of the icy seas, and the more intimate our acquaintance with all its difficulties and all its precariousness, the higher have our admiration and respect been raised for those who went before us in these enterprises. Persevering in difficulty, unappalled by danger, and patient under distress, they scarcely ever use the language of complaint, much less that of despair; and, sometimes, when all human hope seems at its lowest ebb, they furnish the most beautiful examples of that firm reliance on a merciful and superintending Providence, which is the only rational source of true fortitude in man. Often, with their narratives impressed upon my mind, and surrounded by the very difficulties which they, in their frail and inefficient barks, undauntedly encountered and overcame, have I been tempted to exclaim, with all the enthusiasm of Purchas, How shall I admire your heroic courage, ye marine worthies, beyond names of worthiness!"

"On a subject which has, for many years past, excited so strong and general an interest as that of the northwest passage, a subject which has called forth so much warm British feeling in every British heart, it may perhaps be expected that, charged as I have been with three several attempts at its accomplishment, I should, ere I close this volume, once more offer an opinion. This I am enabled to, do the more briefly, because the question evidently rests nearly where it did before the equipment of the late expedition, and I have, therefore, little to offer respecting it, in addition to what I have already said at the close of my last narrative. The views I then entertained on the subject, of the nature and practicability of the enterprise,

of the means to be adopted, and the route to be pursued for its accomplishment, remain wholly unaltered at the present moment; except that some additional encouragement has been afforded by the favourable appearances of a navigable sea near the southwestern extremity of Prince Regent's inlet. To that point, therefore, I can, in the present state of our knowledge, have no hesitation in still recommending that any future attempt should be directed.

"I feel confident that the undertaking, if it be deemed advisable at any future time to pursue it, will one day or other be accomplished; for, setting aside the accidents to which, from their very nature, such attempts must be liable, as well as other unfavourable circumstances which human foresight can never guard against, nor human power control, I cannot but believe it to be an enterprise well within the reasonable limits of practicability. It may be tried often, and often fail, for several favourable and fortunate circumstances must be combined for its accomplishment; but I believe nevertheless that it will ultimately be accomplished. That it is not to be undertaken lightly, nor without due attention to every precaution which past or future experience may suggest, our recent failures, under such advantages of equipment as no other expedition of any age or country ever before united, and we trust also our own endeavours to effect something worthy of so liberal an outfit, will at least serve to show. I am much mistaken, indeed, if the northwest passage ever becomes the business of a single summer; nay, I believe that nothing but a concurrence of very favourable circumstances is likely even to make a single winter in the ice sufficient for its accom

that he gave up all expectation of returning health, and when the medical officer intimated to him the necessity of beginning to look out for another world, he answered with great confidence, that he had not to begin that work, but wished rather to die than to live. During the remainder of his life he continued to enjoy an almost uninterrupted peace of mind. There was nothing rapturous or transporting, but a steady confidence in the merits of Christ Jesus, which enabled him to look forward to death with satisfaction and delight. He told me he sometimes felt that he was a great sinner, but he recollected that he had a great Saviour. Since he has been very ill he has had M'Gowan constantly to attend him, who says that he continued to the end to enjoy the same degree of peace and consolation. The night before he died, on waking from a doze, he asked M'Gowan if that was the right time, and when M'Gowan asked him what time, he said, Did you not hear me sing? and then repeated with great emphasis, all the hymn beginning, My God, the spring of all my joys,' &c, saying that it was very expressive of his feelings.

"Thus, my dear sir, I have given you a brief account of this good man, which I have no doubt you will be happy to receive. I have always been much pleased with Brewington since I have known him, and have, I think, witnessed in him a gradual progress in grace and Christian experience, and I have no doubt he is now praising and glorifying that Saviour whom he loved and served in sincerity."

The death of truly pious and useful men is felt by the church of Christ in every part where the Redeemer's kingdom is established, but it is more powerfully felt in a country like this, where the holy man is perhaps one in ten thousand; but "the Lord is righteous in all his ways.

The prayer meetings in the houses of several of our friends, which were first noticed in my letter of last April, are continued and well attended, and are much calculated to increase and extend the work of God among us.

We have lately formed another class at the mission house, consisting of females only; at present the number is only four, but we expect an increase:

it is under the care of a zealous and excellent leader, Mr. Mooyaart. We have also got a new juvenile class formed at the New Bazar school, which consists of twenty-four promising boys, and is met by Mr. Chinner, the English master of the school.

