the glorious gospel of the Son of God, to my beloved Greeks, in my beloved Greek, in a Greek church, with the permission and informal invitation of Greek priests, was a privilege I had never expected to enjoy. And I believe that I am the only protestant missionary who has enjoyed this privilege, except the Rev. Mr. Hartley. Is it not time for every missionary in the Mediterranean to gird up his loins for preaching? Can that blessed day be distant? I closed with prayer, and was careful to supplicate a blessing on the archbishop, bishop, and priests of the island. We then went to the grave, and there deposited the remains of our beloved child. Several of our friends having thrown each a shovel-full of earth on the coffin, I returned thanks in Greek to all, and especially to the priests for their kindness and sympathetic attention to us strangers in this far distant land, and then we departed. We had the sympathies of all, and I could see it in their eyes and countenances. Many wondered at the magnanimity of soul, (as they called it,) which I displayed in addressing them on such an occasion. They thought it was I who bore up under afflictions, not knowing that it was, as I trust, the grace of God working in me."

MISSION TO SYRIA AND THE HOLY LAND.

BEYROOT.-William M. Thomson, and Story Hebard, Missionaries; Mrs. Thomson and Mrs. Hebard; and Miss Betsey Tilden, Teacher.-Two native helpers.

JERUSALEM.-John F. Lanneau, Missionary.-One native helper.

On a visit to the United States.-Isaac Bird, Eli Smith, and George B. Whiting, Missionaries; Mrs. Bird and Mrs. Whiting.

On their way.-Elias R. Beadle and Charles S. Sherman, Missionaries; Mrs. Beadle and Mrs. Sherman.

(2 stations; 8 missionaries, 7 female assistant missionaries, and 3 native helpers ;total, 18.)

Mr. and Mrs. Bird are still detained in this country by the ill health of Mrs. Bird. Mr. and Mrs. Whiting and Mr. Smith have visited this country with the approbation of the Committee. The former arrived Nov. 13th, and the latter July 28th. Mrs. Whiting's health was seriously impaired, and it has not yet been fully restored. Mr. Lanneau has suffered much the past year from his eyes. The Rev. Elias R. Beadle and wife embarked, June 14th, at New York, in the ship Elisha Denison, Capt. West, bound to Smyrna; and the Rev. Charles S. Sherman and wife embarked at Boston, July 17th, in the Emma Isadora, bound to the same place. Three or four other missionaries are expected to proceed to Syria soon after the annual meeting.

Mr. Smith's contemplated tour in Arabia and Syria was mentioned in the last Report. In January of last year, he left Smyrna, after such progress had been made in the punches for the Arabic type, that it was certain Mr. Hallock could complete them without farther aid, and proceeded to Egypt. From Egypt, with Professor Robinson of the New York Theological Seminary for his associate,

he traversed the peninsula of Mount Sinia, entering it at Suez and proceeding to Akabah by way of that celebrated mountain. Thence he traveled through the desert of Teeh to Jerusalem, by way of Beersheba. For an account of the Bedaween tribes of Arabs, which fell under his observation, the Board is referred to the Missionary Herald for March. His remarks concerning the establishment of christian missions among them, will be quoted.

"In reference to missionary labors among the Bedaweens, the following thoughts have occurred to me.

"It should not be adopted as one of the objects of these labors, to change their nomadic mode of life. That must be tolerated, for the simple reason, that, in the desert, no other is practicable. The desert must be inhabited by nomads, or so much of the earth's surface be left uninhabited. Moreover, so strong is the attachment of the Bedaween to his mode of life, that to interfere with it is attempting an almost hopeless task. I believe he will give up his religion sooner. It is associated in his mind with his most cherished ideas of nobility and freedom, and to become a cultivator of the soil, and an inhabitant of a house, he regards a degradation. Fragments of different tribes of the desert, have been residing for years along the eastern branch of the Nile, where Jacob and his descendants doubtless settled: but with all the temptations before them to change, they still tenaciously adhere to their former habits, and remain Bedaweens, which was probably the case, in part, with the Israelites, and enabled them so readily to return to the nomadic state. Is it said that such a life is unfavorable to religion? I refer to the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whose wandering life, a happy emblem of their spiritual pilgrimage, helped them to cultivate the feeling that they were strangers on earth.

