to impart religious instruction; and | ance; about ten adults, however, conboth he and his wife seemed to re- tinued to attend regularly. Our Sabceive it gratefully. But these impres- bath meetings have been regularly atsions wore off, and left them still in tended ever since by some; at times their heathenism. Some time since, there are over twenty Indians present; they buried another child. This, he at others, only three or four. In these said, more deeply affected their minds meetings I still employ an interpreter. e than the loss of the former one. He Some have advised me to preach in wished now to be informed what he Indian, without an interpreter; but by must do to embrace Christianity. He watching him as I do, I think I can also wished to be taught how to pray. convey the truth to the minds of the He declared his determination to aban- Indians more clearly through an indon his superstitions, and listen to the terpreter than without one. A weekgospel. He wished me to visit them ly prayer-meeting was kept up for 1 again as soon as navigation opened, but about three months at an Indian's said he might visit me before. house. 20. Started for Potiguneseň. Stormy; } damp, heavy snow falling, and head wind; but found the lodges of the Drummond Island Indians at half past eleven o'clock. This little band have generally been thought to be quite opposed to hearing the gospel. We stopped at the chief's lodge; and when the men came in from fishing, I informed them that we had come down to see them, and inquire after their health, and to preach to them the gospel of the Son of God, if they were disposed to hear it. "Very well," they replied, "we have no objection to hearing it." They all assembled at Kokosh's lodge, where we were put up, and gave excellent attention to the subject. Text, Matt. 28: 18, 19. At the close of the meeting, I recommended to them the observance of the Sabbath, and abstinence from the use of all intoxicating liquor. They admitted that these things looked right-which we left as a subject for their consideration. Mr. Bingham subsequently visited several other hamlets on St. Joseph's Island, and in that vicinity, and, on the 23d, returned to the station, after an absence of nine days. Ottawas. MR. EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM The young man I spoke of in February last, as a promising inquirer, has left all to follow Christ, and was baptized by br. Rollin in May last. He is a valuable assistant in our religious meetings, and although the subject of much ridicule, glories in the cross of Christ. Another man, who has been a constant attendant at our meetings for about fifteen months, has commenced regular family worship at his own house, and wishes to take the bible as his only guide. Two or three others have expressed a great desire to follow Christ. During a part of the last winter and spring, I visited the Indians almost daily, for the purpose of teaching them to read in their own language. The chiefs and principal men then proposed that I should give up teaching in Indian, and commence an English school as soon as possible, which I finally consented to do. I then put up a school-house, and on the ninth of July commenced an English school, which I still continue. The children are, principally, boarded and clothed by their parents. There are seventeen who attend; average number nine or ten. Many of the Indians refuse to send their children to school, because we do not board and clothe them. On the first Saturday and Sunday of this month, I visited br. Simerwell's station. At our church-meeting, three of our Carey members (Indians,) were Religious meetings-Schools-Putawato- suspended from communion. Anoth mie station. In my last annual account, I stated that our Sabbath meetings were increasing, and that a considerable interest was discoverable in favor of listening to the preaching of the gospel. Soon after that time, however, a strong opposition arose, and those who felt but little or no interest in our religious meetings, discontinued their attend er made satisfactory confessions, and is, of course, still recognized as a memher with us. These four emigrated last fall. A preacher is much needed at this station, who shall make it his business to travel and preach the gospel to the Putawatomies. The Roman Catholics are now making extraordinary efforts among this tribe, and are just commencing among the Ottawas. United Brethren. Brief Survey of Missions. At the close of 1837, the missions of the United Brethren embraced 46 stations, 230 missionaries, (including 5 assistants,) and 450,637 converts, of whom about 15,400 were communicants. 2,758 of these were Greenlanders and Esquimaux, 360 Indians, 43,942 negroes, and 3,577 Hottentots and other natives of South Africa. In the enumeration of converts at their stations, all are included who, having passed through a prescribed course of instruction and probation, have been baptized. Communicants embrace those only who, giving evidence of a work of grace on their hearts, have been admitted as members of the congregation, and, after due trial, have been confirmed. The following survey is extracted from the annual report of the Directing Board of the missions, for 1837. Our four GREENLAND congregations have been enabled to edify themselves in peace, though the residence of a portion of their members at the out-stations, even through the winter, impedes the exercise of pastoral superintendence and the instruction of youth. The Lord laid his blessing on their activity and diligence in temporal things, so that they had to suffer no want during the winter, being, besides, assisted by presents from kind friends in Europe. The weather proved comparatively mild, which the cold summer of 1836 rendered the more grateful. On the coast of LABRADOR, on the contrary, especially at the three northern stations, Nain, Okkak, and Hebron, the past year proved one of the most trying that has been lose courage. There is still a seed of those who serve the Lord. The meetings are well attended, and the divine blessing is perceptible at the festival