BARISAL.

From Barisal we have the interesting information that on Lord's day the 16th of June, our esteemed brother PAGE was privileged to baptize a young man of whom he says, "He is, and has long been so ill, that I fear every day he is dying; but the state of mind evident in him for the past six months and more, gives the hope that he has undergone the great change, and is a humble disciple of Jesus. He was, strange as it may appear, when in the villages, one of the proudest, most overbearing fellows possible, and this, while for two years he was suffering from the wasting disease the nature of which we cannot discover. Sincerely do I trust the Lord has had mercy on him. In his baptism I do feel very sensibly how good the Lord is to the poor and afflicted."

DACCA.

This station is one of the most important of the Society's mission in Bengal. It is one of the principal cities of the presidency; extends, with its suburbs, for six miles along a river that unites the Ganges with the Brahmaputra; and has a population of about 200,000 souls. For many years our brother ROBINSON has laboured alone amidst this dense mass of Hindoos and Mohammedans, and with many indications of the divine blessing. In the following letter he refers to the urgent claim it has on the Society's immediate attention, and to the kind of men required to carry on the evangelization of India. It is dated June 25, 1850.

termined, if possible, to send out preachers. A few good scholars are very desirable, almost essential we might say, but how distressing to find that these men of intellect, these first linguists, as some of them really are, have no popular address, no preaching talents. What a loss to the mission! It great learning, and a popular address, cannot be found in the same person, then, as we have brethren in just and high repute for learning, send us out, if you can, a few popular preachers, men who, like Chamberlain, will be able to fix the attention of a heathen audience in the open air. These are the men we want now, though I disclaim all thought of disparaging our dear brethren who may not possess that popular manner of address of which I am now speaking.

A few days ago I was favoured with a short but very kind letter from you, for which please to accept my best thanks. I am glad, very glad, to learn that you are so mindful of Dacca. It is a consolation to the distressed to know, that there are those who think on them and sympathize with them, even though relief cannot be obtained. It is something to hear that during the past year the debt has not been increased. May we not hope that things have come to their worst, and that another year will witness some improvement? One short phrase towards the close of your letter gives me great pleasure. You say, speaking of the prayer meeting of the preceding evening, "The spirit of prayer was poured out." How differently does this tell on the feelings of a poor, distressed missionary in India, than the words praise, applause, laughter, cheers, which appear too often in the reports of our annual meetings. Could I mount your It would be in vain to beg that help may platform, I would like to deliver a speech be sent immediately to Dacca, for where the which should cause great seriousness, looks means are wanting, even importunity must of contrition, sighs, tears, prayers. These fail. But I may ask, that when you have would best become many of our churches, that means, that Dacca should have the first and the supporters of our mission, seeing they have been so negligent of their duty as to bring the mission almost to the brink of ruin.

Help desired.

attention. I can give a good reason for this request, for while there are other stations which have but one missionary, and he past the prime of his age, yet it may with truth be said that the missionary at Dacca is the | oldest and weakest of all your missionaries, It rejoices me to learn that you are de- I suffer greatly now from debility, the heat

The men wanted,

to me is insupportable, yet the Lord enables me to do a little; that little, however, is less han half what I could do had I my former trength.

I had the pleasure of baptizing a poor native man near the end of last month. He had been with us several months, and had given us great satisfaction.

CHITOURA.

The mission at Chitoura, under the care of Mr. SMITH, continues to enjoy many tokens of the Divine blessing. The following letter will be found interesting as showing the influences amid which the Christian missionary has to labour, and will, we trust, excite the prayers of God's people, that his servants may be largely endowed with wisdom from above, and be sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit. Under date of May 27 he writes:

Baptisms.

Since I last wrote I hope the cause of Christ has been progressing amongst us. I had the pleasure of baptizing three native disciples in the month of April, and two more in May, and I have several more candidates for the sacred ordinance. There appears a little moving of the waters, and I sincerely hope we are going to receive large supplies of divine influence. Oh, that could feel more holy zeal in my own soul.

brought about partly by medicine. My place is sometimes like an hospital. The sick are brought a distance of forty and fifty miles, and considering the little knowledge I possess, it is surprising the success I have generally had in my treatment.

Opposition.

