Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

enced $1

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

2 balk

of ote

Dep

EIM

[ocr errors]

EIM

since baptized, and, as far as appears, behaves consistently. A Benevolent Society, superintended by Mrs. Henry, has been instituted among the native females, with whom she keeps up her conversation meetings as formerly.-A good mission-house, 60 feet by 31, has been

In the following year, the buildings and various apparatus of the cotton factory were completed. On the 1st of March, Mr. Armitage, its superintendent, received the first supply of native cotton, collected by members of the Tahitian A. S. On the 5th of July, the operation of carding was com-built by the natives for Mr. Henry, menced; on the 26th of Sept. that of warping the first web; and on the 30th, the process of weaving. The natives, who were incredulous as to the possibility of producing cloth from cotton, were highly gratified by receiving ocular demonstration of the fact. Since that period, the adult and children's schools have considerably increased as to number, and improved as to diligent application. All the learners are divided into classes, and ranged under proper teachers. Both the schools are now under Mr. Henry's superintendence; Mr. Armitage's engagements, in conOnexion with the cotton factory,

the

having rendered it necessary that The should relinquish the boys' school. Mrs. Henry has taken the girls' school at Bunnell's Place, under her immediate charge.

The number baptized at this station is 10 adults and 38 children. Members added to the church, 31. The whole number in communion, in May, 1825, was 270: in 1825-6, five of the members removed by death; two of them were very happy, and the others with a good hope. During the same period, 3 of the members were excluded; of whom 1, on repentance, has been restored. A Raiatean, who, about two years ago, had acquired undue influence over the minds of some of the judges in Eimeo, and had begun to use it to the prejudice of the missionaries, has become, Mr. Henry hopes, a sincere convert. He came voluntarily to the missionary, and acknowledged his criminal conduct, professed repentance, has been

who receives, from time to time, many proofs of their attachment and affection. The people here, urged by the privations and sufferings they have endured from the scarcity of the preceding season, have fenced a considerable extent of ground, and brought it into cultivation.-The cotton factory is still under the direction of Mr. Armitage. It has met with many difficulties, arising from local circumstances; but, under more favourable auspices, no doubt as to its success is entertained. A quantity of strong calico, preferred by the natives to that brought by vessels touching at the islands, has been manufactured.

There is another station of the L. M. S. on this island, at Bogue's Harbour, called Griffin Town, where the Rev. Mr. Örsmond la

bours.

In 1825-8, the buildings of the South Sea Academy were completed: 17 pupils were received; all, with the exception of the young king Pomarre, then about 7 years of age, children of the missionaries, for whose benefit the institution was founded. The natives also erected a chapel, which was opened on the 8th of May, 1825. Two native schools, one for adults and another for children, were likewise formed, and placed under the care of native teachers.-In 1826, the number of youths in the academy, including the young king Pomarre (who departed this life on the 11th of January, 1827, after a few days' illness), was 27. The result of an examination was satisfactory.

Mr. and Mrs. Blossom, with the

strangers celebrated the following new year's festival. In the beginning of Feb. 1826, the settlement had 70 inhabitants, and the gar dens were in a flourishing state: the third crop of beans, within months, was in forwardness on the same piece of ground. Brother Luttring had greatly improved their mill, which was resorted to from all quarters. He also attends to a daily school for the children of the settlement, and to a Sundayschool for those of slaves, Hot. tentots, and farmers. Of the state of this mission he gives the follow

full concurrence of the missionaries, removed from Blest Town to Bogue's Harbour, to take the general superintendence of the external affairs of the academy; by this arrangement Mr. and Mrs. Orsmond have been enabled to devote much more of their time and attention to the work of tuition. Notwithstanding some instances of exclusion during the past year, the church under Mr. Orsmond's care is in a flourishing state. He preaches 3 or 4 times during the week, and the congregation attends with commendable regularity. Mr. O. continues, as far as bising account:-"Our neighbours duties in connexion with the academy will allow, to engage, beside his public ministry at the station, in general missionary services. He has prepared a Catechism and a small book of Exercises, in Tahitian; also a dictionary of that language, which is nearly finished. He has also translated several portions of the Bible into Tahitian. The people of the station are laudably engaged in building dwelling-prey." houses, and making gardens for themselves; in which labours they would have made greater progress, had they not latterly employed a portion of their time in the erection of the chapel at Blest Town, of which they have performed a moiety of the stone work.

are friendly and well disposed towards us; externally we have no cause for complaint. As to the spiritual course of our small congregation, we may with truth assert, that the blessing of God our Saviour attends our labours; thought it cannot be denied, that Satan also endeavours to set his snares in the way, when souls are awakened EM by the Gospel, fearing to lose his

The marriages, at the two missionary stations in Eimeo, during 1825-6, were 10.

terly

te se

ELLIOTT, a station of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, among the Choctaws, within the chartered side limits of Mississippi, about 100 m. from the northern line, and near the middle of the state from E. to W.

