I would recommend these, boys to the favour of the Society, that they would encourage them by a small present from hume.

These two boys are also very useful as interpreters. One of them has translated the four verses which we used at the laying of the foundation-stones of the Church. With these two boys I will, by the grace of God, translate the Liturgy of the Church of England into Susoo, that, on the opening of the Church, we may read them the Service in the native tongue.

To encourage the Society in its benevolent design of scattering this blessed seed among poor African Children, I shall report another circumstance. A boy had stolen some Indian Corn, last year, out of my store. No budy had witnessed the fact; nor had he told it to any one, but kept it concealed above three months. By expounding, however, to the children the Scripture every day, and by endeavouring to plant the fear of God in their hearts, he became conscious that by his stealing the corn and concealing it he had committed a great sin against God. He discovered the fact to one of my two above-mentioned boys, and begged his advice. He said, "You must confess your sin to Mr. Wenzel." One evening, after prayer, he followed me out of the schoolroom, with the other boys all close after him. I inquired the reason of their following me. He told me the crime which he had committed, and the reason of his confession. He feared God would punish him for it. I gave him a short exhortation, and warned him against such evils. I urged on him that he must always fear God, nor do any more such wicked things. Though no man might see him, God can and will punish him. He shewed great signs of repentance. I encouraged him afterward, and told him God would forgive him his sin; but that he should pray to God for his Holy Spirit. All the boys were much affected, and promised me that they would not steal. May God grant that all these lambs may follow the gracious voice of the Good Shepherd of our souls, who gave us a blessed example even in his youth!

Mr. Wenzel fairly states, however, in a subsequent communication, several things which tended to discourage him with respect to the children; though his hope was revived by others.

The Susoos (he observes) are too much disposed to keep their children at home in their ignorance, and infect their tender hearts by the vices which are practised among them: so that the children have, in too many cases, lost all relish for a better education; because they can live at home without restraint, according to the will of their sinful hearts, and practise wickedness without fear. If children are sent to us at the age of five or six, or younger, of such children, as they are not in the practice of sin and their hearts not so much infected by the vices of the older, some hope may be entertained, that, in a Missionary Settlement, they may reap the benefits of a Christian Education: but when they are brought into a Settlement beyond this age, which is too much the case with the Susoos, as they do not like to take them from their mothers, their hearts are much infected with the evil of sin.

A Missionary must, therefore, be continually on his guard to root out the thorns, briars, and weeds, which grow with their years; and must look circumspectly how they go on, especially as there are children of both sexes in the Settlement.

I have mentioned some boys whose conduct greatly encouraged me but some things are come to my ears that rather damp my expectations, though I see signs of repentance. What shall I say or think? Shall a whole Society of Christians be disappointed in their noble design? Shall the labours and pains of their Missionaries prove unsuccessful? Shall the prayers of so many faithful Disciples of our Lord not be answered, and their money be spent in vain? I cannot think it!

Nay, shall I say that no progress is made toward our end? God forbid! I will enclose a Prayer of one of my boys, which he himself out of his own heart composed, and which I found in his bed-room, in which he thankfully expresses his sense of the benefits of the blessed Gospel of Christ which is preached to them by us Missionaries, and offers his prayers to God to bless the Society who has sent Missionaries to this dark region. But how soon does Satan corrupt such a mind again. O Watchman, what of the night! Watchman, what of the night!

It is by no means my intention to discourage the Society; nor would I have it supposed that I am low-spirited. Not at all; but I must state things as they are: and I will, by the Grace of God, try the utmost; though the

effort may be difficult, and the issue at times appear to be doubtful.

When now much money has been spent, great pains bestowed, many trials suffered, frequent prayers ascended to Heaven, and not a few lives shortened in the work of the Mission, should not this stir us up more and more in the service of the Lord?

Prayer of an African Youth.

O Lord, open thou our hearts, that we may, lift them up, and thank thee for thy goodness and mercy, which thou hast shewn unto us, in that thou hast sent thy Missionaries into this country to shew us the way to heaven. We have been sitting in darkness: but now thou hast sent thy servants to enlighten us with the truth of the Gospel, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen!

