part of the Word of the living God in a language understood by about thirty millions of his subjects. I immediately received orders to distribute as many copies as we had got ready. I then sent copies to the members of the Imperial Family, and several of the leading members of our Committee; which caused much joy to them and their families. The day before yesterday our Committee met, when I had copies prepared for the remaining members; and, the business being ended, and my packages opened, every_copy was speedily carried away. We are likely to be, in a manner, devoured at the depot, by the people, eagerly soliciting copies, and begging to be allowed to deposit money in order to secure them. A second edition to the number of 10,000 copies, was immediately ordered, and two sheets are already composed. We have orders to send away copies of the Scriptures, for about 120,000 rubles. I have received the Gospel of Matthew, in the Karelian language, which is of Finnish origin, and spoken in the government of Twer, to print it for the poor people who speak this language. They were quite overjoyed to hear that they were likely to have the Word of Life in a language they understand. The members of our excellent Society in Tobolsk inform us, that they have found opportunities to get the Gospels translated into two new languages, spoken in Siberia, the Rangusian and Chapoginian. You see we bid fair to rival our friends in the East, in the number of translations. Matthew is translated into the Tschuwashian, and the other three Gospels are in a state of forwardness. This is going forward under the direction of our Societies in Kazan and Simbirsk. The works will be printed at Kazan. Our friends in Georgia are full of animation; they have collected not less than 18,000 rubles; which in whatever light it be viewed, is a considerable sum for them. In one of my late letters, I mentioned, that the boys of the High School at Odessa had petition

ed to be allowed to form a Juvenile Bible Society. This being granted, a meeting was held, attended by the most respectable inhabitants of the place. The parents of the children were present, their teachers, and all the Committee of the Auxiliary So. ciety of that place. The business was conducted in the most solemn and impressive manner.

Immediately after the public meeting, the children held a Committee, when their young Secretary, with the aid of the Secretary of the Odessa Society, conducted the business. They commenced by distributing copies of the Scriptures, to the amount of forty rubles, to their poorer school-fellows, and this money had been collected by themselves. Every letter from Moldavia brings us glad tidings of the progress of the work in that province, and also in Wallachia. The demand for copies of the Scriptures is very great, and daily increasing. This seems to be more particularly the case in the Turkish part of these provinces. The Metropolitan there has applied for 700 copies of the New Testament, chiefly for the priests, to each of whom he intends giving a copy. They have, ere now, received 2,000 copies.

One priest writes, that, happening to read a portion of the Testament to a poor man, who could not read himself, and who had never heard the Scriptures read in his own language before; the poor man, after listening for a time with attention, burst into tears and exclaimed: "How sweet are these words to my mouth!" The Bishop of Ackermann and Bender is particularly active. The Kishinew Society has collected more than 4,000 rubles in one month. We lately sent 600 Bibles to the Society in Resan; but they write to us, that they had scarcely opened the cases, before they were all disposed of. We shall send them 1,000 copies as soon as we can get them bound. Sixteen new Bible Associations have been established in various parts of the Empire.

SOUTH AFRICA.

THE information afforded by Mr CAMPBELL, in the following Letter, is particularly pleasing, especially as it regards the rapid progress of civilization at Pacalt's dorp. It affords another proof of the great advantage of sending missionaries to the heathen, even to the most wild and degraded among them, inasmuch as not only the invaluable blessings of the Gospel are thereby communicated, but they are at the same time elevated from their wretched condi. tion of sloth, and want, and misery, and rendered happy and comfortable in the present life.

• REV. AND DEAR SIR,

'OUR last letter to the Directors was from Caledon Institution, in the district of Zwellendam, in which we laid before them a pretty full statement of our transactions there.

'We left Caledon Institute on Thursday, the 27th of May, and arrived on the evening of June 2. at Hoogte Kraal, now called Pacalt'sdorp, where we met with a welcome reception from Mr and Mrs Messer, and many of the Hottentots, by whom we were soon surrounded.

