nothing but sin. · But again I consider that word that Jesus says, Fear not, little flock: it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom: I feel comfort from that word. I hope Jesus will save me, or I shall be lost!

Another Native Convert says

I am in trouble, but where can I go? Suppose I do bad to you, my Master, and I come to your gate for my rice when others come (alluding to the Government-rations which they receive)-you call me, and I run away; where can I go to? If I go to Leopold, my Master does not live there, and they will give me nothing: I must come back, for nobody else will help me: so, though I do sin against my God, where must I go to? If I leave Jesus, I have no other Master where I can go to: I must come back to Him, for He only can do me good.

A third thus expresses himself:

I stand like a man who live in the ship on the water: he put all his trust in the ship: he have nothing else: if that ship break, he must go in the water. So I stand: I trust in the Lord Jesus for all: if He no save me, I must perish for ever; and then it would have been better for me not to have been born.

Another made the following observation :

I have lately learned something from a child's teeth: the first teeth a child has, in due times come out, and others grow in their stead; but if any one lose one of their second teeth, it cannot grow again, but is lost for ever: so I learn that the body die, but if the soul, which is the second part of the man, is lost, it cannot be again recovered, but is lost for ever.

During his illness, Mr. Taylor derived much comfort from the prayers of one of the Christian Natives. Of this individual he writes

Being confined by sickness, he came to see me, and asked me WHERE I was sick. I told him it was fever. Immediately he kneeled down without being asked, and prayed for my recovery. Some of his petitions were to the following effect"O Lord, have mercy upon our poor servant whom thou hast sent to teach us! O Lord, we have no other to speak Thy Word to we. O Lord, make him well, that we may hear Thy Word from his mouth! O Lord, what we now do? No more him one live here to teach we. O Lord, make him well, that we may hear joy and gladness, and heal our broken bones!"

On another occasion he thus expressed himself:— O Lord, bless this Watchman, whom Thou hast put in this place! Enable him to cry to sinners, and to warn them to

turn from their sins! O Lord, make them to hear Thy Word from Thy Watchman! Make him to call them that are asleep, and may they hear the Watchman's voice and deliver their souls!

To an inquiry from Mr. Taylor, whether he had any message to send to the Society, this same individual replied

Tell them I thank them for the good thing they do in sending the Gospel to we poor people. First time, I was in darkness, ignorant of the True God and the way of Salvation : but now, by God's blessing on the Word since I have been here, I can say, I thank the Lord Jesus Christ He die, rise again, and intercede for sinners; and, though I am poor and needy, and got nothing to send to them, still I remember them, to pray for them to God to bless them, to comfort them, and do good to them and their children and their children's children. Tell them not to vex themselves because plenty of their people die in this country; but they must arise, and put on new garments, and send out more people to preach the Gospel to sinners: they must not tire: they must not be afraid to go and do God's will, and fight their king's enemies,

Leopold.

The Return of the Schools, under the superintendance of Mr. Davey, is as follows:

There has been a successive diminution in the number of Adults for the last five quarters, which is stated to have arisen from some of them having been struck off rations, while others considered themselves too old to receive instruction.

The place appointed for Public Worship, having been enlarged, was re-opened on Easter Sunday. The number of Communicants was 8; and this number continued the same at Michaelmas, and at the end of the year.

On the acquirement of industrious habits, Mr. Davey observes

The people here are as industrious as I can hope to see Africans. They cannot find a market for more than one.

fourth of their produce; but this will be remedied I hope, in future, by their attention being turned to those articles which are more in demand, and can be exported.

At Michaelmas, a favourable change in the outward behaviour of the inhabitants, with increased industry of habit, was reported.

The plan for the increase of Missionary Funds, adopted by Mr. Taylor, was suggested to Mr. Davey under the following circumstances:

This evening, being the First Wednesday in the month, we held our usual Monthly Missionary Prayer-Meeting: on which occasions I generally read and explain a few verses of Scripture relative to Missionary Exertions; and, afterward, some extracts from the Missionary Register, of the work which is going on in any part of the world, except Sierra Leone. It is delightful to see the interest manifested by those who attend, to hear all they can. In the course of this evening I read from the February Register (page 81) of the liberal contributions of the people of Huaheine; when it struck me that many were prevented from subscribing in this town for want of means. I therefore determined on receiving from those who were willing-hearted, any part of the produce of their farms, which it might be in my power to dispose of without involving myself in any fresh secular concerns. The people appeared, at once, to fall in with the plan. The next morning I mentioned it to Br. Taylor: it met with his approbation: and he, with myself, adopted it immediately.

