converts.

It was a solemn, but, I trust, a joyful occasion to us all; realizing, in some degree, the glories of the prophetical age, and emblematical of the time when the general assembly and church of the first-born shall meet in heaven, and when people of every country, and tongue, and nation, shall unite with one heart, and in one voice, to sing praises unto Him who was slain, and who has washed them from their sins in his own blood. Our thoughts were brought into peculiar contact with heavenly realities, and our little assembly was, if possible, rendered more solemn, by the presence of one of the American missionaries, who, on the day preceding, had been bereaved of his endeared partner, the companion of his missionary toils, and herself an able and efficient labourer in the Lord's vineyard. Mrs Allen died on the morning of Saturday, after giving birth to a child. Her death will be severely felt by the mission to which she belonged. She had made considerable progress in the language, and was very zealous, not only in her schools, but also among

mention, that I was lately graciously permitted to receive three individuals into the visible Church.

"The first person to whom I refer is of African descent. He was baptized in his youth. About eight months ago, I found him in a state of great ignorance. During the interval, he has daily received instruction from me, and made such a progress in knowledge, and evinced, on on the whole, such a consistency of profession, as were viewed by me as a warrant to admit him into Christian communion.

"The second individual is a Hindú merchant from the kingdom of Kach, who has for several years followed his avocation in Bombay. He was a worshipper of the god Vishnu. Having occasion to give him a few Gujoráthí tracts, which appear to have been beneficial to him, I invited him to come to my house for the purpose of hearing the Gospel of Christ. He listened to me on several occasions, before I was struck with any thing peculiar in his attention or apparent understanding. I soon perceived, however, that he manifested an unusual interest in what was passing; and, on interrogating him on the subject, I found that he readily declared that my doctrines were true, and that they' stuck to his mind.' From this time he was accustomed to spend almost the whole of the day with me, and to accompany me when I preached to the natives. The people of his caste soon took notice of him; but they could not induce him to abandon inquiry, or forsake instruction. His partners insisted on his separation from their concern, but allowed him

the degraded females around her, in making known the unsearchable riches of Christ. A very affecting service took place in the afternoon at the American Chapel, and we all accompanied her remains to the cold and silent tomb. The burning sun had gone down, and there was a solitude and stillness in the scene which resembled a summer's twilight in our native land. There is something appalling in the sight of an Indian grave, and in the people of strange countenance, and of a strange tongue, who surround it. I trust, however, that on this occasion, the thoughts of all present were wafted to the regions of glory, and that, when they sang a hymn, before departing from the sepulchre, descriptive of her joy and blessedness, they thought of those hallelujahs which will be sounded in louder strains, and without interruption, through the ages of eternity. It was delightful to follow her, from the toil and the sorrows of earth, to the rest and the repose of heaven; and from the labours of missionary enterprise here below to the possession of a missionary's crown, and of an abode in the heavens which sin and suffering cannot invade. May we, my beloved friends, be, like her, found ready, when the Bridea small sum of money, and an equivalent for his share in their commodities. He became very eager in his desires for baptism; and as he appeared to look forward to his reception of the ordinance, not only as a public declaration of his attachment to the Saviour, but as a means of convincing his friends that it was in vain to reclaim him, I complied with his request last Lord's Day.

"The third person is a Hindú woman. About eight months ago, when labouring under a severe illness, she expressed to a European, who brought her under my notice, a desire of being instructed in the Christian religion. When I examined her as to the grounds of her wish, I found her in all the darkness of heathenism, but with the persuasion that idolatry was vain and sinful. She readily received the instruction communicated to her by me and Mrs Wilson; but, for a considerable time, evinced nothing corresponding to suitable impressions. As her acquaintance with divine truth increased, however, a change began to be appar ent, and latterly she afforded us hopes that she was really interested in the Gospel. One of the converts from Roman Catholicism, who has been mentioned in former reports of my brethren, and in whose house she has resided for upwards of six months, reported well of her conduct. Her baptism took place along with that of the merchant. She has made a little progress in learning to read Maráthí.—7th January 1831.”

groom cometh to call us hence. The harvest truly is great, and many of its labourers have finished their work and entered into rest. Would that the Macedonian cry, Come over and help us,' were heard and obeyed by those who feel and acknowledge the claims of their Divine Master!-M. W."

