from the station, but I trust that wherever ber Dum Dum with affectionate interest as they go they will maintain their profession, the place in which they experienced the reand shine as the lights of the world. The newing grace of God. station at Dum Dum is in many respects an interesting one. Those who are added to the church there are seldom permitted to remain long, but are drafted off in various directions; and though the church is never large, I be lieve however that many of God's people in the various military stations in India remem

We are, as a family, in better health than has been afforded to us during the last few months. We are this day going for a little change of air on the river. We trust that, by the blessing of God, we shall come back quite strong and well again.

DELHI.

In a letter from Mr. THOMPSON he states:From the middle of March (not including the time of my journey to Hurdwar) to the time of my falling ill in the middle of this month, I have daily visited the people in a principal street of the city, with the word of God, and addressed some 1300 of them, reading out of the scriptures and tracts, one to three chapters of the former and the same number of the latter statedly; and have given to applicants single gospels or tracts, and in very rare cases larger portions of the scriptures. The Hindu pupils of the Christian school have been large applicants for our Urdu gospels, and on one occasion the European master applied to me for a dozen of each of the gospels for his Urdu class. The Christian services have been attended to by me as usual, excepting since my late indisposition, and from fifteen to twenty or more, natives and

Europeans, including the members, have attended each season of worship, either at the chapel or at my house; while in the Drummers' lines some eight or ten have attended once a week. The result of all the labours has been some five applications to unite with us on the condition of being supported in idleness. The parties showed no inclination to examine for themselves the evidences of our faith, although three of them were very well able to read, and one man had read our books for some years. We must wait for those who show an impression of divine truth on their minds, and of a more disinterested character, and till such shall apply for admission we must labour in hope. The tracts distributed amount to about 2628, and the scriptures to about 375.

CHITAURA, NEAR AGRA.

Mr. SMITH Commences his letter by a reference to his last, which was printed in the October Herald, and proceeds with an account of the present state of things at this station.

Since my last every thing has gone on tolerably well with us. The two men I mentioned as having left us, have both returned; one has been re-admitted to church fellowship, and the other is very regular in his attendance on all the means of grace, so that we hope soon to see him reinstated in the church. Their going away was most unexpected, and had a discouraging effect on us all, as we had never entertained a doubt of the sincerity, especially of one of them. We now rejoice in their repentance, and feel encouraged in our work; the seed sown is not thrown away; although it may produce no present visible effects, it shall accomplish that whereunto it is sent. One of the above mentioned individuals tried all means to shake off Christianity and forget what he had heard, but in vain. The more he strove to obliterate his convictions, the deeper they became, and

he could find no rest to his soul until he had returned to the Lord with weeping and supplication. I believe his repentance is genuine, and he now appears to be growing in grace and in that knowledge which maketh wise unto salvation. His wife also, who was the means of taking him away, and threatened self-destruction if he did not leave us, has come with him, and is now amongst our most regular attenders at the chapel and prayermeetings. The lion has truly become a lamb. Who could hope that this violent opponent of the truth should ever have become its admirer?

Two persons baptized.

On Monday, the 4th August, I had the pleasure of baptizing one of our servants, an ayá, by birth an African. She has, I have no doubt, been admitted to the household of faith. I have frequently found her in her little hut,

have no heathen schools, having neither time nor means to spend on them.

Preaching among the heathen.

Our preaching to the heathen has been most regular. We daily form two parties, one on horses for the more distant villages, and the other on foot for those near at hand, and in this manner during the last three months we have preached in upwards of 200 villages to attentive crowds, varying in num. ber from five to sixty. There are numbers around us almost persuaded to be Christians; several have attempted to join us, but have been induced to postpone the important step by the importunities of their friends and families.

dear land, and filling us with hopes as to the future, enables us to go on our way rejoicing. Early on Sunday mornings our people meet for prayer, immediately after which we have morning service. Again at one o'clock I hold an inquirers' meeting in the form of a bible class at the same time Mrs. Smith has the females' prayer meeting, and in the evening we have service again: thus our sabbaths are

well employed; four meetings leave our people little time for worldly conversation, and tend to improve them in knowledge. During the week we have two prayer meetings, one on Monday evenings, and the other on Saturdays, besides a regular preaching on Wednesdays, and the remaining evenings our people attend family prayer in the chapel.

JESSORE.

From two letters from Mr. PARRY we extract the following particulars :

June 29th, 1848.-I returned home last week after an absence of upwards of three weeks. I visited Bákuspul, Sátberiyá, in both which places native Christians reside, and Kesabpur. You will rejoice with me that I had the satisfaction of baptizing five converts at Sátberiyá. During my stay of nearly ten days, two or three Mohammedans expressed a desire to embrace Christianity. I hope and pray that ere long we shall be encouraged greatly in our work, by being blessed with an abundant success towards the south. Pray for us that we may have the influences of the Holy Spirit.

