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from taking this step; painting in lively colors, the poverty, hardships, and distress, which the emigrants had to struggle with, and how much worse my outward condition would be: all this, joined to the pain that my father felt at the thought of parting with me, had nearly overset my resolution: but it soon returned with redoubled force, till at last I packed up my linen in a bundle, and went to take a final leave of my father. On seeing me firmly determined to go, he began to describe the difficulties which he had labored under to provide something for me; "and now," said he, "you are going to leave me, just when, according to the course of nature, you would have soon stepped into your inheritance; but," added he, "if your wish to emigrate originates from a pure desire to save your soul, and to enjoy liberty of conscience, I would not on any consideration in the world detain you." It is impossible for me to tell what comfort I felt at this last speech of my father's. I remained concealed in his house that night; and, the next morning, before day-break, my cousin, two other brethren, and I, set out on our journey. In the forest of Troppau we rested a little, and I prayed earnestly to the Lord to grant me strength to proceed; for the want of sleep, for two nights, had almost broken me down. At night, we arrived in Rosniz, where we celebrated the Easter holidays, and then soon reached Hernnhut safe.

Here I first lodged with my cousin, whose conversation and connexions proved a blessing to me. I soon found great difficulty in earning my bread. I served in the Orphan House for some time; then took to spinning wool. Many a day I subsisted on nothing but a bit of dry bread; and, in short, met with so many trials of this kind, that the brethren thought I should soon quit Hernnhut. But I never forgot my resolution, made before the Lord, when I left my father's house, to persevere, should I even suffer hunger, sickness, and death itself. Thus I looked up in faith to my heavenly Father, and trusted to his kind Providence from day to day; nor did I lack any thing needful for the support of life.

In June, I was followed by my cousin, Christian Stach; but heard, soon after, that both his and my father had been imprisoned, as having countenanced our escape: my father was soon set free, but his father remained in prison till three days before his death. The widow then sent to desire that we would come and fetch her and her two children to Hernnhut. We accordingly attempted it; and, on Whitsuntide eve, 1730, arrived at my father's house, where we lay concealed for a whole week. My father wished us not to stay

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for him; and thus we set out with the above mentioned persons, and another widow woman. Finding it very inconve nient to bring the children along, we got a wheelbarrow on the frontiers of Silesia, and put the two youngest into it; and thus arrived safe in Hernnhut.

Meanwhile, the Roman Catholic priests resolved to secure my father. They sent searchers, unawares, into his house, and examined all his papers and books; and, among other things, found a letter from me, with which they went to the parsonage-house, where a number of priests were assembled, taking my father with them. He was left below stairs unguarded, while they perused the contents of the letter. Knowing their evil designs, my father availed himself of his liberty, and ran home as fast as he could, where he informed his wife and children what had happened, and where he should hide himself, so that they might find him and emigrate together. The letter filled a whole sheet of paper in close writing, so that the priests discovered his escape too late. Hereupon they sent four men to watch the house; but, in the dark, my mother and three sisters escaped their vigilance, and joined my father. They now proceeded to Zauchenthal; but not one of my father's old friends would venture to take him in. The second day, therefore, they spent in a cornfield, the owner of which discovered them, and humanely relieved their wants with some bread and milk. In the night they proceeded: but, finding that the strictest search was made after them in all the neighborhood, they remained in a place of concealment eight days; and, at length, fetching a large compass, arrived at Hernnhut on the 15th of June, 1730.

I had now lived two years in Hernnhut; and spent my days, in general, contented and cheerful: but remained always deficient in obtaining an inward assurance that my sins were forgiven. This subject was treated of in all public discourses, and I grew more and more uneasy. But alas! I fell into working and striving to obtain it by my own merit, which caused me many a sad and anxious hour. I felt myself totally under the law and its curse; and the more I strove to keep it, the more I discovered my fall. Therefore, wherever I was, I was wretched and miserable; and, finding that I could not procure peace of mind by any other means, I disclosed my whole situation to a confidential friend for his advice. His answer was, "If thou art hungry, eat-if thirsty, drink: all things are prepared for thee." I thought his advice very unsatisfactory, expecting that he would dictate to me a greater exertion of self-denial, upon which, at that time, I rested my hopes. Thus my distress re

mained; and I spent a whole night in tears and prayers to the Lord for his help and direction, humbling myself before him as a poor undone sinner.

In the morning meeting, the next day, I can say with truth, that our Savior granted me such confidence towards him, as my strength and shield, and such a firm reliance on his merits and death, that all my doubts and fears vanished; and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost took place within my heart. I was, soon after, admitted to the Lord's supper; and enjoyed, in communion with my Savior, and in fellowship with the whole congregation, daily, new blessings and spiritual consolations. In general, love and simplicity reigned among us, and we forgot all outward poverty and difficulty.