solemnities." Frost and famine, indeed, interrupted the progress of the schools, erable, both here and in the Greenland congreyet the improvement of the children was considgations. Our two INDIAN congregations in North America, are, at present, in a very unsettled state, and we cannot but regard them with anxious feelings, as it becomes more and more difficult for the Indian tribes to withstand the enhave come to such a crisis in our Delaware croachments of the white population. Matters congregation at New Fairfield, that a body of nearly 200 persons, more than two-thirds of the whole population of the settlement, emigrated in the middle of the year, in hopes of meeting with some more commodious place of abode on the Missouri. In the course of the summer, br. Clauder, with the assistance of br. M. Volger, took charge of our small and now scattered Cherokee flock in Tennessee, adapting themselves to its circumstances as well as they could. In the BRITISH WEST INDIES, the churches have proved, almost everywhere, too small for the multitude of hearers. Great eagerness is evinced by the negroes to learn to read the Word of God for themselves; and the instruction of youth is carried on with vigour, encouraged by the patronage and active assistance of government. By their aid, school-houses have been erected at our stations also, wherever they were wanted. In the DANISH WEST INDIES, a circumstance which has attracted our special sympathy, was the great hurricane which raged there on August 2nd. The missionaries, however, were very thankful for the preservation of their dwelling-houses and churches, and the averting of all harm to life or limbs. In DEMERARA, in British Guiana, the missionary work, which was hopefully begun in the year 1836, had to be suspended in consequence of some unfavorable circumstances. Br. Haman, of Jamaica, has been called to resume it. The preaching of the gospel has made great progress, during the past year, in SURINAM. known since the commencement of the mission. It is impossible to read, without deep sympathy, the affecting description which our brethren give of the long-continued famine, which prevailed there from the beginning of the year till the Our SOUTH AFRICAN congregations are early spring. As the seal-hunt had entirely rejoicing in the blessing of the Lord which failed, most of the Esquimaux were at length has rested on them, this year also, both obliged to have recourse to their tents, boat- in spirituals and temporals. The congregation skins, and boats, &c., to satisfy the cravings of at Genadendal had the pleasure, at the end of hunger. Scurvy, and total prostration of March, to see their Hottentot brethren at strength, were the natural results of such a mis-length return from military duty, in which they erable diet. The Missionaries assisted them, as far as they were able, from their stock of meal and other provisions; but this could go but a little way among so many. Another disastrous consequence of the famine was the heavy loss the Esquimaux sustained in their sledge-dogs. At Okkak, only 20 out of 300 were preserved. Yet, amidst all their distresses, but few complaints were heard; they were grateful for every assistance, and offered up their praises to the Lord for His gracious help in time of need. An evil far more detrimental to the spiritual interests of our Esquimaux in the two southern congregations, is the vicinity of traders, who not only encourage them to purchase a variety of superfluous articles, wholly unsuited to their simple mode of life, but endeavor to alienate them from their teachers, by infusing distrust and suspicion into their minds, in order that they may monopolize the whole benefit of the trade. "Yet," write our missionaries, "we will not had been engaged in obedience to the call of the government, on the breaking out of the Caffre war. The station at Shiloh, among the Tambookies, suffered more than once from floods and violent hail-storms. In pursuance of a treaty entered into by the British government with the Caffre chiefs, all the territory taken from the latter in the war, has been restored to them, so that Shiloh is once more in Mapasa's land," though under the protection of England. At present it enjoys peace, in common with the whole colony, though, according to the last accounts, the missionaries were not altogether without apprehension of fresh hostilities breaking out with the Caffres. The increase of the Tambookie congregation is but very gradual; but the baptized maintain a character without reproach, and the church and school are well attended, though the gospel does not as yet make the desired impression on the majority of the hearers. ANNUAL MEETING OF THE BOARD. WEDNESDAY, April 24, 1839. The Board of Managers of the Baptist General Convention assembled, agreeably to appointment, at 10 o'clock, A. M., in the meeting-house of the Spruce-st. Baptist Church, in Philadelphia. The President being absent, the chair was taken by the Rev. Dr. Sharp, first Vice President. The following members were preseut, viz. The following brethren accordingly gave in their names: Rev. J. H. Brouner, Rev. William Sym, "Samuel Smith, "John C. Murphy, "N. Fox, "J. Rogers, "J. H. Kennard, "James J. Woolsey, "Silas Ilsley, "Michael Quin, "A. D. Gillett, "James E. Welch, "Sewall S. Cutting, "George B. Ide, "R. W. Cushman, "Morgan J. Rhees, "William Phillips, Joseph Matthias, William Shadrach, "John Goadby, "George Benedict, "James M. Challiss, " Joseph Walker, Joseph S. Baker, "Thomas Larcomb, "John S. Jenkins, "L. Covell, "P. L. Platt, "Thomas Wilks, "Samuel Miles, "E. E. L. Taylor. The Treasurer read an abstract of his report, showing an expenditure, during the year ending the 15th inst., of $110,190 74, with a balance on hand of $574 37. On motion by the Rev. Eli Ball, of Virginia, seconded by the Rev. George F. Adams, of Maryland, Resolved, That the report of the Treasurer, an abstract of which has now been read, be accepted and published. The Rev. Mr. Peck, Secretary of the Foreign Department, read portion the Twenty-Fifth Annual Re the Board. |