cannibals of any of the whole vast Archipelago of the Pacific Ocean, Christianity now universally prevails. Nearly one-half of the people are actual members of Protestant churches; the English military force has been wholly withdrawn, and good order is so prevalent in the islands that among a population of several hundred thousand but a few police officers are required, and their duties are simply nominal as far as the native population is concerned. The influx of coolies from Japan and China furnishes the only disturbing element to the usual good order of the islands.

The condition of affairs in Hawaii, or the Sandwich Islands, is so familiar, by reason of the recent discussions concerning those islands, that it is hardly necessary they should be mentioned. The islands have been transformed by the labors of Christian missionaries. Education has been introduced, and as a matter of fact the present government of the island is practically in the hands of the descendants and pupils of the missionaries. The Queen of Hawaii, who has recently been traveling through this country, was deposed on account of the corrupting and indecent character of her reign; and if the present government could be allowed to rule the island undisturbed by outside influences, and without being overwhelmed by the influence of coolies from Japan the future well being of the islands would be assured. What will be the issue of the present complications is more than can now be predicted. It certainly seems that the interests of the United States require that no foreign power should be allowed to become supreme in a group of islands which practically commands the whole Pacific coast of America and whose industries are so intimately identified with those of the United States.

With the favor of the authorities, with the docile character of the people, and with the blessing of God, Protestantism in the Pacific Islands, which has been passing through clouds and storms for the last decade and more, may now be considered to be assured of a splendid and prosperous future.

EDITORIAL NOTES

OOD NEWS FROM THE CONGO is received through a letter from Dr. Sims to Rev. J. C. Hyde, of Quaker Hill, Conn., formerly of the Congo Mission. The higher authorities of the Congo Free State have awakened to the misdeeds and cruelties of the subordinate officials, and are taking vigorous measures to secure better treatment of the natives. Dr. Sims writes: "The state is doing better toward us and the natives; officers and traders are being constantly punished. This is cheering intelligence to those who have been acquainted with the unbridled license formerly shown by the lower officials of the Congo State toward the natives and the missionaries who sought to befriend them. We rejoice that a new era of safety and freedom from oppression has come in for the native Congo people.

HE IMPORTANCE OF THE CONGO RIVER is nowhere more clearly shown

of its discovery upon development of the continent

of Africa. Henry M. Stanley's journey "Through the Dark Continent" from Bagamoyo to Banana was not the first journey across Africa. Livingstone crossed the continent from Loanda on the west coast to Quilimane on the east, in 1854-56, but it did not arouse the world to the merits and magnitude of the continent. Again Lieutenant Cameron crossed Africa from Bagamoyo to Catumbella in 1873-75. He even followed the Luallaba down to Nyangwe, but then left the mighty river, and pushed southwest across the country, thus missing the grandest opportunity of his life. It was left for Stanley to follow the mysterious river to its mouth, to solve the famous problem of the source of the Nile, and to open the easiest route to the great and unknown interior of Africa. In the twenty years since he emerged from the darkness of Central Africa what tremendous strides ! Already has the continent been crossed nineteen times in various directions. The whole territory is partitioned among European nations; the export of slaves is almost extinct, and vast progress has been made in the civilizing and Christianizing of the whole people of Africa.

HE CONGO RAILWAY has wrought a revolution, although not yet completed. From the adoption of the Congo Mission in 1884, the chief difficulty in its management has been the matter of transport. There is no money currency in the interior, and nearly all the supplies for the missionaries must be sent out from England or America. As there have been no roads, no vehicles, nor even beasts of burden that could be used in transporting these goods to the interior, everything must be carried by caravans of men. This mode of transport has been slow, uncertain, troublesome, and very costly. Dr. Sims writes: "Now that the railway is at Tumba all our transport troubles are at an end. The state leaves us in peace. There are plenty of carriers for all. All the French government things come up on this (the south) side now, and those for the French priests. In June a new station is to be opened at Kisanto, on this side of the Nkisi river, for the state only, not for others for a year or so." The extension of the railway is also gradually introducing the use of money currency among the natives, and the time seems to be at hand when the Congo Mission can be conducted with the simplicity and ease of our missions in Asia.

THE CONGO in

L'

IFE AMONG THE TELUGUS.-We have the pleasure of beginning in this number of the MAGAZINE a series of sketches of life among the Telugus, by Rev. A. A. Newhall, formerly an esteemed member of our American Baptist Telugu Mission in India, and at present Professor in Leland University, New Orleans, La. Professor Newhall will introduce us to the Telugus as a people, showing their personal characteristics, their family customs, their every-day life, telling us just what we want to know of the thousand and one details of the life of the Telugu people, which will bring them near to us and make vivid and life-like the accounts of missionary work for the Telugus which we read in the pages of this Magazine.

