old covered with an eruption contracted in its journey across the Desert. In another similar place were several men lying on the bare ground, or crouching around the embers of a small fire in the centre of the room. "But our feelings,' he adds, "were most wounded with the sight of a little boy who was lying on his back with his knees up, and close to the fire, apparently not likely to live; and with this sight, the reflection, that if he died, there would be none to mourn over him, but his master would only consider him as so much lost property." In the upper part of the khan were female Slaves. We extract the account of them, painful as it is, in order to expose as fully as we can the miseries of this wretched traffic.

"In one of the rooms there were about ten girls from Darfur. Immediately on seeing us, they set up a loud laugh, which they are taught to do in order to seem happy and induce people to buy them; and one among them who appeared dejected, received a blow from the brutal man

who had charge of them: they soon became so noisy and rude, that we left them. On the Nile, some time after this, a large boat passed us, with a company of similar females. Two strong and savagelooking men navigated the boat which was carrying about fifteen slave girls: their hair had the Barabra plait, and was stiffened with pitch and grease: they grinned with their white teeth, and laughed as we passed them-partly, as it should seem, from idle and ignorant mirth, which in their young hearts even slavery had not subdued, but chiefly in submission to the lessons forced upon them. The boat had brought them from Girge, and was going to Cairo: they had probably come from Darfur." pp. 122, 123,

The Abyssinian Slaves are considered a much superior race to the Darfur. The price they fetch is double; yet even these, though taken more care of by their owners, and purchased before they are brought into the market, are exposed necessarily to severe hardships, since they are eight times transferred by sale to different masters before they reach Massowah, where they are embarked for Suez.

"How hopeless appears the lot of these slaves! They pass through life without any Christian light, without education, without enjoying any of the most valuable rights of society. They are indeed permitted to exist, and are fed: but their life is little more than animal. Even the tender domestic affections, whereby man is distinguished from the brute, which so soon forgets its young, are extinguished by the early separation of parents and children, brothers and sisters: and the horror, almost hopeless, of this state of society is, that usage and law have rendered it as familiar and creditable in Africa as the sale of corn or manufactures would be!

What but Christian faith can realize a time when the natives of these countries shall be able, in the language of the Psalmist, to compare their sons to plants grown up in their youth, and their daughters to corner-stones polished after the similitude of a palace." p. 125.

It will be perceived that Mr. Jowett's applications of Scripture are sometimes a little quaint and far fetched.

Our author has devoted a number of pages to what he has properly termed scriptural illustrations; leaving, however, some of the best, if not the greater number, of passages of this kind uncollected with the rest, and scattered in various other parts of the work. These illustrations are many of them very interesting; yet not a few partake of the fault which we have just noticed as belonging to his applications of Scripture. We quote only a few at present, as we hope to extract some others in another department of our work, in some future Number.

"A person landing at the water-side at Smyrna, in the evening, is accosted by the furious barking of a multitude of dogs: they are very numerous in the street, unowned and unfed. In Constantinople, it is said, they are fed by a public officer appointed for the purpose. These dogs are so feeble from poor living, that they whine at the slightest touch. In the long Greek fasts, when there are no offals left

by the butchers in the streets, multitudes

of them perish. In the day they seem had not spirit to join in the bustle of manvery torpid from the heat, and as if they kind; but at night they are ready with their clamour at every little stir. They

"In walking with my guide from the city (Athens) to the Piræus, I was surprised, on asking how many churches they had, to be answered about 300, while the population is not 14,000; but in this he included every little altar and oratory which, when Paganism was abolished, the primitive Christians re-consecrated. They gave to these places names of easy transition. Thus, the magnificent temple of Minerva, on the Acropolis, was dedicated by the Christians to the wisdom of God.' The country is full of such little consecrated places. My companion pointed out the leading features of the scene; -the mountains of Hymettus, Anchesmus, Lycabettus and Pentelicus, from which much of the marble comes-t -the course of the rivers Cephisus and Ilissus, in the summer months almost entirely dry-the two spots concerning which it is disputed which is Mar's hill, but on one of which there can be no reasonable doubt that Saint Paul preached and at a distance, among the olive groves, the supposed site of the academy where Socrates and Plato discoursed. We then parted; and I pursued my walk alone often pausing to gaze upon the surrounding scenery, and connect with it ideas of ancient times. Is it possible,' I often thought within myself, that Cambridge, which now feeds on the harvest that ripened in this spot, should ever become desolate, semi-barbarized and forgetful of her great men?' In thinking of such changes, I was more than ever impressed with the utter insufficiency of science, learning, and liberty, to preserve the existence of a state. It is religion, and that too the Christian religion, which alone contains in it the seeds of social order, happiness, and stability. For this we look mainly, under the blessing of God, to our clergy-from our clergy to their source, our universities. But if our ambitious

