God, one of the company replied, "But if you worship God, and if he so blesses his servants, how comes it to pass that you are travelling about through the mud on foot, and not riding in a chariot? Give me a plenty of money and a carriage to ride in, that is what I want." I told him that God gave to his servants something better than money and chariots, peace of soul in this life, and afterwards an everlasting inheritance in heaven. In this life they are sometimes poor and afflicted, and sometimes they are rich and prosperous, as God pleases to appoint them, but hereafter they will all be alike, and completely happy in heaven for ever. But that the wicked, though they might have abundance of worldly riches and comforts, if they died in their sins, must go away into everlasting burnings.

18. Took a walk before breakfast, and came up to a large collection of people.-A man's wife had left him, and ran home to live with her mother. He had seized her by the hair of her head, and was dragging her back. Three or four other females were striving against him in behalf of his wife.

Quarrels of this kind are so frequent, that they excite no surprise, the people assemble and laugh at it, as they do at any other piece of sport; and the parties, instead of making any secret of their shame, rather seek its publicity, and openly abuse each other with the most disgraceful language. I very seldom go among the people in the morning, and still more seldom do I find people at that hour of the day disengaged, and in a favourable situation for instruction.

Nov. 21. The following is a literal translation of a passage in the sacred books of the Hindoos.

"The sin of killing one ram is equivalent to the sin of killing a cart load of insects; that of killing one bullock equals the slaughter of a hundred rams. The guilt of slaying a hundred bullocks equals the slaying of one cow. The sin of killing a hundred cows is equal to that of killing one bahmin; and know thou, that the great guilt of killing one woman equals the sin of killing a full hundred brahmins." Herreeweejia, 2 chap.

To attach guilt to the killing of animals, is, perhaps, inseparably connected with the doctrine of transmigration. As the Hindoo believes in this doctrine, he knows not but that the beasts, birds, and the reptiles, which he sees, are animated by the souls of his deceased ancestors; for he supposes that every man, according as his sins may be, is liable as a punishment, to be doomed to pass, by a series of births, through more or less of the grades of animal beings, 8,400,000, which number embraces all the varieties of living crea tures in the world. Hence, in the opinion of the Hindoo, every living creat re becomes inviolable, and cannot be innocently destroyed.

But the degree of guilt attached to the killing of a woman, as stated in the passage above quoted, is very extraordinary, it being made equal to that of killing a hundred brahmins; for among the Hindoos the females are in great degradation, and treated as incomparably inferior to men. I asked our pundit, how the guilt of killing a woman could be a hundred fold greater than that of killing a brah

min, since they considered the former as so much inferior to the latter? He confessed himself unable to give an explanation, but said he would think of it, and make inquiry. After a month's delay he could give no better answer than this. "A certain god committed a great crime, and his guilt was imputed to women, trees, mountains, fire, and water. Hence, guilt and curses attach to females which do not attach to males. Therefore, whosoever, without cause, kills a female, the superior guilt of the female is imputed to the murderer." He seemed evidently ashamed of his explanation, and unable to offer any better one.

MISSIONS IN RUSSIA.

The Annual Report of the Edinburgh Missionary Society, for 1817, has been published, with an Appendix, containing a geographical and historical account of the Society's missionary stations Asiatic Russia, &c. ; illustrated by a map.

The report commences with an account of KARASS, where Mr. Paterson and Mr. Galloway remained for some time together to su perintend the affairs of the settlement; arranging matters for the separation of the German colonists from their secular connexion with the Mission; attending to the education of their own children, and of the ransomed and other youth in the colony; and visiting the adjacent villages, to converse with the natives on the subject of religion. Several of the native children have made some progress in religious knowledge.

Three or four hundred Tartar families have come to settle in the vicinity, and are thus brought within the sound of the gospel.

Mr. Gallaway visited in the month of Oct. a pastoral tribe of Tartars, called TURKOMANS, and he was greatly delighted with the readiness they showed to receive copies of the New-Testament and Tracts, and to learn the way of salvation.

