Scriptures and free conversation. A || and arrived at Constantinople on the congregation of 50 or 60 beggars contin-21st of December. There they remainues to assemble, and to these poor, thus ed until May 17th, employed in the convened, the gospel, in imitation of our study of the Turkish language, when Savior's example, is invariably preached. they sailed for Trebizond, expecting to The system of schools is yet in its in- go from thence to Tebriz, through Erzfancy. There is a want of school-books room in Armenia. They arrived at Treand teachers. The number of schools is bizond on the 29th of May. six;-four taught by native schoolmasters, and two by members of the mission. Two of the native masters are hopefully pious. One of the schools taught by the mission is for girls. The aggregate of scholars in all the schools does not exceed 140. Rare indeed is the female who can read or write. Of the males, residing in the more remote and unimportant places, perhaps not more than one person in twenty can read.

Our Arabic press arrived at Beyroot on the 8th of May last, and passed through the custom-house without objection. It has been ascertained that there were at that time no less than eight presses in Syria and the Holy Land. Now there are nine.

The press can neither be suitably furnished with materials, nor, if kept diligently employed, can its productions be properly scattered among the people, without missionaries. The arrival of the press, therefore, has increased the earnestness of this mission in calling for more laborers.

The impression is said to have been extensively removed, which had been given by the Jesuits of former years, that the Protestants have no religion, no priesthood, no churches, etc. The bigotry, intolerance, unreasonableness, and worldly-mindedness of the papal priests have also been brought to light, by their opposition to the Scriptures and schools; and it is thought that image-worship is growing unpopular in the vicinity of Beyroot. Among the inhabitants of that place, now living, the missionaries reckon but four native converts. A fifth hopeful convert is teaching a school at Tripoli. The number admitted to communion from the commencement of the mission is seven; not including the lamented Asaad Esh Shidiak, nor Jacob, a young Armenian who died giving some tokens of repentance and faith in the Savior,

PERSIA.

MISSION TO THE NESTORIANS.

Justin Perkins, Missionary, and wife.

Mr. Perkins sailed from Boston, with

While Mr. Perkins was at Malta, the Rev. Mr. Schlienz, Church missionary, kindly undertook, with the aid of his Chaldee translator, to prepare a spellingbook in the Syriac language. This was lithographed in the written character employed by the Nestorians. At Constantinople our missionary received permission to draw for as many copies of the Holy Scriptures as he should need from the depository of the British and Foreign Bible Society in that city. He accordingly took with him a supply of Martyn's Persian New Testament, and the Psalms and Proverbs in the same language; also, Syriac New Testaments, and the Gospels and Proverbs in Syriac, each in a separate volume; together with a few Greek and Armenian Testaments to distribute on the road.

The Committee have sought in vain for a pious and competent physician, able and disposed to go forth as an associate with Mr. Perkins in this interesting mission. Such a man is exceedingly

needed.

MISSION TO THE MOHAMMEDANS.

James L. Merrick, Missionary.

The Mohammedans of Western Asia have too much reason for despising the Christian religion. In every form in which it has been presented to them, until within a few years past, it has been as a system of idolatrous worship. To present the "glorious gospel of the blessed God" in a different form to the Mohammedans of Persia-divested of superstitious and profane rites, and of all that paralizes its power upon the heart and conscience-a mission has been instituted with special reference to them.

The Rev. James Lyman Merrick, who has gone as a pioneer in this mission, has had it steadily in view for a number of years. He embarked at Boston on the 20th of August last. The immediate object of Mr. Merrick will be to acquire the Persian language, explore the most important parts of the country, and ascertain what openings there are for missionary labor.

The Board has been strongly recomhis wife, on the 21st of September, 1833, || mended, by a gentleman of high stand

ing in India, who has been long and in- || timately acquainted with that country, to commence a mission at Ajmere, which is the seat of British political control over all the Rajpoot states, extending from the Jumna to Goozerat, and from the Chumbul to the frontier of Sinde. Throughout the whole of this wide country there is not at present a single Christian missionary.

