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different parts of the country, an unusual number of the members of the Board was convened, and letters were received from others who could not attend, expressive of the deep interest they felt in the promotion of useful learning among ministers of the gospel, and the propriety and practicability of establishing a general Theological Seminary, as conducive to this end. Similar sentiments were also expressed by distinguished individuals in different sections of the country, not members of the Board, in letters addressed to the Corresponding Secretary.

After mature deliberation a plan was adopted, embracing the prominent features of the one presented to the Convention by the Rev. Dr. Furman; and measures were taken to collect subscriptions and donations in different parts of the country. At the next annual meeting of the Board, it is hoped the Seminary will go into full and successful operation.-In the mean time, Rev. Dr. Staughton, and the Rev. Mr. Chase, under the patronage of the Philadelphia Education Society, will attend to the applications, and preside over the studies of such individuals as may offer themselves as candidates for the benefits of the institution.

Extract of a letter to the Editor of the Christian Herald, from his correspondent at Liverpool, (England) dated 8th August, 1818. "The Ladies' Bible Society of Liverpool have paid into the Bank, after deducting their expenses, one thousand seven hundred and twenty pounds sterling, (upwards of seven thousand six hundred dollars,) as the producé of a little more than six months; and they have more than eight thousand persons on their books, as subscribers. In every place where Ladies' Associations have been established, the result of their labours is astonishing. Associations have recently been formed by Mr. Dudley, in our neighbourhood; at Manchester and its vicinity 10; at Chester, Preston, St. Helens, Rochester, Isle of Man, Haddersfield, and Warrington. He is now busily employed in the South. If his life should be spared a few years longer, the effects of his labours in the establishment of Ladies' Bible Associations, and in thus giving an impulse and a new direction to female benevolence, will almost change the character of the country."

AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY.

The number of Auxiliaries to this NATIONAL INSTITUTION officially known, is one hundred and sixty-seven. Of these, there is one in the state of New-Hampshire, there are fourteen in Massachusetts, three in Vermont, nine in Connecticut, fifty-seven in NewYork, sixteen in New-Jersey, fifteen in Pennsylvania, one in Delaware, two in Maryland, one in the District of Columbia, fifteen in Virginia, three in North Carolina, five in South Carolina, three in Georgia, thirteen in Ohio, four in Kentucky, two in Tennessee, que in Louisiana, one in Missouri Territory, and one in Michigan Territory.

Forty of the above are conducted by females.

VOL. V.]

Saturday, October 3, 1818.

[No. 13.

Report of the Directors of the twenty-fourth General Meeting of the MISSIONARY SOCIETY OF LONDON, May 14, 1818.

(Continued from our last.)

INDIA.

In this vast and populous region of the globe our Society has now seven stations, occupied by about eighteen Missionaries, who, as far as their health will admit, are diligently employed in preaching the gospel, translating and circulating the Scriptures, and in supporting schools for the native heathen.

CHINSURAH.

We begin with the most northerly station, which is Chinsurah. Here Mr. May has long laboured in the ministry of the word, and is now assisted in his work by Mr. Pearson, who was sent out last year, and by Mr. Harle, an European, who has resided some years in India.

The providence of God has favoured Mr. May with extensive opportunities of being useful in that line of service to which he was always partial, and for which he had peculiar talents. The native schools in the neighbourhood of Calcutta, under his superintendence, were, according to the last accounts, 30 in number, including, on the books, 2663 children, of whom about 1775 were in actual attendance. The schools, he judged, were likely to be increased, as the attention of the public to them had been much excited. About 100 schools, he observes, have been established by different Societies in the last three years; and a Society has been recently formed at Calcutta (to which the Directors have liberally subscribed) for the purpose of furnishing the schools with elementary books-a measure of a very necessary and laudable nature, and which promises to be highly conducive to their prosperity. It is pleasing to observe, that in many villages the Brahmins, as well as the inferior inhabitants, express great joy on the introduction of a school, as the education which the boys receive qualifies them for situations in which they may obtain employment and support.

CALCUTTA.

