ment and attention in hearing the word, was very agreeable, and it afforded us sincere pleasure to find, not only that a favourable impression had been made upon the congregation in general, but that several individuals with whom we conversed, appeared to be sincerely desirous of continuing to enjoy the benefit of the preaching of the gospel among them.

We had heard much of the disregard of th. Sabbath at Hamburgh, and what we witnessed, fully confirmed all that had been told us. In passing through a considerable part of the city, to the place of meeting we could scarcely discover any ex ternal difference between that and

any other day of the week. The shops, with the exception, perhaps, of one in ten or twelve, were all open*; and the various articles of merchandise exhibited at the windows just as on other days; and in the evening the Theatre, and numerous dancing houses, as they are termed, were more resorted to, as we were

informed, than on any other day of the week. We were extremely concerned to learn, that, what we witnessed at Hamburgh, was only a specimen of what too generally ebtains throughout the greater part the Continent, on the Lord's day.

of

In witnessing this most affecting scene, while we recollected with unfeigned gratitude to God, the very different circumstances of those who dwell in our highly favoured native island; it was impossible not to feel the deepest concern for our countrymen on the Continent; exposed as they were, to all the ensnaring and overwhelming influence of such a state of society; and to pray that He, who had thus in his adorable providence, opened a door for the preaching of the gospel at Hamburgh, might be graciously pleased to keep open that door, and to render his own truth instrumental in imparting to our countrymen, such

"I was informed that the proportion of shut shops, in some other parts of the city, were greater than in those through which we passed.

sources of enjoyment, as should effectually indispose them for partici pating in those unlawful amusements on the Lord's holy-day.

Mr. G. V

Amidst the general inattention to religion, which prevails on the Continent, as unhappily it does too much in our own country, it is pleasing to know, that God has never left himself without some witnesses to his own truth. Of this, we met with a most signal instance in the venerable father of a gentleman of nearly 80 years of age. He was introduced to us a few days before I left the Continent. He had in early life, about 50 years ago, been in England, and had accompanied Mr. Whitfield, in some of his preaching excursions; he had also been acquainted with Mr. Newton, while at Olney, and other eminent christians in the south part of the kingdom. He spoke with much, and faction he had in the service of his highly animated feeling, of the satisLord, and now said he, that I have been reminded that my departure can be at no great distancet; I have no other desire, than that I may be fitted for meeting my dear Lord with joy, whenever he shall see meet to call me.

Mr. V and his son are among the most extensive and respectable bankers and merchants in that part of the Continent, but they are still more distinguished by their unfeigned devotedness to their Lord and Saviour. And it greatly interested us to be informed, that during a great part of his life, this venerable father in Christ had regularly on the Lord's day evening, opened his house for the reception of all who inclined to attend while he explained and enforced upon them the great and fundamental doctrines of the word of God ; and his labours I understand were happily successful in promoting the spiritual benefit of

my life to have been more deeply interested than in the conversation of this venerable saint, and I-considered it as almost sufficient of itself to compensate the pains of a visit to the Continent.

While in Hamburgh, I was much affected in witnessing the truly deplorable condition of the descendants of Abraham, of whom there is a vast multitude in this City. We went into one of their Synagogues on one of their grand festivals about the end of the week, in which they had been observing the feast of Tabernacles. I was politely invited into a pew by two genteel young men, with whom I had some conversation. Having asked them if the bulk of the congregation understood the Hebrew Language in which their service was conducted,-"No" said they "in general they understand it just as little as the Catholics do the Latin Service of the Church of Rome." It is impossible, for one that has never witnessed it to conceive the indecency of their behaviour while professedly employed in the worship of their maker: while at the same time the external regard which they in general pay to their own Sabbath, may certainly be considered as administering reproof to those who call themselves christians. The condition of those descendants, of Abraham, while it affords one of the most incontestable evidences of the truth of divine revelation, suggests at the same time a loud callito all who believe the promise of the Scripture concerning them, to cease not to pray that the Lord would be pleased to remember in mercy this deluded people; and to remove from their minds the veil of prejudice and of unbelief, by which they have so long been blinded in reading Moses and the prophets, and hasten the accomplishment of all that he has spoken respecting their restoration in the latter days. But while the nations on the Continent of Europe, are continually exhibiting before the eyes of this people, so mournful an example of their own neglect of divine institutions, we can scarcely ex

pect so desirable an event, till this stumbling block shall be removed out of their way by an entire change of conduct in those who are called by the Christian name.

Having left Hamburgh on the 1st November, we were under the necessity of putting into Cuxhaven* on the 3d, from contrary winds.Here I spent two Sabbaths, and preached at an Inn, occupied by an English family. I was deeply concerned to find, that the preaching of the morning, was followed up with a ball in the evening, which I understood to be the regular practice in that town. A very affecting incident occured, while at Cuxhaven. A gentleman, a son of one of the Senators of Hamburgh, who heard me preach, and with whom I had some conversation on the first Lord's day, in the course of the week, fell and broke his leg. The fracture produced fever and delirium, and on the Friday following, he died.His corpse was in the house, when I preached on the next Lord's day, and endeavoured to improve the affecting dispensation from Amos IV. 12. " Prepare to meet thy God O Israel."

