AND PRAYER. URGENT CALL FOR EXERTION, LIBERALITY, | two or three villages of Khamtis or Shyans. But the greater body of Shyans and Singphos lie east of us, and occupy the whole territory We intend between this place and Barmah. now to devote our principal efforts to the Shyans, particularly to the acquisition of their language, in which we have already made some progress. There are two extensive races occupying the country north of us, extending to Bhutan-the Mishmis, who reside in the valley of the Dihang river, and the neighbor. ing mountains; and the Abors, who extend up the Dihang or Sanpu, the great branch of the Brahmaputra. The latter people are savages, resembling the American Indians in appearance and habits. We were visited last week, by some of their warriors, who came down to the cantonments, with the hope of recovering some of their run-away slaves. A large num ber of the Abors have recently come down from the mountains, and have obtained permission to settle within a day's journey of this place. We are extremely anxious to commence missionary operations among them; but shall not be able to do so. I hope some missionary will be sent out for the Abors and Mishmis, and one for the Asamese. The Abors and Mishmis have no written language, and probably no fixed religion. The Asamese about Sadiya are in nearly the same state; as few of them have embraced the Hindu religion, and not one in a hundred can read. The Shyans have books, and can generally read. Their religion is the same as that of the Barmans. The Singphos have no written language. The Directors of the Wesleyan Missionary Society say: That most of the foreign stations require a speedy reinforcement, and that a considerable number of places not yet occupied are at this moment presenting calls on the Society which must not-cannot, without guilt in some quarter, be neglected any longer, are undeniable facts. The only questions, there. fore, to be considered are those which go to ascertain whether or not this society or other kindred institutions have attained, in their exertions at home, the utmost limits of their means and their Christian obligations. Even in places where missionaries have already sown the precious seed, the harvest truly is great; but the laborers are so few that they cannot, without additional help, much longer sustain the heat and burden of their toil. And are there not more laborers, in the ministry or about to enter it, who are prepared, under the impulse of a burning and resistless charity, and by the call of the great Lord of the harvest, to fly to their assistance? And must the new doors of usefulness, which, in every direction, open an inviting prospect, still remain-to the reproach of the Christian churches, especially their ministers-OPEN, but yet UNOCCUPIED? Or, if an adequate supply of laborers is forthcoming, is there a lack of RESOURCES duly to sustain and prosecute these glorious and animating enterprises? Must the charity, thus summoned anew to deeds of honorable and victorious toil, still bear the scandal of being out-stripped in its exertions by vanity and sin? Shall the votaries of vice and error multiply their means of delusion and mischief with greater liberality than the disciples of Christ, professing the charity which never faileth, supply to their perishing fellow men the means of instruction and salvation? And is there not a higher degree of power with God in PRAYER which, by a criminal negligence of those whose prayer when fervent and united availeth much, yet remains to be employed, to bring down upon the churches a more pure and abounding zeal, and upon the world the blessing of a general salvation? These questions are worthy of deliberate and prayerful consideration. AMERICAN BAPTIST MISSION TO THE SHYANS. Mr. Brown, in a letter dated at Sadiya, April 5, 1836, says: We are occupying the house of Capt. Charlton, who is absent, and has generously offered us his house till we are able to build for ourselves. This place is an excellent missionary station, and I hope we shall occupy it during our lives, and that the blessing of God may rest upon our labors. The population of Sadiya is scattered, the greater portion being Asamese, who speak a dialect of the Bangali language. There are KARENS. EXTRACTS OF A LETTER FROM MRS. VINTON, TO A FRIEND IN B. DATED KAREN JUNGLE, FEB. 12, 1836. Cheerfulness in the Missionary-His chief Encouragement to labor.