by our preacher, Ho Tsin-Shen, who then lost a little girl, between two and three years old, by the small-pox. The demeanour of his wife under the affliction interested ine exceedingly. I never saw a Chinese person affected with equal grief. To this day, in fact, she continues sorrowing. Christianity imparts a softness and delicacy to the whole nature, and quickens all the benevolent and loving sympathies. To be "without natural affection" is one of the characteristics of heaBut thenism which the apostle mentions. while the gospel makes those who believe in it more sensible to the pains of bereavement, how does it teach them not to sorrow as those who have no hope! This also was seen in the case of which I am writing. There was much joy in the mother's grief. She never doubted but that Christ had received her child, and she never wearied of repeating to me all its little expressions-that it was going to Jesus, that it was going to heaven,-that there was nothing but light and glory in heaven, &c. It was just as I had known mothers, in similar circumstances, do in England. What an element of transformation enters a family, when Christianity truly received into it; and how does it assimilate individuals of different nations, uniting them all to Christ! Four Sabbaths ago, I enjoyed the happiness of baptizing one more of my scholars, making the tenth of those who have been received into the Church of Christ. At the same time I baptized another party, who is a writer in one of the government offices. Thus, we are not without some tokens for good; but the time must come when the little one shall become a thousand. May God hasten its approach! We enjoyed your sympathy, when the news reached you in the beginning of the year, of the alarming illness of my dear wife. The cool months of our winter recruited her far beyond my expectations and thus far she has been brought through the summer, suffering much from the heat, but able to bear up with it. Let me entreat the continuance of your prayers, that we may be enabled long to abide here at our post, making known the unsearchable riches of Christ. And now, praying, with our Chinese brethren, that the peace and blessing of God may rest upon you, I remain affectionately yours, SIR CULLING EARDLEY EARDLEY AND MR. LUCAS, EDITOR OF "THE TABLET." A MOST amusing and instructive correspondence has taken place between Sir Culling Eardley Eardley and the Editor of From Mr. Lucas's constant the Tablet. homilies on the subject of religious liberty, Sir Culling, as a tentative measure, addressed a letter to him, requesting to know if the sanction of his influence might be calculated upon on behalf of Signor and Signora Madiai, so cruelly persecuted by the Tuscan govern. As might have been expected, Mr Lucas appears in his own colours. Religious liberty in Tuscany is no matter of his, and instead of responding to Sir Culling as a sincere friend of liberty would have done, he contents himself with pouring out the vials of his popish wrath upon his correspondent, whom in argument he felt he could not ment. meet. CRUEL SENTENCE OF FRANCESCO AND THE cruel case of Francesco and Rosa Madiai, condemned, by the Courts of Florence, to the most ignominious toil, for no other crime but their possessing the Holy Scriptures, and leaving the communion of Rome has awakened a universal thrill of horror and disgust throughout the Protestant world. The members of the Protestant Alliance have, with commendable zeal and philanthropy, been exerting themselves with the view of effecting a reversal of the odious and disgraceful sentence, procured only by the influence of a ghostly priesthood. The noble spirit of the sufferers has drawn towards them the sympathy of Evangelical Christendom, on the Continent, in America, and in Great Britain. Count St. George, deputed by the Evangelical Alliance of Geneva, has been in this country to aid in concerting measures for the relief of Francesco and Rosa Madiai. suggestions have been marked by consummate wisdom; and a Deputation, from the Protestant Alliance, has proceeded to the Grand Duke of Tuscany, to endeavour to induce that prince to throw the shield of his generous protection over the interesting sufferers. The Deputation has carried with them memorials from several public bodies to the Grand Duke, and one, we are happy to say, from the Three Denominations, with a view to aid their benevolent mission. His As the hearts of all men are under the sovereign control of Him who "is Lord of all," let incessant prayer be made by all the disciples of Christ, that the Mission of the Protestant Alliance may be prosperous, that the cause of freedom and mercy may triumph, and that the sympathy cf Protestants for their suffering brethren all the world over, may become a palpable power and an allpervading influence, beneath whose resistless sway the demon of persecution may hide its head ashamed. POLYNESIA. SAMOA. THAT portion of the Island of Savaii, to which the present article has reference, appears to have suffered comparatively little from the ravages of the late war; but, on the other hand, from the villages being difficult of access, the inhabitants had scarcely emerged from their primitive barbarism. During the last three or four years, however, they have enjoyed the constant supervision of a resident Missionary, the Rev. C. W. E. Schmidt; and the signal and happy change that has been brought about, through the benign influence of the gospel, is depicted in the following communication from Mr. Schmidt, under date Salailua, December 31st, 1851 "It is gratifying to be able to report that during our residence in this portion of the Lord's vineyard we have apparently not laboured in