MAHRATTA MISSION.

BOMBAY on the island of that name.-Cyrus
Stone, William Ramsey, Missionaries; William C.
Sampson, Printer; and their wives. Miss Cynthia
Farrar, Superintendent of Female Schools.

AHMED SUGGUR;-on the continent, 175 miles a
little north of east from Bombay.-Hollis Read, and
G. W. Boggs, Missionaries, and their wives.
Dajeeba, Native Assistant.

ITINERACY;-D. O. Allen, Missionary.

On their way to Bombay;-Allen Graves, and Sendol B. Munger, Missionaries; George W. Hubbard, and Amos Abott, Superintendents of Schools; and their wives. Miss Orpah Graves, and Miss A. H. Kimball, Teachers.

As this mission has recently been extended to Ahmednuggur, nearly two hundred miles in the interior, and there

will soon be other stations in different

parts of the Mahratta country, its title has been changed from "the Bombay Mission," to "the Mahratta Mission."

Mrs. Atossa Stone died at Bombay, on the 7th of August 1833, of an affection of the liver. The two motherless chil

ceased, only three have died of the peculiar disease of the climate.

Messrs. George W. Hubbard and Amos Abbott, are to be employed as superintendents of schools and distributors of Bibles and tracts, with their wives; together with Miss Orpah Graves and Miss A. H. Kimball, who are to be employed as teachers, Miss Kimball assisting Miss Farrar in superintending the female schools in and around Bombay. They have given special attention to the subject of school-teaching. Their employment in the mission in the manner contemplated, it is thought, will give greater efficiency to the system of schools, and enable the clergymen of the mission to devote themselves more exclusively to preaching and kindred services.

BOMBAY.-During the year the gospel was preached regularly in the chapel, and also in the streets and places of concourse as the health and circumstances of the missionaries at that station would

admit. The labors in this department, however, were considerably diminished' during the year by the absence of Mr.

Allen. Mr. Stone held discussions with more than one hundred Jews, who called esis and Exodus printed in Mahratta, to at the chapel to obtain the books of Genwhom also copies of the New TestaHe also, as time and health would perment, or some portions of it, were given. On the 17th of April 1833, the native mit, made excursions through the city, assistant BABAJEE, of whom particular their own dwellings, their temples, the preaching the gospel to the people at mention was made in the two last Re-school-rooms, and other places of conports, died of cholera at Ahmednuggur.

dren of Mr. Stone arrived at New York in May last.

"His death," say the missionaries in the Report for the last year, "is a very great loss, not only to the particular mission to which he belonged, but to the cause of Christ in general. The death of such a man, at such a

time, is to be numbered among the mysteries of divine Providence which eternity alone can unfold. His devout deportment, the thousands of books which he distributed, his exhortations and prayers, his frequent discussions with the brahmins, his preaching at Ahmednugger and in more than fourscore towns and villages in

the Dekkan, are means which, in the wisdom of God, we trust, will not be permitted to fail of some glorious result to the church of Christ."

The mission has also been tried, and the labors of some of its number interrupted, by sickness among its members.

It should be added that of the ten adults, missionaries and assistant missionaries from this country, who have de

Mrs. Ramsey died of the cholera June 11th, and Mr. R. has embarked on his return to this country.

course. Mr. Ramsey's time was almost exclusively employed in preaching the gospel, on the island of Bombay and on the continent.

The attendance at the chapel on the Sabbath was much the same as in the

preceding year. "In the streets," say the missionaries, "we can, almost at any time or place, in the evening, have a number of people assembled, who are willing, for a short time, to hear what we have to say concerning the way of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. As yet, however, we have found but few among them who are willing to pay much serious attention to the things heard."