-Karen Simplicity. I cannot but admire the wisdom and goodness of God in directing the Board to send us among the Karens. And again, that it was our privilege to come among the Karens of this region. Surely we can exclaim, "The lines have fallen to us in pleasant places, and we have a goodly heritage." Were I obliged to remain in Maulmein or Rangoon, I could do but little, on account of the heat and want of exercise. But roving in the jungle as yet agrees well with me. My health is good, and we are happy in our work. I will not enter into a minute account of our labors, as you will have that in Mr. V.'s Journal. Suffice it to say that we have no house this season, but our little Mission boat. We buy our provisions at Maulmein, as they cannot be procured in the jungle. It is now some more than a month since we left there last, and it will be perhaps a month or more before we return, except forced to for not, they inquired if he was not his Son-one man even attempted to do him reverence. But soon, yes soon, this darkness and ignorance shall be dispelled before the beams of the Sun of Righteousness.—Baptist Missionary Maga. zine. COMMUNICATIONS FROM CHINA. Copied from the Philadelphia Observer. Extracts of a Letter from Mrs. Gutzlaff to a Lady in Philadelphia. MY DEAR MRS. P. I very much thank you for your acceptable present of infant plans and books, on that interesting subject. The prints are around the room with Chinese names written on them, so that the children understand what they mean. I think the lithographs particularly, well represent the animals, &c. I wish you lived nearer, that you might come and see the children; we have now seventeen in number, seven little girls, and the rest boys of various ages from sixteen to six. They are improving more perhaps than I could reasonably expect; they have a Chinese master who teaches them from four to five hours, beside their time to their English lessons. The children have generally very good capacities, and are industrious, but dirt is a striking characteristic among them. Mr. Gutzlaff hears them in their Chinese lessons twice a week, which excite great emulation; on the Sabbath he has with them and the household, worship in their own language, therefore the one thing needful is spoken of, and we hope it may be blessed to them. We have one dear little blind girl who learns her letters from the raised ones, and if I may ask from you one of the Bibles for the blind, it would greatly help us. I think of having more blind children. want of provisions. We have found vast multi- | V. was not God. And when told that he was tudes in this region, who never before heard of even the name of Jesus Christ. They all, with one consent, assent to the claims of the gospel, and promise to worship God. Their sincerity is known only to God; and whether the Holy Spirit will be sent down to enlighten and renew the heart, will be known at a future day. It is our happy privilege to sow the seed and water it with our prayers, and then leave it with God to give the increase. I cannot describe to you the preciousness of the promises, which relate to the salvation of the heathen, as we go from village to village, and river to river, telling the poor inhabitants of the "way of life." These promises are indeed our only treasure. We feel that we have forsaken all for Christ, and that now our only all is involved in the fulfilment of these promises. I would not have you think that we are without our trials. No-we sometimes find whole villages, who, though they assent to the truth and claims of the gospel, yet living under the Burman government, dare not embrace it, lest they share the same fate as their brethren in the region of Rangoon. They say that they will worship God with their hearts, but to please the Burmans must now and then fall down and worship pagodas. This is the case with the village now before me. Our souls have been in bitterness, while we have been endeavoring to publish salvation in the name of Jesus, to see how the fear of those "who can kill the body," predominates over the fear of Him "who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Yet even in this region God seems determined to raise up a seed to serve him. Day before yesterday, Mr. Vinton left me here to talk to those who should come here, and went out into the mountains east, to spend the day at a village, where two men had promised to worship God. At night he sent me a note, saying, that the Lord had opened a door for extensive usefulness; that there were vil- Mr. Morrison has written to England to ask lages scattered all over the mountains, and if an asylum.could not here as in London be people were listening with great interest, and opened for the blind, of course persons sent as that he