T 11.—Travancore—Nagercoil. HE district of NAGERCOIL takes its name from the village of Nagercoil, the principal station of South-East Travancore. This is now a large Christian village of 800 souls, and is about one mile from three populous heathen towns. This station, besides the printing-office, the large girls' boarding-school, and the native church, contains the SEMINARY of the mission, with its boys' school, and classes for theological students and school teachers. The mission was commenced in the year 1809. Present missionaries, Revds. J. DUTHIE, S. JONES, and G. O. NEWPORT. In the obituary record presented by the Nagercoil Mission for the year 1875 the number of deaths as stated is 134. Of these seventeen were church members; one was an evangelist; three were catechists; one had been a catechist, but was for years laid aside from active service through age and infirmity. The report adds: "A number whose lives were exemplary have, we are sure, gone to be with Christ. The remainder for the most part believing on Him, we trust, with hearts unto righteousness, had hope in their death." In selecting a few individuals for special remark, the Rev. S. JONES writes: "The first to claim attention is GNANAPIRAGASAM. He was born of heathen parents at MAYILADI in the year 1786. The first twenty years of his life were passed in total ignorance of the true God and in idolatrous practices of the most abominable and degrading character. The devil was in all his thoughts-was the only god he worshipped, the only master he served. As yet, the Light of Life had not visited Travancore. But the dawn was at hand, and our esteemed friend was one of the very first to catch its beams. Indeed, that blessed dawn appeared first of all among his own relatives. It happened on this wise. His cousin, Maga Rayan, afterwards called Vathamanikkam, while on a pilgrimage to Tanjore, to worship at a celebrated shrine of Siva, chanced to hear the Rev. J. C. Kohloff, of the Tranquebar Mission, preach, and was so wrought upon by the truth that he sought further instruction, embraced the Christian religion with all his soul, and became a new creature. Returning to Mayiladi he lost no time in proclaiming the 'Good News,' and urged upor. his relations, with all earnestness, the importance of giving themselves to Christ without delay. The first to obey the call was PERUMAL, afterwards called GNANAMUTTHU, the elder brother and guardian (both his parents were now dead) of GNANAPIRAGASAM. Others soon followed. So, without a missionary, by the influence and teaching of one Christian native only recently converted originated Protestant Christianity in South Travancore. Shortly after, when the Rev. W. T. Ringeltaube, by the invitation and entreaty of Vathamanikkam, came to Mayiladi (from Tranquebar) he found a number of people quite ready for baptism. Among those was the subject of this sketch, who was then in his twentysecond year. Baptism, however, did not give pardon and peace. He speaks of himself at this time as having been greatly distressed by certain texts; such as, 'Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' 'If any man be in Christ he is a new creature,' &c. Baptism had but made him a Christian outwardly. He must also, he felt, experience the Washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost.' This great inward change he earnestly sought and joyfully found, and never afterwards lost the sense of complete acceptance with God through Jesus Christ. "The next forty-eight years of this good man's life were spent in the service of the Mission as schoolmaster, catechist, and superintendent of the mission rice-fields respectively. For fifteen years he laboured as catechist at Tamaraculam, with great zeal and much success. The chapel was enlarged and again became too small. The congregation rose to the number of 1,100 souls; a church was formed; three schools were established; Bibleclasses were begun and vigorously maintained; village-to-village and house-to-house visitation was carried on; and preaching to the heathen occupied no small share of our friend's time and attention. At this time Mr. Mault speaks of him and his work in the highest terms; and Messrs. Bennet and Tyreman speak of his as 'a model native church.' Several who had received no instruction but what he gave them were appointed by Mr. Mault as catechists and teachers; and five or six, at the request of Mr. Thomson were sent to Quilon to engage in mission work, concerning whose piety and diligence honorable testimony was borne in after years. "Whilst a faithful and diligent worker in the church and the world, Gnanapiragasam was not unmindful of his own household. He strove to train up his children in the way they should go, and had the satisfaction of seeing them all become good and useful men and women. His two daughters were married to catechists. His eldest son is a well-known Chris tian poet. Many of the Lyrics in the volume published by the Madras Tract Society (a book greatly prized by Christians and others everywhere in the Tamil country-many thousand copies of which have already been sold) were composed by him. Another son was a most dovoted and useful