missionaries, and found their labours to have had a distinguished blessing. Illinois and Missouri. The Rev. Messrs. Daniel Gould and Edward Hollister commenced a missionary tour from the vicinity of Boston, September 28th, 1820, and crossed the Mississippi near St. Louis, December 28th, having travelled on horseback, 1455 miles. They have been employed laboriously in that thinly settled country, often visiting the small and distant settlements, preaching, distributing tracts, and calling on families as they were able. Their labours were received with much gratitude, with many solicitations for their continuance, and with eyident tokens of the divine blessing. Mr. Gould's health has been poor, yet, by the mercy of God, both have been preserved, through an unhealthy season, from severe sickness. Mr. Gould has been principally in Illinois, and Mr. Hollister in Missouri. The latter visited most of the settlements on the Missouri river. He found some settlements formed under the Spanish government, of many years' stand ing, which have been almost entirely destitute of any literary or gospel instruction. In November last, Mr. Gould left Illinois, on account of ill health, and is now, it is supposed, in North Carolina. The Rev. Jesse Townsend has performed 39 weeks' missionary labour in the state of Illinois. The peculiarly scattered state of the inhabitants rendered it difficult for him often to convene enough for public worship, except on the Sabbath. He spent much time in visiting families, and instructing them in the truths and duties of religion. He succeeded in establishing several Sabbath Schools, which were prosperous. He laboured to prepare the way for the future establishment of congregations and churches. He distributed a number of Bibles and Tracts, which were very thankfully received. With a population of 55,000 souls, and rapidly increasing, he is the only presbyterian minister in the state; and there are March, 1822, 44 very few of any other description. The leading characters of the state, as well as the people generally, appreciate the value of missionary labours, and are very desirous to have them continued and increased. The Rev. John Matthews spent 14 weeks in the service of the Society, mostly in Missouri, with occasional journeys in Illinois. In the new and thinly settled country in which he laboured, he usually preached to small assemblies, yet as large as could be expected. At St. Charles, May 6th, he and another Missionary admitted to a small church, three members by profession, and five by recommendation, administered the Lord's supper, and baptized five children. There were 30 communicants. He writes, "These things, on your mountain of Zion, would appear small; but to us, who labour comparatively on the rock, they are times of refreshing indeed." The Rev. Salmon Giddings, who is employed most of his time at St. Louis, travelled as a Missionary about 7 weeks in the states of Missouri and Illinois. He organized one church of 41, and another of 9 members. He observes, "God is blessing the means of grace through these western states, and I presume there is no part of America where the people are so poor, take them as a body nor any that need the gospel. more."-" There are but five clergymen to supply fifteen churches, dispersed over a tract of country, 250 miles square." Mississippi and Louisiana. The Rev. Hezekiah Hull has been for some time in the states of Mississippi and Louisiana. At the time of his last communication, dated at Natchez, Dec. 30th, 1820, he had just engaged in the service of the Mississippi Missionary Society, and is probably now employed in procuring funds for that institution, in exploring the country to procure the requisite information for missionary labours, and in preaching the gospel as he has opportunity, Amount of Missionary Labour, &c. The amount of missionary labour performed is nearly 800 weeks. The inissionaries, on an average, preach about five times a week, besides attending conferences, prayer meetings, church meetings, and the various occasions of religious worship and instruction to which they are called. They are also in the constant practice, as required by their instructions, of attending funerals, visiting the sick, and visiting families to impart religious instruction. They are required to pay particular attention to the rising generation; and for this purpose they visit schools, and seek for convenient opportunities to catechise and instruct children and youth. In short, it is their duty, and we believe the Missionaries of this Society usually act under such an impression, to consider it their privilege to 'make known to their fellow men the truths and blessings of the great salvation. All the Missionaries speak of their kind reception wherever they go, of the strong sentiments of gratitude expressed by the inhabitants to them, to the Missionary Society, and to the people of this state, for these labours of love. Some individuals are found, and, occasionally, some settlement, who do not give the Missionaries a welcome reception, but they are few. And it is generally found that passing them by, according to the Saviour's direction, produces a powerful, and often a very salutary effect. All the Missionaries have pressing applications from most of the places that they visit, for a greater portion of their labours than they can consistently afford. In their communications with the Society, they speak of the great want of additional missionary labour in all the places of their employ toral charge of these infant churches, ministering to the congregation for a part of the time, while the residue is employed in the missionary service. In this way, the new settlements have many more able and faithful ministers resident among them than could otherwise have been expected. Thus the standard of salvation is erected, amid