should not return for a number of days. teachers. Plans and funds are needful, and I have had some interesting visitors from will not you, dear madam, assist us? I am the mountains on the west side of the river, sure our English friends will most gladly go who not only promised to worship God, but, hand in hand with their American friends. when I told them I would have a season of We have not yet had time to hear from them prayer with them, two of the oldest men but intelligence is soon expected. Pray preprayed without being asked. They are, how-sent my grateful respects to Mr. P. and I think ever, extremely ignorant, having never heard he will be gratified to learn if it has not ere the word of God before. One of them seeing one of the little cups the Board provided for ns, begged it, that he might offer rice to God. I told him God did not want any of his rice -but he must worship him as we had done, Mr. Gutzlaff is disappointed that no opportu. and avoid sin; that would be sufficient. He nity has occurred of his visiting Japan. He assented. has, or rather I trust the desire from the HighThe Karens in all this region have a tradi-est has been put into his heart, and if so, will, tion that God is about to visit this world in in his good time, be answered for his visit to human form. Numbers have inquired if Mr this interesting country. this reached you, from Mr. Gutzlaff, that he devotes much time to the Japanese language; three men of that nation have been sent to him, and he has written two tracts in the language. One other communication I wish to make | in their language; and in this manner the acas I am assured it will gratify you-it is now companying tract was completed. It contwelve months since a poor fund has been tains the birth, life, and death, resurrection, raised, principally from our kind Parsees- and ascension of our Savior, and some parts of may they learn the truth. From four to five the Acts, in the most simple language, and hundred Mr. Gutzlaff gives alms to every Sab- will be understood by the common people, bath in the early morning. Such poor crea- since we have been incessant in our endeavors tures! In America I do not think you could to follow the genius of the language, consulted discover such poor destitute creatures. Seve- both an English vocabulary and a native dicral were almost starved, some were permitted tionary, and also prayed for heavenly assistto recover, others too far gone in starvation, ance. I thought it best to begin with the and to tell you truly, of all our funds this fluc- adorable Savior, knowing that in him alone is tuates the most, and it is to me the dearest, as our strength, and salvation through his name it relieves absolute necessity and is our truest is also promised to this remote people. I send passport to better things. We have one dear you the copy, that you may neatly lithograph friend, a Parsee, fire worshiper, so called, yet it, which I should have done here, if there had do I not think so at heart; he placed his son only been an opportunity. Chinese books are and nephew with us, and gave eight hundred understood in that country by the higher as at first to establish the poor fund-he calls classes; but for the use of the common people, the poor his brethren, and really loves them; they must be paraphrased in their own lanas such he is a most excellent character, and has guage and syllabary. I chose the Kataxana recently sent his son to England to be educated syllabary in preference to the two others, it by a minister of our church, and from thence he being much plainer and less subject to misinproposes sending him to the university. This is terpretation. Mr. Medhurst's vocabulary has the second Parsee boy sent to England for edu- greatly assisted me, in making some progress cation. A young friend of mine, now here, in the language, and another work in forming we hope will in a few months go to Bombay the grammatical rules. It is the first of this to educate the female children; this gentleman, kind, and though exceedingly imperfect, the Franegee Pestorgee promises his, and says he Lord may lay his blessing upon it. When can insure from his connections from twenty our mission ship is visiting the shores of that to thirty girls. We hope all this may be per- interesting country, we may have many oppormitted. I am sure your prayers are with us, tunities of scattering it amongst the people. and believe me your obliged friend, Please to lithograph it in the form I send you the copy, and if you have no Chinese paper, use thin, white American. I trust a neat transcriber can