In the last days of December, 1807, an European, who, in company of two others, had spent the winter about six hours walk from hence, paid us a visit. We took occasion to declare to him our disapprobation of his conduct to the Esquimaux. He promised amendment, and returned to his dwelling. Ephraim, who had been baptized at Hopedale many years ago, but afterwards left the believers, perished in a miserable manner, last spring. He, with his wife and two children," and an European, with whom they lodged, having a winterhouse, about a long day's journey from hence, were all burne to death. We cannot positively say how this misfortune happened, but we heard that the whole house had fallen down, and that all the wood-work was burnt. It is therefore supposed that it was destroyed by gunpowder. After the ship left us last year, a family of eight persons moved hither, that they might hear the word of God and be converted. The meetings of the different divisions of our people were held from the middle of November to April, without interruption, and diligently attended by old and young. This was also the case with the schools, which were visited with an earnest desire to learn, both in adults and children. During the last season, three persons have been admitted to the Lord's Supper; one re-admitted: four became candidates, six adults and three children were baptized, five added to the candidates for baptism: a young man, two boys, and one child, departed this life. Our Esquimaux congregation consists at present of twenty-three communicants, thirty baptized adults; (of whom three are excluded;) twenty-four baptized children; seven candidates for baptism; (of whom two are excluded:) in all eighty-four; to which forty unbaptized, chiefly children, being added, the number of inhabitants' at Hopedale is one hundred and twenty four." This may suffice, dear Brethren, as a summary view of our proceedings in the year past. For particulars, we must refer you to our diary. We doubt not but that our dear Brethren will also this year find much cause to join us both in praise and thanksgiving to our Saviour, for the great mercy He has shewn to us and our Esquimaux flock; and likewise in prayer and supplication, that He would continue to bless the work Himself has begun in this place, giving us grace, wisdom, and faithfulness to do that part, to which He has appointed us, that His thoughts of peace concerning the Esquimaux nation may be fulfilled. For this purpose, we commend ourselves again to your love and remembrance in prayer before the Throne of Grace. We salute you all in the fellowship of Jesus Christ our common Saviour, and remain in the same covenant of love and peace, dear Brethren, Your most affectionate, &c. J. C. WOLFF... THOS. CHRISTENSEN. FRED. JENSEN MILLER. EXTRACT of the DIARY of the Missionaries of the UNITED BRETHREN, at GNADENTHAL, (Bavianskloof,) at the Cape of Good Hope. (Continued from page 244.) SEPTEMBER, 1807. Both on the 2d and 3d of this month, there was an unusual storm, with intense cold. Most of our trees had their leaves blown off, and even some of the. cabbages, and other leafy garden plants were fairly blown out of the ground. On the 6th, in the evening, we had a blessed celebration of the Lord's Supper. Uu 10th, 10th, We were under the painful necessity of excluding a candidate for the Communion from our church-fellowship, on account of gross deviations. It was done in the public meeting, with a suitable exhortationto all present. Such occurrences prove, how busy the enemy of souls is to destroy, if possible, the work of GoD. May the LORD grant, that we may always be found watching, and by prayer, and the word of truth, be able to resist his wicked designs. 14th, All the higher mountains were covered with snow. The weather has been in general, tbroughout the whole month of August, so very unfavourable to our garden-crop, that we have never before felt so much the want of vegetables. In addition to this loss by the changeableness of the weather, we must add the annual increase of all kinds of grubs, and other devouring insects, earth-lice, moths, caterpillars, grey and green worms; which baffle all our efforts to destroy them, and now and then cause us to fear, that their devastations will bring us into great distress. We however trust to our merciful heavenly Father, that He will always grant us what we stand in need of, for our subsistence. 23d, A young Hottentot, who lately has been added to the candidates for baptism, came to one of the Missionaries and said, Since I had the favour to become a candidatė, I perceive that I am much worse than I was before. Wherever I am, my enemy, sin, is there too, to seize me, and drive me from one evil thought to the other. Sometimes I think that there is no help for me. If I wish to pray, and to complain of my distress to our Saviour, a thought arises in me, What will it help you? God cannot, and will not take notice of you; for He has greater things to think of.' The missionary encouraged him to fly confidently with all his misery to Jesus, and not to attend to the suggestions of unbelief, by which the enemy of God and man, endeavours to keep the soul ensnared. 26th, 26th, We had an agreeable visit from Lieut. Col. White, on his return from Bengal. During this month, several children were baptized, and some Hottentots obtained leave to live on our land. October 1st, We spoke with all our communicants, and though we found reason to admonish some of them to be more watchful, and not to allow themselves in things contrary to the mind and rule of Christ, yet in general, we were thankful for the manifest proofs of the Lord's mercy towards them, and their growth in grace. On the 4th, Lieut. Col. White left us, having spent a week with us to mutual satisfaction. 8th, In the morning, we received a letter from Mr. Disandt at Capetown, with the agreeable intelligence of the arrival of the Missionaries Kuester and Schmitt, from Europe. We took immediate steps to bring them hither, and Brother Schwinn set out for that purpose. To-day an aged Brother, Moses Kleef, departed this life rejoicing. He became a candidate in 1801, and was baptized by Brother Rose, in 1802. We can give him that testimony, that having found peace and pardon in the blood of Jesus, he cleaved to Him as a reconciled sinner. He was a man of few words, but whenever he spoke of the state of his soul, and the grace bestowed upon him to those, who had his confidence, they were edified and instructed. He was universally beloved by his countrymen, on account of his quiet and peaceable conduct. His last illness was a pleurisy, connected with fever, by which he was soon rendered incapable of conversation; but when asked, whether he rejoiced at the prospect of soon departing, and being with Christ for ever; he answered cheerfully and distinctly in the affirmative, though, as to every other subject, he was quite bereft of recollection. 14th, A candidate for baptism, Steens Adams, was visited. Uu 2 She She is almost blind, and very infirm. For these many years she has been a candidate, but went astray, and by continually changing her place of residence, seemed at last to have lost herself entirely. But the good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, would not suffer this poor strayed sheep to become the prey of the devil; but used various means to bring her back, not only in permitting that she grew blind, but awakening her heart at the same time, to a sense of her lost condition. She now wept bitterly on account of her deviations, especially that she had so often not only rejected the grace offered unto her, but even been a servant of Satan, seducing others to depart from the way of truth. She added, that she had always found great pleasure in that wicked work, and whenever she had been reproved on that account, by the Missionaries, was quite enraged. But that she now felt the greatest remorse, and begged that we would forgive her, We assured her of our sincere forgiveness, but admonished her to seek remission of sins in the blood of Jesus,-On another occasion she said, That I am blind, I consider as cords of love, by which Jesus draws and binds me to Himself, and I am willingly bound, if but my poor soul, which He has redeemed, may belong wholly to Him. I pray also, that I may be baptized into His death.' She was made partaker of this favour on the 15th, when Brother Marsveld baptized, and called her Anna Elizabeth. On the 17th, and 18th, It rained incessantly, and with such violence, that the torrents from the mountains filled our valley, broke into our garden, and destroyed the labour of many days, with a great quantity of our crop. Part of the garden-ground of the Hottentots was also torn up, and their crops swept away, by a concurrence of streams from every quarter. Though we have taken all possible pains by a canal to secure our grounds against the violence of the torrents, yet |