"Should a missionary go among them, he must live like them, dwelling in tents and moving about as they do. This, in the first place, would be the only way in which he could actually live among them; and in the second place, it would be the most effectual method by which he could overcome their prejudices against him as a hudhery, and produce in them a fellow feeling in his favor. Probably such a step would be effectual to produce this result; and they might, in favorable circumstances, be even gratified to welcome him as a member of their encampment. In one case such a course has been adopted by a French gentleman among the Tawarah, for a year or two; and he lived among them on terms of the most unreserved friendship, gaining their esteem and confidence. But the missionary's Bedaween life must be a real one, and not consist in name only, while he surrounds himself with comforts. He must be ready to suffer hunger and privation with his neighbors. If he make a show of wealth, and it takes but little to constitute wealth in the estimation of a Bedaween, he will never be at ease. Generosity is the crowning virtue of an Arab. He will divide his last morsel with his friend. This would be expected of the missionary, and such insatiable beggars are they, that he would not be long without the opportunity of doing it. He would only be at ease when he was as poor as they.

"The missionary would have some strong suspicions to overcome at first. The Bedaweens have a prejudice against their country's being visited, and especially described in writing. The prejudice is universal, and it is strong. Their first thought, on seeing a Frank, is that he has come to write down their country. We encountered this feeling continually, and the objection uniformly made was, that by our writing, we would deprive them of rain, and condemn their country to drought. Yet this feeling is not invincible. Among the Tawarah who are accustomed to conduct travelers, it has nearly disap

peared. And with our other guides, I generally succeeded in very much allaying it after a day or two, so that we uniformly noted down our information as we obtained it, while on our camel's backs, and yet got generally answers to all our questions. I am persuaded that a missionary, already acquainted with their language, might, by a judicious deportment, in a short time fully acquire their confidence. From religious prejudice, I am confident, he would have a lighter impediment to encounter, than among any other class of Moslems. This is the interesting point from which to look at the Bedaween character. I believe I am not mistaken in it. And notwithstanding all the other obstacles, I am not sure but it will be found, that the Bedaweens are the most accessible part of the Mohammedan sect. Such a field presents hardships almost too severe for an American missionary to endure. But it is an interesting one for native labor. Had we native helpers, properly qualified by divine grace and by education for such a work, I should love to send them forth among these Arab tribes. They could endure the climate and the privations better than we. The native brother who accompanied Doct. Dodge and myself in the Hauran, had a strong desire, which he often expressed, to engage in such a work; and had the direction been given, he would readily have left his home, and penetrated among these wild people. I sympathize with him in this interest in the Bedaweens. No class of people in this journey have interested me so much. We have been served so well by none, and have found none so easily managed. The simplicity of their minds gives one, who touches the right string, ready control over them. Their confidence is easily won. And when once friends, there is nothing they will not do for you. And with all their proverbial revengefulness, when once the occasion is given which their law recognizes, they are long suffering and patient, far beyond any thing to which we are accustomed."

Mr. Smith and Dr. Robinson were both present at the annual meeting of the Syrian mission for 1838, which was held in Jerusalem. They arrived at Smyrna on the 22nd of July, having been signally favored by divine Providence in respect to the objects of their journey. Here it was resolved to comply with the recommendation of the brethren who had been assembled at Jerusalem, which was, to have the type cast in Germany. They have accordingly been cast by Tauchnitz at Leipsig, Mr. Smith having gone to that place to superintend the process; and thus has this really great and important work, without which the press could not have been domesticated among those to whom the Arabic is vernacular, been brought to a successful result. It would be strange if some of the letters did not admit of improvement, but it is believed that there is no other fount in existence, unless it be one cast in Persia by a native of that country, which is so conformed to the Arabic caligraphy as to suit the taste of the Arabs.

