ment of the Gospel plan of salvation. The people are willing to hear, and ready enough to dispute. As the common objectors are not difficult to be silenced, we generally secure a quiet hearing for the Gospel. We have some common ground with all: all readily admit the sinfulness of man; that sin must be atoned for; and that without a Mediator sinners cannot come to God: our business is therefore to show them the utter uselessness of their washings, ceremonies, and pilgrimages to take away sin, and the folly of putting their helpless idols in the place of the true Mediator, Jesus Christ. Our Canarese schools are well attended; and it is encouraging to observe the correct acquaintance with the facts and doctrines of the Gospel which these schools are the means of imparting, not only to the boys, but to the adults, of the villages in which they are established. The people are accustomed to resort to the school-rooms to hear the Scriptures and Catechisms read. Five of such schools, however, are all that our means allow, though it costs but about eighty rupees a year for the support of each. Extended vernacular education in these parts, remote from large cities and European influence, would be of great aid to the Missionary. The Mysore Government makes a liberal grant for an English school in each of the four divisions of the country, two of which are under the care of our Missionaries. These schools, as well as the Mysore Rajah's school, are the means of giving to num bers of youth not only a knowledge of the English language and elements of European science, but of Christian and Gospel truth. Several youths from these schools are in Government employ in this neighbourhood. One of them came to me the other day for an English Bible. He said he wished to possess an entire copy of our Shastras. I said, "How can you, who have been so well instructed in the Christian religion, remain an idolater, fold your hands, and make prostration to a senseless and helpless idol?" He said, "I do not worship idols. These people, who know nothing, do as their forefathers did; but it is all idle and vain." "If so," I said, "why do you not leave such a vain and useless system?" I then explained to him the nature and object of baptism; told him that God required all who professed to believe the Gospel to be true, to come out from their idolatrous neighbours; and urged him at once to forsake Heathenism, and come into the true way. The cursed bondage of caste holds such a one back: nevertheless, it was not difficult to see that the truth had an influence on his mind. This lad had been used to long familiarity with the truth, and is one of the instances in which we see the great value of the school-room in our Mission-work. Indeed, unless some extraordinary outpouring of the influence of the Holy Ghost on India take place, in answer to the prayers of God's people, the means of teaching in the school-room must be greatly enlarged ere we shall see any extensive change for the better in the moral and spiritual state of any class of natives. It would be a glorious and hopeful thing to see a Christian school in every one of the towns and villages of this country, in which there are now either no schools at all, or those in which, besides the alphabet and arithmetic, the boys read nothing but idle or filthy tales. As the attention of Government has long been turned to this subject, it is to be hoped that some general plan will be soon adopted, which shall insure at least instruction in geography and true history, in the place of the crimes and debaucheries of the Hindoo gods. And why should not they be instructed in Government-schools in Christianity, too? The people are everywhere willing to send their children to Mission-schools. If the same amount of money which is annually given to heathen establishments in this country were given for the better education of the people, the cursed dominion of idolatry and its licentious priesthood would soon vanish. We have been greatly cheered in our work this year by the visit of the brethren Hardey and Sanderson, who, with Ezra, the converted Brahmin, remained here some time, visiting the surrounding towns and villages. Many of the Brahmins were extremely wroth against Ezra he, however, stands fast, and will, I trust, prove a blessing to his countrymen. His visit produced much excitement. Some of the Brahmins wrought themselves up into a fury when speaking of him: their rage seemed more like that of demons than of men. Even from such excitement good may come. MISSIONS IN FEEJEE. THE following letter from Mr. Williams, describing the erection and opening of a new chapel at Televa, will be read, we are persuaded, with extraordinary interest, and ought to be generally known. These converted Feejeeans have furnished an example of zealous and laborious effort on behalf of the house and worship of God, which may well rebuke the supineness or avarice of some British Christians, and be a useful pattern for the imitation of all; while it must deepen our conviction of the value and very hopeful character of our Feejeean Mission, and of our clear obligation to maintain and extend it by an increased supply, both of labourers, and of the pecuniary means required for their support. Extract of a Letter from the Rev. Thomas Williams, dated Televa, Vanua-levu, Bua Circuit, May 24th, 1850. THE first professor of Christianity on Vanua-levu was Raitono, the friend and Prime Minister of Tui Bua, Chief of the sandal-wood district. Tui Bua never was very favourable to the lotu; yet such was his esteem for Raitono, that, on finding him fixed in his