The Christian Indians manifested quite attend. Only six came forward to be exas much joy at the arrival of their mission-amined. The meeting on the Sabbath was ary as any one could have expected; but solerin and interesting. After the second the state of religious feeling has evidently sermon, the sacrament was administered, declined within the last two or three months. and the six natives, five men and one I have seen but few of the recent converts, woman, were received into the church, and but am told there is cause to fear in respect one brother who had been excommunicated to some of them, though most appear quite for intemperance was restored. He has apwell. We have a church meeting appoint-peared well since the three days' meeting ed for ascertaining the expediency of re-in May. In the evening Mr. Elliot preachceiving some of them into the church.

ed a third sermon, after which he invited all the impenitent, who were willing to submit their hearts immediately to God, to come forward that special prayer might be | offered for them. Eighteen came and knelt down while four prayers were offered in their behalf.

They are very intelligent, active young men. There are several others of the same class who hope they love the Savior, and will probably come forward before long. It is peculiarly interesting to see those who have attended the school come out and take || a decided stand on the Lord's side.

Ojibways.

The congregation was quite small on the first Sabbath after my arrival, but was much larger last Sabbath. In the afternoon, just before sermon, George Turkey and Lydia Moore were united in marriage, and as this was the first marriage ever solemnised in the meeting-house, or, I believe, in any Two of the young men who united with public manner, it was thought best to im- the church last Sabbath, Gardiner Spring prove the opportunity for teaching the peo-and Joseph Sandford, have been scholars. ple the nature and design of the institution, and the duties resulting from the conjugal relation. This seemed the more necessary as the Indians are said to be very frequently guilty of conjugal infidelity, and there is, perhaps, reason to fear that this charge does not rest exclusively against the pagan party. The people here say that the Indians not unfrequently make the marriage contract for two or three years only, and when the time has elapsed, separate and marry others. But Lydia Moore, one of the persons mentioned above, has rejected, several suitors because she said when she¦¦ was married she "meant to stick to it," and she was sure she should not wish to, if she married those persons. She has now a very promising young man for a husband; but the sisters here mourn about it, for he will take her to Cattaraugus, and thus they will lose her as an interpreter in their female meetings. The wife of Twenty Canoes came here last Saturday to know if it would be right for her to leave her husband. Her plea was, that he had been drunk, and when he married her he promised that he would not drink to excess. Accordingly I preached from Matthew xix. 6. Contrary to my expectations the meeting was quite solemn.

EXTRACTS FROM A LETTER OF MR. THAYER,

EXTRACTS FROM A LETTER OF MR. HALL,
DATED AT LA POINTE.

A notice of the departure of Mr. Hall from Mackinaw, to proceed to his field of labor, was inserted at p. 334 of the last volume. Under date of Sept. 17th, he gives the following account of his

Journey from Mackinaw to La Pointe.

We left Mackinaw on the 5th of August, We and arrived at this place on the 30th. were very much favored on our passage with good weather, and made the journey in

less time than is usual. The manner of travelling in this part of the country, as you' know, is in open boats, when it is performed by water. Though we were out above three weeks, and exposed to a hot sun by

DATED AT CATTARAUGUS, OCT. 31ST, day, and the cold dews by night, none of

1831.

Admissions to the Church.

As there is no ordained missionary at Cattaraugus Mr. Elliot, of the Tuscarora station was invited to go there and administer the Lord's supper, and aid in receiving members to the church. After his arrival Mr. Thayer remarks

I immediately notified the Indians of his arrival, and that there would be a meeting on Saturday preparatory to the sacrament, and an opportunity for any to offer as candidates for admission to the church. As the notice was short many were unable to

VOL. XXVIII.

sun,

us suffered by exposure. We had nothing to shield us from the direct rays of a very hot but an unbrella. And a tent was the best protection we had from the storm, and from the damps of night. Our food was such as we took along with us, and was prepared by ourselves as we found an opportunity, after we stopped at night, or at other times. Of course there could be but little variety, and often what we had was but indifferently prepared. But through the kindness of Providence we experienced no bad effects from it; not even the women took a serious cold while on the way. We had scarcely any wet weather on our passage, except a day or two while we were at the Sault Ste. Marie, at which time we were

7

kind to us.

