MAL BAY.

DURING the great heat of the summer holidays, July and August, visitors of all ages crowd the many steamers bound to various watering-places on the banks of the Saint Lawrence. One of the nearest villages chosen

for a change of residence is Mal Bay, ninety miles from Quebec, opposite to Kamouraska, another watering-place, fringing the shore with white habitations, looking silvery and placid across the broad shining waters; but in point of scenery the mountains of the north shore claim the chief attraction, and the visitor frequently returns to the winding lanes and hills of Mal Bay, year after year, in search of health and amusement. Many are the pleasant drives to be taken in country carts and the French calêche, to the different lakes and pretty sites in the neighbourhood one in particular, on the banks of the Mal-Bay river, is perhaps the most interesting; winding valleys lead to the quiet lake of St. Agnes, bounded by the St. Lawrence range of mountains, as may be seen in the sketch taken on the spot. Indian huts are constantly found in this part of the country, the half-civilized natives taking advantage of the season to sell their neat baskets of bark, white pine and ash, to the numerous visitors. Along the roads clusters of showy flowers grow in luxuriance; the golden rod rears its bright blossom, and the beautiful calmia, from hues of pink to rich crimson, with the snowy everlasting, and the Michaelmas daisy. Children are always to be seen offering baskets of strawberries or raspberries for trifling sums; and when I have bestowed upon them presents of religious tracts and books, their surprise and delight I remember with pleasure. Some of these little books, from Paris and Brussels, with coloured-paper covers, are most inviting, and they contain much of interest, as well as instruction, giving accounts of lovely characters of juvenile lambs of the flock of the Lord Jesus, who have trod the narrow path that leads to everlasting life. Upon one occasion, while standing at the door of our cottage at Cap à l'Aigle, looking down on the broad St. Lawrence, and watching the steamers, and vessels, with their sails set, gliding by, I was accosted by an aged woman, who advanced slowly and humbly towards me. She addressed me in French, and craved a boon; the object of her visit being to obtain from me one of those little books I had given away. She had nothing, she said, to give me in return but one wild pigeon which she held in her hand, and begged me to accept. I felt delighted to find that I had one pretty book left, which I gave her, requesting her to keep her intended offering. Her joy at receiving the wished-for boon I shall never forget; she looked as happy as if she had been made the possessor of a valuable treasure. Before I had time to enter into particulars relative to her history, she vanished from my sight, and I never saw her again. E. S.

A LETTER FROM REGENT'S TOWN. REGENT'S TOWN! Who among the friends of the Church Missionary Society is ignorant of the history of this Sierra-Leone parish, and of the interest which attaches to it. And yet it is possible; for the old generation of friends, who were cotemporary with its early history, are rapidly passing away to a brighter and a better land, and another generation has sprung up, which only knows of the commencement of the Sierra-Leone Mission as a history of the past, which has been handed down from others. But we would recom

mend for parochial libraries the memoir of the first Missionary to Regent's Town, the Rev. W. A. B. Johnson.

Regent's Town was a spot selected by the authorities of early days as the future home of some from amongst the many poor negroes, who, having been liberated from the slave-ships, were set on shore at Sierra Leone. It was then called Hog Brook, from the multitude of wild hogs frequenting the beautiful stream that flows through it. Miserable they were, these poor Africans. Full of grovelling and malignant superstitions, greegrees, red-water, witchcraft, devils' houses, without any knowledge of God, and under the power of evil,-they were indeed the most abject of the

human race.

It was not a promising wilderness to reclaim, but Johnson trusted in God, and went to work with the means the Lord had bid him use. He did not come amongst the negroes as Augustine among the AngloSaxons, who, with his companions, came, as Venerable Bede records, "bearing a silver cross for their banner, and the image of our Lord and Saviour painted on a board; and, singing the Litany, they offered up their prayers to the Lord for the eternal salvation of themselves and of those to whom they were come." "They wrought," it is added, "many miracles," and then was introduced into this country that intermingling of heathen customs with Christianity which has been followed by so much mischief. Pope Gregory ordered that the temples of the idols in England should not be destroyed, but the idols only; but, for the purification of the buildings that were to be turned to Christian uses, he added, "Let the holy water be made and sprinkled in the said temples; let altars be erected, and relics placed."

But Johnson neither used a silver cross for a banner, nor the miracles, so-called. He did lift up a standard, but it was by voice. He taught and preached. He told them of a Saviour, who had come from heaven to seek and save that which was lost, and who had died to save sinners. There are some who say that ignorant men cannot understand about Jesus and his work. There is nothing that, if simply told, with such facility enters the dark mind. It is as a ray of light-"The entrance of thy word giveth light, it giveth understanding to the simple."

