passage of about two months from Calcutta, I arrived here on the sixth of January. In consequence of contrary winds, and the strength of the current in the Ganges, I met with considerable delay, but have reason to be thankful for being brought in health and safety to the place of my destination. On the river I experienced several gales of wind, but escaped a very severe storm which took place the day before I left Calcutta-the effects of which were long manifest. One day I think I passed upwards of a hundred vessels lying wrecked on the shore, with their crews sheltered in small temporary huts or tents. I visited most of the towns on the river; many of them are large, and the whole country is very fertile and populous. In consequence of want of water in the branch of the Ganges on which Berhampore is situated, I was prevented from visiting brother Hill. At Monghir I spent two days with the Baptist Missionaries, and preached to a very good English congregation; but my imperfect knowledge of the language prevented me, during the journey, from engaging, as I wished, in missionary exertions. of Hindoostan, where the Brahminical faith is professed, but also wherever the Buddhist system prevails, pilgrims come even from the Burman empire and the island of Ceylon, to wash away their sins at Benares, which some of them regard not as part of earth, but of heaven! It is impossible for a christian to look unmoved on Benares-a city not only "wholly given to idolatry," but a city itself an object of superstitious veneration with a population, immense indeed, but not equal to the number of its gods. But even this great metropolis of Hindooism stands with its gates wide open to receive the soldiers of the cross; and surely it is not to the honor of the christian world that only one or two have entered it, presenting more the appearance of spies than of a force designed to take possession of such a strong hold. The prospects of the mission, considering all circumstances, are far more encouraging than I could ever have expected to find them. Mr. Robertson has just completed making the circuit of the whole city-conversing with people of all descriptions, and often preaching to great crowds, and his labors seem to have produced a deep impression. A spirit of con On reaching Benares I found my future colleague, Mr. Robertson, well, and our meeting has been a source of much happi-viction seems extensively to have spread ness to us both, and our society, I confidently trust, will be a mutual blessing.We live together in his bungalow; and, from his extensive acquaintance with the various languages spoken in this country, and from his great readiness to assist me, I derive great advantages in my studies. I hope in a few months to be fully engaged in preaching to the natives, though in an imperfect manner; but I think it much better to blunder a little as it respects the language than remain in silence, when so wide a door is presented for proclaiming among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. in the city, and every thing short of real success in the conversion of souls has been obtained; and there is a seriousness among inquirers which leads us to hope that we shall soon behold many turn to the Lord in sincerity of heart. Besides the labors of Mr. Robertson out of doors, he has two services in the city chapel, in Hindewee and Urdu. The place is generally about full, and the congregation is remarkably attentive, indeed as much so as any christian assembly. It is composed both of Hindoos and Mahommedans. We intend to commence a third service in the chapel next week, as I shall be able to deWith the exception of London, I have liver one sermon a week, and shall gradunever seen so large a city as Benares.ally increase the number as I improve in The exact population, however, is un- the language. Had we preachers, there known-as, from various causes, the peo- I would be no difficulty in finding congreple are unwilling to tell what number of gations in any part of the city, and in inmates are in their houses, no correct some places bungalows might be erected census has ever been obtained. Being re- at a small expense, where the streets are garded as sacred, not only over the whole I too narrow for collecting the people in the open air. Owing to the narrowness of cannot send; for were all the missionaries almost all the streets of Benares, they are of the Society within twenty miles of very crowded, and the noise and clamor where I now write, they would find an amrender it very difficult either to speak or ple field for their exertions. If we would hear; but where there is any convenient spot destroy the monster Hindooism, we should the people appear very willing to attend. strike in the most vital part; and that part I hope the Directors will consider the is undoubtedly here. Trusting still to unequalled importance of Benares as a have an interest in your prayers, and those missionary station, and will send as many of the Directors. more laborers as possible-too many they (Signed) WILLIAM BUYERS. For the Missionary Chronicle. LINES SUGGESTED ON VISITING THE GRAVE OF JOSEPH W. BARR, NEAR Here lie the coffined dead,—a silent crowd,- Our certain doom. They tell us we must die, One grave amid this crowd demands a tear.- Learn how he gave his friends the parting hand, That he the wanderer's steps to heaven might guide,- Leave millions still in wretchedness to wail? Their light and heat; till every darkened heart And mourn no more that Barr is called to heaven. This work will be sent gratuitously to the pastors of all such congregations, as statedly contribute to its funds; to the officers of all Auxiliary Societies; to the active friends of the Society, wherever desired; other persons who may order it, will be expected to pay the sum of Fifty Cents per annum, to go to the general use of the Institution. For the list of contributions for the past month, and some other notices, we refer our readers to the Nos. for August and September. All communications relating to remittances, and the transmission of funds, should be directed to Rev. ELISHA MACURDÝ, Briceland's Cross Roads, Washington county, or Mr. SAMUEL THOMPSON, No. 10, Market street, Pittsburgh. All others should be directed to ELISHA P. SWIFT, Corresponding Secretary of the Society, Pittsburgh. A. Jaynes, Printer, Pittsburgh. mies prisoners, he wounded them all over; after which, with a more than brutal fury, he satiated, though not tired himself, by sucking their blood at their gaping wounds; but bearing a more than ordinary grudge against one of them, he caused him to be laid bound at his feet, and his body to be pierced with hot irons, gathering his blood that issued from him in a vessel, one half of which he drank, and offered up the rest to his god. On another occasion, he put to death one of his wives and a slave, drinking their blood also, as was his usual practice with his enemies."