accurately transfer it to the stone; the diametrical signs along the letters require very great accuracy, and I have, therefore, for his guidance, transmitted a syl June 15th, Macao. M. GUTZLAFF. LETTER OF REV. MR. GUTZLAFF. Contents of the Japanese Tract, "Life of the Savior." Macao, May 16, 1836. The Lord in his goodness brought three Ja-labary. panese under my roof. They had lost in 1831 both the mast and rudder of their vessel, and were driven on your coast, where the vessel was wrecked near the Columbia river, and 1. John the Baptist; 2. Mary; 3. Joseph; 4. only three survived out of fourteen. Though Nativity of Jesus the Savior; 5. His flight; 6. twice on the eve of embarkation for Japan, I The preaching of John; 7. John promulgates have always been prevented from going to that the great doctrine about Jesus; 8. John's im country. As however these people, after many prisonment and decapitation; 9. Jesus raised adventures, were finally intrusted to my care, the dead; 10. Jesus opens the eyes of the blind; I thought it a sacred duty to acquire from 11. Jesus feeds the multitudes; 12. Jesus drives them their language, in which they are well out devils; 13. Jesus preaches; 14. Jesus heals versed. After a great deal of trouble I could the sick; 15. Jesus chooses his disciples; 16. make myself understood; and I began now to Jesus teaches the doctrine of regeneration; 17. instruct them in the way of eternal life, assist- Jesus teaches to love our neighbor as ourselves; ed by some works upon that language. By 18. Jesus teaches to honor our parents; 19. To degrees (some of them understanding a little pay taxes to government; 20. Jesus' exhortaEnglish) they caught hold of my ideas and tions; 21. Jesus teaches the forgiveness of sins; rendered them into good Japanese. Thus we | 22. Jesus explains the nature of the kingdom have gone on several months, from morning to evening, until I resolved upon writing for our mutual instruction the leading doctrines of our faith, viz. Redemption by the blood of Christ. In this they took great interest, and did their utmost to render me every assistance of heaven; 23. Transfiguration of Jesus; 24. Jesus repairs to the capital, his parables and teaching; 25. Jesus prays for his disciples; 26. Jesus suffers and is crucified; 27. Jesus rises again; 28. Jesus ascends to heaven; 29. The out-pouring of the Holy Spirit; 30. The disci. ples perform miracles and preach; 31. The | tutes of Oro and Tane inexorably required, not doctrines of Jesus-Men are sinners-God only that the wife should not eat those kinds of gave his only begotten Son for the sins of the food of which the husband partook, but that world-Our obligations to believe in him; 32. she should not eat in the same place, or prepare A prayer for the illumination of the Holy her food at the same fire. This restriction apSpirit, to understand the word of eternal life plied, not only to the wife, with regard to her and believe in the Savior. husband, but to all the individuals of the female sex, from their birth to their death. In sickness or pain, or whatever other circumstances, the mother, the wife, the sister, or the daughter, might be brought into, it was never relaxed. The men, especially those who occasionally attended on the services of idol, worship in the temple, were considered ra or sacred;, while the female sex was considered noa, or common. The whole is written to prove that Christ, the eternal Son of the Father, came to save those who are lost. The chapter upon the sufferings of the Savior is longer than any other, for the heart must be moved by contem. plating his dying love. The title, preface, and the various chapters are written in the Chinese character, in accordance with the Japanese way of writing their books. Though the tract is very imperfect, the Japanese read ers will certainly be able to learn from the perusal, that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Great care will be required to transfer it neatly and without any error to the stone. The more elegantly it is struck off, with the more zest the Japanese, who greatly admire things superior to their own, will read it. (Signed.) CHARLES GUTZLAFF. A specimen page has already been lithographed, and confidence is entertained that the tract can be thus accurately and neatly printed in this country. FEMALE DEGRADATION. The following extract from Ellis's Polynesian Researches presents one instance of the degraded and humiliating condition of females in Pagan lands, where the benign and elevating influence of the gospel is unknown, and furnishes a forcible argument