at a stand at Chinsurah. The chapels are closed -the trees from under which the gospel used to be proclaimed are now deserted; and the place, as far as the heathen are concerned, is in a worse state [i. e. as to the efficiency of the mission] than when you first went to it; for Mr. Higgs, of course, is not able, as yet, to preach in Bengalee, and no other missionary can be spared from any place.

My dear brother, allow me to suggest the propriety of the Directors sending more la

bourers to this part of the Lord's vineyard. Not only one or two, occasionally; but three, at least, regularly every year. Experience has shown that, yearly, two or more, through divers causes, are removed. Bengal becomes daily more interesting in a missionary point of view. At Calcutta, a great stir is taking place among the young men who received their education at the Hindoo College. Several of them have openly renounced idolatry, and are now merely deists. A number of newspapers, both in English and Bengalee, have been set on foot by them, in which the Hindoo system is fully exposed and attacked. Meetings, of all kinds, are taking place among them. All this will show you what an important field for missionary exertions this is at the present period, and yet we are so few, so very few! Oh! pray for us, that double grace, zeal, and energy may be given us, that this may, in some measure, make up our loss in number.

My own sphere of labour is daily increasing. I preach twelve or fourteen times a week in the most populous parts of Calcutta and Kidderpore. The congregations are extremely gratifying, both as to number and attention. At Hatkolah, which I attend every Thursday evening, I have commenced a series of Discourses on the Evidences of Christianity, which are listened to, apparently, with much interest by numbers of very respectable people, Brahmins and others.

I purpose, with Mr.Gogerly, visiting Saugor againat the bathing festival, and afterwards to itinerate as far as the river Brunchopattro (or Burrampooter, Jin Jessore, Backergunge, Dacca Jelalpore; in which places favourable indications begin to be perceived. When we return, should the Lord spare my life, I shall write to you again; and shall be glad to hear from you sometimes. Thank God, I enjoy excellent health, and so does my family. Our brethren are all pretty well. Mrs. Hill and children have just arrived in safety. Mr. Buyers too. He has left, for Benares, already. I am, &c. &c. (Signed)

A. F. LACROIX.

DEATH OF MRS. SCHMELEN.

It is with much concern the Directors also announce the decease of MRS. SCHMELEN, (wife of the Rev. H. Schmelen, Missionary at Komaggas, South Africa,) who departed this life on the 6th of April, 1831. The fo!lowing communication from her bereaved husband, contains a few particulars of the mournful event; and shows that the deceased rendered, in different ways, useful and important services in the Mission. Her loss to the Society is, of course, great; and will be proportionably felt and lamented.