94 Correspondence of the British and Foreign Bible Society.

3. Does it preclude notes marking the scriptural chronology, as in our large English Bibles?

4. Does it preclude the explanation of proper names, e. g., which, in the margin of our Bibles, is rendered "forgetting?" (see Gen. xli.51;) or any other such names?

5. Does it preclude the explanation of such words as Aßeddw, A гoλλu, or of Jewish or Roman coins?

6. Does it preclude the Contents of chapters?

The Committee having taken the above inquiries into consideration;

Resolved, that, it being the object of the British and Foreign Bible Society to restrict itself to the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, the terms in which the restriction is expressed, (viz. "Without Note or Comment,") must be construed to exclude from the copies circulated by the Society, every species of matter but what may be deemed necessary to render the version of the sacred original intelligible and perspicuous. The latter appearing to be the sole and exclusive design of the queries proposed by the Rev. Mr. Milne, nothing contained in them can be considered as precluded by the prohibition of Note and Comment.

While the Committee give this opinion, and express their high approbation of the conduct of Mr. Milne, they recommend to his attention, and that of translators in general, the English Version, with marginal renderings and references; as affording a correct example of that sort and degree of explanation, which it may be permitted to introduce into those copies of the Bible which answer to the Society's definition and requirement, of their being without Note or Com

Malacca, Dec. 31, 1816. The situation of Malacca affords frequent opportunities of communicating with all the other settlements in the Archipelago, where the Chinese reside. To each of these I have sent copies of the Saered Scriptures. In the course of every year, there are opportunities of communicating with three provinces of China; viz. Canton, Fo-Kien, and Quang-see; and also with the various ports of CochinChina, and Siam, where multitudes of Chinese are settled.

Thus, though we are not at present allowed to settle in China itself, a variety of channels are opened to us in the good providence of God, through which the Sacred Scriptures may be introduced. Several China-men and Merchants have very readily sent parcels to their friends and correspondents in other places; and have brought their acquaintances, when passing from port to port, to converse, and get books.

In June 1815, the registered number of Chinese in the Island of Penang, (Prince of Wales's Island,) was 7241. From the numbers that have gone thither since, I suppose there are now at least 8000. In point of education and morals, I think them considerably behind their brethren in Java and Malacca. The settlement of Penang is comparatively new. In Java and Malacca, Chinese have been settled for hundreds of years, and there are many families of long standing.

A very large proportion of the Chinese in Penang are merchants, mechanics, and day labourers, who have gone thither with no other view, than that of making a little money in a few years; after which they intend to return to China, and then set up in life. There is a much smaller proportion of schools for youth, among the Chinese in Penang, than among their countrymen settled in the other parts of the Archipelago. In distributing the New Testaments among them, when I visited that Island, I observed the same rules to which I adhered in Java, in 1814. All the largest Chinese families in George's Town have a New Testament, and in the course of distribution, I did not meet with a single Chinese, who did not thankfully receive it; and in conversing with them, I found them all disposed to listen, The words of eternal life are now in their hands.

I feel grateful to God, and to the Bible Society, for the oportunities afforded me of putting the Sacred Scriptures into the hands of a people who never before had heard of them.

I have opened two schools in Malacca, for Chinese children, in which the average number of boys who have attended is about 55, some of whom have learned to repeat portions of the word of God. At seven o'clock every morning, they all, together with the schoolmasters and other Chinese, attend prayer, and reading the Holy Scrip

tures.

ORDINATION OF REV. MR. FREY.

(Communicated for the Christian Herald.)

It will no doubt be highly gratifying to the friends of the Redeemer's Kingdom, to be informed that on Wednesday the 15th of April, the Rev. Joseph Samuel C. F. Frey, of the seed of Abraham, was ordained and installed by the Morris County and West Chester Associate Presbytery, to the pastoral charge of the Independent Church, New-York.

The Rev. Silas Constant, of York town, presided and opened the service with prayer. The Rev. Stephen Grover, of Caldwell, N. Y. preached from 2 Cor. v. 20; the Rev. Samuel L. Phelps, of Ridgefield, made the ordination prayer; the Rev. Abel Jackson, of Middletown, gave the charge to the Minister; the Rev. Allan Blair, of Carmel, N. Y. gave the right hand of fellowship, and the Rev. Abner Brundage, of Peekskill, gave the charge to the people.

The Rev. Abraham Purdy, of North Salem, preached on Tuesday Evening preparatory to the ordination.

The services of the day were most solemn and interesting. It is worthy of remark, that the Rev. Mr. Frey is the first converted Israelite that has been called to the pastoral charge of a Christian

Church in this country. We trust it will prove the first fruits of a plentiful harvest. "If the fall of them," (the Jews,)" be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness: for if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead? For if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy : and if the root be holy, so are the branches."-Rom. xi. 12, 15, 16. Verses.

