white population; thus is prejudice dying away.

Our borders also continue to enlarge. We have lately had an opening at StoneyHill, about eleven miles from Kingston. I had been spending a few days with MR. CROFTS, and, on my return home, called there to take a little refreshment, and being desirous of preaching to the people, a lady very kindly offered me the use of her house for that purpose; but as I could not get many people together at that time of the day, I thought it much better to proceed to Kingston, and return on the following Sabbath; which I did, and found a number of people assembled. I discoursed to them on Luke xxiii. 46, 47; and, after service, found upwards of twenty soldiers seriously disposed, whom I formed into two classes. MR. HORNE has visited them since, and I am happy to hear from him that their number has increased. This place, if properly attended to, will, by and by, be a most desirable station, as it is in the centre of a large population. There are three estates within a mile, or little more, containing

about eight hundred slaves; and several more estates, not more than three miles off. A considerable number of respectable families, of free condition, are also settled there, besides a garrison of several hundreds of soldiers, who are permitted to attend service. The gentlemen around, with whom I have had frequent interviews, are very friendly, and, I think, things at present wear a very pleasing aspect. We intend visiting them once a fortnight, until the end of the year.

It will also doubtless give you equal pleasure to hear, that we have got a favourable opening at Port-Royal. I attended the Court of Quarter Sessions, held on the 27th ult., in order to get a license to officiate occasionally there; and having with me letters of introduction from some of the Magistrates and other Gentlemen in this city, (in which they kindly pledged themselves for my "correct conduct,") I was not even requested to take the oaths, but obtained permission in the most polite manner. We have engaged a house to preach in at present.

Extract of a Letter from MR. HORNE, dated Kingston, Sept. 2, 1822. I transmit you the Report of the state of this Society, after the examination at the June Quarter. At that period there were in the Kingston Society, Free Persons, 1793; Slaves, 2217; total 4010: the increase being, since December last, 291; during which time, thirteen have departed this life, and thirty-four have withdrawn. The free people in Society are chiefly persons of colour. The state of our people is in general very gratifying to those who are labouring to "feed the flock of GOD."

efforts. The only thing more I intend to mention under this article, is the course I have judged it necessary to take with persons asking permission to come to the LORD's Table. These I have met at sun-rise, on the Friday prior to the Sacrament, and examined and instructed them.

We have held a Missionary PrayerMeeting on the first Monday of the month, this year, and most of the other Brethren have adopted the practice, which, it is to be hoped, may lead to other Missionary

The foundation-stone of our new Chapel was laid July 18, amidst a vast crowd of spectators. We have commenced subscriptions among our people, and also among all others to whom we can have access. In applying to the white population we began with the Aldermen and Common-Council, and I am happy to inform you that we have met with great success.

Extract of a Letter from MR. RATCLIFFE, dated Montego Bay, July 10, 1822. You will be pleased to hear, that the Mission here, and that in the town of St. Ann's, continue to present the most encouraging hope; for though our numbers are yet but small, they are steady in their profession, and adorn the "doctrine of GOD our SAVIOUR." We, therefore, sow the seed of the kingdom in faith, and every new quarter affords us great cause for gratitude to him, who gives effect to the ministry of reconciliation. As it regards this town and neighbourhood, I am free to say, that a considerable change has taken place; and so

obvious are its effects, both among the blacks, and free brown population, that persons who, in the commencement of our Mission here, opposed the plans of the Society, are now very friendly to its objects, and encourage their slaves to attend the chapel. Of late a number of marriages have taken place among the people of colour; and those who are acquainted with the peculiar habits of this country, cannot but view this as a most important step towards the moral improvement of this class of society. Our congregations are becoming large and

BARBADOES.-The following extract of a Letter from MR. SHREWSBURY, dated Barbadoes, July 31, 1822, will afford great pleasure to our friends, as it exhibits encouraging prospects of success on a Mission, which, till lately, has disappointed every hope, and has been several times suspended. I HAVE never enjoyed greater satisfaction in corresponding with you from this station, than at the present hour. The wilderness begins to blossom as the rose, and streams to flow in the desert.

