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prise that they should fear Europeans, if they have either suffered, or heard of, the cruelties of the Slave Trade. Writing from Kissey, Mr. Croley remarks

During the past quarter, I have had an opportunity of both seeing and understanding much more of the native character than before; and I am convinced that a knowledge of the manners and customs and country habits of the people is of the greatest importance to individuals coming into this Colony with the view of instructing the Liberated Africans. I am also of opinion, that this experience can only be attained by a residence among them. I now see much more of the benefit arising from my being placed with an experienced person, when I came to the Colony, than I did then or before : and I do think that many young Missionary Candidates picture to themselves, at home, very different views of things in heathen countries to what they really are. With respect to the children, it appears to be the general custom among them, when they leave school, to throw off all their clothes: and this custom, I fear, does not arise from a love of saving

their clothes, but must be attributed to the foolish indulgence of the parents; who, in some cases, know no better, and in many, perhaps, much less than the children themselves for the parents seem not at all ashamed of such conduct; while the children, if they see an European, run away and hide themselves. I have also discovered, among some of the children, a dread of white men: one or two instances will prove the fact. A little boy, who was very young, came to our school. I went into the class, and, seeing this strange child, spoke to him; but instead of speaking to me, or looking at me as a friend, he bounced off, and endeavoured to cover his eyes; and though I entreated him to come near, he would not venture. However, I could not persist in my entreaty, because his countenance bespoke his terror; but I am glad to say, that, after he had attended school for some time, his fears abated; and now, instead of flying away at my appearance, he looks at me with a countenance beaming with pleasure and delight.

At another time, coming suddenly up to some houses, a child saw me, and ran away, screaming with all its might,

White Man! White Man!" and soon

housed himself.

On another occasion,

I went out into the back part of the village, with a view to solicit the people to send their children to school. I suppose it was a strange thing to the children who did not attend school to see a white man there. Several of them ran away, quite naked, and terrified. The little creatures ran in every direction, some to their parents, others to their houses; and some would not even venture to go home, but ran away through the different streets, and put the neighbourhood quite in an uproar. However, to show that I was not persuaded one of them to come and give an enemy, but their friend, I at length me his hand, which he did with much fear and reluctance: this encouraged the rest, at least so far as to cause them to stand. I confess I could scarcely refrain from laughing, at the time, at the idea of their being, one and all, so much afraid of one who was their friend, who gave them no cause for alarm, and who only sought their welfare; but, on after-consideration, it gave me some uneasiness, as I could, in some measure, trace the fact to its proper source.

J. U. Graf, dated January 13, 1837, We add, from a Letter of the Rev. not long after his first arrival at Sierra Leone, a few passages which

attest the

Increased Healthiness of the Colony.

It will perhaps not be disagreeable to you, if I say a few words about the country fever. On the 23d of December I felt a violent head-ache, but without anticipation that it was the fever: the doctor was called in, without my knowledge; and he gave me some doses of calomel, but without telling me the nature of my illness. The next time, however, he congratulated me that I had had the fever so soon after my arrival, and at such a favourable time of the year. After the fever had been checked, I had to take quinine for several days. I felt very weak, and afterward had a very sore mouth, but was out of danger: thus the fever itself lasted a very short time, but the consequences were felt for several weeks; and great caution was necessary, lest I should have a relapse. However, I have been hitherto graciously preserved. I believe I can say that all is over; though I must be careful, for some time, to go out as little as possible, avoiding especially the heat of the sun.

Every body tells me that I have reason to be thankful that I got rid of this somuch-dreaded fever so easily and so soon: and indeed I feel thankful, and greatly encouraged with respect to the future. There is a fact, which proves clearly that the climate has greatly improved for some years past, viz. that during the past year not a single European died of the country fever. What an encouragement for our Christian Brethren at home! and it is supposed that Sierra Leone will become as healthy, within another ten years, as any place in the West Indies.

