met other tribes where I might form a new settlement on what plan soever I thought most proper. This I considered & an opening made by the Lord; but stacles began to be presented to my new, so that I feared, for a while, that I could not surmount them. I feared the expense which would unavoidably be incurred, and I was doubtful whether my dear wife would be willing to undertake so long and so dangerous a journey, to live amongst a savage people. For a considerable time I reasoned respecting the cost, and conversed with Mr. S. on the subject, and also with Mr. Thom. They assured me that although the waggon, oxen, tools, &c. would cost a considerable sum of money at the first, yet once being fixed, and having a portion of land under cultivation, for corn and vegetables, I should need but little from the Committee. The manner of travelling in Africa being in waggons, in which the passengers sleep; and it being a journey of about two months, I did not dare to mention it to my wife. But Mr. S. coming to pay us a visit, when he spoke much of the state of the people, and their desire to receive teachers, my fears were happily removed; for before he had finished speaking, my dear wife said, "We will go with you." On seeing that I was silent on the subject, she added, "The Lord is opening a way for us to go to the poor heathen; and if we refuse we shall offend him." On my mentioning the expense she said, "I am sure the society cannot be offended on that account, but if they should, tell them that we will bear all that we can of it ourselves; we each have a little property in England, and for this let it go." On hearing this my heart overflowed with gratitude to Him, who has the hearts of all men in his hand, and who can so influence the mind of a delicate female, as to cause her to be willing to sleep in a waggon for months together; to travel through a dreary wilderness amidst the howling of ferocious animals! to endure heat and cold; hunger and thirst; weariness and fatigue-in order to assist in teaching the dejected sons of Ham the way of salvation. I made it matter of prayer to the God of all grace, and after weighing it in my mind, with the greatest deliberation, I at last determined, by the help of the Lord, to enter into the field of action amongst the poor Namaquas. Sunday, Sept. 1. Mr. S. spoke to the people who had accompanied him, by means of one of them who acted as interpreter. His people, however, did not need the interpreter, as they all under stood the Dutch language: but Mr. S. was requested to do this, in order that the friends of Missions might have some idea of their manner of teaching those in Namaqua Land, who do not understand the Dutch. Mr. S. sat behind a table, his interpreter on his left hand, and the other Namaquas on the floor. The meeting was truly profitable; for though Mr. S. spoke with much animation, his interpreter spoke with much more, even to the astonishment of all who heard him. The sermon being ended, the Namaquas rose up and sung a hymn to the praise of Jesus, the sinner's friend. Oh! if this sight could have been seen in any of your Missionary Meetings in England, it would have had a more powerful effect than the most eloquent discourse. 2. I mentioned my design to a few in Cape Town, who love the cause of Missions, and they all highly approved of my undertrking. Mother Smith especially, (whose character you are doubtless acquainted with,) helped me much, and employed some of her particular friends to purchase a waggon, oxen, &c. They deserve our warmest thanks. But no Missionary, says Dr. Buchanan, should be left alone amongst a hea thenish people. If another Missionary were sent to the Cape, he might act as I have done, (if full permission could not be obtained.) A member of our society, and the only one in this place, who is not connected with the army, has promised me that he will provide a room in his house, where the Missionary may abide, which will be a great saving to the society. The furniture which I purchased, on my coming here, will be left with this person, (Mr. William West,) and most of my books, &c. If the Missionary, who may come, cannot obtain liberty, [to preach in Cape Town] and there should not appear to be a favourable prospect, when we come with the Missionary waggon, from the Namaqua Land, he may return with me, as one waggon will be sufficient for us both, and will serve the purposes of two as well as one. Could you find a young man, who has been a farmer, wheelwright, or blacksmith, who has been accustomed to hardship, he will be the most proper person that you can send. If the Committee should be dissatisfied with what I have done, I hope you will plead my cause, and if I can do any thing towards defraying the expense of my out-fit, by the teeth of elephants, or the skins of wild beasts, I shall do it with the greatest possible pleasure. Not being allowed to preach to the heathen here, and there being so many different tribes who desire preaching in the interior of this country, I could not rest. Life was quickly passing away, and I appeared to be doing nothing. Pray, Sir, exeuse all inaccuracies, &c. for I am surrounded with business, in preparing for our journey, and the mail is to be closed in little more than an hour. Captain Young, a member of the St. George's society, has been here some weeks, and will sail in a few days. He now sleeps in our house, and he will give you any information you may need. My wife joins with me in love to yourself, partner, and Committee, and