catechist. "But we must stop. Our limited space forbids the record of many interesting facts and anecdotes regarding the life and labours of this exemplary servant of Christ. For honesty, industry, consistency, hospitality, faithfulness, brotherly kindness and charity, humility, readiness to forgive injuries, and return good for evil, love of prayer and the house of God, desire for the prosperity of Zion and the conversion of souls, success in attempting to establish the kingdom of heaven-for all these things he has had few equals, perhaps no superior in these missions. During the last twelve years he was very feeble. As often as strength would permit he went to the sanctuary, but for the most part was unable to move beyond his own door. seemed never to tire in relating the story of God's mercy to all who visited him. He would often say 'I am quite ready to go, but the Master's order has not yet come." When asked, a little before death, whether he felt sure he was going to Christ, he replied, with a pleasant laugh, 'To whom shall I go if not to Him?" Several times he was thought to have passed away. His coffin was prepared and his friends assembled for the funeral, when to the astonishment of all he revived. At last, on the 4th of July this year, the long expected call home had really come, for the spirit of our brother was found to be not in the flesh." He III.—Central South Africa. HE group of stations forming the Society's mission in Central South Africa extends some five hundred miles north of the Kuruman. Of the six towns at present occupied, the most distant are INYATI and HOPE FOUNTAIN Comprising the MATEBELE mission and lying only a few days journey south of the Victoria Falls. In 1859, in two bands, missionaries of the Society set forth for the purpose of founding new missions among the MAKOLOLO and the MATEBELE. Disasters broke up the first. The second was established successfully at INYATI, and although it has encountered many difficulties, it has since grown in influence. In the year 1871, on the re-arrangement of the kingdom, the Rev. J. B. THOMSON opened a new station at HOPE FOUNTAIN. The occupation of SHOSHONG, the head quarters of the Bamangwato tribe, as a mission station took place in 1865. The present missionary is the Rev. J. D. HEPBURN. MOLEPOLOLE called also LOHAHENG, is the principal town of the BAKUENA tribe, ruled by the chief SECHELE. The mission was commenced at KOLOBENG by Dr. LIVINGSTONE thirty-four years ago; was destroyed by the Boers and abandoned; but was re-opened at the new station by the Rev. ROGER PRICE in the year 1866. Labours among the BAWANGKITSI located in and around KANYE, were commenced by the Rev. JAMES GOOD, who removed thither from Shoshong in the year 1871. The Directors have only recently taken up the mission at MOTITO, which was formerly under the care of the Paris Missionary Society. The condition of the station, as he formed it, is thus described by the Rev. A. WOOKEY at the close of last year :"We have no building here at present to use for church or school, but we meet under the shade of a splendid large willow tree close by, which, wind and rain excepted, is a very pleasant substitute." Under date May 18th, Mr. WOOKEY gives the following gratifying report of the completion and opening of the new church at MOTITO :— "In my last letter to you I think I mentioned that we were about building a place of worship here. I am happy to say that it is now an accomplished fact. I set the people to work to cut timber for the walls and roof, and also reeds and grass for thatching. I need not enter into the particulars of the building, except to say that after three or four months' hard work, we had it ready for opening last Sunday, May 14th. Mr. Moffat kindly came over to preach for us, with Mrs. Moffat and family. The fact that such services were to be held had become generally known, and we had a number of strangers here from all parts of the district. Four young men came on pack-oxen at least a hundred miles. On Friday last we held our first church meeting in the new church, and twelve new members, who had been selected from twentyfive candidates, were admitted. On Saturday Mr. and Mrs. Moffat and some other friends arrived from Kuruman. The people were all excitement, and on Sunday the church, which holds a few over two hundred people, was closely packed. We had very interesting services. Eleven adults were baptized, and about seventy sat down in the afternoon to the ordinance of the Lord's Supper. We commence with a church of sixty members. At the church meeting we appointed one of the members as teacher and schoolmaster at Morokwain. Another is at Pitsane, working in connection with the church here. Another young man was received into the church, who resides at Konke, a town beyond Morokwain, and nearer the Desert. When I visited the people nearly two years ago, I gave him a spelling-book, with which he set to work to learn to read, getting help wherever he could. I was surprised to find the other day that he could read well, and had obtained a good knowledge of the New Testament. He now returns to his dark, benighted fellow-townsmen as the only representative of