abounding error and darkness, and, through the divine blessing, will be long and steadily defended. The benighted pilgrim has a light on which he can fix his anxious eye, which will direct his soul in the way to God. Want of Funds, and Conclusion. We have now to observe, that the operations of this Society are greatly circumscribed by the want of funds. While the most urgent applications fer missionary aid are constantly received from all parts of the new settlements, and men well qualified for the service can be obtained, we are obliged to turn away our eyes from souls ready to perish. Every year enlarges the missionary field, in our new settlements, and furnishes increasing evidence of the utility of the object; and the means used in our country, to supply this demand, are far from a proportional increase. Most Missionary Societies, whose object is to supply the destitute parts of our own country, have a feeble support. The resources of this Society are not greater now than they were twenty years ago. It will be seen by the Treasurer's Report, accompanying this Narrative, that the expenditures for the year past amounted to $6535 24, while the receipts, from every source, were but $5205 87. So urgent has been the call for missionary labour, and such the virtual pledge of the Society to the numerous congregations which have settled ministers, relying on this institution to employ them a part of the time, that the Trustees have felt it a duty to apply to current expenses a part of the funds of the Society, which were expected to continue a permanent resource for the missionary service. We have often endeavoured to spread the wants of the new settlements before God. And we find a reviving confidence in the recollection of the faithfulness of Him who appeared to Abraham on the mount of sacrifice, by the name of Jehovah-Jirah, the Lord will provide. We are therefore encouraged to entreat the benevolent people of the state to consider the case of THE MISSIONARY SOCIETY OF CONNECTICUT. One, not the least honourable, or important, of the benevolent institutions of the state. The gracious smiles of Heaven have eminently rested upon it, and made it highly instrumental in converting souls to Christ, and rearing the sacred fabric of the American church. We feel a confidence in saying, that no application of the means of grace in our country, for thirty years past, of equal labour and expense, has had greater success. We are deeply sensible of the various and pressing calls of christian charity that are constantly made upon the community. The great objects for which these calls are made deserve all the regard which they receive, and have our prayer to God that his blessing may rest upon them. Bible Societies and Foreign Missions have powerful resources, arising from the pre-eminent importance as well as splendour of their object, which interests all descriptions of persons. The Missionary Society of Connecticut can promise its patrons no reward but that of doing good. It seeks to promote the certain and highest interests of our country, and to prepare immortal souls for heaven. One thought, however, may perhaps be suggested. The American Church, we trust, is yet to perform a most important part in evangelizing the world. If so, our extended territories must be thickly planted with churches of the Lord Jesus, which, growing to maturity noder the nurture of his grace, will be fitted to perform the great work to which he may call them. Let the wastes of Zion in our own country be thoroughly built up, and the heathen world will have a resource from which too much can hardly be expected. We trust this parent institution will not be forgotten in the mercies of the Lord, and in the benevolence of the people, while younger ones are rising to follow in its steps; and we indulge a hope that the view exhibited in this narrative, of the destitute situation of our new and frontier settlements, will not only induce the people of this state, generally, to continue their annual contributions, but influence those to whom God has imparted an abundance to make large donations to promote the highly important object for which the society was established. In the review of the year past, we ought not to omit a grateful notice of the signal displays of divine grace, in extensive revivals of religion in a great number of our towns. For this gift of God, no year has been more distinguished, from the first settlement of the state. The liberal soul shall be made fat; and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. God returns to his people the richest reward for their exertions to build the kingdom of his grace. This extensive work of Divine grace has peculiarly animated the pious people in the new settlements, where our Missionaries have laboured, and has often engaged them to unite together, at the monthly concert, and other occasions, in their supplications to God, that he would abundantly plead his cause here, and through our country, and through the world. Finally, brethren, what we have to do for our Lord, and for the interests of his kingdom, must be soon done. The most of the founders, and early patrons and Missionaries of this Society, have gone to the retributions of eternity; and, as we hope, to join the employment of the spirits of just men made perfect. In these recollections the Trustees are forcibly reminded that they are hastening to that bar where they will render their final account. Their venerable and faithful predecessors, Stiles, Edwards, Trumbull, Hart, Backus, Cyprian and Nathan Strong, Swift, Newberry, Ellsworth, Lathrop, Huntington, and Miller, are called from the service of the church on earth. It be comes their successors to labour with increased activity and diligence, knowing their call will soon come. We beseech our revered fathers and Christian brethren to be stedfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, that they may be found faithful unto death, and Christ shall give them a crown of life. Home Proceedings. UNITED FOREIGN MISSIONARY SOCIETY. Since our last publication, no information has been received from the Union or the Tuscarora Missions. The Journal of the Union Mission for the month of October, mentioned in our last, will be found below. From the Great Osage Mission, we have been favoured with several letters, and with the Journal of the Mission from the 13th of June to the 6th of December inclusive. In our last, we announced the death of Mrs. Montgomery and of four infant children. It is now our painful duty to record the departure of Mr. Seeley. He was seized with the pleurisy on the 11th of November, and expired on the 22d of the same month. The Journal, under the date of the 26th of November, mentions, that Doctor Belcher was then very low, and his case extremely doubtful. On the 6th of December, it is stated, that the sick were recovering, and that the prospect then was, that the family would soon enjoy a comfortable state of health; and Miss Weller, in a letter of the 21st of that month, remarks that the health of the family was still improving. We have also received a letter from the Rev. Mr. Harris, enclosing the Journal of the Seneca Mission from the 1st of January to the 8th of February. Extracts will be given in this Number. UNION MISSION. JOURNAL FOR THE MONTH OF OCT. 1821. Monday, Oct. 1st.-The return of the monthly Concert, serves to awaken in us more of the missionary spirit. Tuesday, Oct. 2d.-Brother Spaulding left us this morning, to go as far as the garrison, on business for the Mission. Substitute for a Mill-Stream. In meeting for business, we resolved to build a saw and grist mill, connected under one roof, to be moved by the weight of oxen, on an inclined wheel. We have found no stream that will answer our purpose. No one has a fall or rapid sufficient. Grand River is too large, and on no stream near can a mill be built, that will be both safe and useful. Sickness of Mr. Chapman, and others. Wednesday, Oct. 3d.-Brother Chapman finds himself very unwell. He seemed to be gaining ground, on his return, but has relapsed into a state of weakness and distress. His journey has evidently much impaired his health. Brother Requa is very feeble, and unable to keep the school. The fever which prevails in this country, is a lingering, obstinate disease, slow in leaving the patient. Our diet also is very unfavourable. It consists mostly of meat and bread. We have no garden vegetables; our garden has failed to produce them in any great variety, in consequence of the drought, and the uncultivated state of the soil. Thursday, Oct. 4th.-Brother Woodruff, who has been sick and unable to labour for more than two months, has so far recovered as to be able to go out about 15 miles in search of coal. He has a mine of excellent coal in view, which, he thinks, may be obtained at less expense than that of making charcoal. Saturday, Oct. 6th.-Finished another canoe, thirty feet in length. We could not enter on building mills without such a craft, to cross the river for suitable materials. We find it a slow and difficult thing to build chimneys without a mason. Brother Redfield has undertaken the work, and has succeeded. Lord's Day, Oct. 7th.-Sister Fuller, who has been feeble ever since her arrival, is seized with the fever. Sister Redfield is also feeble. Amidst so many trials, we need an uncommon share of submission. Monday, Oct. 8th.-Brother Fuller is feeble and unable to labour. One of our hired hands has left us; the rest have recovered from sickness. Caught this day a barrel of fish, the largest quantity we have taken at any time. Thus, the Lord in his kindness sends us provision, both from the forest and from the rivers. Tuesday, Oct. 9th.-One of our hired men is employed in the kitchen; so weak-handed are the sisters, that they can no longer proceed without assist ance. Preparation for building an Ox-mill. We have laid before our millwright our determination to build an ox-mill. He is decidedly against attempting to erect water mills, and is in favour of this plan as altogether the most eligible. But he has never consulted or examined a mill on this plan, being acquainted only with water-mills. He therefore recommends, that, while he is getting out the timber, we send for some experienced mechanic to take the lead in the work. In meeting for business, we concluded it would be best to direct our Agents at Cincinnati to send us one, with the additional irons, as early as next spring. Wednesday, Oct. 10th.-A Buffalo was brought in this evening, the first that has been killed since our arrival here. State of the Family, in point of Health. Thursday, Oct. 11th.-Dr. Palmer begins once more to prescribe for the sick. Br. Woodruff is again complaining. Only two of the Brethren are able to labour. And among the sisters, Miss Foster is the only one whose health is good. Sarah Vaill has the intermittent. Distressing humours afflict some of the family. Vegetable diet would be an unspeakable blessing at the present time. Lord's Day, Oct. 14th.-Brother Chapman still unable to preach. May God soon restore his health, and enable him to pursue the study of the language with assiduity, that we may be able to speak to the poor Indians, in their own language, concerning the great salvation. Our way at present seems to be hedged up. We have it for our consolation, however, that God will prepare us in his own way, and in his own time, for the work which he has for us to do. Hostile approach of the Cherokees. Monday, Oct. 15th.-Brother Spaulding reached home this evening in good health. The Cherokees he informs us are now on their march into this country. Major Bradford held a council with them, endeavouring to dissuade |