The Society has received an accession of twenty members, during the quarter, and four persons have been lately received on trial. Most of those who have joined us are young persons: some of them a few months ago were exceedingly wicked and depraved. One conversion is remarkable, and worthy of more than ordinary notice. The Youth who is the subject of this gracious change, was abandoned to every vice. On Easter-Eve he spent his time in rioting and dancing, and other excesses, nor did the party of pleasure separate, till the break of morn on the Sabbath. His way home lay past the chapel. It was then the hour of prayer; for we have a prayer-meeting every Sabbath morning at six o'clock. He felt inclined to enter the place; while one was calling on the name of the LORD, he was deeply awakened; and his convictions increased under the sermons that day delivered. Since that day, he has become "a weder unto many; even the wicked admire, while they hate the ⚫ change.

While we thus rejoice in the grace of GOD, as seen in the lives of our members, we have no less reason to rejoice in the happy end of those who have lately been numbered with the dead. This year has already witnessed the removal of four from among us into the eternal world. They were all the fruits of this Mission; they were all brought to GOD in Barbadoes; and here they all died in faith. Surely, this may afford great encouragement, if no other good had resulted from Missionary efforts in this colony.

I have nothing to state concerning my congregation in town more than I informed you of in my last. It continues very large. The chapel is frequently far too small for the number of hearers on the Sabbath-evening. In the country, at the only estate to which I have access, some faint dawnings of good appear; but my expectations of success are by no means sanguine. WILLIAM REECE, Esq., the proprietor, is still very friendly with me, and willing to accede to every proposal I make, for the more effectual spread of Christianity amongst his slaves. The main difficulty is, the slaves themselves have no desire to be instructed; they had much rather be left alone in ignorance and sin.

I am very happy to inform you, that we have been able to form an Auxiliary Missionary Society. A meeting was held for this purpose, in the Wesleyan Chapel, on the 20th of May; SAMUEL PARTRIDGE, ESQ., M. D., in the chair, We were also favoured with the assistance of two Baptist Missionaries, who touched here on the way to their respective appointments; the REV. MR. TINSON, bound for Jamaica, and the REV. MR. BOURNE, bound for Honduras Bay. Those brethren preached the preparatory sermons on the preceding Sabbath. The Missionary Meeting was tolerably well attended. The collections, on the Sabbath and on the following day, were very good; some individuals gave liberally. I cannot ascertain exactly the sum we shall be able to raise; but we expect to make an annual remittance of not less than £50 sterling.

ARRIVAL OF MISSIONARIES.

We have the pleasure to state the safe arrival of MR. and MRS. Turner, and MR. WHITE, at New South Wales, on their way to New Zealand.

EXTRACTS FROM THE PROCEEDINGS OF OTHER
MISSIONARY SOCIETIES.

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.-The following is from the last Number of the Missionary Register, and relates to a Mission which, as connected with the revival of religion in the ancient Syrian Church, will create a special interest in the prayers and good wishes of the friends of Missions:TRAVANCORE. The Appendix to the Fourth Report of the Society's Corresponding Committee at Madras, contains the account of a visit to its Mission in Travancore, by the REV. JAMES HOUGH, Chaplain to the East India Company, which will be read with pleasure by all who take an interest in the revival of the Syrian Church.

In introducing this Report, the Cor

responding Committee observe, in re ference to COLONEL NEWALL," The Committee perform a gratifying duty in stating, that the Missionaries in TraVancore make grateful acknowledgment of the countenance afforded to them and to the Syrian Church, by the present British Resident in that country."