It is near the Yalo Busha Creek, about 40 m. above its junc tion with the Yazoo; 400 m. W. S. W. Brainerd, and 145 N. E. Walnut Hills. W. long. 89° 50′, N. lat. 33° 30'. By means of the Yalo Busha, Yazoo, and Mississippi, it has a communication with New Orleans.

ELIM, first called Fogelstringskraal, a settlement of the United Brethren on New Year's River, near Cape Aiguallas, 10 or 12 hours' ride S. E. from Gnadenthal, 8 E. from Hemel en Aarde, which last is 7 hours S. W. from Gnadenthal; the 3 settlements thus forming the points of a triangle, each being a day's journey, on horseback, from the other. The first adult heathen was baptized here on Oct. 9, 1825. About 200

[ocr errors]

The Rev. Cyrus Kingsbury and Mr. L. S. Williams commenced this station in an entire wilderness, in 1818: they were soon joined by others. In April, 1819, a school was opened, which consisted of about 60 pupils at the end of the year; all boarded in the family.

dous Messrs

4.D

mec

Bard of

Msions

2. A

s for t

open

able

ENGL

Bengal,

of Ca

About

[blocks in formation]

ted In 1822 the number was 80; but ahit was diminished in 1823. The 6, the school is conducted on the Lancasterian plan, and the pupils have dr generally made very satisfactory beas progress. The annual allowance made to this school by the government of the United States, may average 1000 dollars; beside 2000 er dollars for the erection of buildings. In 1822, the property, consisting the of 70 acres of improved land, well stocked, and having convenient d buildings, amounted to 15,490 dʊl02 lars. A church was organized,

[ocr errors]

March 28th, 1819.

Mr. Byington has devoted much time in reducing to four the elewements of the Choctaw language. This station was named Elliott, in honour of the Rev. John Elliott, the who, in the first settlement of New of England, laboured much for the urs salvation of the natives, and transthelated the Bible into one of their languages.

EMMAUS, sometimes called Long Prairies, about 140 m. S. easterly from Mayhew,near the line which separates Mississippi from Alabama, and about 2 m. from the white settlements at the S., on the E. side of Buckatunnee Creek, among the Choctaws, in the most populous clan in the S. E. district.

Messrs. M. Jewell, schoolmaster, A. Dyer, farmer, and A. Gleason, mechanic, from the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, were stationed here in 1822. After erecting suitable buildings for the establishment, a school was opened, July, 1823, with favourable prospects.

ENGLISH BAZAR, a town in Bengal, near Malda, about 170 m. N. of Calcutta.

About 1815, Kristnoo, a native convert of the Bapt. Mission, removed from Goamalty to this place, and laboured with some success in this and the neighbouring towns and villages.

ENNIS, a borough of Ireland; capital of Clare county, in which the W. S. has a missionary.

ENON, a station of the United Brethren, upwards of 500 m. E. of Cape Town, in the district of Uitenhagen, Cape Colony, S. Africa, near Algoa Bay. The brethren commenced their efforts, in 1818, for the benefit of the Hottentots, with the best prospects of success; the government having assisted them in procuring land for a settlement; but early in 1819, the predatory Caffres came upon it, and drove off 235 head of cattle. Not content with this, they barbarously murdered 9 of the Christian Hottentots, and the station was broken up. Most of the stock was, however, retaken, and missionary labour was resumed. the rapid and interesting improve. ments subsequently made, an accurate idea may be formed from the following remarks of the Rev. H. P. Hallbeck, contained in a letter dated Nov. 30, 1821:

Of

"What I felt at the first sight of this village of the Lord, no language is able to describe: I had, indeed, been informed of the changes that had taken place here since I first witnessed its beginnings; but even the lively descriptions given in brother Schmidt's letters, presented things much more faintly than I now saw them with my own eyes. The wilderness and the impenetrable thicket of 1819 were still present to my imagination. Judge, therefore, of my surprise, when I saw that wilderness transformed into fruitful gardens; that thicket extirpated, and a fine vineyard planted in its place; the lurking places of tigers destroyed, and in their stead the comfortable habitations of men erected. Imagine my heartfelt pleasure, when on the spot where two years ago we knelt down in the fresh track of an elephant, and offered

which lie in a line with our com land, is entirely swept away. The poor people had been very diligent in planting, and it was a pleasure to see every thing was thriving; but now all is carried away, and a of stones covers the ground! Much as these misfortunes afflict us, how ever, we have great reason to thank God that we have built just on this spot; for there is not so safe a place along the whole river, in case of floods. Had we built on the old place, we must have fled to the hills; for nearly all, from one hill to the other, was under water."

up our first prayer, I now found a beautiful orange tree, adorned at once with ripe fruit and fragrant blossoms; and when, shortly after my arrival, I was invited to tea under the huge yellow tree, in the shade of which, but lately, there were no assemblies but those of wild buffaloes, elephants, and other dreaded inhabitants of the desert. You used to say, that every tree and shrub planted at Gnadenthal was an ornament, not only to the place, but to the Gospel; and you may say, with equal truth, that every tree and thorn-bush which is extirpated here, to make room for more useful plants, is not so much a proof of the strength of the human arm, as of the efficacy of God's holy word; for by its influence the work was accomplished. It is certainly more than I had expected, to find here a piece of ground nearly 3 times as large as the great garden at Gnadenthal, cleared, levelled, and laid out as a garden and vineyard for the missionaries, besides about 40 gardens of the Hottentots; and all this done amidst a variety of other needful work, and even in the most distressing times."

