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Albany, N. Y. Mon, con. in 2d presb. chh. Amherst, Ms. Mon, con. in 1st par. Amity, N. Y. Mon. con. 9,45; coll. 7,08; Andover, Ms. Fem. sew. so. for sch. in Argos, Greece, 60; gent. asso. in W. par. 24,50; m. box, of so. of inquiry, 3,25; Andover, N. Y., C. R. Spicer,

Angelica, N. Y. Mon. cou. 17,56; coll. 33,27; Athens, Pa. Coll.

87 75 Moffitt's Store, N. Y., P. Roberts,

56,17; coll. 39,33;

117 00

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Mississippi, Friends,

200 00

5 00

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Auburn, N. Y., R. S. 1st pay. for Sarah M. Steel in Ceylon,

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Bethabara, Choc. na. A physician's sab. fees, 15; cash found in box, 1,89;

the Board,

50 00

16 89

Mount Morris, N. Y., W. Pratt,

2. 00

Blenheim, N. Y. Ladies,

5.00

Natick, Ms. Mon. con. in evang. so.

24 00

Boston, Ms. Chil. of Hawkins-st. sab. sch.

Newfield, N. Y. Coll.

4 75

for miss to China, 5,10; a lady, av. of fancy work, 1;

New Haven, Ct. A new year's offering,

12 00

6 10

Bristol, R. I. La. miss. so.

50 00

Bufalo, N. Y. Mon. con. and sub. in 1st presb. chh.

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171 14

Burdett, N. Y. Mon. con.

6 25

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Newton, Ms. Mon. con. in Rev. Mr. Gilbert's par. 44 25; mon. con. in E. par. 16,66; New York city, La. frag. so. of Pearl-st. chh. to ed. fem chil. in China, (of which to constitute Mrs. HENRY A. ROWLAND an Honorary Member of the Board, 100;) 110,80; Í. B. Mills, 30; a friend, 7; G. W. Strong, for Ceylon boys, 5; W. Blackwell, for do. 5;

Niagara Falls, N. Y. Three chil. of J. Graves, Norfolk, Ct. J. Battell, 12; Mrs. S. Bat

60 91

157 80

75

140 00

10 43

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Charlestown, Ms. Fem. relig. char. so. in 1st

North Carolina, Dr. Dixon,

2.00

cong. so.

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Concord, Vt. Gent. and la. asso.

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Conhocton, N. Y. Mon. con.

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Craftsbury, Vt. Fem. miss. so.

10.50

Cuba, N. Y. Coll.

16 00

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Danby, N. Y. Fem. cent. so. 11,56; a friend, 3,44;

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Dansville, N. Y. Coll. 36; fem. work so. 27,87; (of which to constitute Rev. ELAM

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H. WALKER an Honorary Member of the Board, 50;)

63 87

Danville, Va. Coll. in Mr. McE's cong.

30 00

Dirfield, Me. Mon. con.

3.00

Dorchester, Ms. Miss B.

2.50

Dryden, N. Y. Coll.

East Genoa, N. Y. Coll.

4. 00

Elmira, N. Y. Miss S. Cleves,

1.00

Enfield, N. Y. Mon. con.

3 50

10 12

Peruville, N. Y. Mon. con.

Philadelphia, Pa. Mon. con. in 10th presb. chh. 340.26; juv. miss. so. in 1st do. for Ceylon miss. 31,67; youths miss. so. in 11th do. for Cher. miss. 65; hea. sch. so. in 1st indep. chh. for sch. in Ceylon, 45; sab. sch. miss. so. in 5th chh. for sch. in Ceylon, 36; Mrs. S. Hildeburn, 50; Mrs. Carswell, 40; a friend, 10;

5.00

617 93

Esser, N. Y. Fem. miss. so. 9; mon. con. in

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Fishkill Landing, N. Y. United coll. Jan. 5th,

21 00

Pinckneyville, Missi. Mrs. I. Semple,

10 00

Foxboro', Ms. Mon. con. in cong, chh. 12;

Pittsburgh, Pa. Sab. sch. in 3d presb. chh.