'We were prepared to expect to see great improvements, but what we witnessed greatly surpassed our expectations. Six years ago, when our late brother Pacalt arrived at the Kraal of Hottentots residing there, not a field or garden was to be seen, nothing but a few miserable huts, and the inhabitants clothed in tattered sheep skins. Every thing wore the aspect of extreme wretch edness. Now it is surrounded by a strong wall six feet high, five feet thick at bottom, and two at top, and measures 6,767 feet round. Their enclosures for holding horses, oxen, sheep, &c. measure 938 feet; and those enclosing the gardens 3,396 feet. They have two large artificial

pools of water, formed on a declivity with great labour, for affording drink to their cattle. A church capable of containing 200 persons, which is used as a school during the weekwith excellent gardens for every family in the settlement, and extensive fields beyond the outer wall, which they propose enclosing with a wall after the ploughing season is over. These are literally public works, for they are made by the people in a body-men, women, and children assemble and work together, the missionary judging of the most convenient time for calling them out. All ages working together makes it not a toil but a pleasure. We saw them build 330 feet in one day, which was one of the most cheering sights we ever beheld.

When the mission commenced, there was not a yard of cotton cloth to be seen in the Kraal-now, on the Lord's day, almost every female in the place of worship is as neatly attired as those of any country congregation in England. They behave with uncommon decorum during the whole time of worship, and retire with stillness, and in an orderly manner, the women first, then the men and the boys.

There are 24 males, 22 females, 41 boys, and 54 girls belonging to the settlement; but, on the Lord's day, many Hottentots from the neighbourhood regularly attend the worship. We were much pleased on the Sabbath to see the Landdrost and several other gentlemen from the neighbouring town of George, sitting with this congregation of Hottentots. There are generally residing at the institution, between 100 and 200 persons; and between 200 and 300 usually attend divine worship on the Sabbath. Seventy children regularly attend the school

sixty-four persons, old and young, can read. Six boys and seven girls are learning to write and figure. The employments by which the people support themselves, are woodcutting, needle-work, washing at the Drosdy of George, cultivating

their gardens, driving waggons to Cape-Town for farmers and others -the boys gain much by being oxe leaders in journies to Cape. Five waggons are the property of the people, also about 150 oxen, 100 cows, and 53 calves. There is land cultivated for receiving about 100 sacks of wheat-seed.

Mr Pacalt left all his property, which amounts to about 3,000 rix dollars, to the Missionary Society.

We are likely to remain here for some time, as the roads around are infested with infuriated Caffres, with whom the colony is at war. Besides this obstruction, no men can be obtained to go with us, being absent on commandoes against the Caffres. Several thousand men are in arms for that purpose. Many lives have already been lost, and many more are likely to fall, as they mean in a few days to cross the Great Fish River, and enter Caffraria. If the Caffres meet them in the open field, the contest is not likely to continue long; but if they resolve upon bush-fighting, the termination may be distant. Mr Philip is well, but being absent at Uitenhagen, preaching to the sol. diers, and the post going off, I am obliged to send this without his signature. I am, &c.

น

JOHN CAMPBELL.'

Extract from a letter of the Hon. E. Boudinot, President of the American Bible Society, dated Burlington, Feb. 24. 1819.

HAVING suffered, during another month, a pretty close confinement to my bed and room; by the will of God, I gratefully acknowledge undeserved mercy in giving me the expectation of sitting up, and looking a little about me. Indeed I should not have attempted to dictate this letter, had it not been for the receipt of one from a female correspondent, with an Indian name in the Delaware language, which has excited reflections, considerations, and conclusions that it is easier to conceive than to express. I know not what you or my beloved brethren in the Gospel cause may think of it, but I must confess

myself both honoured and gratified by this extraordinary and worthy correspondent.

I enclose an exact copy of the letter, together with the 100 dollars. DEAR SIR, Feb. 1st, 1819.

My heart and eyes are gladdened with a sight long desired-a specimen of the translation of the Scriptures into the language of our western neighbours; and from the impulse of congenial feeling I send you congratulations.