all who may inquire respecting us. Your's, most affectionately, SIERRA LEONE. A Letter has been received from Mr. DAVIES, dated Free Town, Sept. 29, 1816. He is in good health, and expresses great anxiety to be assisted by a fellow-labourer. Mr. Brown, who sailed on the 22d ult. will soon join him, should he have a favourable passage. The society appears to be in a good state, "gradually growing in knowledge and grace." The chapel is too small, and Mr. Davies proposes to commence a subscription in the colony for the erection of a new one. Mr. Davies has transmitted a return of the Female Negro School: the total number of Girls on the 30th of August, was 159. Mr. Davies remarks, " Our intention in this school, is, to teach them to read, make their own clothes, wash, iron, and other things necessary for their station. They are taught the Scriptures, prayers, &c. and attend the church and chapel alternately." ASIA. CEYLON. Extracts of Letters from Mr. HARVARD, to Mr. BRADNACK. Columbo, April, 9, 1816. O! COULD one of us just come to you next Conference, we could "a tale unfold" which would make half the connexion desirous to seize the present golden opportunity, and to offer themselves for this island. Exert yourself in our behalf, and find out, at least, six more Missionaries. They might come out in a Government Transport, at half the expense at which we came out. Glory be to God, we are getting on most pleasingly in Columbo, and have the prospect, at least, of a good work, We Several of our young men appear to be under a divine influence. Our Sunday School has been made very useful, both to the Children and to the Teachers; it has brought some serious young men forward, whom otherwise we should not have known. These we have formed into a weekly class; and we have often blessed seasons with them. One of them appears to be on the threshold of the gospel kingdom. Our new chapel will, we hope, give a lift to the cause when it is opened. It will be a very compact estate. have laboured hard to raise a House for God, and we have succeeded far beyond eur original expectations. The only thing we want, and now pray for, is, that God would give us a Church to put into our Chapel, and make us useful, in hewing out many lively stones from nature's quarry; so shall we rejoice in the day of the Lord, that we have not run, neither laboured in vain. Shall we see a revival of experimental religion in this country? O Lord, thou knowest! and thou hast sent us here, having animated our hearts with a desire for it. Let us die rather than lose our earnest desires for real spiritual conversions among the people with whom we labour. We, in the general, enjoy good health, but are greatly relaxed. This is a most charming climate. O for more help! God shall bless us, God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear him. I sent you in a box, a robe of a Buddist Priest, (to my father.) In my next I will give you some account of this Priest,-he is now training up for Chris tian baptism. I am your's, affectionately, Columbo, June 4, 1816. "WE have been much favoured by the ruling man; and, I beg to say it with modesty, that the governor has a favour able opinion of our mission, believing us to be men of integrity, and giving us credit for discretion and prudence, as well as zeal. On these heads, I believe, more is to be attributed to his Excellency's known goodness and candour, than to our deservings. However, it will please you to know that we are thus favoured. Last week we had a gratifying instance of the confidence of government in our mission: on Mr. M'Kenny's arrival from the Cape, on the eastern part of the island, the collector wrote to inform the governor of his arrival: the government immediately wrote for "The Senior Wesleyan Missionary of Columbo," to acknowledge him, which, of course, was done; and nothing more was required. And thus that bro ther, on our acknowledging him as a fellow-labourer, is as much welcomed as we originally were. I understand five more brethren are on their way out to us: they will not have the difficulties to enenter, which we had on our first arrival. They will find five missionaries of a true Methodist stamp, who have opened the way for them, and who will receive them as their own flesh, and do every thing to make them comfortable. Oh, how dear to us is the name of a Methodist preacher! We rejoice at the idea of having a little connexion in Ceylon. There are very important and truly interesting stations to the north of the island. Nearly forty Christian churches are lying in ruins in the province of Jaffna; and twenty preachers might make ten very prasing circuits there only. The people are crying out for missionaries on the neighbouring coast, and, I have no doubt, two missionaries might easily raise their own income in that part, as there are several Protestant congregations there, without any kind of pastoral help; beside, by the time we can get out the third supply of dear brethren, I have no doubt that the kingdom of Candy will be open to us. The government are cautious of introducing Christianity there at present, lest the natives might misjudge of its motives; but, in a year or so, we may expect invitations from the natives themselves to go up. Our eyes are closely watching the dawning of opportunity to get into the interior, and you must not be surprised if you should very soon see the brethren's letters dated at Candy. Be assured, then, if you will only have confidence to send us out our requested number, we