the work is His. Another obstacle, and trial of patience, is the circumstance, that the Children are generally suffered to stay but a very short time in the Schools; for, as soon as they know a little how to read and write, their parents take them from the School, because they want their help in earning their bread: therefore no chance is left us, but to keep such Boys as afford hope of becoming able Schoolmasters, by a small remuneration, equivalent to what they might be able to gain elsewhere; and thus to give them further education. The number of such Boys at present is six. This plan may appear strange in England; but whoever is acquainted with the state of Egypt in this respect will not think it so. People are so poor in this country, that many, perhaps the greater part of them, would not send their children even to a Free School; for as soon as they are able to run about they are obliged either to beg or work. An immense number of Boys and Girls are constantly employed in the manufactories of the Pasha; others, half or entirely naked,are the whole day carrying stones and chalk for buildings; and those who can read or write a little are the Pasha's Scribes. Such is generally the state of the children in Egypt: such a troop of half-naked Boys we have in our School; and the Girls are in no better condition. But we shall give ourselves with great pleasure to these poor child ren; and would gladly do much more for them, if we had the means. We therefore entreat all well-disposed persons, and especially the Children of God in England, to support us, henceforward, with their prayers and ministrations in this work of Faith and Charity, in order to guide these poor wandering lambs to Christ; bearing in remembrance the promise of God, that Egypt shall become a blessing on earth: (Isa.xix.) The Education of Youth appears of the greater importance in this country, as the Adults shew so little interest in the preaching of the Gospel. Preaching. Though we have preached in Arabic, German, and for some time also in English, during the year, we have not yet seen any fruit of our preaching, except that a few German Roman-Catholics seem to have come nearer to the Kingdom of God. Preaching from house to house seems to us the chief expedient to extend the Kingdom of God in Egypt: and, in order to gain the more influence, and an easier access to the families, and thus to make preaching the more effective and powerful, Br. Lieder has devoted himself to the study of Medicine, and we have already experienced the good effect of it. The Missionaries close their Letter with the following General Remarks. Finally, to collect what has been said, according to the experience we have hitherto had, we foster the cheerful hope of establishing the Kingdom of God in Egypt in three different ways, leading to one and the same end. First, by spreading the written Word of God, through the assistance of the Press in Malta: secondly, by the Education of Youth: and thirdly, by the preaching of the Gospel, both publicly and from house to house. These three Lord, who has opened them, will mercieffective means are open to us; and the fully grant His blessing to our proceedmises, and by the desire which He has ings. This he has warranted, by His prothe Word of Life also to Egypt. It is put into the friends of His Kingdom to send our comfort and hope in our labour, that the Lord has given a particular promise God in Europe are praying for us, and for for this land, and that many Children of the promotion of His Kingdom in Egypt: and to these prayers we recommend ourselves afresh. Kruse's health was mentioned in The impaired state of Mr. and Mrs. our last Number. The Committee have, in consequence, authorised them to visit their Native Country for its re-establishment, which could not now be expected in Egypt. nesday Evenings; and Family Prayer every morning, for the people residing within the Compound. Last Sunday about 30 Native Christians and about 40 Heathens attended, which I suppose is the average attendance. In the Chapel at Potuldunga there is preaching three times a-week last Friday Evening I heard Roop, a Native Catechist, preach to about 80 persons. In the English School, in the Compound, which is a new and very substantial building capable of holding 200 Boys, about 110 attend, and 120 are on the books. These boys, many of whom wear the Brahminical string, read the New Testament, commit to memory Dr. Watts's Divine Songs, and learn Writing, Arithmetic, and English Grammar. It affords me encouragement, considering that of so many Boys only four are Professing Christians, that the Lord hath declared, His Word shall not return to Him void. I do hope and pray that the instruction imparted to these Hindoo Boys may be the means of undermining their prejudices of shewing them the folly and vanity of Idolatry-and of leading them to a knowledge of the only True God, and of Jesus Christ the only and all-sufficient Saviour of Mankind. In a subsequent Letter, of the 21st of June, he adds Our English School may be said to be in a flourishing state: the boys are very anxious to learn, and their numbers are increasing; but the religious knowledge which they obtain has, alas! too little influence on their practice. To-morrow, being one of their great Festivals, I do not expect any will be at School. It is matter of grief, and should be matter of prayer to God for the outpouring of His