means seem to be of no further use. It is with difficulty she can swallow the most simple liquid.

On the 6th the child continued extremely low. On the 13th some faint hope of her recovery is ex

Mr. Smith of Lewiston, who resides within three or four miles of the village, as a temporary supply. Mr Smith delivers to the Indians one Sermon on each

Sabbath, and occasionally performs other Missionary

labours. He has been nearly four months in the service of the Board, In a letter to the Domestic Secretary, dated the 5th of February, Mr. Smith remarks

I have laboured among this people statedly since the receipt of your

advancing towards a state of health."

Under date of the 21st of October, the following comparative notice is given of the Kickapoos, Delawares, and Osages:

A few Kickapoos and Delawares visited us last week. Their appearance, especially of the women, is much more decent and elevated than that of the Osages. Indeed the Osages exhibit at present the picture of degradation and distress. There has recently been an unusual number of deaths among them; and we are informed by Mr. Ballio, a Trader, who arrived yesterday, and who witnessed the facts, of their burying a living healthy infant with its deceased mother, and of their deserting an old man, and leaving him to die without food or attendants.

The Journal for October closes with the following Minute, which we publish for the information of the relatives and friends of the Missionaries who are named:

Sabbath, Oct. 26.—At the close of public worship, four infant children

were baptized: viz. Brother Austin's Daughter, by the name of Sarah Elizabeth; Brother Sprague's Sons, Joseph and Benjamin, and Brother Belcher's Son, Samuel Elisha.

The conclusion of the Rev. Mr. Pixley's Journal, although in type, is unavoidably deferred to our next number.

TUSCARORA MISSION.

The Managers of the United Foreign Missionary

Society have not yet appointed a regular Missionary for Tuscarora since the resignation of the Rev. Mr Crane. They have, however, employed the Rev.

own feelings, and I think I can discover an increasing attention to the word preached. The number that attend public worship is considerably greater than when I commenced my labours. No white congregation appear with more decorum or solemnity.

In conversing with the different families, I discover an increasing desire for improvement. There are a number of young men and boys, who wish to learn some of the mechanical arts. The arts they have selected are those of the Shoemaker, Blacksmith, Tailor, and Carpenter. It is highly desirable, that they should be placed in pious families, that they may enjoy religious privileges and instruction, while they are acquiring a knowledge of their respective trades.

At present every thing goes on pleasantly, as it respects myself and the Indians. How long it may continue, I know not; but if God gives

me grace to be faithful, and wisdom profitable to direct, I trust that, in due time, pleasant effects may result.

CATARAUGUS MISSION.

Letter from Mr. Thayer to the Secretary December 31, 1823.

DEAR SIR,

Since my communication to you in November, my time has been so occupied in attending to the other arduous and multiplied cares of the Mission, that I have neglected to keep a journal, which I the more re

gret as I am unable to notice several things which have transpired of an interesting kind.

Erection of the Mission House.

We have had to encounter many difficulties and hinderances, occasioned by commencing the building so late in the season. The land was purchased, and two acres cleared as soon as possible after the Commissioners left us. The house was commenced, and was raised early in November, but we were unable to procure and transport the necessary timber over bad roads as fast as it was required. When the boards were wanted for covering, as no other terms could be obtained, I succeeded in hiring the Indians to draw several loads. This they said they would do, not so much for the money, as to help on the work. On the 1st of December, as the term for which we had rented a house had expired, we found it necessary to remove to our new habitation, although it was not yet made comfortable, and the carpenters were still at work. They, however, gave their consent, and they worked, and we lived in the

same room.

Three of the Indians with their teams came gratuitously to assist us in moving, which saved us more than half of the expense. As the house As the house was in such a state, we thought it best for the children to go home, until the Carpenters should leave us, and we in some manner be settled.

Day of Thanksgiving.

On the 18th of December, the day appointed by the Chief Magistrate of this State for public thanksgiving and prayer, the parents and children, agreeably to previous arrangement, assembled in the new School-Room. The Governor's proclamation was read, and instruction appropriate to the occasion was given. In recapitulating the many mercies which they had enjoyed during the past year.

I mentioned particularly the privileges which had been conferred upon them through the instrumentality of the Missionary Society, who had given them a School for the instruction of their children, and placed them in a Christian family, that they might be brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; and added, that the light of the glorious Gospel had begun in some measure to shine upon them, to enlighten their dark minds, and teach them the way of Salvation through Jesus Christ. I told them, that, for all these things, they were indebted to the goodness of God; and endeavoured to imexercising gratitude to the Author of press on their minds the duty of all their blessings, and the propriety of observing at the close of the year a day of public thanksgiving and prayer.

