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to guard the place; and almost every Bullom-house has some representation of Satan. Before the stolenia devil's houses, which are small what thatched huts, 3 or 4 feet high, the blood of animals is sprinkled, a lisobation of palm wine poured out, and an offering of fruit and rice occasionally made. The Bulloms believe in a state of existence after death, and erect huts over the graves of the dead, in which they place a jug or two to supply the spirits of the deceased with what they want when they come out, as abut they suppose they do, at different times.

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In 1818, the Rev. Mr. Nylander, having resigned his situation as chaplain at Sierra Leone, for the en purpose of commencing a missionary station among the Bulloms, had fixed his residence at a place called Yongroo Pomoh, which is described, by the Rev. C. Bickersteth, as "pleasantly situated at the mouth of the Sierra Leone R., nearly opposite to Free Town, and about 7 miles from it." Here he opened a school; and by the suavity of his manners, and the consistency of his conduct, so effectually conciliated the respect and esteem of the natives, that a considerable number of them were induced to place their children under his tuition. Even the king of Bullom entrusted one of his sons to the care of this excellent missionary; but the young prince had not been long in the seminary before he died. "After he was dead," says Mr. Nylander, "the people were going to ask him, according to their custom, who had killed him: but I was very glad that, after long reasoning in opposition to their opinions, they were satisfied that he had not fallen a victim to the arts of any witch or gregree; but that God, who gave him life at first, had now called him home, to be with him, in a good and happy place:

and I assured his friends, that if they would begin to pray to God, they would once more meet him in that place, and rejoice with him for ever, As I stated my belief that God had killed him, I was allowed to bury him, in white man's fashion,' and the king gave me a burying-place separate from their

own.

"It is lamentable," says the same writer, in another communication, "that the Bulloms should have been left so long without any religious instruction. They live in gross darkness, worshipping evil spirits, and dealing very cruelly with each other, on account of their superstitious witchcraft; which, perhaps, was encouraged by the inhuman traffic in slaves. If any slave ship had been permitted to appear in the Sierra Leone R., about 15 or more witches would have been sold, and sent off for the coast, since I have been at Bullom." The following facts will exhibit some of their superstitions in an affecting manner.

"A young man, named Jem Kambah, was employed by me, and attended pretty regularly on our family and public worship. Going one day to visit his mother, she gave him two small smooth stones, which she had laid by for that purpose; telling him to wash them every day, and rub them with oil; and that then they would take care of him, and he would prosper-because they were two good spirits. 'Mother,' said he, these are stones, how can they take care of me? I hear the white man at Yongroo Pomoh telling us that God. alone can help us, and that all our gregrees (charms) are good for nothing. These stones can do me no good: I will, therefore, look to God, and beg him to take care of me.' Thus saying, he threw the stones into the fire, as unworthy of notice.

against him; and said, 'I will drink the red water to clear my self, and to bring my family out of the blame-and I hope God will help me.' I advised him to pray, and to consider well what he was going to do.

"This was a heinous sacrilege; and, on his mother acquainting her friends with it, they sharply reproved him; and told him that, by thus acting, he would make the devil angry, and would bring mischief upon the country. He assured them, however, that he would pay no more attention to any of their customs, but would listen to what he heard at Yongroo Pomoh.

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"A day before the trial, Jem was confined; and persons of both par ties, his friends and enemies, questioned him, and urged him to confess every thing he had done evil. At last the day came; he was carried to the place of execu tion, stripped of his clothes, and had some plantain leaves tied round his waist. About two tea-spoonfuls of white rice had been given to him in the morning; and if this rice were thrown up with the red water, it was to prove him innocent. Jem now ascended the scaffold, and drank 8 calabashes (about 4 quarts) of red water, which was administered to him as fast as he could swallow it. He threw all up again, with the rice which he had eaten in the morning; but, as he fainted before he could get down from the scaffold, it was said that some witch-palaver must be left in his stomach, because the devil wrestled with him; and he was requested to drink the water again. This, however, he refused; observing that he had merely drank it in the first instance to please his accusers, and to shew that he was no witch. A few days afterward he came to work again, and the business was dropped; but Jem did not appear so serious, nor did he so regularly attend on public wor ship, as before."

"One Sabbath, after divine service, Jem again went to see his mother, and met the people dancing, and trying some persons for witchcraft. He told them that it was the Lord's day, and that they should not dance, but go to Yongroo Pomoh, to hear what the white man had to say. And then,' he added, you will leave off all dancing and witch-palavers, which are nothing but the work of the devil.' This speech, together with the throwing of the stones into the fire, affronted them so much, that they threatened to punish him; and, the next morning, he was summoned before the king, and accused of having made a witch-gun, and concealed it in his house, for the purpose of killing and injuring his inmate. Jem replied-'I never saw a witch-gun, and do not know how to make one. He, therefore, who told you this, did not speak the truth. He was urged to acknowledge it, and then the whole palaver would have an end.

