to you the way of salvation. If you make good use of these advantages, I shall rejoice,' &c.

"When he had finished, the people all bowed respectfully, and expressed their thanks to Mr. V. Rhyneveld, for the good they had ever experienced from his good will towards them.

"Having dismissed the Hottentots, we accompanied them into the settlement. Mr. V. R. looked at every Hottentot's garden, and went even into their houses; encou raged them to diligence and perseverance, and declared his satisfaction with the progress they had made, in so short a time, by their work in their several grounds. Going into the house of the newly baptized Peter Seldon, and finding in it a considerable stock of garden fruit laid by for winter consumption, such as pumpkins, onions, tobacco, besides the produce still standing, he desired his wife to tell her husband (who happened to be absent), that Mr. V. R. considered her husband Peter as a diligent Hottentot.' In the next, street, he stepped into the house of Jacob Adams, where he found a still larger store of garden produce. Having expressed his great satisfaction, he took a toll of the tobacco, for which he paid Jacob, and said he should shew this specimen of his diligence to Lord Caledon, in token of his having been at Gruenekloof, and an eye-witness of the improvements made by the Hottentots. Before he left us, he promised that he would send us some tools for the Hottentots' use, We accompanied them a little way out into the field, and took a cordial leave of these our friends and benefactors.

"We beg the prayers both of our English and German congregations for a blessing on these our small beginnings, and salute all our friends everywhere in the fellowship of Jesus."

ANTIGUA,

and testaments which the worthy British and Foreign Bible Society were pleased to send for the use of our negroes and others, came safe to hand, and in good condition. When you have an opportunity, both we and our three negro congregations here request you would return our and their most cordial and unfeigned thanks to those worthy gentlemen, for this invaluable gift; for such indeed it is in this island, especially just at the present time. Of late, the prejudices against the negroes learning to read, hare in some degree subsided. I mentioned, is a former letter, that many of them were endeavouring to avail themselves of every opportunity to learn; and it is a fact, that can never be duly appreciated, that at present the negroes have a great regard and love for the written word of God. They steal time from their rest to learn to read, that they may be able to read the scriptures, and those liturgies and hymns which are used at the church. Does this not clearly point out to all wellwishers to the Redeemer's kingdom, that this is the favourable time for putting this best of all books into their hands? Perhaps a time may come, when Christian negroes, like other christianized nations, will loath this heavenly food, and prefer the leeks and onions. Our duty it is to be active while it is day, for the night cometh, when no man can work."

Spring-Gardens, St. John's, July 7, 1810. "Some circumstances led us lately to consider the expediency and practicability of beginning a school with the negro chil dren, with a view to teach them to read the scriptures. We resolved to keep it on the only day we can, viz. Sunday. We agreed that all negro children that are sound and clean, whether baptized or not, should be admitted, and made such regulations as we thought would be most likely to promote the welfare of the school.' Brother Berg thea proceeds to describe the plan of the school, which appears to be, in some degree, similar in its internal regulation to that intro. duced into this country by the Rev. Dr. Bel, the elder children teaching the youngs &c. He continues: A worthy young ma of the Methodist society has offered us his assistance, of which we most gladly accepted, The school was opened on the 3d of June, with about eighty scholars, and in fervent prayer commended to the blessing of the Lord. The number of scholars has since increased to six hundred and forty, and more are expected to come. We were therefore soon at a loss for school-books. We have had 700 primers printed here, and dişGracchill, April 7th, 1810.- "The bibles tributed them, each pasted on a thin board,

Gracebay, May, 1810.-"We have the favour to serve a very fine prosperous congregation of Christian negroes in this place. This renders all outward troubles easy. There are 1240 baptized belonging to it, 116 candidates, several excluded at present, but not cast off, about 100 new people, and the number of all we have to care for, and speak with individually, is 1686. Our situation is extremely unhealthy, as you know; and we have permission to effect an exchange for some more healthy spot. We are at present in treaty with one of the neighbouring gentlemen for a piece of land, aud pray the Lord soon to direct matters so as to afford us relief, if it be his good pleasure."

