Spirit, no shield of faith, no hope full of glory, to support and comfort them in the hour of temptation. We cannot be astonished at any acts which they do, while under the sole domi nion of the God of this World. They have no written laws, human or divine, by which to govern themselves-no Courts of Public Justice to appeal to. I am surprised-not at the number and greatness of their public crimes-but that they govern themselves so well without laws. When the light of Divine Revelation once shines upon them, it will be like the sun rising upon the benighted world. But we must wait until the Lord of Glory arises, and has mercy upon them; and must continue to sow in hope.

In the midst of the evils which have arisen to this Mission from the sins of some who have been engaged in it, and the infirmities of others, God has not left Himself without witness in this land; but has maintained among his people, under all the trials endured from the Natives, and the still greater trials from some of their own body, faithful and devoted Labourers, who, though they have felt, to use their own expression, as living Martyrs," have continued to lift up holy hands in the midst of these savage tribes, to labour unweariedly for their good, and to cause the light of a meek and holy conversation to shine around them.

66

One of the Settlers at Kiddeekiddee writes, in a late communication

Our Prayer-Meetings among ourselves were the commencement of good to the Natives. A door of usefulness seems to be presenting itself, for we have begun to keep a School for the Natives at Kiddeekiddee. We all exert ourselves, and attend it three times a week; Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Singing and prayer are connected with the business of the School. May we not hope that better days are about to dawn? We are going to build a place for the Natives to meet in for Divine Worship. Pray for us, that the Word of God may run, have free course, and be glorified. May the Lord Jesus Christ draw us nearer to Himself by faith! then shall we be more useful and more happy.

A Volume has lately appeared, entitled "Journal of a Ten Months' Residence in New Zealand." It is the work of Captain Richard A. Cruise, who sailed on board H.M.S. Dromedary, in command of a detachment of the 34th Regiment, when that vessel

was sent to procure timber at New Zealand. The Members may recollect that Mr. Marsden sailed in the Dromedary from Port Jackson, on his Third Visit to the Mission. Captain Cruise's Journal confirms the representations of Mr. Marsden and the Missionaries; and contains various particulars relative to the Natives.

This Mission has very much drawn toward it the attention of the different Associations. That the Members of the Society are thus led so generally to sympathise in its difficulties, and to bear its trials on their hearts before the Throne of Grace in prayer, not only strengthens the hands of your Committee in their work, but will animate and stimulate those Labourers who stand firm amidst surrounding evils. The Committee will quote a few passages on this subject from different Reports.

-The calamities which impend over New Zealand would discourage those who do not feel the immense value of human souls; but they merely call for deeper humility, more persevering and affectionate zeal, and more earnest prayers from the devout Christian. Western Africa for some years presented the greatest discouragements: the Society persevered in dependence on God, and they now reap a rich spiritual harvest.

-Doubtless it was necessary that the efforts of the Church Missionary Society should be thwarted in one quarter, lest its friends should be too much elated by its success in others; and in order to shew that all success, the power, and the might, are of God. The afflicting dispensation calls not for distrust and despondency, but for stronger faith, greater patience, more fervent zeal, more earnest prayer. God shall arise, and His enemies shall be scattered.

-In New Zealand, the aspect has been hitherto so inviting, the influence of the Rev. Mr. Marsden among the Natives so considerable, the progress toward civilization so rapid, as, perhaps, in some measure, to have cherished too much dependence upon human exertion; and to have blunted the lively remembrance, that conversion is solely the work of God; and, consequently, to have rendered Christians less fervent and persevering in prayer for the descent of the Holy Ghost upon that Mission, than they would have been, had the difficulties assumed a more alarming appearance. May the Members of the Society be moved to implore the protection and blessing of the Almighty upon His servants, the Missio

naries there, who, though distressed, have not been obliged to quit the scene of their labour.

-In New Zealand, a mysterious and solemn Providence still hangs over the affairs of the Mission, and calls for the exercise of faith and prayer. Your Committee refrain from the detail of those instances of cruelty, with which the Missionaries of the Society have been made awfully familiar. And yet who can look at the present state of that island, and remember what the Society Islands once were, without applying to its inhabitants that striking prophetic declaration-The devil has come down to you, having great power, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time! Yes! dark as is the present dispensation, a brighter hour will arrive; and future Anniversaries will, doubtless, have to report of New Zealand, that its savage tribes have been themselves conquered by the grace of the Gospel, and been made the willing subjects of the Prince of Peace.

