360 franes in hand. It has now depots in twenty-seven departments, of which some have circulated many tracts. The total number distributed during the year has been 150,000, being 20,000 more than last year, and making the number from the beginning 560,000. The Report terminated by some striking instances of the spiritual good which the tracts had produced. AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY. A large number of tracts, either original or selected, have been examined, and considerable additions made to the series. The number of tracts stereotyped during the year, is forty-five; making the whole number now stereotyped and printed, two hundred; containing an aggregate of 2,476 pages. Besides the above, the Committee have proceeded to the preparation of several series of small tracts for children. The Committee have continued the publication of the American Tract Magazine, of which 3,750 copies are now regularly issued, once in two months. Of the Christian Almanack for 1827, no less than ten distinct editions were issued, adapted to the meridian of latitude of as many different localities in various parts of the United States. During the year ending in May, the society have printed, in the English language, 2,629,100 tracts; in French, 14,000; in Spanish, 13,000. Total, during the year, three million, fifty-six thousand, and one hundred tracts; comprising thirty-five million, eight hundred and eight thousand, five hundred pages. The Committee urge the importance of further efforts in this cause. "To very few, comparatively," say they, "of our 6000 post-towns and villages, has a single tract found its way. Large and populous states remain almost wholly unsupplied; and especially almost all the newly settled parts of the country, whose population is rapidly increasing, and many of whom have scarcely any other means of Gospel grace. Into all the states west of the Alleghanies, including Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, with a, territory greater than all the other states in the union, and a population, in 1820, of 2,200,000, and now probably not far from 4,000,000, tracts to the value of only 700 dollars have yet been sent! Yet a large portion of the population have not the Bible, nor any place of worship, nor any stated preaching of the Gospel. And, not to mention the wants of other parts of our country, in which there are hundreds, if not thousands, of parishes and neighbourhoods without the stated means of grace-not to mention our domestic and foreign shipping, our French and Spanish and German population, for whom very few tracts have yet been provided-there are, beyond our own borders, the millions of Mexico, the West Indies, and South America, committed, as it were, to our charge by Divine ap pointment; many of them now adopting forms of government assimilated to our own, with whom we hold frequent intercourse, and to whom our facilities of access are very great." PROGRESS OF WESLEYAN ME THODISTS. It appears, by the proceedings of the Wesleyan Methodists at their late annual conference, that their increase in the course of the past year is 8,189. Of these, 1,995 have been added to the societies abroad, by Missionary exertion; and 6,194 in Great Britain. LANGUAGE INSTITUTION. The Second Report states that one principal part of the duty of the Committee has been, to obtain the assistance of persons qualified to communicate instruction in the languages, which those who applied to them for assistance were desirous to study. In this point, they have in general met with success; though in some instances their wishes have been disappointed. Mr. Johnson, of the East-India Company's College, has continued to attend at the house of the Institution, and has had five pupils in Sanscrit, six in Arabic, and two in Bengalee. The Chinese class, formed by Dr. Morrison, was taken up, after his departure from this country, by two of his pupils, whom he had himself recommended as his successors, Mr. Wilkins and Mr. Dyer, and since by Mr. Huttman. Mr. Huttman has five pupils. One pupil has been instructed in Cingalese, by the Rev. Robert Newstead, lately returned from the mission of the Wesleyan Missionary Society in Ceylon; and one in Malayalim, by the Rev. John Smith, a missionary of the London Mis sionary Society, from Quilon. The Rev. William Reeve, likewise connected with the same society, instructed two pupils in Tamul, and one in Teloogoo, during a temporary residence in England in the past year. Of the whole number of pupils above mentioned, eight were from the Institu tution of the Church Missionary Society The Central school at St. John's has toate Islington, and four from that of the 57bondon Missionary Society at Hoxton. At the period of the last anniversary, 5 there were debts to a considerable amount outstanding against the institution; arising, principally, from the expenses incurred in its first establishment. Urgent appeals, however, having been made to the Christian public, the encumbrances were cleared off; and the Committee are happy to report a balance of fortyfour pounds in favour of the institution. Most of the supplies received, however, have come in the shape of donations: the annual subscriptions are scarcely yet sufficient to cover a half of the current expenditure; and this, too, notwithstanding that all the gentlemen who have attended as teachers at the institution, during the past year, have acted gratuitously. To procure able teachers, by suitable remuneration, or to assist in the publication of elementary works, is quite beyond the present resources of the institution. Even I the purchase of such few books as were absolutely necessary for the use of the students, has not been unattended with hdifficulty. It is earnestly hoped that the friends of religion will not suffer so useful an institution to fall away for want of support. 