darkness, makes even deformity beautiful. The following is the order observed in this interesting tract:-Chap. I. Of the Bills of Mortality; their Beginning and Progress. II. General Observations upon the Casualties.-III. Of Particular Casualties.-IV. Of the Plague.-V. Other Observations upon the Plague and Casualties. VI. Of the. Sickliness, Healthfulness, and Fruitfulness of Seasons.-VII. Of the Difference between Burials and Christenings.

-VIII. Of the Difference between the Numbers of Males and Females.-IX. Of the Growth of the City.-X. Of the Inequality of Parishes.-XI. Of the Num ber of Inhabitants.-XII. Of the Country Bills.-Then follows the Conclusion; to which an Appendix is adjoined, containing many tables corroborative of the preceding remarks. Our first extract shall be from our author's

Epistle Dedicatory to the Royal Society.

"You are not only His Majesty's privie council for philosophy, but also his Great Council. You are the three estates; viz.

the mathematical, mechanical, and physical. You are his parliament of nature. For my own part, I count it happiness enough to myself, that there is such a council of nature, as your Society is, in being; and I do with as much earnestness inquire after your expeditions against the impediments of science, as to know what armies and navies the several princes of the world are setting forth. I concern myself as much to know who are curatours of this or the other experiments, as to know who are Mareschals of France, or Chancellor of Sweden. I am as well pleased to hear you are satisfied in a luciferous experiment, as that a breach hath been made in the enemie's works; and your ingenious arguings, immediately from sense and fact, are as pleasant to me as the noise of victorious guns and trumpets.--This is my opinion concerning you; and although I am none of your number, nor have the least ambition to be so, otherwise than to become able for your service, and worthy of your trust; yet I am covetous to have the right of being represented by you: to which end I desire, that this little exhibition of mine may be looked upon as a freeholder's vote, for the choosing of knights and burgesses to

sit in the parliament of nature; meaning thereby, that as the parliament owns a shillings a year, to be one of them, so, in freeholder, though he hath but fourty the same manner and degree, I also desire to be owned as one of you, and that no longer than I continue a faithful friend and servant of your designs and persons."

In his Introduction, giving an account of the reasons which induced him to publish these speculations, Mr. G. says,

"The world, I hope, will not expect from me, not professing letters, things wherewith learned men determine in their demonstrated with the same certainty, schools; but will take it well, that I should offer at a new thing, and could forbear presuming to meddle where any of the and that I have taken the pains, and been learned pens have ever touched before ; at the charge, of setting out those tables, whereby all men may both correct my positions, and raise others of their own. For hereby I have, like a silly school-boy,

coming to say my lesson to the world, (that peevish and tetchie master,) brought a bundle of rods, wherewith to be whip'd for every mistake I have committed."-p.5.

It appears, that the Bills of Mortality were first published in 1592, but that, in consequence of many interruptions in succeeding years, the complete series of them third chapter the following regoes no higher than 1603. In the marks incidentally occur.

"They that make away themselves are another sort of madmen, that think to ease themselves of pain by leaping into hell; or else are yet more mad, so as to think there is no such place; or that men may go to rest by death, though they die in self-murther, the greatest sin."--p. 42.

"Now, forasmuch as it is not good to let the world be lulled into a security and belief of impunity by our bills, which we intend shall not be only as death's heads, to put men in mind of their mortality, but also as mercurial statues, to point out the most dangerous ways that lead us into it and misery," &c. &c.--pp. 43, 44.

It is neither agreeable to the nature of our miscellany, nor we presume to the taste of our readers to introduce in our pages any of Mr. Graunt's merely political remarks; their general character makes them as uninteresting to common readers as their inferiority to the more refined specu

lations of our times, makes them uninstructive, except as documents of past ages, to the scientific. We shall, therefore, only cull such general observations, as will tend to justify the character we have given of the book as a literary production. The following quotation is from the chapter "on the inequality of parishes," in which Mr. G. has proved that some parishes exceed others in the proportion of two hundred to one.