youth who delight there- inter sylvas Academi quærere verum '-should limit their inquiries to Newton or Aristotle; should they, like Pilate, barely utter the question, What is truth?' without waiting to have the answer from the lips of Him who spake as never man, not even Socrates, spake; should they thus grow up into nothing better than respectable, learned, gentlemanly clergymen; then England may, in a few generations, become what Attica is now, and, having received a richer talent, would more justly deserve her doom. These thoughts rushed with overwhelming and painful force upon my mind as I paced along over the very ashes of the illustrious dead. It needs but to

name them to feel a vision raised of all that is most excellent in political skill, martial and naval glory, oratory, philosophy, discourse, poetry, sculpture, painting, architecture! Now, they know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward!'" pp. 77-79.

Again; "It is needless for me to describe with minuteness what other travellers have described before, or to attempt to express the rapture and amazement which fill the mind, at the sight of these confused piles of ruins. The havoc of time and war has been most prodigal. Massy fragments of marble, of the finest form, seem to have been tossed about, as if the sport of the children of the giants. Whoever has set foot on the Acropolis, or has observed how antiquities are scattered about in every lane and nook of Athens, will understand the vivid picture drawn by Jeremiah in the Lamentations : • The stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.'" p. 79.

It has more than once occurred to us, in accompanying Mr. Jowett through his very interesting circuit,

to remark how far more elevated are the pleasures which the movements and the reflections of a Christian pilgrim awaken, than those of the mere earthly minded traveller, gifted with whatever talents, and invested with whatever attractions. Not that we think lightly of the lat

ter;

but there is a far more exalted and a hallowed refinement about the sentiments and the pursuits of him who journeys, not (if we may use the striking thought of Mr. Burke, in his panegyric on Howard) to take the measurement of sepulchral monuto fix on his glowing canvass the ments or decaying edifices, nor even tints of those Edens which are gilded by brighter suns than ours; but to investigate the moral ruin of a part of that same family to which we all in common belong, with a view to contribute to restore its waste places, that the spiritual sacrifices which are acceptable to God may ascend every where on earth as in one great temple, and the bliss and glory of the true Eden be again renewed. Such a man may not be indifferent-he may be every thing but indifferent-to those sources of

pleasure on which such lavish commendations are heaped by those who know of nothing higher, nothing holier to delight them: but at the same time he will not lose sight of the more important objects of his journeys, neither will he forego the bliss arising from communion with his Redeemer, and the contemplation of those regions where, his course on earth being terminated, he shall eternally repose; and he will try to elevate his companions to the participation of the same joys. The following passage so well illustrates these sentiments, that we must add it to our quotations. He was in the gulph of Smyrna. After an extremely sultry day, toward sun-set the boat men put on shore for water.

"I accompanied one of them," says Mr. Jowett, "to a beautiful spring, surrounded with myrtle and the yellow broom in full flower. Our path lay through a vineyard; and, as we walked through it, I cropped some of the tendrils. They were very pleasant with bread; as I had forgotten to take lemons or any vegetables with me. On our return to the caique, I proposed reading a portion of the Gospel. The men were pleased. I therefore read and expounded John iv. 1-14. The younger of the two had been to Jerusalem. The ground-work of my exposition I made the spring where we had just drawn water: it furnished many natural similitudes. In conclusion, I asked whether all knew of this spring. They replied, Some do-others do not. So,' I said, 'it is with the Scrip

tures: some know them as the fountain

of Divine knowledge-many others have

never heard of them, or even seen them.

“The sun was now set, and the beautiful full moon was rising above the hills on our right hand-the wind nearly calm-the air scented with plants-not a single sound falling on the ear, except the splash of the cars, kindling phosphoric flashes. I never, I think, in my life spent such an enchanting evening as while thus coasting along. The perfect retirement and beauty of the scene, so favourable to meditation: the passage of Scripture which we had just read; and the pleasure of having made my first humble attempt at preaching in Greek -all conspired to tranquillize my mind, and to raise holy affections." p. 59.

