wife. He had returned from Sydney a few days before, and brought a sum of money with him. 30th. Mr. Leigh, who is somewhat recovered, came to Windsor this morning, and accompanied me the following week to my several appointments. On Friday we visited Brother and Sister Walker, at Black Town, and examined the children. There are two boys and five girls, of whom two are mulattoes. They read tolerably well, and repeated portions of the Scripture, and hymns, which they had committed to memory: their needle-work was executed very neatly. The last Meeting of our Auxiliary Society was held in Macquarrie-Street Chapel, Sydney, on Monday evening, the 4th of October, 1824. The introductory Sermons were preached on the preceding Sabbath, by the Rev. S. Leigh, and the Rev. Daniel Tyerman. With the latter gentleman, and his excellent colleague, who constitute the Deputation of the London Missionary Society, we have enjoyed, since their arrival in the Colony, the most agreeable intercourse, and have received from them, on various occasions, the kindest co-operation. Mr. Tyerman took the evening service; and his discourse, which was grounded on 1 Thess. i. 9, 10, "Ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven," was such a display of cogent reasoning, and masterly eloquence, as could not fail to produce the most salutary impressions on the large and attentive assembly, amongst whom were several individuals of the highest rank. At the Anniversary, the Chapel was quite full, and the business was conducted with the utmost propriety. The duties of Chairman were discharged in an able manner by George Bennett, Esq., who, with the Rev. D. Tyerman, and the Rev. L. E. Threlkeld, a Missionary from Rhiatea, communicated much interesting information of the former idolatrous and degraded condition of the numerons inhabitants of the Georgian, Society, and Sandwich Islands, and the glorious change, both as to civilization and Christian morality, which has been effected among many of them by the persevering labours of the Missionaries. In illustration of the happy effects of religious instruction on the minds of the negroes in the West Indies, John Stephen, Esq., Solicitor General, remarked, that on an estate belonging to himself in the Island of Tortola, there were a number of Slaves sunk to the lowest depth of ignorance and vice, and particularly addicted to every species of dishonesty. The Wesleyan Missionaries were invited to instruct them, and in a short period, so complete was the reformation, that thefts became quite unknown; one of the Negroes was appointed to the management of the estate, a post which he occupied with fidelity and satisfaction; and the annual proceeds of the plantation amazingly exceeded the amount of any previous year. Mr. Stephen also observed, that in many instances, not only among the Slaves, but also among the white population of the West Indies, he had personally witnessed, as the result of Missionary labours, the drunkard become sober, the thief honest, and the profligate reclaimed to habits of industry and discretion. The other Speeches, delivered at this Meeting, were highly interesting and impressive. There was, on the whole, a happy mixture of appropriate anecdotes, of striking and affecting narratives, and of solemn and powerful appeals to the noblest feelings of the human heart. A good deal was said respecting the wretched aborigines of this extensive country, and a strong emotion of sympathy and benevolence was excited in their behalf. Probably on no former occasion were the claims of our perishing fellow-men, who are yet without God, and without hope in the world, more effectually urged, or more cordially recognised; whilst the friendly union of persons of different religious denominations, was never more delightfully exhibited. The collections at this Anniversary amounted to nearly £50; and the total amount of contributions for the year, including £100 from the Hobart-Town Branch Society is upwards of £420. The Annual Meeting of the Paramatta Brauch Society was held in the Chapel at Paramatta on Friday evening, the 7th of January, 1825, the Rev. Daniel Tyerman in the Chair. The Report, which afforded much gratifying information, was read by the Rev. B. Carvosso. Besides the Missionaries, the following gentlemen spoke with much propriety and feeling on the occasion: George Bennet, Esq., of the London Missionary Deputation, Mr. Thomas Hyndes, and Mr. Geo. Smith. The audience was respectable, and the Chapel was comfortably filled. The collection was liberal; and the subscriptions for the previous year, including those of the Liverpool and KissingPoint Associations, were fully equal to those of any former year. The fifth Anniversary of the Branch Society for the Windsor Circuit, was held in the Windsor Chapel, on Tuesday evening, the 1st of March. The attendance was numerous and respectable, and included many of our friends from the surrounding districts. The Rev. B. Carvosso commenced with singing and prayer; after which, George Allen, Esq., Solicitor, was elected Chairman, the Solicitor General, who had kindly engaged to undertake that office, being compelled to decline it through indisposition. The Annual Meeting of the Castlereagh Association, which forms a part of the Windsor Branch, was held on the Thursday following; Mr. James Scott in the Chair. Owing to the scarcity of money in the country parts of the Colony, the collection was not large; but the subscriptions promised were most liberal. Amongst these are Mr. John Lees, eighty bushels of wheat, worth about 501.; Mr. Lees's children, ten pounds of tobacco; Mr. and Mrs. Stockfish, 6.; Mr. and Mrs. Field, eight pounds of tobacco: Mr. Field has also presented to the Society a new steel mill of the value of 81. WEST INDIAN MISSIONS. MONTSERRAT.