lieve, to interfere with his habits of un-
tiring activity and energy, for which he was
remarkable, even to the last. He had
gone down to Clifton, Bristol, for change,
and no immediate danger was appre-
hended;
but he rapidly sank and died on
Friday, the 31st of March, in the 63rd year
of his age. He will be deeply regretted
and much missed, not only by a very large
circle of friends, but by the Church of God,
for his liberality and benevolence were un-
bounded. As a staunch and uncompro-
mising member of the Church of England
and a Protestant, he set his face against all
innovations in ritual or doctrine, and aided
with his purse and influence every well-di-
rected effort to uphold and extend the Pro-
testant principles and doctrines of the
National Church. Two or three curates
were constantly sustained by him at his
own expense in localities where their ser-
vices were required; and where they could
not enter he did not hesitate to employ and
support at his entire cost Free Church of

England services; as in the case of Lyn mouth, North Devon, where, but for such timely aid, the people would have been at the tender mercies of Ritualism, for which they have no liking, and left as sheep without a shepherd. For, much as he loved the Church of England, he loved the people better. This is just as it should be. Our love for the truth should be paramount, and superior to our attachment to any Church or system. As a Christian, he was marked for his daily habits of devotion-a reverence for God's Word; an abnegation of self and of all merit, and a simple trust in Jesus, which never forsook him to the very last. May his mantle fall on others, and long may England be blest with men of sound principles, unswerving integrity, unbounded liberality and large-heartedness, a living faith, and a holy walk and conversation. "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them."

AFFECTATION.-There is nothing in poetry, or indeed in society, so unpleasant as affectation. It arises from a deficiency of power and a restlessness of pretension; from insensibility to the Graces, from intercourse with bad company, and a misinter pretation of better.

INTERESTING SPOT.-We passed most of the time of our sojourn in conversing about the spot of final emergence from the water as the Israelites came over from the further side. The fountains are not exactly upon the beach, but two or three miles inland. Yet the air is so clear that the distance is exceedingly deceptive. The sealine appeared almost immediately at our feet. Taking a direct measurement, it would not be far from seven miles across obliquely to the port of Suez, at which point the Children of Israel entered. They could easily traverse that in a night. Over beyond, the mountains were in full view; and we could trace without fail precisely where they seemed to be hemmed in at the moment when Pharaoh began his pursuit. Indeed, there was no possible release for any large body of people, who were hurrying down along the western shore, and caught between the mountain range and the water. The ridge grows more and more precipitous as it nears the beach, and finally ends full against the dash of the waves. Divine power opened a path directly across and it must have seemed to the fleeing multitude as wonderful as it was surprising to their foes. We sat meditatively for a long time on a low swell of sand overlooking the interesting scene. And very near the spot, as we certainly were, where Miriam came forth with the women bearing their timbrels, and sang in full response to Moses: "Sing ye to the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea"-surely it was exhilarating enough to join in the chorus when one of our company in befitting enthusiasm started the old anthem so familiar in our homes

"Sound the loud timbrel o'er Egypt's dark sea;

Jehovah hath triumphed, and Israel is free !"

CONTRIBUTIONS, COLLECTIONS, AND SUBSCRIPTIONS

FOR THE SOCIETY FOR THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL AT HOME AND ABROAD.

BATH (Rev. J. SLATER).

Per Miss CLEMENT.

Mrs. Skinner

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Contributions, &c., to be sent to the Treasurer, MR. FREDERICK WM. WILLCOCKS, 1, Myddelton Villas, Lloyd Square, London, W.C.

THE FREE CHURCH OF
CHURCH OF ENGLAND MAGAZINE.

Mar and Cannibalism in West Africa.

