5. UPPER EGYPT.—AN ADMIRABLE MISSION. You have heard of the work of the Board of American Missions of the United Presbyterian Church of America in EGYPT. We have to-day visited the station of the mission at OSIOOT, the centre of the work in Upper Egypt, and been greatly interested in the account given us by Dr. Hogg, who is in charge of it. The aim is to evangelise the Copts, and through them to work upon the native (Moslem) population. The agencies are, first, elementary schools, of which there are in all eleven in Upper Egypt; then, upper schools and a college for training teachers and pastors here, to which the most able scholars are transferred, and also the formation of churches with native pastors over them, and the encouragement of preaching and visiting from house to house by the members of the churches. Eight students were licensed by the Presbytery as pastors last year, and nine are in preparation for the present year. There are eleven churches (in Upper Egypt) with 451 members, and many of them have called and either wholly or in part support their own ministers. For instance, that in Osioot has just called a young student (one of the eight mentioned above) and offered him twelve napoleons a month as income. They have 105 members, and, to their honour be it said, declined the offer of the Mission Board to aid them in raising this sum. As I said, this is the headquarters of the mission and the principal church. When first churches are formed at other places the adherents are classed as members of the parent church, and supplied with teachers from the college until they are strong enough to be independent and in some measure to support a minister; then they take an independent position. "In the school here there are ninety boys and twenty-five girls who are boarders. All are taught the usual elementary subjects, with English as a 'classical language;' and in the advanced division (the college), algebra and advanced mathematics, mental philosophy, some elementary science, and theology. Dr. Hogg is also taking them through a course of ecclesiastical history with Mosheim, which is translated into Arabic as a text-book. He showed me the proof sheets of an Arabic edition of Tonic Sol-fa tunes which will shortly be issued, and even now he teaches from the modulator, and has succeeded in getting the children to sing our English tunes-a difficult thing, because the scales they have been used to are quite different, and the tunes very monotonous. The result of eleven years' work is certainly very great. "There are good schools established by Government in all the chief towns and large villages: the teaching is at present inefficient, but improving. Many of the teachers are blind, it having been considered (as was the case with us) that if people could do nothing else they might teach." 6. THE "JOHN WILLIAMS.” Under date December 20th, 1875, the Rev. J. P. SUNDERLAND writes as follows:-" You will be glad to learn that the ship John Williams has reached Sydney in safety. We had rumours of her being wrecked, but we did not put any trust in these reports, and we were glad to see her back after a very successful voyage. The vessel is in first-rate order, and when she gets a new mizen-topmast she could go out to-morrow for another six months' cruise." 7. INCIDENTS OF AFRICAN TRAVEL. The Rev. A. J. WOOKEY, of Motito, Bechuana Country, South Africa, in a letter recently addressed to the Directors, writes:-"Perhaps one or two of our adventures on our return from Graham's Town, though scarcely worth writing about, may not be uninteresting. The first was at the Fish River, which Mr. Price will remember well. The bridge had been washed away, and we had to cross by the drift. We came to the drift just before sun-down, and hoped to get over while still daylight. We came through the water to this side, the bank of which was very muddy and slippery. The fore wheels came out, but the hind ones stuck fast at