who have responded to the call beyond my expectations, so that we are again provided for by a kind Providence for at least one year more. Our subscriptions are chiefly from the members of our church, and donations from others. The amount of both will be found in the tabular statement enclosed in this letter. We entreat your prayers that a more abundant blessing than hitherto may be vouchsafed to this and to all our stations, nay to every part of God's vineyard, that the heathen may be speedily given to his Son for his inheritance, and the uttermost part of earth for his possession. From the Calcutta Oriental Baptist we extract the following gratifying information of additions to some of the churches. CALCUTTA. LAL BAZAR. A lady, formerly connected with the Church of England, was baptized on a profession of faith in Christ on the last sabbath in September, and on the following sabbath received to the communion of the church. KALINGA. Three converted natives were baptized by the Rev. J. WENGER, and added to the church under his care, on the first Lord's day in October. AGRA. Two Europeans 'publicly professed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ by baptism on the 1st of October. CHITAURA, NEAR AGRA. An African female was baptized on the 14th of August, and one aged Hindu convert followed her example on the first sabbath in October. CUTTACK. Four young men were baptized at Chugar on the 27th of August, on the 3rd of September a female convert was immersed on a profession of her faith in Christ at Cuttack, and two young men made a similar avowal of their love to Christ on the first day in October. JESSORE. In September Mr. PARRY had the pleasure of immersing three believers, two of whom were young females belonging to Mrs. Parry's school. CEYLON. In the Herald for October last reference was made to the serious illness of Mr. Davies, which had compelled him to leave his station, and it was stated that he was about to avail himself of the kindness of the Queen's Advocate, Mr. Selby, who had offered him the free use of his cottage at Newera Ellia, the highest and coldest district in the island. In a letter dated Newera Ellia, 13th November, we have the gratifying intelligence, My health is gradually improving, and we purpose leaving this place for Colombo about the end of the next month. We have been accommodated here by the kindness of the Hon. H. C. Selby, Queen's Advocate, free of rent. I inclose his note to me, not only to show our personal obligations, but to acquaint you with the saving it has been to the Society. In consequence of the great difficulty in obtaining accommodation here, had it not been for Mr. Selby's kindness we should have had to pay, in all probability, not less than £50 for the time we have been here. In addition to this, Mr. Selby has given £5 to the mission this year, and Mrs. Selby supports a girl in Mrs. Davies's school. We cannot deny ourselves the pleasure of inserting an extract from Mr. SELBY'S letter. It is highly honourable to himself, and not less so to our missionary, showing the estimation in which he is held by one whose good opinion is worth possessing. The letter is dated Colombo, 17th September. We were very glad to hear of the improve- that your residence under my roof has prement of your health, and trust that a further vented the necessity of your departure from the residence at Newera Ellia will permanently island, for "the harvest truly is great and the restore it. It affords me much pleasure to labourers are few." I hope you will not have it in my power to give you the occupa- refuse me this gratification. I trust you find tion of the cottage during the period of your things tolerably comfortable. Mrs. Selby proposed stay at Newera Ellia, and it will be joins me in kind regards to Mrs. Davies. quite a sufficient recompence to me to know | KANDY. Mr. ALLEN, in a letter received from him, dated Nov. 14, 1848, gives a pleasing account of the stations with which he is immediately connected. Since my return from Colombo things have allowed to go amongst them in the barracks; assumed a more cheerful aspect. I preach in the morning and afternoon to the Singhalese, and in the evening to English, and others who understand it. There has certainly been an awakening amongst all. The congregations, especially the native, are larger than I have ever seen them. The chapel is filled to the extent of its seats. There seems to be a spirit of hearing, and in the English congregation there is evidently an awakening, especially amongst the soldiers who attend. Many have been to me of late expressing their anxiety about salvation, and have asked me to meet them privately for instruction. I am not so I meet them in the chapel on Wednesday evening. I hope before long to tell you of some putting on Christ. The truth is evidently at work, and I assure you it is cheering to one in this land of apathy and indifference. On the whole it appears to me that the claims Kandy has to importance are rather on the increase than otherwise. A larger sphere of labour might be found, but something surely may be done here. Indeed, I can find plenty to do. All that is wanted is the outpouring of the Spirit, without which nothing will be effectual. MATELLE. Matelle is likely to become a more impor- In consequence of the court, more people tant place than it has been. The rebellion will resort to Matelle as residents, and there has injured us, but still I hope good will come is probability of a better congregation. It out of it. Thomas Garnier lost about £150, is perhaps one of the best locations for a and the chapel £15 or £20. He is gone back missionary to the Kandians, being surrounded again. I was there last week. The people with villages and more densely populated are more