The religious state of Colombo, altogether, is very encouraging at present; the union that exists between Christians of all denominations is most remarkable: we often meet together at each other's houses for the express purpose of holding religious intercourse, and on these occasions all distinctions are lost in the firm conviction that we are all the lovers and followers of the same Master, and that the object of our ambition is to see who will be most like him in humility, deadness to the world, resignation to the divine will, and extensive usefulness. Indeed it may be said with truth of the little flock of Christ in this place, that great grace rests upon them all. O that the little leaven may continue its influence until the whole lump be leavened.

At a late meeting of the Bible society, our active and excellent friend Mr. Mooyaart was chosen secretary, an event which is to be regarded in a very important light in relation to the future success of this valuable institution. Several plans are already under consideration and arrangement in order to further its interests, and I doubt not but we shall soon be able to communicate some pleasing information on this subject.

I have now to notice our late district meeting, held at Colombo last month; this was a time of deep interest to us all, and I know not that I have ever witnessed greater faithfulness among brethren. The ordination of our five brethren, Sutherland, Gogerly, Lalman, Anthoniez, and Cornelius, excited an uncommon degree of interest. The several services were performed in English, Portuguese, and Singhalese; upon each occasion, our chapel was well filled: a great solemnity pervaded the assembly; and much impression was excited by the relation of the conversion and experience of the brethren who were set apart for the work of God. May the effect produced by these services long remain, and the fruit be found after many days!

be said with respect to Galle, that there is as little business going forward in it on a Sunday, as in the generality of country towns in England.

On the second inst. I had all the children of the neighbouring schools assembled in the Galle chapel, when I preached to them from John iii, 16, "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." It was a most interesting occasion; the children were all remarkably neat and

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clean, and behaved very orderly; the chapel was quite filled, and they read the responses of the Liturgy aloud and very distinctly. How delightful to hear from the lips of heathen children, We praise thee, O God, we acknowledge thee to be the Lord:" "All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting." Surely among this assembly one might contemplate the members of a future church, who "shall stand as pillars in the temple of our God, to go no more out."

Extracts from the Journal of Mr. A BRIEF description of the ceremony of ascertaining who had bewitched a sick person, I will now give. The whole company is ranged in the form of a crescent, with their faces towards the cattle-folds. The women clap their hands, and sing with all their might; while the men beat their spears, stamp with their feet, and occasionally join in the song of the females. A kind of sorcerer (answering, in a great measure, in point of character, to the Pawaws of the American Indians, and the Angekoks of the Greenlanders) sits in a hut at a short distance, in company with eight or ten natives, who seem to constitute his council. When I arrived, he was momentarily expected to make his appearance in order publicly to declare, by whose evil influence the warrior in question was afflicted. Nevertheless, upwards of three hours elapsed before their expectations were realized. At length, however, it was announced that he was coming, when every man and woman, except those that were designed to form his train, instantly flew to the dancing party, and renewed their strange and laborious mancuvres with redoubled vigour, making the surrounding glens echo with their doleful sound; insomuch that it might be heard at the distance of some miles. I felt deeply impressed with the idea that infernal spirits thronged the air and hovered over us.

The harbingers of the sorcerer consisted of six or eight women, one of whom first inade a tour round with the

Kay, who is stationed at Caffraria. branch of a tree in her hand. When she retired, the others followed in the same manner. This done, a more formidable procession began to approach; but with more regularity than I had been led to expect. The wizard was encircled by a numerous guard, so as to be entirely concealed from view. Having proceeded until they had arrived in front of the assembly, leaving a space of about thirty yards, his train took its stand, and the song became general. In the course of a few minutes, a most frightful figure came forth, painted in different parts of his body with red ochre. One side of his face was red, and the other jet black. He had the skin of some wild animal fastened round him, in the form of a petticoat, and a piece of a jackall's tail fixed on his forehead. Upon coming to about the centre of the circle, he occasionally writhed as if in agony; and at other times threw himself into the most violent attitudes. Having again retired to the centre of his guard, he required that the oxen, which they were about to present him for his services, should be brought before him, together with a certain bead, to be taken off the dress of each individual in the opposite party. These were immediately brought, and the latter article laid at his feet with the utmost reverence, by the persons who presented them, and who passed before him in regular rotation for that purpose. The impression on the minds of the natives is, that he discovers the witch by scent. Hence he pretends to