While here, I had the pleasure of meeting with the masters of two Packets, who appeared to be truly Christian men, who were well lac quainted with Messrs. Paterson and Henderson, having frequently attended the ministry of Mr. H. at Gottenburgh. I preached in the evening on board of one of their Packets, to about 50 persons.

On the following Wednesday, the wind becoming fair and moderate, after a season of very tempestuous weather, in which a packet from Holland was lost, we sailed from Cuxhaven, and arrived in safety at Leith on Tuesday the 21st of November

* Cuxhaven is a pretty considerable town, containing as I suppose a population of from two to three thousand, and under the government of one of the Senators of Hamburgh. There is no place of worship in that town, of any decription, the Lutheran Church being

situated at the distance of two miles.

after an absence of seven weeks and five days.

Mr. Dick continues at Hamburgh, and I am happy to hear from him since my return, that he had a larger congregation on the Sabbath previous to his writing me, than any he had yet seen in Hamburgh.

May it please God graciously to smile on this attempt to spread his blessed gospel, and render the lahours of our brother, during the winter in Hamburgh, abundantly subservient to this end.-I am, &c. J. A.

་་་་་་་་

FOREIGN.

LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY. INDIA.

Extract of a Letter from the Rev. James

Dawson, on his way to India.

A letter has been received from the Rev. James Dawson, a Missionary to India, dated Cape of Good Hope, July 3, 1815, from which we learn, that he, with Mrs. Dawson, arrived in False Bay on the 14th of June, not being able to get into Table Bay. On the 16th, Mr. Thom, having been informed of their arrival, came (24 miles) together with Mr. Evans, and brought a waggon to conduct them to Cape Town, where, on the 17th, they had the pleasure of meeting all the brethren destined to Latakkoo, who had arrived on the 23d of May, were all well, and expected to proceed into the interior in about a fortnight from that time.* Mr. Dawson says, "We have had very fine weather ever since the 1st of April, when we left our native shores. During the whole of March we had very strong gales, which detained us in the Channel, and drove us into Plymouth and Fal

* From letters since received from

Africa, It appears that they left Cape Town on the 12th of July, and were to to proceed by way of Bethelsdorp and Graaf Reynet to the place of their destination. They were accompanied by Mr. Pacalt. The good people at Bethelsdorp would not hear of their going by any other route, lest they should be deprived of the pleasure of helping them on their way, for which they had made preparation.

mouth. We had a good passage of 76 days from the latter port.

"I flatter myself that our friends will be thankful to God who has brought us thus far on our way to India. If we are favoured with a good wind when we leave the Cape, we hope by the time this reaches you to be at Madras, from whence we shall have but three or four hundred miles further to go.

"When I came within sight of the mountains of Africa, I felt something of the comfort, and courage, and gratitude expressed by the apostle Paul, when he came to " Appii Forum and the Three Taverns." A country where there are Missionariesis a delightful object to those who who have been for some months on are engaged in the same work, and the mighty deep.

"Mrs. D. and I have been much refreshed by our interview with the good people here, particularly with Mr. and Mrs. B. whose son went to England with Mr. Campbell. Many of the Missionaries who have touch

ed at the Cape have experienced their hospitality.

"We have also had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Pacalt, who came hither with two waggons, to fetch the Missionaries for Latakkoo. We saw nine of his people; they sing One of the girls exceedingly well. read some verses of the 3d of John, and one of the men prayed. His prayer astonished those who underWe stood the Dutch language. were all affected when they told us how they had been praying for the Missionaries all the way from their own homes to Cape Town. Pacalt has 80 in his school, and more than 200 attend on the Lord'sday. The Lord is greatly blessing the labours of his servants in Africa ; and I hope he will pour out his spirit on the Missionaries in India, and in every other country.

Mr.

Extract of Mr. Lee's Journal at Ganjam.

There is a pagoda near my house, consecrated to Condasvaroodo (Shevah), the image of which is a stone, which the Brahmins affirm, and the people generally believe, came there

of itself. For eight days past a Brahmin has shut himself up in this pagoda, eating only fruits, and has all this time been expostulating with the idol for not sending rain, and threatening to break its head, and leave off making poojah (offering prayers, &c.) if rain does not speedily come. Yesterday evening, to the great joy of all. a good shower fell, and another to-day (Sept. 3, 1814) though certainly not from the dumb and lifeless idol.

Nov. 4.-A short time since a Brahmin's widow, having heard of the death of her husband, who was at a distance from home, applied to the magistrate for permission to burn herself the permission was granted and the horrid ceremony took place not far from hence!

CHINESE SCRIPTURES.

