member our former state-how of his bread-fruit, take the largest many children were killed, and of his taros, take the finest of his how few were kept alive; but, now, sugar-canes and the ripest of his none are killed the cruel prac- bananas, and even take out the tice is abolished: parents have very posts of his house for firenow the pleasure of seeing their wood to cook them with. Is there three, five, and some their ten chil- not a man present who was obliged, dren, the principal part of which and actually did bury his new canoe would not have been alive had not under the sand, to secure it from God sent his word to us now, our these desperate men? But now all land is full of children; and hun- these customs are abolished: we dreds are daily taught the word of are now living in peace, and without God. We did not know that we fear. But what is it that has abopossessed that invaluable property, lished all these customs? Is it our a living soul: our ancestors, who own goodness ?-is it our own were called a wise people, never strength? No: it is the good name told us so: neither Oro, nor any of Jesus. We have now no need of the other evil spirits, ever in- to place our pigs underneath our formed us of it: but God caused beds, and our little rolls of cloth compassion to grow in the hearts of for our pillows, to secure them: the good Christians of Biritane' our pigs may run about where they (Britain): they formed a Missionary please; and our little property may Society, purchased a ship, and sent hang in the different parts of our out Missionaries to tell us that we house, and no one touches it: we possessed living souls-souls that are now sleeping on bedsteads: we never die; and now we are dwell- have now decent seats to sit on: ing in comfort, and hope of salva- we have now neat plastered houses tion through Jesus Christ. But to dwell in; and the little property are all those lands of darkness which we have we can call our [pointing to the islands to the southward] possessed of the same knowledge? Do all know that they have never-dying souls? Do all know that there is one good and one bad place, for every soul after death? Are all enjoying a hope of salvation through Jesus Christ? No! some are worshipping idols-some are killing themselves-some are killing their children: then let us use all the means in our power that Missionaries may be sent to teach them the good word that we have been taught." Another said; "Two captivities existed formerly among us: one was our captivity to satan-the other was our captivity to the servants of the kings or chiefs. These would enter into a person's house, and commit the greatest depredations: the master of the house would sit as a poor captive; and look on, without daring to say a word: they would seize his bundle of cloth, kill his largest pigs, pluck the best own. Let us look around us at the house we are in; Oro never shewed us any thing of this kind: look at our wives-what a decent appearance they make in their gowns and bonnets! Compare ourselves, this day, with the poor people of Rurutu, who have lately drifted to our island, and behold our superiority! And by what means have we obtained all this? By our own industry? by our own goodness? No! it is to the good name of Jesus we are indebted. Then let us send this name to other lands, that they may enjoy the same good." We much regret to learn that the London Missionary Society have been deprived by death of the labours of their excellent and indefatigable missionary, Dr. Milue of Malacca. He was a principal conductor of the Chinese Magazine, and the "Indo-Chinese Gleaner," and the author of an Account of the first Ten Years of the Mission to China, and other publications. The following is an extract from the last letter received by the Directors of the Society from him, dated Pulo-Penang, April 17, 1822, a few weeks before his death. It shews how fully his heart was set upon his missionary undertakings. "As to my own case, I think a great and peculiar uncertainty hangs upon it: there is a complication in my disorder. I believe that a long sea-voyage would be useful; and yet I am so tied at Malacca, that I cannot take it. I must hang on, till I see persons able to carry on the work. Make haste and send them, or I shall be gone before they come. 'When heart and flesh fail, be thou, O God, the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. Pray abundantly for me. The mission here is doing well." How much the labours of such men as the late Dr.Milne are needed for the moral as well as spiritual welfare of China, will appear from the following passage in the IndoChinese Gleaner, relative to the prevalence of infanticide among the Chinese. Let any man who doubts the value of Christianity, or disparages the efforts made for its extension, compare this statement respecting a people call ing themselves civilized, with the gratifying communications from the newly Christianized islands in the South Seas. "That infanticide exists in China, we have the evidence afforded by the confessions of the natives themselves-of original moral essays, dehorting parents from committing this crime-and of Europeans, who have been naturalized and domici. liated in China. In opposition to this, the observation of official travellers, post haste along the high road or through the rivers, has no weight as a negative proof. A tub of water is quite sufficient to drown an infant, without carrying it out of doors; and this is, in general, the way in which the rich destroy their female infants, when they do commit that inhuman crime. At the same time, it is not a practice that the Chinese glory in; and therefore, like the crime of drunkenness, and like other crimes in a polished nation not far from England, they