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which require the prayers of our fathers and brethren in Christ at home, and which make them highly valuable. There is especially one snare to which I would refer, the danger of which I have partly felt; namely, the gradual insensibility which so easily takes hold of you in a heathen land. I feel deeply convinced that the salvation of immortal souls is the unfeigned and earnest concern of my heart; and I feel happy to be connected with our Society, and to act in their spirit: -but still I can sometimes pass amidst crowds of Mahomedans and Heathens without feeling much or any thing at all of that tender compassion which a Saviour's love ought to kindle in the heart It is,

of a redeemed child of God.

however, a comfort, to know that the Lord is faithful, and that He is able and willing to bless His work by the instrumentality of very weak means.

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NORTH-WEST-AMERICA MISSION.

THE account of this Mission, continued from p. 20 of our last Volume, is brief, and in various respects of a painful nature. The long delay which has occurred in reporting its state, is owing to the circumstance, that the outward-bound ships from this country had scarcely arrived off York Fort, when a violent storm arose, driving them out of Hudson's Bay, and making it necessary to return to England, with their cargoes on board undischarged, and without having had time so much as to receive any despatches.

Upper Church.

Death of Mrs. Jones. The deep affliction which the Rev. D. T. Jones has, by a mysterious Providence, been called to suffer, in the removal of his beloved and valued partner, is described with so much simplicity by his own pen, that we refrain from adding any remarks of our own; excepting to remind our Readers, how much it is our duty and our privilege, at such a time, to look upward to Him, who,

in love, as well as wisdom inscruta-
ble, inflicts so heavy a stroke; be-
seeching Him to comfort and build
up the mourning family and the
bereaved Mission. Mr. Jones, in a
letter to the Secretary, dated Par-
sonage House, October 20, 1836,
writes as follows:-
:-

With a heart bleeding under the pres-
sure of complicated affliction and suffering,
I avail myself of the present opportunity
of addressing you.
grief is however soothed, if not assuaged,
The poignancy of my
by the assurance which I feel of sym-

pathy on your part, as well as on that of others connected with our invaluable Institution. God's mysterious providence has deprived me of my dearly beloved wife, in the flower of her age, in the midst of her usefulness, and under circumstances the most distressing to the minds of those she has left behind. On the 13th instant, according to expectation, she was brought to bed; and, after a time of trial not unusually severe, became the mother of a daughter, whom, in twelve hours-on the morning of October 14-she left motherless in a strange land—a land, too, of but few resources. The syncope under which she laboured, during the last ten hours of her life, afforded her but very little opportunity for conversation; but she left enough, respecting her state, to satisfy us all that death had no terror to her, and that she was willing to depart; and that, to her, the hour was one of eternal gain.

When I tell you, my dear friend, that I am now alone, with five children on my hands, in a country where no adequate assistance is to be had, I am sure that, as a Christian, you will feel for me; as a Brother, you will pray for me; and as a Missionary, you will deeply sympathize with me. Your expression in St. Andrew's Hall, in Norwich, fifteen years ago, rings this moment in my ears—“One faithful friend!" My dearest wife was such, indeed, to me: but I submit ;-the

Christian is resigned, but the man is

weak.

My lamented partner, with a management peculiar to herself, went on easily and silently with the concerns of an establishment of eighty individuals, without in the least interfering with my Chaplain and Missionary duties; and thus I now find myself precipitated into a vortex of cares and anxieties, of which I know nei

ther the nature nor extent.

Dark indeed are the dealings of God! Clouds and darkness are round about Him. But I bless His holy name: I can trust Him; and say still, Good is the Lord.

In reference to other circumstances of trial, Mr. Jones then adds

Other calamities, which are almost lost sight of in this overwhelming one, must now be mentioned. On the 19th of August last we were visited by a most destructive frost, which destroyed the reward of the farmer, as to agricultural toil, RECORD, April 1837.]

in wheat. It was truly a gloomy morning: the whole of the vegetable world drooped and blackened, as the sun grew warm; and the air was filled with a most unpleasant odour. There will, however, be a good deal of fine barley, and some potatoes of an inferior quality. Among the Canadian freemen and Half-breeds, there will be great distress; more particularly as the hunters of buffalo are now returning with empty carriages. All garden-seeds have been destroyed; so that our prospects for next summer are most desolate, as we have no access to any other more fortunate countries.