Needed relief was, however, ulti mately afforded, and the cause of truth and righteousness flourished. During the year 1824, there were baptized 15 adults and 13 children: 9

persons were received into the congregation, and 12 were ad mitted to the Holy Communion. At the close of the year, the num bers were as follows:-28 baptized adults, of whom 72 are communi cants; 82 baptized children: in all, 210 persons. Besides these, there were 29 candidates for baptism, and 89 new people and children. Total of inhabitants, 328 persons, In Sept. 1825, brother Schmidt says:

"Enon has been so much enlarged, and in every respect im proved, within these few years, that I am often excited to joy and thankfulness towards our gracious God and Saviour, by whose protection, grace, and blessing, the work has been founded and main.

Other proofs of the power of religion were soon visible. Although for two years the people, generally speaking, did not taste a morsel of bread-for it was not to be procured in any way-they did not lose their confidence in their heavenly Father, but said, "He who did not abandon us in our most dreadful distress during the Caffre war, will not forsake us now. Their circum-tained. stances continued to be very distressing in the latter end of 1823, in consequence of a great flood, as appears from a letter written by Mrs. Schmidt, Nov. 2, in which she

[blocks in formation]

He has, indeed, fulfilled the promise. Jer. xxxiii. 12."

EU

[ocr errors]

was

1910

The

inted i

e of

stance

[blocks in formation]

"As to their external support, the Hottentots find Enon, by the blessing of God, a very eligible place to dwell in. Those that will work may earn their livelihood. Many who came hither without a farthing, and clothed in nothing but

a

kaross, have, by their industry, become possessed of cottages and

[blocks in formation]

gardens, though they were obliged, | with their own hands, to clear away the thicket before they could build or plant: they are likewise decently clothed. All this they effected at a time when no bread could be purchased for them. Though the increase, by the arrival of new comers, who obtained leave to live here, was very considerable, and most of them were very poor, none have suffered from hunger. Several of our inhabitants last year reaped good crops from their gardens. God has given to our own garden-grounds his blessing, and we have reaped an abundant crop of Indian corn, beans, and pumpkins, insomuch that we could supply many that had need. Of the latter fruit, we had about 4000, and by the kind gifts of our friends, our poors' box was able to lend much assistance. ""

EUSTATIA, ST. one of the least of the Caribbee islands, 10 m. N. W. of St. Christopher. It is a mountain in the form of a sugar loaf, whose top is hollow; yet, for its size, it is the most valuable of all the Caribbee islands. It was taken by the British in 1781, but was afterwards taken by the French, and restored to the Dutch in 1783. It was again taken by the British in 1810, and restored to the Dutch in 1814. It has a town of the same name, with a good fort. W. long. 63°5', N. lat. 17° 31'.

The number in the W. S., reported in 1821, was 323, under the care of one missionary. Several instances occurred about this time of the power of religion in reclaiming some of the most abandoned negroes, whose reformation, from the notoriety of their characters, made a great impression in favour of the value of Christian instruction. One instance was that of a negro who cut off his hand to be revenged upon his master, by disabling himself. An

other case is thus stated :-"I have on this island four places," says the Rev. Mr. French, "in each of which I preach once in the course of the week. The last of these was opened under the following peculiar circumstances: a slave belonging to a person on this island, had ran away from his master, and become a most notorious robber; and having got others to join him, he was ap pointed their captain. He resided with them in the mountains 14 months; but having been surprised while on one of his predatory ex cursions, he was taken and put in confinement. His master expostulated with him on his conduct; but the slave replied, that no one had cared for his religious concerns, and therefore he had been ignorant and wicked.

The master applied to me, and I told him that if he would suffer me to preach to his negroes, it would save him a great deal of trouble. I went to the robber, conversed with him, and left him apparently sorry for his past wickedness, and purposing to act very differently in future. The master offered me a large warehouse for worship, and has since fitted it up for that purpose. I preach in it to all his negroes, who, with his own family, and many others, attend from the neighbourhood. The late robber himself, I am happy to state, manifests a real change of life and heart, to the truth of which his master bears a pleasing testimony. He has been received as a scholar into our Sunday-school, and has since requested to be admitted on trial as a member of society.

Our excellent governor lately visited, with his secretary and a member of the council, the Sunday-school; and expressed his high satisfaction with the improvement of the children.

« FöregåendeFortsätt »