I was

After the labor of the day was over, the single brethren usually took a walk into the wood, two and two, to converse with each other concerning what the Lord had done for their souls; and when they returned, they sang a hymn together before going to rest. Once, as we were passing by the house of the late count Zinzendorf, he was just stepping out with Dr. Schaefer, a Lutheran divine, then on a visit to Hernnbut. On seeing us, he addressed the Doctor-"Here, sir, you see future missionaries among the heathen.” much struck at hearing these words; and a desire, which I had felt for some time, to preach the Gospel to the heathen, began to increase within me. About the same time, two brethren, Leonard Dober and Tobias Leopold, wrote a letter to the congregation, mentioning their desire and willingness to preach the Gospel to the negroes in the West Indies; and that, to gain this end, they were even willing to become slaves themselves. Hitherto I had hesitated to mention a similar impulse of my heart to any one; but this letter gave me courage to speak to brother Boehnish, my confidential friend, about it. I rejoiced greatly to find in him the same disposition of mind; and we resolved to lay our desire before the elders and the congregation, in the same manner as the above mentioned two brethren had done, offering to go to Greenland. We had to wait two years before our wishes were accomplished; and, in the mean time, frequent inquiries were made, whether we continued in the same mind: and, thanks to the Lord! we could always cheerfully answer in the affirmative. During this period, I was sent to Hall in Saxony, and to Jena; with a view to inquire into the circumstances of the emigrants from Salzburg. On this journey, I had the misfortune to fall into the hands of some Prussian soldiers, who detained me a whole night, and treated me very cruelly in order to compel me to enlist. How

ever, through the interference of count Zinzendorf, I was set at liberty the next day. This happened in 1732.

Obtains the Patronage of the King of Denmark.

Leonard Dober and Tobias Leopold, mentioned in the preceding narrative, having set sail August 21, 1732, "ten years," says Crantz, "after the building of Hernnhut, when the congregation consisted of no more than 600 poor exiles, including women and children," that writer gives the following account of the proceedings of Matthew Stach and his associates:

At the same time, the plan of a mission to Greenland was also agitated. As that country was under the Danish government, which was very friendly to the Brethren, it appeared to them the more eligible for the establishment of a mission; and the forlorn state of the poor natives, who had already received Christian instruction from Mr. Egede, loudly called upon their compassion. Matthew Stach and Frederick Boehnish, two young men, being at work together, in preparing a piece of ground for a burial-place at Hernnhut, in the course of conversation, found that they had both, unknown to each other, formed the design of going as missionaries to Greenland. They, therefore, proposed themselves for this service; but, the delay of a year intervening before their offer was accepted, and Boehnish having, mean while, undertaken a considerable journey, Christian Stach consented to accompany his cousin These two missionaries, along with Christian David, the principal agent in the Moravian emigration, who intended to return to Europe after the settlement of a mission, set out from Hernnhut, January 19, 1733, attended with numberless good wishes from their brethren.

The congregation, which was as yet totally inexperienced in missionary affairs, could give them no instructions. They were but the second company who had to make the untried experiment, whether the heathen would receive the message of peace from their Creator and Redeemer; and were therefore left to act in every circumstance, as the Lord and his Spirit should lead them. It was only suggested, that they should cherish an affectionate brotherly love; that they should respect the venerable Christian David as a father, and profit by his advice; and that they should offer themselves as assistants to that long-tried apostle of the Greenlanders, Mr. Egede; but if he did not want their help, they should by no means interfere in his labors.

With scarcely any provision for their

journey beyond the most necessary articles of clothing, our missionaries travelled, by way of Hamburgh, to the Danish_capital. || Here they met with a kind reception from professor Ewald, member of the college of missions, and M. Reuss, his majesty's || chaplain, and from several other friends, || to whom they had been recommended.

Their intention of going to Greenland could not, however, but be regarded as a visionary scheme, particularly while the fate of the Danish mission at Godthaab was yet in suspense. But they took little notice of these gloomy forebodings; and cast their confidence on Him, who, as they believed, had called them to the work, and would support them in the pros. ecution of it. They learned, shortly after, that his majesty had granted leave for one vessel more to sail to Godthaab; and

and cultivate the ground. It being objected, that they would find no wood to build with, as the country presented little but a face of barren rock-"Then," replied they, "we will dig into the earth, and lodge there." "No," said the Chamberlain, "to that necessity you shall not be reduced: you shall take timber with you for building a house: accept of these 50 dollars for that purpose." With this and other donations, they purchased poles, planks, and laths; instruments for agriculture, masonry, and carpenters' work; several sorts of seeds and roots; implements of fishing and hunting; household furniture, books, paper, and provisions.

Arrives in Greenland.

