service in Valparaiso. This has been well sustained and promises to develope rapidly into a large and useful Church organization. In view of this manifest intimation of Providence, Mr. Merwin is now permanently located at Valparaiso.

In Talca, a city one hundred miles south of Santiago, a mission station was commenced during the last summer and assigned to Mr. Sayre. From the commencement of his work, Mr. Sayre's statements are full of encouragement and hope, as indicating a Divine preparation for a greatly enlarged work among that interesting people.

At Valparaiso, Dr. Trumbull, the pioneer Missionary in Chili, has now been laboring twenty-four years. Though sustained by his own English-speaking congregation, Dr. Trumbull still counts himself, and is gladly counted by us, as one of our Missionaries. What he is doing of active service, as counsellor and toiler in our own distinctive work, and what he has achieved, appears in part only in his published correspondence. Beside constant personal labor in caring over the interests of the whole Mission, in conference with inquiring natives, and occasional Spanish preaching, he has prepared a series of small Tracts in Spanish to meet the wants of the place and time. His report, just received, may be summed up in the sentence we have quoted. fourth of March, he was permitted to lay the corner-stone of a new On the church edifice with a capacity double that erected thirteen years ago.

A single paragraph from the address of a Chilian gentleman, a member of the church, upon that occasion, we cannot refrain from setting prominently here:

"The men who, desirous of the good and progress of our country, struggle for the triumph of justice and of truth in it, have reason to experience this day the deepest satisfaction for the result of past labors, and feel at the same time the highest encouragement for the future. Let the bold apostles of our liberties faint not their efforts, their zeal, and their unwavering perseverance have not been in vain. The precious seed scattered by them is already bringing forth abundant fruit. The solemn and significant act we have just now witnessed, says to us all, in accents of stirring eloquence: the Nation advances. To-day, for the first time, does a dissenting body meet publicly in our country, supported by public opinion and under the protecting shield of the law, in order to lay the corner stone of a temple where they may worship God according to the dictates of their conscience. That stone, gentlemen, is the granite slab the nation has placed with a firm hand, through her faithful representatives, upon the grave of by-gone prejudices.”

We only add that to give greater efficiency to the Chilian Mission, its members have been organized into a Committee with limited powers to supervise and direct the work, and to receive and report to the Board recommendations of each missionary for enlargement or change. This arrangement, as well as a similar one in Southern Europe, is designed as an experiment. The aim of the Board is to secure for

their own advantage the combined judgment and counsel of those in each mission who have the largest knowledge and experience.

Amount expended upon the Missions in South America for the year, $10,103 99.

Southern Europe.

ITALY. Milan.-Rev. Wm. Clark, Missionary Director; thirteen. Evangelists, two Bible-women, one Teacher. Three Professors and twenty-two students, and eight female pupils. Stations, fourteen ; out-stations, eleven.

Florence.-Rev. Wm. G. Moorhead, Missionary Director; nine Evangelists, four teachers and colporteurs. Stations and out-stations, fourteen.

Already the Gospel has made wonderful progress in Italy, and the work of the last year has borne its full part in the prophecy of far greater results. Mr. Clark affirms, and a careful study of reported facts will amply confirm the statement, "that in no land, heathen or Catholic, have visible fruits been more abundant for the comparative smallness of the culture. Had Italy been worked for ten years as faithfully as Turkey, India or China have been, there is good reason to believe that the nearly one hundred Evangelists of to-day would have been five hundred, the work of religious reform would have overcome its greatest obstacles, and acquired an influential position among the most elevated classes."

Wherever our Evangelists have labored there has been a visible blessing and progress. The newly formed churches evince a disposition toward self-support, and their growth is gradual and permanent. The Churches of Treviso and Verona have increased rapidly during the year. In the former there is a regular congregation of one hundred and fifty, while the latter has now one hundred and thirty members. Beside these permanent organizations in a few of the larger cities, itinerant evangelists have wrought a good work in many smaller places, by originating meetings for Bible reading and prayer, which are cared for by frequent visitation. The testimony of our Missionary Directors is uniform and frequent, that, with qualified men and means, there is scarce a limit to the progress of the work in North and Central Italy. Natives of every grade in society are offering themselves to the work in larger numbers than can be trained, for want of means.

"If Italy is to be helped," say our missionaries, "now pre-eminently is her opportunity. The material is abundant; a great work of preparation has been done; the harvest time is at hand." Naturally, therefore, as most earnestly they plead for enlargement of efforts to meet the natural and Providential increase in the work put upon them, in the education of the young men and their support when sent forth upon the

field. Thus far the Board has been constrained by the lack of a proportionate increase of funds, to defer response to this urgent demand. They only wait until the churches bid them go forward.

The Training School at Milan has been formally adopted by the Board during the past year, and a limited expenditure pledged to its support. A particular account of this school by its superintendent, Mr. Clark, will be found in another place. Seven of its graduates are now laboring successfully as evangelists in important places. Four more have completed the course of study, and are expected to go forth in June to occupy other stations.

Besides the Italian work, the mission to Hungary, including three laborers, have been carried on under the supervision of Mr. Clark, efficiently aided by the Rev. R. Koenig, of Pest. This mission has been supported as in the previous years by Mr. E. D. Goodrich, of Boston. Of the laborers, Mr. Koenig speaks as "well-selected, pious, able and faithful agents," while adding his own appeal that their number be increased.

The expenses of the entire Italian and Hungarian work for the year amount to $30,808 76.