Khalispur, 27th August, 1848.-Instead of going to Sátberiya, as I intended, I had occasion to visit this quarter, and I am happy to say that to the church in this place two members have been added, who were baptized the sabbath before last. One of them is an aged

man, upwards of ninety years old; he seems to be a simple and happy believer. The other is the wife of one of the members, and formerly belonged to Diguliya. I and Kálimohan have been preaching in the market of Phultalá, which is situated at some distance from this place. We also visited Nihálpur, Sulpur, and Khálispur, which is occasionally visited by Kálimohan. I am happy to say that he labours diligently, and that the heathens in these parts listen with attention to the gospel. Yesterday, at the market of Sulpur, our auditors from first to last were attentive, and no one offered any objection. One of my auditors remarked that some one ought to dispute with me, but another replied, "What can we say against such just words as we are hearing?" He seemed to approve of my instructions, and listened with great attention to them for some time.

DINAJPUR.

In a letter from Mr. SMYLIE, dated the 1st of June, he says:

ruin.

I will however teach any Hindu shástra or the Qurán, or any other book, but not these." The schoolmaster requested him to look over one of the books, and point out what he found untruthful; this he would not do. They know not whether the books are good or bad, yet condemn them.

Hopeful appearances.

Generally speaking there has been a great sameness between the labours of the past and former month. The work at home in the mission house on the Lord's day and week nights has been as formerly; the bazar has been daily attended, and we have had nightly worship, while the school has had the fore-part of every day. Twenty or thirty boys were withdrawn from the school, whose places are again filled up. A gentleman in this station, A very promising youth from Rangpur on learning something of the state of our threw off caste and joined us some months school, sent me ten rupees, with a promise of ago; during last month his brother came over support for another school, as soon as another to this zilla, and while residing in the bazar sirkár could be found to undertake the duties. met with the youth, Cuddoo, who has joined Numbers have offered their services, but after us. His brother used every argument he attending once or twice at the school, seeing the duties to be performed, the books to be taught, and "the pay offered," have refused to engage. One such attended to-day, a Musalman, when he had seen what was to be done, very plainly said, "No; to teach the faith and books of the Káfir, would be my

could contrive to prevail on him to return home with him, but in vain. Having failed to persuade Cuddoo to leave this, he left without him. A few evenings after the brother's departure Cuddoo was missing, and we have not been able to learn what has become of him. For some nights previous to his

I asked him, if any one should bring an order purporting to be from the magistrate to put him in gaol, yet without the seal of the court, which every one knows must be at the head of every such order, would he obey? "Certainly not," was his reply; "Well, your Muhammad and Qurán have no seal, why obey

being missed, he spent a great part of each in reading and praying, from which I entertained a hope he would become useful, but how vain! At present the school munshi continues to read the scriptures with me; when any one of the Hindus or Musalmans speak against the word of God he always takes the side of Christianity, and fails not to refute them ?". I then showed him what seals were them. The other day a bold but ignorant attached to the word of God, and to our fakir came into the school, and sat down at Lord; the munshi called out with much joy, my side, and began to declare that there was "The Quran has no seal." no salvation but in believing on Muhammad.

A further letter has been received from Mr. SMYLIE, dated the 22nd of September, in which he details an excursion he had made, visiting various indigo plantations and preaching to the people, being in each case cordially received by the proprietor, and forwarded by him on his elephant to the next plantation, and ultimately to his home; and lest our friends should fear that the humble missionary has been thereby so much exalted as to be unfitted for common life, we extract one line, "Elephant travelling is almost as bad as travelling on foot; the roll and jolt of the great beast are very tiresome." He adds,

Some of the natives allow that they are beginning to comprehend something of the gospel, but millions have not even heard of it as yet. An old, respectable brahman who stood looking and listening the other day, advised the young people to take the books

and read them, for he said, "They are good, and they will prevail." We want the Holy Spirit, without him we are perfectly powerless; what is all we can do of ourselves for the millions of India?

He then gives an account of the Lesschas, a tribe who inhabit the hills in and near Darjeeling, one of the government Sanitoriums, eighty or ninety miles from Dinajpur. He says,