The Committee proceed," They indulge a persuasion that this Document

Missionary Notices.

will be perused with particular pleasure by the members of the Society, and by all who appreciate the claims of the Syrian Church on the benevolence of the Protestant Churches of Europe; whose deliverance from the spiritual tyranny of the Romish Church was effected by the Providence of ALMIGHTY GOD, at a period nearly coincident with the subjugation to that baneful power of their Syrian brethren in India. The rapacity and intolerance of those foreign oppressors roused a spirit of resistance among a portion of its victims, ere little more than half a century had elapsed; and a remnant of the people succeeded, amidst every possible discouragement and difficulty, in accomplishing their deliverance from the bondage in which they had been held. That remnant has succeeded in maintaining to this day the separation then effected, notwithstanding continual endeavour on the part of the Romish Ecclesiastical Authorities of the country, to bring them again under their power. The connexion with the Romish Church, during a period of sixty years, had, however, introduced a lamentable declension in the religious principles and mode of worship, and in the habits of most of the Clergy of the Syrian Church; and the morals of the people experienced a correspondent deterioration. These evils unhappily survived the union with the Romish Church, from which they had chiefly proceeded. Political degradation accompanied the decay of religion and social virtue; and, in this state of general depression they have continued, until attention was lately excited to their situation."

MR. HOUGH thus describes their worship:-" I reached Cotym on Saturday evening, December 9, 1820; and attended the Syrian worship, the next morning, in the College Chapel. Here I could expect nothing to gratify me; but I was not prepared to witness so much superstition in their service: had I not known the contrary, I should certainly have supposed myself in a Roman Catholic Chapel, and have mistaken their service for the celebration of Mass. The incense, the adoration of the host, and the frequent crossings and prostrations before the crucifix, struck me as being the same, or closely resembling the forms observed in the Church of Rome. The Syriac language, in which the prayers were read, is as unintelligible to the people as Latin is to the major part of Roman Catholics. But, notwithstanding this, one part of the service darted, like a beam of light, through the gloom that overhung the rest; and inspired the hope, that a brighter day was dawning on this an

cient, but much degenerated Church :a portion of St. Matthew's Gospel was read in Malayalim, tongue of the congregation. It seemed the vernacular like the lamp of GoD still enlightening the temple; and elicited the involuntary with a brighter and more steady flame! prayer, that, ere long, it might burn There was no discourse at the conclusion of the prayers.

Church service in Malayalim, per"In the evening, I attended our formed by MR, BAILEY in one of the Syrian Churches: about ten Catanars and one hundred and fifty Syrians were present; and they appeared to be very attentive, particularly to the sermon. It was singular to see the person, who, in the morning, officiated as Priest at the Syrian altar, now performing the office of Clerk to MR. BAILEY: this who expresses his admiration of most was the Head Malpan of the College; of our prayers, and will permit no one else to read the responses.

at MR. BAILEY'S request, with the
"Next morning I had an interview,
learned native whom he is employing
in the translation of the Testament into
Malayalim. He is well acquainted with
Tamul; and the object of my conver-
sation with him was,
whether he sufficiently understood the
to ascertain
make use of it in his translation. MR.
Tamul Version of the Testament to
BAILEY is too judicious a man, and too
deeply interested in his work, to leave
any thing to the Moonshee, or to follow
any Version: nevertheless, the Tamul
affords as much assistance to the Moon-
BAILEY; and he seemed to know how
shee as the English can do to MR.
to use it with advantage. From what
I could learn of the portion of the Testa-
prospect of their possessing, ere long,
ment already finished, there is every
a good Malayalim translation of the
Sacred Book.

College, where I spent the remainder
"MR. FENN next took me to the
of the day in examining the Students.
appearance of a School than of a Col-
At present, the institution has more the
lege; but the plan, which the Mis-
sionaries are about to adopt, of estab-
most eligible stations, from which the
lishing three Grammar-Schools at the
for the College, must have the effect of
most promising youths are to be selected
raising its character. But even now,
does credit to themselves and their
the progress of several of the students
teachers. A few of them discovered a
degree of intelligence that surprised me;
and one, in particular, who has begun
Latin, parsed what he read as accurately
as an English scholar could have done,

THE following extracts from the REV. S. MARSDEN'S Journal of his third visit to New Zealand, afford further illustration of the superstitions of the Natives.