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Portsmouth, N. H., A widow, av. of ring, Portsmouth, O., J. Smith, Princeton, NJ. Juv. Ceylon ed. so. for Benjamin H. Rice and James W. Alexander in Ceylon, 120; Edge Hill sch. for William Wirt and Theodore Frelinghuysen in do. 24; JOHN VAN DOREN, which and prev. pay. constitutes him an Honorary Member of the Board, 50; asso. prof. and students in theol. sem. 75,81; Providence. R. I. Teachers and schol. in benef. cong sab. sch. for China miss. Rahway, N. J. 1st presb. chh.

10 00

50

5 00

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50 00

Rensselaerville, N. Y., A box, fr. la. benev. so. for Cattaraugus,

40 00

29 29

50 00

65 00

6 80

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Sherman, N. Y. Cong, so.

Bridgman, Canton,

Southport, N. Y. Coll. to constitute Rev. JOHN GRAY an Honorary Member of the Board, 50; ded, am't prev. rec'd, 5,89;

Sparta, N. Y. Coll.

Sterling, Ms. Fem. miss. so.

St. Johnsbury, Vt. Mon. con. in 2d cong. so. 49,70; asso. 16;

Stratham, N. H., M. C. J. C.

Upper Octorara, Pa. For support of Rev. B. Schneider,

5.00

44 11

2 87

42 25

65 70

30

22 58

Waterford, N. Y., J. Haswell, 30; H. James,

25; E. H. Kimball, 10; J. H. Douglas, 10; J. House, 10; other indiv. 32,62;

117 62

Watertown, N. Y. Benev. asso.

130 99

West Attleboro', Ms. Mon. con.

22 26

West Bloomfield, N. Y. Cong. chh.

40 00

West Bridgewater, Ms. A friend,

81 00

Westminster, Vt. So. of friends to morals

and missions,

36 00

West Prospect, Me. Mon. con.

20 00

Wheeler, N. Y. Coll. 14,14; mon. con. 10;

24 14

Whitingham, Vt. D. Bascom,

Windham, Vt. Mon. con. 12; fem. asso. 7;

1 00 19 00

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Newport, N. H. Elkanah Carpenter, by Rev. I. Woods, Total of donations and legacies from September 1st, to February 10th, $78,543 77. DONATIONS IN CLOTHING, &c. Amherst, S. par. Ms. Sundries, fr. young la. so. rec'd at Mackinaw, 18; two boxes, fr. college, for Sandw. Islands.

Andover, Ms. A bundle, fr. fem. sew. so. for Argos, Greece; a box, fr. fem. benev. circle in W. par.

Brattleboro', Vt. Comprehensive Commentary, 50 copies, fr. Fessenden & Co. for different stations.

Bridport, Vt. A box, fr. asso. for Yellow

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Russia, N. Y., A box, rec'd at Mackinaw,
Templeton, Ms. A box, fr. la. so. for Rev.
W. Goodell, Constantinople,
West Brattleboro', Vt. A box.

West Hampton, Ms. Sundries, rec'd at Mackinaw,

West Springfield, Ms. Sundries, rec'd at
Mackinaw, 14,01; a box, fr. 2d par. 14,02;
Whately, Ms. A box, rec'd at do.
Unknown, A box, for Rev. D. Baldwin,
Sandw. Isl.; a box, rec'd at Mackinaw, 24;
five boxes, rec'd at do.; Leather fr. O.
Brown, rec'd at do.

2.50

28 03

The following articles are respectfully solicited from Manufacturers and others.

Printing paper, to be used in publishing portions of the Scriptures, school-books, tracts, &c. at Bombay, and at the Sandwich Islands.

Writing paper, writing books, blank books, quille, slates, &c. for all the missions and mission schools; especially for the Sandwich Islands.

Shoes of a good quality, of all sizes, for persons of both sexes; principally for the Indian missions. Blankets, coverlets, sheets, &c.

Fulled cloth, and domestic cottons of all kinds.

James Gray, Richmond, Va., Treasurer of the Central Board of Foreign Missions, acknowledges the receipt of the following sums fr. Dec. 1st, to Jan. 31st, viz.