observe a sort of decency in the perpetration of it. They do not expose these things to foreigners at Canton, nor to embassy travellers, before whom they assume the best and most imposing attitude: the soldiers brighten their helmets, and the police sweep the paths that were never swept before. As to the extent of infanticide in China, it is, we believe, impossible to give any numerical statement. We can however assure our readers, that it is not by the Chinese generally considered a strange, a rare, or a horrible occurrence." MERCHANT-SEAMEN'S AUXILIARY BIBLE SOCIETY. To awaken in the minds of our sailors a desire to possess, and peruse the word of God, was the great object of the founders of this institution. It must therefore be truly gratifying to them, and to the friends of sailors in general, to witness the most unequivocal evidences of the growing prevalence of this desire. The following comparison is very satisfactory:-In 1818, the first year of the Society, the number of Bibles and Testaments left on board vessels at Gravesend, without payment, amounted to 5773; and 597 copies were sold; the proportion of those given to those sold, being rather more than nine to one. In the second year the proportion was about five to one; in the third, two and a half to one; and, in the last year, only one and one-eighth to one,-the whole number of Bibles and Testaments being 877 left without payment, and 774 sold. Many of the copies left, in the first instance, without payment, have been after wards paid for on application to the owners or their brokers in London. We shall quote a few of the remarks made by seamen to the Society's agents, as they are extracted from their weekly reports. From these it will appear that a considerable moral improvement is taking place in the minds of many seamen Indeed, the testimonies to this fact are now so numerous, that it is no longer necessary, remark the Committee, "to confine ourselves to the cautious language of hope and doubtful hesitation; we would rather congratulate our country on the important change which is visibly passing in the moral and religious habits of seamen, under the blessing of God, through the instru⚫ mentality of this and other kindred Societies; and would use this fact as an argument to further exertion." "No. 31. I fancy you will find few sailors now who cannot read,' said the Mate, and not so many as formerly destitute of the Scriptures.' One of the crew had a Bible, which he brought with him from the L-: he said the Captain gave it him." "A respectable man, who keeps a lodging-house for seamen in London, said, a few days ago, that he had forty prime seamen at his house waiting for ships, and that he count ed twenty-five Bibles amongst them, most of which had been purchased of the Society." "No. 50. When the crew found on what business I had come, several of them applied immediately to the Captain for money, to enable them to purchase. The Captain said, It is a good thing to have plenty of Bibles on board; but we are rather in want. I could not advance you any money, my lads,' said he (addressing himself to some of the crew), for any other purpose, for I am reduced to my last shilling; but I cannot refuse you on such an occasion as this.' "No. 60. We are well off for Bibles,' said the Captain; and we hope it is no vain thing 10 possess them; and I am glad to hear, from time to time, what is doing among seamen: they certainly are an altered people: I do not hear those dreadful oaths, or witness those drunken frolics among them I formerly did.” "No. 83. The Captain cheerfully came forward, and offered to advance any money the crew might want, to enable them to purchase the Scriptures. Two of the crew, who were destitute, seemed glad of the offer, and appeared highly pleased with the books when they got them. The Captain's conduct was, in every respect, creditable." "No. 231. After some conversation with the owner, who was on board, he said, Let me have two Bibles and two Testaments: you have supplied a ship of mine before; and send in your bill, and I will pay for them.' This gentleman has since become an annual subscriber to the Society. "No. 243. My people may want many things, and no doubt but they do,' said the Captain: but I know they are not in want of the Scriptures, for each man fore and aft has got a Bible.'—A vessel in good order." "No. 259. Spanish. I could not make any one understand why I visited their vessel, until I produced a Spanish Testament, which they received with much astonishment and apparent satisfaction, crying out, at the same time, 'Good, good; thank you, thank you.' Each one seemed anxious to get hold of it." "No. 285. A ship well supplied with the Scriptures. It appeared the Captain takes much pains with his little crew, to make them acquainted with religion; and the moral condition of the vessel proved that his endeavours had not been in vain. One man was pleased to shew me a Bible, which he said he got from a Bible Society at Malta, and that it was his chief comfort." "No. 308. Well supplied with Bibles, prayer-books, and religious tracts. It was quite a phenomenon, a little while back, to see a Bible in a sailor's chest,' said the captain; but now it is a thing quite familiar. Foreign sailors formerly paid more attention to religious things than British sailors; and who knows but the last may be first? We are not destitute of the means of instruction here; and my people are, at present, very orderly.' "No. 196. This vessel I found well supplied when I visited her. On my re-visit, the Captain said, "I have a Bible and Testament, which I brought with me for the use of the crew, from the now in the coasting trade.' He invited all to purchase, and called out to one at the mast-head, 'Do you want a Bible?' 