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went on shore literally with their bibles and their lives in their bands! However, God gave them favour in the sight of the people, and they soon came on board again for their clothes and other articles.

"Your heart, my dear friend, would have been quite melted at our little prayer-meeting with the native teachers, before we sent them on shore. They seemed quite lifted above all fear of what might happen to themselves, if they could only be the honoured instruments of conveying the glad tidings of salvation to their heathen brethren. Oh! what a wonderful and delightful influence the religion of our divine Lord has over these Christians of the Georgian and Society Islands! You may be sure that these wonders of grace cannot fail to excite us to thank God and take courage. "We had a very tedious and dangerous voyage to New Zealand; at length we succeeded in entering the harbour of Whangarooa, on the northeast of New Zealand, but there an awful danger presented itself. We were for an hour and a half in the momentary expectation of being killed and eaten by the natives. For a considerable time my arms were pinioned by one chief, and two others stood close to me, with each an axe held over my head, ready to strike. Our little vessel was entirely in the power of the natives; but, contrary to our remotest expectations, we were delivered out of their hands, by the arrival of one of the missionaries, and the very chief, who, fourteen years ago, caused all the crew and passengers, (nearly one hundred persons,) in the ship Boyd, to be cut off, except two young women and a boy.

opportunities to promote his cause. From the accounts of the ministers of religion and others, it appears, that, for a long time, there has been a great apathy on the subject of religion, and the cause of missions, but this insensibility is giving way to the most lively interests in both. I know we have your prayers constantly, that it may please God to make our visits the means of some good, wherever his providence may direct our steps."

The following particulars, delineating the character of these New Zealand barbarians, and elucidating the above disastrous event, we copy from the Sydney Gazette of August, 1824.

"The Endeavour schooner, in attempting to make the Bay of Islands, on her way hither, was forced into the harbour of Whangarooa, the scene of the Boyd's destruction, and the spot occupied by the Wesleyan missionaries. The gentlemen of the deputation went up the river, and obtained a view of the mission-station. The missionaries were well, and in the earnest prosecution of their labours. The improvements that have been made surprised and pleased Messrs. Tyerman and Bennett; and the fraternal joy with which they were received by the missionaries, can be better conceived than described. The name of the chief that governs the tribe among which the Wesleyan missionaries dwell, is well known to be the celebrated George, who was instrumental in cutting off the ill-fated Boyd. He seems to be sincerely attached to the gentlemen of the mission, and his subjects are evidently making rapid advancement in civilization. But our "We finally reached this place, adventurous countrymen cannot be Port Jackson, on the 17th of August, pronounced free from danger-as the after seventy-five days' uncomfortable retention of the protection and friendvoyage, being twice the time in which ship of the New Zealanders will ever it is usually made. In this colony we be a doubtful question, till, like their have received the most polite and brethren the South Sea Islanders, hospitable attention conceivable, from they become transformed from darkall quarters and from all parties ;-allness to light. It is the opinion of some the ministers of religion have acted as kind brethren; and the governor, Sir Thomas Brisbane, and his lady, have treated us with the utmost respect; indeed, all the constituted authorities, as well as others, have shewn us the most attentive kindness. We have still more satisfaction in perceiving that God is honouring us here with

sensible men, that a trivial act of imaginary indiscretion would be sufficient to cause the missionaries to be put to death. Then how much should those holy men live in the prayers and best affections of good people!

