verted by events, which certainly cannot be thought unexpected, as to remit our earnest ness: nay, indeed, we ought to redouble it.

Our love should abound more and more, in knowledge, and in all judgment.” ”1P, 21-23.

We trust that these observations will have their due weight with their readers; and that, according to the sage counsel of the author, the melancholy events, to which they refer, will be used by the public, not as natter of discouragement, but as to pics of admonition. We have one or two observations to offer in connection with these remarks, with which we shall conclude.

The remarks of Mr. Scott, as to the necessity of judgment keeping pace with zeal in our missionary enterprizes, are of high importance in our present circumstances. The Protestant Church, when she first shook off the yoke of popery, was too much occupied in restoring Christianity to her original purity at home, and defending herself against the hostility of enemies abroad, to think much of foreign na tions.

For a time, therefore, we find few provinces added to the Christian ter ritory by a Protestant mission. When at length she found leisure for foreign enterprizes, there was scarcely any field open to her; as most of the idolatrous regions were in the hands of the papal powers. Still, therefore, she planted but in a very few spots the tree of life. At length the conquest of the Dutch paved the way for her march into remote countries, and by degrees she has proceeded to rival her sister of Rome in those labours, in which the first apostles rejoiced to live and die. As to the intenseness of their zeal for proselytism, the comparison may hold between the two Churches; but as to the purity of the doctrines preached, and the sanctity of the preachers, there is no more comparison than between the Churches themselves. By degrees the flame has kindled, and though smothered

by adverse circumstances in other countries, in England it burns with a brilliancy which, we trust, neither "time nor tide" can extinguish.

Great Britain may be considered as the focus of that light, which, we believe is eventually to irradiate every quarter of the habitable globe, Now, then, it is under such circumstances, that the lessons of vigilance and sobriety become necessary. When every religious society is prompt to dispatch its heralds to another hemisphere; it is fit they should be cautioned what heralds they employ. It cannot be denied that such vigilance has been, in more than one instance, neglected, and that men have been dispatched as the accredited teachers of Christianity, who have been deplorably wanting in the graud moral requisites for such an office. It is also well known that missionaries are sometimes sent out, who, though good men, are but little qualified for the high enterprize they take in hand. A sad want of tact, and an ignorance of human nature, have sometimes been displayed; and the missionaries have not always sought to recommend themselves to their hearers in things they could not understand by superiority in things they could. Now, then, on missionaries themselves, and on the societies which commission them, vigilance should, under these circumstances, be strongly inculcated. Let the missionary learn, that a contest with the powers of darkness in foreign lands demands much previous discipline, many valiant struggles with the enemy in his own bosom. And let his employers learn, to lay hands suddenly on no man; let them not commit the ark to unsanctified hands; let them commission none to preach the Gospel, of whom they have not good reason to believe, that they will neither disparage it by their incompetency, nor disgrace it by their vices.

On the other hand, a different topic, insisted upon by Mr. Scott,

may be equally useful to a distinct class of men; and this is, the honourable character of a good missionary. We are aware, that it has become fashionable to sneer at such characters; but surely an incapaci. ty to admire the heroism, with which a single man ventures to plant himself unarmed amidst a nation of savages, in order to promote what he conceives their highest interest, is an incapacity to admire what is most sublime in human na

ture. And Longinus may teach us, that this incapacity is nothing less then a real defect in "elevation of soul." Let men then reconsider their estimate, and do justice to a class of heroes, whom as yet few monuments signalize, or poets record. Let us blush for our mere pigmy efforts in doing and suffering, when contrasted with his gigantic virtue, who takes a new hemisphere on his shoulders, and quits his country, that he may save a world.

GREAT BRITAIN. Is the press: A work on Grecian Antiquitics, with Plates, by Mr. Gell;a work on Isoperometrical Problems, and the Calculus of Variations, by Mr. Woodhouse, of Caius College, Cambridge;-Notices on the present Internal State of France, by Mr. Faber, late a public Officer in that Country:-Another Volume of Practical and Familiar Sermons, by the Rev. Edward Cooper ;--Sketches of the Physiology of Vegetable Life, by the Authoress of Botanical Dialogues; with Plates; one vol. 8vo. ;-Select Psalms in Verse, with critical Remarks by Bishop Lowth and others, illustrative of the beauties of sacred poetry;and, Practical Sermons, selected from eminent Divines, and abridged for Family Reading. Preparing for the press: A statistical Account of Hispaniola, by Mr. W. Walton ;— A Life of Stillingfleet, by the Rev. Archdeacon Coxe, The Life, Writings, and Corre, spondence of Mr. William Smellie, Printer, of Edinburgh, by Mr. R. Kerr ;—and an Epitome of the Laws respecting Commerce, in an 8vo. vol., by Mr. J. Williams.