As far as I have seen, they appear a simple, they know nothing, as far as I have been able rude people. As their hills produce carda- to learn. Some of them say they have a mons and other medicinal plants, they come saviour who died for them, but not to atone down to Dinajpur at certain periods to dispose for their sins, nor to sanctify their souls. of the fruits of their mountains, I have, there- They are a fine, stout-made people, and in no fore, had many opportunities of seeing them. wise resemble those of the plain. They are Though more than one devoted missionary much fairer, and their features resemble those has long laboured among them, they have not of the Chinese, but their eyes are not so small. as yet been cheered with one convert. Their They are not encumbered with caste like the language is mixed with the Tibetan, and the Hindu and Mussalman. I invited some of priests who wander among them came from them to take food at our house. An old man, that country. The priests carry with them a who appeared to be the chief, sat down, thing like an umbrella, with a cloth_over_it; mumbled something, and began to sprinkle on the shaft is a small round board, and on the rice in the air about and over his head, at this board stand the little gods, but the people the same time blowing with his mouth. Each do not appear to be very zealous either for has a short dirk, eighteen inches long, which priests or gods. They have one goddess of is ever at his side; this is their plough, their whom they talk, and whom they extol much; every thing; with it they cut down trees, her name is Rampunday. They say that a make their houses, and do all their work. man has eight souls, but a woman only seven; that when a man dies a small spark of one of his souls remains, and from that all the others will be kindled at the resurrection. How this spark remains alive they cannot tell, but they believe it remains somehow, and that all will rekindle again just like so many candles. They believe that when the flood took place, one little spot was left uncovered by the water, and that on this spot man took refuge, and was saved. Of the ark and Noah

When the harvest comes round, the neighbours and friends of a family assist, and the crop belonging to that family is reaped in one day, and brought home. The night of the kim, or harvest home, is spent in great mirth, drinking home-made beer, which is kept, not in bottles, for they have none, or ever heard of such things, but in bamboos of a prodi gious size, so that a single joint will hold more than a gallon. The people are seated round on the ground, each with a long tube

or reed, by which they suck at pleasure, and talk or sing according as it may be.

Here, though missionaries have no caste to

contend with, conversion has not been heard of. They cast in the seed, but cannot produce one drop of rain or even dew.

SUREY BIRBHOOM.

The following detail of the state of things at this station is contained in a letter from Mr. SMITH, dated the 4th of November :

It is now more than four months since I despatched my last letter to you, in which I mentioned our having been favoured with a small increase to our church of three persons, by baptism. Since then, I regret to say that we have not been increased, but rather diminished, by the death of one member and the exclusion of two others one of whom was long employed as a preacher of the gospel; so that in regard to numerical strength, we have not advanced since last year, though I sincerely trust, through the blessing of God on our feeble efforts, to promote our spiritual improvement, some progress has been made in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ-an object so desirable in itself, but hitherto so little realized amongst us. The peace of the church, thanks be to God, has not been disturbed this year, and, we hope in God, will not be so again, though experience has taught us the necessity of continual watchfulness and prayer to God, that we may be enabled to resist steadfastly in the faith the great enemy of our souls, lest we should be tempted again to dishonour that sacred name by which we are called, to injure our own souls, and to impede instead of promoting the salvation of our fellow men.

It may appear to some not a little surprising that our number now is not much greater than it was some years ago; this discouraging fact, however, is not so much to be accounted for by the few additions that have been made to the church during that period, nor by the exclusions that have also taken place from its communion, most of whom having been again restored, but chiefly to the dismissions to other churches that have occurred to a very considerable extent, owing to the great difficulty of obtaining employment here beyond a very limited number. It is gratifying to reflect, however, that those who have left us for other stations, have been generally usefully employed in the cause of God, being esteemed on account of their intelligence and steady Christian deportment.

Labours among the heathen.

Since the commencement of the hot weather and during the subsequent rains, which have just closed, our labours among the heathen have been chiefly confined to the bazar of this place, and neighbouring villages and markets around, and although the novelty of our ap

pearance among them, and especially the curiosity excited by our addressing them on religious subjects, has long since, in a great measure, passed away, we are still often heard with a pleasing degree of serious attention by considerable numbers, who are desirous, as much as ever, of obtaining our books, which are doubtless perused to some extent, though far less than is desirable, there being, with rare exceptions, no apparent intention on their part, either on hearing us, or in reading our publications, to embrace the gospel of their salvation.

Gratifying state of the schools.

The annual examination of our schools, which took place lately, presented, as usual, a gratifying spectacle to all who were present on the occasion, and especially to our much respected Judge, F. Cardew, Esq., who takes a lively interest in them, and who is one of our best subscribers. Along with the impartation of elementary tuition, instructors, grammars, geographies, histories, introductions of science, and the bible and other religious books, are read and studied in them, so that the scholars generally, and especially those who remain till the completion of their education, must carry away with them a valuable fund both of secular and religious knowledge, that cannot fail to be highly useful to them in after life, and may, we may not unreasonably hope, through the blessing of God, dispose at least some of them to embrace the Christian religion, to which many are already favourably disposed.

Aid of Auxiliary Society.

It is now about three years since the formation of our auxiliary society, which, though feeble from its commencement, has hitherto been upheld by the good hand of God, and we hope, through his continued aid, will not only be supported, but acquire increase of strength with increase of age. Our Orphan School, native preachers, and poor, have been maintained by it, aided by the monthly collections at the ordinance of the Lord's supper; and though the Parent Society may not from it derive much efficient aid, we trust notwithstanding that that aid, however little, will not be unacceptable. Our funds being nearly exhausted, I was lately under the necessity of applying to the public for further support,