Augusta co. Jane Tate, by S. Finley, Ex'r, 100; Rockingham co. New Erection, Asso. 21,35; Prince Edward co. A. Dupuy, 10; Rev. I. D. Shaw, for miss. to S. E. Africa, 7,31; N. Monmouth, Asso. 12,60; Warm Spring, Asso. 2,40; Romney and Spring. field, Mon. con. 11.25; Miss J. L. Langhorn, 5; Miss H. McA. K. 50c. dona. 25c. Farmville, Fem. asso. 40; a lady, 1,50; Fredericksburg, Benev. so. 46,75; Union and Port Republic, Asso. 27; av. of jewelry, 1,62; Lynchburg, F. S. 1; a gent. 10; Manchester, Two little girls, 50c. New Providence, Fem. asso. 12, Charlotte, C. H. Mrs. Vaughn, 3; Clarkesville, Asso. 17,50; Washington, Asso. 82,74; la. 16,17; fem. juv. asso. 1,50; Richmond, Chh. on Shocko Hill, 346; Charlotte co. Mrs. Morton, 30; Black River Chapel, N. C. Ladies, 5; Granville co. Mrs. M. Somerville, 5; Bladin co. Miss L. Owen, 4; J. McN. 1; I. C. 1; I. MeG. 50c. A. B. 1; a lady, 25c. Antioch, 12,50; Bethel, 18; Fayetteville, 55,46; la. 73,62; mon. con. 15; Raleigh, Asso. 17,15; gent. con. 34,50; sab. sch. 8,63; a stranger, 1; Newbern, Asso. (of which fr. benev. fem. so. to constitute Rev. DRURY LACY an Honorary Member of the Board, 50;) 117,35; S. F. 1; G. H. 1; B. L. 50c. Washington, Asso. 51,35; mon. con. 33,65; 1,266 40 James Adger, Charleston, S. C., Treasurer of the Southern Board of Foreign Missions, acknowledges the receipt of the following sums, viz. Charleston, Juv. miss. so. 88,12; mou. con. in 2d presb. chh. 11,50; do. in 3d do. 15,25; do. in Circular chh. 6,50; I. H. Lumpkins, 7; Columbia, Mon. con. 97,19; Fair Forest, Chh. 13,50; 8. Morrow, 10; J. Hemphill, 2; Beach Island, Chl. 31,50; Decatur chh. Ga. Mon. con. 35; B. H. W. 5; dona. 5; Augusta, Mon. mon. in presb. chh. 146,21; Hickory Grove, N. C. Mr. Davis, 12; Bryan co. Ga. Chb. 33,01; St. Marys, Ga. Legacy of Mrs. Ann Seagroves, 50; Cheraw, I. COIT, which constitues him an Honorary Member of the Board, 100; ded. postage and discount, 3,39;

665 39

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Syria and the Holy Land.

EXTRACTS FROM A COMMUNICATION OF MR. SMITH, DATED AT BEYROOT.

THE Communication from which extracts are here to be made gives a history, in the form of a journal, of the principal scenes and events which fell under the observation of Mr. Smith while on his way to Beyroot, after his removal from Malta. From that place Mr. and Mrs. Smith embarked on board a Maltese vessel, on the 12th of December, 1833, for Alexandria, The voyage proved uncommonly stormy and perilous.

Alexandria and its Population.

It was on the 25th of December that we discovered Pompey's pillar, the landmark of Alexandria, and, entering the harbor soon after, landed upon the shores of Egypt. I need not say, after such a voyage, that I have scarcely spent a happier Christmas. We were cordially welcomed by our consul, Mr. Gliddon, and his amiable lady, my former acquaintance; and soon found ourselves comfortably lodged in a private boarding-house kept by an English lady.

26. Our baggage being landed in the morning, we walked out to take our first view of the great mart of Egypt. By it, our hearts were not less pained at the discovery of the nakedness of the land, than our curiosity was excited at the sight of its novelties. The halt and the maimed, some of them crawling in the streets aided only by their hands, and numbers of the blind, going in rags and filth from door to door, or sitting by the wayside begging, were among the prominent objects that we saw, while our ears were assailed by their oft repeated

VOL. XXXI.

prayers for such as showed them mercy. Fellahs, male and female, from the country, and Bedoweens from the desert, clothed with little beside a shirt or a blanket, appealed almost equally to our compassion by their aspect of savageness and poverty. Children in the streets entirely unclothed evidenced an indelicacy not less affecting than their city parents. And multitudes of women with tattered robes and bare feet, but with all of their faces except their eyes carefully veiled in the folds of coarse blue mantles, striding through the mud and filth of one of the dirtiest cities of the east, fill up the pitiful scene. From such objects, a long line of camels moving slowly and silently under the mountain loads, occasionally called off our attention, that we might avoid being crushed by them; or an impertinent little ass, regardless of his rider's rein, forced us to turn aside that he might have his choice of the road. And truly we looked upon the brute creation with less disturbed emotions than upon man; for to the former was attached no idea of accountability for the wretchedness we saw. In view of a scene so affecting to Christian benevolence, we asked ourselves, "Can these dry bones live?" And the only answer we found in our hearts to give was that of the prophet, "O Lord God, thou knowest."