Since March of the last year the teachers of the schools in Bombay, with some others, attend at the chapel on Tuesdays, for the purpose of improving in native vocal music. One of the pundits employed by the mission devotes a portion of his time daily to instruct the members of the mission in this science,

and also a part of one day in each week || For the Bombay Auxiliary Bible Society:

in teaching the natives. A collection of Christian hymns adapted to native tunes has been prepared and printed.

Exodus, 1st edition,
Matthew, revised.

For the Bombay Auxiliary Tract Society:
Way of Salvation,

Nature of God.

Henry and his Bearer,

Invitation to Public Worship, a hand-bill.

The service in English, in the chapel, For the Church Missionary Society: on Sabbath evenings, was continued through the year. The attendance was respectable, though not large. The monthly concert of prayer was also regularly observed.

The schools in connection with this branch of the mission were, at the close of the year, 26 in number; 15 in Bombay-five for boys and 10 for girls, and 11 on the continent. The whole number of pupils in these schools was about 2,000. The opposition which formerly existed to female education has been gradually dying away. The schools are reported as in a flourishing state. No books but those which are strictly of a religious tendency are allowed to be used. The schools on the continent are regularly examined every month, and those in Bombay every week or oftener.

"The children," says the report of the missionaries, "receive a pretty good knowledge of the first principles of Christianity, and are able generally to give correct answers concerning Christ, and the way of salvation through him. The most of them declare to us that they do not worship idols, that Jesus Christ is the only Savior of sinners.

The distribution of the Scriptures and of tracts was continued as in former years. There is no difficulty now in the way of their distribution in Bombay or on the continent, arising from the natives themselves or others. Among the more enlightened class of the natives, the desire to possess a complete copy of the sacred Scriptures is on the increase. This branch of the mission report as distributed during the year about 400 copies of the New Testament in Mahratta, and a few copies of the Scriptures in Hindoostanee, Arabic, Hebrew, and Portuguese; and about 12,000 tracts printed by the mission, and 2,500 published by the Bombay Book and Tract Society.

Printing was executed by the mission during the year as follows.

Hymns for Public Worship,
Good Instructions,

Concerning Salvation,

Free Remedy for Sinners,

True Atonement,

Birth of Christ,

Preparation for Death,

For the Rev. Mr. Wilson, of the Scottish Missionary
Society:

Idiomatical Exercises, in Mahratta and English. Tota! of printing in Mahratta, 28,300 copies, 1,414,900 pages.

The amount of Mahratta printing from the commencement of the mission is about 14,500,000 pages.

At the close of the year, an edition of 6,000 copies of the Gospel by Luke, and several works in English, were in the press.

To the mission church at Bombay, were admitted during the year, on profession of their faith, two persons, one male and one female, Indo-Britons. Some natives had applied for admission, but their application was deferred.

AHMEDNUGGUR.-DAJEEBA, the surviving native assistant, continues to give evidence of the sincerity of his profession, and renders very essential aid in every department of missionary labor. He possesses a very respectable knowledge of the Scriptures; is sober, discreet, and apt to teach.

The religious services at this station, with little change. as reported last year, are still sustained On the Sabbath there is preaching, morning and evening; and, when Mr. Read has been at the station, he has expounded the Scriptures, with exhortation and prayer, on each morning and evening of the week. The number of hearers is seldom less than forty, or more than sixty. There are meetings on other days of the week.

The Asylum is still under the charge of the American missionaries, and affords great facilities for preaching the gospel, not only to the inmates, but through them to many of the people of the village where it is situated. Preaching by the way side, also in markets and in other public places, has not been omitted.

Of schools no extensive system has yet been adopted at this station. Our last Report mentioned one school for boys, and three small schools for girls. Several have, however, made very good progress in reading and writing, and have committed to memory the small catechism, the ten commandments, several prayers, hymns, etc.