1 NEWFOUNDLAND CIETY. received liberal support from the "inhabitants. The master writes** My boys are becoming more attached, and the spirit of the school is improved; our adult school is increasing; they have brought their portion of candles and promised their share of wood, so that the expense of those articles will continue to decrease." The Governor has granted' a piece of ground for a play-ground for the children, and a garden for the master. Of Quidi Vidi, Mr. Willoughby, the assistant secretary of the society, who has visited all the society's schools, reports: "I went to see the Quidi Vidi school, which has been opened about a fortnight, for the season. Many of the children are occupied in the fishery; the number present was twenty-five; boys and girls; very interesting: scarcely one of these knew a letter when the school was first opened; several of them can now read the Testament, say the Church Catechism, and repeat many of Watts's Hymns for Children, two of which they sung very prettily." At Trinity Harbour the schools continue to go on well. The good-will of the people to these institutions is shewn in the following circumstances:-" On the 30th January, the inhabitants and others assembled early in the morning, and made SCHOOL SO- forward into the woods, together with the clergyman, magistrates, and schoolmaster, accompanied by the commander of his Majesty's ship Snap, Lieutenant Bullock, and his crew. Went in the distance of seven miles, and returned out in the evening with thirty-two large timbers, re In reviewing the proceedings of the past year, the Committee commence with ascribing praise to the Giver of all good for the establishment and steady advancement of the Society. The number of scholars admitted into quiring eight men to haul each stick, and the schools is as follows: landed them upon the school-ground gave three cheers, and each one returned home." Similar alacrity was shewn on two successive days, and the building was soon nearly finished. w At Harbour Grace there are two floulishing schools, and both appear to enjoy the confidence of the parents and the af fection of their children. A warm friend to this institution presented to the society an eligible piece of land in the best part of the Harbour; and before the close of the year a school was completed, and the children comfortably accommo dated. Mr. Willoughby, when he visited the Sunday school, found about eighty very interesting, cleanly, and orderly child dren assembled. He took charges of ca class, who repeated the Collect for the day, gave a simple explanation of it; anch read a chapter in the New Testament in a manner which would have done credit such schools would have on other estato a school in England. At Carbonnierre upwards of forty girls have learned to knit, besides spelling, reading, writing, and plain needle-work. At Petty Harbour Mr. Willoughby found about fifty very clean and interesting children present. He heard them read in the Bible, and questioned them; they answered with great credit to their teachers, and apparently with much feeling; they repeated the Church Cate-chism, and Marsh's Explanation of it, very well. The girls knit, sew, and mark; the elder boys are many of them engaged in the fishery. The foundation of a school-house has been laid. At Bonavista the assistant secretary found the inhabitants much pleased with the prospect of a school for their children. In about four hours he obtained fifty pounds towards it, and many promises to haul out timber for the building and for fire-wood. The society's payments have exceeded their receipts by 203. The committee regret that the annual subscriptions in London and its vicinity have made little or no advance ; and they urge their friends to do their utmost to obtain additional subscribers." Their prospects," say they, "especially in Newfoundland, are most cheering-seven schools attended by nearly 1000 children-the teachers fulfilling their arduous duties-the people thankful and zealous, contributing money and timber according to their ability, and earnestly desiring more schools. At home, suitable teachers offering themselves will ingly to the work; waiting only for pecuniary means to send them forth." We trust that their earnest appeal in so good and interesting a cause will not be in vain. USEFULNESS OF INFANT At a recent meeting in New York of persons interested in the welfare of the poor, a committee was appointed to prepare some account of the origin and design of Infant Schools; and a gentleman conversant with the situation of the poor in various districts of the city, was requested to report upon the utility and practicability of establishing such schools. In the pursuit of his inquiries 171 poor families have been visited. The aggregate of children among them is 635, 260 of whom may be considered as proper subjects for infant schools. To ascertain what an influence CHRIST, OBSERV. No. 309. blishments for the care and education of the poor, nine of the public schools were visited. "I was informed by the teachers," remarks the visitor, "that some of the scholars, received at the earnest entreaties of their poor parents, proved very troublesome, and often embarrassed the operations of the school. The strictness of discipline, well suited to the elder children, was not adapted to their tender years. To such, of course, the discipline of infant schools would most happily apply. The children still younger were not unfrequently brought to the schools by their brothers or sisters, at times when their inothers were out at work. These nine schools, at the time of my visiting, registered 3,622. On the 31st of March, the whole of the absentees were, by request, sent after