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The poor creature whose case is next narrated, had not the cou rage of Kambah, but was terrified into the confession of an imaginary crime, in order to save herself from the further cruelty of her persecutors.

No, said he, I cannot tell a lie merely to please you.' He was then called upon to prove his innocence, by rubbing his arm with a red-hot iron, or by drinking red water; but he coolly replied "I am no fool, to burn myself with the hot iron; and as for the red water palaver, I shall look in my head first ;' meaning that he should take time to consider the matter. He afterwards came to me, and told me the charges which had been brought

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out of the stocks-and so I left them. But the relations of the person dangerously ill began to question the supposed witch, and gave her a severe whipping; and the woman, at length, confessed that she had bewitched her.

said, "lander," that there was a woman very ill with the small-pox, and family that another woman, who had just ope Gefallen ill of the same disease, had him to bewitched her. I visited the sick what be woman first, and found her dangerJously ill; afterwards I went to the place where the supposed witch, "The doctor was now called in of oth named Dumfurry, was lying in to examine the sick person, and he, and ener chains, under a tree, in a high in his turn, by pretended witchrgel fever the small-pox just coming craft, pretended to take out of the out. I begged the people to re- woman's head, 1. A worm, called, catlease her, and to let her lie down in Sierra Leone, the forty foot of es comfortably in a house; but they 2. A small bag, containing the inlothes said they could not do it, I must struments of a witch-such as a tiedna speak to the head man of the town, knife, a spoon, a basin, &c.; 3. A. tear the king not being at home. I ap-snail; 4. A rope; and, 5, the smallengeplied to him, but he refused; alnd if t leging that she was a bad woman, the who had been in the Sheerong (a innoce sort of purgatory, where the evil spirits dwell, and whither the sup(aposed witches resort), where she ict bought the small-pox, and, by witchcraft, brought the disease upon this woman.

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"If she be so skilful,' I said, (you can make money by her. Loose her, and let her go this night again to the Sheerong, and bring the small-pox, in order to witch the small-pox upon me; and if I catch the disease, I will pay you ten bars. One said that I had had them, and therefore she could not bring them on me. 6 Why,' said I, if she be a witch, she can cause a stick to have the small-pox tomorrow; and if she knew any thing the of witchcraft, she would not stand before you to be flogged, but would bind you all, that you could not catch her. She knows nothing, however, about witch-palaver, and, your dealing so hardly with her, you do extremely wrong, and displease God.'

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"As the poor creature could not be loosed without the consent of the sick woman's husband, I sent for him; and, after some time, he consented that she should be taken

pox!! The witch was then whipped a second time, and asked whether she had not put all these things into the head of the woman, who was now almost dead. She.con

fessed it; and brought forward a man and two women, as having joined with her to kill this woman. The man said that he knew nothing of witchcraft, and consented to prove his innocence by drinking the red water. The two females were whipped, and sent to work; and the principal one was to be put to death, as soon as the sick woman should die. Till then, Dumfurry, the supposed witch, was appointed to guard the sick person, and to drive the flies from her."

"I oppose these foolish witch accusations," says Mr. N. "whereever I can; and numbers of the Bulloms, especially the younger ones, see plainly that it is the power of darkness and ignorance which works upon the minds of the old people; but they dare not say a word in opposition to this evil practice, for fear of being themselves immediately accused of witchcraft."

Among these benighted people, Mr. Nylander continued to labour for a considerable time, with the most unwearied patience and un

remitting zeal; and, in addition to
the instruction of the children
placed in his school, and the preach-

selves bonnets of a species of grass adapted to this purpose. Scarcely a woman was to be seen in the con

ing of the truth, he translated|gregation without a bonnet, or a man the four Gospels, the epistles of without a hat, of this simple manu St. John, the morning and even- facture. A printing-establishment ing prayers of the Church of Eng- was formed here, and 5000 copies land, some hymns, and several of the Gospel by Matthew, and elementary books, into the Bul- 3000 of that by John, in the Ta lom language. In 1818, how- heitan language, printed; which ever, the pernicious influence of were received by the natives with the slave trade rendered the prospect the greatest avidity. Mr. Bourne of success more dark and distant having, soon after, removed from than ever, and the mission was this station, Mr. Darling continued consequently abandoned; Mr. N. his zealous exertions, attended by retiring into the colony with the the most encouraging success. greater part of the pupils, who, at that time, were under his instruc

tion.

BURDERS POINT, a station in the district of Atehuru, in the N. E. part of Tabeite.

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proof of the peaceful influence of m the Gospel must also be mentioned.

