anything to say in reply. Some of the tenets and practices of the sect in question are so abominable and disgusting, that I am sure few persons in Europe could be brought to believe in their very existence. But is there a depth of turpitude into which men may and do not sink when they depart from the true and living God, and refuse to retain him in their knowledge?

"Among the articles exposed for sale in the bazar, we remarked a curious-looking copper vessel, exactly in the shape of the Mangoe fruit, hollow inside, and with an orifice at the top, closing with a stopper. On inquiry into its use, we were told that it was appropriated for preserving the water in which Brahmins have washed their feet, or at least dipped their big toe, and which water is held in high esteem by the poor ignorant Hindoos, who ascribe to it all kinds of virtues, precisely as Roman Catholics do to holy water!'

BAPTIST MISSION AT BURRISAUL.

January 30th. Arrived at Burrisaul, a large civil station, and the seat of a Baptist Mission. The Brethren Page and Sale, with their excellent wives reside here. We had some refreshing conversations with these dear friends, who, amidst many difficulties, are prosecuting their work with fidelity and no small share of success. At Burrisaul itself, there are not many converts; but spread over the country, in 20 or 25 villages, there are upwards of 1400 individuals, men, women, and children, professing Christianity, and among these, 200 church members. Most of these neophytes are Ryuts, or cultivators of the soil, and in general very poor; but, in point of civilization and morality, exhibiting already an unmistakeable superiority over their heathen neighbours. Some facts were brought to our notice, which show several of them to be possessed of no small degree of Christian experience.

"I was personally extremely gratified by Mr. Page telling me that a great number of the women connected with his rural congregations have read with much delight and advantage my daughter, Mrs. Mullens' Bengali work for the benefit of native Christian females, called Phulmani and Karuna.'

RETURN TO CALCUTTA.

“ February 1st.-Left Burrisaul to return

to Calcutta, through the Sunderbund route. We are very anxious to get home soon on account of our senior native assistant, who is seriously ill.

"February 9th.-Sailed for eight days through the northern part of the Sunderbund, which not many years ago was all jungle, inhabited only by tigers and other wild beasts, but which now, in a great mea sure, is brought under cultivation, and reached home this day. We were on several occasions since we left Burrisaul, fearful that our poor sick friend Gobindo would have died ere we could arrive in Calcutta. He was, however, mercifully preserved, but was so extremely debilitated on landing, that he could neither walk nor stand. It is a comfort that he will now enjoy the attentions and care of his family and be under proper medical treatment. With all this, I regret to say, I am not sanguine as to his final recovery.*

CONCLUDING REMARKS.

"Thus ended our tour of two months' duration, during which we experienced many tokens of the Lord's goodness and protecting

care.

"Our two native friends were of great assistance to us, and afforded us unmixed satisfaction by their uniform Christian deportment, and the zeal they displayed in the great work for which we had left home. They always spent the evening with us in our boat, when, in order to refresh the memory of us all in regard to the contents of our tracts, and to guide us in making a proper selection of them, we read aloud together every one of the Bengali tracts we had brought with us for distribution. We found this a very profitable employment, and I would strongly recommend the practice to every Missionary similarly situated. At other times, they read to us their journals of every day's occurrences, which furnished matter for many remarks tending to encourage them, or to suggest improvements where we thought such were needed. We always ended the day with having worship together in Bengali, when both the assistants took their turns in conducting it. Tara's simple, childlike prayers were quite refreshing to

* Gobindo has since died, in the full hope of acceptance through Christ.

of old Ocean. A change of climate might be beneficial. My ailment has not been aggravated by sedentary habits, for though frequently compelled to very close application, I never want exercise for any length of time. I could do with less. Our station comprising an increasing and scattered population, severely taxes the efforts of the body as well as the mind. Besides the itinerant labours which devolve alternately upon Brother Ashton and myself, there also numerous secular duties which require superintendence. It was a frequent remark of the late Mr. Hamiltou, and it will hold good in our circumstances for a long time to come, "If you wish a job well done, do it, or see it done, yourself." In the early years of this Mission, we were, from necessity and example, compelled to work a great deal harder than we could have desired; because we could get no one to work for us, and we saw plainly that if ever the natives were to be civilized they must have example after example. So far as my own health is concerned, I have yet good hope of holding out some time, but latterly I have begun to fear for that of Mrs. M., who, after having weathered a long and I may add, a laborious career in the Bechuana Mission, has, during the past year, felt her strength giving way, and with unmistakeable signs of latent disease, so that she greatly dreads the summer heats now set in.

But

we are in the Lord's hands, and He will do all things well which concern our temporal

as our eternal welfare.

APPREHENSIONS OF FURTHER OUTRAGES

FROM THE TRANS-VAAL BOERS.

