derived little benefit, comparatively, from the institution of Bible Societies. By that at Sierra Leone, your Committee have reason to believe, as much has been done as its situation and circumstances would allow and it is some consolation, in the dearth of materials from that Continent in general, to be able to state, that a contribution in gold dust, (amounting in pecuniary value to 1037. 14s. 7d.) has been transmitted from the officers of the African Company, on the Gold Coast, to promote the objects of your Society.

Encouraged by these appearances, in concurrence with the sure word of prophecy, your Committee will cherish a hope that the day may not be distant, when the light, now hovering on the borders of this vast Continent, will penetrate into the interior; and dissipate the awful delusion under which nearly one hundred and fifty millions of human beings do homage to the grossest idolatry, and the most demoralizing imposture.

To the Auxiliary Bible Societies, previously existing in BRITISH NORTH AMERICA, the following have been added since the last Report:

1. The Auxiliary Bible Society of Niagara, in Upper Canada. Among the resolutions passed at the formation of this Society, (which took place at a meeting in the church, the Rev. Robert Addison in the chair,) it was specially determined, " that the Committee request the Board of Education to direct the master of every parish school in this district, to examine how many of the inhabitants, where he teaches, are in possession of Bibles and Testaments, and to report the same to this committee; and that a Bible Association be promoted wherever there is a school.

The establishment of this Society may be hailed as a useful opening for the entrance of the Scriptures into a quarter where they are much needed there being "reason to apprehend," (as the Society itself states,)" that a large majority of back settlers are without the Sacred Volume."

2. The Prince Edward's Island Bible Society.

3. The Midland District, Upper Canada, Auxiliary Bible So

ciety.

The District from which this Society derives its name, and in which it is designed to operate, is one of the ten Civil Divisions of Upper Canada. It extends from the north castern extremity, or outlet of Lake Ontario, south westerly, about half the length of th Lake, and comprehends one of the most populous portions of the province.

The seat of the Society is Ernest-Town, situated on the Lake shore.

From St. John's, Newfoundland, satisfactory accounts have been received of the distribution of the Scriptures sent out by your Society for the inhabitants of that Island.

The Moravian Missionaries on the Coast of Labrador are proceeding diligently with the completion of the translation of the New Testament into the Esquimaux language. In the mean time, the

parts already printed, (the Four Gospels, and Acts of the Apostles,) are perused with great interest, and thankfulness, by the Christian Esquimaux. Of this, a very gratifying assurance was received from two of the Missionaries, (one of whom had ministered more than thirty-one years in Labrador,) who attended your Committee, by desire, in the costume of the natives, and expressed the gratitude of their Esquimaux congregations with great simplicity and feeling.

In the Islands of Antigua and St. Christopher, copies of the Scriptures, furnished by your Committee, have been distributed among an eager and a thankful people. "Several pious blacks," (writes a correspondent,)" came from Barbuda, an Island a short distance from Antigua, to request that a few Bibles and Testaments might be given them: for these they begged in a very affecting manner. I gave them two dozen Testaments. On receiving the rich treasure their joy was inexpressible, as might be seen by the tears which flowed down their sable faces."

Similar accounts have been received from Berbice and Demarara; from the latter of which places the distributor writes :-" I had no just idea of the number of Negroes that wish for Bibles, till I mentioned to some of them, that I would procure Bibles for those who wished to have them. The next week applications poured in from every plantation, and every quarter."

Similar accounts have been transmitted from New Providence, where Whites and Blacks emulated each other in expressing their thanks for the Bibles and Testaments received, and in petitioning for further supplies. So great was the demand for Spanish Testaments, that 48 were sold in a day, for half a dollar each.