Holy Spirit, that these Boys, who read the Scriptures, and really know that their Idolatry is displeasing to God, should still persist in their heathenish practices. Yesterday afternoon I commenced a course of Catechetical Instruction, in the Chapel, to the Native Converts. I made my first attempt at Bengalee in public, by commencing the Service with the Collect for St. Simon and St. Jude's Day, which I considered very appropriate, and the Lord's Prayer; concluding with the Benediction in the same language. Roop, the Native Catechist, put the questions; and the Youths answered with readiness, and appeared to understand them. Under date of the 16th of October he writes It is rather more than four months, since my arrival in Calcutta, and my appointment to the Station by the Corresponding Committee. It now seems to me high time to make you acquainted with my proceedings, since I entered the Missionary Field. Both myself and Mrs. Sandys have reason to be thankful to our Heavenly Father for the blessing of health. With the exception of a bilious attack, which I had on the 21st of August, and which lasted only three days, we have enjoyed excellent healthy, and have been enabled to prosecute our studies without intermission. My time has been fully occupied in the study of Bengalee; in our Chapels and Schools; and in conversation with the Natives, so far as I am at present able. Morning Prayer in the Chapel on the Compound is usually attended by about 15 of our Native Christians: our Sunday and Wednesday-Evening Services, by about 30 Christians, and from 10 to 30 Heathens. Mr. Reichardt preaches on Sunday Morning; Roop, a Native, in the Evening; and Mr. Dunsmure on Wednesday Evening. For my own part, though I have read the Liturgy in the Chapel for three months, I have as yet preached only three Sermons in Bengalee. On Sunday Afternoon, 20th June, I commenced a course of Catechetical Instruction for our young Native Christians. The number of Catechumens at first was nine; which, I am thankful to by Christians, and partly by Candidates say, is now considerably increased, partly for Baptism. The number of Catechumens last Sunday was 22. On Sunday, 26th September, after a Communicants' Meeting on the preceding Wednesday, Mr. Reichardt and myself administered the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper to 32 Native Christians. It was truly gratifying to me to see these have continued to this day worshippers persons (who would, in all probability, of Idols, wood and stone, had it not been for Missionary Exertions) declaring, in Christ's holy Ordinance, their allegiance to their Redeemer, King, and Creator, Redeemer's love. It was indeed one of and sitting under the banner of the the most happy days of my life, to see, Castes kneel together around the Table for the first time, these Indians of various of the Lord, and to assist in delivering to them the emblems of our Saviour's dying love. We continue to have preaching three times a week, in our Chapel at Potul dunga. Roop generally preaches, and about 40 people attend. Samuel Nobeen, a Native Christian, visits Raspoojee, and preaches to the people. Raspoojee is a village about 17 miles south of Calcutta, where we have a School, and are about to erect a Bungalow Chapel. There are between 30 and 40 Boys in the School; and the people are very desirous to be instructed in the Doctrines of Christianity. I visited the place on the 10th of August: we examined the Boys, and spoke to the people. Ram Dhurn, a Native Christian, who was baptized by Mr. Deerr at Culna, is our Catechist at Budge-Budge, another village to the south of Calcutta. I visited the place on the 17th of August. Nearly 100 Boys were in the School, which had been commenced only two or three months. We examined the Boys in the Gospel of St. Matthew, and Ellerton's Dialogues and after rewarding them, Roop, our Native Teacher, who accompanied me, preached to the Adults who were assembled, from John iii. 19: Light is come into the world. Many heard with attention; and one old man in particular frequently cried out Besh (Well)! Sotyo (True)! We hope that, by the Lord's blessing, the Divine Seed may take root in the hearts of many who heard the Word of Life, and were directed to the Saviour. Our English and Bengalee Schools continue much as they have been for some time. The Bishop visited the English School on the 21st of September; and examined the First Class, in the New Testament, Watts's Divine Songs, Writing, Grammar, and Arithmetic. In the Bengalee Schools, of which we have six, the First and Second Classes read the Gospels, and Ellerton's Dialogues. The average attendance in each School is about 40. Openings for Enlarged Labour. The Missionary Work might be carried on to almost any extent in many of the villages on the south of Calcutta. The people are, perhaps, not so much under the influence of the Brahmins and many declare, that their own system is a bad one, and consequently can do them no good if they observe it; and, as they have heard of the Christian Religion, they wish to become acquainted with it. The fact, that there are about 30 persons at Raspoojee who wish to receive instruction preparatory to Christian Baptism, proves that a great change must have taken place among the people in that neighbourhood. Another circumstance will also shew the same. When I was at Raspoojee on the 10th of August last, an old man, the