by the teachers, and the cause of their absence ascertained. of 730, the number absent, 193 were kept at home (as was stated in their answers) To mind their little brother or sister,' while the mothers were out at work; and there is no doubt, that, taking into consideration the five school days in the week, an average of 250 daily are thus deprived of the privileges of these schools, by the same cause; while hundreds of such as might participate in them, but for this reason, have never yet entered them. Out 66 Many parents, I learned, worked at lower rates, taking one or more of their little children with them; some, I found, left them in charge of their neighbours, under the same roof; others are known to sit at their doors to sell, or in the market, with their little children in their arms, or at their feet; some, I found, locked them in their own apartments, leaving them even a whole day, and this repeatedly; many locked them without, to the annoyance of their neighbours-such often fell into various and sometimes fatal accidents. Some accustomed their children, of five or six years old, to early and baneful habits of indolence, while, to afford them leisure to work uninterruptedly, they allow them to lie in bed till noon. Children thus treated are usually up till the ordinary bedtime of their parents,-a habit which, as they grow older, induces them to spend their evenings with associates abroad. "Such are the existing facts: and all these evil habits are so many fruitful sources of ignorance and vice among a needy popu lation. These evils are to be ameliorated or prevented by the salutary influences of Infant Schools.". 4 E 1 . NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN SCHOOLS. An official statement, communicated to Congress, shewing the number of Indian Schools within the jurisdiction of the United States, the tribes in which they are located, the places where, the number of teachers, including missionaries and labourers of both sexes, the number of scholars, and the appropriations annually allowed and paid to each school by order of the Government, gives the following results; namely, schools 253, and scholars 1306. The expenditure is 12,700 dollars for the year. RELIGIOUS NECESSITIES OF to its list one more missionary every day? The American Education Society will bably less than 30 ministers-less than send into the field of labour this year propopulation in the last 30 days!-The will be wanted for the souls added to our American Bible Society issued last year only 71,621 Bibles and Testaments-less than one fifth part of the mere increase of our population during the same period! -The Home Missionary Society have assisted, since their formation, 196 congregations: in one year from this time there will be added to this country 360 congregations of 1000 souls each." We rejoice to see that our American friends are thus actively alive to the importance of the subject involved in these considerations. In the absence of legislaof God, the necessity of private exertion tive provisions for the public worship is incalculably urgent. SOUTH SEA MISSIONS. their most recent letters: "The spiritual The missionaries in Otaheite write, in to, as usual. Many of the people, who concerns of the people are daily attended made a profession at the first reception of the Gospel, have laid it aside, and now appear in their true light, and do many things inconsistent with it; which grieves us much. Yet, blessed be God, our of the people continue to make a creditable churches are on the increase, and the body profession of " the truth as it is in Jesus;" and, what never ought to be lost sight of is, that the whole of the chiefs and people, of any power or influence, are true friends to that which is good, and proin peace and prosperity. We have great moters of the truth. All the stations are cause to praise the Lord for his goodness to us at this station. The principal chief consistently in all his ways; and holds his of the district continues faithful; acts office of deacon in the church with credit to himself and the Gospel." THE UNITED STATES. An American journalist, speaking of the religious necessities of the United States, makes the following calculation:-"In the year 1790 an enumeration of all the inhabitants within the limits of the United States was made, under the authority of the General Government, and the whole number was found to be 3,929,328. From that time to the present the enumeration has been repeated after every interval of ten years; and from a comparison of the four censuses it appears, that during this long period the population has uniformly increased at the rate of about three per cent. per annum. The total population at the present time cannot be far from 12,000,000. If we take three per cent. on this number, it gives us, as the increase of the present year (that is, the excess of births over deaths) 360,000, or, in round numbers, one thousand every day! Is it possible that we are increasing at this rate? Newark contains 6,500 souls, New Haven city 7,100, Hartford 6,900, New Brunswick 6,700. Can it be, that the addition to our republic every week is equivalent to the addition of one of these cities! History affords no example of a growth so rapid. But let the population increase at the rate of a thousand souls a day for four centuries to come, the wilds of the West are fertile enough and spacious enough to feed them all, so that we have nothing to fear on this score. is, however, one view of the subject which There does excite alarm. When we think that every day adds to our number one thousand immortal souls, one thousand beings who will be for ever happy or for ever miserable, and then reflect that in the year. Behold, we are permitted to wit"Peace be to you, friends, this new