"Wherefore should this inequality be continued? If it be answered because that pastours of all sorts and sizes of abilities, may have benefices, each man according to his merit; we answer, that a two hundredth part of the best parson's learning, is scarce enough for a sexton. But besides there seems no reason of any difference at all, it being as much science to save one single soul, as one thousand."p. 115.

in doing something new, though never se little, without pestering the world with voluminous transcriptions. But I answer most seriously, by complaining, that whereas the act of governing, and the true politicks is how to preserve the subject in peace and plenty, than men study only that part of it which teacheth how to supplant and over-reach one another, and how, not by fair out-running, but by tripping up each other's heels, to win the prize. Now the foundation or elements of this honest,

harmless policy, is to understand the land, and the hands of the territory, to be governed according to all their intrinsick and accidental differences. Moreover, if all these things were clearly and truly known, (which I have but ghessed at), it would appear how small a part of the people work upon necessary labours and callings, viz. how many women and children do others get: how many are mere volupjust nothing, only learning to spend what tuaries, and as it were mere gamesters by trade; how many live by puzling poor people with unintelligible notions in divinity and philosophy; how many by persuading credulous, delicate, and litigious

"According to this proposition, one couple, viz. Adam and Eve, doubling themselves every sixty-four years of the 5610 years, which is the age of the world according to the Scriptures, shall produce far more people than are now in it. Wherefore the world is not above 100 thousand years old, as some vainly imagine, nor above what the Scripture makes it."-p. 127.

out of tune, and in danger; how many by fighting as soldiers; how many by ministries of vice and sin; how many by trades of mere pleasure or ornaments; and how many in a way of lazy attendance, &c. upon others; and on the other side, how few are employed in raising and working necessary food and covering; and of the speculative men, how few do study nature and things! The more ingenious not advancing much farther than to write and speak wittily about these matters. I con

"It may be now asked, to what purpose tends all this laborious bustling and groping? To this I might answer in general, by saying, that those who cannot apprehend the reason of these inquiries, are unfit to trouble themselves to ask them.

sure in deducing so many abstruse and unexpected inferences out of these poor

despised Bills of Mortality; and on building upon that ground which hath lain waste these eighty years. And there is pleasure

There have been three editions

of these observations published, but all are scarce.

UNITED FOREIGN MISSIONARY

SOCIETY.

THE Eighth Anniversary of this Society, was celebrated in New York, on Wednesday evening, May 11, at the City Hotel. Ge

neral Stephen Van Rensselaer, the President, in the chair. The Annual Report was read by Z. Lewis, Esq. the Society's principal Secretary. The Report was of great length, embracing a variety of de

tails, but we must confine ourselves to a brief abstract of the principal facts which it contains.

After a few introductory observations, the unusual mortality among the early friends and patrons of the Society, during the past year, is thus noticed:

"The venerable Professor Livingston, one of your Vice-Presidents; the Rev. Dr. Romeyn, one of the founders of your institution; the Rev. Mr. Whelpley, and Mr. Vroom, valued and efficient members of our Board; Mr. Bethune, your first Treasurer; the Rev. Dr. Chapman, your earliest Missionary, and Mrs. Colby, of the Great Osage Mission, have all, in one short year, finished their work of faith and their labour of love."

The Report then proceeds to a brief history of the Missions of the Society during the past year.

Union Mission.

On the 20th of April, Col. Arbuckle, with a body of soldiers, arrived in the Osage country, in obedience to orders from the United States government, and established a fort on the banks of Grand River, within eighteen or twenty miles of Union. This event greatly encouraged and rejoiced the Missionaries.

The Agricultural Settlement at Hopefield, which was commenced in Dec. 1823, by a number of the Osages, who were desirous of abandoning the chase and resorting to the cultivation of the soil for subsistence, is in a very flourishing state. The number of Indian families had increased in June last to eleven, and more than thirty acres of ground were then cleared, fenced, and planted.

Form of Government adopted.--The Osages have recently adopted a national council to legislate for the tribe, and a national guard to enforce obedience to their decisions. The council is composed of thirteen chiefs, and the guard of forty warriors. The Missionaries consider this "as the first step towards the adoption of civil government in a nation hitherto lawless in the extreme.'

The School.--The number of Indian children in the school, has varied during the past year from 14 to 22.

Great Osage Mission.

The School. Twenty Indian scholars have been added during the past year, and the whole number is now 36. The quantity of corn and wheat raised on the farm at this station the last season, was amply sufficient for the full supply of the Mission.

Neosho Station.--The Missionaries have judged it expedient to establish a branch of their Mission on the Neosho River, in the immediate vicinity of the present Indian village. The Rev. Dr. Pixley removed thither with his family in SeptemNEW SERIES, No. 10.

ber last. The new station presents great facilities for acquiring a knowledge of the language, and communicating religious instruction.

Osage Language.-The two junior Missionaries at Harmony, have made considerable progress in the acquisition of the Osage language. By persevering and laborious study, they are enabled to converse on ordinary subjects, and to translate and read their prayers and discourses.