Such are the most important parts of the correspondence of Mrs Wilson during our first year's residence in Bombay. The Lord had graciously supported her under some severe trials, imparted to her many mercies, enabled her to do great things preparatory to, or in furtherance of, the work for the sake of which she had to come to India, and had granted her the felicity of observing several important occurrences, calculated to sustain her hopes and strengthen her exertions. Her own unceasing labours she either scarcely notices, or she writes of them with a humility which cannot fail to attract attention, as the result of that deep piety by which she was characterised, and which she never ceased to cultivate and exhibit amidst the most pressing public engagements. Love to the Saviour was the spring of her exertions, and her sense of solemn duty to God rendered her superior, in a rare degree, to the applause of man. It was more an occasion of thanksgiving with her, that she had gathered around her the affections of a goodly company of poor native girls, of some of their connections, and of the few converts of our ministry, than that she was offered the approbation of such of her countrymen as were interested in the conversion of this great land. She wisely sought to be enriched with the prayers, rather than the praises, of her Christian friends. Happy are those who, like her, spend their all in the service of Christ, and have similar desires and endeavours. It matters not that they may be overlooked, or even despised by man. "Their work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope, are in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God our Father.”

CHAPTER VIII.

DISCUSSION WITH MORA BHATTA-ADVANTAGES OF MISSIONARY TOURS-ACCOUNT OF A JOURNEY FROM BOMBAY TO NASIK, BY WAY OF PUNA AND AHMADNAGAR, IN FEBRU ARY 1831-LETTERS OF MRS WILSON, ADDRESSED TO HER HUSBAND IN HIS ABSENCE -CORRESPONDENCE WITH HER OTHER FRIENDS-DEATH OF MRS COOPER-CONTRO VERSY WITH THE PARSIS-VISIT TO PUNA-TRANSLATION OF THE VENDIDAD SADE FROM THE FRENCH.

In the beginning of February 1831, I received a note from a Shástrí resident in Bombay, informing me that one of his friends who had lately arrived at the seat of the Presidency, conceiving that he was able to refute all the objections which had been, or could be, brought against the Hindú religion, was desirous of having an interview with me. Having immediately granted him the opportunity of conversing with me which he sought, I was not long in discovering, that he was extremely desirous to redeem the character of Bráhmanism by another public discussion. I readily consented to engage with him. The debate, as on the former occasion, was attended by a great number of respectable natives, and continued during six successive evenings. It referred, principally, to the character of the Divine Being, the means of salvation, the principles of morality, and the allotment of future reward and punishment. Mora Bhatta Dándekara, who was the prime mover of the discussion, received much aid from several of his friends; and he proved a very keen, though not a very ingenuous controversialist. I enjoyed the assistance of Ráma Chandra, and, on one evening, of Mr Farrar, while good order was preserved by Mr Webb. The Brah mans were again the first to ask for a cessation of hostilities. The impression was very general among the natives that they had the worst of the argument; and the hints which they

received on this subject led them to determine on resorting to the press. I regret that a very interesting and animated account of the whole proceedings by Mrs Wilson is not forthcoming. Allusions to it, or to its results, in subsequent parts of the Memoir, require, in the order of time, this brief notice of it.

I have already declared Bombay to be a most important and promising field of labour; and the facts which have already been mentioned, must have clearly shown the correctness of my opinion. But, though I have ever viewed it as a sphere of missionary exertion, demanding the prosecution, with my best energies, of regular plans of labour, and sighed for the aid of other agents within its locality, I have thought it my duty to leave it for a short time, during several cold seasons, that I might minister in the adjoining districts and provinces. My first tour, commenced a few days after the letter, with which the preceding chapter closes, was written, extended over a large extent of country in the Konkan and Dakhan. My friend, Mr Farrar, of the Church Missionary Society's Mission, then at Bándará, who was just beginning to address the people, accompanied me. We proceeded to Násik, via Puna and Ahmadnagar, and returned to Bombay by the Tal-Ghát and Bhivandi. Mr Stevenson went with us from Puná to Násik. We had daily opportunities of proclaiming the glad news of salvation to large, curious, and attentive congregations of the natives,-of distributing about 6000 portions of the Scriptures and tracts, calculated to preserve the remembrance of our discourses, and to urge to and satisfy inquiry, of visiting many of the native schools supported by the villagers, encouraging the teachers, and supplying them with suitable books, of extending, by familiar intercourse with the people, our knowledge of the native languages, religions, manners, and customs,-of becoming acquainted with the institutions by which native society is most powerfully affected,—and of giving general intimation of our residence in the country, and the great objects which we sought to promote. My experience of the benefit of itinerancies warrants me to recommend them most strongly to my fellow labourers, who may never have made them the subject of their particular attention. It is a great mistake to think that they are merely transitory in their effects, and unpro