A

"April 7, a Mug, of the name of Huree, was baptized at Serampore. This is the first person of this nation who has embraced the gospel. It is a remarkable circumstance that the Mugs appear to venerate David as their prophet. Several Mugs, both here and at Calcutta, agrée in avowing that they are the followers of David, and that their divine book is the Zubbur, or the Psalms. Kreeshna has urged it on the Mug priests, and other Mugs at Calcutta, that if they believe in David, they must come to Christ, for that David died in the faith of Christ."

ing out of missionaries as much a part of their the heart. With respect to the baptized, I regular and necessary work, as a church trust they are all grounded and stedfast in does the sending out of ministers at home; the faith. Their walk has been as consistent and the collecting for missions as much a with the Gospel as could reasonably be expiece of regular work, as the collecting for pected from persons who had been so long places of worship at home. In short, it is rooted in heathenish principles and prejua work which belongs to us and to our chil- dices." dren, and to our children's children; as much a matter of course as that after your minister, soine one should be chosen to succeed him; and after the death of his successor, some one else to succeed him. Such appears to nie to be a right view of the subject. The alteration produced in Bengal by sixty years' English Government is very great: sixty years more, accelerated by the progress already made, may produce much greater. And why not expect the same in the progress of christianity? Some say the time for the conversion of the heathen is not come. The time for multitudes to be converted under one sermon may not be come; but the time is come to do the work which God hath given us to do. He hath given us our work, and will do the same for our successors. To each succession of men he will give their proper work, and at the proper time that kind of success which some persons now demand as a proof that the work is at all begun, will be afforded."

This is very sensible.

"Mr. Mardon, in a letter from Goainalty, dated April 11, 1809, speaks in high terms of the preaching of Kreeshna Dass, and other hopeful appearances. Kreeshna (he says) did not forget to improve the opportunities which his late journey to Miniary afforded of making known the word of life. At the place to which they came on Thursday night they met with a number of people going to Benares with whom Kreeshna had much conversation, and to whom they gave books, which were respectfully received. On the following Lord's day he preached an excellent discourse at Miniary, both in Bengalee and Hindoosthanee. I shall not rate Kreeshna's abilities too high if I say, he is one of the first of the native preachers. A traveller passing by to-day in his way to the temple of Jaggernaut, stopped at the houses of the native brethren. They saluted him in a very respectful man

per.

He answered, "I am a great sinner: I am heavy-laden with sins." Kreeshua then began to tell him how he might obtain deliverance. The poor man heard the word with apparent pleasure, and says, "He will go no further after Jaggernaut." A Massulman widow who was here last year, and went away, has returned, and expresses great regret at having left us. What her motives are is not for me to determine; God judgeth

"About the 8th of March a person whose name was Jaffer Mandul, came to Carapeit, the Jessore missionary, and asked him in what way he could be saved from bell? Carapeit directed him to Christ as the only way. On the 24th of March he came again, and said he would embrace Christ, and be baptized. Carapeit invited him to go with him to Serampore, which he agreed to. On his way he once said with tears, " O, what wilf become of me! What will become of me!" Carapeit told him to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and he would be saved.

"On Lord's day, May 7th, Jaffer Mundut was baptized at Serampore for the church in Jessore. The members of that church who were present bore testimony to his serious' and earnest inquiries about the Gospel, which had commenced nearly two years before. Being a husbandman, of some property, he can have no lucrative motives, say the missionaries, in making this profession. He is nearly forty years old, and has a family, whom he will endeavour, he says, to instruct in the knowledge of Christ."