determination to renounce idolatry, he engaged to seek a Teacher for him. Shortly after making the engagement, he visited Vewa, and received permission from Mr. Cross to remove the veteran Josua Mateenaniu from Ovalau to Bua, on his return home. Josua was well qualified for the post to which he was appointed: he found a fair and open field, "white already for the harvest." Christianity was countenanced by the Heathen Chief, and zealously urged upon the attention of all ranks by his Christian friend. Additions to the Christian party were made daily, so that Josua was fully employed in teaching the truths communicated by the Missionaries, and confirmed by his own experience. The whole district was fast submitting to the Lord Jesus Christ, when a wide-spread war broke out, and the face of events assumed another aspect. After several reverses, Tui Bua conquered his enemies by the help of Vewa. Prospects of success again cheered the old Teacher, and an assistant was sent to lessen his labour, and share his success. About this time Ratu Varane became a Christian. The people around Bua, where he had great influence, had long said they should lotu, to a man, when Varane did, and now the time had come. But it was quickly seen that Varane was intent on being a Christian, not, like his uncle, Namosemalua, seeming to be one: and one of his first steps towards becoming one gave huge offence to Tui Bua. Varane was married to his chief wife; the others he returned to their friends, with explanatory and conciliatory messages. Amongst the returned ladies was a daughter of Tui Bua, who determined to revenge her dismissal by persecuting his Christian subjects. Raitono, the companion of his life, and most trusty servant, was disgraced, because he would not again become a Heathen. A man of low birth was invested with much of his power, because the most likely person to gratify the revengeful determination of Tui Bua, by using it to the injury of the Christians. The profession of Christianity was prohibited, and those who adhered to it were subjected to much wrong. Their hogs, fowls, and gardens were destroyed; their yam-stores broken open, and plundered of their conAn incendiary was employed to fire their neat chapel, the flames from which consumed one of the Teachers' houses; and it was only by great activity that the rest of the village was saved from ruin. tents. The faithful few, with Josaia Raitono at their head, were as a threefold cord: they took joyfully the spoiling of their goods, and for some months subsisted on such wild roots as they found in the woods. Although so disadvantageously circumstanced, they contrived to rebuild their chapel, but satisfied themselves with a very plain edifice, not knowing that it would stand unburnt a week. stood, however, until taken down in January last, that the building, of which I enclose a sketch, might occupy the old site. The old chapel did those credit who, under so many difficulties, built it; but it was, in comparison with the new one, a mere barn. The native style of building is ill-suited for a place of * For the sketch, see Quarterly Paper for March, 1851. It worship, and there would be certainly nothing amiss in attempting an improvement on the architecture of our chapels in the Feejee and Tonga groups. At The Televa new chapel does the little company of natives who built it much credit. The present Chief, Ra Esekaia Vunendango, (successor to Raitono,) is a very sensible and persevering man. On commencing this chapel, he adopted it as a principle, that neither material nor labour could be too good for the house in which the true God was to be worshipped. Acting in accordance with this principle, he, and some of his men, who had fame for "lifting up the axe," travelled over many miles of the surrounding country, in search of timber for the frame of the building. Whilst they were thus employed, the old men enlivened the village by the rap-tap-tap of the beaters with which they separated the fibre from the fleshy part of the nuthusk, that it might be plaited into sinnet, for the ornamental lashings. intervals of two or three days, the joyous shout of the returning wood-cutters broke the quiet of the evening, a signal at which those who were left in the village-old men, women, and children— ran off to assist their weary friends in dragging some giant of the forest to the spot where it was to become a pillar in the Lord's house. Happier groups than these formed, eye never saw. In about three months eighty beams of from twelve to fifty feet long were collected, many of them from a distance of ten and twelve miles, and by manual labour only. The logs were vesi, or "greenheart," the most valuable timber in the islands. These were carefully wrought into a very substantial frame; completed by walls and roof. The sketch will give you an idea of the outside of the chapel; and you may form one of the appearance of the inside, by supposing yourselves between two colonnades of mahogany pillars, sixteen pillars in each colonnade, and three feet apart. These support a circular mahogany cornice, or wall-plate, seven inches in diameter, on which the capitals are wrought in sinnet. Between the pillars is seen the inner fence, formed of bright canes, the whole extent of which, fifty feet by nine feet, is divided by black lines into diamonds of one inch and a half long. The tops of the doors and windows are finished as the outside, in triangular pediments, done in black sinnet. The foot of each spar is secured to the cornice by ornamental bands. The roof is relieved by alternate rows of open and closed reed-work, divided