door, a place was broken in the side of it for that purpose, which was done by one or two of the Chief's wives. He was carried to the grave in the kaross which he wore when alive. When they arrived at the grave, he was laid by its side; and first one, and then another of the men appointed to bury him, took an assagai, and cut off some part of his hair. While we were thus standing and eyeing their movements, we were informed by the Interpreter, who had been called by some of the principal men for that purpose, that they were afraid to let us go too near the grave; lest it should be said that we had buried the Chief, and the inquiry should be made, "Were there no Captains in the land, that the People of the Institution were obliged or allowed to bury him?" His ornaments, and the little furniture which he possessed, a couple of iron table-spoons, together with some wearing apparel, were put into the grave. Before the body was deposited in the grave, they washed it, by dipping a handful of the leaves of a green weed in a bason of water, and gently rubbing it over the different parts thereof. When the mortal remains of the Chief had been committed to the ground, the Captains and all arose and moved a little nearer the grave; and, standing about the distance of six or eight yards from it, all together took their leave of him, by saying simultaneously, "Chief! look upon us. They then retired.

Mr. Haddy thus speaks of the Favour shewn to the Mission by Vossanie's Successor.

Not only is no obstacle likely to be thrown in our way by the death of Vossanie, but this event has led to a more distinct explanation of our main object. Vadana, the next brother to Vossanie by the same mother, sister of the late Islambie, who will govern until the rightful heir be of age, paid us a formal visit. He came for the purpose of answering some questions which I proposed when Vossanie was interred, in regard to our residence among this people. He was accompanied by ten or twelve old men, most of them strangers to me.

The substance of a message sent on the day that Vossanie died, was repeated. "The Chief is dead, but you must not be alarmed, nor run away. His children are alive, and you can take care of them. It is the law of our Maker that we must all die. The King of England

dies. But here is the man (Vadana) who will take care of you; and what you have to say, you must say to him. We have brought him here to day, that you may see him, and say all that is in your heart to him." I took occasion to remind them of many sayings which had been uttered by Vossanie, expressive of his friendliness toward us, and his intention to afford us all the protection in his power... and told Vadana, that when we came to the great place to hold Divine Service, I expected him to assemble the people to hear the Gospel; and that, when any person apprised them of its being the Lord's Day, they should come to the Institution; and, moreover, informed him that we intended to preach the Gospel at every kraal throughout his dominions, and hoped that in future the people would receive us without any objections.

The business being concluded, they presented a fine young ox; and asked a kaross for Vadana, and some handkerchiefs for Vossanie's widow: as they said, that that which had been worne during the Chief's life, they should now, according to custom, throw away. I desired to know whether I should consider the ox as the present which I had asked of Vossanie, (for in this country a person is scarcely thought sociable unless he is frequently begging,) or whether it were the gift of Vadana: they answered,

66

'Neither the one nor the other; but, considering that your heart is sore on account of the Chief's death, and we at the great place do not on such occasions drink milk, but slaughter cattle and eat meat, we have brought you this bullock that you may be able to eat meat also."

I could not but feel thankful at the close of this conversation, for this renewed indication of Divine Good-will toward us, and that our way was made so plain. Surely the Lord hath heard and answered our prayers.

Mediterranean.

AMERICAN BOARD OF MISSIONS,

We wish to bring our Readers as well acquainted with the moral and religious condition of different countries as our means may enable us to do. With this view we lay before them, as drawn up by Mr. Goodell, the following

Contrast of the Inhabitants of Syria with

those of Malta.

The difference between the Native Inhabitants of Malta and those of Syria, both in respect of their character and condition, is very great.

The MALTESE, in general, are not a reading people, and their language can scarcely be said to be a written language: it is only a few years since it was reduced to writing; and nearly all the books which have ever, to my knowledge, been published in it have been published within a very short time, and mostly by Mr. Jowett, or at his press; consisting of the Four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles, a Collection of Maltese Proverbs, and several Elementary Books: and perhaps not twenty persons can be found, among the native population of the whole island, who are able to read them. In SYRIA, though there is a sad deficiency of books and of Schools, and consequently of intelligent readers, yet, of all these, there is, in comparison of Malta, no inconsiderable number.

As the MALTESE are not generally able to read, so are they not accustomed generally to think for themselves on religious subjects: not having a Bible in their houses, (and it would be a sealed book, if they had one,) and never hearing in the Church a single verse read in a language which they understand, they have no ideas on religion, except what are derived from their priests, and are of course excessively bigotted and superstitious they manifest no desire to hear any new doctrine: if they have such a desire, they do not dare to express it. In SYRIA, on the contrary, the Scriptures in the vernacular tongue are found in most, if not all, of the Churches; and also in many families, where some one is able to read them: the people are not so entirely dependent on their priests for every religious thought and feeling; and, though we everywhere see enough to remind us whose is the image and superscription which is impressed upon them, yet we find also much which reminds one of the Athenian character-They love to tell or hear some new thing.