Christ's Church, to carry on His work amongst them. We are hoping much from these men in this way. My idea is to have as many as possible of such workers in connection with our church here, and to visit them as often as I can. I am hoping, too, that we shall be able to form a kind of union with the churches of Kuruman district under Mr. Moffat's charge. "But to return from this digression. On Monday we had a grand feast in commemoration of the church opening. For a fortnight previously I had been making a collection from the natives themselves in aid of the feast. I collected about five pounds, mostly in sixpences and shillings. Coffee and sugar was given by some friends, and also most of the meal for bread. The people themselves brought milk. Early on Monday twelve goats were slaughtered; and about two dozen pots of various sizes-some of the Sechuana ones being an enormous size-were set a-going to cook the meat. I can assure you it was a sight well worth seeing: as the time went on the crowd became thicker and more noisy; for if ever a Mocwana enjoys himself, it is when large cooking is going on, and there is a prospect of a good feed. The crowd adjourned to the shade of a large weeping willow, to which the meat was carried in large native dishes, and divided amongst them. While they were eating the meat the pots were put on again for boiling water for coffee, an enormous quantity of which was made and distributed in buckets. Each one received also a large piece of bread, and, I think, for once in their lives, they all had enough to eat. A short address and three cheers for Mr. Moffat concluded the feast. We had, at least, three hundred people present. In the evening Mr. Moffat exhibited his magic lantern in the church, which was again crowded. A short address from Mr. Moffat, and salutations from the people, closed the proceedings of a very pleasant day, and one which will not be soon forgotten by those who were present. "In a few days we hope to start on a journey to visit all our out-stations; and I am anxious to devote as much as possible of this winter to establishing schools in the district at the various towns and villages." 2. KANYE.-REV. J. GOOD. Reviewing a period of five years' labour, the missionary records his conviction that, in the social status of the native tribes no less than in the tone of feeling and action manifested by individuals, evidence is afforded that the Gospel is gradually leavening the mass of heathenism by which he is surrounded. Addressing the Directors, Mr. Good writes: "You remind me that I was the first to occupy this station, and ask whether I have found satisfaction and usefulness. I am most happy to answer the question in the affirmative. I have from the day of my arrival to the present been treated by the chief and his people with the greatest respect, and my teaching has been listened to by many with pleasing attention; and although I have not much of the couleur de rose in my composition, I should be a very inattentive observer indeed were I not able to trace surprising marks of progress in this tribe during the last few years. "The outward indications of it are seen on every hand; even the traders themselves have often expressed their surprise to me at the immense quantity of clothing purchased by the natives; and the beads and trinkets of half-a-dozen years ago find a very slow market, and are only patronized by that class which may very properly be called intensely heathen. Ploughs, again, ought to be taken as a mark of civilization and advancement amongst them-seeing they have been the means of delivering the women from that intolerable drudgery (to which the treadmill would be a treat), the digging of immense gardens with a broad bladed pick, at a time of the year when the rains have not fallen, and consequently the heat is, even to them, most distressing,-and these implements, I am glad to say, may now be found in almost every family. "The outward observance of the Sabbath is another pleasing evidence of this progress. I have often been surprised at their self-denial, even when the rains had begun to fall, and it would have been to their advantage to commence at once with energy their agricultural operations. They have waited until the Sabbath was passed, and although I can see numbers of gardens from my own door, I have very rarely seen, during the last two years, even one of the owners ploughing on the Sabbath; not that I would affirm that there is no such thing, but I can say that the difference made betwixt the Sabbath and the other days of the week is very gratifying." 3. PUBLIC WORSHIP. Besides showing an outward reverence for the Sabbath by refraining from ordinary labour, growing numbers of the natives attend the House of God, and appear to take an intelligent interest in the services of the sanctuary. "When I commenced my labours amongst them," adds Mr. Good, "I used to meet a mere handful in the Chief's enclosure, where we were permitted on sufferance, and where we were being continually disturbed by the arrival of some stranger with news from a distant tribe, the unedifying conversation of parties of men sitting in groups, preparing and sewing the |