Headman of a village 10 miles distant, had come expressly to request that a Teacher might be sent to his place. Visit to an Aged Hindoo. In a subsequent Letter, dated Nov. 18, Mr. Sandys thus details his visit to Gonga Ram Gayin, a Hindoo about eighty years of age, who was desirous to be baptized, and whom Mr. Sandys had previously instructed in the doctrines of Christianity: - Thence Early in the morning, I set out to visit the old man and his neighbourhood, taking Roop, our Native Preacher, with me. At sun-rise we arrived at Baala, a village about eight miles south from Calcutta ; where we were received into the house of a Native, who is desirous to embrace Christianity: there we offered up prayer to God, in company with 12 or 14 persons; after which we read a portion of Scripture, to which they were very attentive. we took a canoe, called a Shealte, about 12 feet long and just wide enough to admit of a chair standing in it, in which we were pushed along over the paddy-fields, the water being generally three feet deep, by two men with bamboos standing at the fore-part of the canoe. At length we arrived at Collee Gachee, the residence of old Gonga Ram Gayin: he was sitting on the floor, ill with fever, and in all probability near his end. again expressed his desire to be baptized; declared that he was a helpless sinner; and that he depended on Christ alone for pardon and salvation. Other questions which I put to him, on the Doctrines of Christianity, he answered in a satisfactory manner. To the question, "Who is Jesus Christ?" he answered, Jesus Christ is God." Earnestly I hope that he was so taught by the Holy Ghost, without whose teaching no man can savingly say that Jesus is the Lord. I forthwith baptized the old man, in the presence of his assembled family and a few strangers. May God grant that he may not be a Member of the Church in name only, but also a very member incorporate in the mysti cal body of Christ! Baptism of Four Natives. He Nov. 6, 1830-Much of my time this week has been occupied in endeavouring to imbue the minds of our Candidates with Gospel Truth, and the great importance of their receiving Baptism in a proper spirit. They have committed to memory the Confession, Lord's-Prayer, Creed, Ten Commandments, and Watts's First Catechism, in Bengalee. On the afternoon of Sunday the 7th, at Mirzapore Chapel, we baptized Dhormma Doss and Porish, Mookti Ram and Moha Shree. Their Christian names are, Dhormma Doss, which signifies 'Servant of Holiness ;" and Mary, Matthew, and Martha. Our Chapel was nearly filled, partly by the friends and supporters of the Mission, and partly by Native Christians; all of whom appeared to take a lively interest in witnessing the sacred Ordinance of our Blessed Redeemer administered to these people; of whom it may indeed be said, that Upon them that sat in darkness and the shadow of death hath the light of the glorious Gospel of Salvation shined. The Rev. Mr. Reichardt kindly assisted at the Ordinance, and afterwards delivered an Address. May the Lord preserve the people stedfast in faith, joyful through hope, and rooted in charity, and finally receive them into the Church triumphant above, for Christ's sake! General Aspect of the Mission. In a Letter under date of Oct. 16, 1830, Archdeacon Corrie ob serves: The Word of God is not bound; and He shews from time to time that the excellency of the power is of God. Conversions are by no means rare, and the work of Education is now extending. MADRAS. Spirit of Inquiry among Roman Catholics. Our Readers are aware of the blessing which has followed the labours of the Society's Missionaries among the Heathen in the Province of Tinnevelly. We rejoice to state, that there have been various indications, of late, of an awakening among the Roman Catholics of this Presidency. The following particulars on this subject are chiefly collected from the communications of the Rev. P.P. Schaffter. In April of last year, Mr. Schaffter acquainted the Madras Corresponding Committee, that the inhabitants of Mavalore Coopum and four other Roman-Catholic Villages earnestly desired to be received into the Pro testant Church under the care of the Church Missionary Society. The Corresponding Committee approved the wishes of the people, and sancof Mr. Schaffter's complying with tioned his making arrangements with a view to administer to their spiritual instruction and to establish Schools among them. Mr. Schaffter thus relates, in his Journal, the commencement of his intercourse with the Roman Catholics of Mavalore Coopum : Feb. 8, 1830-Came to Mavalore Coopum,a village six miles from Poonamallee, on the left of the road to Tripasore, inhabited by 102 Roman Catholics, and containing 16 houses. This is the RomanCatholic Village whose inhabitants have applied for Evangelical Instruction. As soon as I arrived, the inhabitants crowded round my palanquin, with the greatest demonstrations of joy that a Teacher of the Gospel was come among them. One of the principal men of the village, whose name is Creety, gave me the following account of the way through which Providence had led him and his people to the resolution of forsaking the Roman-Catholic Faith. More than a hundred years ago, our ancestors, living in a far country, were converted to the Roman-Catholic Faith by a Roman-Catholic Missionary: and forty years ago we removed to the place which we now inhabit; where we settled, as