In MALTA, what is not superstition appears to be, for the most part, rank infidelity. In SYRIA, there is an abundance both of superstition and of infidelity: but there is also a middle class, who would by no means speak against Christianity; and yet are too enlightened to be satisfied with unmeaning ceremonies, and desire to be free from the galling chains of superstition.

In MALTA, it is extremely difficult, on account of existing customs, to have much intercourse with the native inhabitants; and FAMILIAR, UNRESTRAINED intercourse is next to impossible. In SYRIA, it is very different: the customs there are such, that, were it not for fear of excommunication, kind-hearted Missionaries, who are willing to suffer some inconveniences in order to benefit the souls of the people, would be often excessively annoyed by them: they intrude at all hours; and, like the frogs of Egypt, come without ceremony into their houses, and into their bedchamber, and (unless kept off) upon their very bed: this custom, though contrary to our ideas of propriety, and often vexatious, yet for the Missionary has many advantages.

In MALTA, there is, among the Native Inhabitants, but ONE religious sect; and for any person to change his religion is, of course, a thing scarcely ever heard of. In SYRIA, there are DIFFERENT religious sects; and a change from one to another is very common: this state of things naturally provokes discussion among themselves-renders the idea of a change altogether practicable to them-and makes it less difficult for Missionaries to excite their attention to the truth, and to bring them back to Primitive Christianity.

In MALTA, the priests are exceedingly numerous it is said, that as many as onesixth of the male population belong to the Ecclesiastical and Monastic Orders: it is hardly possible to turn a corner in the street, without meeting with a greater or less number of them. In SYRIA, the priests are much less numerous. In MALTA, they generally know much more than the people; in SYRIA, the people know quite as much as their priests.

to hear Divine Service. But the Catholics were compelled to abandon the building of their church, after it was half finished; partly from want of money, as Mr. Drouetti says, and partly because the Copts and Mahomedans do what they can to hinder it.

March 3, 1831-Mr. Drouetti was so kind as to introduce me to the Governor, to whom I shewed my Firmân. He received me very kindly, and promised his assistance wherever I should want it. Yesterday evening I presented two Tracts to the servant of the convent, begging him to read especially the “Dialogue between a Real and a Nominal Christian;" and this afternoon I asked him, whether, after reading that Tract, he considered himself a real or a nominal Christian. The answer, as generally, was, "A real Christian:" however, he wished to know the difference between a real and a nominal Christian, which I explained to him. In the mean time, people came to buy books, to whom I recommended the Word of God; and in order to make it as plain as possible, I told them that the Bible was like a Firmân from the King of kings and Lord of lords, in which He shews His subjects His good-will, and the way to His Kingdom.

March 4-Abuna Gabriel, the first and most sensible Priest in the town, came to pay me a visit. I made him a present of the Four Gospels in Coptic and Arabic. After some conversation, another Priest came in, and wanted the same present; but I told him that I had no authority to give all the Priests these Four Gospels without money. He replied, that he drives out devils, and heals the sick, by the Gospels; and therefore I ought to give them to him without money. Another Copt, being present, said to the Priest :-"Well, if you drive out devils and heal the sick, why do you not heal such and such an one ?" The Priest made no reply; but pleaded the binding and the cover as a reason why he wished to have it. This led me to observe, that we ought not to look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. However, I gave him a New Testament in Arabic.

March 5-Early in the morning two Priests came, also a Schoolmaster, and two Scribes, with whom I spent nearly the whole afternoon in, I hope, not a useless conversation. I spoke with them on the necessity of reading the Word of

God, and that it is now high time to awake out of sleep and to seek our salvation with fear and trembling. I reproved them very sharply for their seeking consolation in strong liquor, instead of seeking it in the Word of God and the consolation of the Holy Spirit. They could not deny it: I often heard them, both in Upper and Lower Egypt, say that they drink liquor in order to forget their oppressed state. Abuna Gabriel said, if he or another Priest spoke to his people in this way, they would send him out of the house. But," said he, we, who are obliged to live by the good-will of the people, dare not offend them, else we should starve." I reminded him of Ezek. xxxiii. Thus these Priests pollute the Lord among the people, for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread.