in favor of Christian missions. "The habits of the South Sea Islanders were in many respects interesting and commendable. Yet in these, as in their moral character and dispositions, they often presented the most strangs contradictions. Patriotism, and public spirit were often strongly manifested. In their universal passion for public amusements they appeared a social people; yet their domestic habits were unsocial and cheerless. This is probably to be attributed to the invidious distinction established by their superstition, and enforced by tabu, between The father and the mother, with their children, never, as one social happy band, surrounded the domestic hearth, or, assembling under the grateful shade of the verdant grove, partook together, as a family, of the bounties of Providence. The nameless, but delightful emotions, experienced on such occasions, were unknown to them, as well as all that we are accustomed to distinguish by the endearing appellation of domestic happiness. The insti the sexes. The men were allowed to eat of the flesh of the pig, and of fowls, and a variety of fish, cocoa-nuts, and plantains, and whatever was presented as an offering to the gods. These, the females, on pain of death, were forbidden to touch; as it was supposed they would pollute them. The fires, at which the men's food was cooked, were also sacred, and were forbidden to be used by the females. The baskets, in which their provision was kept, and the house in which they ate, were also sacred and forbidden to the females, under the same cruel penalty. Hence, the inferior food, both for wives, daughters, &c. was cooked at separate fires, deposited in distinct baskets, and eaten in lonely solitude by the females, in little huts erected for the purpose. The most offensive and frequent imprecations, which the men were accustomed to use towards each other, referred also to this degraded condition of the females. E taha miti noa oe na to medua: Mayest thou become a bottle, to hold salt water for thy mother! or another: Mayest thou be baked as food for thy mother! were impreca. tions they were accustomed to denounce upon each other: or, Take out your eye-ball, and give it to your mother to eat! CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. Burdwan. The native Christians, old and young, are eighty-nine. The missionaries alternately conduct two services on Sundays, and two in the week. The attendance is more regular than formerly, especially that of the women. Mrs. Weitbrecht's active assistance among them tends greatly to their benefit. Two youths have been baptized. It pleased God to call one of them, Muddoo, soon after to himself. He was endeared to all by his humble walk, intelligent mind, and consistent con duct. The other, a young Brahmin, has come out decidedly from his heathen connections. In the Bengalee schools, which have suffered from inundation, there are 550 boys, 300 of whom can read the Scriptures. An orphan school, opened by the help of friends in July, 1834, contains nearly forty girls. Mr. Weit Pittsburgh, Pa. a friend to missions, by Richard Edwards, a freewill offering Princeton, N. J. Nassau Hall Missiona 5.00 63.00 ry Society, by Professor J. M'Lean, 35.00 Sharon cong. by Rev. S. C. Jennings, brecht and other brethren made a tour west-| 5.00 9.75 50.00 40.00 29.00 $1018.56 Concert coll. in Pres. church, for 50.00 from Mr. Joseph Grimes, executor, $50.00 Canfield, O. Pres. church, con. coll. in 1836, by Rev. W. O. Stratton, Centre cong. Pa. by Mr. Joseph Vanc mon, Claysville, Pa. Female Auxiliary Mis Indiana, Pa. Pres. church, by Rev. J. for support of Mr. and Mrs. Brown in Mercer co. Missionary Society, for sup Newark, Q. Pres. church, by Rev. Wm. Philadelphia, Pa. 10th Pres. church, 10.00 Lawrenceville, N. J. mon. con. coll. Mr. Lowrie, by Rev. John M. Dickey, 190.00 43.25 50 11.66 15.00 5.00 8.81 Jersey Town, Pa. T. Adams; Wash- 1.00 $228.50 PAYMENTS FOR THE CHRONICLE. Samuel Skomp, $5; Homer Bailey, 1.50; James Adair, Ham. Beatty, John Pea, J. D. Hay, John Martin, 1.00 each; Thomas Adams, Benjamin Andrews, Eliza Arnold, Henry Ar. baugh, F. G. Bailey, Miss F. Barker, John Campbell, Mrs. Carothers, Ichabod Clark, Benjamin Davis, Robert Donaldson, Richard Elliot, John Gilmore, Robert Fulton, Mary Hawkins, James Irwin, John Laird, James M'Vickers, James M. M'Combs, Moses Moore, Thomas Moorehead, Amos Ogden, Mrs. Rebecca L. Patterson, John Phipps, Miss Lydia E. Price, James Ramsey, Ann Roberts, Allen Rose, William Redick, John Stevenson, Mrs. Lucretia Scott, Joel Vanmatre-50 cents 100.00 each.-$27.50. 135.00 6.50 |