"The Endeavour was nearly cut off while at anchor in Whangarooa, which prevented the gentlemen of the

tude, saw the destruction from which all on board had so narrowly escaped. Mr. White addressed the savages, upon their conduct; whilst George exerted all his power and influence, and the tribes soon became dispersed. Many of our readers may recollect the wish that was expressed by George some time ago, to afford every proof of his willingness to make restitution, and repair the wrong that had been committed in the destruction of the Boyd, to which act he had been incited by the cruelty experienced on board, whilst on his passage from this colony. He was the means of that vessel's loss; and he has been the instrument of the Endeavour's deliverance, and the temporal salvation of all on board. Captain Dibbs set sail immediately for Port Jackson."

deputation remaining any longer than | The latter, with amazement and gratione night at the mission-station in that harbour. The following are briefly the circumstances:-Mr. Dacre, with some others, had gone in the boat up to Wesleydale, (the missionstation,) leaving the gentlemen of the deputation, Mr. Threlkeld and son, and some of the crew, on board. The natives, who, at the mouth of the harbour are as savage and barbarous as ever, thickly crowded the deck of the little vessel. After some short time, several thefts were found to have been perpetrated. An attempt was then made to clear the deck, in effecting which one of the natives fell overboard from the bows. Supposing that their countryman had been thrown overboard, the shores resounded with the hideous alarm of war. The deck was presently thronged. The natives armed themselves with axes, billets of wood, and whatever else their hands

could grasp. Not one of the passen.

gers or crew on deck could stir ;-an attempt at resistance would have been followed by death. The cries of "We are dead!" "It is all over!" burst forth from every tongue. Some of the monsters felt the bodies of our affrighted countrymen, and seemed intensely delighted; while others held the uplifted axe, anxious for the signal to give the blow. Mr. Threlkeld prepared himself to receive the impending club, that he might the more easily be despatched. His little boy inquired of him, whether it would hurt | them to be eaten? Mr. Bennett awaited in silent horror, but with unshaken confidence in the hopes of a better world, the stroke that would lay his body low. Mr. Tyerman, though confidently looking forward to the glorious realities of eternity, still felt it his duty to repeat the language and the smile of the savages. All on board, though certain of death, prepared to meet the shock with heroic fortitude. The poor cook, however, was an exception; for, rather than be devoured, he thought of appending shot to his feet, and leaping overboard!

"While in this state of suspense, the vessel's boat hove in sight, and, with it, a ray of hope inspired every breast. The natives, too, shrunk back, and presently relaxed in their ferocious appearance. The boat came alongside; it contained the chieftain George, and the Reverend Mr. White.

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FURTHER THOUGHTS ON SLAVERY.

MR. EDITOR. SIR,-Some time since, I furnished you with a few remarks on Slavery, which you kindly inserted in col. 253 of the Imperial Magazine, On this subject I now send you the following additional observations, and shall feel much obliged if you will give them publicity.

ENGLAND bewailed the loss of the murdered Captain Cook! The Islanders, in all probability, equally lamented the loss of their murdered fellow-islanders! Is there a greater degree of injustice in Africa, in an African killing an European, than there would be in an European killing an African? Which would constitute the greater degree of demoralization, were the blacks of the European colonies to exterminate the whites, or the whites to exterminate the blacks? On which side did aggression first commence? On which side is the greatest degree of delinquency? If retributive justice rests with God, and not with man, the day is approaching which will shew, whether colonial justice, or the groans of the oppressed Africans, will preponderate. European governments cannot be at a loss to know what they can do! or what they should do!

But there is a hesitancy in determining what they will do.

If justice is of God, its demands are peremptory! "God said unto Moses, Say unto Pharaoh, Let my people go

that they may serve ME." Pharaoh refused to let them go; but God compelled him. Should either a war of blood, or a war of commerce, take place between free governments and the holders of slaves, it is easy to foresee what will be the result. Slaveholders have no other or better right than that of possession; and this title all the holders of stolen property may urge!

Suppose a man to be unjustly imprisoned, and a court of justice to declare his imprisonment to be iniquitous, would it not be an act of the most superlative injustice to detain such prisoner any longer in confinement? The African is imprisoned! Justice decides against his inthralment. What then is to be done? He ought to be liberated. But the question at issue is, how and when shall he receive manumission ?-By what indenture is he held? Under what obligation is he bound? To untie a knot, we should examine how it is tied. If there be no legislative tie, there need not be any legislative untie. If there be no indenture, no cancelling of indenture can be required. If the slave has a right to liberty, it is a right to immediate liberty. If it can be proved that the slave has not a right to immediate liberty, I do not perceive how he can ever attain to such right. Every right should be founded in justice, either ancient or modern.