will stow them and ourselves away to the best advantage, and by grace divine will send you home the most powerful encouragements to proceed. Last week a native of Candy, who came with one of the Adjas (a chief man), called at our house, and examined our new chapel, which is nearly finished; having looked about with great curiosity, he cried out, Bo-ho-mo-ondi!' (in the Cingalese language) very good. Finding him an intelligent man, I took him into the office, and explained to him the process of printing, in which he appeared to feel deeply interested; and was much surprised. I printed his name for him in Cingalese, with which he was greatly delighted. Afterwards, in a very cautious manner, I introduced the subject of religion, and explained to him, that we were come from England to teach Chris VOL. XL. JANUARY, 1817, tianity to the natives of this country; and that we, our house, chapel, printing-office, &c. &c. were all devoted to this one object. He exclaimed, as before, Bo-ho-moondi,' very good. He wished for a New Testament, in his own language, which he saw we were printing; but thinking it too bulky for him to carry, and fearing it might create some alarm among his com panions, I gave him a small judicious Catechism, translated into Cingalese, and originally composed by the Hon, and Rev. T. J. Twistleton, the senior chaplain. I understand he related the particulars of his visit to the head Adja, who was so pleased with the account, that he concluded on coming to see our establishment himself. Who knows but this, may eventually, lead to an opening among the inhabitants of the interior? May God, in his mercy, grant it may! Amen. I preach, alternately, in the Portu guese, with our dear friend brother Armour, he one Friday, and I the other; and often feel much enlargement of soul. The prospect of good, among the natives of this country, daily brightens. In January last, I sent home to my father a sacred robe of a Ceylon or Budhist priest, for you. I am happy to say that the priest, to whom it belonged, has been since baptized at Galle, and gives the brethren there every satisfaction. We have a young priest studying with us at Colombo, who is very earnest for baptism; and we intend, if he continue to approve himself to us, to have him baptized at the opening of the new chapel; which event, I fear, from the idleness of the workmen, will not take place sooner than two months hence. We were much pleased with our young convert last week. The nativ Candian, I have already mentioned, having informed the Adja that we had got & young priest educating for Christianity, who is also a native of the interior, the Adja sent for him, and put several questions to him, some of which were rather rallying but I understand he stood his ground firmly; telling the Adja that, though he could not argue on the subject of Christi anity, being only a learner, yet, from what little he knew of it, he thought it better than his former faith. He informed us, the Adja dismissed him with his favour, and told him to go on. His father is native headman in Candy; and we have desired him to invite his father down to see him. Should he approve of his son's con version, which I think very likely, he may 4 open his own heart to the gospel; and Yesterday I had the pleasure of wit- From another quarter we learn, that the first religious impressions made upon the mind of this priest, were produced by bis reading the New Testament. His attention being awakened, be applied for information to the clergy and missionaries, to whom he had access. His conversations with them were frequent and numerous, and his inquiries and objections very acute; until, at length, the truth of God prevailed. His name, we believe, before his baptism, was Nadoris de Silva 8amara: and his high priestly rank by the title, Maha Nayeka. In 1808, he left Ceylon, with eighteen pupils, to finish his religious studies in the Budhist religion, at Amerapoora, in the kingdom of bald head, and his hands clasping his Bible, as though proud of his new faith, and ex ulting at having found the way of salva tion Methinks the consideration that there are thousands of such priests, whose conversion is equally possible, and much more probable than his was; methinks, I say, that this consideration would electrify with the most powerful feelings of zeal for God, and would thrust out from their enviable situations many of our preachers, whose cry would be,' here am 1, send me to the poor Budhist priests of Ceylon!" Our language to them is, Come over, dear respected brethren, come over and help us! The fields are white already to the harvest: the harvest is great, but the la bourers are few: surrender yourselves into the hands of the Lord of the harvest, that he may send you out into his harvest. Even so, Lord Jesus, Amen.' Thanks be to God, this is one of the most pleasing periods of my life: and, when I look at the beams, and rafters, and tiles, &c. &c. of our house and chapel, &c. and reflect that they all belong to our blessed Conference at home, and that God has made us the honoured instruments of raising the old-fashioned standard in the metropolis of Ceylon, I am inexpressibly happy, and cry out, in the language of the poet, What am I, O thou glorious God, and what my father's house to thee? &c. The Chief Justice thinks there ought to be a similar establishment for our mis sion, with a press, &c. &c. at Jaffnapatam ; and I hope to see the day when this shall be the case. Our newly arrived brethren, Mess. BROADBENT and