The Missionaries at Astracan, about the same time, delivered to the Bible Committee of that city, 50 copies of the New-Testament, 50 of Luke's Gospel, and 50 of the Psalms, in Tartar, to be sent to others of these people in the neighbourhood of Kitzliar, some of whom had remitted money to that society for the purpose of procuring books.

ASTRACAN. The labours of Mr. Mitchell, and his coadjutor James Peddie, at the missionary press, and of Mr. Dickson, in correcting and translating, merit the highest commendation. They have distributed in the course of one year 5000 of Luke's Gospel, of the Karrass translation, and many thousands of Arabic and Tartar Tracts. They have also circulated gratis, sent to Karass, Orenburgh, to the government of Cherson, to Theodosia, and Sympheropol, in the Crimea, or given to the Bible Committee, in Astracan, no fewer than 2566 copies of the New Testament, in whole or in part, or parts out of the Old Testament, with 6548 Catechisms or Tracts; in all 9114 copies. Thus a door is set open for the circulation of the Scriptures throughout the widely extended region of which Astracan is the centre.

The Directors express great satisfaction in Mr. Glen, a respectable minister of Scotland, who has devoted himself to this mission. ORENBURGH.-Among those ignorant and degraded rovers, the Kirghisians, Mr. Macalpine, with his zealous attendant, Walter Buchanan, (the converted Cabardian) have unremittingly continued their labours; and the progress which several of them, notwithstanding all their disadvantages, have made, is gratifying. For the permanent instruction of the Tartars in this country, a translation of the New Testament is in preparation, with Tracts, &c. Sclavonic and other Testaments have been sent as far as Troitska.

THE CRIMEA.

Mr. Paterson, leaving Karass, May 10, with Andrew Skirvine Hay, and carrying along with them 300 copies of the Tartar New Testament, and a great number of Tracts, proceeded through the Steppe, visited Rostof and Mariopol on the Sea of Asoph, entered the Crimea at Perecop, traversed it in various directions, and returned homeward by the Kuban, reaching Karass in safety July 18: though Mr. P.'s health was considerably injured by the fatigue of travelling and the state of the weather; his spirits, however, were continually revived, and his thanksgivings to God called forth, by the reception he met with.

Wherever he halted, he was almost instantly surrounded by multitudes of various orders and religions pressing with eagerness to receive copies of the New Testament and Tracts. Sometimes, from the top of the cart in which he rode, in the market places of the towns, or in the midst of the open plains, he would stand for hours together talking to the wondering and listening people, on the great truths contained in that sacred volume which he was about to put into their hands. At other times, he would sit in the midst of a group at the foot of a tree, and read to them passages from these lively oracles of truth explain their meaning as he went along, address them with earnest exhortations to believe what they heard, or reply to the questions and objections which they brought forward in consequenceof his statements.

The interest excited by his conversation was almost universal, and by no means confined to the professors of any one religion in particular. Mollas, and Effendis, and Imans, in every district, welcomed the precious gift; several natives of Turkey carried it with them to the places of their residence; and not only Greeks, but Jews, and Mahommedans, and Pagans, seem prepared to receive the Gospel.

Here truly,' says Mr. P. 'is a field for Bible and Missionary Societies; the first, in putting the Holy Scriptures into the hands of the people; and the last, for explaining them and preaching the Gospel of Christ in simplicity and truth. These ought always to go hand in hand. In Christian countries, where the Gospel is purely preached, and many of the people can read, this is not so necessary; but in countries where the majority of the inhabitants cannot read, and are bigoted and superstitious to an amazing degree, the

labour of missionaries is of the greatest consequence. Nay, it is indispensable; and when I at any time hear a call for Bibles among such a people, I consider it likewise a call for living interpreters to accompany them.

The Tartar New Testament, accordingly, is already circulated among them, and is not only generally but well understood by all who speak that language. Means also will no doubt be employed, for giving them the whole Scriptures in such a form as is likely to be most universally intelligible to those who do not read the Turkish character. And should not this preparation be followed up by the oral instructions of Missionaries, who shall not cease to declare to them the whole counsel of God, till, through his grace, one and another, and multitudes, being led to inquire for themselves what they must do to be saved, shall be brought from the bondage of corrup tion into the glorious liberty of the sons of God.