The Directors have much reason to be satisfied with the appointment of Mr. Townley and Mr. Keith to their very important station at Calcutta, the metropolis of British India. Ever since their arrival, in September, 1816, they have been labouring diligently to acquire the language; and have already begun to preach, in Bengallee, the glorious gospel of God our Saviour.

It has pleased God to give them favour among our countrymen in Calcutta, to many of whom they preach with much acceptance, and, we trust, usefulness. Their first house for worship, the Freemasons' Hall, being insufficient for the congregation, Dr. Bryce, the minister of the Scot's congregation, with the approbation of the Kirk Ses

sion, kindly offered the use of the temporary place he now occupies while the Presbyterian church is building, at any time when not engaged by himself; for which accommodation the Directors feel themselves greatly indebted. Mr. Townley and Mr. Keith have also opened a place for preaching at Hourah, on the other side the river Hoogley, where the attendance is good. Thousands of the natives are employed in the dock-yard there, and access may be found to a number of populous villages in the neighbourhood.

Our brethren, agreeably to their instructions, are active in the establishment of schools, as calculated gradually to undermine that system of error and superstition by which the millions of Hindostans are so miserably enslaved. Mr. Townley has built a schoolroom in Calcutta, which will accommodate about 100 children, and Mr. Keith has engaged a poojah-house (a place for pagan worship) for another. A Sunday school is also commenced, in which the children learn the Catechism; and some of their parents also attend. Missionary prayer-meetings are held alternately in the different places of worship; and our Missionaries cordially unite with their Baptist brethren on these occasions.

GANJAM,

(369 miles south of Calcutta.)

The malignant fever which long raged at Ganjam has put a stop, for the present, to the missionary efforts of Mr. Lee, who had laboured there with acceptance, and for whom a church had been built, and schools established; but both his congregation and the scholars have been dispersed. His own constitution has suffered so severe a shock, that he has been under the necessity of retiring from all labour for a time. Indeed it was providential that he was obliged by his illness to withdraw from Ganjam; for had he resided there at the time it was invaded by the Pindarees, it is probable that he and all his family would have been murdered. Two thousand of that party visited Ganjam on the 24th of Dec. 1816, and his house, in which he had left most of his effects, was plundered. Mr. Lee, after having taken a voyage to Vizagapatam and Madras, not finding his health restored, was strongly advised, by medical and other friends, to remove with his family to the Cape of Good Hope, where they have arrived, and are gone to reside for a time at Stellenbosch; where we pray and hope that his health may be recovered, and that he may yet be spared as a useful Missionary, either in Africa or India.

VIZAGAPATAM,

(about 557 miles south of Calcutta.)

Three brethren, Messrs. Gordon, Pritchett, and Dawson, occupy this station, which was commenced in the year 1805 by those truly valuable Missionaries, Messrs. Cran and Desgranges, long since deceased. Mr. Gordon's health, which had been so extremely reduced that it was expected he must have declined the Mission, and returned to Europe, has been completely restored, so that he is now enabled to exert himself in the missionary work with renewed vigour. Mr. Pritchett also labours incessantly in teaching, translating, and super

intending schools. They are now assisted by Mr. Dawson, who, we are sorry to hear, has been much indisposed, but we hope is recovered.

The brethren are in the habit of associating and conversing with the natives, who are more and more inquisitive about the truth, and with whom very interesting conversations frequently take place.

The influence of the Gospel appears to be gradually diffused in the country; so that the attachment of many to their superstitions is evidently diminished, and their attention to the Gospel increased. Having heard that at Chicacole, a town about 60 miles north of Vizagapatam, some persons had been induced to forsake the pagoda, and throw away a favourite ensign of their idolatry, which they used to wear on their persons, one of the brethren paid them a visit ; and upon ascertaining the fact, inquired into the cause; when he found, that by reading the true VEDAS, (or the New Testament, which they had sent them,) and by conversation with Anundaraya, the Brahmin who had formerly visited them from Vizagapatam, they had made this promising advance towards the religion of Christ. The brethren are very desirous that a Missionary may be sent to this place.