Though such are now the first impressions of a stranger on entering Alexandria, it has evidently been much improved since my former visit seven years ago. The principal street of the Frank quarter, though still paved only with mud, has assumed a regularity which was then a stranger to it, and is lined with comparatively respectable edifices. The open space at the entrance of the gate of the city, then occupied only by a

17

pond of water, is fast being filled up with || spacious blocks of buildings and somewhat tastefully constructed. The population has increased wonderfully, but exactly how much it would be difficult to say, as no accurate census is ever taken. Then it was estimated at no more than 15,000; now, I was assured by an intelligent informant, it cannot be less than 50,000. The causes of this increase, besides its being the principal port of Egypt, are the great naval operations of the government, which have all centered here, and the presence of the pasha, who for the last five years has had here his usual residence.

Italian is most common. In fact with these two languages, one can make himself understood by almost every body he meets.

27. Little remains of ancient Alexandria. Even few of its most important locations can now be determined with perfect certainty. Its modern representation occupies little of the ground upon which stood the ancient city. A sandy isthmus connects the former island of Pharos with the shores, and on it are thickly crowded the houses of the present Alexandria, extending on one side upon the island and on the other for a short distance upon the main land. On each side of this isthmus is a harbor; the eastern, being less commodious, is appropriated to quarantine purposes, and the western, contrary to what is usually said in description of Alexandria, affords anchorage to all foreign vessels which visit this port. Besides the wall which incloses the city, as just described, and which is now beginning to be torn down to accommodate the increase of population and of business, another, called the outer wall, extending likewise from harbor to harbor, embraces a much larger space beyond. But even this does not include the whole area once occupied by the city. Traces of it extend still farther to the lake Mareotis, which, sweeping around from the western harbor, with which it has been connected since the English expedition to Egypt, almost to the sea on the east, embraces another tract of still wider extent. The whole of this surface is little else than a dead level, of sand and gravel earth,

The population is of a mixed character, the great mass being Mohammedans, either of Arab or Turkish descent; the former composing the common classes, and being far the most numerous. Christians of the Arab race are very few, and may perhaps all be considered foreigners. They consist of a small number of Copts from other parts of Egypt, and some natives of Syria, drawn hither by the government service, or objects of commerce. Perhaps fifty or sixty Armenians are also residing here for similar purposes. Greeks speaking the language of Greece are the most numerous of the oriental sects, amounting to perhaps two or three thousand, though most of them are recent emigrants, less than one hundred families being considered original and permanent inhabitants. It was not a little gratifying to me, after having formerly witnessed the barbarous ravages of the Egyptian troops in the Peloponessus, to find the flag of Greece now waving here upon a consular flag-broken by mounds of various heights, staff, among the flags of the other acknowledged European powers. It has been first raised not many months. The Franks are supposed to amount to five or six thousand, though I am not sure that many Greeks may not be included in the estimate. Among them are hardly a hundred Protestants; though not far from half are English subjects, being natives of Malta and other places governed by England. The Jews are somewhat numerous, but I am unable to give an estimate of them.

Among such a mingled people, one hears a great variety of languages; and, as must naturally be the case in two or three generations, where children of different tongues grow up and mingle together without much education, one tends to corrupt another. The Arabic of Alexandria seemed to me very corrupt. It is of course the prevailing dialect of the natives. Among the Franks

nearly or quite all of them apparently artificial, containing under their surface shapeless fragments of ancient edifices. Yet at this season, (the May of Egypt for grasses and wild flowers,) it is not with|| out its interest.

Objects in the Vicinity of the City.