"A letter from Mr. Chamberlain, of the 22d May, speaks of the school at Cutwa as containing upwards of forty children, of whom, he says, there is a goodly number who will soon be able to read well. The schoolmaster manages at present much to his honour. The children commit hymnus and other pieces to memory, and on going home repeat them to their parents and neighbours, which pleases many. It is encouraging to observe how the prejudices of the people wear away. Many who had taken' their children from the school now return them, and are glad to have hem instructed.'*

"On the 14th June, John Kennedy,

away. He would have pleaded guilty when arraigned, had he not been advised by some friends about him to comply with the usual custom. He made no defence, except that intoxication had rendered him unconscious of the crime. He however acknowledged the justice of his sentence, and seemed perfectly willing to yield his life a sacrifice to the vio

English soldier, was executed in Calcutta, for the murder of a native. The circumstances which attended this unhappy man, after his being committed to prison, are so remarkable, as to deserve a particular mention. When he was first delivered to the custody of the keeper of the Calcutta prison, he appeared hardened against every sentiment of remorse to a degree seldom witness-lated laws of his country. While on his trial ed, even in criminals. In the prison happened to be a person of the name of Christopher Dye, who had been sentenced to a year's imprisonment for manslaughter, and to whom the instructions and admonitions of the keeper, and those of several of our brethren, appear to have been blessed. This young man, struck with Kennedy's crime, and the little hope there was of his escaping an ignominious death, laboured with him incessantly, in conjunction with the keeper, in the hope of convincing him of his real state as a sinner against God. This however was repaid, on the part of Kennedy, with nothing but brutal contempt and abuse.

"One day the keeper, meeting with à public paper in which Kennedy's crime was detailed, read the article to him, and assured him in the most solemn manner that there could be no hope of his escaping the hand of justice. Kennedy seemed struck with this, but declared that the public prints had exaggerated his crime. The impression, how ever, did not wear off; for the next day Dye beard him weeping, and apparently earnest in prayer. Being in the same room, he had an opportunity of perceiving this seven or eight times in one day; on which he again conversed with him on his need of mercy. He now found him in quite a different state of mind. All desire of self-justification disappeared, and his great inquiry was, “Whether such a sinner as he was could obtain mercy? The keeper now directed his view to Christ; and several of the brethren from Serampore, visiting him as they had opportunity, encouraged him to come to Him who is able to save to the uttermost. He seemed to obtain a degree of hope before his trial came on. The week before that event, as it was impossible for us at Serampore to pay him that attention which his case seemed to require, Mr. Ward wrote to the Rev. Mr. Thomason of Calcutta, entreating him to visit the prisoner: this he did with a readiness and frequency which manifested the deep interest he felt in his salvation, attend. ing him also to the scaffold,

"The day before his trial came on, Kennedy appeared so full of hope in a dying Redeemer, that all desire of life seemed taken CHRIST. OBS. App.

his behaviour on the whole was marked with such a serenity of mind, that they who were ignorant of the cause were ready to impute it to insensibility. He seemed to be favoured with the same inward support on the scaffold, in the article of dissolution suffering without a murmur,and expiring almost without a struggle. So evident was the change in him before his trial, and so great the interest he felt in conversing on divine things, that the keeper of the prison could not but admire it. I pass by his cell,' said the good man to one of us the Lord's day after his execution, and seem to have lost a Christian friend!""

"Sebuk-ram's method of itinerating is this —Entering into a village, he goes to the first house he comes at, and addresses the family to this effect, I love you, and am come to tell you of Jesus Christ.' They generally, though not always, ask him to sit down. He then begins by singing a hymn. This brings a number of the neighbours together, to whom he preaches the gospel of salvation by Jesus Christ.

"There are few, he says, but what will acknowledge the truth of the gospel when they hear it; and many shew great kindness to him. Where the people are willing to hear, he sometimes stops two or three hours at a house; and if the village be large, goes to three or four different houses in it.

"At a village, called Rooiga, near Sadamahl, there resides a rich native on whom some of the native brethren once called, but he would not hear a word about Jesus Christ, One day Sebuk-ram called upon him, and being introduced to him, expressed his desire to tell him something about Jesus Christ, and the way of salvation by him. He was then desired to sit down, and tell what he had to say. There was also a number of people present; who at Sebuk-ram's request, sat down with him. He then began as usual by singing a hymu on salvation by the death of Christ.' In this exercise he was much affected, and this affected the rich man. After this he read the fifth chapter of Matthew, adding a few remarks as he went along. When he had done, the owner of the house acknowledged before all the people that this was true, but he was afraid of losing

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