from each other by jet-black lines, three and four inches wide. The wings of the communion-rail are of ornamental reed-work; the centre of banisters made of the warrior's spear, and the scented sandal-wood. The rail itself is a piece of beautiful nut. Often, whilst superintending their operations, have I heard the builders cheer each other, by chanting such pas sages as the following:-"I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord." "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven, and heaven of heavens, cannot contain Thee; how much less this house that I have builded!" To this another party would respond, "The Lord hath chosen Zion; He hath desired it for His habitation." Another favourite chant was 1 Kings viii. 28-30. And, with suitable feeling, a number would join in the petitions, "Hearken unto the prayer which Thy servant shall make; "" And when Thou hearest, forgive.' Several pleasing facts are connected with the building of this chapel. Had it been built eighteen months ago, the heathen Chief of that day would have construed our work into an offence, for which nothing short of our mourning over its ashes could atone; whereas, the present heathen Chief sent us a message to the effect, "that we were few, and engaged in a great work, and, if agreeable, he would help us." His proposal was accepted; and the wall and roof of one side of the chapel were done by the Heathen, and well done, too. And, at the opening of the chapel, the Heathen assisted in preparing food for our visiters. We rejoice in so pleasing a change. The man who burnt down the former chapel was one of the most active in building the new one. He is now a very useful Local Preacher. Many have been attracted to this place by the report of the chapel, and these opportunities have been improved to preach unto them Jesus. The strangers, without exception, expressed surprise that such a work could be done by Feejeeans. One company said, "By this we are convinced that religion is true: if it was not, you would run away, and leave the work undone." Another party, fresh from the slaughter, and their battleaxes dyed in blood, declared their conviction, "that no number of Heathen could do what these few Christian men had done." We have been visited by Ratu Ilaija Varane, and other Vews friends, who say, "You are the first who have surpassed the temples built by our Chiefs for the devil: you have put all their works under your feet." The chapel is a proof of the growing industry of the people. The Missionhouse is a large and very substantial building, on an European plan, its timbers and walls of green-heart; and towards its erection the Christian natives did a great deal. They have, also, built a good house for the native Teacher, and twelve improved houses for themselves. The whole of the above has been done within two years. The Rev. David Hazlewood opened the chapel on the 24th of April. We had a large con gregation, among which was a good sprinkling of Heathen. All parties seemed to enjoy the day; and to many it was one of much spiritual good. The Bua Circuit has been formed nearly three years, during which time we have entered six new preaching-places, and built three chapels. Nearly two hundred Heathen have embraced Christianity, and three hundred persons have become members of the visible church of Christ by baptism. We are looking forward to still better days, and praying that God will abundantly bless His word, that the yet heathen tribes may learn to bless His name. A SECOND letter from Mr. Williams mentions some further incidents connected with the chapel at Televa, and shows that while we cordially rejoice in the pleasing instances of surprising success with which we have been favoured, much more remains to be done. We sympathise with our Feejeean Missionaries in their joyous and grateful feelings; but we are still called to a corresponding sympathy with them in their sorrows and perplexities, and should earnestly pray that they may have grace from God to prosecute with cheerful patience their arduous and trying labours. Extract of another Letter from the Rev. Thomas Williams, dated Televa, IN obedience to the calls of duty and inclination, I prepare to give you some account of what is doing in this corner of the world. Surrounded as I am by those appalling forms of human cruelty and wickedness, which have attained a giant growth in Feejee, and every development of which is a new and indisputable proof how greatly Feejeeans need the ameliorating influences of the Gospel, I am not without my doubts, whether most of the adult part of the heathen population around me will not die without experiencing the blessings they so greatly need. They hear of them, see others in possession of them, but care not themselves to secure them. In past years their ignorance of the paths of peace and truth excited peculiar pity, because no man cared for their souls; but now they are cared for, and sought after, and in too many instances are blameworthy, because they turn a deaf ear to admonition, and seek death in the error of their way. Besides giving them the Gospel, the Almighty has done much for them, which ought to make them own, "The Lord He is God;" but they prefer the worship of "gods many." They frame frivolous excuses for not attending the Gospelfeast; they lightly esteem the offers of mercy; and in the case of some, who have been often and affectionately warned, there is something like malevolence, a "We will not have this man to reign over us." My mind is painfully oppressed when I think of these characters; the feeling will not yield to