CALLAWAY*, are now at our house: the other two wait at GALLE till the Conference. By them I have received a letter from the Committee, directing my remova! to Madras, to mission there, and accompanied with open and interesting letters have been reFrom these two brethren, important ceived, chiefly relating to their voyages and also from Mr. HARVARD: We are sorry that they came to hand too late for insertion in this Number: but we purpose to lay them before our readers in the next. The Committee have also received a most pleasing and encouraging letter from Sir ALEXANDER JOHNSTON, the Chief Justice of the Island, bearing a most honourable testimony to the zeal, diligence, prudence, and good conduct of the Missionaries, as also to the great success of their labours & and expressing a strong desire for more Missionaries, of the same description and connexion, to be sent to their assistance. Some other important communications have also been received. Ecense to go on the continent. You will easily suppose it was like a thunderbolt to me, who had expected now, for a little while, to enjoy a little comfort of the estate, c. which, in the year that is past, has caused me so much labour and anxiety; but I felt no discontent; and my mind was sweetly turned towards Madras, as really to make it an object of desire. I immediately applied to some of our principal characters for letters of recommendation, intending to set off without delay after the conference. But how mysterious are the ways of Providence! an universal opposition among our great men, has been made to my present removal: hence, I suppose, I shall not go this year; but I hope to go the next; and that the Committee will send out a clever young man to Colombo, to go with me (do urge this) as a colleague. Isend you this unfinished letter. I am yours, &c. W. M. HARVARD. ST. DOMINGO. The following is the correspondence which led, in the first instance, to the appointment of Methodist Missionaries for St. Domingo. Capt. Reynolds is a member of the Methodist society; and has long been very actively employed, in his voyages to different parts of the world, in promoting the interests of religion, in cir culating the Holy Scriptures, distributing tracts, and collecting information of importance to Missionary Societies. DEAR SIR, Ship Hebe, Port au Prince, A FEW days ago, I took the liberty of leaving you a Bible, being a copy of an edition printed by the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society, in London, in the French language; and I was exceeding sorry I had not the honour of presenting it to yourself. Since thea I have called several times at your bouse, but had not the pleasure of meeting with you. But the purport of the present, is to request you will have the goodness to inform me, if it be consistent with the Government of Hayti, and with the religious establishment of this Republic, to permit a Protestant Missionary; because if a Protestant Missionary were tolerated in this part of the island, I have no doubt, but one would be sent from England to the inhabitants, to preach unto them the unsearchable riches of Christ, and shew unto them the way of salvation by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We have Missionaries in all our English islands in the West Indies, who have been very useful in en lightening the minds of the people; giving them right views of God and his worship, with their duty to God and their neighbours. I expect to sail for England on, or be fore the 20th instant, therefore your reply to the above inquiry will much oblige, Dear Sir, F. REYNOLDS. Your humble Servant, P.S. I do assure you, I find it highly gra tifying to see so many schools in this place. ANSWER TO THE ABOVE. (TRANSLATION.) Port au Prince, July 18, 1816. SIR, I HAVE received with great pleasure, and I beg you will accept my thanks for the Bible which you had the goodness to send me; this book is scarce in this country, and if circulated would contri bute much to the welfare of the inhabi tants of Hayti. In order to answer in the most explicit manner, the question contained in your letter of the 13th instant, I have not only consulted the Constitution of the Republic, but I have also taken the opinion of the President, on the admission into this country, of a Protestant Missionary; and, I have the pleasure of announcing to you, that if any would visit this capital, and preach therein the sublime doctrines of Christianity, they would be cheerfully and kindly received and tolerated, and would enjoy the two-fold advantage of serving our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of enlightening a people naturally well inclined, but to whom is wanting that knowledge, which is necessary to make us feel in our own souls the only true happiness of this world. You are very kind in having taken notice of the number of schools in this city, for the instruction of youth. It is the same in all the towns of the Republic. But these establishments are merely for the elementary parts of education, reading, writing, and arithmetic; and we feel a total want of masters in all the sciences. If any persons acquainted with the most useful branches, would come and reside amongst us, they would meet with the greatest encouragement; and even the endeavour to procure them for us, would be a service to the cause of humanity. allow you the opportunity to render us Should your occupations in England this important service, it would never be forgotton. Be pleased Sir, to accept the assurance 1 |