Delaware Indians.-A few years since, a small party of Delaware Indians emigrated from the state of New York, and settled in the vicinity of the Osages. Mr. Dodge, the superintendant of the Great Osage Mission, has made several interesting visits to them during the past year. He found that two or three of the women were formerly members of a Christian Church, and that since their removal to that distant wilderness, they have statedly met together every Sabbath for the purpose of reading the Scriptures, and mingling their hearts in social worship.

At the recent session of the Legislature, a law was enacted allowing the Missionaries and teachers, with the consent of the Judges of the County Court, to reside on the reservation. Since the passage of this law, a joint council of the Christian and Pagan Indians has been held, in which it was agreed that each party might select its own teachers, and it is expected that the school will be re-opened early in June. Cataraugus Mission.

The number of children in the school has increased from 45 to 70, and their conduct and proficiency have been highly satisfactory to their instructors. The congregation of adults, on the Sabbath, has so much increased in number, that the chiefs have recently resolved to erect a church. In obedience to the solicitation of the chiefs, a Missionary has been appointed to reside at this station for three months, on trial. The Pagan party among these Indians, have of late relaxed in their opposition to the Missionary establishment, and have even promised to send their children to the school.

Machinaw Mission.

One male and two female assistants have been added to this Mission during the past year. Nearly 50 Indian children have been received as members of the family; and the whole number in the 4 A

Haytian Mission.

The Rev. William G. Pennington, who was licensed to preach by the Jersey Presbytery in 1823, and the Rev. Benjamin F. Hughes, a minister regularly ordained by the Philadelphia Presbytery, and who had sustained for some time the pastoral charge of a coloured congregation in Philadelphia, were appointed by the Board to accompany the coloured emigrants from this country to Hayti. They met with a very friendly reception from the officers of the government and the people. At the date of the latest letters, Mr. Hughes had preached repeatedly in Portau-Prince, and was preparing for a tour of missionary labour among the emigrants.

Projected Missions.

It is in contemplation to send a Missionary to the American Colony on the Western coast of Africa; to locate a Missionary establishment upon the Maumee; and send Missionaries to the Allegany Reservation in this state.

Inquiries have also been made in behalf of a number of theological students at Princeton, Auburn, and New Haven, who are desirous to engage in Missions to Armenia and Arabia in the East, and to Mexico, some part of South America, and the mouth of Columbia River, on this Western continent.

Education of Heathen Youths.

At the date of the last Report there were two Indian youths supported by the Society, at the Foreign Mission School in Cornwall, Conn., one belonging to the Tuscarora, and the other to the Seneca tribe. During the year, four had been added to the list, viz.: two Chippewas, and two Osages of the Arkansas. Both the latter are relatives of Tally, the second Osage chief, and were committed by him to the patronage of the Society. Tally has recently expressed a desire to put his own son under the care of the Board; and in accordance with the earnest request of Mr. Vaill, who believes that the measure would probably promote the reformation of the tribe beyond any other means, the Board have authorised the Missionaries to send him forward, and also a son of Claymore, the principal chief. The Board have also authorized the Superintendent of the Great Osage Mission to send on three youths of different tribes --an Osage, a Delaware, and an Omawhaw. "The two latter," says Mr. Dodge, "speak several Indian tongues, besides some French and English. They all possess good talents, and should they be suitably educated and become Missionaries, or even interpreters, it would afford faci

Auxiliary Societies.

One hundred and eighty-nine Auxiliary Societies were recognised in the former Reports. To this number fifty-six have been added during the past year, making the present number two hundred and fortyfive.

A family of sisters in this city, have set apart half an hour a day to the use of their needles in behalf of the Missionary cause. By the avails of a few weeks, they have paid twenty-four dollars into the treasury for the support of an Indian child for two years, at one of the Missionary schools. A small Fragment Society, consisting of six or eight young ladies of this city, have also contributed by their needles fortyeight dollars for the support of another child for four years.

Receipts and Expenditures.

From the Treasurer's Report it appears, that the receipts of the Society, during the past year have been 20,975 dollars and 45 cents., and the expenditure, including a balance of 7,953 dollars and 19 cents. due the Treasurer at the date of the last Report, 21,233 dollars and 7 cents, leaving a balance still due the Treasurer of 257 dollars and 62 cents.

The Report having been concluded, the customary resolutions were successively introduced, in order to give the gentlemen engaged to address the Meeting, an opportunity to speak, and in the course of the evening, addresses were delivered by the following gentlemen, in the order in which their names are arranged, viz. :—Rev. Mr. Cuyler, of Poughkeepsie; the Rev. Dr. Wiley, of Washington College, Pa; the Rev. Dr. Proudfit, of Washington county; and the Rev. Mr. Ellis, a Missionary from the Sandwich Islands. The gentlemen all acquitted themselves in a manner highly gratifying to an overflowing and attentive audience.

