Minister, for what they have done now is good beyond all expression.' "Then said the Prime Minister, 'I will carry your words to the Queen.' And when he had gone in and told the Queen what had been said, her Majesty looked out at the door and said, 'The Prime Minister has told me all you have said, and I thank you. May you live well and happily. Blessing from God on you, for it is good.' Truly, the thanks and the benediction coming from the Queen made all hearts glad, and all who were present thanked the Queen. "And the Queen also then gave three lambas to Itsikora, and two each to the chiefs, and a red cloth hat 4.-PLANS FOR THE FUTURE. The Native Missionary Society may now be regarded as fairly established, with the adhesion of the Queen, the Prime Minister, and the Palace Church. The whole scheme originated with the Churches, and every point has been decided by them. Mr. Wills adds :— "When our friends are fairly off, which will be before this letter leaves, we shall be considering as to the future, and I trust we shall at once seek for more men to be ready to go to the Tanosy, south of the Bara, as originally intended, when the Queen's messengers come back. "We do not yet know what the subscription of the Church Anati Rova will be, but I do not think we need hesitate on the score of funds, seeing we have £30 from the London Missionary Society, and £15 from the Friends' Foreign Mission Association, to fall back upon also. "RAINISOAMANANA, the senior of the missionaries, takes his wife with him and their little child. The pastors in town tried to persuade him to leave the child-who is but two or three years old-and they offered to take entire charge of it, to clothe and feed and educate and look after it; but the mother could not part with it. "He has been attending at the hospital at Analakely for some time past, and has had instructions from Dr. Davidson as to the use of a few medicines which he is taking with him. "Both are quiet, steady men, of no particular brightness, but apparently prudent men, and men who, by the help of God, may be exceedingly useful among the dark tribe to which they are just gone." It is requested that all remittances of Contributions be made to the REV. ROBERT ROBINSON, Home Secretary, Mission House, Blomfield Street, London, E.C.; and that if any portion of these gifts is designed for a specific object, full particulars of the place and purpose may be given. Cheques should be crossed Bank of England, and Post-office Orders made payable at the General Post-office. YATES & ALEXANDER, Printers, Chancery Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, IV.-Notes of the Monty. 1. DEPARTURE OF A MISSIONARY. MR. WILLIAM POOL, returning to MADAGASCAR, embarked for Mauritius, per French steamer, July 1st. 2. ARRIVALS IN ENGLAND. MRS. JOHNSON, wife of the Rev. W. JOHNSON, and four children from CALCUTTA, North India, per steamer City of Manchester, May 13th. MRS. MAWBEY, wife of the Rev. W. G. MAWBEY, and family from CUDDAPAH, South India, per steamer Eldorado, May 20th. MRS. PETTIGREW, wife of the Rev. GEORGE PETTIGREW, from British Guiana, per Eta, June 28th. 3. DEATH OF REV. HENRY NISBET, LL.D., OF SAMOA. When describing last month the visit paid by DR. NISBET to the out-stations of the Samoan mission, the Directors little anticipated that it would soon devolve upon them to announce the removal of our brother from his most useful sphere of labour. Equally sudden and unexpected was that removal to his family and the missionary brethren around him. The Rev. S. J. WHITMEE, under date May 11th, writes :-"To-day a painful duty falls to my lot. I have to announce the death of Dr. NISBET, which took place on the 9th inst., at the age of fiftyeight. Although I was present with our dear brother when he died, and committed his body to the tomb yesterday, I can scarcely yet bring myself to feel that he has really gone from us." Dr. NISBET left England in the month of August, 1840, so that at the date of his death he had entered upon the thirtysixth year of his missionary life. In July, 1841, our brother left Sydney in the Camden, for SAMOA, and resided on the island of UPOLU for nearly twelve months. In the following year he again embarked with Dr. TURNER in the Camden for their appointed destination in the island of TANNA, in the NEW HEBRIDES. Shortly after their settlement on that island, the threatening and hostile proceedings of its barbarous inhabitants rendered it prudent to seek refuge by flight. Messrs. Nisbet and Turner thereupon escaped in an American vessel, and arrived at Samoa in February, 1843. Since the above period our brother's labours have been carried on in the Samoan group, but at different islands, for many years, and at the time of his death he was joint tutor with the Rev. Dr. TURNER in the MALUA Institution. During his visit to this country in the year 1870 the degree of LL.D. was conferred upon Mr. Nisbet by the University of Glasgow. The following incidents connected with his last illness and death have been furnished by Mr. Whitmee:"I saw Dr. Nisbet on the evening of the 5th of May, when he complained of having a cold. The doctor pronounced his disease to be a sharp attack of influenza, but did not anticipate any serious consequences. A change, however, came over him; his symptoms became worse, and after eleven A.M. on May 9th he was not again sensible. The funeral took place at ten o'clock on the morning of the 10th of May. A service was held in the Institution class-room which was crowded with the students, their wives, the native pastors, and others from the neighbourhood. Mr. Royle, of Aitutaki, and Dr. G. A. Turner were presert. We sang the Samoan version of For ever with the Lord, after which I read some appropriate passages of Scripture, and the native pastor Tonga offered a most affecting prayer. We then went to the grave, where I conducted a short service." The loss to the Society and the Samoan mission in particular by the removal of Dr. NISBET is very great. From his length of service, his largo experience, and eminent adaptation to his appointed work, he was looked upon as one of the leaders in the mission alike by his brethren and by the native churches. To his widow, his colleagues, and the members of the native community whom he so well and so faithfully served, the Directors tender their most affectionate sympathy. 4. DEATH OF MRS. THOMSON, OF NEYOOR. Our brother, Dr. T. S. THOMSON, Superintendent of the South Travancore Medical Mission, has, in the mysterious providence of God, been called thus early in his missionary career to mourn the removal of his devoted wife. Three and a half years since Mrs. THOMSON left our shores for India with bright hopes of lengthened service in the Lord's vineyard. She at once entered heartily into the work of female education, and was instrumental in commencing schools for caste girls in the villages surrounding the NEYOOR mission station. To these schools Mrs. Thomson devoted earnest effort and fervent prayer, the fruit of which still remains. Her last thoughts had reference to the carrying forward of these labours. Mrs. THOMSON died on Monday, the 12th of June. |