When the religious exercises of the day had closed, and we had attended to the receiving of two new Scholars presented by the Chiefs, we sat down for the first time in our new

house, with the parents and the children, to partake of the bounties, and to rejoice together in the loving-kindness of our God.

Christmas Festival.

We observed Christmas by attending a religious Meeting at the Indian Village. Most of the Christian party were present. The 2d Chapter of Luke was read, and the birth of our Saviour was the subject of remark. After Meeting, we found, to our surprise, a table spread and a goodChristmas dinner, with much regularity, served up; and we and the children invited to partake.

Visit to the Seneca Station.

On Friday last, I went to Buffalo on business, and called at the Seneca Station, where I had the pleasure of seeing Brother Bradley, recently from New Haven, who is destined for

the Cataraugus Mission. It was encouraging to see one arrive, who had forsaken friends and worldly pleasures, to devote himself to the service of Christ among the heathen, and to share with us the trials and labours of a Missionary life. We await his arrival as an event of much interest; and from his Society and labours, we anticipate much encouragement and important assistance in our work. May the Lord make him an instrument of much good.

Paganism Renounced.

For some days past, I have been informed, that Captain Strong, the most influential Chief of the pagan party at Cataraugus, was about to renounce paganism and unite with the Christian party, and that he intended to place his children in the Mission School. As the pagan Chiefs had made great exertions to retain him, I had but little hope that an event so desirable would soon take place. But, "the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water; he turneth it withersoever he will." We were not a little pleased yesterday to see this Chief, with his wife and two children, enter our door accompanied by Mr. Johnson a Christian Chief. Mr. Johnson mentioned, that Captain Strong had now come to manifest his attachment to us and to the Christian party, by placing his children in the School. Captain Strong then rose and spake as follows:

Brother, I am not a stranger to you; you have known my character and sentiments; you know me to have been opposed to missions; you have even heard me speak against them in the great council; you may be surprised to see me come and ask you to take my children; you may think that I cannot be sincere, and that I do this to make difficulty. But I assure you that would not be like Indians. When I spoke against you I thought I was right; I now see I was

wrong. I thought you were not my friend; I now believe you are my friend. And the appearance of the children in the School, and the conduct of my brothers, who have set their hearts to keep the Sabbath day, and listen to the voice of the Great Spirit, convinced me they are in the right way. Your friendly manners towards the Indians have removed my prejudices against you as a Missionary, and satisfied me that you are the Indians' Friend, and are sent by the Great Spirit to show us the right way. I now renounce the customs and habits of my fathers, to embrace those of Christians. I now desire to have my children entered according to the rules of the School, and as you receive others. I wish you to instruct them in those things you think for their good, and govern and do by them as you think best. I am satisfied they will be more happy with you, than they can be with

me,

Mr. Johnson then said, "I have long known Captain Strong; he is my neighbour and friend; we have never differed but in one thing; we now see and think alike; I have long desired to see this day; I now see it, and am glad. Captain Strong is a descendant of the great man of our nation; Red Jacket and Black Snake are his connexions. His friends are universally Pagans; he is the first and only son of his family who has forsaken their old ways for the Gospel. He is a sober, deep thinking man, and for judgment and penetration is allowed to surpass almost any man in the tribe. He has for some time past been inclined to unite with the Christian party, but the influence of his friends has had a powerful weight on his mind. At length, being fully persuaded that he was acting contrary to his own and his children's interest and happiness, he rose in a public council, and to the disappointment and grief of his friends, declared to them his conviction of his error, and his determination to put his children to school, and to keep the Sabbath day, beral offers and great exertions were made to dissuade him from his purpose, but in

Li

vain. He told them that his mind was firm, and that his leaving them and their habits was not because he was offended with their persons. No, he loved them. He loved their children. But he had taken this course to answer his own mind; and he

hoped they would also soon feel the import. ance of discharging a duty to themselves and to their children, which they now neglected."

Captain Strong's children are a boy about 10, and a girl 8 years old. He also brought two others from the pagan party, a boy and a girl, about the same ages. These two children having no English names, we call the one Amos Fowler, and the other Catharine Squire.

Thus, Sir, you see we have received six scholars since my last communication, and of these four are from that part of the nation, who have been opposed to the instruction of their children.

State of the Schools.