ordinary resistance, and at times pushes me to the brink of despair, so far as concerns many of them. I am often surprised to see, in close connexion with this fighting against God, a strong desire for gods that are not. An English word, which was put into use by the Missionaries at Tonga, found its way some years ago into a village a few miles north-east of this. With it the villagers received a notion, that it was the name of a Tonga god; and, being agreed to give it a place in their pantheon, built it a temple, found it a Priest, and became its worshippers! In another village, some two months ago, a youth, "full of ambition of the baser sort," professed to be "entered" by a god, which profession he supported by priestly shakings; and there were not wanting those who believed him, notwithstanding his confession, "that it was a god that had been turned adrift from son.e of the windward islands, in consequence of its votaries having begun to worship the true God." Such, on this side of the subject, is the credulity of a people who are very sceptical on everything that relates to Him who is "the true God, and eternal life." Among those who do seem to believe our report, there is too often an inclination to procrastinate. A very fatal instance of this kind transpired a short time ago, at a hamlet in this Circuit. The truth of what we teach was admitted, and the people persuaded to become Christians, but waited to profess themselves such until their yams were dug: before, however, that time arrived, they were surprised by their neighbours, and slain. A woman and her child, who escaped, fled to the Christian Chief of Dama, under whose protection they are at this time. Many others there are at this moment who are waiting until some work is done, or some obstacle removed, that their lotuing may be easier; and well it will be if they do not delay until it is too late. Having listened to some of the causes of my sorrows, you have a right to know what yields me joy. And, first, I name the fact of our Mission having enjoyed peace the past year. No hostility worth recording has taken place. Some of our enemies have become friendly, and have assisted the Christians in some of their temporal concerns: a better understanding exists between parties, from which, I sometimes hope, abiding good will result. Although I cannot record great prosperity, yet, thank God, there has been some improvement in this Circuit. Rarely a Sabbath passes on which some one or more Heathen do not declare themselves on the Lord's side. Three Sundays past, thirteen Heathen did 30 at three several preaching-places. On the Sunday following forty-three persons were admitted into the visible church by baptism, in the new chapel at Televa. The conduct of these, during the term of their probation, confirmed the evidence previously given of their desire to flee from the wrath to come being sincere; and on their examination they witnessed a good confession before many witnesses. The above remarks apply, also, to forty persons at Dama, thirtyfour at Tavulomo, and two at Naiwaiwai, who have been baptized during the past quarter. The taking up of Na Watha as a preaching-place is an equivalent for Thumbue, which is dropped. The building and setting apart of two new chapels and a temporary building for the public worship of Almighty God, is reflected on with pleasure, and recorded with gratitude. At the opening of Tavulomo chapel, a few months back, there was a good attendance of Christians, and many Hea thens sat outside, yet so that they could hear. About half the service was over, when the unwelcome bakolo shout fell upon our ears; and a party of savages carrying one cooked and two uncooked bodies passing soon after, nearly all my outside congregation followed them; it being more congenial for them so to do, than to listen longer to the truths of the Gospel. However, a great change has been effected already on many of the villagers; and, bad as are the rest, they are not beyond hope. We The second chapel is the one in Televa, and is acknowledged, by all who have seen it, to be very superior to any thing yet built in Feejee. The Rev. D. Hazlewood opened it in April last. had a good day. Many blessed the Lord that they were allowed to see what they did on that day. The Lord was with us for good. It was a heart-gladdening sight to see several hundred neatly-dressed Christians-scores of whom, a year ago, were besotted Heathens-chanting with heart and voice portions of the Psalms, and of Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple. Many of them had been up most of the night preparing food for their visiters; yet their attention to a rather protracted service was very gratifying. Here and there in the congregation was seen the bushy head of a Heathen; many of the congregation, both lotu and Heathen, were outside, because the chapel could not contain them. Some of the Beathen, who wished to show their good feeling to us by being at the first service, yet fearing they should be looked upon by other Heathens as Christians, applied black powder (with which they cover themselves for war or the dance) to their persons in such abundance, as to preclude the possibility of any one making such a mistake. Mr. Hazlewood was detained with us a fortnight from a severe attack of acute dysentery, from which, after much suffering, he was mercifully restored. My family did not quite escape this contagious disease. We all had a slight touch of it, and it hung about the children several weeks: they are now about free from it. Mr. and Mrs. Moore, who have just come amongst us, accompanied Mr. |