The unspeakable importance of widely circulating the word of God in the Chinese language, may, in some measure, be conceived of, by observing the vast extent of country through which the character in which it is written is known.

The late Dr. Buchanan, quoting Barrow's Travels in India, p. 615, says, "The Chinese character is un

lerstood from the Gulf of Siam to the Tartarian Sea, and over a very considerable part of the great Eastern Archipelago; and the Cochin Chinese use no other writing than the pure Chinese character, which is also the case with the Japanese."

OTAHEITE.

Several hymns have been composed in the Taheitan language, and some copies, printed at Port Jackson, are in the hands of the natives; others are so desirous of obtaining the remaining copies, that they are ready to quarrel for them. "What an alteration (says one of the Missionaries) is this! Instead of drum ming and dreadful howling, the praises of God are resounding from different quarters every evening!"

The following is the first verse of a hymn founded on Jerem. x. 11.--"The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they

shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens."

Teie nei ta taton,
Ehoama e hamaitai.
Tioa mana, ioa matau
Te Atua no te rai.

AFRICA.

MISSION TO THE WILD BUSHMEN.

From the Journal of Mi. Smit. In this journal, written in Dutch, Mr. Smit gives an account of his journey from Bethelsdorp to Graaf Reinet, where he arrived on the 1st of March 1814, and remained a considerable time at the house of his father-in-law. During this period nothing remarkable happened, except the conference of the Missionaries in the month of August, the particulars of which have already appeared. On the 13th of September, Mr. Smit left Graaf Reynet and proceeded to the Thornberg, where he arrived on the 29th. He then met some Bushmen, but could not speak to them from want of an interpreter. On the 2d of October, he met with a person who spoke their language, and through whom he was enabled to speak to the people. He soon after began with

the assistance of some Hottentots, to build huts and lay out gardens. On the 24th of October he went to Graaf Reynet to fetch his wife and child, taking an account before his departure of every thing he left behind; viz 21 men, 21 women, and 38 children, 2 waggons, 38 oxen, 61 cows, 459 sheep and goats, and 11 horses. He arrived on the 30th at Graaf Reynet, on the 21st of November returned

again amongst the Bushmen, whose number had encreased during his absence. He immediately established a school, and had several schelars. On the Sabbath, many people from places in the neighbourhood attended divine worship. The Bushmen behaved very well, seemed to rejoice at the instruction they received, and Mr. Smit, together with J. Goejman, have struments in the hand of the great hopes of being useful in

Lord, towards converting many Bushmen into real Christians. Mrs. Smit has begun teaching the Bushmen girls knitting and sewing.

BETHELSDORP.

Native Itinerants.

Mr. Read, in a letter dated Bethelsdorp, July 7, 1815, relates various occurrences in a journey he had taken on the business of the So

ciety and mentions that at Zuurberg (Lieut. Boyle's post) he found much attention paid to religious affairs"at least 100 persons professedly

concerned for their souls."

"On my return to Bethelsdorp I found all things well. Mr. Messer had baptized 52 adults in my absence, and many more were thirsting for Christ, who have since been added to us in church fellowship. "We have now numbers of young men, who, we hope, will hereafter become burning and shining lights. Two of these already manage the spelling and reading of our whole school, and also of writing in sand. We have eight who itinerate.Two are going out to-day to the farmer's places, with the Bible under their arms, and nothing but a caross (a sheep skin) on their backs. In this way they can get better access to their countrymen among the boors, I hope the Lord may make a selection, and send them out with power from on high."

CALEDON.

Mr. Seidenfaden, in a letter dated at Caledon, May 21, 1815, informs the Directors that the affairs of that Missionary settlement go on prosperously. "In the course of this year," says Mr. S. "I have baptized twenty adults, and twenty more are candidates for baptism, in whose hearts I hope the Lord has begun a good work. The preaching of the word is well attended. Every evening I have more than 200 hearers, and on the Lord's-days between 300 and 400. There are about forty or fifty in the school, many of whom begin to read well in the Bible, and have learnt a great many hymns by heart, which they sing at the VOL. II.-No. 12.

beginning and end of the evening service. To see that they make so much progress gladdens my soul, for I perceive that the Lord is pleased to bless my labours."

By permission of his Excellency the Governor, Mr. Wimmer is gone to join Mr. Seidenfaden and assist him in this place. "At the recommendation of Government," says Mr. S. "I attended, three whole days, the free school under the direction of Mr. Van Wageningen, by whose instruction, &c. I now com

prehend the whole system of Dr. Bell and Mr. Lancaster, which I shall introduce as soon as the school room which I am now building (40 feet by 16) is finished. This school, notwithstanding the builders work without pay, and have only their food, will cost 300 rix dollars (about £60), materials, fetched chiefly from Cape Town, are so dear. Some of our people have begun to build themAt present I selves brick houses. am busy in building a cattle kraal of brick, 120 feet long and 60 feet

wide."

We rejoice in the apparent pros perity of this new settlement, in which we see religion and civilization rapidly advancing, hand in hand.