the School-rooms in Cuttack, and have not yet responded to those appeals. It will be seen, from the above statement, that at present not quite a quarter of the amount required has been received; and of this sum £35 have been received from two individuals. We shall be glad, therefore, if the friends of Orissa will take up the matter forthwith, so that your brethren there may be able to proceed with the work which is in progress. Dr. Buckley writes:

We are interested to learn from the Observer for December, received three days ago, and from private letters previously received, that several kind and liberal responses have been already made to our appeal for help for Sunday School-rooms in Cuttack; but, while heartily thanking the generous friends who have lovingly helped us, I must add, that we are anxiously and hopefully waiting for many more liberal responses to the circular which has been so widely circulated. The Lord dispose the hearts of those who have the means to help us; and our prayer shall be that every donor may have a sevenfold blessing on his own soul.

In a more recent letter, dated Cuttack, Jan. 6, Dr. Buckley adds:The walls are rising, and the work is progressing satisfactorily. More than 2,800 rupees have already been received by the Treasurer; and most of this has been expended. Only a very small balance is now in hand. When will the expected help from home gladden our hearts.

Letter from Reb. I. G. Pike.

Sumbulpore, Oct. 12th, 1881.

MY DEAR BROTHER HILL,-Last year our cold season tours were sadly interfered with by our building operations, so that I was anxious, if possible, as now we are free from such cares, to get a long cold season for journeying this year. Having this object in view I looked round to find a suitable direction for a short tour before Conference. We had heard a great deal about Talpatra market, which we were told was larger than the weekly market at Sumbulpore. We were further told, with the usual native exaggeration, that cart loads of books would be disposed of there. I determined, therefore, to visit the said market, and started on 16th September, taking with me our native brotherThoma.

Talpatra is only some thirty-five miles due north of Sumbulpore, but when you consider the

DIFFICULTIES IN JOURNEYING,

it is fully equal to three or four times that distance on a level road. The greater part of the way may be described, at this season of the year, as rice swamps and jungle. Such mud as I have never seen before! Of course it was altogether impracticable to take any kind of wheeled conveyance. Accordingly tents, bed, boxes, &c., had to be carried by coolies. I had my palkey with me for the worst part of the way, walking whenever there was a chance to relieve the men. Very frequently the men were up to mid thigh in water, or up to the knees in mud that seemed to stick like glue. We had to make a forced march to reach the market, which is held on Saturday, for I had been informed it was only twenty-four miles distant, and could easily be reached in three days, and was frequently done in the cold season in two. I arranged with the coolies to start on Thursday by day-break, advancing money as usual. About nine o'clock in the morning half the men came, saying that this was a special day in which they ate new rice for the first time, and the remainder of the men would not come till the following day. I sent off (as I thought) my tent and that of the native preacher; but, alas, when I chanced to go down the road in the evening I found the rogues had quietly deposited them on one side of the road and were off drinking in a neighbouring village. They started soon after, I believe. On Friday morning I had further difficulty; for two sharp young fellows imagined their load was a little too heavy, and so quietly took a portion of their burden

NOTES AND GLEANINGS.

123 off and started off before daylight, and consequently before anyone saw what they had been about.

Just after I had started my servant shouted out that the tent pegs had been left behind, so there was further delay in getting another man. Of course the sharp youths had to be fined, but that did not help me much. However, we reached the market in time, with no greater hardship than having to make one meal per day serve us for the two days. I did, however, get a little tea and bread in the early mornings.

At Balburpur, where I halted on Friday morning, I came upon

TRACES OF BROTHER W. BAILEY AND HIS WORK

in this direction. He had examined the school here, and preached to the people in their village. An elderly man told me he had received a copy of the Lamp of Righteousness," which he much valued. (Our late dear brother is always identified owing to the sad accident to his eye.) Mr. Bailey seems to have turned off here westward towards Paddampur.

TALPATRA MARKET

we found was indeed a very large one-larger than the Sumbulpore market,— and considering the state of the roads and the swollen rivers, I am quite prepared to believe the statement of the natives that in a month or two's time it will be much larger. People seem to come immense distances to attend it. I talked with one party that had come twenty miles, and even this is exceeded. We stayed here eight days, to attend the two markets. Unfortunately early on the morning of the second it began to rain heavily, and continued till about eleven o'clock. This, of course, helped to thin the market. The wondering attention with which our message was listened to witnessed to the fact that we were on new ground, though of course many had heard us at Sumbulpore, and many had bought books there.