-Extract of a Letter from Mr. Hyde, dated March 7, 1825. I AM happy to inform you, that all is well with us. Through the goodness of God, myself, wife, and three children, are all in health. Our schools prosper in a very pleasing manner, and the Society gradually increases. We have lately had three deaths in the Society; and, blessed be God, the persons all died in faith. The following account of them, from my Journal, will show you that your Missionaries have not laboured in vain. Jan. 23, 1825. Last night died Agetta Roach, a slave on Symns's estate, and a member of our Society. After being married, she joined the Society about seventeen months ago; and, as a token of affectionate regard for those who had been instrumental in her conversion, she resolved to name her first child either after me or Mrs. H. It was a girl, and she called it Sarah Hyde. That her piety was genuine, her short, but Christian-like pilgrimage and happy death sufficiently proved. A few days ago she was taken ill of a severe fever. Ou Thursday I left town for the purpose of visiting her, and found her very ill, but very happy. She was greatly pleased to see me, and her whole conversation and conduct showed that she was resigned. She offered devout thanks for her conversion, and joined me fervently in prayer. Indeed her mind appeared to be so much engaged in prayer, and so delighted with the exercise, that she seemed to forget her bodily suffering and weakness. When I asked her what she desired, she replied, "That God may keep me to the end, for Christ's sake!" Some of her last prayers were, Help me, O Lord, to keep that blessed prize in view.--Lord, thou hast promised to keep me.-Keep me to the end.-Let me look steadfastly to thee." The Manager of the estate, when speaking of her, said, "She is a great loss to the property; for she was one of the best behaved negroes on it. Since I have been on the estate I have never had to reprove her. She was always one of the first, and frequently the first, to turn out to her work. Her behaviour was always good. I never heard an improper word come out of her lips, nor say her quarrelling. She was a good Christian," he added," and 500 negroes may die, and not one be like her." I buried her this afternoon, and was much gratified with the orderly manner in which the funeral was conducted; and much affected by the Christianlike way in which the friends took leave of the corpse. There were no violent bursts of feeling, as is commonly the case. The husband was reluctantly led from the corpse, weeping profusely; and the father, when the lid was put on the coffin, begged that it might once more be removed, that he might again see his only child before he closed his eyes on her here below for ever. This was done; and he, in the most affectionate and affecting manner, kissed her, and sprinkled her face with his tears. He then walked up to me, laid his hand upon my arm, and said, "My dear Master, pray for me." Then looking upwards, he exclaimed, "Thou hlessed Jesus! my blessed Redeemer, help me! I look to thee! It was a blessed day for me when I received the Gospel' What should I have done without it? I adore thee, my Saviour, that my child died as she did," &c. &c. In this way, at the door of his hut, he prayed for a few seconds, and then dried up his tears. The funeral was attended I suppose by 200 people, chiefly slaves. At the grave 1 addressed the spectators ; and there is reason to hope that this death, so unlike every other that the negroes here have witnessed, will be made a blessing to the people of the estate. Mary Hodgin and Harriet Bell died in February. Mary was an aged free black woman, and joined the Society three years and a half ago. Her Christian course was marked by simplicity, affection, and diligence. God's house was particularly delightful to her, and she appeared as if, like Anna, she would willingly not have departed from it, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. I visited her different times during her sickness, and always found her resigned, although her pains were frequently very severe. Her end was peace. Harriet was a coloured young woman, and joined the Society about eighteen months since. In doing this she was much opposed; but she nobly persevered in well doing. She resided about eleven miles from the Chapel in town, and yet generally walked to it, for the purpose of enjoying the holy services of the Sabbath. Sometimes she got in on Saturday night, but frequently not until Sunday morning; and on Monday she returned in the same way. It appears that the last time she returned late in the day, the sun was very hot, added to which she was exposed to a shower of rain, which brought on a fatal fever. She inquired for me to the last, but I was absent at the District Meeting; and she died in peace a few hours before I