Your Committee will only add, that the 500 Bibles and 1000 Testaments, in French and English, sent to Cape Henry, in St. Domingo, have been received and distributed in the Schools and the Army. One thousand copies of the Four Gospels and Acts of the Apostles, in French and English, in parallel columns, were also despatched to that quarter early in the present year; and (the edition being finished) they have since been followed by 3000 entire New Testaments, together with the second part of what had been previously forwarded. The particular object of this impression, executed at the express request of the King of Hayti, is to facilitate the acquisition of the English language among the population subject to his authority.

Extracts from the Nineteenth Report of the Committee of the RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY OF LONDON.

The number of Tracts issued during the last year, under various forms, exceeds Three Millions and a Half: of which a very considerable quantity has been gratuitously voted for various purposes; the expense of which, together with the loss incurred by Tracts sold

at reduced prices to Hawkers, &c. amounts to nearly Seven Hundred Pounds.

These gratuitous supplies have been furnished to Hospitals; to the Army and Navy; to the Colliers on the Thames; to the crews of the four ships proceeding on the Expedition towards the North Pole; to Convict Ships and to Prisons; including a Vote to the Committee of Ladies laudably employed in instructing the Prisoners in Newgate; to the Committee for the relief of Poor Seamen; to the Guardian Society; and to persons proceeding to various Foreign Stations.

In the Metropolis, the Tracts have excited the attention of many Italians, Spaniards, Frenchmen, and Germans, especially the two former, who manifest great eagerness for them, as well as for the Holy Scriptures in their own tongue.

In New South Wales 3,000 Tracts have been most gladly received; and, in a recent letter from thence, your Committee are informed, "There are living witnesses of the utility and blessedness of these silent preachers of righteousness."

The intelligence from India is peculiarly encouraging. The Rev. J. Hands, Missionary at Bellary, has remitted another sum of £4, from the Tract Society formed at that place.

The increase of pious Clergymen and zealous Missionaries has begun to produce an alteration in the state of society in India. Mr. Hands thus writes; "Europeans, as well as Natives, and many Civil and Military Officers, who were formerly inimical to the cause of Christianity, are beginning warmly to espouse it."

At Madras a considerable number of Religious Tracts have been distributed, and more are called for. The sum of £50, formerly voted by the Committee, for the purpose of printing Tracts in the vernacular languages, will now be appropriated to that important purpose, under the direction of the Rev. Messrs. Loveless and Knill; and a supply of English Tracts has been forwarded to Madras, at the expense of the Missionary Society.

The Rev. W. Milne, at Malacca, by the aid of your Society, continues publishing Tracts for the Chinese, which are sought after by multitudes of that nation; and there is good reason to believe that many are carried to China by those who return thither from the islands.

The late Rev. J. C. Supper, of Batavia, who, shortly after the date of his last letter, was called from this lower world to the mansions of bliss, has left a strong testimony to the utility of the Society's Tracts, which he considered admirably adapted to prepare the minds of the Chinese for reading the Bible, and for the exertions of Missionaries. In that letter he states, that, through the Providence of God, he had been enabled to establish a Reading Society among the Chinese, consisting of sixty persons, who were supplied, monthly, with sixty Religious Tracts, for perusal, which when read, were circulated among their respective friends. "I am ready," he adds, " to devote myself to the Religious Tract Soci

"ety, as I have done to the Missionary and Bible Societies; a share "in your noble exertions I consider to be of more value than all "the gold of Ophir, or the riches of India!" Referring to the Grants, voted by this Society, for Chinese Tracts, (which now amount to £900,) he concludes with the following encouraging words, "You indeed did well in so doing, and I hope Eternity will "repeat, that you have done very well! If the Religious Tract Society should be forgotten in the annals of this world, I am con"fident she will shine with great lustre in the everlasting annals of "Heaven."

What a powerful confirmation of the propriety of these grants, is the parting testimony of a witness like this! Indeed, it is more than sufficient to silence chilling doubts and surmises, and to inspire gratitude, confidence, and perseverance.