But notwithstanding such a general kindly feeling, and a general assent to the truths of the gospel, the enmity of the unrenewed mind is still visible, and no sooner is there a prospect of one out of a large family embracing Christianity, than all are up in arms; and they appear to think that one of the most dire misfortunes is about to overtake them. A few weeks since a young man who has been hanging about us for some time, declared, after attending a baptism, that Hindooism was false, and he would become a Christian. His elder brother at once told him if he did he would kill him; and about fifteen days ago another young marf came and asked if I would protect him in case of his joining us. The obstacles in the way of the natives embracing Christianity must be witnessed to be understood.

Effect of idolatry on the missionary. Nothing can be more distressing than feelings of lukewarmness in the midst of scenes of degradation which might well make angels weep. Yet living in such a polluted atmosphere as we breathe, inhaling as it were the fumes of idolatry at every breath; meeting the idols' hideous forms at every turn, we become accustomed to the iniquity, and in time it begins to wear a less heinous form. Thus the associations in which we live, with the want of soul-stirring sermons such as you enjoy in dear England, blunt the feelings and drag the soul down from its proper elevation of holiness and piety; hence the necessity of our brethren in England being regular and fervent in their supplications at Our brother, Walayat Ali, has been a the throne of grace, that those who are ex-prisoner for four days. He belongs to a posed (many single handed) in the battle's large and respectable Mohammedan family, foremost ranks may be upheld faithful, that and no sooner was he baptized than they their cry may be victory or death! no sur-determined to bring him back again to their render! and that they may never sheathe their swords until it be shouted from rank to rank, and echoed from one division of the grand army to another, "The Lord Omnipotent reigneth!"

Labours.

We continue to preach the gospel to all the people in the surrounding villages, and we attend regularly five markets weekly. The people receive us wherever we go, and show us the most marked kindness. I remark almost with regret, that opposition is completely gone. These results have been

Persecution of a convert.

ranks. The same day that his baptism took place, they made their arrangements, and the following day an action was commenced against him for upwards of £100, and although our brother was as free from debt as I am, yet the action was sustained, and judgment given against him by a native official-of course a Mohammedan. He was seized whilst preaching in the Shumshabad market, by two chuprassis, who conveyed him to Agra, and had not the Lord inclined the hearts of two of our Presbyterian brethren to advance the money, pending an appeal to a higher court, our brother must have m

mained a prisoner in the midst of the most | belonged are not burned, but buried, and loathsome company. Through grace he was that in a most curious manner. After death enabled to witness a good confession, and he was placed in a sitting posture, as though when his opponents in the open court told him that he had only to renounce his Christianity, and they would give a razi nama at once, and release him from all obligation, he replied, "You may kill my body, and cut it to pieces, but you cannot take from me the precious hope of the gospel." No sooner had they effected their purpose in arresting him and separating him from his family, than his wife's brother came to frighten and persuade her to go back with him to her friends, as her husband would very probably be a prisoner for years; but all their efforts were vain, and will, I doubt not, turn out for the furtherance of the gospel.

A fakir's death.

engaged in tapasiye, and tied, so that when the body got cold it retained its position, and had the appearance of life. In this manner he was carried to the grave, the deluded people worshipping him all the way, the stiff clay nodding and bobbing backwards and forwards with the motion of the dholy, as if deriding their stupidity. On arrival, the corpse was placed in a deep hole, and water copiously poured over it, with ghee; the earth was then carefully filled in, and with water made hard and firm, all the while some kind of incantations were being carried on, which I do not understand, and the whole ended by a feast, at which I think thousands were present. This class of vairagees do not marry, but make disciples, and the eldest of them inherits the immense riches of the late Gosaen of Chitoura, celebrated throughout all the district for his riches and covetousness.

The schools.

We

The owner of the village of Chitoura, within the limits of which our Christian village is built, has just gone to his long home. He was a reputedly rich man, and although by profession a beggar and ascetic, yet a number of villages in our vicinity belonged to him. In all my experience I have never My school continues to improve. seen a man cling to life with more tenacity. have altogether, boys and girls, about forty, He, in fact, just acted like one who felt that and several men also attend. Our services every thing was at stake, that death would are well attended. On Wednesday evenings deprive him of all, for alas he had no hope. I give a lecture on the Pilgrim's Progress, He had truly lived without God in the world, and I intend after it to take up Barth's arrogating to himself his titles and worship. Church History, an excellent translation of On visiting him I was much struck by the which, in Hindi, our brother Parsons has just scenes I witnessed. A dying man, almost supplied. The females in India are the drawing his last breath, crying out to all greatest hindrance to the spread of the around him, "I shall not get over it. I gospel; I am, however, glad to say there is have robbed God, and he will punish me;" a visible improvement in our female comand yet still the deluded crowds bowing munity. About twenty attend Mrs. Smith's down and adoring him, notwithstanding the prayer-meeting regularly. Several of them strongest proofs of his nothingness, and in-read portions of scripture, and then engage ability to help even himself. But such is in prayer, and thus edify each other. I the debasing influence of idolatry, it cheats men of their reason, and makes them worse than children in their actions. Truly may it be called Satan's masterpiece.