The following are Mr. Davy's conclusions, in his late publication, on the muriatic acid.

1st. That the muriatic acid is (as far as our knowledge extends) a simple substance, which may be classed in the same order of natural bodies as oxygen gas; being determined, like oxygen, to the positive surface in voltaic combinations, and, like oxygen, combining with inflammable substances, producing heat and light.

2d. That its combinations with inflammable bodies are analogous to oxides and acids in their properties and powers of combina

tion, but they differ from them in being for the most part decomposable by water.

3d. That hydrogen is the basis of the mu riatic acid, and oxymuriatic acid its acidifying principle.

4th. That the compounds of phosphorus, arsenic, tin, &c. with oxymuriatic acid, approach in their nature to acids, and neutralize ammonia and other salifiable bases.

5th. That the combination of animonia with

phosphorus, acidified by oxymuriatic acid, is a peculiar compound, having properties like those of an earth, and is not decomposable at an intense red heat.

6th. That oxymuriatic acid has a stronger attraction for most inflammable bodies than oxygen; and that on the hypothesis of the connection of electrical powers with chemical attractions, it must be highest in the scale of negative power; and that the oxygen, which is supposed to exist in oxymuriatic acid, has always been expelled by it from water or oxides.

It is said that tiles are greatly improved, and rendered impervious to water and frost, by being rubbed over with tar before they are laid on the root.

Professor Leslie, of Edinburgh, has discovered a new mode of producing artificial cold. Without any expenditure of materials, he can, by means of a simple apparatus, in which the action of certain chemical powers is combined, freeze a mass of water, and keep it for an indefinite length of time, in a state of ice. In an hour, he has thus formed a cake of six inches in diameter, and three quarters of an inch thick. With very little trouble he can produce a permanent

MISSION SOCIETY TO AFRICA AND THE

EAST.

(Continued from p. 588.)

HAVING given in our last number an abstract of the Annual Report of the Committee of this Society, we will now make such extracts from the Appendix to the Report as are likely to interest our readers.

Extracts of Letters from the Missionaries in the Rio Pongas, on the Coast of Africa. Feb. 1809." For the space of fourteen months there has been no slave vessel on the

coast. Some days ago one arrived in this river. The captain is a Spaniard, and the supercargo an Englishman. He will carry off such a noble cargo as never has been carried off before. Since the abolition, the traders have bought only boys and girls. It would be a great evil if this trade should revive again; and no doubt it will be carried on under other colours, if the English Go

vernment takes not some measures to prcvent it."

"These several days past, some Susoos in our vicinity prepared their rice plantations for the reception of the seed. The Susoos are, at present, well furnished with rice; which is one good effect of the abolition of the Slave Trade, the traders and slave ships haying formerly consumed so much rice, that it became both dear and scarce. But now the people bring us a great deal in exchange for tobacco, so that we shall soon have in store sufficient for a whole year."

April 1809. "A Susoo came to me, who resides a few miles from hence, and offered me some rice and palm-wine for sale. I told him I was well supplied with rice, and wanted none; but, perhaps, might buy the palm-wine, if it was not sour. When you buy any of the native drinks, for instance honey or palmwine, it is customary for the seller first to drink of it in the presence of the buyer, to prove that it is not poisoned; and then the latter tastes it: and so I did. The palmwine being sour, and the charge extravagant, I declined the purchase. The man grew angry, and told me, as I had tasted the palmwine, I must buy it, or make him amends. Notwithstanding my friendly remonstrances, that, in tasting it, I had only followed the general custom of the country, his anger in creased to such a degree, that, at last, he

drew his dagger, and wanted to fight me. I sent for Fantamani, who instantly came; and, after having informed himself of the state of the case, thus addressed the man : Art thou come to fight my White Man, whom I love as much as my head-woman? Only touch him-and you must take the consequences. Here is my dagger-look at it! Dost theu take him for a Slave Trader, who lies, curses, and defrauds? No-such a man he is not; but, to teach our children, and to make us better people, he is come; and, therefore, nobody shall molest him: for I, Monge Packe, Mongè Domba, and Mongè Hate, whose son is with him, love him, and stand by him.' This so completely silenced the man, that he quietly took his rice and palm-wine on his shoulders, and marched off. A little while after Fantamani called him back, and requested me to buy the wine, that he might not have to carry it all the way back, which I gladly did, as he lowered his price, and I could make some

use of it."

The following account of New Zealand, referred to in the Society's Report, is taken from a letter written by the Rev. S. Marsden to a friend in London, dated at Rio Janeiro, Nov. 15, 1809.