Previous to the death of George III. I was not a subject of George IV.; but on the demise of George III., I became a subject of George IV. Prisoners taken in war, are subject to the captor, but are not considered as the legitimate subjects of such captor. Absolute sovereigns may dispose of the life or property of their subjects, without judge or jury; but no such claim is set up by a British sovereign. British subjects hold their lives and property upon the same tenure as does the British sovereign his throne and crown.-I remain, Mr. Editor, yours respectfully,

PHILANTHROPUS.

Tottenham, April 9, 1825.

OBSERVATIONS ON THE BIBLE
SOCIETY.

THE Bible Society is a company of booksellers, who differ from other

tradesmen in this-they sell at a loss of money, but with great gain of faith in that Saviour, whose salvation is perspicuously offered in that book which they publish for mankind.

The first twenty years of their labour are passed, during which, four millions of copies of the gospel of redemption have been read by ten millions of persons, at an expense of half a million of pounds given, and as much more paid by half purchasers. The cost appears to be five shillings each copy; some quarto Bibles being fifteen, and some small Testaments only one shilling. After this progress of unexampled success, the committee have to look round them, on the great field they occupy, for the most efficient means of accelerating the prodigious momentum committed to their direction. At first, they had gently to fan the infant flame, and follow the kindling spirit; they may now calculate on doubling the ratio of their produce in books, increasing four-fold the number of foreign stations for depositories, and ten-fold the number of distributors of the sacred volume.

It is desirable to have a list, in the next report, of the name and address of all who keep depôts of Bibles, limiting the list in England to towns of five thousand inhabitants, and in Scotland and Ireland to towns of one thousand; but more particularly in all the foreign stations in the principal cities, towns, and sea-ports; and if the venders of these Bibles were to keep a sign-board of "Bible Depository," it may serve to publish them.

An advertisement to contract for paper on the best and cheapest estimate, to contract for stereotype plates, or for printing and bookbinders' work, may raise a competition that will lower the present scale of prices.

Stereotype plates of all the Bibles published, would afford duplicates for sending abroad to such places as have paper and printing well executed, at the advantage of saving the difficulty of carriage, especially in the English settlements, Malta, East and West Indies. The recomposition of types, for small editions of a few thousands, has doubled the cost of such Bibles.

Every British consul abroad, who will take the trouble, should have a depository of Bibles to sell at cost price, or to deliver to any order of the parent society. All public Bible

schools and Bible missionaries, who are stationary, may also have depositories, or the latter may recommend fit persons for the important trust, and remit the produce of sales to the nearest treasurer of an auxiliary to the parent society.

CANINE FIDELITY.

SOME time in the month of April, 1825, a man, accompanied by a large dog, was observed near the Mansion-house, London, attempting to drag an empty hand-cart along the street; but such was his state of drunkenness, that he could scarcely stand, After some doubtful attempts to move the vehicle, he fell down, and, in his ineffectual endeavours to rise, the weather being wet, was literally rolled in mud. Some passengers, on perceiving his plight and danger, tried to rescue him from his perilous situation; but this the faithful dog forbade, threatening every intruder with the vengeance of his teeth. The crowd increasing, the dog soon found that a defence of all the extremities would be impracticable, he therefore mounted on his prostrate master, and, standing on his breast, assumed the attitude of defiance. Being at length overpowered by numbers, the poor wretch was once more mounted on his legs, and the cart, accompanied by the dog, after a considerable time, was dragged to the middle of Cheapside, when the fellow again fell, and had a second rolling in the mud.

while sprawling on the ground, seemed conscious that his canine friend was mounting guard. This was indicated by his extended hand, with which, when coming in contact with the animal, he endeavoured to smooth or pat him for his services. This scene was witnessed by numerous spectators, who united in admiring and applauding this singular instance of instinctive attachment.

