attributes, of the creation, of sin, and of salvation, the tract in poetry, containing these particulars, was read, and also that on "Sin no Trifle;" and, gradually, all present yielded up their prejudices, and began to extol the Gospel system. One of our number now addressed them at some length; and concluded with prayer, at which they all stood up, and seemed much affected. They now seemed determined to incline to Christianity: and openly said that we carried the evidences of the truth of Christianity with us.

DOMESTIC.

AMERICAN EDUCATION SOCIETY.

Increasing number of Beneficiaries.

THE twelfth report of the American Education Society was noticed at p. 289 of the last volume. It was there mentioned that 91 young men had been received as beneficiaries during the preceding year. The Quarterly Journal of the society shews that the number of applications for aid from the society's funds is rapidly increasing. At the quarterly meeting in January, the number of new beneficiaries received was 47; of whom 12 are students in theological seminaries, five are students in colleges, and the remainder are students at preparatory schools in different parts of the country.

This increasing number of beneficiaries calls, of course, for a corresponding increase of funds. The following remarks, and appeal on this subject, are taken from the Quarterly Journal for January.

Notwithstanding the efforts which have been made to raise funds, the resources of the Society have fallen far short of the expenditures. The debt for money borrowed, at the last quarterly meeting was $3,500. The Directors have been compelled to borrow $2,500 more at their recent meeting to meet the appropriations, which amount to seven thousand dollars. The present number of young men, who depend upon the society and its branches for the means of obtaining a thorough education for the ministry, is not far from 350. An increase of fifty young men, on an average, will be made to the list every quarter, should the applications multiply no faster than at present.

Whatever may be the circumstances of other benevolent societies, experience has abundantly shown that the interests of the Am. Ed. Society can, in no way, be so effectually promoted as by permanent and temporary scholarships. The work of supervision never can be performed as it ought to be, while the time and energies of the executive agents are absorbed in devising and executing plans for obtaining funds. That work is now, in a measure, necessarily suspended, in consequence of the great and pressing pecuniary wants of the society. Just so fast as scholarships of either of the above descriptions can be obtained, young men will be placed upon them, and time will be saved for the important service to which we have referred.

Under these circumstances we again send forth our appeal to the Christian public. A great question is at issue. Shall pastors, and ministers, and missionaries be provided for the thousands and millions of our destitute fellow men? Shall the pledges which have been given in the name of the community, whose servants we are, be redeemed? At a time when our hopes are beginning to revive, and the prospect brightens of speedily bringing into the whitening fields a host of devoted laborers-who is willing to check the zeal and efforts of those who are coming forward to engage in the work of the ministry? These pledges must be redeemed. They will be. We announce our wants, not to discourage applicants;-not one, whom the Directors could patronize consistently with the requisitions of the constitution, has ever yet asked in vain, and we trust not one ever will. But there must be an increase of the means of sustaining such applications.

ANNIVERSARIES OF SOCIETIES.

AMERICAN COLONIZATION SOCIETY.

THE twelfth annual meeting of the American Colonization Society was held in the city of Washington, on the 17th of January, the president, Hon. Bushrod Washington in the chair. Delegates from auxiliary societies in Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Maryland, District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Vermont were present.

The report of the Managers was read by the Rev. R. R. Gurley, the Secretary; and the meeting was addressed by Gen. Mercer, F. S. Key, Esq. Walter Jones, Esq. Alexander Randall, Esq. Hon. Henry Clay, Mr. Gurley, Dr. Laurie, and Hon. Mr. Storrs.-A resolution was adopted to erect a monument to the memory of the late Mr. Ashmun, in this country, and in Liberia.

AMERICAN

SOCIETY FOR THE PROMOTION
OF TEMPERANCE.

THE second anniversary of the American Society for the Promotion of Temperance, was held in Boston, January 29th. The Rev. Dr. Woods presided, in the absence of the president. Extracts from the report of the Executive Committee, containing details of a very interesting and encouraging nature, were read by the Rev. Mr. Hewitt, the General Agent. Afterwards resolutions were presented and addresses made by the Hon. Mark Doolittle, of Belchertown, Mass. Jonathan Kittredge, Esq. of Lyme, N. H. and the Rev. D. O. Morton, of Shoreham, Vt.

The resolutions were, That the Report be accepted, and submitted to the disposal of the Executive Committee:-That it is the duty of all Christians to exert their influence to do away in the community the use of ardent spirits: -That the success which has followed the efforts of the friends of temperance, and the approba

a heavy log of wood across the place that covered her legs, and were about to add several others, according to their usual custom, but one of the gentlemen very properly forbade it, a circumstance that seemed to cause much displeasure to the perpetrators of the deed. They had also ropes in readiness, but were prevented by us from making use of them. Without all these preventives, however, every attempt at escape on the part of the unhappy victim must have proved fruitless, loaded as the miserable creature was with combustibles, and confined by the stiffened members of the decaying and loathsome

corpse.