As no account of the printing during the year 1837 was received in season for the last Report, it is given here, in connection with the statement of the work of this kind done in the past year.

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Much embarrassment is still experienced for want of a competent printer; and it is matter of surprise, as well as regret, that the Committee find so much difficulty in procuring printers for the missions.

There were 6,642 books and tracts distributed from the Beyroot station during the year 1838, amounting to 490,629 pages. This is a considerable increase of the actual distribution over that of any former year. The larger portion of it was effected by a native employed for the purpose, and his journeys extended from above Tripoli to Sidon, embracing a large part of the villages of Lebanon, Celo-Syria, and Hermon. The people have shown an unexpected eagerness to receive books. The ecclesiastical rulers of every degree have made fierce opposition, as was to be expected, yet the people dislike the restrictions placed upon the books, and very many receive them in open defiance of patriarchs and bishops. Small portions of Scripture are found to be the most acceptable tracts that can be printed. The new type has not yet come into use.

The seminary, under the superintendence of Mr. Hebard, promises to be an instrument of great good. At one time the parents of the scholars from the Greek church were commanded by their bishop, under heavy penalties, to take their children from the school. Some of the boys left, but they soon returned with new courage and a fixed determination to continue their studies and finish their education. For want of funds, only three new boarding scholars have been received, and these are supported by their parents. One of them is a young Druze sheikh from Hoomal on Mt. Lebanon. The number of boarding scholars is fifteen, and there are four dayscholars. Many are refused admittance for the reason already mentioned.

"Much religious instruction," say the brethren in their report concerning the seminary, "has been given to the scholars during the year. They have read the Bible nearly through at morning and evening prayers, and the New Testament two or three times, accompanied with familiar explanatory remarks and exhortations. We have liberty to preach the gospel in our seminary as plainly as it can be preached in any college or academy in America, and can expose all the errors, traditions, and superstitions of the oriental churches without fear of losing a single scholar on that account. This could not be done in in any other than a boarding school, without exciting great opposition on the part of the parents and priesthood, and probably losing most if not all of the scholars. Theology forms a prominent part of our instructions, both in English and Arabic, and we endeavor to make our institution a school of the prophets, in which young men may be trained up to instruct the people in spiritual things. Above all, it is our fervent prayer that all the dear youth committed to our care may be taught of God, and filled with the spirit of the prophets. They have been thoroughly indoctrinated in the truths of God's word, their minds are enlightened, and at times they seem deeply affected by the truth. We greatly need the influences of the Holy Spirit, to renew and sanctify their hearts, and thus prepare them to preach the gospel to those who are now ready to perish."

The impossibility of retaining girls long in common day-schools, has revealed the great importance of a boarding-school for females. The mission has been authorized to commence such a school.

The Arabic congregation on the Sabbath was about sixty, and rarely less than fifty, in the year 1837. The past year there has been an increased number of men. The part of the chapel allotted to them has frequently been quite full. The number of female hearers is less than that of the males. "Indeed" say the mission, "the women are much the most strongly attached to their superstitions. They are also much confined at home by the customs of the country, and withal have so little mental cultivation that they are by far the most inaccessible portion of the community. This may sound strangely to those who have always seen more women at church than men."

Four adult Druzes and ten Druze children have been baptised, which, with the other children, make seventeen baptisms in all. There have been seven admissions to the church. Others give some evidence of piety, and have applied to be received. An extract from the last letter received from the mission, written by Mr. Thomson in February, exhibits the nominally christian portion of these inquirers in an interesting point of view.

"We are almost as much interested in the case of a number of Christians of various sects around us, whose minds are greatly aroused on the subject of religion, as in that of the Druzes. Several of them I hope have not only received theoretical knowledge, but spiritual life. The consequence is that there has arisen 'no small stir.' There are papal priests, all from different parts of the country, all strangers to each other, and all interesting men, who are so enlightened, so evangelical in sentiment, and so disgusted with popery,