On December 7th, 1818, was held the first anniversary of the Missionary Association of Regent's Town. Several Missionaries attended, and a great number of the Africans from Regent's Town and Gloucester. Several of the natives, who had come under the power of Christianity, spoke. One said, "I have great reason to thank the Lord Jesus Christ for his goodness and mercy, when I think of the sin and misery I was in. My father die, my mother die, and I had nobody to take care of me. Then they sell me; but it pleased God to bring me here. Afterwards I hear that Jesus Christ came to die for sinners. I feel it; and it pleases God to

say

as

enable me to hear it now. We cannot save the souls of our countrymen; but we can give coppers to send Missionaries, there is no way to be saved but by Jesus Christ. Stand not still and 'We can do nothing;' but try, and pray, and send Missionary.' Those were precious times, the first dawn of the morning on the shores of Africa, bright, and fresh and glorious. Fifty years nearly have passed since, yet the sun which rose then has not set; nay, it is still climbing to its noon-day height, from whence, when reached, it will never set; nor has the work, so well begun, died out in Regent's Town.

Regent's Town is no longer a Missionary station. The Missionary work is finished, for the people are all professing, and many of them intelligent and earnest Christians, and the Missionary work has ripened into pastoral work. Regent's Town is one of the parishes of the Sierra-Leone Church, and the parochial clergyman is the Rev. George Nicol. He was once one of our Missionaries, and received his maintenance from us. Now the church of which he is one of the pastors supplies to him what is requisite; the fund out of which such payments are made arising from the contributions of the African Christians themselves, who prove that they value the ordinances by meeting the expenses connected with them.

Some few years ago Mr. Nicol was in this country, and stirred up the hearts of Christians in England by his addresses at many meetings. The writer of this little paper stood side by side with him on the Church Missionary platform at Norwich, and listened with deep interest to his testimony to the reality of the work done in Africa. By many friends at home he is affectionately remembered, and some places keep up a continual intercourse with him, and send him various little helps in the way of contributions of books and clothes. How much he prizes such expressions of sympathy will appear from the following letter addressed by him to a friend at home, in which we have tidings of what continues to be done at Regent's Town

June 14-Many thanks for your last. The box has come safe to hand, and Mrs. Nicol and I were much pleased with the contents. It seems that the box was opened at the Mission house, and the contents of a ¿maller case from another friend added before shipment. I suppose the long shirts come from you. They are very useful. It is funny to see on a Sunday one or two of the poor old people coming to Church in their long shirts. The needles, scissors, &c., and unbleached cotton, are all useful in Mrs. Nicol's sewing department. This is just the kind of help we need. Our day school is increasing in numbers. Mrs. Nicol's sewing girls number about thirty. Without your aid, and that of some of my friends, it would be difficult for us to procure materials, needles, thimbles, &c., for such a large number of children. They do not bring these things with them to school. We always remember our neighbouring parish, when we have any to spare. When you are able to

help us again, please put in some cheap or common pocket-knives for rewards for the boys; and pens and holders, and some note-paper and envelopes. What you sent me were useful, and came just in time. Our Sunday school is also progressing. Many of our old people, who thought that they were too old to learn, have, at the eleventh hour, commenced the A B C. The school is under the superintendence of a young man, named John Morgan. You may have seen his name in the "Green Book." I thank God that He has raised up one so thoroughly devoted to the good work in this parish; it is such a comfort to a minister. Any second-hand books for Sunday-school teachers will be acceptable. We have just had our annual meeting for the Pastorate. Our special efforts amounted to about 2307. This does not include the class receipts throughout the colony, which average about 6007. yearly. The Colonial Government has given us an annual grant of 5007. have taken up two more districts into the Pastorate, making eleven in all. The Church Missionary Society retains the two churches in the city. The Lord is owning the work of his servants.

We

You have, by this time, heard of our Jubilee celebration last year. The Colony subscribed 8001. as a thank-offering to the Church Missionary. Society. My own parish raised 307. My annual meeting was numerously attended. The large church was quite full: about 700 people were present. By previous arrangement, all the survivors of Johnson's converts, numbering about twenty in the parish, were placed in the front pews. Three of the oldest-John Smart, John Thomas, and William Buck-addressed the congregation, in their own simple, but earnest, style, carrying us all back to the time when the sainted Johnson laboured among them with great success. It was a deeply-interesting meeting; and all separated thankful to God for what our eyes have seen.

How thankful ought our people to be, as I told them from the pulpit on Sunday morning, that they have the pure Word of God preached to them by the Missionaries of the Church Missionary Society, and pastors trained up by them in the same old path. Our pastors, thank God, preach nothing but Jesus, and Him crucified. They know of Ritualism, and High Church, and Broad Church, and Low Church, only in the English papers. Some come to me to explain the meaning of these terms. Pray that the Lord may continue to smile upon us, and keep us still under the wings of the Church Missionary Society.

How are our dear friends at the Rectory? I hope well. It is curious,' that in a box sent me by a dear friend, containing old books and maps for my parish, I found a little book containing sermons, very plain, for children, published by the estimable Rector of your parish. You may imagine with what pleasure I read it. Give all my best respects. How is your Sunday school? I think of the dear children with much interest. suppose you have all new faces. But there may be some to remember an African who addressed them in 1862. May the Lord bless them all!

I

A CONTRAST.

THE following facts, communicated to us by one of our Missionaries at Peking, the Rev. W. H. Collins, do present a very