"I fear I have said too much about self, and will now turn to that which most concerns us all. Under any circumstances, it is gratifying to feel the assurance that we are not spending our strength for nought, and on that account we can refer with pleasure to the continued prosperity of this mission, though by no means to the extent we could wish, or even what we might reasonably expect. For a considerable time past, the public mind had been kept in an unfavourable state of excitement, expecting an attack from the Trans-vaal Boers. These, during the past year, had availed themselves of their conceded independence, by perpetrating brutal outrage of plunder and bloodshed on the

unoffending tribes of Bakhatla, Bakuena, Barolong, and Bangwaketse. From their well-known hostility to the natives, and their hatred to Missionary operations, it was the general impression that they would carry on the work of extermination among the inhabitants of this quarter. Having failed in their attempts to reduce the above tribes to vassalage, and convinced from the repulse they got at Sechéles that tribes possessing a few fire-arms were not to be mowed down like those they had before vanquished, the late commandant Pretorius bethought himself and addressed a letter, &c., to the chiefs of the Batlapees, copies of which have been forwarded to you. Circumstances connected with the interviews the bearers of these documents had with the native chiefs, convinced the latter that all was not gold that glittered. These despatches were translated, and a few hundred copies printed in the Sechuana language for distribution, that the natives might at least see what were the professions of the president of the Republic. Since that time, there has been a lull, for past experience prevents us giving it a better

name.

OTHER CAUSES OF ANXIETY AMONG THE

NATIVE TRIBES.

"From various causes, the minds of the principal men among the natives had become soured against the English as well as against the Boers, whom dear-bought experience had taught them to abhor. A law having been passed prohibiting all natives of every description beyond the Vaal River from obtaining ammunition while the Boers might get what they wanted, confirmed them in the belief that the English nation went hand in hand with the Boers in the work of plunder, slavery, and extermination. No argument is necessary to show that this state of things was most unfavourable to our objects among them, and our only wonder is, that it did not operate in a more tangible form than it has done.

THEIR UNSHAKEN CONFIDENCE IN THE

MISSIONARIES.

"We are thankful to see that the spirit of the Gospel has been so far diffusive as to surmount these untoward obstacles. Notwithstanding the mal-administrations on the part of the government authorities, calculated

to excite the worst surmises respecting every white man, the native chiefs still confide in the sincerity and truthfulness of the Missionary character; for those who have been the greatest sufferers have expressed an earnest desire for the return of their Missionaries. This speaks for itself. In reply to those applications, it has been stated that under the present very unsettled state of the interior, it would not be advisable for Missionaries to resume their work among either the Bakuena, Bakhatla, Bakmutse, and Bang. waketse tribes-that during a long season of service among them, they had not profited by instruction, and that it would be too great a waste of life and expense to resume those missions among people who, as yet, were entirely unsettled. We nevertheless most gladly encourage their hopes that the present state of things will not always continue, and that they shall not be forgotten by those whose only object is, to make them happy both in time and eternity.

NOTICES OF THE MISSION.

"During the past year we have had the pleasure of seeing a very considerable increase to the population of this station, as well as on our out station farther down the river. This addition, I am glad to say, tells very sensibly on our public services as well as in our schools. There have been twelve added to our church, and we have the prospect of selecting more from among the candidates. The appearance of the people, as well as that of the station, continue to improve. They get precept on precept-require constant watching and constant stirring up in their Christian profession. It would of course be vain in us to expect, among our converts from pagan darkness, that advance and uniformity of deportment we look for among British Christians, though even there I perceive from periodicals, that pastors have to be, like ourselves, 'instant, in season and out of season,' even to an extent we scarcely conceive of. Sometimes we think we are too strict, and at other times the same measures appear not sufficiently severe. The native mind has from infancy been accustomed to take things easy, and the moral atmosphere which surrounds them has its influence. It is extremely difficult to get them to value time, and therefore a genera

tion or two must pass before their teachers can expect to see in them that anxiety to 'redeem time' which we so much desire. The people in general, though not possessing the imitative power to the extent of many nations of which we read, have made praiseworthy exertions towards the comforts of civilized life. On a sabbath the congregations have an imposing appearance, which invariably strikes strangers; we nevertheless, as well as our wives, find it necessary to be always admonishing on the subject of cleanliness. The facility with which a number of the young women commit large portions, -whole books,-of the New Testament and Psalms to memory, shows they possess valuable powers of mind which can be turned to the best purposes. Mrs. Moffat lately appointed a number of her Bible class to learn the 119th Psalm, which they mastered in a short time, and answers frequently elicited on various doctrines and duties of Christianity, indicate that they understand the subject. Lately a treat of tea and biscuit was given to the school children on this station, whose steady attendance had recommended them, when 150, in their best attire, enjoyed the feast, and the more so at a season when food is scarce. Books were also presented to those who had excelled in diligence. They were exhorted and encouraged to persevere, and become wiser than their parents, most of whom were looking on. In the evening they all attended an exhibition of the phantasmagoria, when a variety of pictures, chiefly scriptural, interested the old as well as the young.

"The frequent visitation of immense swarms of locusts continues to be a subject of anxiety. Last year the gardens in the Kuruman district were mercifully preserved while other portions of the country suffered terribly from their ravages. More ground has been brought under cultivation this year on the station than at any former period, and the prospects are fair; but a visit from the locusts, which occasionally pass in clouds, would blast our prospects, and therefore we exhort our people that, while they sometimes pray for rain, to seek also protection from locusts, which are one of Jehovah's armies!