Rev. Mr. Ferry, and I have the heartfelt satisfaction of testifying to its usefulness as already manifest, and to the great improvement already made by the Scholars. Mr. Ferry, as a man, a Christian, and a Minister of the Gospel, stands well at that place, among the better and most respectable part of the community, but there is one thing which greatly retards the prosperity of that establishment. The people complain of disappointment in not having the Mission conducted upon a plan they had anticipated, viz. in having the benefits of the School extended to the white population. There are numbers of children of the poorer sort at Mackinaw, whose parents are unable to provide the means of education, and many who are almost without parents or guardians, and are seemingly in a worse condition than the heathen around them. From information 1 received from the well-informed people, some assistance would be given if a teacher was added to the present establishment with a view to the instruction of white children. If this were done, I am fully satisfied that the Mission would be much more popular, and receive greater encourage. ment from the inhabitants of the place than it now does. With the assistance of at least one good male Teacher, Mr. Ferry would be enabled to discharge the functions of his office with less encumbrance and more satisfactorily than he is at present able to do. His health is at present suffering through excessive fatigue.

So far as I am acquainted with the Mi-sions among the Indians within our borders, I do not know of a place

better adapted to the establishment of an extensive Mission than that at Mackinaw. The very great number of Traders and other persons connected with the American Fur Company, most of whom have married natives, are all anxious to have their children put to this School. Many are already there, and more will be offered as fast as they arrive at a suitable age. These children come from different, and far distant parts of the country, where their fathers have for the most part made permanent locations, and are cultivating the soil. When their children shall have been educated, the probability is, that they will be much scattered among the different tribes of Indians, upon whom it is not too much to think they will have a salutary influence. Now, in regard to those. Traders who have white wives and children, possessing no greater ability than those who have married natives, and who have not the means of educating their children, they may be left in ignorance, and being trained up in that way, may, among the Indians, do more evil than the half-breeds will be able to do good.

Now, my dear Christian friend, allow me to close this little communication by saying, that if what I have suggested can be adopted, I feel that Zion will be prospered; the cause of Missions encouraged; souls now perishing for lack of vision, instructed in the way of life eternal, and the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus extended. That God may crown with abundant success the labours of all Missionary exertions is my fervent prayer.

SANDWICH ISLANDS. Death, in London, of the King and Queen. [FROM THE LONDON MISSIONARY REGISTER.]

We stated in a former number the arrival in Losdon of the King and Queen of the Sandwich Islands, and have now the melancholy task of recording their death. Change of diet, and some want of caution in the use of food to which they had not been accustomed.

appear to have but ill prepared them to encounter the measles, with which disorder they were seized soon after their arrival. Pulmonary affections followed, and both were soon carried off. The Queen died on the 8th of July, and the King on the 14th. The first medical aid was afforded them.

The Physicians who attended the Queen (Sir H. Halford, Dr. Holland, and Dr. Ley) issued the following statement relative to her decease

Thursday Evening, July 8, 1824. The Queen of the Sandwich Islands departed this life about half-past six this evening, without much apparent suffering, and in possession of her senses to the last moment.

The King, in the midst of his deep sorrow, manifests a firmness of mind which has penetrated every body about him with a feeling of respect. Though very anxious to express his grief in the manner of his country, and to show the marks of deference which are usually paid to the dead there, he submits, with good sense and patience, to every suggestion which our habits die

tate.

We have every reason to believe that His Majesty's anxiety and depression have aggravated all the symptoms of his disease, which, but for this cause, might ere now have terminated prosperously; but we hope in a day or two that he will be better. These hopes proved fallacious. The death of the Queen appears to have greatly aggravated his disease. Sir Henry Halford having been obliged to leave London, Sir Matthew Tierney was called in on the 13th, but in vain, as the King died the next morning. Sir Matthew, with Dr. Holland and Dr. Ley, issued the following notice

Wednesday, July 14, 1824. The King of the Sandwich Islands departed this life at four o'clock this morning. The alarming symptoms of his disorder rapidly increased within the last few days; and he at length sunk under it, without much apparent suffering.

The King having determined that the remains of the Queen should be conveyed to her native country, the body was embalmed, and, after lying in state, surrounded with the insignia of dignity customary at the Sandwich Islands, was deposited, early on Monday morning, in the vault of St. Martin's Church, to await the time of embarkation. The remains of the King lay in state in the same manner as those of the Queen, the display of war-cloaks and head-dresses of various coloured feathers had a singular but imposing effect, the body was afterward deposited by the side of that of the Queen. Government have given orders, that every respect shall be paid to the remains n their conveyance to Owhyhee, the Blonde Frigate, VOL. V.