kindly entertained by Christian friends. || We have not attempted a school so soon as We passed the Sabbath there and were hos- we should have done, if the Indians had all pitably entertained by the Rev. Mr. Bing- been here who belong to the place. A conham, [Baptist missionary] at his house dur-siderable number of them have been absent ing the time we remained there. We were at their gardens, a dozen or fifteen miles very cordially received by him and his fam- from this place. We thought best not to ily, who gave us several little articles for do any thing of the kind till we had called our comfort on the way. I preached twice the Indians together in council. They came for him. Dr. James, also, [of the United together this week to celebrate their yearly States army] and his family were very "medicine dance." After they finished their He furnished us with several feasting we succeeded in collecting them manuscripts which will be of use to me in for a "talk." I told them the object of the acquiring the Chippewa language. I shall Board in sending us here, and explained to feel myself very much indebted to him. them the benefits they would derive from Mr. Warren has been very kind, and done having schools and in receiving the gospel, every thing for us which we could have and told them the advantages of their culti asked. We are indebted to Mr. Aitkin and vating the land. They said that what I Mr. Oakes also for favors. They assisted had told them was all true and very good. us in getting on here by taking a part of our They knew the English and Americans had goods on board their boats, and bringing missionaries in different places among the them a part of the way. The Lord appears Indians, and they were pleased that it was to be inclining the hearts of all the principal so. They were pleased that we had come traders to favor missions to these Indians. here. The second chief said he had been There has undoubtedly been a great change to Penetanguishine, (which is on the Canin their feelings with regard to the gospel, ada side of Lake Huron,) where the Methowithin a few years. None of them, I be- dists have a mission, and was pleased with lieve, were disposed to travel on the Sab- what he saw there. He said the children bath, on their return this year, or to permit might attend school, but the adults must their clerks to do so. We had public relig- hunt. They told us that they should not ious exercises in our tent every Sabbath, compel their children to attend school, but while on the journey, at which the princi- if any of them were disposed to attend, they pal traders and others were present. As a should not hinder them. Every thing aplarge part of the boatmen understood no pears as favorable as could be expected with language but the French, we had one ser- regard to them. We have made some atvice on the Sabbath expressly for them, attempts to collect the Indians a few times which prayers were offered and the Scriptures and tracts read in French. Sometimes thirty or forty attended these exercises. The French are mostly Catholics and some refused to attend a Protestant meeting.

The men employed by the gentlemen engaged in the fur-trade to hunt and collect the furs, manage the boats, and perform other labor, are principally Canadian French. They are very much under the influence of the Catholic priests, as are the Indians also. There is, however, no Catholic mission in the interior, nor are any regular efforts made to bring the Indians over to their faith.

Prospects of the New Mission.

With regard to our prospects for immediately benefitting the Indians, I hardly know what to say. We have not yet made an attempt to collect a school. We shall open one next week. It will probably be small at first. It will be difficult to keep children long at school among these Indians, unless they are fed, on account of their migratory habits and the difficulty of obtaining provision. Many of them reside at several different places during the year.

We have visited the Indian lodges frequently since our arrival, and the Indians are frequently at our house. They always converse pleasantly and freely with us.

for religious instruction. The number who attended our meetings was small. We shall probably need much faith and perse

verance.

I felt myself compelled to promise the Indians that the school should be continued, if they would send their children. They say, if the school is to be kept only one year, it will not do much good to send their children, as they will soon forget all they will learn in that time. Our success at present depends much on the impression we give relative to our continuance in the country. If they think we are to stay with them but a year or two, they will not be disposed to listen to us. I therefore told thein that we had come to spend our lives with them, to do them good, and that the school would be continued from year to year.

suppose we may calculate, with some degree of certainty on meeting with opposition more or less from the Catholics. How much influence they will have to retard our work, is doubtful. The French. are nearly all Catholics.

This mission is designed to exert an influence upon the bands of Indians occupying the territory that lies between lake Superior and the head waters of the Mississippi. The route by lake Superior presents the best way of access to all the tribes north and west of it, from Hudson's Bay to the Rocky Mountains.

Proceedings of other Societies.

Margaret Nonibi stood first at a distance from George Morley was first awakened by hearing the word, but was afterwards overcome by it; of the day of judgment at the saw-pit, and went and she could not express how much she felt immediately to the bush to pray, feeling for the every day for those of her relations who had first time that he was a sinner. He prayed often died without hearing God's word. She was before he made known his feelings to any per-happy, and hoped that she should continue so son; and although he had fallen several times, yet his only proper desire was to serve God; and he never was so happy as at this moment. also adverted in an affecting speech to his late recovery from his fall.

into the chapel, because she heard some persons weeping, and wondered what was going to be done with them; but now she weeps over her bad heart, and sees that it is the hand of the Lord that hath saved her from the Fitcanies, and that hath brought her to this place; and she hoped that God would pardon all her sins.

rious other parts of the world, must be appreciated, rather than by the number of heathens who actually turn from their idols, and openly profess themselves disciples of Christ. A system of welladapted means and instruments is brought into operation, which, with the divine blessing, is calculated to awaken a useful curiosity-to shed a The above observations were delivered in the portion of light into the mind-to soften antipaCaffre language: there were also others who || thies-to dissolve prejudice-to produce confispoke in English, Dutch and Hottentot, all of dence in the missionary-to open between him whom seemed to be of "one heart, and of one and the heathen a more friendly and beneficial soul." intercourse-to secure, on the part of the heathen, a more serious attention to his addresses, and a more candid perusal of the books which he may put into their hands. All this-as bear

LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

Summary View of the Mission in the Island ing in its results on the great object in view

of Java.