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The operation of this measure at Leopold is thus described by Mr. Davey. Many of the people came this morning to cast their mites into the treasury; and I received this day 209 bushels of Cassada, at 9d. per bushel, value 71. 16s. 9d." And a few days afterwards, he adds, "The total quantity of Cassada given, up to this day, is 288 bushels, value

10. 16s."

Mr. Davey, in his Journal, on the 9th of June 1824, remarks

I attended the Quarterly Sessions; and was happy to find, as usual, that the Calendar was small, and that none from the Villages of Liberated Africans were among the number.

The Midsummer Return is imperfect: there was then an increase of Girls, from the arrival of a captured Slave Vessel. Mr. and Mrs. Gerber continue to labour usefully here. Mr. Metzger observes

Br. Gerber's people appear to be much attached to him; and he has, in his Ministerial Office, striking proofs of God's gracious influence on some of their minds, which much en*courage him.

At a subsequent period, however, he himself remarks

Divine Service, as well on Sundays as Week-days, is kept, as it is usual in other Stations; yet I am sorry to say that our Congregations are but small, and it often pains my mind to see so many empty seats.

The people, in general, pay but little attention to the Word of God; yet I find them more quiet than when I first met them.

Mr. Gerber, in common with some others of the Brethren, has been compelled, in addition to his own immediate sphere, to labour in the neighbouring Stations. From the departure of Mr. Düring, up to Lady-Day, he had married 128 couple, and baptized 31 Children, belonging to other Settle

ments.

At Michaelmas, Mr. Gerber reported, that Divine Service was better attended, and that there were 15 Communicants. The Children in the Schools, also, were much improved.

In a recent communication, it is stated that Mr. Gerber was about to remove to the Banana Islands; from whence he would be able occasionally to visit the Plantains, York, and Kent.

Regent.

On the departure of the late Mr. Johnson from Sierra Leone for this Country, in the Spring of 1823, Mr. and Mrs. Norman were entrusted with the charge of Regent; but the state of their health also requiring a change of climate, Mr. and Mrs. Lisk removed thither at the following Christmas, from Waterloo, to superintend the instruction of the Settlement; while Mr. Reffell, the Colonial Secretary,

undertook, for a time, the management of the secular concerns. Within a short period, Mrs. Lisk became incapable of maintaining her post of labour, and was, in consequence, compelled to return to her native country.

The duties connected with the Christian Institution proving too laborious for Mr. Norman in addition to his other numerous avocations, one of the Native Youths was deputed to take charge of it; and remained thus employed until the arrival of Mr. Lisk, when he was removed to Waterloo.

David Noah and William Davis, two of the Native Teachers connected with Regent, have rendered essential service in their respective departments there, while William Tamba has been labouring at Gloucester.

In the Rev. Henry Brooks, appointed, as before mentioned, to this Settlement, the Committee hope to find a Pastor whose heart is engaged in the arduous work before him, and who will faithfully and diligently feed the flock of Christ.

With a supply of Labourers thus frequently changed, and very inadequate to the wants of this interesting and important Station, it cannot excite surprise that unfavorable consequences should have followed. When, indeed, the extent of its population, and the variety of its Ministerial and Secular Duties, are considered, the ground of astonishment is, that the inhabitants of this Settlement should have been carried forward so rapidly as they were, by their late beloved Pastor, in civilization and religious attainment; a fact, which can only be accounted for, under the Divine Blessing, from the peculiar power which he possessed of winning the affections and inspiring the confidence of the people. During the nine months of Mr. Norman's retaining the charge of Regent, the people, attached to him from long intercourse, and his kindred disposition to their venerated Minister, were regular and attentive, and, in various ways, manifested much regard both to him and Mrs. Norman. Many proofs of this are