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It is very sorrowful news for you; but, being the will of Heaven, we must submit. I mentioned in my letter, dated July 9th, the death of our good Queen. The King, having lost his consort, was much agitated by the fatal shock; and, unable to support the weight which his manly bosom experienced, he died, my dear friend, and left us to lament the virtues which we so often admired in him. You well know my feelings; and the reason that I have to deplore the loss of such true friendship. All that the physicians could do, all that we could say by way of consolation, availed nothing: he told me, more than once, that all the support which the English Nation could give him was in vain. The fatal bargain, my dear friend, was made; and he sunk to rise no more. Their bodies will be removed to the Sandwich Islands, to give you and the whole of our nation satisfaction that every thing was done, by the English Government and private gentlemen, to promote our comfort, and assist our unfortunate Monarch. Even the King of England sent his own physician, and the noble Duke of York, his surgeon; and every thing that England produced was at our command. You will much regret, with myself, that circumstances prevented his having an interview with the King of England, who kindly expressed his hope (through his physicians,) that our King would console himself, and not sink under his affliction; and that His Most Gracious Majesty would give our King an interview as soon as his health was restored. I hope you are well; and that we shall be able to continue to labour for your welfare, is the wish of, Yours truly, JOHN B. RIVES.

The King and Queen, with their Suite, took up their residence, on their arrival, at a Hotel in the Adelphi. The Hon. Mr. Byng was directed by Government to show them every respectful attention. Many persons of distinction had been introduced to them, and arrangements were making for a visit to his Majesty at Carlton Palace, when the illness which has thus proved fatal intervened. They had an interview with the Emperor of the Brazils, at Rio Janeiro, on their way to this country.

Thus have these two Iloyal Personages fallen in the

its distinguished ornaments; whose public and private virtues, during many years' residence, have so justly merited their good opinion.

D. M. HAMILTON,
J. REFFELL,
K. MACAULAY.

The London Gazette of the 26th of June announced the appointment of Major General Charles Turner, C. B. to succeed the late Sir Charles MacCarthy, as Captain General and Governor-in-Chief of the Colony of Sierra Leone and its dependencies.

KINGDOM OF ASHANTEE.

A late London paper gives the following description of this Kingdom--

The melancholy intelligence which we had last week to record respecting the loss of the British forces in Africa, and the death of their commander, has excited a strong and natural interest in this Country to know something of their conquerors; and we have made it our business to gratify this feeling by consulting those authentic sources of information which the library supplies, and now communicate to our readers the result of our labours.

The Ashantee territory is situated in Africa, adjoining the Gold Coast, and its capital, called Coomassie, is not more than 150 miles from the Settlement of the English at Cape Coast Castle, and yet till the year 1817, when a mission was sent to the Ashantees in order to put an end to the horrible cruelties which that nation had committed, and were perpetrating on the Fantees, (a small nation on the borders of the Gold Coast,) the former people were almost as unknown as if they had been inhabitants of another planet. Mr. Bowditch, whose loss cannot be sufficiently deplored by those who hoped and expected that the civilization of Africa would be greatly accelerated by his persevering inquiries, accompanied this mission, and from his narrative our information is chiefly derived.

The Ashantees present a singular, and we think, a rare union of civilization, with the most barbarous and detestable superstition. We read, with surprise and admiration, of a city said to contain, upon their grand festivals, 100.000 inhabitants, (this is thought by Mr. B. to be an exaggeration,) under regular control by officers appointed to each district, supplied with an excellent and daily market, and kept in a great degree of cleanliness. The inhabitants too are said to excel in the manufacture of different kinds of cloths, of surpassing beauty and fineness; they are good goldsmiths, have capital potteries, and paint expeditiously

and not inelegantly; they work finely in iron, tan leather, and are excellent carpen ters. We are sorry to add, the horrid reverse to this picture. The Ashantees appear plunged in the most gross and abject idolatry; and when we have read the details of their sacrifices of human victims, and the tortures preparatory to them, it is impossible to wonder at any ferocity which they may exercise towards their enemies. At all their festivals, or customs as they are called, some one of which occur every twenty-one days, not fewer than one hundred victims are immolated with the most barbarous rites. Besides these, there are. sacrifices at the death of every person of rank, more or less bloody according to their dignity. On the death of his mother, the King butchered no less than three thousand victims! and on his own death, this number would probably be doubled. The funeral rites of a great captain were repeated weekly for three months; and 200 persons were slaughtered each time, or 2,400 in all. Some of these are freemen, as it is usual to "wet the grave" with the blood of some person of respectability. On some occasions, the sacrifices consist of females. Slaves are continually sacrificed by their priests, over large brass pans, that their blood, mingling with various other matter, may complete the charm, and produce invincible fetish. When their crops are dug, the Chiefs kill several slaves, that their blood may flow into the hole from whence the new yam has been taken. Those who cannot afford to kill slaves, take a head of one already sacrificed, and place it over the hole.