The Rev. Mr. Ellis gave an interesting account of the present state of the Mission, in the islands of the South Seas, and contrasted their present, with their situation before the introduction of the Gospel, and Schools for the instruction of the children. There are now 3000 children educated by the Missionaries. The Rev. Gentleman mentioned several interesting events which he had witnessed, among which, was the following:-At a public exhibition of some of the schools, a native child addressed the Meeting. Among the crowd a female was discovered bathed in tears, and apparently in great agony. She was asked by Mr. E. the cause of her grief-she said, "O, Sir, had you been here when I was a mother, I should this day, perhaps, have had a darling child, such a one as that yonder, (pointing to the little

fellow who had spoken,) but not knowing any thing of Christianity, I murdered my own dear child, in obedience to what I then thought my duty!"

After the collection had been taken up, a Son of the Forest was introduced by Mr. Lewis, who stated that he was the celebrated Captain Pollard, of the Seneca tribe, who had become a convert to Christianity. He addressed the Meeting in his native tongue, and a young man from the Missionary station acted as interpreter.

Captain Pollard's Address. Brothers-I beg your attention to a small talk in behalf of myself and my nation.

A few years ago, brothers, we received a kind request from the good Society in New York, to permit your Missionaries to reside with us. We now return thanks to that Society and to you. I am thankful that I have been preserved on my journey, and that I am now in good health. I feel, brothers, that it was the immediate hand of God that prospered me on my journey, and I feel thankful to see you, for you have done much good for my nation.

Brothers-1 would recal your minds, for a few moments, to the situation of our forefathers, when their only support was procured by the bow and arrow. Then, this land was theirs--it was the property of our fathers.

At that time, brothers, they knew nothing of the Lord Jesus, who died on the cross; they worshipped the sun, moon, and stars. Since God sent us his ministers, we have come to the light, and we thank you most heartily for what you have done for us.

Brothers--You know that once the land you now enjoy was ours. You have driven us back; and unless you now interpose your aid, we shall be driven still farther back.

Brothers--I promised you my talk should be short. It shall be so-but listen a little longer.

Brothers-You know our situation at home. Our councils are divided: some are still worshipping their unknown gods. You have assisted us-and, in behalf of my nation, I implore a continuance of your kindness.

Brothers--This is all I have to say in behalf of my nation. For myself, I beg your prayers. I was once in darkness, but I now hope that darkness has fled away.

Brothers-Although I believe God has wrought a good work in me, I would not say I am near perfection. I sin every day --I crucify the Lord afresh. I therefore beg your prayers.

Mr. Crane, who was for many years a Missionary among the Tuscarora tribe, made a few closing remarks, and in alluding to Captain Pollard, who had just sat down, observed, that he had long known

him, that he had seen him in the council with Red-Jacket-that he saw him when conviction first rested on his mind; that he saw him when he first experienced a change of heart; that he had often seen him since, and he had no doubt of the genuineness of his profession.

UNITED DOMESTIC MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

The second Anniversary of the United Domestic Missionary Society was celebrated at the City Hotel, 12th May, by the members of the Society, and a large concourse of ladies and gentlemen. Gen. Stephen Van Rensselaer, President of the Society, took the chair, supported by Governor Clinton and Chancellor Kent.

The Annual Report, which, like all the others that have been read, this week, was very long, was read by the Rev. Mr. Bruen. It was an able paper, no less important in matter than elegant in manner. But we must be excused from going into detail; more especially since so large a portion of our columns are this month devoted to the Report of the Foreign Missionary Society. Suffice it then to say, that the Report may be considered a most gratifying exposé of the labours of the Society. Notwithstanding the want of permanent funds, (the only reliance of the Society being upon dues of membership, supplies from Auxiliaries, and fortuitous contributions and donations,) the Society has in its employ one hundred and twenty ministers, who administer to the spiritual wants of one hundred and thirty churches. The plan upon which this Society has proceeded, is in one respect novel. It does not employ itinerant preachers: but whereever a little flock can be gathered together, such assistance is afforded them as will enable them to settle a minister. The Society, therefore, (as one of the reverend gentlemen, Dr. M'Auley, remarked in his address,) has not been got up for the support of the craft; for, said he, there is a strong suspicion of priestcraft abroad; but it has been organized to extend a helping hand to those Societies who are willing, but not able, to help themselves. The labours of the ministers in the service of the Society, have been singularly blessed the past year; and many revivals under their preaching, were referred to as decided evidences of the approbation of heaven. More than 600 persons, in their congregations, have been added to the visible church.

After the Report was read, his Excel