Burial customs.

The class of ascetics to which this man

have just employed a shoemaker, and put five of our boys apprentice to him to learn the business, as we had no shoemaker in our village. A supply of tools would be very acceptable, if any of our brethren could be prevailed upon to send us some.

Perhaps some of our kind friends will assist our worthy brother with the tools he requires.

DELHI.

DEATH OF THE REV. J. T. THOMPSON.

From the pages of the August number of the Oriental Baptist, we are enabled to present our readers with an account of the last days of our esteemed missionary brother THOMPSON. To this we append a brief notice of his life and character from the columns of the Friend of India, by one who knew him well, and under whose eye a large part of his missionary life was spent. The Society has lost in

him one of its most able missionaries, and if his long labours have not resulted in the formation of a large native church, yet has he been eminently useful in allaying prejudice, in scattering widely the seeds of divine truth, and in preparing the way for an open adhesion, on the part of multitudes in and around Delhi, to the truth as it is in Jesus.

His illness, which may be said to have commenced about the 20th of June, seemed to be chiefly a prostration of strength, accompanied during the last few days with low fever. For some time previous to this date he had been suffering considerably from very painful boils in the hands, which were evidently the cause of his fever. Notwithstanding the great weakness under which he laboured, his zeal in the cause of Christ manifested itself in endeavouring, to the last, to make known to all to whom he had access the way of salvation. On the date above referred to, and a few days afterwards, the entries in his diary are as follow.

"20th, Thursday. Read two tracts to about 150 village hearers chiefly, and gave gospels and tracts. O Lord, have mercy on my weakness, and graciously strengthen me, I pray thee!

21st, Friday. Read to about thirty people, and gave tracts.

22nd, Saturday. Doctor R. attends me these two days, and, O my Lord, do thou be pleased to grant thy blessing."

printed. He also repeated different passages of scripture, amongst others, part of 2 Tim. iv. 8, "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."

Thursday morning, the 27th, he appeared to be much worse than at any previous period, still he joined his family at the breakfast table, and partook of a little food. His strength seemed to be hourly diminishing. At about eleven or twelve o'clock of the day, he conducted, as usual, English worship with his family, and was observed to sing with great earnestness, and apparently in as strong a voice as ordinary, part of the following hymn of Watts,

"Mine eyes and my desire Are ever to the Lord." Between three and four, P.M., he fell into a slumber, previous to which he was heard for some time to be in earnest prayer. In the meantime the doctor called in, and soon discovered the painful truth that he was near his end. About eight o'clock, while Mrs. Thompson was in the act of commending his soul to God his Redeemer, he, without having once awakened, quietly fell asleep in Jesus without a sigh or a groan.

From the Friend of India.

The next day (sabbath) he administered the Lord's supper, although a fortnight earlier than his usual stated period for this ordinance. When asked by Mrs. Thompson his reason for doing so, his reply was, "I may not live to see another sabbath." We, however, little thought that we were all re- The funeral took place next morning, and ceiving the sacrament for the last time at his his remains were followed by a large number hands! On the afternoon of that day he of friends from the house to the city burial held his accustomed public Hindustani ser- ground, where a still greater number awaited vice with his native members and others, the procession. Some five hundred natives when he delivered a discourse, which however of Delhi, amongst whom he had for so many was briefer than usual on account of his ex-years preached the gospel, were present on treme weakness. The following day, Mon- the mournful occasion. The funeral services day, found him still more reduced in strength, were performed by the Rev. Mr. Boyle. but this did not prevent his going out to his usual labour in the city. It seemed to afford him no little satisfaction even in his illness to be thus Last week, we recorded with deep regret, engaged in endeavouring to make known the the removal by death of the Rev. Mr. Thomp truth as it is in Jesus to the heathen. This son, who has laboured in the missionary field he plainly intimated to us as often as he was at Delhi, and in the neighbouring districts, desired to spare himself. Tuesday and Wed- for the lengthened period of thirty-eight nesday were marked by still further prostra- years. We cannot allow one who has detion of strength, yet he was enabled to sit up voted a long life to the service of his fellow in bed and make a few remarks at a Hindi creatures to descend to the tomb, without service on Wednesday afternoon, on the recording some memorial of his valuable eighteenth chapter of Luke's gospel, which labours. He was the oldest missionary, but was read by one of his children at his own one, at this presidency. It is now forty request. During the night he was very rest-years since the attention of the late Mr. less, and at times unconscious. While la- Ward, one of the Serampore missionaries, bouring under this aberration of mind, he was drawn to a young man in one of the frequently sat up and spoke of revising one government offices in Calcutta, whose exof his tracts, viz., "The Ten Hindoo Incar-traordinary zeal and activity in the cause of nations," and of sending it to Calcutta to be religion gave tokens of future usefulness,