The Directors give the following view of this mission, the seat of which is at Batavia, the capital of the island, and on its northern shore.

The mission at Batavia was commenced in

cannot but be regarded as a highly important preparatory process; while we are warranted to cherish the most unshaken confidence and expectation, that, in due time, if we faint not, we shall reap the spiritual fruits to which we look forward, and reap them abundantly.

The means which have been brought into active operation, in connection with the mission at 1814; the immediate object being the dissemina- Batavia, are, the preaching of the gospel to the tion of the knowledge of Christianity among the Malays, Chinese, and English-the distribution Malays and Chinese-more particularly the Chiof the scriptures, magazines, tracts-the instinese settlers in Java, whose number was at that tution of schools-discussions with the bettertime, calculated to be about 100,000. The Chi-informed among the heathen-conversations with, nese New Testament, translated by Dr. (then and occasionally addresses to, the people in the Mr.) Morrison, furnished the means of forthwith bazaars, in their shops, in the streets, and by the making the proposed attempt among the Chinese,way-side; the patients in the hospitals, and the while the excellent character of governor Raiiles, convicts in the jails; in a dispensary, connected and the liberal spirit of his government, were a with the mission, where medicine for the body pledge that he would afford protection to the and instruction for the mind are both gratuitously missionaries, and, to the utmost of his power, imparted; and, lastly, English and American promote their benevolent efforts. We scarcely seamen on board vessels m the harbor. need to add, that this expectation was afterward fully realised.

to make up for the want of opportunities to preach to large and stated assemblies, by frequently addressing small and casual auditories; while experience and observation have led to the conclusion, that the disinclination of the Chinese to attend Christian worship, arises less from a bigoted attachment to their own superstitions, than from an indifference to all religion what

Great reluctance has generally been manifested by the people, by the Chinese particularly, to The restoration, however, of Batavia to the assemble, as a congregation, in a place of worDutch, by the treaty of 1815, allowed Gov. Raf-ship. The missionary has, therefore, endeavored fles but a comparatively brief opportunity of manifesting, on the spot, his favorable disposition toward the mission; but while the missionaries, on the return of the Dutch authorities, had to lament his departure, their regret was alleviated by the promise of his successor, Baron Van der Capellen, of countenance and aid to the mission, which he subsequently fulfilled. It may not be improper to add, that Sir Stamford Raffles, after his appointment as governor of Bencoolen, which subsequently took place, had many opportunities of shewing favor to the missionaries, and promoting their object; which he did with the enlightened zeal of one who felt, that, independently of the sublime hopes which it inspires and the eternal benefits which it confers, Christianity was, as to its political and civil results, the best boon that he could impart to mankind.

ever.

Beside a very extensive dispersion of the scriptures, in Chinese and Malayan, between 100,000 and 200,000 books and tracts, in various languages, the larger number printed at the mission press at Batavia, have been dispersed abroad in various regions, embracing China, the Malayan Peninsula, and many of the islands of the Indian Archipelago. The books circulated among the heathen at Batavia are ascertained to be frequently read, and to form topics of conversation and discussion among themselves when the missionaries are not present; and there is ground to hope that the moral leaven has begun to work among the heathen population there: the Malays,

At an early period of the mission, many pleasing evidences were afforded of its beneficial influence. The preaching of the gospel by the missionaries was made useful to many of the Dutch residents: an auxiliary missionary society was formed at Batavia; while the Chinese New-in particular, now manifest an eagerness to obTestament, and Milne's Chinese magazine and tracts in that language, were circulated, with much benefit to the Chinese, some of whom were induced to tear down from the walls of their houses the symbols of their idolatry.

The mission has been subsequently prosecuted with various measures of success, particularly as to the preparation and practical application of means. Indeed, it is in this latter point of view in which, for some considerable time, the effectiveness of missions, in these regions, and in va

tain books and tracts. Those only who are aware of the great repugnance of this people to hold intercourse with Europeans-their deadly prejudices, as Mohammedans, against Christians-and the determined mind with which they turn a deaf ear to religious instruction, rejecting a tract as they would avoid infection-can appreciate fully the extent and importance of this change. The change itself is attributable, in part, to the relaxed pre

udices and more liberal views of the natives themselves; but the missionary who announces

The missionaries at Batavia have not confined their labors to that city and its vicinity, but have repeatedly visited distant parts, embracing other large towns in the island of Java; sometimes extending their tours to places more remote, including the western coast of the Malayan peninsula, Borneo, and Bali-preaching the gospel and distributing the scriptures, and in many places never before visited by a mis-brought me the texts in their own language and

Progress of the Society's Missions in the ceedingly glad to see us, especially as their so