the edge of the water. After vainly trying to move them, I hooked the oxen on again behind the wagon, and pulled it back to give it a fresh start. By this time it was dark and very cold. The wagon was in the middle of the river, and we were working in water nearly up to our waists. I could not get the wagon to move. I had to carry Mrs. Wookey and the children from the wagon to the bank, and finally take them to a small hotel not far off. I returned, and we unloaded the wagon; and, after several hours' work, succeeded in getting it a yard or two out of the water. We tied the oxen up and went to sleep, though not comfortably, as the colonial rivers are liable to come down in floods at almost any time when rains have been falling. Howsome transport riders came down in the morning, and helped us out, and I loaded up, and came on, thankful that matters had been no worse. ever, "My other adventure was near home, about thirty-five miles from Kuruman. I had left the wagon-road and the wagon coming on behind, and was walking in the grass and bushes about half a mile from the road, when, much to my surprise, a large tiger jumped up in the grass at a distance of forty or fifty paces. He lay down again, watching me, with his long tail lashing his sides, and as if waiting to make a spring. I considered a moment what to do. To think of running away were worse than useless, and having only a fowlingpiece, I was afraid to fire unless at a shorter distance, so as to be sure of killing him. I advanced slowly towards him, and he sprang up, and commenced to growl and tear up the ground with his fore-paws. He made one spring towards me, and stood, and I stood too, we looking at each other, for nearly a minute, when, much to my relief, he turned round, and, with a growl, disappeared in the grass. I felt I had been providentially delivered from a great danger." 8. ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1875. The larger edition of the EIGHTY-FIRST REPORT (with light green wrapper) being exhausted, the Directors will feel greatly obliged to their friends if they will kindly return any copies, not appropriated, to the Mission House, Blomfield Street, London, as early as practicable. VII. Acknowledgments. The thanks of the Directors are respectfully presented to the following viz. : For Rev. S. McFarlane, New Guinea.-To the For Rev. S. Ella, Uvea.-To the Missionary Working Class, Castle Gate, Sabbath School, Shrewsbury, per Miss M. E. Haskard, for a Box of Clothing. For Rev. J. Chalmers, Rarotonga.-To W. Peck over, Esq., Wisbech, for Stationery, value £2. -To the Hare Court Juvenile Missionary Working Association, for a Parcel of Clothing, value £5. For Rev. Dr. G. Turner, Samoa.-To the Juvenile Society, Blackheath, per Miss Williams, for a Box of Work, value £5. For Rev. A. Pearse, Borabora.-To Mrs. Goodwin, Upton Cheyney, for a Parcel of Books, &c., value £4. For Rev. J. Jones, Mare.-To the Missionary Working Society, Hamilton Square Church, Birkenhead, per Mrs. Mann, for case of Clothing, value £30. For Rev. W. Joss, Coimbatoor.-To the Juvenile Missionary Society, Ramsgate, per Miss Sadler, for a Bale of Work.-To the Ladies' Missionary Working Society, North Street, Brighton, for a Case of Work and Useful Articles, value £29 7s. For Rev. J. Hewlett, B.A., Benares.-To the Mis- Ladies' Working Missionary Society, per Mrs. For Rev. S. Matcer, Trevandrum.-To Mrs. Sar- For Rev. W. Lec, Neyoor.-To John Davis, Esq., of Pendlebury, near Manchester, for a Bale of Goods. For Rev. J. Pearse, Madagascar.-To Miss A. For Mr. W. Pool, Madagascar.-To Miss Abbott, of Pensarn, Abergele, for a Parcel of Magazines, Flannel Shirts, &c., value £4. For Mrs. Briggs, Madagascar.-To the Children and Friends at Poyle and Colnbrook, for a Box of Wearing Apparel, Fancy Articles, &c., value £6. For Rev. T. Brockway, Madagascar. For Rev. T. Rogers, Madagascar.