At the request of the Board during the last summer, the Rev. H. Kendall, D. D., and Professor L. D. Chapin, carefully examined the entire work under the care of Messrs. Clark and Moorehead, and reported fully upon the School at Milan and upon the evangelistic agencies employed in Italy and Hungary. These gentlemen confirmed the statements of the missionaries in every particular, and strongly commended both departments of the work in progress. In accordance with suggestions contained in their report, the Board have organized a Commission of Supervision, comprised of all the missionaries in Southern Europe. This Commission recently held its first meeting at Florence, and was attended by a representative from the Mission in Athens, in addition to the Missions in Italy, and other advisory members.

In their formal report, adopted after much consideration, they commended to favorable response by the Board, the requests for enlargement of their work severally presented by Messrs. Clark and Moorehead, and also that of the Greek Mission for an increased appropriation to its work.

Athens.-Greece.

MISSIONARIES-Mr. and Mrs. Kalopothakes, Mr. and Mrs. Constantine, and Mr. and Mrs. Sakellarios.

These brethren have steadily maintained their work of preaching and printing, and of Sabbath School instruction through the year. A church has been organized in connection with the counsels of the venerable

Dr. King, who has heartily sympathized and toiled with our laborers. The two journals, the "Star of the East" and the "Child's Paper," have been well sustained, with nearly 36,000 copies, of which 32,000 were sold. In addition to this work, it has fallen to our brethren to take a principal part in the disbursement of the Cretan fund sent from this country, and in the oversight and care of the large Sabbath and weekday schools for the exiled children of Crete. Now that this toil is ended by the return of the exiles to their island home, the Missions cherish the hope, that through their instrumentality, these islanders will plant the truth of God where it shall ultimately yield a large and blessed reaping.

In Greece, too, our laborers have been permitted to hail as never before signs of promise from the working of God's Spirit in individual hearts and among the dwellers in two or more far inland villages.

The entire expenses of the Greek Mission have been $4,463 14.

Spain.

Mr. Nicolas Alonzo, well known to prominent friends of this Union, who had been associated with Matamoros, and for two or three years a leader among the little Christian bands of Spain, was appointed as our Missionary in April, 1868. Through the summer and part of the fall his work was well reported of to us by two gentlemen (American and English) residing in Minorca and Majorca, where Mr. A. was compelled to go to avoid persecution.

Immediately after the triumph of the Revolution in Spain, Mr. H. C. Hall, a member and officer of the Broadway Tabernacle church, offered his services without salary or expenses of travel to explore, report upon and supervise any work that the Board might deem it advisable to undertake. His generous offer was accepted, and in December he sailed for Spain. From his arrival in Madrid to the date of his last advices (April 19), Mr. Hall has been arduously and most effectively toiling, not alone for this Society (though bearing no other commission), but as earnestly for others-American, English, Scotch, French, and Swiss. Owing to his indefatigable pressure alone, Bibles, Tracts, and other useful books have but now been openly passed through the Spanish Custom House.

Since the Revolution, Mr. Alonzo has preached in several cities. At length, however, Mr. Hall deemed it best to concentrate the work, for the present at least, in Seville. Here he has hired a large room as the chapel of the American and Foreign Christian Union, where Mr. A. preaches regularly, aud holds Bible-class and prayer-meetings through the week. On the first Sabbath in March, the first Sunday School in Spain was commenced there, and both Chapel and School are sustained

وو

on

with increasing numbers and interest. The "London Times Protestant work in Spain, highly commends Alonzo and his work. Beside preaching night after night to audiences of a thousand, Mr. Alonzo has been engaged since January in an enterprise both novel and useful. The conception was his own, and grew out of the absolute lack of printed religious matter; but the energy of Mr. Hall put it into execution. It is a weekly tract, or series of tracts, in newspaper form, called the "Gospel Echo, or El Eco del Evangelio." It is made up of portions of the Scripture, with expositions and comments, brief discourses, etc. Four thousand copies have been and are published weekly, and are eagerly sought and read in city and country.

The expense of transporting and distributing the Bibles and tracts contributed by the American Societies (referred to elsewhere), of renting and putting in good condition the Chapel, and of printing and scattering the weekly "Eco," has been wholly borne by us thus far. Whereto this movement in Spain may grow, we know not. Mr. Hall has employed many for a time in the distribution of Bibles, tracts and journal. As he leaves Spain, with many deep traces of his good work in Malaga and Seville, most urgently he pleads that another shall take it up and carry it on more extendedly. To the question, whether it is advisable to wait until things crystalize, he answers: "It is of vital importance that some one be here to give form to the crystals." The Board wait an intimation from the churches.

France.

Early in the summer, an unusually fervid call for aid to evangelistic work in France, was brought to us by our brother Pilatte, on the part of the Evangelical Society. This appeal was urged mainly upon the ground that Christianity was losing, year by year, its few privileges and meeting places in France, and in every case when once extinct, the force of law and public sentiment prevented any attempt at revival. After careful consideration, the support of seven ordained preachers was pledged for one year, upon condition that they make monthly report directly to the Board.

This arrangement has been carried out, and the reports published in our Monthly approve the character of the work we are directly sustaining. This much-needed intervention greatly encourages, as it so far relieves the Evangelical Society, enabling it to strengthen other stations that were ready to die.

Canada.

Here, too, the Board cordially responded to a request preferred for help, on the part of the French Canadian Missionary Society. The plea was sustained by similar considerations in part, but greatly fortified and