all, the passers or bazaars, (as they are termed in India,) which are held in every part of the surrounding country, furnish scope for the zeal of a large number of missionaries.

These labors, with the regular services in English and Malay—the visitation of the Chinese-superintendence of schools—the never ending study of languages and preparation of books; besides all the various charitable objects in which the missionary must be the chief agent, and his own duties of every day's recurrence-constitute the immense burden which is made to rest with its chief weight upon the shoulders of one man. Soon may this neglected island receive the attention it claims of the Christian world.

The three large settlements, Batavia, Samarang, and Soerabaya, ought to be immediately occupied, and made the head quarters of missionary operation. From these points "the light of life” might radiate, until the rays met in every part of this dark domain.

The writer is obliged to add, with pain, that since the above was written, the prospect of unrestrained effort has assumed a less flattering aspect than when he resided at Batavia. Mr. Bruckner, who was ab sent at the time from the island, for the purpose of printing some works in the Javanese language, and who returned soon afterwards, was arrested by the authorities, in the midst of a mnost interesting series of labors. The eager natives were thronging his house to receive the tracts he brought with him, when the government officers interfered, took away the books, and placed a veto upon their future distribution.

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The following fact is extracted from the fifth number of the first volume of the Chinese Repository-a work deserving the perusal of all who take an interest in the history, literature, religion, present condition, and prospects of China and the neighboring kingdoms and islands :

“ The whole population of a small village, wishing to become Christians, and to be instructed in the truths of the gospel, requested the resident at Soerabaya to send them a teacher with Bibles; which he refused, declaring that he would not allow them to become Christians, as they were quite happy enough without Christianity; and further, that Christian tracts, in the Javanese language, have been confiscated, and the funds of the Dutch Bible Society occasionally applied to purposes merely literary."

These facts certainly cannot have been rightly represented to the King of Holland, or we have reason to believe, the evils would soon be corrected. The bugbear of insurrection, by which those who oppose missions profess to be frightened themselves, and attempt to scare others, cannot alarm one who knows the tendency of Christian principles. We sincerely hope that the subject will be investigated by the authorities in the mother country, and that the present and eternal happiness of so many millions of souls, will not be allowed to yield to the cruel and unwise policy of a few local officers. If the same liberty which is enjoyed throughout every part of British India, were allowed the missionaries in this and the neighboring islands, rebellions would be no more fre

quent than in Hindostan, and the greatest advantage would soon be realized by all parties.

Since the above was published in the first edition of this book, we have seen an extract of a letter from the King of Holland, to the Bible Society in Batavia, in which his majesty expresses his pleasure in hearing that the Scriptures had been translated into the Javanese tongue. The inference of course is, that the King is favorable to the distribution of the Bible among the millions of his deluded subjects in this island. sincerely hope that measures will soon be taken to have this beautiful and populous region, brought under the benign influence of Christianity.

We

CHAPTER IX.

PASSAGE FROM JAVA TO SINGAPORE.

On Saturday evening, June 4th, embarked in the English ship Bencoolen, Captain Roberts, for Singapore. The next morning, before daybreak, we weighed anchor, and availing ourselves of the land breeze, stood to sea.

Aster sailing gently a day or two, and passing a few unimportant islands, we entered the straits of Banca, between the island of that name and Sumatra. The tin mines on Banca, in the possession of the Dutch, are said to yield a large quantity of good metal,

The immense island of Sumatra, extending about one thousand miles in length, and varying from one to two hundred in breadth, lay before us like a motionless sea.

The maratime parts on both sides are low and marshy, though it is intersected longitudinally by chains of unequal mountains, some of them nearly as high as the loftiest summit of the Alps. We passed the mouths of several large rivers, the currents from which appeared to reach the opposite side of the strait.

Sumatra is divided into a number of distinct, independent kingdoms ; the most important of which,