Crantz thus describes the entrance of

that M. Pless, the first lord of the bedcham-Matthew Stach and his companions on

ber, had engaged a merchant of the name of Severen, to send a trader to Disco Bay, on trial. Though the latter would be ready to sail almost immediately, they preferred, after deliberate consideration, to wait for the king's ship, and made their application to this effect to the chamberlain.

their mission:

The

This

Thus equipped, they took an affectionate leave of the court where they had been so hospitably entertained, and embarked on the 10th of April, on board the king's ship, Caritas, captain Hildebrand. congregation at Hernnhut had already adopted the custom of annually compiling a collection of Scripture texts for every day in the year, each illustrated or applied by a short verse from some hymn. text was called the "Daily Word:" it supplied a profitable subject for private meditation, and a theme for the public discourses. It has been frequently observed, that the text appointed for a day, distinguished by some remarkable event, has || had a striking coincidence with that event. Thus the Daily Word on the 10th of April, when our brethren set sail on a mission which so often appeared to baffle all hope, was, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not

Their first audience with this minister was not a little discouraging. Indeed it might well seem strange to him, that young laymen, who possessed no advantages of study or experience, should hope to succeed, where the indefatigable exertions of the learned and pious Egede had accomplished so little. But, being convinced, by a closer acquaintance, of the solidity of their faith and the rectitude of their intentions, he became their firm friend, willing-|| ly presented their memorial to the king, and exerted all his influence in their behalf. He is said, on this occasion, to have made use of the following argument:-That God has, in all ages, employed the meanest and apparently the most despicable instruments, for accomplishing the grand designs of his kingdom, in order to lead men to ascribe the honor to him alone; and to rely, not on their own power or penetration, but on his hand of blessing. His majesty, moved by the representations of his minister, was pleased to accept their overtures; and wrote, with his own hand, a recommendatory letter to Mr. Egede.

seen:"

"We view Him, whom no eye can see,
With faith's keen vision steadfastly."

In this confidence they set sail; nor did they suffer themselves to be confounded by any of the unspeakable difficulties of the following years, till they and we at last beheld the completion of what they hoped for in faith.

They sailed by Shetland, April 22d, The chamberlain also introduced them passing there out of the North into the to several persons distinguished by rank West Sea, or Long Reach; and, after an and piety, who liberally contributed to- expeditious and agreeable voyage, entered ward the expense of their voyage and in- Davis's Strait, in the beginning of May. tended settlement. Being asked one day Here they encountered a field of floating by his excellency, how they proposed to ice, while enveloped in a thick fog; but, maintain themselves in Greenland, they the next day, a terrible storm arose, which answered-that they depended on the la- dispersed the ice, and freed them at the bor of their own hands and God's blessing; same time from their fears. On the 13th, and that, not to be burdensome to any they came in sight of the coast of Greenone, they would build themselves a house "land, when a violent tempest, of four days

continuance, preceded by a total eclipse || of the sun, drove them back more than 60 leagues. May 20th, they cast anchor in Ball's River, after a voyage of six weeks; and joyfully welcomed the snowy cliffs and savage inhabitants of a country, which had so long been the chief object of their wishes. The Word of the Day was, "The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shal! keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." By this they were frequently encouraged to a peaceful and believing perseverance, during the first

ensuing years, amidst all the oppositions which they met with, and the slender prospect of the conversion of the heathen.

The sight of the first Greenlanders, though they could not speak a word to them, was accompanied with sensations of lively pleasure: their pitiable condition pierced them to the heart, and they prayed the Lord, "the Light to enlighten the Gentiles," that he would grant them grace, wisdom, and power, to bring some of them at least out of darkness into his marvellous light. (To be continued.)

American Board of Missions.

PROCEEDINGS AND INTELLIGENCE.

MISSION IN CEYLON.

TILLIPALLY.

Mr. Poor's Account of the Boarding
School for Girls.

AT the time the last account of the Boarding School was written, six girls were supported and instructed at the station; three of whom have left the school in the course of the year. The names of those who have left it, are, Valle, Miranda Safford and Mary Poor. Valle was received into the school in March 1820, being, at that time, ten or eleven years of age. Her conduct was generally commendable. She made good progress in learning to read, write, knit, sew, &c. She committed to memory several catechisms and other writings of a moral and religious nature; and, || at several times, her mind was roused to attend with interest to the concerns of her soul. But she gave no good evidence of a change of character, and being detected in secretly giving rice and a few other small articles, to her grandmother,

who came to see her, she was much ashamed, and left the school without leave.

Miranda Safford left the school in April, and was married to a native member of our church.