-To the Young For Mr. G. A. Shaw, Madagascar. To the Teachers and Scholars of Stratford Sunday School, per Mr. Allen, for a Parcel of Stationery, Calico, &c., value £3 10s. For Rev. J. Peill, Madagascar.-To Mrs. F. Thorp, Ashton-on-Ribble, for a Bale of Clothing, value £7. For Rev. T. T. Matthews, Madagascar.-To Mrs. F. Thorp, Ashton-on-Ribble, for a Bale of Clothing, value £7.-To the Stalybridge Congregational Sunday School, for a Box of School Materials, value £5 10s. For Rev. T. G. Beveridge, Madagascar.-To Mrs. Herington, Fareham, for a Box and Parcel of Wearing Apparel, value £30. For Rev. C. Jukes, Madagascar.-To Little Girls' Sewing Meeting, Queen Street Church, Leeds, for a Parcel of Clothing, value £5. To the Missionary Dorcas Society, Newmarket, per Mrs. Fenn, for a Box of Clothing, &c., value £8 5s. 6d. For Madagascar. To the Foundry Boys' Missionary Society, per W. Martin, Esq., Glas gow, for Three Boxes.-To Miss A. Getty, For Rev. R. B. Taylor, Cradock, South Africa.- For Rev. W. Thompson, Cape Town.-To Mrs. Braithwaite, Kendal, for a Parcel of Clothing, value £2 10s. 2d. For Mrs. Kayser, South Africa.-To the City Temple Working Party, for a Parcel of Clothing. To the Ladies of Hare Court Chapel Working Society, per Mrs. Budden, for a Box of Clothing, value £24. For Rev. W. Alloway, Jamaica.-To Mr. P. Cook, Swansea, for a Parcel of Calicoes, &c., value £10.-To Miss Scrutton, Poplar, for a Parcel of Publications; to Mrs. Challis, Highgate, and to Miss Wedd, Bayswater, for Volumes of the Evangelical Magazine and other Publications. The Rev. John Foreman, Demerara, thankfully acknowledges the receipt of a Box of Prizes for the Sunday Schools, from the Misses Stransom and other Friends at Uxbridge. VIII.-New Year's Sacramental Offering to Widows' Anerley Fund. To 17th February, 1876. LONDON AND ITS VICINITY. 5 25 Catford Bridge-Trinity Cong. Church.. 3 5 6 City Temple 13 13 5 9 7 11 11 12 9 Greenwich Road ............ Hare Court Chapel 19 12 7 Creaton Haverstock Chapel, 14 1 6 Dawlish Highgate Congregational Church ......... 11 9 2 Holloway-Junction Road 5 7 1 Dudley.. Kentish Town Milton Road Kensington ...... Lewisham-High Road. Leyton Congregational Church Marlborough Chapel Offord Road New Thornton Heath-Moffat Road...... Stepney Meeting Streatham Hill 20 0 0 Elswick 1 1 0 200 10 1 115 0 550 500 314 0 330 1 10 0 300 2 14 0 5 12 9 149 10 0 0 14 6 210 0 2 3 0 Glastonbury 2 1 4 13 17 6 0 19 6 3 16 9 5211 9 210 0 12 3 0 2 14 11 5 18 0 7 0 0 310 0 Brighouse Elland... Lightcliffe Park........................... Sion Huddersfield-Hill House Church..... York Street Barnsley-Regent Street Bath-Percy Church 10 10 0 Battley Belper Beverley.............. Isle of Wight Bideford George Street Chapel...... Hamilton Square Bolton-Lion Street Chapel. Bradford Auxiliary— Saltaire..... Bridport Brigg Brighton-Cliftonville Broadwinsor Bromsgrove Bungay Burgess Hill Burnley-Westgate Salem Chapel Burton-on-Trent Bury St. Edmunds-Northgate Street... 3 5 0 200 20 0 300 2 10 0 6 13 2 230 600 15 0 0 1 15 0 200 100 Hull-Fish Street Ipswich-St. Clement's Church East Cowes. 6 16 3 1 18 4 Linton..... 1 1 0 217 6 613 9 0 13 6 28 12 6 961 10 10 10 190 2 2 0 14 0 0 800 200 2 2 0 500 200 0 0 39 11 0 255 Maidstone-Week Street West Borough Church 0 Manchester-Chorlton Road 7 0 56 400 Mansfield Market Harborough Market Weighton ................................................................ Marlborough.............. Marshfield Matlock Bath From 17th December, 1875, to 17th January, 1876. West Bromwich. Congrega- Weston-super-Mare. Messrs. 18 0 0 27 8 8 6 18 7 IRELAND. corn Hall.............. Mrs. E. Bourne.......... Mr. J. Bond.............. 850 050 100 Per Rev. E. A. Wareham. Huntly............ 41 17 3 Antrim 317 6 11 14 7 Ballymena Isla Park. United Presby Banbridge Buncrana (for 1874) Dublin Dundalk Dunmurry 1 14 & 279 64 7 11 4 10 0 458 24 19 7 311 7 146 193 150 5 611 Millseat. Moffatt. terian Church, for Native Loughgall.. Teacher under Rev. Wm. Richhill Ashton, South Africa.... 10 0 |