speed thee, my Red Brother! Be comforted: Jesus will soon wipe away thy tears, and fill thy thirsty soul with His fulness.

Improvement in Morals and Civilization.

Mr. Kingsbury states the following particulars, in proof of this improvement :

Eight years ago, habitual INTEMPERANCE prevailed, from one end of the land to the other: in the space of two months, ten Indians, in this district alone, lost their lives by whiskey. At this time, intemperance within the Nation is hardly known. In July last I attended the distribution of the annuity to two districts, on which occasion there were present from 4000 to 5000 Indians-men, women, and children. They were together four days; and not an intoxicated person was seen, until after the business was closed: some whiskey had been secreted at a distance from the place; and as the law prohibiting the introduction of it into that part of the Nation was not to go into effect until fifteen days from that time, some, after leaving the place, obtained it, and became intoxicated. The Choctaws have not all lost their appetite for whiskey, nor is it to be supposed that a majority of them are restrained from intemperance by the force of moral principle; but so sensible had they become of the destructive effects of this vice, that a law, prohibiting entirely the introduction of whiskey into the Nation as an article of traffic, was proposed by the Chiefs, and obtained an almost universal support in a General Council of the Warriors, In this part of the Nation, this law has been sustained for more than two years, and with increasing satisfaction. Last July, the Western District, comprising nearly half the population of the Nation, adopted in General Council, and by an unanimous voice, a similar regulation. Since that, the other District has followed the same example. There cannot be a question that less ardent spirit is now used in the Choctaw Nation, whether we consider the extent of territory or the amount of population, than in any other part of the United States. It is only when we go to the borders of the surrounding settlements, that we see Indians intoxicated: there, a few unprincipled White Men, equally regardless of the laws of God and of their country, continue, for filthy lucre's sake, to sell the deadly

poison to those Indians who resort thither.

Other evidences of improvement we have, in the increase of INDUSTRY; and a consequent advance in dress, furniture, and all the comforts and conveniences of civilized life: it has been remarked by many, that the fields of the Indians have never been kept in so good order and managed with so much industry as in the past year: at Councils and other large Meetings, the Indians, especially in the Northern and Western Districts, appear comfortably and decently, and some of them richly, clad: a great desire is manifested to obtain furniture for their houses; and some are already supplied, in a manner not inferior to that of new settlers in our own country. The result of a census taken last year in the North-east District was as follows; viz. population, 5627; neat cattle, 11,661; horses, 3974; oxen, 112; hogs, 22,047; sheep, 136; spinning-wheels, 530; looms, 124; ploughs, 360; waggons, 32; blacksmiths' shops, 7; coopers' shops, 2; carpenters' shops, 2; White Men with Choctaw families, 22; schools, 5; scholars in a course of instruction, about 150 : in one clan, with a population of 313, who a year ago were almost entirely destitute of property, grossly intemperate, and roaming from place to place, there are now 188 horses, 511 cattle, 853 hogs, 7 looms, 68 spinning-wheels, 35 ploughs, 6 oxen, 1 school, 20 or 25 scholars. Some of their mechanics' shops and many of their tools bear but a poor comparison with what we find in civilized lands, and would be considered of little use by those who have good ones; yet to these people they are of great value: and it must excite pity in every one who looks into their circumstances, to see them labcuring to cultivate the soil, build houses, manufacture cloth, and struggling to rise from their deep poverty, by the aid of such miserable tools as many of them are obliged to use. The North-east District last year appropriated 1500 dollars of their Annuity for the establishment and support of blacksmiths' shops: the present year they have appropriated their whole Annuity to similar objects. As an evidence of industry and public spirit, I would mention, that, in one neighbour. hood, the Natives have built a shop, chopped wood for a large coal-pit, and carried it on their backs to the place of setting; have built a house for their blacksmith, and cleared for him a field

of 12 acres, all with their own hands: they have purchased with their Annuity a set of tools, and iron and steel, to the amount of 200 dollars; and have engaged to pay their smith 300 more annually, for three years: similar provision is making for smiths' shops in other places.

- Another evidence of the progress of improvement among the Choctaws is the organization of a CIVIL GOVERNMENT. In 1826, a General Council was convened, at which a Constitution was adopted; and Legislative Powers were delegated to a National Committee and Council, whose acts, when approved by the Chiefs, become the supreme laws of the land. I have now before me, in manuscript, a Code containing Twenty-two Laws, which have been enacted by the Constituted Authorities, and, so far as I know, carried into complete execution. Among the subjects embraced by these laws, are theft, murder, infanticide, marriage, polygamy, the making of wills and settling of estates, trespass, false testimony, what shall be considered lawful enclosures around fields, &c.

Another evidence of improvement we have in the ABOLISHING OF ANCIENT AND INJURIOUS CUSTOMS. The erection of poles in honour of the dead-crying at these poles, morning, noon, and night, for weeks and months-large meetings for feasting, dancing, and intemperance, when the poles are pulled down-have been fruitful sources of poverty and licentiousness to the Choctaws. These practices, interwoven as they were with the strongest prejudices and superstitions of the people, were, last July, abolished by an unanimous vote, in a General Council of the Western District; and they are fast going out of practice, or becoming greatly modified, in the other parts of the Nation. The killing of persons for witchcraft, by which much innocent blood has been shed, is now hardly known.