HE PHIL-AFRICAN LEAGUE was organized by Mr. Heli Chatelain in 1896 is a native of Switzerland, and like so many of the people of that multi-lingual land, is an accomplished linguist. From his young manhood it has been his great desire to do something to alleviate the sufferings of the people in Africa. In spite of ill health he offered himself as the linguist of Bishop Taylor's African mission, and while on the West coast did much literary work of value to all those interested in the welfare of Africa. Since his return to America he has organized this PhilAfrican League, which has for its purpose the acquisition of fertile agricultural lands from which slavery, intoxicating liquors, and other evils which afflict Africa shall be excluded, and the settlement on these lands of model Christian villages, which shall be refuges for slaves, and training schools in agriculture and other industrial occupations. An admirable choice has been made of the high and healthful table-lands between Benguela on the West coast, and Lake Nyassa, in the neighborhood of the watershed between the Zambesi and the Congo Basin. While the purpose of this enterprise is not strictly missionary, it is yet allied with all efforts for the best good of Africa and its people, and merits the good wishes of all lovers of Africa and the Africans.

HNIN AYE, the old Burmese lady of Tavoy who has recently given five

thousand rupees to the Missionary Union for the use of the Tavoy Burman Mission, died May 20, 1897, as we are informed by Rev. H. W. Hale, aged seventy-nine years. She had been in feeble health for a long time, and for nearly two months confined to her bed awaiting her release. Her faith in Christ was steadfast. Her end was peace.

DEA

EATH OF MRS. I. E. MUNGER.- The intelligence of the death of Mrs. Munger, which came by cable Aug. 24, will bring a shock of surprise and sorrow to many, not only in the immediate circle of her friends, but among those who had become interested in the career of herself and Mr. Munger in their labors in this country, and in their work as foreign missionaries upon which they have so recently entered. Mr. and Mrs. Munger were from Iowa, where he had served as College State Secretary of the Young Men's Christian Association, a work in which Mrs. Munger heartily and helpfully assisted. They sailed for Tura, Assam, last autumn, and were entering upon the work among the Garos with the brightest hopes when her career was cut short by the hand of death after but a short illness. Truly the ways of the Lord are "past finding out." We extend our most sincere sympathy to our bereaved brother, and to the mourning friends in America.

THE

THE DEATH OF MRS. J. M. CARVELL brings a double sorrow to the Mission in Assam. Unlike Mrs. Munger, who had just reached the field, Mrs. Carvell had given several years of valuable and highly appreciated labor to the cause of Christ among the heathen. As Miss Laura A. Amy, of Minneapolis, Minn., she was appointed a missionary July 7, 1890, to be supported by the Woman's Baptist Foreign Missionary Society of the West, and labored at Nowgong, Assam, under the auspices of that society until Aug. 3, 1895, when she was married to Rev. J. M. Carvell, and joined him in work among the Mikir tribe to the south of Nowgong. They retained their home in Nowgong until within the last year, when with great fortitude and self-sacrifice a new station was opened at a place which they called "Observatory Hill," located right among the wild people for whose salvation they desired to labor. From the first, cheering tokens of good attended their labors, and on July 11 the hearts of the missionaries were made glad by the baptism of the first three believing and rejoicing converts, and the Lord's Supper was devoutly observed for the first time among the Mikir hills. How soon is the rejoicing replaced by sorrow! We are without details, as the only intelligence is by a postal telegram dated Bombay, Aug. 4. Our sincere sympathy is with the bereaved husband, the mission circle and the friends in America.

MRS.

RS. HELEN L. BEECHER, widow of Rev. J. S. Beecher, formerly missionary at Bassein, Burma, died in Wrights, California, June 10, 1897. Mrs. Beecher was born in England, but came to America in her youth. In 1856 she was married to Mr. Beecher and joined him in his labors in the great Karen Mission at Bassein. By the failure of Mr. Beecher's health they were obliged to start for America in 1866, but he died in England. Mrs. Beecher passed the remainder of her life in the United States, always interested in the missionary work and always helpful to its interests as her opportunities allowed. It is an interesting illustration of the family interest in missions to note that Mrs. Beecher was a sister of Mrs. Mabie, wife of the present Home Secretary of the Missionary Union.

PERSONAL.

ERSONAL. Rev. Thomas Adams of Leopoldville, Congo Free State, arrived in Boston Aug. 2, for rest and the recovery of health. Rev. E. T. Welles and Miss Gertrude M. Welles, brother and sister, sailed from Boston July 24 for Banza Manteke, Congo.. Rev. Elbert Chute and wife sailed from Boston Aug. 25, returning to their interesting work at Palmur, India. — Rev. W. F. Thomas, with Mrs. Thomas, sailed from Boston Sept. 1, to resume his duties in the Theological Seminary at Insein, Burma. Also Rev. D. C. Gilmore and wife, to take charge of the Karen work at Tavoy, Burma. The golden wedding of Rev. I. J. Stoddard and wife, formerly missionaries in Assam, but now of Pella, Iowa, was celebrated on Aug. 23 by a large gathering of friends from all parts of the country. An oil portrait of Mr. Stoddard was presented to the Central University of Iowa, as a memorial of the event. By an error Rev. J. H. Scott and wife of Osaka, Japan, are put in the Annual Report of the Missionary Union as being in America. They are still actively engaged in their good work in Osaka.

WAMI VIVEKANANDA, who has become the great prophet of the Revival of Hinduism, was educated at the Church of Scotland Missionary Institution, at Calcutta, and first brought into prominent notice by the Parliament of Religions at Calcutta. Without the training of the one, and the impulse and standing given him by the other, he could never have been qualified for the commanding position to which he has come. It will take an immense amount of good to offset the injury to the Christian religion done by this one man, fitted for his harmful work by institutions founded and fostered by Christian men.