Last August, I forwarded, to your address, copious extracts from Journals &c., by our Autumn boats to Hudson's Bay, which used to bring our supplies from the ships of the season; but, to our consternation, they have just returned empty, having waited at York Fort until the 24th of September, and no vessel had then appeared: and they had had to cut their way through solid ice, in lakes and smooth rivers, for scores of miles, on their return. Thus are we shut up for a whole winter, without letters; without publications; without School-books; and various other supplies; on which much of our comfort depended.

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forces us to wrap our winter cloak about us; and when our imagination reaches forth, and anticipates the chilling cold of six long months; it is then we heave a sigh for our native land, feel anxious to converse with kindred spirits, and long to associate with men of the same habits and feelings as ourselves. This expected gratification, which has often gladdened our autumnal days and beguiled away our evenings, and heightened our joys the nearer we approached the appointed period, has been kept from us, through the wisdom of Him who overrules all dispensations for His glory and for the improvement of those who love Him. Though we have been deprived of the pleasure of hearing of your welfare, and making any reply to what might be intended for our encouragement, still I could not allow the present opportunity to pass without forwarding a few particulars; which will awaken your sympathies, and call forth your fervent prayers on our behalf, which we doubt not that we at all times enjoy.

As the servants of God in every age have found the days of their pilgrimage crowded with seeming evils, we are not astonished, neither do we feel that strange things have befallen us, when our cup is embittered with disease, disappointment, and death. Since our summer communications, we have been subjected again and again to the chastening rod. For my own part, I have been seriously indisposed, though never kept from duty; yet I have often found it too much for me. I have often secretly wished to be removed from the struggle, in a way that might best answer the general good. However, God's ways and thoughts are not as ours; therefore I remain as a monument of sovereign goodness. My health is considerably improved; my spirits better; and my resolution to persevere much firmer. I have no great prospect of being useful; but I think of the trust reposed in me, and therefore endeavour to act up to the best of my judgment. I have never been so severely tried in the way of duty as in the past summer, nor have I ever felt my strength less. I may with truth say, that, according to outward appearance, all things have been working against us. A fuller account of the Devastations caused by the Frost is also given by Mr. Cockran, followed up by some very instructive reflections. It is a subject full, indeed, of warn

ing; and, while it should lead us to abound in thankfulness for the con tinuance of our numerous yet oftabused mercies, it should keep us also humbly mindful of our entire and constant dependence on the providence of our forbearing God.

Loss of the Wheat-Crops, by Frost.

On the evening of the 18th of August, and morning of the 19th, a thick hoarfrost settled on our fields, and checked the progress of our corn and vegetables. The summer had by no means been favourable to vegetation; the weather had been cold and dry; consequently, the growth of every thing had been slow. At the fatal period mentioned, the wheat of many persons was in full ear, the barley only newly come into ear, and the potatoes beginning to form. Thus, while the husbandman was waiting patiently for the return of his labour, and expecting to see the season crowned with abundance,in one night his hopes perished! He gazed with astonishment upon his withered treasure; the ears of wheat, losing their natural bend, stood erect to the skies; the barley crouched; and the tops of the potatoes were as dark as tobacco. The calamity was almost general: some few favoured spots escaped the chilling dew, and the plants hastened to perfection; but the hoar-frost visited us again and again, till every point and sheltered spot had withered under the chastening rod.

Those who are at a distance, who have their wants furnished from a regular market, replenished with abundance of both home and foreign produce, cannot adequately feel how severe is this calamity to us. Separated from civilized society by thousands of miles of trackless wastessurrounded by savage and improvident tribes, who never think of supplying a want until it is felt-when the produce of our industry fails, whence can we receive our supplies? We may put on sackcloth; and reply to the petitions of the indigent in the words of the King of Judah: Whence shall I help thee? out of the barn-floor, or out of the wine-press?