March 6-To-day the Christians are feasting and making merry, because their Great Fast begins to-morrow. There is neither preaching nor teaching here on a Sunday, because all who are in the Pasha's service are obliged to labour on a Sunday as well as on a working-day: and as the convent where the Copts of this place go to church is too far for them to be back in due time, they neglect Divine Service altogether, except on some peculiar holidays and feasts during the year. Yesterday I sent my Servant to Damieh, a village in the neighbourhood of the Medineh, in order to hawk the books about. He came back this afternoon, complaining that the people like their piastres more than the Word of God. "Besides," said he, "the people are so poor, that they must first sell something of their household-stuff in order to buy the Gospel."

March 7-Visited the Schools in the Medineh, and gave to each School-boy a Spelling-book. I exhorted the Schoolmaster, in each of the three Schools, to take care of his little flock; not forgetting that he must give an account before the Judgment-seat of Christ, whose little flock he is entrusted with, to lead and to direct them into the way of everlasting life. I was pleased to find the oldest class reading in the Gospel which Mr. Lieder presented them with some years ago.

March 8-Went into the khan, to see a venerable old Armenian Christian. There I found two Turkish Effendis, who were desirous of seeing my Books. When they read on the cover of the Tract the passage, Verily, Verily, I say

unto you, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, &c., they were astonished; and each of them wanted to explain the meaning to the other. I then told them, that as a fish cannot live on dry ground, except his nature be changed, so we, who are accustomed to do evil, cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, except our nature be first changed by the Holy Spirit.

March 9, 1831-Had a long, and I hope a profitable, conversation with those who came to buy the Word of God. I first read to them part of that excellent Tract, "The Traveller and Yourself," or, as it is called in Arabic, A Dialogue between a Nominal and a Real Christian." I told them that the good people in England who sent them these books do not wish so much that they should change their name with regard to their outward profession, as that they may be enabled to change their heart and mind by the grace of the Holy Ghost. After this I read the 3d of Colossians, on which I made some remarks. When I came to the 9th verse, Lie not one to another, I exhorted a young Priest who was present, and who a few minutes before told me a lie. But an old blind Schoolmaster began to excuse him, and said to me, You must have patience with him; for he has just entered the Church, and does not yet know his office

well."

In the afternoon my servant came from Senores, a village about three hours' journey from the Medineh. He said the Christians there would not accept my book, for fear of being afterwards made slaves by the English. The fact is, the people in the country know neither the English nor the French; but think that these books are sent by the Pasha, in

order to make them more skilful in his service.

March 10-Two Priests came, with whom I spoke on the abuses in the Eastern Churches. They have no idea of the awful consequences of backsliding from the simple way of Truth. One of them said: If I do not follow my

Church, and the rules which the Bishop prescribes to me, from whence shall I

live? I should be at once considered as

a heretic, and lose my bread." The

whole day my house was like a market: from morning to evening Children and Adults came in search of books, but most eame without money.

a Schoolmaster who lives near my lodgings. The chief subject was St. George (whom the Copts have in veneration as a Semi-God), and other abuses of the Coptic Church. If they confess to the Priest, the penitent says to his Confessor: "0 my father! bear my sins:" and the Priest says, I have borne your sins."

March 14-At three o'clock in the morning I left the Medineh, in company with Mr. Drouetti, in order to return to Caïro. We arrived at Tomieh at eight o'clock A. M.: we rested there a few hours, and then set off for Dashour, where we arrived at nine o'clock in the evening, after riding for ten hours through the Desert. We slept at Dashour, in the khan, in the open air, among asses and cattle.

In the morning of the 15th we left Dashour, passing along the Pyramids of Saccara and Gizeh, and the Ruins of the Ancient Memphis. I feel much obliged to Mr. Drouetti for his kind attention, both in Faioum and on my way back to Caïro. We arrived at Old Caïro in the afternoon.

My visit to the Faioum was but a short one; but I hope and pray that it may prove a lasting blessing to those to whom the Lord has purposes of love. I sold and distributed 4 Arabic Bibles, 36 Arabic Testaments, 23 Arabic Gospels, 10 Coptic and Arabic Psalms, 7 Coptic and Arabic Gospels, 20 Arabic Genesis, 38 Arabic Psalms; for which I got 12 dollars 9 piastres for the Bible Society. For Tracts I got 3 dollars and 3 piastres: together, 15 dollars.

Mr. Müller having obtained the sanction of the Committee to visit Europe, sailed from Alexandria on the 14th of April, and arrived at Leghorn on the 4th of May.

It was his purpose to visit England by way of Switzerland.

JEWS' SOCIETY.

SOME account of these Converts Condition of the Jews exiled to Cæsarea. appears at pp. 443, 444 of our Volume for 1829; and notices of them, transmitted by Mr. Lewis, occur at p. 182 of our last Volume: finding it very difficult to procure