vain, nor spent our strength for nought. It is true we have met with trials, but they are far outnumbered by our mercies." TRIUMPHS OF THE GOSPEL. "One of the most cheering indications amongst the people of our charge, is the conversion of the principal chiefs, aud many other individuals of Faiaai, a village which had formerly been a den of evil spirits, and a nursery of abominable heathen practices and horrid cruelties; it being, at the same time, the principal seat of government in this division of our district. This happy change commenced with the most influential young chief, the ringleader in all sorts of wickedness, who was made to feel, by the power of the Word and Spirit of God, that he was a sinner, and thus exposed to everlasting condemnation, The question, 'What shall I do to be saved?' became the great question of his life; and, on learning that the way to salvation is the way of repentance and faith in Jesus, he parted with all his wives but one, gave up many detestable heathen customs, and attended earnestly to the things that belong to the soul's eternal welfare. For some time he had to encounter, along with a faithful teacher, great opposition and enmity from his own father, and from all the chiefs of the village, who tried every scheme to draw him back into evil courses. We tried, however, to encourage and strengthen the new couvert, who took refuge with us until the latred of his father and the other chiefs had partly subsided. This interval was signally blessed to the good of his soul, so that he grew rapidly in knowledge and devotedness to the cause of Christ. He was in due time prepared, under the Divine blessing, for the holy rite of baptism, received into churchfellowship, and is now labouring as a teacher in another village. His friends, on observing his stedfastness and consistency, were silenced, and soon followed him, one after another, in setting their affections on things above: so that at present twenty-two inhabitants of Faiaai are sitting clothed, and in their right minds, at the feet of Jesus. Consequent upea these events a stop was put to the abominable night dances; the adult school became frequented; new Testaments, &c., were eagerly bought; and oil, native cloth, mats, and citet were joyfully contributed for the spread of the gospel in general, and for the Mission to the New Hebrides in particular. BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM. "We are delighted, likewise, to be able to record, that not only here, but in almost all the villages of the district, the pestilentiel night dances, which were reproduced by the cruel war in mar y a district, are entirely discontinued and forbidden by the respective authorities. Two chiefs, in different villages, destroyed some large houses used for the accommodation of strangers; several wicked travelling parties having, in disregard of their prohibition, practised this heathenish work. "Another indication of the growth of light and knowledge was the joy manifested on the reception of the neatly printed and bound New Testaments; and while some parties elsewhere were preparing oil for a war-boat, our people were purchasing the precious Word of God. The number of readers fast increasing in every village. The Divine services are well frequented on Sabbath days, though with less regularity during the week. The Sabbath-schools are better attended on the whole by the adult population, than by the children. The attendance on the juvenile week-day school is fluctuating; but those children that attend with regularity make pleasing progress. It is very delightful to observe what a pleasure the children take in contributing for the spread of the gospel. Each child brings every Monday morning one cocoa-nut to the school. One-half of the cocoa-nuts thus collected goes to the support of the teachers, while the other half forms the annual contributions of the children towards the spread of the gospel, in which labour of love the teachers, church-members, and inquirers joyfully unite. The children's contributions for the past year amounted to more than 100 gallons of oil. "Another pleasing circumstance worth mentioning, is the readiness with which the female church-members and inquirers entered, two years ago, upon a plan proposed to them by Mrs. Schmidt, to work unitedly, at stated seasons, for the support of the native teachers in the New Hebrides. They have already manufactured a very large quantity of native cloth and mats in the anticipation of the arrival of the John Williams. "On the whole, we have been able to carry out with effect our plan of visiting unitedly, at convenient seasons, the two principal out-stations Samata and Falealupo, and of residing some months at each place, during which time I make repeated excursions to the neighbouring villages. The people are well pleased with this arrangement, as both of us thus come again and again into contact with our whole widely scattered flock. We hold annually three Missionary meetings at the three principal villages alternately,―one in the month of May, and the two others in other suitable months. They are very well attended, and rendered very interesting by the animating speeches of efficient teachers and church-members. By their means we endeavour both to stimulate the zeal of be. lievers, and to gain over to the Lord's side those who are still enemies to the truth. The contributions afford pleasing evidence that the Divine blessing rests upon these our feeble efforts, for they have increased during the last two years more than twofold. In 1849, they amounted to 159 gallons of oil; in 1850, they increased to 400; and this year, they amounted to 600 gallons. "The church likewise had an accession of 46 persons, making a total in communion of 147. The class of the catechumens consists of 90, including some very aged persons. 