considerable addition has been made to the Students preparing for future employ.

Of all these, the Committee will speak, in their order. The departure from the Downs, on the 27th of January of last year, of the Rev. John Butler and his companions, on board the " Baring," for the Australasia Mission, was stated in the last Report. They reached Port Jackson in safety, on the 26th of June, after having laboured with some success to benefit the Convicts on board. They were cordially welcomed by Mr. Marsden, who sailed with them, on board the "General Gates" American Brig, the Active being otherwise employed, on the 29th of July, for their destination in New Zealand.

The embarkation, on the 17th of April last year, of the Rev. Messrs. Jetter and Deerr for Calcutta, was also stated in the Nineteenth Report. The "Thomas Grenville" anchored off Madras on the 5th of August. After spending three weeks very profitably among the Society's friends and labourers there, they proceeded for Calcutta. Captain Manning had manifested, throughout the voyage, the most marked friendship toward them. At Calcutta, they were received, much to their advantage, into the house of Mr. Corrie; and, at a Meeting of the Corresponding Committee, held on the 20th of September, were appointed to proceed to Burdwan.

As a considerable number of Missionaries were about to proceed, in the close of last year, to various Stations, the Committee availed themselves of the kind services of the Rev. William Marsh and the Rev. Thomas Biddulph, to dismiss them, with the greatest solemnity and advantage, to their respective labours. On the morning of the 19th of November, Mr. Marsh preached before the Society at St. Bride's Church; and enlarged, in a manner likely, with the blessing of God, to be of lasting benefit to the Missionaries, on the Holy Courage, Affectionate Spirit, and Sound Mind which should mark the Christian Labourer.

A Meeting was afterwards held in this Hall, the Noble President of the Society in the Chair. The Secretary delivered to the Missionaries the Instructions of the Committee in replying to which Instructions, the Rev. William Johnson, in particular, who had returned from Sierra Leone with Mrs. Johnson on account of her health, communicated many facts respecting his labours in Africa which deeply interested the Meeting. The Rev. Mr. Biddulph then addressed to the Missionaries the counsels and encouragements suggested by his long experience and comprehensive view of the Christian Life, and dismissed them to their labours with his paternal benedictions*.

The Missionaries and others addressed on this occasion were the Rev. Thomas Morris, the Rev. Benedict La Roche, the Rev. John Perowne, with Mrs. Morris and Mrs. Perowne, and Mr. Thomas Brown; all appointed to the Calcutta and North-India Mission -the Rev. James Ridsdale, destined for Madras; with the Rev. Richard Kenney and Mrs. Kenney, at that time appointed to the same Mission, but, since the Meeting, to Bombay-the Rev. Thomas Browning, for Ceylon-Mr. John Cowell and Mrs. Cowell, with Mayree a Native of New Zealand, proceeding for that Mission— and the Rev. W. Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. Lisk, Mr. and Mrs. Beckley, and Three other Schoolmistresses, proceeding to Sierra Leone. To these may be added Mrs. Johnson, who afterward recovered sufficiently to return with her husband-Mrs. Ridsdale and Mrs. Browning, who were married subsequently to the MeetingJoseph Andrews, a Youth, native of Quilon, of the class of country-born, brought to England by Colonel Munro, and returning as a Schoolmaster-and three Children of Mr. and Mrs. Kenney, with one of Mr. and Mrs. Cowell.

The whole number, therefore, about to proceed to different Missions, was Twenty-nine.

• Extracts of the Sermon, with the Instructions, Replies, and Addelivered on this occasion, are printed in Appendix I.

....

Messrs. Morris, Perowne, Ridsdale, and Browning, had been several years under preparation for their work, before their admission into Holy Orders: Mr. Morris and Mr. Perowne had an opportunity of attending the Hindoostanee Lectures of Dr. Gilchrist, who reported them as likely, with due application, to become speedily conversant with any Eastern Dialect that might be found necessary. Your Committee have conveyed their thanks to Dr. Gilchrist for his kindness toward these Missionaries.

Mr. Kenney had filled an active sphere in the Church, for several years, before he offered his services to the Committee; and had been zealously engaged in support of the Society's interests in Cheshire.