The pile was now lighted, and the shouts of the spectators drowned the cries of the sufferer. When the flames had so far consumed the pile as to expose to view the scorched and disfigured limbs of the couple, I quitted the place with a firm impression, that the conduct of the helpless and deluded Hindoo female in similar cases, is merely the effect of a momentary delirium, produced by means adopted towards her for that purpose. In the present instance, she appeared entirely a passive subject in the scene, at the mercy of her attendants, who did whatever they pleased with her.

In the following case the victim was happily rescued: but the evidence which it affords, that these immolations are generally involuntary on the part of the sufferers, adds not a little to the painfulness of the subject.

The Darogah informed me, that having received a strict charge from the magistrate, to see that every thing was done at suttees according to law, he had acted up to his orders; and that in consequence, he had caused the fire to be put to the pile before the woman ascended it; and that, after she had laid herself upon it, had suffered no one to bind her. That the woman, as soon as the fire reached her, leaped from the pile; and he had taken her for protection into custody. The poor creature lay on a mat in the Thana. Her wounds did not appear to be severe: one side of her face and part of her back were burnt. On being interrogated as to the reason of her ascending the pile, she replied by pointing to her forehead, intending thereby that it was her destiny. She expressed great horror at the idea of returning to the fire. In answer to my question, as to what she wished to do in future, she said that she wished to be taken to her house; and that in case her relations would not receive her again, she had property sufficient to maintain herself. The probability of her returning home seems to be small, as the universal opinion among the people was, that her family was already much disgraced by her conduct in not burning, and would be much more so, if they received her. By an order of the magistrate, find this morning that she has been conveyed to the hospital, where, it is to be hoped, she will soon recover from her wounds. This fact convinces me, and I have no doubt it will most of your readers, that were the native police officers more generally careful that nothing on these occasions was done contrary to the regulations of government, which are forwarded to them by the magistrates, the number of suttees would soon materially decrease. Of the inability of the poor deluded women to stand the fire, the brahmins are well aware; and hence may be traced the brutal custom, almost universally practised by

them, of binding the widow to the pile, either with bamboos passed over, and fastened down on both sides, or by heaping a great weight of wood, &c. on the bodies. Were they allowed to do nothing of this kind, which I believe is contrary to their Shasters, it is not to be believed that one woman in a hundred would remain to burn.

The remaining case is of a character still more painful, on account of the number of victims involved. But even in this respect, it is not a case of unfrequent occurrence upon the decease of the princes of the country. It was communicated by a British officer, who witnessed it, for the Nottingham Journal, (England,) and is here copied from the Christian Watchman.

At sunrise the body of the Ranah was carried out from the palace in a splendid litter; he was full dressed, decorated with all his jewels, and sitting cross-legged, just as if he had been alive; eight of his wives, splendidly attired, covered with valuable ornaments, and mounted on most beautiful horses, rode in advance of the royal corpse. They had three miles to go from the palace to the burying-ground. The women threw among the crowd immense sums of mon

ey.

Arrived at the burying-ground, the body of the Ranah was placed, sitting in state, in the inside of the funeral pile. The ground from the floor had been removed, and the hollow occasioned by this was filled with cotton, grease, rosin, &c.; over this was laid a carpet of crimson silk, with a broad border of rich gold lace. The whole of the women went to a small stream, washed themselves, and said a brief prayer: they then walked round the outside of the pile, and one at a time entered it, seating themselves near the body, according to their rank; the door was then closed. The principal Ranee sung three verses of a hymn, and then gave the dreadful order for firing the pile. In a moment the whole was one complete flame, and the heat so intense that every one ran to a distance. There was no noise-not even a shriek. The sight was most horrible. Even now it makes my blood run cold to think of so dreadful a thing. The women burnt with almost all their ornaments on-many of very great value: one of them gave a priest a set of pearls worth 15,000 rupees. The fire was kept up for three days and three nights, and then cooled with milk: the ashes were carefully collected and sent to be thrown into the Ganges. It is generally supposed that at a suttee, the women are intoxicated, or stupified with opium: this was not the case here. Never were women more collected, or more perfectly in their senses: they bore more the appearance of persons going to some place of pleasure than to so horrible a death. One of them was a young woman, aged about 21 years.