GLEANINGS.

A Method to force every Fruit-Tree to blossom and bear Fruit. Translated from the German of the Rev. Geo. Charles Lewis Hempel, Secretary to the Pomological Society of Altenburgh, in Saxony.

purpose

IN my early years I saw my father, who was
fond of pomology and skilled in that science,
cutting a ring on several branches of trees,
which already were in blossom, for the
of procuring, by that means, larger fruit than
usual. This was not his own invention, but,
as far as I recollect, derived from a French
journal. Thirty years ago, when I was a boy,
I practised this operation, in imitation of him,
and thereby obtained larger pears and plums.
branches, which I did merely for the purpose
In repeating this operation of ringing the
of getting larger fruit, I observed that the
branches so operated upon, always bore the
next year. By this reiterated appearance, I
was led to the idea, that perhaps this mode of
ringing the bark might be a means of compel-
With this view, I cut rings upon a consider-
ling every unproductive branch to yield fruit.
able number of branches, which as yet shewed
no blossoms; and found, by repeating the ex-
periment, the truth of my supposition indis-
putably confirmed by experience.

The application of this experiment, whereby upon every bow or branch fruit may artificially be produced, is very simple and easy, and the mode of proceeding as follows.

The dog now, instead of getting upon his master, as on the former occasion, continued to march round him With a sharp knife make a cut in the bark of the branch which you mean to force to bear, with a menacing aspect, and once more exerted himself to keep off all assail- with the stem; or, if it be a small branch or and not far from the place where it is connected ants. Some of the spectators, how-shoot, near to where it is joined to the larger ever, watched an opportunity to seize bough; the cut is to go round the branch, or the fellow by the heels, while the dog to encircle it, and to penetrate to the wood. was near his head, and to drag him A quarter of an inch from this cut, you may make a second cnt, like the first, round the from the carriage-road to the pave branch, so that by both encircling the branch, ment. From this place, the man and you have marked a ring upon the branch, a cart, followed by the dog, were re-quarter of an inch broad between the two cuts. moved to an adjoining yard. Here The bark between these two cuts you take the votary of Bacchus fell asleep, and clean away with the knife, down to the wood, his friendly companion lay by his side, removing even the fine inner bark, which immediately lies upon the wood; so that no conwith his head and neck extended over nexion whatever remains between the two him; and both enjoyed repose, until parts of the bark, but the bare and naked wood the fumes of the liquor had so far appears white and smooth. But this barkevaporated as to permit this human ring, which is to compel the tree to bear, must be made at the right time, that is, when in all brute to prosecute his journey. nature the buds are strongly swelling or breaking out into blossom. In the same year, a callus is formed at the edges of the ring, on

Though apparently insensible to every thing besides, the poor wretch,

both sides, and the connexion of the bark, that had been interrupted, is restored again without any detriment to the tree or the branch operated upon, in which the artificial wound is soon again grown over.

By this simple, though artificial means of forcing every fruit-tree, with certainty, to bear, you obtain the following important advantages:

1. You may compel every young tree, of which you do not know the sort, to shew its fruit, and decide sooner, whether, being of a good quality, it may remain in its first state, or requires to be grafted.

2. You may thereby, with certainty, get fruit of every good sort, of which you wish to see the produce in the next year.

3. This method may probably serve to increase considerably the quantity of fruit in the country.

The branches so operated upon are hung full of fruit, while the others that are not ringed, often have nothing or very little on them. This effect is easy to be explained from the theory of the motion of the sap. For when the sap moves slowly in a tree, it produces fruitbuds, which is the case in old trees; when it moves vigorously, the tree forms wood, or runs into shoots, as happens with young trees. Though I arrived at this discovery myself, in consequence of trying the same process with a different view, namely, to increase only the size of the fruit, but not to force barren branches, that were only furnished with leafbuds to bear, this latter application being before quite unknown to me; I will, on that account, by no means give myself out for the first inventor of this operation, but I was ignorant of the effects to be produced by this method, and only discovered them by repeated experiments of my own, which I made for the promotionof pomology. Frequent experience of the completest success has confirmed the truth of my observations. Nor do I think that this method is generally known; at least, to all those to whom I shewed the experiment, the effect produced appeared new and surprising. At all events, that method, supposing it even to be an invention of older date, has, as far as I know, not yet been fully described by any one, and published in print.

