they originate with the latter. For instance, when we speak of the avidity with which the heathen receive Christian books, the best motive is charitably conceded them, when even the worst may have been artfully concealed. When their conversation is detailed, they. receive credit for a certain amount of knowledge, which among Christians is connected with their expressed sentiments, but which their future lives prove they do not possess. They are believed sincere, when they neither feel what they say, nor know that the truths they profess should control the heart. Their own views and associations of every thing sacred are so opposite to ours, that without

, much experience and severe scrutiny, we cannot determine the standard by which to test them; and even with this intimate acquaintance with their modes of thought, and measures of estimate, there is constant danger of being deceived through the hypocrisy of some, and the self-ignorance of others.

In our excursions abroad, and in their visits to us, we met with numbers who evinced a superficial knowledge of the contents of the book we had distributed. A few seemed to manifest some impression of the truth upon their hearts. We had pleasing evidence that the spirit of inquiry was abroad; but there were no grounds of certainty to conclude that any had been "renewed in the spirit of their minds."

CHAPER XI.

PASSAGE TO SINGAPORE AND MALACCA.

JANUARY 14th, 1832.-Soon after midnight, on Friday last, we left Bankok and proceeded in a barge to Paknam, where the brig Sebastian was lying. Capt. D. L. Shaw had insisted upon our taking a passage with him, for which he refused all compensation. Messrs. Hunter and McDonald, by whom the ship was chartered, and the only Europeans in the place, were among our fellow passengers. We reached the brig early on Saturday morning, and immediately weighed anchor. In passing over the bar at the mouth of the Meinam, the line gave just as much water as the vessel drew; yet nothing occurred to impede our progress, and in a few hours we were ploughing our way down the Gulf of Siam. With a leading wind almost the whole passage, and with no obstacle, apparent danger, or peculiarity of any kind, we reached Singapore yesterday (Friday) morning. I took up my abode with Mr. Thomsen, and Mr. Tomlin proceeded to Malacca, where Mrs. T. is residing.

Singapore is an important missionary station. It contains a population of about twenty-one thousund souls, of whom upwards of eight thousand are Chinese, and seven thousand Malays. The remainder consist of Europeans, (of these, there are upwards of one hundred,) Indo-Britains, Armenians, Arabs, Hin. doos, Bugis, and Javanese. As a sphere for missionary operations, Singapore owes its greatest value to its relative advantages. There is no other mart of commerce so much frequented by native vessels, from the different kingdoms and islands of South-Eastern Asia. China, Cochin-China, Cambojia, Siam, the Malayan Peninsula, on the continent, and Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Celebes, Bali, Manilla, besides many other islands farther east, and numerous places of less importance, in all the neighboring settlements of the Straits, send forth their yearly fleets to this free port ; and return to their respective places, loaded with the comforts, the luxuries, drugs and dregs of civilized nations. Many of these proas are from places which have never been frequented by Europeans, and where there would be the utmost hazard in venturing.

How important that this fountain of commerce should be supplied with “the water of life," and made to send forth its rich streams into the different and distant tracts of heathenism with which it communicates.

But like the other ultra-Ganges stations, Singapore has received very little attention from Christian societies at home. At present, Mr. Thomsen is the only missionary in the place. Being laboriously engaged in the work of translation and printing—the primary and most indispensable business of a missionary-and enervated, almost exhausted, by the ravages of a pro

*

tracted illness, he has but little time and strength to attend to the external duties of the station.

Singapore is the great factory of Malayan publications, and the depot of Christian books, in the common languages of the Straits, and neighboring islands. А greatly altered version of the Malayan New Testament is nearly completed by Mr. Thomsen, and will soon be ready to take the place of the old edition, prepared by the early Dutch chaplains. Considering the poverty of the language, and the many disadvantages under which its translation was made, the old version is a work of much merit; still, it contains words and phrases quite unintelligible to the reader, who neither understands the Arabic vocabulary, nor the Bible idiom. Beside this important work, which is now partially printed, a number of others have issued from the same press, and been extensively circulated. There are at present three Chinese schools, in the place, under the superintendence of Miss Martin. The little comparative stress laid upon the mere acquisition of the Chinese characters, as well as the pains taken to illustrate the ideas they convey in the native tongue of the children, is highly commendable,

, and worthy of universal imitation.

A desire to acquire the language is their only inducement to attend, but as the books employed are all adapted to convey a far more important knowledge, the great object of the teachers may be readily gained without interfering with that of the parents and children.

Formerly there were two or three Malay schools,

under the superintendence of Mrs. Thomsen, but a want of sufficient health to contend with the embarrassments, which indifference, indolence, and Mahomedanism combined to produce, has obliged her to discontinue her labors for the present.

The good which might be effected in Singapore by education, is incalculable. It is true it requires much zeal, self-denial, and perseverance in the teachers, but if there were those who gave their sole attention to the schools, the obstacles which now exist would gradually yield, until the task became comparatively easy. The sphere is peculiarly adapted to ladies. A number of girl and infant schools might be established, to the great advantage of children, parents, and society at large.

The European population of Singapore are greatly favored in the faithful preaching of one,* who has their eternal welfare at heart, and whose prayers, and counsels, and purse, and heart, and hands are devoted to every cause that glorifies his Lord.

January 29th.- We determined to spend part of yesterday among the Chinese, Malays, and others in the town. The engagement was very animating. We soon separated,-Mr. Thomsen took the Malays and Kalings, and I the Chinese. Wherever we stopped, numbers gathered around us, and listened to our remarks, and received our books with the utmost readiness. They even came to the door of the carriage to solicit tracts, when they were all disposed of, and we were about returning home.