After a short period of probation, he was published a brief Commentary on the New selected for the missionary station at Patna, Testament in the English language, but his in which great and populous city he laboured forte lay in the native languages. He was with much assiduity for five years. Dr. Carey the author of two valuable Hindoostanee had then just completed the first translation Dictionaries, the one a large royal octavo, ever made of the New Testament into Hindee, equal, if not superior, in value to that of and was anxious to establish a station at Shakespear, the other, a small School DicDelhi, for the more effectual distribution of tionary in the same language, which has it among the people. Mr. Thompson was proved highly useful in promoting the object selected for that post, and removed to it in for which it was designed. To him also the the year 1817, and continued his missionary cause of missions is indebted for many valulabours in that vicinity for the long period of able tracts, which have had an extensive cirthirty-three years. When, on the death of culation. As long as health and strength Dr. Marshman, the Serampore mission was permitted, he was distinguished for the zeal broken up, and all its out-stations were and assiduity of his missionary labours, into transferred to the Baptist Missionary Society, which he always threw his whole soul. Of Mr. Thompson was placed upon the esta- his private virtues in the various relations of blishment of that body, and continued to life, we need only say that they have enlabour in connexion with it to the period of his death. He was perhaps the most complete master of the Hindee language to be found in the missionary circle. He spoke it with such singular fluency, accuracy, and taste, that his ministrations among the heathen were peculiarly acceptable, and he was always able to command a most attentive auditory. His translation of the New Testament into that language has always appeared to us to be one of the simplest and most idiomatic, and therefore one of the most useful of the versions in use, though doubtless it is susceptible of much improvement. Some years ago he

deared him to a large circle of relatives and friends, who have now to bemoan the loss of one whose ever cheerful aid and kind sympa thies they can never forget. But it is as the faithful, zealous, devoted missionary of forty years, that his character appears most interesting to those who seek the welfare of India. If we could calculate upon a hundred such labourers as Thompson, educated and trained in the country, imbued with the same warmth of Christian zeal, and thoroughly at home in the language, the habits, and the feelings of the people, the missionary field would soon present a very different aspect.

To supply the important sphere thus left vacant, the Committee are unable. Gladly would they send four or more brethren to fill up the breaches made in the missionary ranks in the east, could suitable men be found. It is our confident belief that the missionary spirit lives vigorously in the churches, and that our need has only to be known to call forth the holy zeal of the Lord's people, and to educe the reply from many hearts devoted to the Saviour's cause, “Here am I, Lord, send me."

CEYLON.

COLOMBO.

Though pressed overmuch with care and toil, our brother ALLEN has enjoyed very encouraging proofs that his labour is not in vain in the Lord. The contents of the following letter, dated August 14, are cheering alike to us and to him; while the necessity of speedy aid being sent is the more apparent. We dare not hope to see in the flesh our brother DAWSON. There can be little doubt that he and his family have perished, with the whole ship's crew, in one of the fearful hurricanes that swept the Indian Ocean in the month of March. DAVIES and DAWSON have as yet no successor. Is there no one to lift up the fallen standard ?

Hitherto the Lord has helped me and the establishment of believers, the recovery strengthened me, yea, when I felt as if to of backsliders, my ministrations in the Pettah proceed would not be long in my power. have been blessed indeed: let all the praise There has been, however, no cessation from be God's. There is reason, too, to hope my labours. The encouragement to proceed that my periodical visits to the native is very great. In the conversion of sinners, churches have not been all in vain, so that