I am not apprehensive that our present losses will subject the Indian Schools to any serious inconvenience. I hope I have a sufficiency of grain on hand to serve till the return of another year; therefore, we shall be able to proceed as usual. The Protestant Population, from

the large quantity of cattle which they possess, and from the large stock of old grain which is in the hands of several, will be enabled to pass the winter without inconvenience; with a few exceptions, which can easily be relieved.

As I view all the disappointments of the past season as chastisements from Heaven, I sanguinely hope that they will terminate in promoting the general good. I have often lamented the loss of that fervent piety which formerly glowed in several bosoms, when we were few in number, poor and despised; but as our wealth increased, our piety diminished, our religion dwindled into a form ;-it was bodily exercise, without the aspirations of the soul after the favour and blessing of God. Life and health greatly heightened our security: now and then disease entered the humble cot, and the more elegant mansion; but it only touched the infant of days, or carried off the school-boy to his long home. Our families being full of children, less feel such a shock, so long as the heads of the family remain in the full enjoyment of health. Thus God was not duly acknowledged as the Sovereign Disposer of our lives, nor did His providence teach us to be humble, pious, and obedient. have erred; but we are His people; therefore He is chastening us out of compassion, that He may teach us how to live, and what to love; and where to place our hopes, that we may rest in the day of adversity.

We

Mr. Cockran has some interesting and judicious remarks, which we quote, in reference to an object which he has had deeply at heart, and in which he appears to be near the attainment of his hopes; namely, the

Erection of the New Church.

I am happy to state, that the Church, which I had in prospect at the time of my last communication, is now in a forward state. It is a beautiful object; and when I sometimes catch the first view of it after a long and dreary ride, I never fail to feel the reality of the promise in Isaiah xxxv. 1: The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. The walls and roof are finished; the floor is laid; the windows are glazed: we have only the ceiling, the pews, and the pulpit to make, and then the place will be fit for Public Wor

ship. The building is 53 feet by 241; the side walls are twelve feet high; it will accommodate upwards of 350 persons, when pewed. As I never wish to worship God in a worse house than I live in, I have spared neither labour nor expense to make it durable, warm, and neat. In the erection of the new Church, we have endeavoured to avoid all our former errors, and make such improvements as experience suggested: and what is far more gratifying to my feelings, is the liberal support which I have met with from my Christian Brethren. In the congregation at the Rapids, every family have cast in their mite: many of the men performed a journey of full thirty miles, to give me a week's labour, free of cost. The affluent of the upper part of the Settlement have contributed liberally, and with a great deal of good feeling; so much so, that I have often been constrained to say, This is the work of God. It is extraordinary, that all who have been solicited, with but one exception, have contributed. I hope, through the blessing of God, we shall have it finished by the month of February next. It is a work that has cost me a great deal of anxiety, as well as toil. However, two or three more struggles, and then I shall have a neat, warm, comfortable church, to shelter us from the winter storms, when we meet to worship the Author of our being, and to praise our risen, righteous, and exalted Redeemer. Nothing, of an external nature, can so effectually chill and dissipate the feelings of devotion, as to assemble in a cold house in Rupert's Land on a winter's day, or in a leaky one during a thundershower in summer.

Man, however good his intentions may be, is a carnal, selfish being; and is often more influenced by what he feels, than by what he fears, or expects to enjoy. Consequently, when he sits down in Church, and finds the sly cold searching his garments, benumbing his feet, making his knees and head ache, and chilling his heart, he anxiously wishes the Services of the day to be brought to a close; and the only object that is cheering, is a warm stove, or a blazing fire. I am seldom cold in Church; for having to perform the offices of priest and clerk, I have full employment, from first to last; but it is different with many who assemble. Some young person has come to show his horse and cariole; another, who has got a clear

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