cultivators of the ground: but neither our Brethren the Roman Catholics, nor their Priests, received us with that Christian friendship which we expected to find: on the contrary, they opposed and oppressed us in many ways; nor did they take any care of our spiritual welfare. Two years ago, the Young Man who now instructs our children, and who was converted from the Roman to the Protestant Faith by the Rev. C. Rhenius, took much pains to instruct us in the settled as a Physician amongst us, and True Christian Religion, and to point out to us the errors of the Roman-Catholic Religion: these we soon saw, and many of our villagers too; and now that most of the inhabitants of this and of four other villages were convinced of their errors and of the truth of the Gospel, we sent for a Minister by whom to be more fully instructed in the True Faith." Upon all this he enlarged much; and I was extremely surprised to hear these things. I spent the whole of this day in visiting these people in their houses; and was greatly delighted to see that they listened with reverence and pleasure to the Christian Instruction I gave them. In the evening we had a meeting; at which, with the exception of two families who were still opposed, all the villagers attended, besides Roman Catholics of other villages who had been invited by the Mavalore Coopum People. After the meeting was concluded, one of the Headmen addressed his people in a very warm manner:-"What do you say to all this? Do you not feel that what this Minister tells us is the True Word of God? Why then will you remain any longer under the power of Superstition? The Roman-Catholic Religion has brought us from Egypt into the Wilderness; and why may we not enter Canaan by the Protestant Faith?" Upon this, all those who were present declared that they were disposed to become Protestants; and thirty Headmen of Families signed a Petition, drawn up by themselves, and which I subjoin, requesting me to be their Minister, to teach them the Word of God, and to help them to build a Church and a School Room : "We the Undersigned, Christian Inhabitants of Mavalore Coopum, beg humbly to address and to inform you, that as our Place of Worship is in ruins, and we are left without a Church, and obliged ourselves to perform our marriages, burials, &c., we have unanimously chosen you to be our Minister; and we entreat that you will erect among us a Church and a School-room, and preach to us the Doctrines of the Gospel and other tenets connected with the Christian Religion.Mavalore Coopum, 8th Feb. 1830. (Signed) "PERAGANSAM, &c. &c. " Feb. 9, 1830-To-day I visited four Roman-Catholic Villages, whose inhabitants, one of the Headmen told me, are disposed to embrace Christianity. I found the greatest part of these people most willing to receive Christian Instruction; and many of them added their signatures to the Petition addressed to me. Some, however, were afraid that the Headman might be Antichrist. I believe that the Kingdom of God is at hand among the Roman Catholics in this country. The villages visited are as follows:-Mavalore: 16 houses, containing 102 inhabitants. Mayabacum: 6 houses, 33 inhabitants. Valanarum: 20 houses, 110 April, 1831. inhabitants. Nemellee: 22 houses, 110 inhabitants. In the evening I returned to Poonamallee, and related to the Rev. F. Spring the state of these Roman-Catholic Villages. He being formerly acquainted with them, greatly encouraged me not to neglect the opportunity which the Lord seemed to present of promoting the spiritual welfare of these people; and with the Rev. H. Harper, and some other Gentlemen of our Committee, he gave me some kind and judicious advice in this affair; according to which I have endeavoured to regulate my proceedings to the present moment, as far as intervening circumstances would allow. Mr. Schaffter's further intercourse with the Roman Catholics of this District is detailed in the following extracts from his Journal: Feb. 19-The people pressed me very much to build the Church soon; assuring me, that, during my absence, many Roman Catholics had expressed their desire to renounce Popery, and to embrace the Protestant Religion. In the evening I performed Divine Service; during which I baptized 3 Children and 2 Adults, and married 2 couples. It was, perhaps, the first time that persons have according to the Ritual of the Church of been baptized and married in this place England. Departing from these people, I exhorted them to seek the salvation of their souls, to read the Scriptures, and to remain faithful to the connexion into which God has brought them; assuring them that our Society have nothing in view but their present and eternal welfare. I left Mavalore Coopum in the evening. April 19-Came to Mavalore Coopum, and was happy to find all the people steady. I preached, visited the School, and called on the people at their houses. In the evening, I went to see some of our Christians at Valavaram, and at Mayabacum, where I preached in the open air and spent the night. April 20-On my way from Mayabacum to Tripasore, I called upon the RomanCatholic Priest at Keelcherry; who received me politely, but expressed his dis pleasure at the Christians having forsaken the Popish for the Protestant Faith. On my way to Tripasore I suffered very much from the intolerable heat. In the evening, I preached at Tripasore to about 40 persons, and the next day returned to Madras. 2 B |