'No, sir,' replied the man; but I shall be glad if you will buy me a prayer-book.' One observed, that it was quite a new thing for a seaman employed about the rigging at the fore-topmast-crosstrees, to call to his captain upon deck to purchase him a prayer-book." "No. 876. I found the former crew well supplied. There is not that cursing and swearing now,' said the Captain, which there used to be among seamen. I am sure there is a wonderful difference in the manners of most sailors.'" No. 31. I want a Bible sorely,' said one of the crew, and now I will have one.' ' And so will I,' said another, although it is the last money I have. I shall not want money when crossing the Atlantic ; but I may want a Bible."" "No. 170. Observing this ship to be paying, I went on board, and sold four Bibles. This is the best thing ever thought of for sailors,' said one of the crew; for some sailors would be ashamed to buy a Bible on shore: but when they are brought to them in this manner, they are glad of the opportunity of getting one; and having never heard but very little of its contents, when they come to read, their eyes are, in a measure, opened; and they begin to think it is an excellent thing indeed."" "No. 1649. The day after I re-visited this ship, some of the crew sent messages, no less than four times, by different watermen, requesting of me to go on board again with Bibles for sale, as they had received some pay, and wished to buy.--I went, and sold five Bibles." "No. 698. The Captain was attentive, and the crew well-behaved. One man said, 'I was cast away a little while ago, and I thank God I was enabled to save my Bible and my Baxter's Saint's Everlasting Rest.'" "No. 1583. One of the crew said, 'I suppose you have not got such a thing as a Gaelic Bible;' finding I had, he was much pleased, and went, fore and aft,to endeavour to borrow money enough to pay for it, but in vain. The next day the ship was paid, and I visited her again; and he seemed highly gratified at getting a book he so much wanted, especially on such moderate terms." "No. 628. 'Now is your time, my lads,' said the Mate to the crew, if you want a cheap Bible. Ah! there is a vast difference in the manners of sailors now, and what they were six years ago.' A steady waterman standing by, replied, Men may say what they please; but this I know, that I don't find so much wickedness amongst sailors as formerly."" : It appears that Lieutenant Cox has visited, at Gravesend, during the last year, 1554 vessels of this number 1117 had been formerly supplied with the holy Scriptures by this Society. The remaining 437 ships, containing 8086 men of whom 7147 were reported to be able to read, had been furnished with 265 Bibles, and 612 Testaments. The sale in London has been nearly equal. The num ber of ships found wholly destitute of the Scriptures has been gradually decreasing from year to year, since the formation of the Society. The active exertions of Marine Bible Societies now formed in many of the principal out-ports of the United Kingdom have done much towards effecting this desirable object. A Ladies' Association has been formed, of which the Duchess of Beaufort is patroness, for the purpose of raising funds, to be equally divided between the Naval and Military Bible Society and the Merchant-Seamen's Auxiliary Bible Society. The Society's annual subscriptions amount only to 1887. and HIBERNIAN Schools have been very successfully conducted in some of the prisons; in particular, in the county gaols of Sligo and Cork. The So ciety has also carried its system of instruction into three new counties. Of the thirty-two counties of which the island consists, twenty-three are now enjoying, some of them to a considerable extent, the benefits of the Society's labours. The conviction of the necessity of scriptural knowledge to better the condition of Ireland, is considered to be spreading among enlightened Roman Catholics themselves. By the Catholic laity it is deeply felt: and many of the Society's schools the demands upon its liberality are still urgent and numerous. It ought however to be mentioned, to the credit ofthe merchants, shipowners, and others who take a lively interest in the moral and religious welfare of seamen, that no less a sum than 38541. has been raised since the formation of the Society, for the exclusive purpose of supplying this valuable body of men with the holy Scriptures. We are convinced that no cost or efforts made for this benevolent and useful object will be ill bestowed; and we strongly recommend the institution to the liberal encouragement of those who have it in their power to assist its efforts. SOCIETY. are under the actual superintendence of Catholic priests. Wherever the sanction of the Catholic priest can be obtained, the schools are crowded to excess. The growing desire of the Catholic parents to obtain education for their children has induced the priests, in many instances, to open schools as a measure of self-defence. In these schools, however, although reading is taught, the Scriptures are withheld. A member of the Committee visited a great number of these schools, and never found in any one of them a single copy of either the Protestant or Catholic version of the Scriptures. They appeared indeed, for the most part, altogether destitute of books; no provision being made for their supply. The Reports of the Inspectors are very interesting; but having lately given some specimens of them (see Christ. Observer for 1822, p. 724), we shall not cite largely from them at present. The following are a few passages: "The people of this large village never heard of the Bible, and are consequently very dark and ignorant. On the Sabbath, I read a considerable portion to the fa |