arrived. Our worthy Rector was kindly attentive to her. JAMAICA Extract of a Letter from Mr. Ratcliffe, dated Bellemont, St. Ann's, September 8th, 1825. It is now seven years since I first wrote to the Committee relative to the grant of land and timbers which now form our Mission premises in this part of Jamaica. It may be readily judged, that though I have, ad interim, oecupied several stations in this extensive district, I have not regarded with a common interest the progress of an es tablishment so calculated to benefit a large free and slave population, and in a part of the country, too, peculiarly healthy and beautiful. I removed from St. Ann's Bay with my family about a month ago, the house being confined, and the weather becoming very sultry. Here we enjoy an atmosphere ten degrees colder than at the Bay, although the distance between the places is only fourteen miles. Often have I regretted the extreme slowness with which all matters of building are conducted in this country, and the vast expense incurred by the erection of our Mission premises; but when the difficulty of procuring materials, the great price of tradesmen's wages, the heat of the climate, and the want of energy in the labourers, are considered, it may be accounted for. 1 feel, however, satisfied, that the friends of the Missionary cause would not regret their liberalities in aid of this glorious work, were they permitted to inspect the labours of our hands, and witness the attention of those who listen to our instructions; for here it is fulfilled, "The wilderness and solitary place shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose." We have now nearly completed (through the zealous co-operation of our kind friends, Mr. and Mrs. Drew) our plans relative to this station. The whole building, which is composed of excellent timbers, is seventy feet by forty-two feet, the east part of which forms the Missio house. The chapel, when benched and pewed aroughout, will hold from five to six hundred per sons. I rejoice much in witnessing the simplicity and piety of our negro inembers at St. Ann's Bay. They are a fine set of people, and their Christian experience is very considerable. Last Sunday I added six on trial, and married one couple. Among the former are two aged Africans, Mr. and Mrs. Johnston, whose great love to the means of grace has often affected me. Though they live at the distance of six or seven miles from the chapel, and are very feeble in body, scarcely has the sun dawned when they enter the Mission premise to wait the commencement of the Sabbath morning's exercises. Their snowy locks form the most striking contrast with their faces, whilst every look and every expression show how much they are engaged in the work of devotion. These are precious fruits of the hallowing influence of the doctrines of the cross. DOMINICA.-Extract of a Letter from Mr. Felvus, dated August 27th, 1825. IT is with gratitude to my heavenly Father that I inform you of our general good health, through so much of the present year. This island is not considered healthy at present, but the reverse. We have had, during the present month, as many as six funerals in one day, but the Lord has been our support; and to his name be all the praise. We have lost by death, within the last three months, four of our principal friends in this island; three of whom were magistrates, one the Honourable Chief Justice Gloster; but we trust in God for the support of our cause. I mentioned in my last, that we had been visited with a severe gale of wind; but I had not then heard the damage done in the country parts of this island. The works on most of the large estates to windward, were all blown down, both canes and coffee destroyed, and some of the largest trees in the island torn up by the roots. The loss sustained by owners of vessels has been great; as many went on shore, and were dashed to pieces. In Prince Rupert's, the building kindly lent us by a Catholic to preach in, was blown away; so we are now entirely destitute of a place in that part to assemble the people in: we are indeed in great want of a chapel here. The accounts from Guadaloupe are distressing: The papers state that 160 lives were lost in the town of Basseterre; and that not above thirty houses were standing in the whole town the day after the gale. It was felt throughout these islands from Barbadoes to St. Thomas's, and in most places some lives have been lost. We bless God our cause is in a promising state in this island. In Roseau our congregations are now steady and regular, and the members of Society are walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost. We have lost a few valuable members by death this year, but our hearts were truly gladdened by hearing them in their last hours bear a blessed testimony to the saving power of the Gospel which they had heard and believed. You will be glad to hear of the very happy death of a respectable young woman of colour, who had been converted to God under the ministry of our excellent, honoured, but persecuted Brother Shrewsbury, just before he was so disgracefully driven from Barbadoes. Being sick, she came down here for the benefit of her health; she was here about eight months; at times her health seemed perfectly restored, and then she manifested a true regard for the