Mary Poor, who was supported by a number of females, members of the church in Danvers, was compelled by her father to leave the school in July. Having experienced much ill treatment from her father, in consequence of her refusing to be married to a heathen, she left his house, and is now a member of the boarding school at Panditeripo. Her father appears now to have cast her off, and is satisfied with doing her no other injury than withdrawing his legal consent to her being married to Porter, with whom, through her father's influence, a verbal agreement of marriage was made, two or three years ago. As many particulars respecting both Miranda and Mary have been noted in my journal, it is unnecessary to repeat them here. I will only observe, that our highest expectations in regard to them have thus far been fully realized. They are both members of our church, and give pleasing evidence that they are influenced by the principles of the Gospel.

The following is a list of the names, &c. of the girls now belonging to the school.

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By whom supported.

mission.

Time of ad- Ages. Casts.

Places of Residence,

Fem. in the So. of Rev. L. Worcester, Peacham, Vt. Oct. 1818, 8, Covia, Tillipally.
Education So. Salem, Ms.

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Aug. 1819, 9, Vellale, Mallagum.

Do. 7, Do. June, 1822. 7, Do.

Do.

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Sept. 1822, 6,

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Oct. 1822,

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Elizabeth, Susannah, and Harriet are in the same class. They have all made more progress in their studies than either Miranda or Mary. We have had but few children under our care, who have evinced a better capacity for learning than these three girls. Their conduct generally, their love of study, and their habits of industry, are highly satisfactory to us. They devote half of the day to labor of various kinds, and the other half to study. They read and write Tamul, nearly as well as the boys in the boarding school. Their reading has been very much confined to the Scriptures, as we have but a few books in the Tamul language, which is profitable for them to read. They have committed to memory catechisms, extracts from the Scriptures, and other religious writings, to as great an extent as is thought expedient.

They have all, but particularly the two first mentioned, been the subjects of special religious impressions.

We have some reason to indulge the hope, that Susannah has obtained the one thing needful.

When we contrast the condition of these girls with that of most females around us, we have an impressive idea of the salutary influence of education upon the female character, and enjoy a rich reward of the labor bestowed upon this branch of our missionary work.

Mary Daylon, Maria Montgomery, and Martha Ramsay, are small girls, who have been in the school but a short time. They are well disposed to learn, and we see no cause for dissatisfaction with them. Mary is reading words of two syllables in Tamul. The others are learning the alphabet. They are all committing to memory a catechism.

One girl beside these, was received into the school, in the course of the past year, but we thought it proper to dismiss her. We have recently had opportunity of taking several others; but, as it was doubtful whether they could be properly attended to at this station, it was not expedient to increase the number. Two girls who live in this neighborhood receive their clothes from us, take their food here once a day, and are instructed with the girls in the boarding school. One of these girls is Onesimus's daughter. She is now able to read the Scriptures to her father. This is an object of considerable importance to him, as he has never succeeded in his attempts to learn the alphabet.

Hitherto the care of instructing the girls, of providing for the children in the boarding school, and of attending to the concerns of the family, has devolved on sister Richards. But, as she is expecting soon to re

move to Batticotta, the station will be deprived, at least, for a time, of her services.

Common Native Free Schools.

The number of schools connected with this station, exclusive of a small school of girls, has been, on an average through the year, between seven and eight. At pres ent there are nine schools containing three hundred and fifty-five boys. The number, who daily attend, is about two hundred and seventy-five.

Several schools, in the course of the year, have been dismissed; several new ones established; and two or three removed to other parts of the same villages, in which they were at first commenced.

The change, or removal of a school, is attended with advantages and disadvantages. One obvious disadvantage is, that the boys are not under instruction a sufficient length of time to make much progress in their studies. Even though a school be continued several years in the same place, but few boys will regularly attend it. It often happens, that, on examination, a school will appear as well at the close of ten or twelve months from the time of its establishment, as at the end of three years. The advantages of dismissing schools, and of establishing others, are, that a new class of boys are brought under a course of religious instruction; and the inhabitants of those villages, in which new schools are established, will attend for a time the preaching of the Gospel at the school bungalows. Usually the parents of the children will assemble to hear the Gospel preached, until they perceive that it is not suited to their wishes, nor as they think, to their necessities.

Instruction to Females.

Exclusive of those in the boarding schools, thirty-five girls are instructed in the schools, connected with this station. These girls are committing catechisms to memory, and are instructed in reading, and in writing on the ola. Nearly half of them are yet learning the alphabet, and writing in the sand. Besides the girls now under instruction, about twenty others, in the course of the year, attended a short time schools that have been dismissed.

On no subject connected with the mission at this station has the removal of prejudices been more manifest than on this. Instead of being constantly met with the formidable objection, "there is no custom for girls to learn," the schoolmasters make effectual use of this weapon, and urge the people to send their daughters to school by telling them "that is now the custom of the

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