"On the 25th of August we embarked on board the Ann, then lying at Spithead. After we had been a day or two on board, I observed, amongst the sailors, a New Zea lander, named Duaterra. He is nephew to Tippahee, the chief who visited Port Jackson, and of whom you have heard me speak. Duaterra was also at Port Jackson previous to my return from that settlement.

I was very agreeably surprised in finding this young man on board; and more particularly so, as there were three missionaries with me, going out to New Zealand, as our voyage would afford so good an opportunity for them to form an intimacy with one who may be of essential service to them when they arrive at the place of their destination.

"Duaterra is a very fine young man, about two-and-twenty years of age, five feet ten inches high. He possesses a most amiable disposition; is kind, grateful, and affectionate: his understanding strong and clear. He is married to one of the daughters of a great chief, called Wanakce. His wife's name is Mile.

"I asked him his reason for leaving New Zealand. He told me his object was to see King George.

"It is about two years and a half since he entered on board a ship, the Santa Anna, belonging to Port Jackson, which touched at New Zealand, on her way to some of the South Sea Islands, on a sealing voyage. The vessel landed a gang of men on Bounty Island, and Duaterra amongst them, in order to kill seals; and then went to Norfolk Island, to obtain provisions, and was blown ⚫ off before she could get them on board; so that it was about ten months before she got back to Bounty Island again. The men, who had been left there, were greatly dis:tressed for provisions; living principally on seals. They were also in want of water: as no springs could be found on the island, they were dependent on the occasional showers of rain. In this island Duaterra ́suffered exceedingly from hunger, thirst, and cold.

"After the Santa Anna returned to Bounty Island, and had completed her cargo of seal-skins, she proceeded to England, and arrived in the River Thames about the middle of last July. Duaterra now expected to see the King, for the sight of whom he had voluntarily suffered so many dangers, hardships, and toils; but, in this, he was unfortunately disappointed: the captain of the ship kept him nearly the whole time he was in England on board at work, till the vessel was discharged; and, on the 5th of August, sent him on board the Ann, which sailed almost immediately for Portsmouth.

"Duaterra was much concerned that he could be allowed to see scarce any thing of London; and, more particularly, that he was compelled to return to his country before he had seen the King. He speaks of this now with much regret; and says, that his countrymen will find great fault with him for coming back without obtaining the object of his voyage. I regret much that I did not meet with him in London, as I should have felt a peculiar pleasure in gratifying his wishes. It is a melancholy consideration that this young chief should, through inattention, lose the only reward he expected for two years' hard toil; as he wrought as a common sailor, without any wages, except a little clothing and provisions. Captain Clarke informed me, that the master of the Santa Anna would not have given him common sailors' slops, if he could have got bim on board the Ann without them. Cap. tain Clarke refused to take him without his slops. Surely the labourer is worthy of his hire!

"As I was so fortunate to find him on board the Ann, I determined immediately to ty if I could learn from this young chief sonthing of the language, religion, and g vernment of the New Zealanders, with view to aid the missionaries. who were ge iug to settle amongst them, and to prome a more easy communication between the New Zealanders and the colonists of New South Wales. I determined also to instruct Duaterra in the English language, as mai as possible, during the voyage.

"Before we sailed from Cowes he was taken very ill, with an inflammation in his langs For several days after we sailed, I was ap prehensive that he would not recover. This gave me much conceru, as his death would entirely defeat the object I had in view. He was very much reduced; and so feeble, as scarcely to be able to get out of his han mock. His spirits were also low, and be appeared much concerned about his country and friends. His appetite was bad, so that he could take but little nourishment. Every necessary medical aid was afforded him : the inflammation in his lungs abated: and, in little more than a week, he recovered sufficien strength to come upon deck. We invited him into our cabin, and administered to his wants; and, by paying him some little attentions, for all of which he was exccedingly grateful, his spirits were raised, and his strength gradually returned. As soon as be was able to converse with me, and I bad recovered a little from my sea-sickness, I began to study their language, religion, and government.

"Duaterra is a very fine, intelligent young man; possessed of a most amiable temper, and of very considerable natural parts; manifests great anxiety to acquire useful knowledge; has a very quick perception; and communicates his ideas, on any subject which he understands, with ease and clear

ness.

This makes it very pleasant and amusing to converse with him, as well as instructive."

In our next we propose to give the substance of the information respecting New Zealand, which Mr. Marsden received from Duaterra.

(To be continued.)

BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY.

The following is an abstract of the Report made to this Society at their meeting in May last, the publication of which has been unusually delayed, in consequence partly, as we understand, of the immense accession of contributors during the preceding year.