tractable. A district court is esta- than other districts about Kandy. blished there. It is now a military station. WEST INDIES. JAMAICA. STEWART TOWN. In a letter from Mr. DEXTER, dated the 13th November, he says, "In the church things remain much as when I last wrote. On Saturday next I hope to baptize thirty at New Birmingham, and there are still a few hopeful cases here." TRINIDAD. Mr. CowEN, under date, Port of Spain, 20th November, 1848, says, "Since my last we have received some additions to our New Grant church, but though I have again and again proposed it, the people will do little in the way of giving money. I hope, however, by and bye this duty will be better understood and performed by them." The following letter has been received from Mr. Law, dated Port of Spain, 21st November, 1848. It is indeed a long time since I had the pleasure of writing to you, but my silence has not been the result of negligence or of want of love to yourself and the blessed work in which we are engaged. Lately I have been fully occupied in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am preacher, schoolmaster, and printer, or any thing, as the case may require. The Haverfordwest press has given much trouble and labour. It is now in working order. A young man has been printing for us constantly for the last three months. I have printed a Portuguese hymn book, and have also commenced a series of "Tracts for Trinidad." The sixth number is just from the press. They all treat on the subject of popery, the great curse of this land. I have just written and published my first letter addressed to the Roman catholic bishop of Trinidad, exposing the fearful errors contained in a catechism which he causes to be circulated among his people here. "Woe is me if I preach not the gospel" to all to whom I can have any access either by the living voice or the press. May the Lord add his rich and effectual blessing. Need of aid for printing tracts. As to meeting the expenses connected with the press, I do not know what to say. I have this year expended fifty or sixty dollars in printing, and from no one have I received any assistance in money except from a Portuguese Christian and an African brother, whose united contributions amount to four dollars. By the first vessel from this to London, I shall send you specimens of the tracts printed, in the hope that the friends at home will procure necessary funds. Satisfactory state of the schools. the As to the schools at the station, I can report favourably. Mr. Best, with his wife, at our request, has come from Demarara to reside in this island. They are both baptized Christians, and have taught a school in Demarara for some years. Mr. Best has taken charge of the Dry River school, and has already a good attendance. Besides, he is able to act as a local preacher. He preaches and keeps a school at Cocorite on the sabbath forenoons, as also at Dry River. His assistance is of great value to me on the Lord's day. Formerly my work on the sabbath was almost killing to the body, and now I have as much work as I can undertake with comfort. I have still every Sunday three preaching engagements, two in English and one in Por tuguese; but the whole of the afternoon I have for the Sunday school, which is a source of great delight. At present we have four Sunday school teachers and nearly fifty scholars. Since I last wrote to you two individuals have been added to our little church by baptism. Deficiency of supplies. There is one thing to which I would direct your special attention, and that is the insufficiency of £50 to meet all the expenses of the schools connected with this station. Just think, there are four schools, five teachers, dollars to pay every month for school rent at very little obtained from the children, four Corbeau Town, and only £50 to defray all expenses. Some of our teachers are often in want of daily bread. What am I to do? I cannot give up any of the schools. Rather, I am almost determined to commence a day school at Cocorite, if the Society of Friends could place at my disposal £75 instead of £50, our schools would be in a far more com. fortable and prosperous condition. The box of clothing which we this day received from the kind friends at Amersham, will be disposed of to assist in commencing a school at Cocorite. Dear brother, continue to urge the churches of Britain to do what they can for the cause of Christ. Your missionaries in their work of faith and labours of love look to the friends of Christ for support. AFRICA. BIMBIA. We are permitted to take the following extract from a letter from Miss VITOU to Mrs. Lepard Smith, dated Clarence, October, 1848. "We heard from Bimbia a few days ago. Mr. and Mrs. Merrick, with the dear children, are well, and their hearts are cheered by seeing a movement among the dark inhabitants. The attendance on sabbath days is increasing, and King William has given orders that no canoes go out on that day. "Our friends at Cameroons have recently suffered much, but are mercifully restored. We hope that good is doing there. Sad accounts reach us from Old Calabar. Twenty-four persons were sacrificed a week or two ago on the death of a chief; but Mr. Goldie, from whom we have just heard, says, 'We labour on in faith and hope.'" CLARENCE. A short letter has just been received from Mr. SAKER, dated the 28th of October, saying, "I write a few lines to-day just to report all well. I forward, also, letters from Bimbia, by which you will learn, as I have done by others, that all is well there. Of Cameroons, the news is, as usual, grateful to my spirits; all well, peaceful, and the brethren hard at work. Oh, that God may pour out plentifully of his grace, that these desert lands may become fruitful." EUROPE. BRITTANY. A letter has been