THE following letter will show that a great deal more work is yet before us in Western Africa. "Have respect unto the covenant, for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty." How suitable is such a prayer, with the following facts before us:—

A Bonny correspondent writes as follows: "For some time past the New Calabar men have been secretly preparing their forces for a raid into the Ekreeka country-partly as a demonstration of their strength, and partly to see whether the Bonny men would stand forward as the protectors of the Ekreekas, which they are bound to do by treaty. Accordingly, about a week ago the most powerful expedition that ever left New Calabar for Ekreeka set out, under command of King Amacree. The expedition consisted of about 50 large war canoes, manned by over 2,000 men. They cautiously approached the capital of the Ekreeka country, taking three days in the movement. On the night of the third day they lay in wait near the city,' hid by the thick bushes that lined the creek that leads to the residence of King Phibia. About midnight, some Ekreeka oil and fishing canoes-about nine in number-came by, manned by both men and women. The war canoes charged out of their respective hiding-places; a few minutes of confusion, cries of triumph, and shrieks of dismay, and all was over. The canoes were captured, and with them about twenty-five men and three casks of palm oil; but the women, with praiseworthy activity, jumped into the creek, and swam ashore, and, in spite of all the efforts of the Calabar men, they escaped through the bush to the town and gave the alarm, the Calabar men, in their own expressive way, remarking, 'Them woman he be devil-man for run '-i.e., very swift of foot. At daylight, an advance was made on the town, but the Ekreekas were too strongly posted behind stockades to warrant the Calabar men carrying the place by storm. They, therefore, opened fire on the position with canoe guns, and bombarded it for some hours. The slaughter in the crowded town must have been very great, as every shot told; and as the Calabar men's guns were of heavier calibre than those of the Ekreekas, their fire was most effective at a range that was quite out of the power of the Ekreeka guns. The Calabar men, being satisfied with the damage they had done to the Ekreekas, drew off their canoes and returned to New Calabar town. Then commenced the horrible orgies that are the usual sequel to all battles in this country. Sixteen of the prisoners were at once slaughtered and portioned out, like so much beef or mutton, to the principal families in the town, for the purpose of being cooked (and eaten. One scene will suffice to give an idea of the June, 1871.

horrible practices. About 10 A.M. one of the unfortunate captives was bound hand and foot in the centre of the court-yard of one of the most wealthy and enlightened of the chiefs. The prisoner, looking exceedingly haggard and worn, was surrounded by the wives, children, head men, and slaves of the chief. The chief himself stood in front, coolly instructing his youngest and favourite son, a good-looking boy of about six years old, how to execute the prisoner with a sharp knife. After a few minutes the young savage seized the prisoner by his wool, pulled his head forward, and struck him on the back of the neck, causing blood to spurt forth. The yells of the men and women were deafening. The miserable prisoner was struck to the ground, and cut up in pieces with large knives. The youngster who commenced the slaughter waved his hand, reeking with blood, on high, and gave a shout of triumph. In ten minutes after the head and hands of the late prisoner were in an iron pot boiling in the chief's house for his breakfast, carefully tended by one of his wives, and the young executioner greedily awaiting the repast he would share with his father. Six of the canoes taken were destroyed before leaving the Ekreeka country, and, to the astonishment of the King of Calabar, eight of the prisoners taken denied that they were Ekreeka men, and asserted that they were Bonnymen. They were accordingly placed in safe keeping till the Bonny king could be communicated with, which was at once done through the chairman of the Court of Equity, New Calabar. It has since transpired that the Bonny people claim these men, also two canoes, three casks of palm oil."

and

Let our friends consider for a moment the sad condition of the "good-looking boy of about six years old," encouraged to be a "young savage" by his own father, and they will be incited to yet greater diligence in extending that mighty Gospel which alone can emancipate those habitations of cruelty.

Let us send native Christian teachers from Sierra Leone into the midst of the New Calabar men, and the men of Ekreeka, to preach to them of the Prince of Peace. We can get such teachers if we had the money. Who is on the Lord's side?

How little Self-indulgence has to give!

TRUST anything before thy wicked heart.

How often trouble is heaven's gate to us!

J. TROTTER.

OH that men would but strive to live their prayers!

WHAT, in Christ's name, we give, we never lose.

How fast the sands of this short life run out!

-Lever Lines.