The call which was made at the last Anniversary, and the appeals which were then addressed to the Christians of Scotland, have not been in vain. The confidence which the Directors then expressed, of the support they would receive when the operations and necessities of the Society were sufficiently known, have not been disappointed. Missionary candidates and funds have been obtained, if not to the full extent of what is requisite, (for this must be the work of time, and could not reasonably be expected at once,) yet certainly to a degree peculiarly encouraging, and in a manner that is justly calculated to inspire them with equal confidence, that in the future their wants shall, under the direction of infinite wisdom and beneficence, continue to be no less readily, and still more abundantly, supplied.

JEWS IN RUSSIA.

Extract from the last Report of the Edinburgh Missionary Society.

It is stated in Mr. Paterson's journal while at Koslov, "Sitting and musing in my lodgings on the obstinacy of the Mahomedans, and revolving in my mind the best means to employ in order to induce them to receive the truth, in came a company of Jews and sat down at my side, and entered into conversation with me on religion. I spoke to them, and read portions of the New Testament to them. One of them opened a copy, and read to his countrymen two or three chapters. He read it with ease, and earnestly requested that I should give it to him. I told him that it was the New Testament that I had brought copies of it to give away to Mahomedans; and that I was afraid, though I should give it him, that he would not read it, as it contained the history of that Jesus whom their forefathers crucified, but whom we believed to be the promised Messiah, and the Saviour of the world. He said, that if I would only give it to him, he would read it, and stood as much in need of it as the Mahomedans did. His brethren made intercession for him, and said, "We wish ourselves to learn what is contained in the New Testament." After some hesitation on my part, but anxiety on theirs, I thought it

might be of advantage to the young man, and therefore gave it to him, and exhorted him to read it. No sooner had he received it, than another Jew sat down beside me, and read the New Testament fluently, and insisted that I should give him a copy also. This Jew was from Bakcheserai, and informed me that he had sold Mr. Pinkerton a Tartar Bible in Hebrew characters for two hundred rubles After a considerable deal of conversation, I gave him likewise a New Testament. He not only read it with the greatest ease, but evidently understood what he read. He offered to sell me another Tartar Bible; but as Mr. Pinkerton had already purchased a copy, I did not think it adviseable to buy another. Several more Jews came forward who could read Turkish, and requested New Testaments, but I was obliged to refuse them. One, however who was peculiarly urgent, would not go away, and used many arguments to induce me to give him one; but for a long while without effect, my whole stock being now reduced to eight copies. He at last said; Give me this book: it had been good for me that I had never seen it, unless you give it me: it may be of eternal advantage to me. After such expressions, I could not withhold it from him any longer, but gave it to him as the word of God, and exhorted him to read it. There were more than twenty Jews in this company, and I conversed with them more than an hour. In the evening, several other Jews made application for books; but my stock being so low. I could not gratify their desire, but promised to get copies sent to them from Theodosia. I could have given away many copies of the Scripture to day, and was sorry that I had sent the whole commission to Theodosia. The circulation of the Tartar Testament among the Jews, did not indeed occur to me till I was actually among them, and saw their anxiety to possess the sacred volume.

Next morning, a few more Jews came, and made inquiry about the coming of the Messiah. I pointed out to them the predictions of the prophets with regard to Christ, and particularly insisted on the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, and the passage in Daniel which says, the Messiah shall be cut off. Mr. Paterson then gave them a summary account of the history of Christ, and dwelt particularly on the cessation of sacrifices among the Jews, concluding with stating the resurrection of Christ, his ascension, and the certainty of his coming to judgment. When I had proceeded thus far, says he, the man from Bakcheserai, and a few more joined the company, and I desired him to read to his countrymen the translation of the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, contained in one of our tracts, which he immediately did. One or two of them appeared to be impressed with what was said, and expressed themselves that the Messiah was come, and that it was in vain to look for any other.

Extract from the Report of the London Society for promoting Christianity among the Jews.

JOURNEY OF MESSRS. WAY, SOLOMON, &c.

We have the satisfaction to state, that the intelligence which we