Portions of the Scriptures and religious tracts, in Mahratta, Hindoostanee, and Guzeratteee, were distributed in

Meigs to Tillipally, and Mr. Woodward || and stated times. At the church conto Batticotta. Mr. Winslow took the nected with each station, and at the charge of Manepy until he should depart school-bungalows in the villages, many for the United States. These removals of which have been repaired for the purwere in March of the last year. In pose, there is preaching-in the former April the mission received official notice at stated times, and in the latter upon from Sir R. W. Horton, governor of occasions frequently occurring. The Ceylon, that orders had been transmitted missionaries themselves preach less, from Lord Goderich, Secretary of State however, in the bazars and in the corfor the colonies, to permit additional ners of the streets and from house to missionaries from the United States to house, than formerly, owing to the insettle upon the island. Messrs. Todd, crease of other labors and cares. But Apthorp, Hutchings and Hoisington, and much more of this is done by native Doct. Ward, with their wives, (mentioned preachers and catechists, many of whom in the last Report as having embarked are employed daily in going from house for Ceylon in July,) reached Jaffna on to house and village to village. Concenthe 28th of October. Mr. Eckard, who trated labor, on a small spot, with a gradis to be connected with the seminary at ual enlargement of the field, and an occaBatticotta, and Mr. Minor, a printer, both sional extension of effort to more distant mentioned in former Reports, embarked places in the surrounding wastes, has at Salem, on the 29th of October, and been, from the first, the plan of operating arrived at Colombo on the 18th of Feb- in this mission; and after an experience ruary. of seventeen years, the missionaries are more inclined than ever to adhere to it. But not to the entire exclusion of more extended itinerant labors.

Upon the accession of Doct. Ward to the mission, Doct. Scudder commenced a new station at Chavachery, a parish containing a numerous population. The 2. EDUCATION.-The apostolical misgovernor had granted permission to oc- sions were doubtless well adapted to the cupy the old church-buildings and lands circumstances in which they were prosnot only in Chavachery, but also in the ecuted. In the same circumstances, it two neighboring parishes of Navacooly would be presumption in us not to model and Cutchay, and in a parish on the our missions exactly upon theirs. If the eastern shore called Varany. Mr. Wins-printing-press were unknown; if books low arrived at Philadelphia March 25th. He brought with him his own three children and seven others belonging to the different families in the mission.

June 26th, the school-bungalow at Tillipally was discovered to be on fire, and was speedily consumed, with the out-houses connected with it. The fire was attributed to an incendiary. Early in July an attempt was made to set fire to the church, but it failed at that time. On the night, however, of August 11th, it was consumed, excepting the walls, together with nearly all the Tamul tracts and books belonging to the station.

were multiplied by the tardy and expensive process of writing; if education were not reduced to a science easily applicable to minds in every variety of situation; or if our missions were in the most civilized and best educated communities in the world; then would the circumstances of our missions be vastly different from what they are in fact, and much more like the missions of the apostles as described in the New Testament. Then, too, should we be obliged, as they were, to give ourselves almost exclusively to merely oral instructions. Now, through the amazing and still increasing powers of the press, the vehicles of thought and sentiment, may easily be

A Christian mission among the heathen, if fully and properly constituted, may be expected to include the follow-multiplied by millions upon millions and ing things; viz.

sent throughout the inhabited world.

1. The preaching of the word in due And while the gospel is preached to the proportion;

2. Due attention to schools;

3. A proper use of the press; 4. A proper use of the social principle; and

adult, we may gather the youth, the child, and even the infant into schools.

Soon after the mission was commenced in 1816, common free schools were established in different villages. Heathen teachers were necessarily employed to teach them. A more thorough system of Christian education was demanded, and the mission resolved to commence 1. PREACHING OF THE WORD. For family boarding schools. In the beginthis there are, as heretofore, fixed placesning of 1818, six small boys were in

5. An arrangement to secure the assistance of a competent native agency in each of the above-named departments of useful labor.