KUNAWUR.

KUNAWUR is one of the Himalaya provinces of British India, bounded on the west by Chinese Tartary. It is a very elevated and rugged country, consisting of mountain ridges, through the midst of which, in a direction

from north-east to south-west, runs the valley of the Sutlej.

We do not know much about this country, nor does it seem necessary, in the opinion of some, that this ignorance should be removed. Yet these wild countries, Kunawur, Spiti, Ladak, &c., are the homes of portions of our race. In the south the religion of the inhabitants is Hinduism, the goddess in greatest repute being Kalee in her most horrid form, to whom human sacrifices were wont to be offered, until the British Government got possession of the Hill States in 1815. Great sums are expended on the temples, which are often of cut stone. They have roofs in the Chinese fashion, and projecting balconies. In the north, the religion is Lamaism, one of the dullest sections of that very dull and stupifying creed called Buddhism. They worship Buddha, although they are not exclusive in the homage they pay him, and associate with his image other idols, which are very hideous and monstrous. Religious service is performed daily in the temples attached to the monasteries, and consists chiefly of prayers and chanting, in which the formula, “Aum, mani-padme, hun," is frequently repeated. The whole is accompanied with the music of wind instruments, supplemented by tabrets and drums.

Occasionally the priests proclaim aloud the numerous titles of the supreme Buddha, such as, "Glory to the chief Buddhas! Reliever of all suffering, master of all virtue, equal, equal to the heavens! adoration!” Another muntra runs thus-"Glory to the chief Buddhas! hé, hé, hé, young prince, emancipation, communion, memory, memory, great prowess, adoration!" These, however, are sensible productions, compared with some others, which degenerate into such gibberish as to be absolutely untranslateable.

These poor people think they shall be heard for their much speaking; and as the human lips cannot repeat the sacred sentences fast enough, they have invented the mani-chos-khor, or prayer cylinder. "The body of the instrument is a metal cylinder, about three inches in height, and from two to two and a half inches in diameter. The axis is prolonged below to form a handle. The cylinder is filled with rolls of paper and charms, which revolve as the instrument is turned round. Every Lama carries a chos-khor, which he keeps perpetually turning by a gentle motion of the hand, assisted by a curved piece of iron, fastened by a chain to the outside. As every revolution of a prayer is equivalent to its recitation, the chos-khor is a very ingenious instrument for multiplying the number of a man's prayers."

But even the motion of the hand does not multiply fast enough the revolution of the papers on which the sacred sentences are written. Some of them, therefore, are kept constantly in motion by water, on the same principle as the water-mills, while others are turned by the wind.

The people are generally of a dark complexion, but good-looking, and some of them have ruddy faces. They are well made and muscular. They are said to possess much simplicity of character. In their persons they are dirty, and their moral habits do not bear examination. They have amongst them national customs of a most degrading character. What can be expected of a people who are left without the knowledge of true religion, and who have nothing to substitute in its place but wretched systems such as we have described?

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We have one Mission station on the extreme frontier border of this province, at Kotgurh, from whence some feeble rays of light are cast upon the vast territories of unbroken heathenism which lie beyond. Some young men from the Chinese border have found their way to the Mission: they are sons of wealthy and influential people, and the Rev. W. Rebsch expects more from the same quarter. One native of China has been baptized. He maintains a consistent walk, is diligent in his business, and exemplary in his observance of the Lord's-day, and attendance on the means of grace.

Besides these encouragements, earnest requests for teachers have come to him from the far interior; but it is with difficulty that our Missionary can supply the demand in villages near to Kotgurh; and so those that are afar off remain unprovided for.

Somehow the people of these provinces seem to be continually reminding us of their need.

One of the finest trees in Kunawur is the keloo, or deodar. Gerard says it grows to a height of 150 feet, with a circumference of from twenty to thirty feet. It is a cedar, its wood not liable to decay, and is much used for the beams of houses, temples, &c.

Deodars are now much sought after in this country, and specimens of them are very often to be seen in the demesnes of our nobility and gentry. Every deodar growing amongst us should serve as a reminiscence of the country which is its native place, and of the spiritual need of the people that dwell there.

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MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

WE haye just held our great Anniversary of the Parent Society in London. We have had our hearts stirred by the eloquent sermon of the Dean of Cork, preached in St. Bride's Church on the evening of April 30th. The proceedings of the next day; the large number of clerical friends collected at the breakfast; the able address delivered by Archdeacon Prest, which we print in the "Church Missionary Intelligencer" for this month; the admirable Report, full of indubitable evidences of Missionary progress; the addresses, so good and heart-stirring; all was most refreshing, and the friends of the Society returned home, each to his own sphere, with a mind to work more earnestly than ever.