From the Rev. Robert Pinkerton, communications have been received, furnishing an interesting account of the means used in Russia for the extensive circulation of Religious Tracts, together with Extracts of Letters from several Dignitaries of the Russian Church, bearing testimony to their utility, and encouraging a still more enlarged circulation, both by sale and gratuitous distribution. For a more detailed account of these communications, your Committee refer to the Appendix.

A communication from the Rev. Dr. Paterson conyeys the pleasing intelligence, that a Religious Tract Society has been formed at Abo in Finland, of which the Archbishop is the Patron. A grant of £30 has been voted by your Committee in aid of this important undertaking.

The Religious Tract Society in Iceland, established through the influence of the Rev. Dr. Henderson, when in that Island, in 1815, has prepared twelve Tracts in that language, six of which are translations from those of this Society. Some are already in circulation, and the others have been sent to Copenhagen, to be printed in that city.

For the very interesting proceedings which have taken place in Sweden, your Committee refer to the Report of the Evangelical Society, at Stockholm; which, together with the Extracts inserted in the Appendix, will be read with the highest degree of interest. One single fact they would, however, notice-that, since the establish.ent of that Society, in 1803, it has printed no less than 1,203, 750 Religious Tracts, in the Swedish, Finnish, and Laponese lan

guages.

It gives your Committee sincere satisfaction to observe the exertions which are now making in various parts of France, Switzerland, and Italy, for the circulation of Religious Tracts. Several highly respectable Protestant Clergymen have taken an active share in this work of faith and labour of love; and your Committee have felt truly happy in affording them all that encouragement which their limited ineans would allow.

Nor will it be less gratifying to the Society to learn, that, through

.

the aid of some highly respectable Correspondents at Malta and Smyrna, measures have been taken to procure translations of several of its most useful tracts into the Modern Greek, which are expected to meet with a very extensive circulation; and your Committee deeming this measure of much importance, have voted £40, to encourage Translations at those places.

From Gibraltar it is stated, that there have been many proofs of the good done by the distribution of Tracts, more especially among the Soldiers, several of whom have been awakened to a sense of the importance of religion by their perusal.

By information received from the Berlin Tract Society, your Committee understand that Branch Societies have been formed at Memel, Grypswald, Görlitz, Magdeburg, Coeslin, &c. and it is ex pected that translations will soon be made in the Polish and Wendish languages. The funds of that Institution being, however, inadequate to the extent of its operations, your Committee have, during the last year, assisted it with two grants of £20 each; which seasonable aid has been most gratefully acknowledged, accompanied with the pleasing intelligence, that every month from Ten tó Twenty Thousand Tracts leave the press.

From a nobleman residing at Bachman, near Memel, your Committee have been informed, that several Tracts of this Society are about to be translated into the Lithuanian language, by some of the clergy, for the instruction of their parishioners; 4,000 copies of The Warning Voice having been already published at Tilsit, in aid of which your Committee have voted the sum of £10.

The total number of Tracts which have been distributed by the Wurtemberg Tract Society, in two years, amounts to no less than 74,000.

A small but active Tract Society has lately been formed at Neuwied upon the Rhine, the operations of which have been aided by a grant of £10.

Many thousands of Religious Tracts continue to be put in circulation, annually, by the Societies at Basle, Zurich, St. Gall, Lausanne, Nurenberg, Frankfort, Cologne, Rotterdam, and other places in Switzerland, Holland, and Germany; in addition to which, several pious Catholic Clergymen are indefatigable in diffusing light and knowledge, through the Publication of Pamphlets, of a smaller and larger size, written in a truly scriptural spirit and

manner.

To the island of St. Domingo the Publications of your Society have been sent by your Committee, as opportunities presented themselves; and one of the persons to whom they were entrusted, writes," It has always been our care to distribute your Tracts so "as best to secure their being read. We have distributed a great "number of those in French, in Port-au-Prince and its neighbour"hood, to persons who come to our house to request them :"-and he proceeds to state, that, in these instances, as well as in country