To soften and remove Putty.-Spread a little nitre or muriatic acid over the putty, and in a short time it will become soft, when it may be easily removed.

Catholic Emancipation.-In favour of this measure, the petitions presented to the House of Lords amounted to eighty-two, and those against it to five hundred and eight. This we consider to be a fair expression of public feeling. The decision, therefore, which took place, marked by a majority of forty-eight, was in perfect accordance with national opinion.

men, good hands, are paid nine francs per day, while the best French mechanics do not get more than five francs per day. Money provided by the French government.-N. B. Thirty-six English mechanics RETURNED from America in a vessel which arrived in England last week.

Protection of Missionaries in Barbadoes.A paragraph in "The Globe," a Barbadoes paper, observes as follows:-" Bridge Town, March 31st.-We learn with great concern, that his excellency the governor has received official information from Earl Bathurst, that a missionary or missionaries, from the Wesleyan body, may be expected to arrive in Barbadoes; and his excellency's instructions are, to afford him or them his protection: in consequence of which, he has addressed a circular to the magistracy, informing them of the same; requiring, in case of any popular excitement against them, on their arrival, that they (the magistrates) should be ready to afford them protection; and, should their authority not be sufficient to suppress any riotous proceedings, then it is understood that, by an application to his excellency, military force will be resorted to."

Royal Institution.-A rumour prevails, that the Royal Institution is to be broken up, through the dissensions which prevail among its managers. Should such an event take place, it will add little to our national honours.

Reward of Merit.-The Lords of the Admiralty have lately awarded to Mr. R. Widenham, of East-street, Red Lion-square, the prize of £300, offered by them for the best chronometer, after having undergone one year's trial at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. This elegant piece of mechanism, within the year, underwent an extreme variation of only one second, eighty-four hundreds, of time, computed by the astronomer royal from daily observation. The ingenious artist, we understand, is young, and therefore much may still be expected from his talents and perseverance. It will be regretted, however, that his remuneration bears so small a resemblance to that which distinguished the genius of Dr. Hooke and Mr. Harrison.

Numismatics. A singular and rare gold coin of Richard III. in fine preservation, was lately discovered in an ancient house in Devonshire. The piece resembles Richard's angel, but the R in the last syllable of his name is omitted, and the letters are misplaced in the last word on the reverse.-Also on the top of the hill Lawrin, in the parish of Kells, near the Dee, nine silver coins were lately found in a solitary spot. Three of these coins are of James VI. of Scot-. land, five of Elizabeth, and one of Louis XIII. They are all in a good state of preservation.At Combe Abbey, the seat of Lord Craven, a silver coin of Edward III. was found about eighteen inches below the surface, and a few feet deeper, a single human skeleton was discovered.

Machinery in France.-There is at this time, (May, 1825,) a manufactory, within about four Optical Illusion.-A curious instance of visual miles of Paris, on the banks of the Seine, deception occurs, in the appearance of the where upwards of five hundred persons are spokes of a carriage-wheel rolling on the constantly employed, about thirty-five of whom ground, when it is viewed through the interval are English mechanics, chiefly engaged in of vertical bars, such as those of a palisade or making steam-engines and mill-work in gene- of an upright Venetian window-blind. Instead ral. They make their iron from stone got of appearing straight, as they actually are, and near the works, and they have also a very as they would have appeared if no bars intervaluable coal mine very little distant. English-vened, they all of them, excepting the upper

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