In the middle of 1823, the number of the baptized had increased to 751,4 of whom 411 were adults; that of candidates for baptism was 15. The church consisted of 50 members, in and there were 10 candidates for m In 1821, the Rev. Mr. Bourne admission. Among the latter wasted joined. Mr. Darling, who had com- a man named Maiohaa, who was An menced a mission to the Orapoas; formerly distinguished by taking the a the inhabitants of this district, and lead in acts of rebellion, and whose the station ultimately formed, as- office it was to recite all the ancient t sumed the above-mentioned name. speeches of war. Others, once Public religious services had been atrocious transgressors, had recenter regularly kept up from the timely died in the Lord. A striking of Mr. Darling's arrival. About 300 adults had been carefully examined, and 200 children had been baptized. Of the former, 21 were admitted to the Lord's Supper, and the rest were under instruction as candidates for communion. Schools had also been established, both for adults and children. They contained, at this time, of the former, 386; of the latter, 230. At another place, in the same district, there was a school, which contained about 80, chiefly adults. A large and commodious place of worship, in the English style, had been built, in the erection of which the natives cheerfully assisted. The natives were likewise, in some degree, inured to industry. Mrs. Bourne and Mrs. Darling had taught the females to make them

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During the early part of the pre-ki vious year, some mischievous perand sons having raised a report, tending to excite war between the people atte inhabiting the districts of Atehuru and Pare, those of the former dis. Se trict came to Mr. Darling, and declared that they would not take up arms-that they would not fight with their countrymen, as they had formerly done, as they had now received the Gospel of peace, and were become brethren in the Gospel. The greatness of the change will be felt, when it is remembered that, before the overthrow of idolatry, the Atehuruans were notorious for violence, and had delighted in war and bloodshed for ages unknown. The schools, in July, 1823, 108

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number of adults' baptized was 427; of children, 416. Total number of communicants, 141. Several more were candidates for church fellowship; 32 had been added to the

church during the year; 3 had incurred censure, but none had been excluded; and, during the same period, 9 had been married.

BURDWAN, a town of Hindoostan in Bengal, capital of a district which is the first in rank for agricultural riches in all India. It is seated near the Dummooda, 58 m. N. W. of Calcutta. E. long. 87° 57', N. lat. 23o 15'.

At the close of the year, 1816, the Corresponding Committee at Calcutta, connected with the C. M. S., received a communication from Lieut. Stewart, stationed at Burdwan, proposing an extensive plan of native schools at and near that place. Three schools-in Burdwan, and at Lackoody, and Ryan -were accordingly taken under the society's care. With the concurrence of the committee, the plan was afterwards extended, and additional schools opened.

8 species contained 126 boys and 121 girls; rpose. 45 natives performed the part of seen in to teachers in the schools, of whom abonnet 15 were women. Subsequent rehis sing ports assure us that, in both a civil g-estate and religious point of view, the afand 5: fairs of this station are prospering. Mather From that of 1827, it appears that an hn, in endemic had been very prevalent. printet It had carried off 13 adults and 14 he natie children. Among the deceased was Ma truly pious and devoted deacon of the church, who had wished to go ling cents as a teacher to some of the surroundating islands, but no opportunity had Succes occurred for that purpose. He died 3, the in peace. Of the children who derese parted, two or three of the boys ult; gave pleasing evidence of a spiritual ral change. Several of those who, after having professed Christianity, had returned to their former evil e lat ways, had given proofs of repentance. Among the rest was the father of a family, whose children and attended the mission school. It seems that his compunction was awakened, by observing his children's attention directed to that which is good, while he himself was living in sin. The weekly meet- Of the state of the Burdwan etings were numerously and regularly schools, an impartial observer tesattended. The day-schools, fortifies, under date of Aug. 28th, adults and children, were in a flourishing state. At the Sabbathschool the attendance was good, and the progress of the children was pleasing. Several books had been printed. The Tahitian public library for the Windward Islands, formed at this station, had been enriched by many presents. A new mission-house, a very commodious school-house, and several good dwelling-houses, had been erected. A new road bad been made, and, throughout the district, the people were engaged in making plantations of taro, &c. &c.; and several pious men had given themselves up to the work of the Lord among the surrounding islands. The total

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1817:"1 am at Burdwan, in the house of Lieut. Stewart, an officer in the company's service. If every missionary did as much as he has done, and is doing, for the cause of civilization and religion, he need be in no fear as to his reputation with those who employ him. He has done wonders in this neighbourhood, in regard to education." The number of schools was soon after increased to 10, in which about 1000 children were taught the Bengalee language, by the new method so successfully adopted in Europe, with judicious modifications and improvements by Lieut. Stewart. The places at which they were built, in addition to those

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