In 1819, the population of this kingdom was computed at about one million. The disposable force, 150,000. They are very superior in discipline and courage, to the waterside Africans. The general is always in the way, and fugitives are instantly put to death. They eat little select bits of the first enemy's heart whom they kill, and all wear ornaments of his teeth and bones.

The stated inhabitants of Coomassie, which is situated in 6o 30 min. N. and 20 6 min. W. longitude, are supposed to be about 15,000; four of the principal streets are half a mile long, and from 50 to 100 yards wide. The markets are daily, and the articles for sale are beef, mutton, wildhog, deer, monkey's flesh, fowls, yams, plantains, corn, sugar-cane, rice, peppers, vegetable butter, oranges, papans, bananas, salt and dried fish, large snails smoke-dried, palm wine, rum,pipes,beads,looking-glasses, sandals, silk, cotton cloth, powder, and colobashes. The cattle in Ashantee are as large as in England; their sheep are hairy. They have two crops of corn in the year; plant their yams at Christmas, and dig them up in September. All the fruits mentioned

as sold in the market, grow in spontaneous abundance, as does the sugar-cane. The castor-oil plant rises to a large tree. The cotton-trees sometimes to the height of 150 feet.

The Government of Ashantee consists of the King, four aristocratical Assessors, and the Assembly of Captains. The noble quartumvirate have in all matters of foreign policy, a veto on the King's decisions. The course of succession is the brother, the sister's son, the son, and the chief slave. Polygamy is tolerated by this people to the greatest extent. The King's allowance is

3,333 wives, and the full compliment is always kept up.

One great source of revenue to the King is the traffic in negro slaves. While the mission was at Coomassie only about four months, one thousand slaves left that capital to embark in two Spanish schooners then hovering on the coast.

So long as the sale of their prisoners, as slaves, is tolerated in this people, by this country, the Slave Trade can never be effectually suppressed-a circumstance which calls for the attention of the advocates for the abolition of Slavery.

EXTRACTS OF CORRESPONDENCE.

A Clergyman in the state of New-York, under date of the 24th of August, writes as follows→→→

DEAR SIR-Although I have had much difficulty in obtaining my salary from my people, yet the Lord has been pleased to bless me in my temporal affairs, during the past year, beyond my expectations. I have therefore taken the liberty of sending the enclosed fifty dollars as a small thank-offering to God, begging you to hand it to the Treasurer of the United Foreign Missionary Society.

The lively interest you have evinced in Indian Missions induces me to believe that a brief account of some of the incidents which interested me during my recent tour will be acceptable and gratifying to you.

You will readily conceive that in pleading the cause of the Indians before the churches, I found an efficient auxiliary in our young friend and beneficiary Guy Chew. At this season of the year it is almost impossible to induce farmers to attend a meeting on any other day than the sabbath; no intimations respecting my former employ ment, or present object, could induce them to repair to the house of God; but when informed that an Indian youth would be present, and address the assembly, every opposing consideration yielded to the solicitude excited to see and hear him. And I believe that the modesty and pious feeling with which he plead the cause of his neglected countrymen, not only prevented regret for the loss of time-corrected misapprehensions and subdued prejudices, but

awakened emotions in behalf of the Indians, the effects of which, I trust, will be permanent and salutary.

At the Pastor of the church was unwilling that I should attempt to raise money in his congregation in any form. It was stated that they were embarrassed with debts, and were under the necessity of increasing the burden by the erection of new buildings; and that they could not consent that an effort should be made even to form an auxiliary society. At the same time, he was very anxious to have me preach; and after securing two churches for the afternoon and evening, I engaged to occupy his pulpit in the morning. The subject of Indian Missions was fully laid before them, but nothing said about a contribution. At the close of the sermon, Guy Chew was introduced into the desk, and delivered his address. The effect was visible. It was evident that one sentiment, one feeling agitated the small congregation. I requested the pastor to offer the concluding prayer. He raised his head-the tears filled his eyes. A fervent prayer ascended to the throne of mercy, for the "poor neglected Indians"-and for us. It was felt, however, that something more than prayer was necessary to satisfy the feeling excited. He told his people that something must be done for this object-that we must not be permitted to " go away empty;" and urged them to contribute immediately. In about an hour we received a larger sum than would have been expected, had they been apprised of our coming a week before. At S , an appointment had been made in good season, and it was expected that a very large congregation would assemble. Previous to the hour of meeting, it began to rain, and continued to rain violently for several hours. The Rev. Mr.