PRIVATE JOURNAL OF MR. STEWART AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.

designed for Sabbath schools, and wherever read || by children, will give them much very interesting intelligence respecting the character, manners, rites, and condition of heathen nations; will teach them to feel in behalf of those who have not the Gospel, and interest them early in the cause of missions.

MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE.

BURMAH.

Death of Doct. Price.-It is mentioned in a letter of Dr. Judson, dated at Maulaming, 3d of May, 1828, that Doct. Price, missionary of the American Baptist Board of Foreign Missions, died of a pulmonary consumption, at Ava, the capital of Burmah, on the 12th of February.

Dr. Judson also mentious that he had baptized six natives since the beginning of the year, and hoped that as many more had cordially embraced Chris

tianity; and that the inquiry and excitement in favor of religion was evidently increasing. It is also stated that a new station was commenced at Tavoy, and occupied by Mr. Boardman.-Am. Bup. Mag. MADAGASCAR.

Death of Mr. Tyerman.-By accounts recently received, it is learned that the Rev. Daniel Tyerman died of apoplexy, at Madagascar. Mr. Tyerman, in company with George Bennett, Esq. was sent by the London Missionary Society, as a deputation to visit the missions of that society, and report their state. In the prosecution of this object, they left London in May, 121; and having visited the missions in the South Sea Islands, China, and Hindoostan; and having nearly accomplished their undertaking, they had reached Madagascar, on their re

turn.

It is learned from the same source, that Radama, the king of Madagascar, died near the same time. He had been the friend of the missionaries in his dominions, and bad done much to introduce knowledge and civilization among his people. Two of his sons were sent by him to England to be educated.

RECENT INTELLIGENCE FROM THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.

By an arrival from the Sandwich Islands, intelligence respecting the mission has been received as late as the first of October. It is mentioned that the attention to religion, at Kairua, noticed at p. 50 of the last number, was continuing; and that 20 natives were candidates for admission to the church. The general concerns of the mission were in a prosperous state. The health of Mr. and Mrs. Ely, however, was such, that, with the advice of the physicians and the other members of the mission, they were expected soon to embark for this country. Some extracts from the communications may be expected next month.

EXTRACTS FROM REPORTS OF AUXILIARIES.

CONSIDERATIONS in reference to foreign missions, are often brought forward, in the annual reports of Auxiliaries, which it is desirable should be presented to the minds of all who are interested in the subject. Some extracts of this character will occasionally be inserted here as the limits of this work permit. The following paragraphs are from the fifth annual report of the Auxiliary of Hartford county, Connecticut.

While at this annnal period of review we find much to encourage us, do we find nothing in our conduct in relation to foreign missions the past year, which ought to be the subject of regret? Have we done as much as we should wish if the present meeting was before the judgment seat of Christ? If when we bent our way hither, we felt as though he who gave his life a ransom for many, would be bodily present, would not the wish have entered our hearts, that we had done more? Should we not have feared that the closet would testify against us for a neglect to remember the cause of missions

in our intercessions to him who seeth in secret? Would not the plea have been rising to our lips, Lord, spare us yet another year, that we may bring forth fruit more abundantly.

With the principles in view which have now been briefly suggested, go on in this good work. It will eventually be accomplished; all the ends of the earth will turn unto the Lord. When, it is not necessary for us to know-it will be in the best time. If christians are not weary in well doing, if success does not relax their efforts, if prosperity does not shed its drowsy influence over their souls, the day of Zion's full glory may soon dawn.

now

But were it otherwise, were gloomy days yet to await the church before the set time to favor her come, were floods of error or of violence to bear away all the monuments you are erecting in heathen lands, what then? Would your reward be lost? Would even your labor be lost? Have you not enough of present joy in the progress of the Gospel to compensate for your sacrifices?

Blot every trace of missions from heathen lands, and say to what better use you could, even in that case, have converted your silver and your gold.

Had the sole effect of the missionary spirit been to call forth the self denial and Christian courage seen in the example of such men as Vanderkemp, and Swartz, and Brainerd, the church would be amply remunerated for the expense of missions.

Who would barter the apostolic zeal, the heavenly purity, the burning devotedness of Martyn-who would blot out this brilliant star from the christian firmament, for all the gold which ever dazzled the miser's eye with its glit

ter.

Our own Mills, Fisk, Parsons and Hall, should every trace of their influence be at once effaced from the heathen world, calculate, on the principles of Christian arithmetic, how much the churches of this country would even then. have lost by the expense of their services. Sordid is the mind which can compare with money, the moral influence diffused through the churches by the example of such men.

The traveller who, at the foot of an Egyptian pyramid, instead of taking its altitude and admiring its sublimity, should only calculate the