I rejoice with you ;-with you, I raise my soul in grateful adoration to Him who claims "the heathen for his inheritance! and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession!"

Emigrating early to the West, I formed a sort of acquaintance with several Indians; many of whom I respected as men of understanding: and I have often heard them lament the distressing situation of their country--the ungenerous avarice of the whites, and the ungovernable passions of their own people!

About the year 1800, in the month of June, near the middle of the day, as I sat at work in the airy parlour at L, I commanded a view of the smooth green, shaded from the fervour of the sun by the depending boughs of two luxuriant weeping willows, which two years' care had brought to a state of perfection. The harmony of the scene so perfectly accorded with the feelings of my heart, that in that moment I experienced a tranquil deiusive happiness. I ceased to think that in all the earth there was a human being less happy than myself!

This mental rest was interrupted by the entrance of two strangers of uncommon interest in my feelings. The first was my old friend, the Delaware chief, the Great Bock-onjai-hai-lus. I rose to meet him with cordial welcome. After shaking my hand, he said, "Le-na-pah-quay," (a name given me by the Delaware Indians)" this is my friend king Ka-box-ki." They took their seats, and informed me they called for the purpose of taking dinner with me, (having made the engagement with

my husband in the city.) They were on their return from seeing their great father, as they called the President.

King Ka-box-ki was mostly silent; when he spoke, it was in the Delaware tongue he desired his friend to tell me he could not speak English. Bock-on-jai-hai-lus was more communicative; he informed me the President had said they must improve their ground-their young men must learn to plough-their young women must learn to spin. He seemed dejected, but noble and animated in his whole deportment. While we sat at the table, after the cloth was removed, and after some conversation, he said, "Le-na-pahquay, we now go."-" And when shall I see you again?" said I. "Me old," said he, me soon lie down," spreading his hand with a low horizontal motion; then raising his eyes to heaven, and extending his hand towards me, with devout expression, he added, (with an effusion of feeling—I have never seen one more expressive-) "but we shall meet with Jesus!' pathetic ardour and Christian love, I took his hand, inquiring, with rapture, "Do you know Jesus?" He answered with firmness, "Me know Jesus-me love Jesus!" Then, rising from the table, we shook hands solemnly, saying "farewell!"

66

With sym..

My eyes followed their venerable figures till the door closed from my view, for the last time in this world, the Great Bock-on jai-hai-lus, and his friend king Ka-box-ki.

The interview, so truly sublime, interested me more tenderly, to a nation of strangers, than I could have experienced from any other circumstance, and brought to my heart, with sweet conviction of its efficacy, the declaration, "In Christ Jesus there is neither male, nor female, Barbarian, Scythian, bond, nor free!"

Often has my heart reverted, with much tender recollection, to this scene often in the sincerity of my soul, have I wished it might be in my power to contribute my mite towards some favourable prospect of

A LETTER has been received from Mr Stally brass, dated Selinginsk, July 27. 1819. He left Irkutsk on the 5th of July, and arrived at Selinginsk on the 17th. Mr and Mrs S. and child were then in good health. Mr Stally brass had been travelling on horseback in the country, and distributing Tracts, some of which were read by the Lamas, whom he visited. He longs to receive the Gospels lately translated into the language of the country. Mr Stallybrass's letter is very satisfactory, and evinces an excellent missionary spirit.

A Postscript is added by Mr Swan, dated at St Petersburgh, 14. Sept. We hope that ere long Mr Swan and Mr Yuille will join Mr Stallybrass at Selinginsk.

Circulation of the Bible in France.

IN France, notwithstanding the opposition of the Catholic Clergy to the circulation of the Scriptures, there is an ardent desire among the Catholics to possess them, and which it is hoped, though the Bible Societies in France are professedly for the Protestants, will be soon gratified.

Schools in France.

THE Report of the British and Foreign School Society informs us there are upwards of 12,000 schools on its system, bestowing incalcula. ble blessings on the youth of France; and the Minister of War has signi fied his intention of extending the benefits of the system to the whole army without exception.