A very great desire for the EDUCATION of their children furnishes another proof of the advancement of the Choctaws. Petitions are frequently made, requesting the establishment of New Schools. Numbers more have applied for admission to the Boarding Schools than could be received. Nothing is now wanting but suitable persons and adequate means, to extend the advantages of education into every part of the Choctaw Nation.

The Board remark, on the preceding communications, that they -have reference principally to the North-eastern District and the Western. In these Districts, the greatest progress has been made in Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts; and in the organization of Government, and the enactment and enforcing of Laws: here, also, the people have valued more highly the Schools, and been most attentive to Religious Instruction. With some exceptions, the people of the Southern District, the one respecting which the following extract was written, have advanced but little in any of these respects. Large quantities of intoxicating liquors have been introduced among them by White Traders; and the Indians themselves have been induced to visit the White Settlements, and spend their winters in idleness and intoxication.

Mr. Williams writes

We are made glad with the prospects before our Brethren in the south part of the Nation. The Word dispensed has not been in vain. Our Brethren there have long sown in tears, but they are now beginning to reap in joy. Some few individuals have been recently awakened, and may now be called a praying people. Their Chief, also, is at least friendly; if not, as it is hoped he is, really seeking the salvation of his soul. So that the three Kings, or principal Chiefs, of this Nation, are standing in defence of the Gospel.

In a recent communication, Mr. Kingsbury writes

There never has been a time, since we came to this Nation, when instruction of every kind was so much sought for, and attended with such encouraging fruits, as at the present. We have now a fair prospect of laying out our strength to The Schools are becoming advantage. important in the estimation of many of the Natives: applications for admission at this place have become so numerous, that we have an opportunity of selecting the most promising.

Notices of Individual Converts.
The Missionaries write-

An aged Captain, of 80 years, who was in the Revolutionary War, visited us, and said that he had always lived in darkness, and had never heard the Gospel, till lately: he had always been taught to "harden" his "heart"-implying, that he had always considered the

highest attainments in virtue to consist in contempt of danger, insensibility to the distresses of others, and irreconcilable revenge in the treatment of his enemies. He expressed a deep sense of the wickedness of his heart and life: "But," said he, "I now love every body, and fold them all to my bosom."

Another Convert said of himself

I

I heard that the Chief and a number of others had become Christians. knew not what it meant to be a Christian. I had never heard any thing about the Gospel; but I thought, if I could find out what it was to be a Christian, as the Chief was a Christian, I would be one too. After a while, I was out, look ing for horses, and happened to come where there was a meeting. I stopped. When I heard the preaching, my heart trembled my body trembled — my nerves trembled: I said, "Be still, heart -be still, body-be still, nerves:" but they would not be still.

The Missionaries add

-

What followed, implied a change of feeling, a love of the Gospel and of prayer, a sense of sin, and desires after holiness. He has exhibited a uniform Christian Life, ever since.

CHEROKEES.

The Board report the following Indications of Improvement in the Nation. Among the encouraging things, which have a bearing upon the success of this Mission, the following are worthy of particular notice :

1. The unexampled fact, that, in some places, nearly all the adult population, and, in the Tribe at large, more than half, are actually capable of read. ing their own language, in their own peculiar character; having learned from small manuscripts, and without ever having become acquainted with any other character, or possessed a single page of a printed book in any language. This is so strange a fact, that it would not be credible, if the proof were not unquestionable. As soon as the alphabet of Guess became known, it was rapidly communicated, till the acquisition of it became general.

2. There is a great improvement in many families, with respect to industry, neatness, and the manner of living. A large proportion of the people dress much better, and live in much better houses now, than at any former period

of their known history. Many of the women spin and weave cotton, and thus furnish cloth for very decent garments of their own manufacture. There is a disposition in many to rise in the arts and habits of civilized life.

3. The diffusion of knowledge within ten years past has been considerable. More than 500 children have been members of the Schools under the care of this Board: some have derived great advantages from what they have here been taught: many more have acquired such a degree of knowledge, as will be of use to themselves and their relatives; and, though a part appeared to derive no profit from the limited instruction which they received, yet others, not connected with the Schools, have doubtless been indirectly benefitted by the instruction thus brought into the wilderness. Nearly 200 children belonged to the Schools in the year past; of whom more than 100 were boarded in the Mission Fami lies, where they enjoyed the superinten. dence and various discipline which are common in well-regulated Christian Families of our land.

4. The influence of religion is now such, as to call forth grateful acknow ledgments to the Author of all Good. There are now about 160 Communicants belonging to these Churches, who are the fruits of the Mission: twelve have died in faith; giving, generally, very striking evidence of the reality of their conversion: some, who are not yet admitted to Church Privileges, give reason to hope that they are truly pious; and many others are restrained from vice, in a greater or less degree, by the example and exhortations of their religious ac quaintances, and the various indirect influences of Christianity wherever it is seen. There are now, at several of the stations, pious Natives, who can interpret to their countrymen the Discourses of the Missionaries; and explain and enforce what is said, by their own knowledge and experience.

It is to be admitted, notwithstanding these advantages, that it is a laborious and difficult thing to reclaim a single tribe from ignorance and sin-that some of the Indians seem to be driven into greater excesses of vice, that they may stifle the reproaches of their consciences -that discouragements are found in the heedlessness of numbers, to whom the greatest of blessings is proffered-and that the efforts of Missionaries them