We thank all our friends in England, which sent cloth for us that we may dress ourselves, and buy us food to eat. Oh that the Lord may open our hearts that we may pray for them, that God may take them up to heaven when they die.

Oh let us be glad and rejoice in this salvation which is come unto us. If we obey the Gospel and do it, we shall be happy in the next world: but we cannot do it ourselves: O Lord, help us that we may understand thy holy words; that, when we are at home, we may talk to the others, and say, Come and see what the Lord has done unto my soul.

We have been here: we knew nothing about Jesus Christ, thy only-begotten Son, that thou hast sent him into this world to save sinners. But now, O Lord, by thy mercy and loving kindness, thou hast sent thy servants to declare thy wondrous works unto us. Help us, O Lord, to do thy will, and to keep thy holy commandments. O Christ, hear us: we have heard in thy word, when children pray to thee thou hearest them. Oh let our humble prayer come before thée ! O Lord, our heavenly Father, to whom shall we go but to thee? O Lord, we must

come and bow dur humble knees before thee, and pray to thee for thy goodness to us and to all men. Amen!

MALTA AND THE LEVANT.

Letter from Dr. Naudi to the Secretary of the Church Missionary Society.

My Dear Sir

Malta, Valletta, Sept. 3, 1814. Referring to a letter which I wrote lately to you, I shall not repeat what I said about the young man, Jerome Panà, already prepared to leave Malta, and to be engaged under your Society, as one of those young persons whom you commissioned me to send· out to be educated for the future benefit of NorthAfrica.

I had lately much conversation with a gentleman from Derna, an important place in the neighbour-> hood of Tripoli. He had been in almost every corner of that territory, and had travelled much about the Deserts of Barca. That part of the Ancient World, which once gave birth to such great Christian Men, and where the Church of Christ greatly flourished," is now the most neglected; and is reduced to a state, very little different from that of the Hottentots and other savages of Africa. A well-disposed man, endowed with such individual and Christian Qualifications as are requisite for the purpose, would effect a› great deal of good among those different tribes. There are among them a multitude of Jews; and, in the late troubles, a very great number of this people migrated from Europe to Cairo, and other parts of Egypt, and to Jerusalem. It is very singular to observe, that, in the short period of two years, many unexpected conversions from the Jewish to the bless-. ed religion of Jesus have taken place all round the Mediterranean.

I had the other day a second letter from the Bishop of Nicotia in Cyprus, in answer to one sent to him

from one of my friends here, John Suappottolo, who is much interested in promoting the knowledge of the Gospel. He took upon himself to procure for us two good persons from Arabia, in order to be sent for better education to your benevolent Society for the ultimate benefit of North Africa. Fully persuaded of the essential good which will follow from your exertions in that part of the world, he promises to send to us shortly these two young men from Alexandria, well educated according to the custom · of their country, and of good characters; and it will be all at his own expense till they arrive in Malta.

We are always lamenting here the good persons. lost by the plague last year. Before my coming to England we had, as you know, a new Society, well adapted for religious purposes, in this island, which was called the Society of Francisco," after the Founder. This good man died by the plague'; and, with him, died a great part of our benevolent people. These perished, because, more than others, they ex-*. posed themselves to the contagion. All those mem

bers of the Society who took an active part in visiting the sick, and giving the Lord's Supper to the dying, lost their lives. Their zeal was a great bless-> ing to the dying; but all of them failed, and are lamented.

The other young man whom I mentioned to you,' and whom I meant to send to the Society, lost his father and sister by the contagiou: in consequence of which he is obliged to support the business of his father, and to decline, with great regret, accepting your proposal. He desires me to give you this statement, and begs to be considered always as an intimate friend of the Society. We have lost about twenty-four Priests, who were, for the most part, eminent persons for character and piety. At the burial ground, near town, about 6000 of our inhabitants are interred, who were lost to us in the fatal year 1813.