This morning we rode out in company with a friend, to some of the most interesting points around the city. Three little asses, almost the only kind of animals to be hired in the city for riding, driven by as many boys behind them, carried us rapidly and easily forward, sustaining by their fleetness the reputation of Egyptian donkeys. For their superiority in this respect is acknowledged in the countries around, and even the sober Abulfeda goes so far as to say that they will outrun a horse. As we passed without the inner wall, our com

passion was excited by the view of little villages of miserable hovels, forming the suburbs of the city. Consisting of but one room each, of the smallest size, and built of little stones and mud, they seemed dirtier within, (we could not persuade ourselves to enter them,) than the habitations of the filthiest domestic animals, and without were patched over with cakes of cow-dung drying for fuel. Proceeding among gardens of date trees, which are numerous between the two walls, we issued at length from the gate of Pompey's Pillar in the outer wall. Without that gate the mounds assumed the form of swelling hillocks, now verdant with small fields of grain and a few species of dwarfish grass and herbs. Among the latter was the plant, abounding in the suburbs of Alexandria, from which soda is obtained by burning, for the manufacture of soap. Also a small species of mallows abounded here and between the walls, which, almost every day afterward, we observed poor women gathering for food.

ed upon it when the sun casts a certain shadow, assigning it to a not very remote period in ancient history. Still it told us of times, when the scene we were now viewing was inhabited by hundreds of thousands of people; enlivened by the commerce of Europe and the Indies, which had here its thoroughfare; ornamented by the porticos of temples and baths; graced by schools of pagan and Christian philosophy, with the greatest libraries in the world at their command. It was as if a map of history were spread before us, where the revolutions of countries could be surveyed at a glance. Hours instead of minutes might have been delightfully consumed in contemplating it; but we forced ourselves away to continue our ride.

Entering the Rosetta gate, we passed some large pillars of granite lying upon the ground, which are supposed by some to indicate the site of the principal Alexandrian library. But it is doubtful whether even so much has escaped the ravages of destroying men, and still more destructive time. If the common story of its conflagration be true, how many facts of remote history, how many speculations of learned philosophy, how many beauties of classic poetry, here vanished forever from the earth at the touch of the Saracenic torch! vagaries of heathen mythology, and arguments of Christian eloquence, perished side by side upon the same funeral pile. And even when we reflected that perhaps the fire of the Arabian invaders, only consumed by accident the mere relics which the civil wars of Rome and the false Christian zeal of Constantinople had spared; yet we could feel little more reconciled to their influence upon the cause of learning: for if they did not by one barbarous act consume its treasures, every thing around us showed that their influence for ages had now extinguished all its lights, and left in total darkness the spot which once was its favorite seat.

The Pillar, at which we had been aiming, stands upon a slight eminence, and the sky being delightfully serene, we enjoyed much the prospect from its base. Looking northward toward the city, its minarets were to be seen rising behind the tops of palm-groves, moving like crests of ostrich feathers in the gentle breeze. Farther onward to the verge of the horizon stretched the blue waters of the Mediterranean. On the left of the city bristled a forest of masts from the western harbor; and nearest to us on the same hand were some thirty or forty windmills, spreading their motionless arms to court the sleeping wind. To the right, and behind us, almost as far as the eye could reach, was spread out the lake Mareotis; a beautiful sheet of water, reflecting with the brilliancy of a mirror the rays of a mid-day sun. By the side of us stood the pillar pointing to times gone by, to the recollection of which the scene before us owed nearly all its interest. It is an enormous shaft Before re-entering the inner gate, we of one piece of polished red granite, turned aside a moment to view the two said to be ninety feet high, and nine feet|| beautiful obelisks, often fancifully called in diameter at the bottom, standing upon Cleopatra's Needles. They are just a pedestal twelve feet in height, and within the wall that runs along the seacrowned with a corinthian capital of ten shore, and one of them is fallen and lies feet, of the same material, making in half buried in the ground. Both exactly all an elevation of more than 100 feet. resemble each other, and are each a No hieroglyphics were formed on it to single block of red granite, said to be give it a claim to an early Egyptian sixty-four feet high, and eight feet square origin, nor did its proportions seem to us at the base. Their hieroglyphics, also, to prove it to be the work of the purest which cover them throughout, perfectly Grecian taste. Indeed the name of Dio- correspond. And I should judge them, cletion, it is said, can be dimly decypher-according to my best recollection, exact

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