Now it will be interesting to our friends to know that our native church at Sierra Leone follows closely our example in this respect. That church, raised up from the midst of heathenism, on the once dark coast of Western Africa, has also its Auxiliary Church Missionary Society, the anniversary of which is celebrated every year. The last Annual Meeting was held on December 5th of last year. The sermon was preached by the Rev. George Nicol, the native pastor of Regent's Town, his text being Isaiah xl. 3-5. The congre

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gation of African Christians was large and attentive, and the sermon plain, practical, and effective.

The

Now of this sermon we should like to give a brief sketch. prophecy was compared "to a dissolving-view picture, in which one beautiful scene merges into another still more grand and beautiful. The eye of the prophet, therefore, glances rapidly from the object more immediately in view, in the distant future, to the object more remote; and he regards the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity as introductory to a far more important deliverance to be effected by Christ. This, no doubt, was the mind of the Spirit. All the four Evangelists, you will remember, quote this very prophecy, whole, or in part, and put it, as it were in the mouth of John the Baptist, the Saviour's forerunner. Jesus was to be born a Prince and Saviour. Jehovah was about to take to Himself his great power, and reign for ever, for the eternal redemption of his people. Long had the world been enslaved. Four thousand years had rolled away since, by man's first disobedience, death came into the world, and all our woe.' Satan, the god of this world, ruled supreme. Darkness covered the earth, and gross darkness the people. The strong man armed had fortified himself, and kept his goods in peace. The whole creation groaned beneath his tyranny. But there is to be an end of his tyranny, and a check to his usurped power."

6

The near object was the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity; the more distant and glorious object the coming and work of Christ. The Deliverer has come, and it remains that his kingdom be promoted throughout the world. The subject was then divided into three parts—

1. The difficulties and obstacles that stand in the way of the progress of the Redeemer's kingdom in the world.

2. The church's duty in this great enterprise.

3. The certainty of ultimate and triumphant success.

Now it is from the second head we would quote, because it is so eminently practical, and calculated to do ourselves good.

Every converted man, or the church, which is only made up of converted persons in the aggregate, must stand in the midst of this moral desert, and proclaim full and free salvation to every son and daughter of Adam, to proclaim aloud,

"The year of Jubilee is come

Return, ye ransomed sinners, home."

Here we have the foundation of Missionary operations. The church is the messenger to prepare the way of the Lord; to stand and speak to sinners of every colour, "all the words of this life." She is to give God no rest till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

Of herself she cannot convert a soul. Her solemn duty is to go forth in the wilderness, and proclaim to Jew and Gentile salvation through the blood of Christ. She is to set the Gospel machinery in motion in

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faith and prayer. Jesus her King is coming to reign. And do you ask how and in what way the church can discharge this? I answer in three ways

(a) By sending out Missionaries to the heathen.

(b) By contributing for their support.

(c) By praying for the divine blessing on their work.

Now in one or other of these ways every member of the Church of Christ can preach the Gospel. Every individual Christian must bear his part in this great enterprise. I do not find in the whole word of God that widows or poor people are exempt from this great duty.

There are no drones in the Christian hive. Remember the widow's mite. The moment you are converted, He says to you, Son, daughter, go work in my vineyard. If you cannot go abroad like our friends to the Niger, Yoruba, Bullom, or Quiah, and stand in the midst of the heathen to proclaim the great jubilee of the Gospel, you can subscribe your mite, your copper, towards their support. And all can pray. All can wrestle with God. Do you then, as converted Africans, realize the deep and solemn responsibility that hangs upon you? I think the duty of helping forward this great work is more especially incumbent on us. We ourselves were objects of charity. We ourselves are the fruits of Missionary labours. "Freely then we have received, freely let us give." Thank God, brethren, that He has, in his good providence, raised up this great, this noble Society, whose cause we now advocate. I depreciate not the labours of other Missionary Societies here or in other parts of the world; but the truth must be told, and told plainly. Infidelity has compelled us to glory. I believe Africans in general, and we in Sierra Leone in particular, owe all we have, and all we are, under God, to the Church Missionary Society. That Society has done more than any other Society in existence to demonstrate to the world that Africans are capable of instruction, and, more than this, that the heart of an African can be as easily touched and moved by the Spirit of God as any other nation under heaven. That Society was the first to demonstrate to the whole civilized world that Africans, real negroes, as they call us of Western Africa, once a prey to superstition and degraded by slavery, now converted, instructed, can be invested not only with the solemn office of the ministry, but also with the higher and more responsible functions of the episcopal office. Who among us, dear brethren, will not come forward with his or her mite every year, to assist this noble Society in her great mission to the world? Let us then be stimulated to go on in this work of faith. We are engaged in no vain pursuit. We do not labour for nought.

With such a testimony before us, we cannot but feel that the Church Missionary Society is placed in the same position as the virtuous woman in Proverbs xxxi.—" Her children rise up and call her blessed."