means of grace, and the advancement of the cause of God: her conversation turned much on the subject of Barbadoes; and a great part of her time, during her last illness, which lasted several weeks, was taken up in writing to, and praying for, her brethren and sisters in distress in that place. She was visited by Mr. Harrison and myself, as often as our other duties would allow us. When she was first taken ill, she was severely tempted on the subject of her past unfaithfulness; but this was soon removed by a powerful manifestation of divine love to her soul; and for three weeks before she died, she remained perfectly happy, speaking of the love of Christ to all that came near her; warning, inviting, and persuading them to seek the Lord whilst he might be found; manifesting perfect resignation to the will of God, even while her body was convulsed with pain, and scorched with a burning fever. The day before she died, I saw her in the last stage of life. At first she did not know me; but on being informed that I was come to see her, she turned, and, with a very significant look, said, "I am now waiting the Lord's will; I know he has prepared me for heaven." She died July 28th. We have again commenced preaching once a week, on Sir G. Rose's estate, Canefield : during crop we could only preach once a fortnight, and then a part only of the people could attend; but now, all, we trust, will attend, and benefit by what they hear. We have this proof of the benefit of our labours, that those slaves who are members of our Society, on the estates where we preach, are generally admitted to confidential situations. This fact does not rest on solitary instances, but is universally known where we have been encouraged. Another proof of the benefit of affording religious instruction to slaves is this: Of late there have been many planters sent for, from St. Vincent's, take charge of estates in this island; the attorneys of some of these properties have either been unacquainted with the nature of our Mission, or they have been prejudiced against us; but the gentlemen from St. Vincent's have, almost without exception, advocated our labours, asserting, that they had seen the good effects of them, after long trial in that island. ST. BARTHOLOMEW-Extract of a Letter from Mr. Whitehouse, dated Aug. 4, 1825. OUR School continues to go on well. His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to visit it several times since January, and has expressed himself highly gratified at the order with which it is conducted, and at the progress of the children in reading, singing, and in the Catechism. His Excellency has done several acts of kindness, unasked, for the Teachers,-to use his own words, "For the purpose of expressing to them his sense of the important services they are rendering society by their labours." His condescension in noticing the children is productive of no small benefit in support of the discipline of the School. ས Emigration still continues to lessen our numbers; nor is the career of poverty arrested; so that our financial concerns suffer considerably, and I am again obliged to draw upon the fund. I still continue to derive great satisfaction from visiting Anguilla. Brother Hodge continues to grow in grace, and his zeal remains unabated: the Society walk in simplicity and love. I have, for the work's sake, and, I may say, to save the life of the Brother, sanctioned his hiring a horse. In a former letter, I told you that the Physician had frequently warned him against his long walks, four, six, and even eight miles in the burning sun, and the same distance back again through the cold dews, after preaching in a close room. He had begun to spit blood, but is now better. When I visited Anguilla in the month of April, I met the Trustees of the Chapel, when we considered the want of accommodation for the people, for a long time past. Generally, onethird, at least, of the congregation have stood out of doors, during the time of ANTIGUA, Extruct of a Letter from Mr. Hillier, dated May, 1825. 1 BELIEVE you know, that this island is divided (by us) into three parts: St. John's, Parham, and English Harbour each Preacher attends to the duties of his own division during the week, but on the Lord's Day we change regularly. In English Harbour we have a chapel which is well attended. Our Society is not very large, but many of them are truly devoted to God. Our cause in this place is greatly benefited by the pious zeal and judicious labours of our much respected friends, Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert, who are beloved and respected by the pious throughout the colony. Near English Harbour there is a small town called Falmouth, where I preach occasionally on a Tuesday evening in a private house, to a good congregation: several of our members live here, but they meet in Class at English Harbour. The Rector of this parish is a pious and friendly man. On the east side of English Harbour, I visit, on a Friday evening, a small place called Indian Creek ; and preach to a few people who are not able to attend the chapel, and who are attentive and thankful; I also visit either, Bethesda, or an estate called Delap's, both of which are about five miles from my residence. Out of crop time, the congregations are large and attentive, and our pros |