The present number of Indian children in our family is twenty-seven. Those recently admitted into the school, we are happy to say, are all active and intelligent, and with the exception of one or two, are making handsome proficiency. Those who entered at the commencement of the school, are pursuing their several studies with a degree of pleasure and success highly gratifying; and we are encouraged to hope, that many of them may yet distinguish themselves in the arts and sciences of civilized life. Their progress, however, has been very much retarded, as increasing cares and want of necessary assistance, have prevented that attention for some months past, which they received during the first two quarters. The strictest attention and the greatest regularity are necessary to the rapid improvement of the school. The girls are fast acquiring a knowledge of household business.

They are already able to render considerable assistance to the females of the family, in making and repairing clothes for themselves and the boys.

He

George Read, who came with us from New-York, has acquired much of the Indian language, and is, therefore, a very important assistant in our family. Through him we are able to communicate Religious instruction to these dear youths, and to read to them, in their own language, morning and evening, the Sacred Scriptures. The Indians are much pleased with him. They call him Hywah-do-gin-stoh-Interpreter. has spent some time at the Indian village, and his improvement in the language has exceeded our most sanguine expectations. He is quite attached to the cause, and manifests a desire to be useful to this people. We earnestly pray, and would ask the prayers of Christians, that he might be made a subject of grace. Thus, qualified in other respects as he is, we think he would be eminently useful among these children of the forest.

Concluding Remarks.

On the whole, we may say that the prospects of the School and Mission, in

general, are as favourable as could reasonably be expected. We are now brought to the close of another of the years of our earthly pilgrimage, a year fraught with events of vast moment, the results of which will be extended on through interminable ages! Yes, the first year of our labours among these heathen children is soon to terminate. Our faithfulness or unfaithfulness, is about to be recorded in those books, out of which we are one day to receive our final retribution! We have not passed this year without experiencing some of the trials incident to a Missionary life. We have also been the recipients of many mercies. We have been permitted to enter this field of labour under favourable auspices.

The Lord has given us favour in the sight of the heathen. He has caused many of them to forsake the habits of their Pagan Ancestors, and to adopt, in some measure, the manners of civilized life. We have been permitted to speak to them on the Sabbath from the Oracles of Divine Truth; and to go from house to house to communicate to them religious instruction. Many have been disposed to bring forward their children and desire that they might be taught to read the word of God. Yes, we are surrounded by a numerous family of precious immortals, who are looking up to us for their daily subsistence; whose habits are to be corrected by our examples; whose characters are to be formed by our instruction and watchful care; and whose immortal happiness or misery doubtless depends much on our faithfulness or unfaithfulness.

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As our labours and our responsibility increase on our hands, we are often led to exclaim, "who is sufficient for these things?" Oh! may the consideration of the responsibility of the work before us, excite us to a faithful discharge of our duty. We desire to feel the worth of these cious and never-dying souls. For their salvation we would labour and pray. Many of our dear Brethren in different places during the year past, have been called from their work, and have entered into their rest. We are yet continued in the field! Our time is short! May we be faithful stewards, diligent, denying all for Christ, and for those around us who are ready to perish.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF DONATIONS TO THE CATARAUGUS MISSION.

Letter from Mr. Thayer to the Domestic Secretary.

In my last account current, I mentioned several donations, which I expected would have been noticed in the Register-especially a donation of

$14, which I received in a letter, postage paid, from the Church of Christ, in Hartwick, Otsego County, in this State.

Since that time we have received four boxes of goods, such as clothing for the children, and other cloths and goods for the use of the family. Three of them were forwarded by the Treasurer, to Mr. H. R. Seymour, of Buffalo. The fourth, a large box, containing the charities of four Benevolent Societies, came to hand a few days since.-It contained a number of letters, addressed to us by the generous Donors, which were read with much interest. A copy of one I will forward, as it shows the united efforts, and prayers, and good wishes of the four Societies, who, though small individually, have together afforded very material and seasonable aid to this Mission. Their example is praise worthy; and I hope it will be imitated by many pious females in different neighbourhoods, who, alone, can do but little, but uniting, can do much for the cause of God among the heathen, and who thus would receive the gratitude of many of the perishing children of the forest. It would have been very gratifying to me to comply with their request of writing to each Society, giving an account of our prospects, success, and wants, did not other cares and duties of the Mission so entirely occupy my time. But I embrace this opportunity to acknowledge publicly the kindness and labour of love bestowed upon us, and upon this people, and to express our gratitude to them and to all others who have been helpers in the Lord.

Respecting our prospects and success, I would refer them to the printed accounts of the Mission. As to our wants, I would mention, that every article, contained in the boxes we have received, was needed, and that in so large a family, we are constantly wanting a large supply of clothing of various kinds.