The part of his work to which Mr. Jowett seems to look with the

most anxiety and interest, is that which relates to the state of the Abyssinian Church. On this church his hopes and affections appear to be peculiarly fixed: to this his thoughts incessantly revert. We think we readily trace the reason for this. The overruling providence of God has been in a marked manner displaying itself towards the Abyssinian Church and Nation. In the midst of apostasies around them, and notwithstanding grievous declensions within, they yet are preserved a Christian people. Whoever will trace the history of this church, will perceive that the first introduction of the Christian faith among them was accompanied by circumstances and motives not of alarm, but of attraction. They were convinced, and not compelled to conversion. To this circumstance is doubtless attributable that veneration and attachment to their religion by which they are still distinguished, and which for fifteen hundred years has kept them from the heresies and impostures, if not from all the errors and superstitions, which have inundated, with a fatal copiousness, the surrounding countries of Egypt, Nubia, and Arabia. In Abyssinia, then, the religion of Christ survives as a national religion. The very existence of the clergy, and part of the community, is identified with its continuance: the utmost jealousy prevails of every thing that savours

of Mohammedanism: and these are certainly elements on which the efforts of those who have at heart the interest of that quarter of the globe may expect and calculate to work at some future time with great probability of success. "Who shall say," asks Mr. Jowett, "that Abyssinia, spiritually enlightened and wisely trained, shall not eventually mainly contribute to lift the huge northern half of Africa from its deep depression, to finally uproot Mohammedanism, and plant Christianity from the straits of Babelmandel to the mountains of Atlas ?"

Such are the reasons that induce

in the mind of Mr. Jowett many anxious hopes respecting the Abyssinian Church. The whole of what information he has collected respecting it is peculiarly worthy of notice. Professor Lee has condensed a large portion of its history, in a valuable paper appended to the Eighteenth Report of the Church Missionary Society; and we have ourselves cited from Mr. Jowett's former communication to that society the chief particulars respecting his providential discovery, and eventual purchase, of the Amharic Scriptures. A train of more remarkable circumstances could scarcely be imagined. M. Asselin, the French consul at Cairo, is desirous of adding to his other literary attainments the knowledge of the vernacular dialect of Abyssinia: he seeks for long time in vain for an instructor; at length he casually finds, in obscurity and sickness, an old man, who, but for his intervention, must in a short time have died from poverty and neglect. The attentions shewn to this poor old creature excite in him the liveliest gratitude; a feeling almost the only one equal to prompt his undertaking and persevering in the laborious work to which he is afterwards designed. To his exceeding surprise, in this old man the consul finds a perfect master of the literature of his country; a traveller who had penetrated into the most remote regions of Asia, and the instructor of Bruce and Sir William Jones. With these advantages, it occurs to M. Asselin to fix the dialect in print in the form of a translation. But a difficulty here occurs in the selection of a work for that purpose. At last the Bible is deemed most eligible. Ten successive years were in consequence devoted to this momentous work: the grateful, industrious, and persevering Abyssinian was unremitting in his exertions: his own patient reed traced the ten thousand of the sacred pages volume; and, after a careful and repeated collation of every book of the sacred text, and a reference of

it for examination to competent judges, the Amharic Bible is pronounced complete. But this is not all. Shortly after this work was accomplished, the laborious Abu Rumi, the translator, dies. Had this happened at an earlier period, the consul observes, he should consider that, with a single book left unfinished, it would have been impossible to supply the defect. The possessor next transmits copies of parts of his manuscript to various public individuals, in hopes of exciting attention to the work, and eventually of disposing of it by sale. Had these been noticed, the MS. might have travelled to the Vatican, and slumbered in obscurity for centuries. But no heed was given, and it was in consequence proposed to print it: but an interdict from Rome arrested this project. At this crisis Mr. Jowett is led to Egypt: he casually hears of the circumstance, writes to England, and, empowered by the British and Foreign Bible Society to negociate for the purchase, obtains the precious deposit in trust for the immense population of Abyssinia; a population which Mr. Jowett estimates at many millions.

It will not be easy for those of our readers who had the gratification of hearing it, to forget the interesting speech made by Mr. Jowett at the public anniversary meeting of the British and Foreign Bible Society in the year 1821. The very day on which he addressed that meeting, was the very day on which, in a preceding year, he had left the African shore for Malta, on his way to this country, with that valuable MS. in his possession. Well might he remark, that Abyssinia, in watching his removal from her coast with such a treasure, might employ towards him the memorable sentence used, with a slight variation, on a different occasion: 66 Omnia mei tecum portas."

Part of this version is now in print; and we feel pleasure in adding, as a proof of the disinterested zeal and liberality which the Bible Society