received from Mr. JENKINS, dated the 6th of January, giving the following account of his labours, and of the opposition of the Roman catholic priests. Preaching excursions. I have just made another excursion to preach the gospel. I left home on the 20th December, and returned on the 26th. As I informed you in a former letter, I took a room at Louargat at thirty-three francs per annum. The priest were strongly opposed to my having this room, and told the man they would have preferred giving sixty or seventy francs for it rather than we should have it. The owner is a tiler, who depends on the priests for much of his labour, having to keep in repair the church and seven chapels; thus they had a strong hold on him, and they and some in- disapprove of these unjust proceedings on their part. A rich freehold farmer, who always comes to hear preaching, to whom I related the affair, told me he will give me a room to preach in when his house, which is now being rebuilt, will be ready, which will be in the month of April, and that without any expense. I read and explained 1 John iii. to this man and his wife, and had an interesting religious conversation with them. Sabbath, 26th. The weather was very cold, so that I could not preach in the open air, but I addressed a few persons in a private house. There was present a man who had come from Treglamus, who very warmly invited me to go to that parish to preach. In consequence of my arrangement I could not go till the following day, but Georget, an interesting man from Belle Isle, who is in the habit of reading and explaining portions of the gospel, went with the friend, and had an opportunity of conversing on religion with several persons in the evening. I went to Beghard, where I preached in a room I had taken in the village with the approbation of Mr. Le Tiec, for the purpose of holding public worship. There was a fair attendance, though the weather was inclement, and the priests had pronounced their decree of no absolution or communion for any one who would come to hear me. Christmas day morning, after high mass, I preached again in the room to an attentive auditory. After this I left for Treglamus. It was with difficulty I arrived in time to address the people after vespers. Many had gone away, but there were not less than 300 persons still remaining, who heard the truth respecting the birth of our Saviour. A few were disposed in the beginning to deride, and one cried out that they were catholics. In answer to him I said, that the name catholic or protestant would avail us nothing in the day of judgment, that no one will be saved but the sinner that is converted to God, believes in Jesus Christ the Saviour, and obeys his word. All were peaceable, and the attention good. The blind woman who came forward to ask for a tract the first time I preached there, was on this occasion not far from where I stood. Perhaps I ought to mention here, that Georget, after high mass, began to show the Testament to the people, and to read and explain some portion of it, but the mayor's deputy forbade his doing so. He was not discouraged, but went to the mayor and pleaded religious liberty, but in vain. When I preached after vespers, I met with no opposition, though the mayor's deputy was present. This parish is contiguous to that in which the mayor stopped my preaching. Labours of Colporteurs and Scripture Readers. I am glad to be able to tell you that our Breton colporteur makes progress in the knowledge of the gospel. He has left the church of Rome, and is very sincerely attached to true religion. He conducts himself very well. I have had much religious conversation with Georget, who has always attended our meetings since I began preaching in that part of the country. It is evident he has made much progress in the knowledge of evangelical truth, and now understands salvation by grace and not by the merit of our own works, which is contrary to the erroneous teaching of the church of Rome. He daily reads his New Testament, and reads and explains it to others in his own house and in the houses of his neighbours. He is a man of more than ordinary understanding and general knowledge, and expresses himself very well in French and in Breton. Though advanced in years, he is desirous of becoming a colporteur and reading the New Testament, and I think he would be a useful man. I hope the Liverpool friends will enable us to employ him. In reply to your inquiry respecting colporteurs, I have to state that this work is under the superintendence of Mr. De Pressensé. The Bible Society grants to Mr. Williams and myself a colporteur each so long as the sale justifies the expense, consequently we had pretty regularly in this part of the country a French or a Breton colporteur. A good French colporteur was sent to us five or six months ago, but illness and a want of knowledge of the language rendered his stay here of little use, and last month he was called to labour in Paris. Since his departure our Breton colporteur has recommenced his labours, but the sale is now rather small. An Evangelist wanted. The aid granted by the Bible Society is truly important, but as its special object is the sale of scriptures, it follows that the colporteur can visit the same neighbourhood but seldom, and cannot take time to read and explain the word of God, and is uncertain as to the duration of his stay in the same part of the country. The work of the scripture reader and the evangelist, which is indispensable to the spread of divine truth, is left to be done by others. I am sorry that the funds of the Society are so low, and that you fear you cannot enable us to make a trial of Mr. Lugent. Our mission greatly needs an evangelist. I am obliged to be often from home, and there is no one to take my place. |