-Dispositions and practices no less abominable are regularly exhibited in the kingdom of Dahomy, near the Gulph of Guinea. An immolation of human victims, for the purpose of watering the graves of the king's ancestors, and of supplying them with servants of various descriptions in the other world, takes place every year, at a grand festival, which is held generally in April and May, about the period, possibly, when the Bible and Missionary Societies of this country are holding their anniversaries. The victims are generally prisoners of war, reserved for the purpose; but, should there be lack of these, the number (betwixt sixty and seventy) is made up from the most convenient of his own subjects. The immolation of victims is not confined to this particular period; for at any time, should it be necessary to send an account to his forefathers of any remarkable event, the king despatches a courier to the shades, by delivering a message to whoever may happen to be near him, and then ordering his head to be chopped off immediately. It is considered an honor where his majesty personally condescends to become the executioner in these cases; an office in which the king prides himself in being expert. The governor was present on one occasion, when a poor fellow, whose fear of death outweighing the sense of the honor conferred upon him, on being desired to carry some message to his father, humbly declared, on his knees, that he was unacquainted with the way. On which the tyrant vociferated, "I'll show you the way,' and, with one blow, made his head fly many yards from his body, highly indignant that there should have been the least expression of reluctance. On the thatched roofs of the guard-houses which surround the palace of this tyrant are ranged, on wooden stakes, numbers of human skulls; the top of the wall, which encloses an area before it, is stuck full of human jaw-bones, and the path leading to the door is paved with the skulls. In the kingdom of ASHANTEE similar practices uniformly prevail. "When the king of this country, (says Dupuis) was about to open the campaign in Gaman, he collected together his priests, to invoke the royal Fetische, and perform the necessary orgies to ensure success. These ministers of superstition sacrificed thirty-two male, and eighteen female victims, as an expiatory offering to the gods; but the answers from the priests being deemed by the council as still devoid of inspiration, the king was induced to make a custom at the sepulchres of his ancestors, where many hundreds bled. This, it is affirmed, propitiated the wrath of the adverse god." The same king, when he returned, having discovered a conspiracy, decreed that seventeen of his wives, along with his own sister, should be strangled and beheaded. Another cause of anger soon after occurred, and he was inflamed to the highest pitch of indignation, and, in a paroxysm of anger, caused these unhappy beings to be cut in pieces before his face, giving orders, at the same time, to cast the fragments into the forest, to be devoured by birds and beasts of prey. Nor did the atonement rest here; for six more unhappy females were impeached of inconstancy, and they also expiated their faults with their lives. Like another Ulysses, his majesty then devoted himself to the purification of his palace, when, to sum up the full horrors of these bloody deeds, two thousand wretches, selected from the Gaman prisoners of war, were slaughtered over the royal death-stool, in honor of the shades of departed kings and heroes. Such are a few specimens of the ferocious dispositions of the petty tyrants of Africa." Similar cruelties, Capt. Morrell, in his recently published volume of voyages, informs us, are practised in Bergh's group of islands, recently discovered by him, as they are known to be in some other places. Let those who doubt the importance and necessity of sending the gospel to the heathen look at these and similar facts, and ask whether those for whom christianity has done so much, should not feel willing to extend their sympathies to those who are in this deplorable condition. FOREIGN MISSIONARY CHRONICLE. VOL. I. PITTSBURGH, AUGUST, 1833. WESTERN FOREIGN MISSIONARY SOCIETY. ANNUAL REPORT Of the Executive Committee, as submitted to the Board of Directors during their late Session, May 8th and 9th. (Concluded from page 53.) The Executive Committee would conclude this Report to the Board with a few general remarks, suggested by the cir cumstances of this infant institution, and the experience which its operations thus far have given them. No. 5. byteries might nobly undertake, in addition to the support of their missionary, to carry on the work of planting such institutions, and sustaining them until the na tive population should arrive to such a state of intellectual and religious improvement, and such a condition of industry and prosperity, as to be able to provide it of themselves. The circumstances of the unevangelized portions of the earth, and the solemn dictates of christian duty, are certainly such as to require of ours, as well as every other portion of the visible church, designs and calculations of this enlarged and permanent character. They cannot but esteem it a matter of great importance, in the first place, that this plan of presbyterial action should be carried out in our church. When from From 4 to 600 millions of the human the size of the presbytery, or the opulence race, at a moderate calculation, are yet of the churches belonging to it, the sup-unchristianized; and for their illumination port of one missionary could thus be se- there are less than 800 missionaries in the cured with but a partial effort, a second field, including those of every Protestant and a third might be speedily added; or denomination. particular congregations might then be- Asia, with Buddism on its eastern gin to adopt the same plan; and thus, border-the dominion of the false prophet from less to more, the provision might be on the west-and the religion of Dalai augmented in a systematic order as the Lama in its centre, presents to us the demand increased, and self-consecrated spectacle of from 3 to 400 millions of aclaborers crowded round the missionary countable beings, to whom, for the most standard. To the sum requisite to the part, the salvation of the cross is utterly maintenance of the particular missionary unknown. Africa, whether her each suchimself, might soon be added that which ceeding generation numbers 70, or 100, would be needed to sustain the schools or 150 millions of immortal souls, stands which he might institute, and to provide to the view of christian Europe and Amefor the emission of various elementary and rica as an affecting object of degradation, practical publications. When the time ar- destitution, and misery. Though bleedrived at which high schools and semina-ing at every pore, through the injuries inries, for the provision of educated men flicted by reputedly christian nations, willamong the natives, and a succession of ing, as it were, to forgive the past, she lifts religious teachers for the work of the min-up her supplicating voice for a share in istry, should be founded, particular pres- the redemption which the gospel 'brings. |