The brethren have made considerable progress in the translation of the Scriptures into the Telinga (or Telugo) language; and they hoped to complete the whole of the New Testament by the close of the last year. The first edition of the Gospels which they had printed was wholly disposed of, and the call for more copies was very urgent, especially to the southward of their station, and at Madras.

The native schools at this place continue to be well attended, and promise to be very useful; many of the children make a surprising proficiency, and acquire much knowledge of divine things. The principal school, which is now kept in the heart of the town, and is open to all passengers, excites much attention. The novelty of catechising the children publickly, and the promptitude of their answers, never fail to bring many adult persons to hear them, and thus affords many topics for inquiry and conversation. Adults and children are thus instructed at the same time. The Missionaries here are of opinion that it is practicable, though difficult at first, to introduce Christian books and Christian principles into the seminaries, and thereby lay a solid foundation for much future benefit.

MADRAS.

At this Presidency, and in a city said to contain, with its vicinity, nearly half a million of souls, Mr. Knill, who went out in 1816, now labours together with Mr. Loveless, who has been many years at this station. A considerable revival seems to have taken place, to which the presence and assistance of several Missionaries who were waiting for opportunities to repair to their appointed stations, happily contributed; and our brethren, uniting harmoniously with Missionaries from other Societies, were at the very time of our last Anniversary in London, joyfully engaged in similar services at Madras. Probably so pleasing a scene was never before witnessed in India. This Meeting appears to have been delightful and beneficial in no

small degree. An Auxiliary Missionary Society has been formed, and about £200 transmitted to the Parent Society. "No congregation in Britain (says Mr. K.) of equal size can boast of such a sum." More labourers are needed. Mr. K. says, "The Missionaries here are but as a drop to the ocean." In another letter, the brethren say, "Our calls for labour continue and abound. There is an amazing field at Madras. Great concern is excited by the preaching of the Gospel; and we hope that our labours are not in vain in the Lord." The word of God is statedly preached at the chapel (erected in 1810 by Mr. Loveless) in the Black Town, and elsewhere occasionally, especially at the Fort and at the Mount, in English, at which latter place a few individuals raised 50 pagodas for fitting up a chapel. Mr. Loveless' school-room at Vepery is well attended on Lord's-day evenings. Among the natives there appears to be a desire to hear the Gospel. Mr. Gordon freely conversed with them in the streets, and at the pagodas,on religious subjects, to which they paid much attention.

The Missionary Prayer-meeting on the first Monday of the month is statedly observed and well attended. There are also circulating prayer-meetings held in private houses, to which the neighbours are invited, and where the Scriptures are expounded.

Much attention is paid to the schools. There are 147 names on the books of the free-school for boys; a free-school for girls has been recently commenced, in which there are about 40. The school-rooms are erected in the chapel garden. The schools for natives contain about 400 children; and the New Testament is introduced, and some parts of it are learned and repeated.

Mr. Knill is studying the Tamul language, which begins to be familiar to him; and he hopes soon to be able to preach in it. He is of opinion that immense congregations of the heathen may be collected to hear the Gospel, when preached in their own tongue. The people receive books and tracts gladly, and the Missionaries are earnestly desirous of gratifying them; "the distribution of them (say they) is recreation to our bodies, relaxation to our spirits, and joy to

our souls."

On the whole, we have much cause to be thankful for the present state of the Mission at Madras, and for the pleasing prospect of future and extensive usefulness. The Directors will probably think it expedient to increase the number of their Missionaries at this very interesting station, the second, perhaps, in importance, in India.

EELLARY,

(about 500 miles North West of Madras.)

The progress of the Gospel at this station, by the blessing of God on the indefatigable labours of Mr. Hands, our first Missionary there,

"The number of our schools might be greatly augmented, were it not for the expense attached to them. We might have thousands of children; but teachers, rooms, &c. are very dear."

+ Mrs. Loveless and Mrs. Mead, who were the principal superintendents of the female school, give a pleasing report of its state. Several gentlemen and ladies at Madras contribute liberally to its support.

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