(To be continued.)

Notes and Gleanings.

MISS BARRASS, our readers will rejoice to learn, has arrived safely at Cuttack. Mr. Miller says—" We all like her very much, and she seems quite at home with us. I have sent for my old pundit to come and teach her Oriya. She and Fanny are now at the English school."

CENSUS OF ORISSA.-As instructed by the Conference I wrote to the Commissioner asking for particulars of the census taken in February last; but I fear there will be some delay, as the Census Office here was burnt down last Monday evening, and all the papers destroyed with the exception of the originals, which were happily in the Commissioner's Office. The friends of the Mission of course understand that Cuttack, Piplee, and Khoordah are under the Government of Bengal, while Berhampore belongs to the Madras Presidency, and Sumbulpore is subject to the Chief Commissioners of the Cuttack provinces ; so that a full account of the Oriya-speaking population cannot be given till information has been received from the three separate Governments. J. B.

Cuttack, Dec. 29, 1881.—Personal acknowledgments are sincerely and heartily rendered to a kind friend for regularly supplying me with the Leicester Chronicle, post paid. It comes as regularly as the English mail. I may add that our departed brother, Mr. Brooks, who had many deeply interesting recollections of Leicester, was always glad of the opportunity of reading it. J. B.

THE WATCH NIGHT AT CUTTACK was a solemn and impressive service, and was very well attended. We felt it good thus to end the year and enter on a new period of time. In addition to the English service in the Mission chapel, services were held in the native language in the different villages. J. B.

THE SHOCK OF AN EARTHQUAKE was felt at Cuttack on the last day of the year, at about half-past seven in the morning, and continued for nearly five

minutes. Many were greatly alarmed, and rushed out of their houses, afraid that they would fall. Mrs. Buckley, who was far from well at the time, and was in bed, felt the shock as if some one was moving the bed, and at once got up to see what was the matter. So far as I have been able to ascertain, all who were in their houses perceived the shock, while those who were walking or riding were unconscious of it. It was felt generally throughout Bengal, and several speak of having heard a rumbling noise. J. B. THE ENEMIES OF OUR HOLY FAITH are increasing in impious boldness. I have this morning received by post a prospectus of a monthly journal entitled The Anti-Christian, which is "to expose the absurdities of Christianity"; and which, while promising to publish in its columns "what any Christian may have to say against its arguments, defies them all."" The editor is a member of the National Secular Society, London. We shall see how long it will live. It is sometimes hopeful when "the devil comes down, having great wrath," as we remember the reason assigned, "because he knoweth he hath but a short time." J. B.

SWADLINCOTE.-Our Foreign Missionary Services were held on Sunday, Jan. 22nd, conducted by Rev. Thos. Bailey. A Juvenile Missionary Service was held in the afternoon. On Tuesday, the 24th, the Annual Missionary Meeting was held, our pastor in the chair; and addresses were given by Thos. Bailey, T. R. Stevenson, J. Elsom, and W. Pridgeon. The report was read by the secretary, showing that the juveniles had collected over £20. Total collected over £30.

EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE, IRISH BRANCH.-At a meeting of Council held on Tuesday, January 31st, it was decided that, as in previous years, the 17th day of March next, St. Patrick's Day, should be observed as day of special and united prayer for Ireland. The invitation will be widely circulated throughout English-speaking countries. It was also arranged that a Missionary Conference should be held on that occasion. Reports having been submitted to the Council of the cruelties perpetrated upon the Jews throughout the Russian empire, it was decided that a public meeting should be held as soon as possible to protest against these outrages.

Contributions

Received on account of the General Baptist Missionary Society from January 16th,

Subscriptions and Donations in aid of the General Baptist Missionary Society will be thankfully received by W. B. BEMBRIDGE, Esq., Ripley, Derby, Treasurer; and by the Rev. W. HILL, Secretary, Crompton Street, Derby, from whom also Missionary Boxes, Collecting Books and Cards may be obtained.