Mr. La Roche is a native of Bâsle, and studied at the Universities of Bâsle and Tubingen; and afterward, at Paris, under Baron de Sacy and Professor Kieffer. Having been admitted to Lutheran Ordination, on the 6th of August, in the Cathedral of Stuttgard, he came over to this country, and pursued his Oriental Studies, under Professor Lee, at Cambridge, till the time of his departure.

Mr. Thomas Brown is a Printer; and has prepared himself, under Mr. Watts, with whom he worked for many years, to superintend in India every department of a Printing and Stereotyping Office.

Mr. Cowell was well acquainted with rope-making; and has taken out with him the requisite materials for the prosecution of that business, on a larger scale than before, in New Zealand. The Native who accompanies him was brought to England in a Whaler: he manifested the fine natural temper of his countrymen ; and is returned, it is hoped, with impressions favourable to his best interests. The other Laymen have all been qualified, with the Females, in the Central School, to act as Teachers on the National System, which has also been studied by the Missionaries.

Mr. Johnson availed himself of his visit to England to proceed to Hanover, his native country, in order to

see, perhaps for the last time, his mother and other relatives. His visit appears to have been attended with a peculiar blessing to some of his nearest kindred, who had not been previously moved by his One of his Sisters attached hercorrespondence. self so inseparably to him, that she has devoted herself, as a School-mistress, to assist his labours in Africa.

Mr. Cowell and his companions sailed for Port Jackson, from Gravesend, on the 12th of December, in the Saracen, Captain Kerr. On the 27th of that month, Mr. Johnson and his associates embarked at the same place, on board the Maida, Captain Tredger, for Sierra Leone: after being driven into Falmouth by stress of weather, the Maida left those roads on the 5th of January; and dropped her anchor off Freetown on the 31st of that month. The Missionaries for Madras and Calcutta embarked at Portsmouth, on the 2d of February, on board the Ajax, Captain Clark; and finally left the coast on the 20th, having been driven into Plymouth by the state of the weather: they were last heard of from Madeira, where they arrived after a fortnight's passage. Mr. and Mrs. Kenney, with their children, sailed from Gravesend, on the 12th of March, in company of the Rev. Henry Davies returning to Bombay, on board the Phoenix, Captain Weynton*.

The friends of the Society at Portsmouth, Plymouth, and Falmouth, received the Missionaries with their accustomed kindness. The President of the Society was pleased to comply with the request of the Committee, in giving to the Missionaries destined for India his Lordship's recommendation of them to the protection and favour of the Local Authorities.

In adverting to the Death or Sickness of the Society's

Mr. Browning, the only remaining Missionary addressed at the Special Meeting in November, embarked, since the Anniversary, with Mrs. Browning, on the 19th of May, at Gravesend, on board the Tanjore, Captain Dacre, for Ceylon.

Labourers, the Committee touch on a melancholy topic.

It is chiefly, indeed, in the West Africa Mission that sickness has hitherto disabled any of the Society's Missionaries; and it is only there that deaths have occurred among them, from the first establishment of the Society. The Rains of last year were severe beyond the memory of man; and sickness and mortality more than ordinarily prevalent. The Society has again to deplore the loss of several valuable Labourers. The death of Mr. Barrett, in the month of May, was followed by those of Mrs. Jesty and Mr. Cates in July, and of Mr. Collier on the 1st of August: and Mr. Jesty, after bearing up several months under great debility, died on his passage to this country.

The Society has also to lament the death of one of its Students, Mr. John Silk. He had devoted himself to the prosecution of its objects in Abyssinia; and was preparing, at Queen's College, Cambridge, under the friendly guidance of Professor Lee, with a more particular view to that scene of labour. A very honourable testimony to his Christian spirit and character is borne in a short Memoir of him, which has been printed*.

It was mentioned in the last Report (see p. 156), that the Rev. Thomas Dawson had been compelled, by ill health, to quit his station at Cochin. Mrs. Dawson's health also was in a very precarious state. Leaving India at the beginning of April 1818, on board the Lord Cathcart, they arrived in the Downs on the 28th of August. They proceeded to Yorkshire, their native county but finding it too cold for their debilitated constitutions, they spent the winter in Devonshire; and returned, for the summer of last year, to Yorkshire; but are now again in Devonshire, still unable to resume any active employment.

The health of Mrs. Johnson requiring a visit to her native country, Mr. Johnson was under the necessity

* See the Missionary Register for March, 1820, pp. 90-93.

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