THE PARTING SCENE:

Lines written on the sailing of Messrs. Wheelock and Colman for India, from Boston, Nov. 16, 1817.

Mrs. Colman.

Mr. Wheelock.

Miss Wheelock.

Sisters of the Missionaries' wives

The name of the Burman idol.

VOL V.]

Saturday, May 16, 1818.

[No. 4.

The twenty-first Annual Report of the Directors of the New-York Missionary Society, presented at the Annual Meeting, held on Tuesday, April 7, 1818.

THE Society, at its last meeting, was informed of the unfavourable prospects of the mission among the Senecas, and of the conditional continuance of Mr. Hyde as a Teacher among them. From the information they have received, the Directors are satisfied that the School among them has, for some time past, been scarcely worth attention; that very few children have attended with any degree of punc tuality or profit, and that their Indian parents seem anxious neither for personal instruction, nor the instruction of their children. In consequence of his want of success in his labours, and the great improbability of his future usefulness in that tribe, Mr. Hyde, in a letter dated Oct. 29, 1817, tendered his resignation to the Board, as a Teacher under their care, which they have accepted.

In their last report, the Directors stated that they had received under their care Mr. James Arbuckle, as a candidate for Missionary service; but in consequence of some misunderstanding, as to the terms and continuance of his education by the Board, he has been released from all obligations to the Society, and is no longer under their direction.

The Board have no particular information to communicate respecting the mission on Long Island. In the last accounts received from the Rev. Mr. Dickerson, who has been employed as their Missiona ry, he states that, on the whole, the prospects of the Society in that quarter are favourable-that he has preached one half of his time at Cold Spring, and the other half at the Forks, Puspattock, and Montauk, and has met with considerable encouragement in his labours. The Board, however, have informed Mr. Dickerson, that after the first of March last, they would no longer require his services, and the Committee of missions have been instructed to procure some other Missionary to labour in that station.

It is with pleasure the Directors inform the Society, that since their last annual meeting, they have taken under their care Mr. James Young, and have engaged him as a Teacher among the Tuscaroras. The Board being satisfied as to his Christian character, his literary attainments, and his great desire of being useful among the Heathen, have sent him out under their employ, at a salary of four hundred dollars per annum; and provided him with suitable books, &c. for the use of the School. Mr. Young reached Tuscarora in the month of October last, and soon after his arrival, commenced his School on the Lancasterian method, and from the information he has communicated to the Board, it appears that between forty and seventy scholars usually attend; that a general disposition prevails among the Indians of that tribe to send their children to School, and to have

N

them orderly in their deportment; that the chiefs and parents frequently call at the school-house, and seem much interested in the instruction of the pupils; and that although many difficulties are yet to be surmounted, and the most deplorable ignorance yet to be removed, there is much to encourage our hearts, and stimulate our efforts in their behalf.

The prospects of our mission among the Tuscaroras were never so flattering as at present. Immediately after the last annual meeting of the Society, Mr. Crane was licensed and ordained by the Presbytery of New-York, of the Associate Reformed Church, and being furnished with credentials and instructions from the Board, was forwarded without delay to the place of his labours. He arrived among the Tuscaroras on the 31st of May last, and was received with a most cordial welcome. An instance thereof, the Missionary thus relates in one of his letters to the Board. "As I was for the first time entering Tuscarora village, in search of the residence of Cusick, my interpreter, I proceeded till I came to a large company of Indians, who were sitting on the grass, refreshing themselves during the heat of the day. I rode up to them, and inquired if any of them could speak the English language. A young man answered in the affirmative. After receiving satisfactory information respecting Cusick, I took notice of the healthy, lively children, who were playing around their parents, and asked if they understood English. He said they did not. Having one particular object of my mission in view, I then inquired whether he wished them to learn it, and would send them to school, if they had a Teacher. He answered that he would do it very gladly. I then made a few inquiries on the subject of their having a Missionary among them. He informed me that they were destitute of a father at present, and had been so for some time. He observed, that the good Society in New-York had done many good things for them, and had long promised to send them a young father, to teach them about Jesus Christ; but that they were afraid that the good Society was discouraged with their wickedness, and would not do any thing for them. He added, that they had prayed lately very much, for the great Spirit to incline the good Society to send them a minister. I then made myself known to him. He turned, and said a few words to them in his native language, and the whole groupe arose with every expression of joy. The grayheaded, and the little child, seized my hands, and endeavoured to manifest by their actions those grateful emotions which they could not express with their lips. Having never witnessed such scenes in Christian churches, I found it too affecting, and turned away from them, to give vent to the tears of gratitude and joy, and to express the petition which the circumstances excited.

"On Wednesday, the 4th of June, I met with the Council of the Tribe, and presented my letter of introduction, which was interpreted by Cusick. The chief then arose, and addressed the people. Afterward he addressed himself to me, in a long speech; to which I made a general answer, expressing the good wishes of the Society a