74 children of church-members, and 28 adults, have been baptized. There have been excluded from church-fellowship, 20; suspended 5; restored, 18; marriages, 10. Five churchmembers exchanged the church militant for the church triumphant, having kept the faith to the end. Four young men, who had been under special training, have been added to the corps of teachers; and an efficient teacher has been obtained from Malua. We have thus been enabled to follow up our plans for instructing and ameliorating the condition of our poor people, although our health has often been greatly affected by our over-exertion, and the effects of a debilitating climate." THE WAY OF TRANSGRESSORS IS HARD. "To this humble record of the Lord's merciful dealings with us, I will subjoin a notice of the awful death of Popotunu, one of the most wicked chiefs of Samoa. He delighted and excelled in every kind of abomination, and had killed many foreigners, of whom several were Americans. (See Captain C. Wilkes' Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition, page 96, vol. ii.) "Popotunu, being on a visit in his native village, Faiaai, returned one afternoon from bathing; ascending the steep path, he suddenly became giddy, and fell from a high precipice upon rocks, without being observed by a small party which followed him at some distance. (See engraving, page 229.) His head being most severely wounded, and the whole body terribly shaken; he was lying insensible in his blood for some time, before he was missed and sought after. The people of Fainai lost no time in removing him to Salailua, where I attended him four days. When he was brought to me, his skull was quite bare, so that I had to sew together nearly the whole skin of his head. He suffered great pain, but although lying at the brink of the grave, he wished, like Felix of old, to put off attention to spiritual things to a more convenient season. After four days, his people conveyed him to his village, Palauli, but he expired shortly after reaching the shore. He died as he had lived. Awful consideration! Popotunu was often hunted after by American ships- a large reward having been offered for his apprehension, dead or alive, on account of some Americans whom he had murdered. All attempts to catch him were, however, unsuccessful, until God Almighty made bare His arm, and arrested bim in his wicked career, in the very same village where he had most cruelly put to death an unoffending sick American seaman, who had been left in his charge. I endeavoured to improve this awful event for the benefit of the living, by preaching on Matt, xxi. 44.” LEONE, ISLAND OF TUTUILA. To the superintendence of this field of labour, the Rev. J. P. Sunderland succeeded in January, 1851, on occasion of the removal of the former missionary, the Rev. A. W. Murray, to the island of Manono. The subjoined extract of a letter from Mr. Sunderland, dated 25th December, ult., will show that he had entered upon his new sphere of effort under pleasing auspices, and that the people of his charge are desirous to attest their interest in the cause of Christ, by rendering active and self-denying services on its behalf. "It is nearly twelve months since we succeeded Brother Murray in this district. We have had some difficulties to contend with; but, upon the whole, we have had much to encourage us in our work amongst this people during the past year. We felt, in the very outset of our labours here, the disadvantage of not having a suitable place in which to conduct public worship and carry on classes. The congregation had to divide on the Sabbath day, and occupy two Samoan houses. The former chapel was blown down in the gale in 1850. A meeting of the whole district was held, and they resolved to commence immediately the erection of a new chapel. They set to work with great spirit, for they had a mind to work,' and in one month a good strong Samoan roof was put up; another month sufficed for the building of the stone walls; so that in two months, they had completed a good substantial chapel, ninety feet long and forty feet wide. "The chapel completed, we next consulted as to whether we should have a subscription this year for the work of Missions; some fearing, from the scarcity of cocoa nuts and the building of the chapel, we should have to postpone our May meetings until next year. They resolved, however, to try what they could do, and it was ultimately agreed upon to hold the May Meeting, on the 8th of July! We had a good attendance, and the people seemed to take an interest in the object contemplated, and requested that their subscriptions, though small, should be devoted to the New Hebrides Mission, as it would give an additional impetus to their exertions and seemed to be a suitable channel in which to pour their contributions. "The collection amounted to 545 gallons of cocoa-nut oil, and £10 11s. in money; and, considering the shortness of the notice given of the meeting, and the poverty of the people, I really think they did what they could. "I urged upon their attention, at that meeting, the propriety and the advantages of making monthly instead of yearly subscriptions, for the purpose of assisting in the work of evangelization, showing that it would excite a deeper interest in their own minds on the subject; that it would stimulate them to greater earnestness in their approaches to the throne of grace, and enable them to pray with more ardour to Jesus, Thy kingdom come;' and that it would be more in accordance with the apostle's advice (1 Cor. xvi. 2), Upon the first day of the week let every |