In another Report, the best use is made of that which has been the most distressing view of the case -the unfaithfulness of some of the Labourers :

Intelligence like this is truly afflictive and humbling. Let Christians, whose hearts glow with warm expectation of Missionary Success, remember, that the most active Labourers in the Lord's vineyard can effect nothing but by His grace, and that their fidelity and steadfastness depend on the continual supplies of the Spirit of God.

WEST-INDIES MISSION.

This field of the Society's labours may be considered as connected with that in West Africa, the objects in both being the same-the remuneration, by the blessings of the Gospel, of Africa and her Children, for those enormous wrongs which they have suffered at our hands. For wrongs they are, and wrongs they will continue to be, how many ages soever have passed since they were first inflicted, and whatever may be the period which must elapse before they can be done away!

It is one part of the awful retribution which attends the commission of evil, that he, who repents and desires to make restitution, is trammelled and harassed by the effects of the very evil which he originated, or in which he has participated. Our Country finds itself in this exact situation, with re

lation to Africa and her Sons. Her conscience is, blessed be God! now enlightened. She has de nounced her own past errors and crimes-has made a firm stand against the further feeding of the evil, in any shape or in any degree-and has put out of the pale of civil society any one of her sons, who shall disgrace the nation by the recreant spirit of one who can make prize of his fellow-men. She is ready to re-purchase all those legal rights in human beings, in the acquisition of which her own subjects have been countenanced and protected by her erroneous laws; and she is eager to raise, to the full privileges of Social and Christian Life, every Child of Africa which she holds in bondage. But her wisdom, and her humanity itself, interpose: her errors have brought these bondmen into a state, in which they are disqualified for the immediate enjoyment of those rights which belong to them as the creatures of our Common Father in Heaven.

If blind self-interest, or the exercise of cruel authority over human beings, have disqualified any persons from cordially entering into the just and humane views which now actuate the Government and the country, we may well hope, from the success which the question of the Abolition of the Slave Trade obtained, by the patience and perseverance of its friends, over feelings and opinions even still more hostile, that a steady course of wise and humane proceedings will carry with it, at no great distance of time, the whole mind and conscience of the country.

While this Society will ever honour those Kindred Societies, which have been the means, by a patient course of self-denying labour, frequently under contumely and persecution, of rescuing from spiritual bondage such a multitude of our WestIndia Slaves, it must be allowed to feel especial pleasure in the plans which the Legislature has adopted, in the appointment of Bishops and Clergy, with a direct view to the instruction and conversion of the Slave Population.

The Society's labours in this quarter have hitherto been limited to Education. In the Islands of Antigua, Barbadoes, Dominica, and St. Vincent, it has Fourteen Schools; which contained, at the last returns, 2172 Scholars: of these, 935 were Boys, 1104 Girls, and 133 Adults; who are under the care of Thirteen Superintendants and Teachers, besides a great number of gratuitous Instructors.

Mr. Dawes, of Antigua, returned to that island in July, after an absence of about six months on the visit, mentioned in the last Report, to other islands, for the purpose of extending the benefits of Education. The greater part of this period was spent at Dominica, where he was detained, by various circumstances, much longer than he expected in this island, an Auxiliary Society was formed on the 14th of February* of last year, under the patronage of the Governor, His Excellency the Earl of Huntingdon. Mr. Dawes was able to visit only one other island on this occasion, that of St. Vincent, where he established a School. He wishes four or five European Teachers to be sent to Antigua, in order to be ready, after due preparation, to enter on the fields of labour which seem to be opening.

Many applications have, indeed, been made to the Committee, by Proprietors of Estates, to supply their Slaves with Teachers, and liberal offers have been made to assist in their support. The Committee will gladly do all in their power to second these just and benevolent views.

The Auxiliary Societies at St. Christopher's and Nevis, mentioned in the Twenty-first Report, have not contributed to the funds since the collections made when they were formed: that at Nevis has, in fact, been dissolved.

ANTIGUA.

The School at Golden Grove having been discon

See particulars at pp. 237, 238 of the Missionary Register for i823.