providence of God their destiny is in an important sense placed in the hands of little society, united for the diffusion of ness the eighth general meeting of this Christians in these Atlantic States, we ask, with fear and trembling, what prothe Gospel in all lands. We have learned vision are we making for their spiritual that many lands have been added to the that this work has been successful, and wants? Is the American Education So- kingdom of Christ. Hawaii, Rarotonga, eiety adding one to the number of faithful Aitutaki, in this division of the ocean.) pastors every day? Is the Bible Society The Gospel is also spreading in printing a thousand Bibles every day? parts of the great sea. Let us not be Does the Home Missionary Society add weary: if the souls of men reach heaven, Eighth Report of the Auxiliary Missionary 'He our labour is amply rewarded- For what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?' "Wednesday, May 10. A prayer meeting was held in the morning, as on the Sabbath. At noon, all the people of the settlement assembled in the house of prayer. Tiori (one of the deacons) gave out a hymn, read the Scriptures, and prayed; afterwards Mr. Barff preached from the book of the prophecies by Isaiah, xl. 5: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. In the evening, the people assembled again in the house of prayer, when Moia gave out a hymn, read the Scriptures, and prayed. Mr. Barff preached again from the word of God, written by Paul to the Corinthians-(1 Cor. xv. 58) Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.'-Thursday, about noon, the people assembled in the house of prayer, to hear the Report for the past year." After which many of the Natives addressed the meeting, all uniting in the feeling expressed by one of them, who said: "Let us remember the business for which we are assembled here today; namely, that the love of God may abide with us, and that it may be known among all nations; let us be strong and diligent in this delighful work." The secretary having read an account of the property collected, observed, "This is the little property; it has increased, but it ought to be much more in the year now before us. Exert yourselves, you who are chiefs; and you also, the governors, exert yourselves; and every member of the society, be diligent. We said, formerly, exert yourselves; but now let us have new diligence. There is a short passage from God's word, which will suit us well: Peace, peace to him that is nigh, and to him that is afar off, saith the Lord, and I will heal him.' We were formerly afar off, but now we are brought near. Let peace reign among us, among the chiefs and governors, while they do this good work. Let peace reign be tween the governors and the church of God-let us all live in peace." "It is fully agreed," added another, "that we form ourselves again into a society. This is my exhortation to you, the people of Huahiné, the whole eight divisions; and the people of Maiaoiti, the whole seven divisions. Do not ook back again at the aito" (the iron-tree, &c. used formerly for implements of war), “the cocoanut-tree, the stones. Let all these customs be done away; but exert yourselves in collecting oil for the society, that the Gospel may reach all lands. The text used the first year of our meeting is a delightful exhortation- Love thy neighbour as thyself.' Shall we not love our neighbours?" We regret to observe, that the missionaries, in translating the speeches of the natives, have thought it necessary to make them speak a sort of childish "gib. berish." Did they speak gibberish in their own language? Why call a short text a "little word?" &c. We wish that all reporters of religious institutions would be more guarded in this respect. SIBERIAN MISSION. The Rev. Wm. Swan, missionary at Selenginsk, writes in January last as follows: "The various branches of our missionary work have, through the mercy of God, been carried on with little interruption. About a month ago I paid a visit to the Buriats, who inhabit the tract of country which lies along the shores of the Baikal, near the mouths of the Selenga. They are wholly illiterate, not one of them being able to read either their own language or the Russ; but most of them speak the latter fluently. The total number of males is only 1775. The country they inhabit is fit for pasturage; but much of it is under cultivation for corn. There is another branch of productive industry, in which almost the whole of these Hodar Buriats are employed during the summer and autumn; namely, the fishery upon the Baikal and the Selenga. These Buriats are not the sole occupants of this tract. It is thickly sown with Russian villages. So much for the outward condition of these poor heathens. "As to their religion, they are still obstinately attached to Shamanism, and have resisted all attempts, both of the members of the Greek communion and of the Lamas, to convert them to their respective systems A few, however, have been baptized, at various times. "One subject to which I endeavoured to direct the attention of the Buriat chiefs. was, the importance of education, and the facility afforded by our Selenginsk seminary for instructing some of their youth to read and write, both in the Mongolian and Russian languages; not to speak of higher branches of education, which some of them might be desirous of acquiring. They seemed fully aware of the advantages of being able to read and write, and several of them seemed inclined to send some of their children. But the very circumstance of our exerting ourselves for their good, as they confess this to be, and our doing it all without remuneration, excites suspicion that there must be something behind this professed desire to promote their welfare which they do not understand." |
